Cooking Beans in the Crock Pot

I realize that I'm the only crazy person out there who takes my beans seriously enough to cook them myself instead of just buying canned beans but I'm posting this anyway.  I cook them in the crock pot and then freeze some for later because that's the kind of nerd I am.  It started in Ghana (well fine, it started in Honduras, but I wasn't the person on bean cooking duty back in those days) because canned beans were hard to find and really expensive, and now I somehow can't go back because they're just better and it somehow seems like cheating.

Ingredients
Any amount of dried beans and whatever kind you like—I just usually do one bag of them if it fits (If you're cooking kidney beans though, boil them for 10 minutes before cooking. This apparently neutralizes some toxin in there.)
1 teaspoon salt at the beginning and then another teaspoon per pound of beans at the end (depending on how salty you like them)
3-4 cloves peeled garlic and big chunks/slices of onion (1/4 of an onion)

Directions
When you cook them in the crock pot, pre-soaking them isn't as important, which is good because that overnight soak is usually what does me in because I don't plan that far in advance and can't seem to find two consecutive days where I can soak overnight and then proceed to cook them for a really long time. Anyway they say they're easier on your stomach if you do soak them, so if you're the kind of person who can soak them overnight and cook them the next day, then go for it. 

Soak: Rinse the beans under cool, running water and remove any shriveled beans. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with several inches of clean water. Let sit overnight (in the fridge). Drain before cooking.

Crock pot: Put them in the crock pot on low and fill it with enough water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches.  Add the onion and garlic at the beginning of cooking (if you just leave the cloves whole and the onion in big pieces, you can just scoop them out when you're done). I also add a teaspoon of salt at the beginning of cooking — a little salt added at the beginning of cooking actually helps keep the beans intact, so I know that this would be considered blasphemous in Honduras, but I've started doing it because my beans always explode and it seems to work.

Cook on low - it usually takes 6-8 hours, but start checking them around 5 hours and then every half hour or so until they're soft.

Best cheesecake ever

One Thanksgiving in Ghana, we were desperate for some American dessert but were having trouble getting the right ingredients for anything Thanksgivingy so I finally came up with this recipe to meet all of our weird requirements.  Anyway, I made it and it was such a hit that everyone I knew requested it for every single farewell party, Friday night movie night, birthday, and pretty much anything that could possibly require celebration in the form of a cheesecake.  So I thought I'd share the recipe because it is actually pretty amazing.

Ingredients

Crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pecans and lemon peel, cut in butter until crumbly. Combine egg yolk and vanilla; stir into flour mixture. Press onto the bottom of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Fill a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish with 8 cups water; place on lowest oven rack. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Add the flour, vanilla and salt. Combine eggs and egg yolks; add to cream cheese mixture just until combined. Beat in cream just until combined. Pour over crust.

Bake on middle rack at 325 degrees F for 70-75 minutes or until center is almost set (top of cheesecake will crack, don't be scared). Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4-5 hours). 

Cast iron rules

I'm trying to get over my fear of cast iron pans and saw this article and wanted to share it with all of you and with my future self once I finally start using mine.  I actually bought a pan so that's the first step, right?

Rules for a successful lifelong relationship with your cast iron

1) Season it when you get it. Even pre-seasoned cast iron can do with some extra protection. To season your pan, heat it up on the stovetop until its smoking hot, then rub a little oil into it and let it cool. Repeat this process a few times and you're good to go.

2) Clean it after each use. Clean your pan thoroughly after each use by washing it with soap and water and scrubbing out any gunk or debris from the bottom. I use the scrubby side of a sponge for this.

3) Re-season it. Rinse out any excess soap with water, then place the skillet over a burner set to high heat. When most of the water inside the skillet has dried out, add a half teaspoon of a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, flaxseed, or shortening. Rub it around with a paper towel. Continue heating the pan until it just starts to smoke then give it one more good rub. Let it cool and you're done.

4) Fry and Sear in it. The best way to keep your seasoning maintained? Just use your pan a lot! The more you fry, sear, or bake in it, the better that seasoning will become.

5) Don't let it stay wet. Water is the natural enemy of iron and letting even a drop of water sit in your pan when you put it away can lead to a rust spot. Not the end of the world, but rust will require a little scrubbing and reseasoning. I always dry out my pan with a paper towel and coat it with a tiny amount of oil before storage.

Here's the full article I got this from with all of the myths about cast iron.

Next step: USE cast iron pan.  It's been 3 months since I bought mine at the Amish market (it only seemed fitting - if you're going to get one anywhere other than inheriting it from someone, you can't pass up an Amish market cast iron pan, right?) and I think this just may be the month I start using it.

Eggplant Parmesan

Hi everyone,

The blog is officially back in action so get ready.  If you bake breaded eggplant, it doesn't even taste like eggplant and gets all crispy and delicious I swear.  So try it even if you don't like eggplant.

Ingredients:
3 eggplants - peel and thinly slice
4 cups Panko or Italian bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes on each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.