Navy Beans Cajun Style Food

NAVY BEANS CAJUN STYLE

Steps:

• heat oil in saucepan over med heat. add vegetables and garlic, stir, cover and cook 6 minutes.
• add drained beans and mix. incorporate remaining ingredients. gradually pour in enough cold water to cover beans by 2 1/2inch. season with salt and black pepper.
• cook partly covered 2 1/2 hours over med heat. stir several times, adding more water as needed.
• serve with fresh bread.

CREOLE-STYLE WHITE BEANS AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE OVER RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the ham hock, onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the beans just simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the skin on the beans is tender and the beans begin to soften, about 2 hours. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and creamy, about 1 hour longer*. (If desired, the ham hock can be removed at this point and either discarded or, when cool enough to handle, the meat can be removed from the bone and returned to the beans and the bone and skin discarded.) Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and serve the beans and sausage over hot white rice.
• Pass the hot sauce at the table for guests to use at their own discretion.

OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight, well covered with cold water.
• Pour off soaking water and pick over beans to remove any bad ones, or debris.
• Put beans in a pot.
• Cover with fresh cold water and add 1 tsp. baking soda.
• Bring to a boil and cook until skins of beans crack when you take one out on a spoon and blow on it.
• Cut onion in quarters and put in bottom of a bean crock or large casserole.
• Add the partially cooked beans.
• Put cut up salt pork on top.
• (Some people use the salt pork fat. I don't like fat, so I prefer to use the salt pork meat.) Combine brown sugar, molasses, mustard and salt with 1 1/2 cups boiling water.
• Pour over the beans.
• Add more boiling water, if needed, to come just to the top of the beans.
• Also, if needed during baking tme, add more boiling water.
• Bake, covered, at 300 degrees F for 6 hours, or until beans are tender.

NAVY BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cold running water.
• Pick over the beans to remove any stones or foreign objects.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy stock pot.
• Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes transparent.
• Add the bay leaf and thyme and saute for 1 minute.
• Add the beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are tender.
• Uncover the pot and skim the surface of the bean liquid from time to time to remove any scum that may have formed.
• Remove the pot from the heat, season the beans with salt and pepper to taste, and drain any excess liquid from the beans.
• Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.

OLD-FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring beans, salt and 2 qt. water to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and discard liquid. Return beans to pan. Cover with remaining water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving liquid. In a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish, combine beans, 1 cup liquid, onion, molasses, bacon, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Cover and bake at 325° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until beans are as thick as desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid if needed.