Bret's Ham, Cabbage and Bean Stew

Ingredients

This is a fantastic recipe for after you've bought a spiral-cut (or not spiral-cut) ham and have a bunch of ham leftover and a big meaty bone.  Start this early in the day

1 ham bone with meat and fat still to trim off,
3 c. chopped ham
3 c. pinto beans, dry
2 c. rice
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
5 carrots, chopped
1 half head of a large green cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp sea salt, more to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
3/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Prep
Begin by soaking the beans.  Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let this sit for 2 hours.  Wash the rice once or twice and cover it with boiling water to soak too.  While that's going on, get a big soup pot, and fill it halfway with water, add the ham bone and whatever trimmings are still attached (after stewing the bone and trimming the remaining bits, I got about 2 cups of chopped ham)  Get the water up to boiling and then reduce it down to a low-med rolling boil.  Let that go for 2 hours, adding water as necessary to bring the water over the bone.

Once the broth has a good hammy taste, pull the bone out, let it cool and dump in the beans after straining them.  Let the beans cook for 20 minutes on high before adding the vegetables and other seasonings. 

While waiting for the beans to cook, trim all remaining meat and fat off the bone.  Don't be shy about adding the fat back in--it's delicious and not that bad for you.  If you're shy of 3 cups, chop up some of the remaining ham and get it to 3.  Add the ham and rice to the stew as well as everything else.

Let it cook on low for 45 min more to make sure the veggies are all cooked.  This should get quite thick and may require more water.  Add as necessary.

Autumn Beef, Bean and Pumpkin Soup

1 1/2 c. kidney beans (dry)
1 to 1 1/2 lb inexpensive beef steak
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
2 carrots
1 parsnip
5 c. hot water
1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried taragon
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 tsp garlic chili paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Bret's Beef and Black Bean Soup

1 1/2 ibtop rond steaks, cubed
1 box beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
3 medium potatoes
2 zuccini cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp.ground cumin
1/2 tsp.chili powder
1 tsp. hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
16 oz dried black beans
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
6 c. water
plain yogurt

hours before, rinse beans and set them to soak.  If in a hurry, you can boil the beans first to speed up the soak time.  Bring to a boil under this method and then let the beans sit for an hour.  Overnight is good, but not necessary.

Once beans are soaked, chop beef and add the cubes, prepare the vegetables and add them, add all seasonings, stir and simmer for a hour.

Pinto Bean Pecan Pie

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,162,148162-226192,00.html

PINTO BEAN PECAN PIE
1 can pinto beans and juice 1 c. chopped pecans 3 c. sugar 1 c. butter, melted 1 sm. can flaked coconut 4 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 3 sm. unbaked pie shells Mash or blend beans in juice. Beat eggs, add all ingredients and mix well. Pour into pie shells, bake at 300 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. For 2 large pies, bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pinto-bean-pie-iii/

Strait Pinto Bean Pie

• 1 cup pinto beans, drained and mashed
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
2. In a large bowl, combine beans, corn syrup, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Pour into pie crust.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown.