Category: SAVORY BREADS & MUFFINS

NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP with GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

According to Wisegeek, Navy beans are pea sized white beans which can be used in a variety of dishes. These very common beans are known by a variety of alternate names, including haricot beans, Boston beans, pea beans, and Yankee beans, and they are closely related to larger white beans such as Great Northern and cannelloni beans. Most markets carry navy beans, typically in both dried and canned form, and they are also very easy to grow in the garden, if you have a little bit of room.

The flavor of navy beans is fairly mild, and the texture of the beans tends to be fairly dense. The common name “navy bean” is a reference to the fact that the beans were once widely included among the staple supplies of the United States Navy, since dried beans do not go bad, and they provide an excellent source of nutrition. Many classic American bean dishes call for navy beans as a result, since they were so widespread and well known; Boston Baked Beans , for example, are made with navy beans. So of course I am now researching these recipes to replace my current BBQ Bean Dinner and get away from using canned products.

My recipe was developed from what I had on hand along with childhood memories of navy beans and ham hocks cooking on the stove. Min from the Bad Girl’s Kitchen recently ran a recipe for Ham & Bean soup that is most similar to what my family cooked when I was young. I developed this biscuit recipe after I fell in love with the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits.


NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

1 ham bone with meat on it
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

  • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
  • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
  • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
  • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS, CHUCK WAGON BEAN DINNER and BEER BREAD OR CHEDDAR CHEESE BISCUITS

Not too long ago I researched Navy beans for my Navy Bean & Ham soup. During that research I also found that navy beans, named that for the bean of choice of the U.S. Navy, are the main bean used in Boston Baked Beans. I have been making my BBQ Bean dinner for years using canned BUSH beans, but decided it was time to make true Boston Baked Beans my way. I found that most versions used salt pork, but I like the bacon too so I chose to use both. You could substitute if your prefer though. I also eliminated all mustard due to an allergy, but also because I prefer the sweeter version.

Here are my versions:

BOSTON BAKED BEAN DINNER
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound salt pork, cubed & browned
2 large Vidalia or Maui onion, chopped small
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 cup ketchup
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound navy beans

  • Soak beans overnight.
  • Brown hamburger, drain and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Cube and brown the salt pork. Add to slow cooker.
  • Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. Add to slow cooker.
  • Chop onion into small pieces and scatter over the meat.
  • Add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Scatter the brown sugar over top evenly.
  • Stir together the molasses, ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Pour evenly over everything in the slow cooker slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with Beer Bread or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.

CHUCK WAGON BEAN DINNER aka POTLUCK VERSION
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped small
2 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 cup ketchup
3 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
4 large cans Bush maple flavored baked beans

  • Brown hamburger and then drain. 
  •  Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. 
  • Add to the remaining ingredients in slow cooker. 
  • Cook on low for 5-7 hours. 
  • Serve with beer bread or cheddar cheese biscuits. 
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.

OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS
1 pound Navy beans, washed and sorted
1/2 pound salt pork, diced small
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup PURE maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses

  • Dice salt pork and layer on bottom of slow cooker.
  • Chop onion and scatter over salt pork pieces.
  • Wash and sort beans.
  • Place beans in slow cooker on top of salt pork.
  • Cover with 5 cups water.
  • Cook on low overnight for 12 hours.
  • Drain beans, reserving liquid.
  • Return beans to slow cooker.
  • Add vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses and blend well.
  • Add in 1/2 cup of bean water as desired for consistency.
  • Heat through for an hour or so.
This is sooooooooooooo simple, but don’t tell the family. They’ll think you worked all day on fresh baked bread.
BEER BREAD

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
12 oz. beer (Budweiser works well)
1 stick butter, melted

  • Mix flour, sugar, salt and beer together. 
  • Add a couple of ounces of the butter. 
  • Knead together uniformly, but do not over work. 
  • Form into a well greased loaf pan. 
  • Pour remaining butter over top of loaf. 
  • Bake for 1 hour. 
  • Serve hot with soup.

CHEDDAR CHEESE BREAD or BISCUITS

2 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons poppy, celery OR caraway seeds (Your Choice)
1 egg
1 cup milk

Combine Bisquick and seeds and mix well. Add cheese and mix again. Whisk egg and milk together. Gradually add egg mixture to Bisquick mixture and mix until well blended. Spoon into a well grease loaf pan and bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. If making biscuits either spoon drop onto a well greased cookie sheet or use a mini-muffin pan.

PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD

PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD
3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago Parmesan Cheese
extra-extra virgin olive oil

  • Sift together the four, yeast and salt.
  • Stir in the water until dough forms.
  • Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese.
  • Transfer to a well floured surface.
  • Knead until soft, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes). Add flour as necessary to reduce stickiness.
  • Knead the dough until it remains rounded and doesn’t flatten out when left to sit for a few minutes.
  • Arrange into a round.
  • Brush the surface with olive oil.
  • Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2 hours).
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Brush a 9 inch round pan with olive oil.
  • Put remaining cheese on a plate.
  • Punch down the dough and knead a few more times with fresh flour.
  • For rolls – divide dough into12 pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a ball.
  • Roll each ball in the cheese and then place in pan with the edges touching. 9 balls around the outside, 3 balls in the center.
  • Cover with a flour sack towel and allow to rise again.
  • Cut a small slash in the top of each ball.
  • Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and the reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden and crispy, about 20-30 minutes more.
  • Serve hot or transfer to a wire rack and cool and then slice.

CHEDDAR & SAGE SCONES and TOMATO, THYME, SAGE & DOUBLE CHEESE TART

This month we are making savory tart and scones. I agree that we are on  sugar over load for last few months and we badly need something more savory.

These recipes  are suggested and tried and tested by Archana of The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen.


Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart
Serves 4
Time needed: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Recipe Source: BBC Good Food issue Mar’14


The original recipe called for mustard which I had to eliminate so I could continue living.

For the Pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2/3 cup butter, Chilled and diced
1/3 cup grated gruyere
1 large pinch red chilli powder (I used about ½ tsp)
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons pepper
10 tablespoons water, chilled


For the Filling:
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon olive oil (I used Avocado oil)
¼ teaspoon salt
A pinch pepper
1 ½ tsp mustard
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1 ½ tablespoon thyme
1 ½ tablespoon sage (I used 2 teaspoons)

Method:
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C. 
  • Halve the tomatoes and transfer to a tray. 
  • Drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper. 
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Cool.


To make the pastry:
  • Add flour to a big bowl.
  • Add the butter gradually and knead with your fingertips till the flour resembles bread crumbs. 
  • Blend in the cheese and chilli powder. 
  • Mix the salt and pepper. 
  • With the chilled water bring the dough together. 
  • Wrap in saran and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 
  • Line a rectangular tin with foil. Set aside. 
  • Roll out the pastry line it in the tin. 
  • Using a fork make holes in the pastry at regular intervals. This prevents the pastry from puffing up. 
  • Now smooth a parchment paper or foil on top of the pastry and add beans.  
  • Blind bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Take out the paper/foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To assemble:
  • Mix the mustard and cheese. 
  • Spread over the tart. 
  • Place the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with thyme and sage mixture. 
  • Bake @ 180°C for 40 minutes then at 220°for 15 minutes. 
  • Remove the tin from the oven to a wire rack.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes. 
  • To remove from pan lift the entire tart to by just lifting the foil. 
  • Let it cool on a wire rack. 
  • Cut in desired sizes and serve warm.


Cheddar and Sage Scones
Makes 8
Time needed: 45 minutes
Recipe Source: bbcgoodfood.com


NOTES:

The original recipe asked for fresh sage 10 leaves, 2 chopped fine and rest whole. I used dried sage and reduced it – A LOT. We’re not very fond of sage around here. The original recipe says baking time is 12-14 minutes I need 20. 

Also you can roll the dough out in a square then cut it in quarters then the quarter in can be cut diagonally to get 8 triangles. I suggest you shape out the dough in the tin or the tray you will be baking the scones in so they don’t go wonky as you transfer them.

1 cup self rising flour + extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp english mustard powder also omitted so I can continue living!
A pinch salt
A pinch pepper
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1 cup grated cheddar
1 tablespoon dried Sage + ½ tablespoon
6 3/4 tablespoons curds*
3 1/3 tablespoons water*
1 tablespoon oil, for greasing

*I used  5 ounces of buttermilk


Method: 
  • Preheat oven to 220°C. 
  • Grease and flour the baking tin. 
  • Whip the curds and measure.  Adjust the water and whip it to get a smooth mixture. This will give you 150ml of buttermilk. 
  • Set aside 1 teaspoon of buttermilk. This is for brushing on the scones. 
  • Mix flour, mustard powder, salt, pepper in a bowl. 
  • Blend butter till the mixture resembles fine crumbs. 
  • Stir in ½ the cheese and 1 tablespoon sage. 
  • Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the buttermilk.
  • Quickly stir and mix well till the mixture forms soft and spongy dough. 
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead to get smooth dough.  
  • Roll in to 3 cms thick circle.  Cut in quarters then the quarters again to get 8 sectors. 
  • Transfer to a baking tin. 
  • Brush the remaining buttermilk. 
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese and top with sage. 
  • Bake for 20 minutes until they are well risen, golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 
  • Serve warm with butter.

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MEATBALL STEW & PARMESAN ONION WEDGES

MEATBALL STEW & PARMESAN ONION WEDGES
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tub KNORR beef gel
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
1 pound small red tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
2 cups baby carrots sliced in half lengthwise
1 package frozen pearl onions (thawed)**
1 tablespoon Avocado oil
12 oz. package frozen meatballs
1 package McCormick Au Jus
Himalayan pink salt and Garlic pepper to taste

  • Whisk together the hot water, gel tub, vinegar, Au Jus seasoning and white wine until well blended.
  • Add flour and whisk until lump free and set aside.
  • Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Add celery, potatoes, carrots and onions, sauteing until slightly softened (about 8-10 minutes).
  • Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 
  • Add meatballs and simmer 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.  Broth will thicken as it simmers.

**While the pearl onions look good, I prefer to make this recipe with sweet Maui onions.

PARMESAN ONION WEDGES
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup WHOLE milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, minced
1/2 mayonnaise**
1 teaspoon salad seasoning

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a small bowl stir biscuit mix and milk together just until moistened.
  • Turn onto a floured surface and knead a few times.
  • Roll out to a 11-12 inch circle and transfer to a pizza pan.
  • Combine the cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salad seasoning. Spread on top of dough.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden.
  • Serve war.
  • Refrigerate leftovers.

CHILE CORNBREAD CASSEROLE ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

It’s not often I use a box mix for anything, but my ex-MIL gave me this recipe for cornbread years and years ago and it’s a no fail.  I added the chiles a few years ago and it has become a family favorite.

CHILE CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
15.25 oz. can white corn
4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained REALLY well
8.5 oz. can cream corn
8 oz. sour cream
1 large egg
1 box JIFFY (small blue box) Corn Muffin Mix
1/2 cup melted butter

  • Mix all together by hand.
  • Pour into greased 9×9 pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350°.
  • If you are doubling the recipe, use a 13×9 baking pan and bake at 350° for 1 hour or golden brown and set.