Perfect Pinto Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans~ rinsed and picked
1 ham hock~ with some ham attached
water

Soak clean dried beans in large bowl of water for 24 hours. Discard water and transfer beans to crock pot. Place ham hock in center of beans and cover with clean water (water should be approximately 1 inch above beans). Cook on high for 1 hour then reduce to low and cook 12 hours or until beans are tender and creamy. Spoon beans and sauce over cooked white rice for "piggy smash", add salt and pepper to taste after cooking.

Cucumber Dill Salad

4 large cucumbers
1 t salt
6 radishes
1 container (8 ounces) plain yogurt
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c fresh dill, loosely packed~ chopped
2 T lime juice
1/4 t black pepper
1 garlic clove~ minced


Cut each cucumber lengthwise in half; scoop out seeds with spoon. With knife or in food processor fitted with slicing blade, thinly slice cucumber halves crosswise. In large bowl, toss cucumbers with salt; let stand 30 minutes.

Thinly slice radishes; transfer to serving bowl. Add yogurt, sour cream, dill, lime juice, pepper, and garlic. Stir until well combined.

With hand, press sliced cucumbers over sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Pat cucumbers dry with paper towels.
Add cucumbers to bowl with yogurt mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight to blend flavors.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1~15 oz can pineapple chunks~ drained
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) butter~ divided
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c pecan halves
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t rum extract

Melt 4 T butter (1/2 stick) over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium high and cook until sugar mixture is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add pineapple and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until sugar mixture completely liquifies; remove pan from heat. Transfer mixture to 9 inch cake pan, add pecan halves and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In separate bowl, cream remaining 1/2 c butter (1 stick) and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Add vanilla and rum.

Spoon batter evenly over pineapple in pan. Bake in middle rack of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of cake and, wearing oven mitts and working quickly, invert cake onto a cake plate, keeping plate and pan firmly pressed together. Carefully lift pan off cake, replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of pan, if necessary.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Chef's Note: This cake is notorious for bubbling out of the pan while baking. Position a foil lined baking sheet on the oven rack directly below the cake pan to avoid having to scrape carbonized sugar off the bottom of your oven.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

1 pound ripe tomatoes ~ seeded and diced*
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
6 fresh basil leaves or 1 t dried basil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 loaf fresh French bread
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Cut bread in 1/2 inch slices; brush with olive oil. Place on baking sheet, oil side down. When oven is ready, place baking sheet on top rack and bake 5-6 minutes.

Prepare tomatoes and add garlic, olive oil, vinegar and basil; stir gently to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted bread.

*If fresh tomato is unavailable, salt free canned tomato (drained) can be substituted.

Summer Squash and Corn Soup

1 pound yellow summer squash
2 c frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/2 t onion~ minced
2 cloves garlic~ minced
1 jalapeno chilie~ chopped and seeded
2 T olive oil
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
2 c chicken broth
Garnish: corn kernels, fresh cilantro leaves, sour cream.

Cut summer squash crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Mince garlic and onion. Wearing rubber gloves, chop chile (or use 1 teaspoon canned jalapeno but will include seeds, therefore much spicier).

In heavy 5 quart pot combine all ingredients except broth and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in broth and simmer mixture until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Divide soup between 2 bowls and garnish with corn, cilantro and small dollop of sour cream. May be served hot or cold.

Traditional Hummus

3 cloves garlic~ minced
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)~ rinsed and drained
1/3 c tahini
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c water
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 t salt~ more to taste

In a food processor combine all ingredients and process on medium high until very smooth, 3-5 minutes. Add more salt to taste. Drizzle with additional olive oil for garnish (I can't ever seem to get enough!) Serve with pita wedges, rice crackers or fresh veggies for dipping.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 T butter
1/2 white onion ~ diced
2 stalks celery ~ chopped
3 c chicken broth
8 c broccoli florets
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 c milk
ground black pepper to taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat.

In small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-heat, stir in flour until smooth and whisk in milk. Whisk continually until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes), add to soup. Return soup to boil for 5 minutes more. Season with pepper and serve.

*Chef's Note~ Garnish with cheddar cheese for the flavor of Broccoli Cheese Soup without adding major calories.

Potato Chowder

1/2 pound bacon
1/4 c chopped red onion
4 to 5 pounds potatoes~ cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3 c milk
Salt and Pepper~ to taste

Cook bacon in large stock pot over medium high heat. Remove bacon, reserve and reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pot and brown for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. Drain and add soup, milk, reserved bacon, salt and pepper to taste. Return to boil until thickened and serve.

Peach Cream Tart

Crust:
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c (1 stick) butter~ softened
2 T sour cream

Filling:
5 1/2 c fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (or 44 oz canned no sugar added peaches~ drained)
3 egg yolks
3/4 c sour cream
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c flour

Glaze:
1/4 c plum or apple jelly~ warmed
1 T frozen lemonade concentrate


Preheat oven to 375.

To make crust, place flour, butter, and sour cream in food processor and pulse to combine. When formed in a ball, pat with lightly floured hands into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 15 minutes, until crust is set but not browned. Cool while preparing filling.

Lower oven to 350.

To make filling, arrange peachs in overlapping circles on top of crust, until completely covered. Combine egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and flour; beat until smooth. Pour over peaches.

Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until custard is set and pale golden in color. Transfer tart pan to wire rack to cool.

To make glaze, combine jelly and lemonade concentrate. Spread with pastry brush over top of warm tart. When tart has cooled, remove side wall of pan.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.