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Well, since I didn't exercise until later yesterday, I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep. Which in turn meant that I didn't want to get up this morning. Vicious cycle. I did get up, but didn't feel up for any walking. C'est la vie, eh?
But I made it to work, and was even a few minutes early.
After work, I stopped off at C&T's to drop off some transcribed material and for a bit of a visit.
I left later than I intended, and got caught in a bit of Friiday evening traffic, but it could have been much worse.
And now I've done the Ramp #1 video. So, while I prefer to walk in the morning, if I just can't do it...I can make alternative plans. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Oh, and by the way, the Red Beans and Rice are fabulous and amazing. I wasn't sure about them this morning, because they were brothier (if that's a word) than I really like. But I turned the crockpot on HIGH for a couple of hours and cooked with the lid off. Then, before I left for work, I put the lid back on, and turned it down to LOW. I came home to rich, thick and spicy beans. YAY! If they'd still been brothy, I would have poured off most of the broth until I got a good consistency and saved it for split pea & ham soup, because the broth was VERY tasty all by itself.
The recipe is from Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook by Rick Rodgers, and it's actually called Very Nice Red Beans and Rice.
1 lb dried small red chili beans, rinsed, drained and picked over
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 1/3 cups water
2 2/3 cups double-strength beef broth
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 smoked ham hock, skin scored in diamond pattern with sharp knife
1 tsp salt
4 cups hot cooked rice
chopped scallions for garnish
In a large pot, combine beans with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat, cover pot and let stand for 1 hour; drain well. Beans can also be soaked overnight with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches, then drained.
In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 6 min. Transfer to slow cooker.
Stir in the drained beans, water, broth and red pepper. Bury ham hock in beans. Cover and cook on LOW until beans are very tender...about 9-10 hours.
Remove ham hock, pull off and discard fat and skin. Remove meat from bone and chop coarsely. Return meat to pot and stir in salt.
Serve over rice, garnished with scallions.
Now, for my tweaks.
I soaked the beans overnight, then drained them, added more cold water, brought them to a boil and simmered them for an hour. With dishes where salt (like in the ham) might be an issue, I prefer to have my beans almost cooked before adding them.
I used ghee instead of veggie oil. :) And since I don't tolerate bell pepper very well, I used four small Serrano chiles, seeded and chopped. They helped to bump up the spicy quotient. WOO HOO! I also used about 3-4 cloves of garlic.
I can't find double strength broth for anything. The author says it's widely available. Well, not in my 'hood. Besides, with ham and pork, I prefer chicken broth. So, I used chicken broth and added about 1-2 tbsp chicken base to bump up the flavor. I think I also used more red pepper as well...I just poured some into my hand and dumped it in.
I used a meaty ham bone rather than a ham hock. In the end, I didn't use ANY additional salt. I don't think it needed any, there was plenty from the ham.
And as I said at the beginning, it was rather watery first thing this morning. It may be because since the beans were almost cooked they didn't need as much liquid. I'll have to experiment when I make it again. And I will!
FWIW, you could substitute a turkey wing cut into 2-inch pieces for the ham hock. I won't, because I'm not fond of turkey. I'm just saying.
And now I've exercised and eaten. I'm going to settle in for a quiet evening. Maybe I'll watch a movie, maybe I'll read. I just don't know right now. :)
But I made it to work, and was even a few minutes early.
After work, I stopped off at C&T's to drop off some transcribed material and for a bit of a visit.
I left later than I intended, and got caught in a bit of Friiday evening traffic, but it could have been much worse.
And now I've done the Ramp #1 video. So, while I prefer to walk in the morning, if I just can't do it...I can make alternative plans. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Oh, and by the way, the Red Beans and Rice are fabulous and amazing. I wasn't sure about them this morning, because they were brothier (if that's a word) than I really like. But I turned the crockpot on HIGH for a couple of hours and cooked with the lid off. Then, before I left for work, I put the lid back on, and turned it down to LOW. I came home to rich, thick and spicy beans. YAY! If they'd still been brothy, I would have poured off most of the broth until I got a good consistency and saved it for split pea & ham soup, because the broth was VERY tasty all by itself.
The recipe is from Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook by Rick Rodgers, and it's actually called Very Nice Red Beans and Rice.
1 lb dried small red chili beans, rinsed, drained and picked over
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 1/3 cups water
2 2/3 cups double-strength beef broth
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 smoked ham hock, skin scored in diamond pattern with sharp knife
1 tsp salt
4 cups hot cooked rice
chopped scallions for garnish
In a large pot, combine beans with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat, cover pot and let stand for 1 hour; drain well. Beans can also be soaked overnight with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches, then drained.
In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 6 min. Transfer to slow cooker.
Stir in the drained beans, water, broth and red pepper. Bury ham hock in beans. Cover and cook on LOW until beans are very tender...about 9-10 hours.
Remove ham hock, pull off and discard fat and skin. Remove meat from bone and chop coarsely. Return meat to pot and stir in salt.
Serve over rice, garnished with scallions.
Now, for my tweaks.
I soaked the beans overnight, then drained them, added more cold water, brought them to a boil and simmered them for an hour. With dishes where salt (like in the ham) might be an issue, I prefer to have my beans almost cooked before adding them.
I used ghee instead of veggie oil. :) And since I don't tolerate bell pepper very well, I used four small Serrano chiles, seeded and chopped. They helped to bump up the spicy quotient. WOO HOO! I also used about 3-4 cloves of garlic.
I can't find double strength broth for anything. The author says it's widely available. Well, not in my 'hood. Besides, with ham and pork, I prefer chicken broth. So, I used chicken broth and added about 1-2 tbsp chicken base to bump up the flavor. I think I also used more red pepper as well...I just poured some into my hand and dumped it in.
I used a meaty ham bone rather than a ham hock. In the end, I didn't use ANY additional salt. I don't think it needed any, there was plenty from the ham.
And as I said at the beginning, it was rather watery first thing this morning. It may be because since the beans were almost cooked they didn't need as much liquid. I'll have to experiment when I make it again. And I will!
FWIW, you could substitute a turkey wing cut into 2-inch pieces for the ham hock. I won't, because I'm not fond of turkey. I'm just saying.
And now I've exercised and eaten. I'm going to settle in for a quiet evening. Maybe I'll watch a movie, maybe I'll read. I just don't know right now. :)