Patty's Favorite Red Beans and Rice

Earlier this week I made red beans and rice for my Aunt Patty. I knew they'd be safe for her gluten-free diet, but I did not know that they were one of her favorite foods and something she makes nearly every week. She said that our beans were the best, and "better than Popeyes."

I started with this recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and made a few modifications. Here is the recipe I followed:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry red kidney beans
• 1 green pepper (chopped)
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1-2 tbs freeze dried chopped shallots (fresh are OK too, or can sub onions and/or garlic)
  
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 2 small red chiles (chopped, seeded)

Directions:
Prepare the beans (either by soaking overnight or by boiling for one minute and then soaking for at least an hour; drain and rinse the beans when done soaking). Put beans in a pot and cover with an additional 2 inches of water, add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for 2-4 hours or longer as needed/desired. Remove bay leaves. If desired, use a stick blender to puree the beans in the pot to a smoother consistency. Serve over rice.

Optional condiments:

• fresh cilantro
• chopped red onion
• tabasco
• salt
• pepper
• chopped fresh tomato

Notes: I really liked the addition of the fresh cilantro. This went really well with a side of homemade vegan/g.f. coleslaw.

Easy Gourmet Trick--Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

One of my favorite, easy gourmet tricks is to make balsamic vinegar reduction. Its quick, cheap, fun and can really make a difference in your meals. The first time I had balsamic vinegar reduction was served over pumpkin ravioli. Since then, I've used it on roasted root vegetables, and I suspect it would be delicious anywhere you would consider using regular balsamic vinegar (on strawberries, over salad, with avocado, etc.).

To make it, pour some balsamic vinegar into a pot (aim for about twice as much the final volume you would like in syrup), then heat over a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until the vinegar is reduced to a syrup consistency. This doesn't take very long. Some people suggest various additions (brown sugar, salt, butter) as desired, but I like the syrup as-is.

Have you tried making balsamic vinegar reduction before? If so, do you have any tips or favorite variations?

Easy Rhubarb Raspberry Pie Recipe

I adore rhubarb, and buy it at the Farmer's Market just about every week during its short season. To be sure we have some when its not in season, I like to marinate clean chopped rhubarb in a bit of sugar and keep it in tupperware in the freezer.

This week, I made a delicious, relatively healthy raspberry rhubarb pie with a homemade graham cracker crust.

Ingredients:
Pie:
-1 small package raspberries, rinsed
-1 bunch rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-1/4 cup white sugar (or more as desired)

Crust:
-approx. 8 oz graham crackers, crushed
-2 tbps butter (or more as desired)

Directions:
To make the crust, I first crushed the graham crackers using the same method that I rely on for Ardelle's Dirt Cake: I place a few graham crackers at a time into a sealed ziplock bag, and smash them either with my hands or a tool such as a rubber mallet. Then, lightly grease the pie dish and arrange the graham cracker crumbles. Melt the butter and drizzle over the graham cracker crust (you may need to mix the crust a little with your fingers to even out the butter distribution).

Then I simply mixed the raspberries, rhubarb and sugar and let them marinate in the fridge for a few hours. I didn't use a lot of sugar, because the berries are sweet and I like the tart tang of rhubarb--but you may prefer more sugar. While the berries/rhubarb were marinating, I also let the crust chill.

Finally, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 40 mins or so (depending on your oven) until the rhubarb is soft. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Vegetarian Meatloaf

My husband recently made this vegetarian meatloaf recipe posted by Flickr's Moonlightbaker. It was fabulous. The only modifications he made were using only 1 kind of veggie crumbles (Boca, I think, whatever our grocer had on hand), and omitting the onion. The green peppers added a really nice flavor/texture, and the glaze on top was outstanding. The leftovers were really terrific as well. Even my omni husband enjoyed it! Definitely a recipe to make again.

How to Make a Dirt Cake

Dirt cakes were a fixture at just about every birthday party or other celebration my sister and I had growing up. They were hugely popular with us and with our cousins. My grandma, Ardelle, would make them using the recipe below (in her own handwriting).

Recently, I inherited the planter and spade that were dedicated solely to dirt cake. Since my wedding shower was in spring and had a gardening theme (my mother filled about 25 planters with cuttings from her plants as favors!), I decided to try my hand at making a dirt cake to bring to the party.

I have to admit that I didn't follow Ardelle's recipe to the letter. For example, her recipe called for an entire stick of butter and I only used about a tablespoon. I used one package of vanilla pudding and one package of banana because its what my partner brought home from the store--this did give the cake a slight banana flavor but people seemed to really like it. I omitted the Cool Whip (which mysteriously appears in the directions but not the ingredients list) entirely. Also, instead of smashing the Oreos between two sheets of wax paper, I sealed them in a large ziplock bag (a few handfuls at a time) before attacking them with the rolling pin.

Here is the final result:

Complete with gardening spade and flower, exactly as Ardelle would have served it. Although I didn't add any gummy worms, which she liked to do.

While there weren't any children in attendance at the shower, the dirt cake was a universal hit with the guests, and was more popular than any of the other desserts we had. Leftovers, if you have any, hold up well in the fridge for a few days, although you may need to transfer them to a smaller container.

Enjoy, and if you give this recipe a whirl, let me know what you think of it!

In Memory of Ardelle

Its been quiet for the last few months here at Devil's Workshop Crafts as my grandmother, Ardelle, was ill from a stroke, and much of my free time was spent visiting with her. She passed away just before Easter, at the age of 89.

Here is a eulogy that I wrote and read at her funeral. I think it sums up a lot about who she was and what she meant to me.

This is a pendant I made from the photo above and wore to the wake and the funeral. I purchased the supplies from Collage Stuff if you're interested in making one of your own.


Lastly, here is a link to a recipe I posted a few month's ago for Ardelle's Sweet and Sour Green Beans.

Link Love--Rainbow Swirlz Giveaways

If you're not familiar with Rainbow Swirlz' Blog, Daily Finds and Giveaways, definitely check them out. Blogger/Etsy store owner Mendy highlights various Etsy store owners through interviews and fabulous giveaways. She also posts tutorials, sales and other items of interest. Through tomorrow you can enter to win a fantastic necklace from Punky Bunny Designs, and there are other contests as well. I've had the good fortune to win a beautiful throw pillow and fun print, so I definitely encourage you to join in the fun!