You know how when you’re looking for something in a thrift store, you can never find it? Even something that seemed ubiquitous before suddenly becomes scarce once you want it. That’s how it was for me and slow-cookers/crock pots. I decided it would be really nice to have one, and of course they were nowhere to be found. Actually, that’s kind of unfair–I did see really ugly ones at Goodwill, for twice what I wanted to pay. But last week I found a pristine white one for $7. I was kind of worried that there must be something wrong with it, but I’m two batches of beans in, and it seems to work wonderfully. Here’s my recipe for one of my new staples, slow-cooker pinto beans, and a recipe for whole wheat cornbread that goes well with the beans.
Slow-Cooker Pinto Beans
(Recipe adapted from here)
16 ounces dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked overnight
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water, or to cover
1 cube vegetarian better than bullion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional: Salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado
Cover rinsed and sorted beans with water; cover bowl and let soak overnight. Drain beans; combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 5 to 10 hours, or until beans are tender.
Top with grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado.
Whole Wheat Cornbread
(Recipe adapted from here)
2 cups cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup honey (original recipe called for 1/2 cup, so increase if you want it sweeter)
1/4 cup oil
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup frozen cornPreheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the corn meal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the honey, oil, milk, and eggs. Mix just enough to moisten the batter and stir in the frozen corn.
Pour the batter into an oiled 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degree oven for 20-35 minutes or until golden brown.If you don’t want a giant pan of cornbread, it’s quite easy to cut this recipe in half and bake it in a 9 by 9 inch dish.
