Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
This delicious-sounding pinto bean recipe comes from Lanette Taylor. It was originally published in The Queen's Kitchen: A Collection of Recipes From the Pinto Bean Cooking Contest, a booklet published in 1961 in Cortez, Colo.
It features a pinto bean and meat mixture served atop cornmeal pancakes, or waffles if you prefer.
Pinto Bean Special
For the bean mixture:
3 cups cooked pinto beans
2 cups cooked tomatoes or tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 pound brick chili (such as 4-Star Beef Chili)
For the meat sauce:
3 tablespoons fat such as vegetable oil or shortening
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper, to taste
For the pancakes:
1 1/4 cups pancake mix
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon fat such as vegetable or shortening
In a large saucepan, mix the beans, tomatoes, sugar, chili powder and chili and simmer very slowly.
In a skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons fat. When hot, add the beef and brown slightly, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked through. Drain. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the bean-chili mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes.
Just before serving, make the pancakes.
In a medium bowl, combine the pancake mix, cornmeal, egg, salt, milk and fat and mix well. Cook as large pancakes or in a waffle iron.
To serve, place a pancake or waffle in the center of each dinner plate and top generously with the bean and meat mixture.
We couldn't help but notice this recipe for butterscotch brownies in with a recipe Ruth Douglass shared for Russian Rocks in last week's column.
Butterscotch Brownies
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into shortening mixture. Add the vanilla and nuts and mix well. Spread batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
REQUESTS
• White balsamic apple dressing like that on the Fuji apple chicken salad at Panera Bread and molasses mini muffins like those at Jason's Deli for Lisa Ellison.
• Lemon Pie like that sold at Koehler's Bakery years ago for GD Jones.
• Tomato juice cocktail like that served in the 1960s at El Patio restaurant on South University Avenue in Little Rock for Kimberly Brand.
Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 01/21/2015