Cooking Day

There are days when I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and today is one of them.

First, I made a huge pot of marinara sauce to use up some of the onions from the share. They just don't last as long as the ones we get at the store.

Next, a modified version of the classic seven layer bar. I used craisins in place of butterscotch chips and mmmmm! It brightens up the flavor a bit.


Seven Layer Bars
350 F
25 min

1 stick butter, melted
2 c graham cracker crumbs (about 1.5 packs)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c craisins
2 c chocolate chips
1 1/3 c sweetened coconut (I think unsweetened might be better here)

Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into 9" x 13" pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Pile on the rest in the order given. Press everything gently down into the condensed milk. Bake, cool, and try not to eat too many.


Then I made some coleslaw using cabbage, apples, carrots, apple cider vinegar, and mayo. Had to use up the stuff from the share and everything except the mayo were share items.

Lastly, I decided to make Portuguese White Beans and Sausage after reading the recipe here. Time consuming so it's a good thing to make while doing other things in the kitchen. I had to use ordinary (no dry-cured smoked Spanish) chorizo because that's all I could find at the one store I checked.


Portuguese White Beans and Sausage
From the book The New Portuguese Table by David Leite

½ lb. thick-sliced slab bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
¾ lb. chouriço, linguiça, or dry-cured smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into ¼-inch coins
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Olive oil, if needed
2 large yellow onions, diced
1 Turkish bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 lb. dried Great Northern or navy beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight in water to cover by 3 inches
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
¼ cup double-concentrate tomato paste
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Steps

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the meaty bits are crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.

Bump up the heat to medium, add the chouriço, and sear until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chouriço to paper towels.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Or, if the pot is dry, drizzle in some oil. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes; adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning.

Add the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Drain the beans and dump them into the pot, along with the chouriço, red-pepper flakes, and 3½ cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let burble gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Begin checking at 45 minutes, but it may take as long as 1½ hours, depending on your beans; add more water if needed.

Fish out and toss the bay leaf. Stir in the tomato paste and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the beans sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes to absorb any excess liquid.

Scoop the beans into a serving dish and shower with parsley.


It was good, not great although Sam ate it without complaint.