Good Morning Everyone!

I have a leftover meaty hambone from the Labor Day dinner so I decided to make Red Beans and Rice. It was a toss up between that or garbanzos. I'm going to serve it along with cornbread and a refreshing tomato salad.

Yesterday for lunch I had a grilled tuna salad made with one of the leftover steaks. This is what I did:

deflaked the tuna steak in a bowl, added:
1 heaping T. mayo
1 t. dijon mustard
1 T. chopped scallions
sprinkle of onion powder
1/2 of a sweet red roasted bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

It was scrumptious! Here are the recipes for tonight!

Happy Cooking! Gina

Red Beans and Rice

serves 8-10

2 c. red beans, washed and drained
3 c. chicken broth
1 meaty hambone
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into chinks
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 c. minced scallions, reserve the chopped green tops
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t. tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
4 1/2 c. water
2 c. rice
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Soak beans overnight in the chicken broth. Add enough water to make 2 quarts to cook in. Add ham bone, sausage and seasonings. In a skllet saute the onion and scallions til limp, add garlic and continue cooking 3 more minutes. Add to beans, stir to blend, and bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 3 hours. If needed, you may add more chicken broth to keep beans soupy. After 2 1/2 hours mash beans a little with masher to thicken the potage.

Put rice and water with crushed garlic and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer til water is evaporated and rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Discard bay leaves and serve beans over rice garnished with green scallion tops. Serve with cornbread.Kathleen's Corn Muffins

from Kathleen's Bake Shop

This is a wonderful little baking book by Kathleen King. Her shop is on North Sea Road in the quintessential summer resort...Southhampton, NY.

yields 9 muffins

1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. half and half
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin tins

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and mix til crumbly. In a separate bowl, mix the half and half with the egg and fold in the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Spoon into tins filling to the top. Bake 25 mts. They will not get very brown on top.