Unrefried Refried Beans

Originally from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/refried-beans-without-the-refry/

Ingredients 

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 5 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• 9 cups water

Directions

1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Hot Mama Notes: These turned out very well.  I omitted the jalapeno, as I was worried the kids would say the beans are too hot.  I used only 2 teaspoons salt.

Hot Mama Grade: A-

Turkey and Black Bean Chili With Sweet Potatoes

Originally from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/turkey-and-black-bean-chili-with-sweet-potatoes/13317/

SERVINGS: 4

Yield: Makes 6 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 14 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet Spanish smoked paprika (pimento dulce), or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder, or more to taste
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
• 28 ounces canned, no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices
• 1/2 cup water
• 14 ounces cooked or canned no-salt-added black beans (if using canned, drain and rinse; see headnote)
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
• Chopped fresh scallions, white and light-green parts, for serving

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DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Toss the sweet potato chunks with 2 tablespoons of the oil until well coated, then spread on the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with a good pinch of the sea salt. Roast for about 20 minutes or until softened, stirring a few times. Let cool.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder and a big pinch of salt, stirring to coat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened.

Add the turkey; cook, stirring a few times, until the meat is cooked through and its moisture has evaporated, which should take about 20 minutes. The turkey should be well incorporated into the onion mixture.

Add the tomatoes and their juices and a big pinch of salt; increase the heat to high and add the water. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Stir in the beans and the cooled sweet potatoes; taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cook for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Divide among individual bowls; top with the cilantro and scallions. Serve hot.

Other notes: We found this rather mild; you may wish to add another 1/2 teaspoon each of the sweet smoked paprika and chili powder in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Make Ahead: The sweet potato can be roasted, cooled and refrigerated a few days in advance. The chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Hot Mama Notes: This recipe was recommended to me by my friend Erin.  I tried it, and it was very tasty.  Of course, my husband says that he would have liked it even better without the yams!  :/   I didn't make the Cashew Moment, but my friend tells me that it really makes the dish.  I will have to make the recipe again, and this time with the Cashew Moment!!

Hot Mama Grade: A-

Spicy Cashew Moment (Salsa)

Originally from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/spicy-cashew-moment/13309/

SERVINGS: 1.25 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (pimento dulce)
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 3 or 4 limes)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

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DIRECTIONS

Heat the 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the cashews and stir to coat, then add the cumin, chili powder and sweet smoked paprika and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor, then add the jalapeno, lime juice, water, sea salt and the remaining 1/3 cup of oil. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hot Mama Notes: This is a topper for the Turkey Black Bean Chili with Sweet Potatoes.  Both recipes are from Gwyneth Paltrow's Cookbook titled "It's All Good".

Spinach & Ricotta Meatballs

Original Recipe from: http://aggieskitchen.com/2014/12/05/baked-spinach-ricotta-meatballs-le-creuset-giveaway/

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.25 lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves, sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper, pinch
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/2 cup whole wheat panko
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups prepared marinara sauce
• mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, gently mix together ground beef, ricotta, spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, eggs, panko and Parmesan cheese. I use my hands to combine (it helps to spread the ingredients better without overmixing).
3. Heat your large oven proof pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to pan (tilt pan to spread oil around). Roll meatballs (into slightly bigger than golf ball size) and carefully add to pan. Let meatballs sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until outside of meatballs are browned. Use tongs to turn meatballs in pan. Make sure to let the side searing get a good cook on it before turning (to keep from sticking and falling apart).
4. Turn off heat. Add marinara sauce to pan, covering all of your meatballs with sauce. Cover pan with lid and place in oven and bake for 20 minutes until sauce is bubbling. Add mozzarella cheese to meatballs and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.
5. Serve meatballs on their own, in rolls, with whole wheat pasta, over polenta or over sauteed kale. Enjoy!

If you do not have an oven proof skillet/pan, sear the meatballs first then carefully transfer to a glass baking dish (add a little sauce to bottom of dish before placing meatballs in to prevent sticking). Cover with foil if you do not have a cover.

Hot Mama Notes:  We LOVED LOVED LOVED these meatballs.  :)   They are so flavorful and moist.  They displaced our longtime recipe for meatballs.  I made a double batch, as was suggested in the blog.  I used 3 lbs of 93/7 ground turkey.  For everything else, I doubled the recipe above.  I also did not pan sear.  I am way too lazy for that.  I just baked them for 25 minutes at 375F.  There was no whole wheat panko at the store, so I used regular panko.  Walmart brand.  I think my handfuls of spinach were big.  :)  I used the "salsa man" salsa maker (it's like a hand-cranked food processor) to chop the spinach.  The salsa maker doesn't pulverize, so the spinach is quite noticeable in the meatballs.  I also did not put the meatballs in marinara, as my kids prefer meat balls plain, or with turkey or chicken gravy.  :)  Also, by accident, I didn't use 100% spinach, but instead some power blend with spinach, kale and something else.

Hot Mama Grade: A! :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)

Original Recipe at: http://www.twotwentyone.net/2011/12/traditional-christmas-treat-peanut/

Ingredients:

3 c. crisped rice cereal (measure out, then crush)

2 c. smooth peanut butter

3/4 c. butter, room temperature

3 3/4 c. powdered sugar1 pound of melting chocolate or the like.

Directions:
Measure rice cereal and place in bowl.  Crush rice cereal with a masher.  Add powdered sugar to rice cereal and set aside.  Mix peanut butter and butter in a separate, large bowl.  Add crushed cereal and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and mix well.  Refrigerate the final mixture for 1 to 2 hours, then roll into balls.  Chill balls while melting the chocolate (or chocolate candy bark).  Dip chilled balls into melted chocolate, and then place balls onto wax paper.  Put completed balls in the frig to set.  After set, keep balls in an airtight container in the frig.

Note: I highly suggest using Peter Pan peanut butter.  I’ve used other kinds of peanut butter with this recipe, but PP is my favorite.

Another note: I recommend putting the peanut butter mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours before rolling.  If you find that the balls aren’t rolling very well and seem to be sticky, add a little more powdered sugar and crushed cereal.

Hot Mama Notes: I used my regular creamy Jif peanut butter, which I love, and the recipe turned out fine.  I liked the crushed cereal.  It gave the balls a nice crunch.  However, I did find the recipe to be a bit sweet for my liking.  It could have done with a lot less powdered sugar and still have been equally delicious!  I used chocolate candy bark instead of chocolate chips, as that chocolate sets better and makes less mess (and holds it's form much better, too.).

Hot Mama Grade: B+

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls, non crispy

Original Recipe at: http://shewearsmanyhats.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-balls-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (substitute other nut butters, if needed)
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 1 cup+ powdered sugar
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix peanut butter and butter together in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until combined well into a dough ball. If needed, add more powdered sugar a little at a time until mixture holds together in a large ball. Cover and let peanut butter dough sit for about 15 minutes to firm up, or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to form balls.
2. Shape into 1-inch balls, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow to firm up. Dough balls should hold shape before dipping in chocolate. Add more refrigeration time if necessary.
3. Melt chocolate according to package instructions.
4. Dip peanut butter balls one at a time into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTES

The peanut butter dough can be made ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a couple of days until ready to form the balls. Once peanut butter balls are formed, they can also be covered in plastic wrap ad refrigerated until ready to dip in chocolate.

Finished peanut butter "dough" should be firm enough to make a ball that holds together. Additional powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) may be needed. Just add a tablespoon or so until the correct consistency is reached. If peanut butter dough seems too soft, tightly wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up before forming balls. 

Warm hands will make the dough soften. If dough begins to soften, return the dough to refrigerator to firm back up for a little while. The same can be said for working in a warm space. If it's hot where you are, you may need to keep returning the dough to the refrigerator, and/or add more powdered sugar to thicken up dough.

If concerned with peanut allergies, substitute an almond butter or other nut butter that is allowed for the peanut butter.

A few notes:

Make sure there is room in the fridge for chilling a baking sheet of these. Chilling is important!

The peanut butter dough can be made ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a couple of days until ready to form the balls.

Finished peanut butter “dough” should be firm enough to make a ball that holds together. Additional powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) may be needed. Just add a tablespoon or so until the correct consistency is reached.

Warm hands will make the dough soften. If dough begins to soften, return the dough to refrigerator to firm back up for a little while. The same can be said for working in a warm space. If it’s hot where you are, you may need to keep returning the dough to the refrigerator, and/or add more powdered sugar to thicken up dough.

A wooden skewer or thick toothpick will help for dipping the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Once dipped and excess chocolate has dripped off, slide a fork under the ball (skewer between tines) and pull the skewer out from below, while holding ball with fork. Then use skewer to gently push ball off of fork onto lined baking pan.

For chocolate dipping, try this tip I learned from my friend, Bakerella. Once dipped in chocolate, while holding the skewered peanut butter ball over container of melted chocolate, gently tap your wrist or hand with your other hand until the excess chocolate drips off. I thought it was an odd thing to tap my wrist or arm instead of just shake the stuff off, until I tried it. Works like a charm!

Hot Mama Notes: This is the peanut butter ball recipe I chose not to make in favor of the rice crispies in the other recipe.  However, this sounds like a good recipe, and I'd like to try it next time!! :)

Yam or Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Ingredients: 

3 pounds sweet potatoes or yams

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 

Directions: 

1 package marshmallows (you can use mini marshmallows or large marshmallows, white or multicolored)

Scrub sweet potatoes and cook in boiling water covered for 40 to 50 minutes until tender.

Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process.  Drain.

Peel when cool enough to handle.  Mash with butter.  Beat in next 5 ingredients with and electric mixer.

Spread in a shallow greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake in preheated oven.  350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cover top with marshmallows and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer until marshmallows are melted and lightly browned.

Yum!!

Hot Mama Notes: This recipe is tried and true.  We use it all the time.  Definitely annually at Thanksgiving, and this time on Christmas Eve, too, per my husband's request!  :)  It's always a hit.  :)  I tend to lessen the sugar now, though.  I omit the white sugar, and use a scant 1/2 cup of brown sugar (though I think I have successfully used only 1/4 or 1/3 cup in the past).  The yams are sweet enough by themselves, plus there are MARSHMALLOWS on top of them!  ;)  I grind the nutmeg myself for a strong, fresh flavor.  :)  I love fresh nutmeg!  I use jewel yams.  I like their color and flavor better than sweet potatoes.  I use a 13x9x2 inch glass pan.  I've also used a 13x9x2 stoneware pan, as well.  I prefer to use white mini marshmallows.

Update 11/25/15: I used 1/4c brown sugar and a scant 1/8c of white sugar.  I used 2/3c of butter, maybe.  I didn't have as many yams as I should, so I used an 8x8 pan.

Hot Mama Grade: A