Friday, January 06, 2012

Recipe Index And Portuguese Bean Soup

For months now, ever since I used Word Press to publish the Boston Faculty Fellowship website (I don't know how to create websites.  I do know how to blog.  Hence a blog as a website!) I've bemoaned that I couldn't create separate pages on blogspot.

I really needed separate pages so I could index the recipes I publish.  I'm not sure any of you care about my recipes, but I do, and I wanted a quick way to find them!

So lo and behold, I happened to look on the toolbar yesterday, and right there in front of my eyes there's a link that says "Edit Pages."

"Edit Pages"?  If there's a toolbar for edit pages, surely there's an ability to create a separate page??

As my kids would say, "Duh."

Have I ever said before I'm not known for my spatial-visual abilities?

So now dear friends and readers, if you just have to have my great granola or Mom MacLean's deviled eggs, or Auntie Heather's taco dip, just click on the recipe page and on the name of the recipe.  You can read my blog that accompanies the recipe, or just scroll down to what you want.

To celebrate figuring all this out, today I'm giving you all the gift of my version of Portuguese Bean Soup.

Portuguese Bean soup is a staple in Hawaii.  My sophomore year of high school I served in the Portuguese Bean soup booth at Punahou Carnival and got a gigantic shirt with the recipe printed on front.

That recipe, plus my own modifications, serve as the basis for this soup.

I hope you enjoy!

Portuguese Bean Soup

1 lb kidney beans or small red beans, cooked (or about 4 cans worth)
2 ham hocks
4 sprigs celery, diced

4 carrots, diced
3 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. cumin powder
3 Bay leaves
1 Tbs. oregano
4 cups chicken broth
10 oz. - 1 lb. Portuguese sausage, quartered lengthwise and then sliced so you have little pizza slice shaped sausages (linguica or chourico on the Mainland, if you can get Redondo hot sausage from HI, I think that's the best--my mother brings it to me when she visits)
½ head cabbage, sliced into strips
2 potatoes, cubed
1 cup cooked macaroni (can use whole wheat)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  
1.     Most tasty:  Boil ham hocks and beans covered with water in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer until meat falls off ham hocks (can be several hours)
2.     More convenient:  Combine in large pot beans, ham hocks, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices.  Pour water over it.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes
3.     Cut meat off ham hocks, add back to soup, discard skin and bone
4.     Add sausage, cabbage, potatoes and chicken broth about 30 minutes before serving
5.     Salt to taste
6.     Add macaroni just before serving

 1   Notes:

*Don’t add macaroni to the soup if you think it’s going to last more than this one meal—the pasta will soak up all the liquid and become mushy.
**I find that between the ham hocks, sausage, canned tomatoes and low-sodium chicken broth, I don’t need to add any more salt to the soup (shows how much sodium’s hiding in various products!)

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