Beans, Kamut, Little Smokies and Vegetables

½c small red-brown beans

½c kamut 

Cook both of these according to package directions, separately.

2 stalks celery - sliced thin

⅓c chopped red pepper

⅓c sliced purple shallot

1T EVOO

10oz. Little Smokies

Saute' the vegetables in the olive oil.
After 10 minutes, add sliced Little Smokies.  Cover, adding a little of the bean cooking water to keep everything from sticking.  When the celery is tender, stir in the beans and kamut.  These beans were grown in India and are a staple there.  Kamut is an ancient grain in the wheat family, common to dishes cooked along the north east coast of Africa.

Food like this brings me back to busy Saturday mornings when our children were young and money was scarce.

My husband loved the giant cans of pork and beans with onions, crumbled bacon and biscuits for lunch after a busy morning in town.

This is my healthier version. . .Lin

Smokey-Potato-Pepper Picnic Hash

1#+ Little Smokeys - each cut in thirds

1-1½c chopped mixed sweet peppers

1# Yukon Gold potatoes - cubed

1 med. yellow onion - chopped

4-5 big garlic cloves - chopped

2T bacon drippings

Cook all this, slowly over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then add the following:

1 can drained-rinsed black beans

3T Sherry Ketchup or barbecue sauce

2T seedy brown mustard

1T raw turbinado sugar

1T ground cumin

Bring the heat up until everything simmers a few minutes.  Cover, shut the heat off so it can slowly absorb the heat and blend the flavors.

Mmmm. . .this turned out really well for a spur-of-the-moment family get-together.

Happy Labor Day Everyone! . . Lin

Spicy Little Smokies and Small Red Beans

1c small dried Asian red beans

(1t baking soda)

1-2T bacon grease

3 lg. cloves of garlic

1 med. purple onion

1 pkg. Little Smokies

a little water

1T dark brown sugar

1-2T strained chili garlic sauce

¼-½c of your favorite BBQ sauce

2T spicy brown, seedy, or horseradish mustard

Put the beans and 4c cold water in a medium pan.  Bring to a boil, cover and shut off for a half hour.  Drain and rinse the beans.  Return them to the pot and add another 4c cold water.  Bring this to a simmer for an additional 20 minutes, adding, and stirring in, 1t baking soda at that point.  Rinse and drain.  Set aside while moving on to the other ingredients.

Put bacon grease, minced garlic, chopped onion and finely chopped Little Smokies into the original cooking pot.  Simmer covered, then uncover and saute' a while, until everything's snapping and lightly browned.

Keep going, stirring often, until it's almost sticking to the pot!  Add beans and remaining ingredients, then simmer another 20 minutes, covered.  Serve with some really good Jalapeno Cornbread.  Ohhhh my. . .this was a late breakfast-lunch, but I might also have some later for an early dinner!!  It's excellent!! . . . Lin