Zuni Gold Beans - Recipe

OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS
2 cups dry ZUNI GOLD BEANS
1/4 lb. BACON, cut in pieces
1 medium ONION, chopped
1 medium GREEN PEPPER, chopped
2 Tbsp. MESQUITE MEAL
1/2 cup KETCHUP
1/4 cup prepared MUSTARD
1/4 cup BROWN SUGAR

Rinse and sort beans. Cover with water and soak overnight: OR bring to a boil for 5 min., remove from heat, cover and let rest for 1 hour. Drain, rinse & cover beans with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer approximately 1-1/2 hours or until nearly tender. Set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, render bacon till crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. To skillet add onion and saute till transparent. Add onion, bacon grease and all remaining ingredients (including rendered bacon) to beans. Mix together. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake uncovered, in a 350º oven for approximately 1 hour. Serves 6-8.

Blue Corn Meal Griddle Cakes - Recipe

BLUE CORNMEAL GRIDDLE CAKES
1/2 cup BLUE CORNMEAL
2 tablespoons CORN OIL or MARGARINE
1/2 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1/4 cup DRY MILK
1 teaspoon BAKING POWDER
1 cup WARM WATER

Combine dry ingredients well. Combine oil and water, add to dry ingredients and beat well. Heat griddle on medium heat. Drop cakes by small spoonfuls onto hot, greased griddle. Turn when underside is brown. Corn meal tends to settle to the bottom, so stir gently between cooking batches. May be necessary to add more oil to griddle between batches.

Anasazi Beans w/Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Recipe

ANASAZI BEANS W/SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
2 cups dried ANASAZI BEANS
2 Tbsp. OLIVE or VEGETABLE OIL
1 med. ONION, chopped, or 4 T. dried
1 clove GARLIC, minced, or 1 t. powder
1 can (4 oz.) chopped GREEN CHILE or 1 med. fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground CLOVES
1/2 tsp. ground CINNAMON
1/4 tsp. ground CUMIN
2 Tbsp. SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
SALT & PEPPER to taste

Rinse & sort beans. Cover with water & soak overnight; OR bring to a boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover & let rest for 1 hour. Drain, rinse & cover beans with water. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer approx. 1-1/2 hours or until nearly tender. In a skillet, saute onion & garlic in oil until transparent. Add this mixture & all remaining ingredients to beans. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until tender, stirring occasionally. May be necessary to add water during last hour of cooking. Serves 6.

Red Beans & Rice Cajun Style - Recipe

RED BEANS & RICE - CAJUN STYLE

Beans
1/2 bulk ITALIAN SAUSAGE, sweet or hot
3 cups RED BEANS
3 qts. WATER
1/2 cup BUTTER or MARGARINE
1 medium ONION, diced
1 medium GREEN PEPPER, diced
1 stalk CELERY, diced
4 Tbsp. FLOUR
1 BAY LEAF
1 tsp. SALT
1 tsp. BLACK PEPPER
1 tsp. WHITE PEPPER
1 tsp. CAYENNE
1/2 tsp. CUMIN

Rinse & sort beans. Cover with water & soak overnight; OR bring to a boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover & let rest for 1 hour. Drain, rinse & cover beans with water. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer approx. 1-1/2 hours, or until tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet. Stir in flour. Turn heat to medium-high & continue stirring until roux turns a dark brown, being careful it doesn't burn. Immediately remove from heat and add vegetables & spices, all the while stirring.

Rice

1 cup WHITE RICE
1 tsp. SALT
2 cups WATER

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice & salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and simmer for 20 min. Fluff with fork, replace lid & allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Add vegetable mixture & rice to beans. Reheat when ready to serve. Serves 8-10.

Reconstituting Dried Chiles

Dried whole chiles can be reconstituted in a variety of ways:

• They can be roasted very lightly on a griddle.
  
• They can be fried in a little oil until they puff and reconstitute slightly.
  
• They can be soaked in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.

Succotash - Recipe

SUCCOTASH
1 cup dry LIMA BEANS
1 cup CORN - dried, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp. fresh CHIVES, chopped
1/8 tsp. CUMIN
2 Tbsp. BUTTER
1 Tbsp. heavy CREAM
1 tsp. SALT
1/2 tsp. BLACK PEPPER
1/8 tsp. CRUSHED RED PEPPER
2 Tbsp. raw (hulled) SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Rinse & sort beans. Place beans in a medium sauce pan & cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer until tender (approx. 1 hr.). Remove from heat. Add corn, one cup water & all remaining ingredients except sunflower seeds. Return to heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat & cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until the liquid is all but absorbed. Garnish with sunflower seeds. Serves 4-6.

Hummus - Recipe

HUMMUS
2 cups cooked GARBANZO BEANS
1/4 cup TAHINI (roasted ground sesame seeds)
3 Tbsp. fresh LEMON JUICE
1 Tbsp. GARLIC, minced
1/4 tsp. CUMIN, ground
SALT to taste
freshly ground BLACK PEPPER
1/4 cup fresh PARSLEY

Place all ingredients except parsley in a food processor. Blend until mixture is a creamy puree, adding tablespoons of cold water if needed. Turn onto serving platter, score design on top with knife tip & sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita bread or crackers. Serves 10-12.
To cook beans: Rinse & sort beans. Cover and soak overnight, OR bring to a boil for 5 min., remove from heat, cover & let rest for 1 hr. Drain, rinse & cover beans with water. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer approx. 1-1/2 hrs., or until nearly tender.

Mesquite as Medicine

One final word about mesquite---its uses as medicine.

The roots, bark & leaves are cold and dry in nature. They are antifungal, antimicrobial, astringent, antiseptic, & antispasmodic. A powder or tea can be made from any of the above materials for athlete's foot & general fungal infections. This disinfecting wash or powder can be used for mild infections, stings, bites, sores & scrapes.

Leaves & pods can be made into an eye wash for inflammations of all kinds including pink eye.

Diarrhea, dysentery, stomach ulcers, dyspepsia & most GI tract inflammations are soothed by the leaves, roots & bark. The powdered leaves at one time were sprinkled on a newborn's umbilical stump to prevent infections. Poulticed, the leaves were used topically for headaches. The young shoots, ground & toasted, were used to dissolve kidney stones.

The white inner bark is used as an intestinal antispasmodic. The bark is also helpful in stopping excessive menstrual bleeding & reducing fevers.

The mesquite gum or resin is soothing & provides much of its healing qualities through its natural mucilage content. Dissolved in water it is used as a GI tonic to rehabilitate impaired & abused intestines.

It assists intestinal healing after surgery. After bouts of dysentery, diarrhea, stomach/intestinal distress, and food poisoning, it is used as a restorative. It is used as a soother for stomach/intestinal pain, ulcers, colitis, hemorrhoids, sore throats, painful teeth & gums, and mouth sores. Externally it is equally effective on burned, chapped & raw skin. Like the other parts of mesquite the resin is also an eye soother and at one time was used internally for respiratory problems.

Mesquite CornBread Muffins - Recipe

This mesquite meal for cornbread muffins is from www.cocinadevega.com. Permission to print granted by Chef Jim.

MESQUITE CORNBREAD MUFFINS

• ¾ cup WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
  
• ½ cup MESQUITE MEAL
  
• ¾ cup YELLOW CORN MEAL
  
• 2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
  
• ½ teaspoon SALT
  
• 1 teaspoon CUMIN
  
• 1 teaspoon GARLIC POWDER
  
• 1 teaspoon CHILE POWDER
  
• ¼ cup OLIVE OIL, extra virgin
  
• 2 EGGS
  
• 1 cup MILK
  
• 1 fresh JALAPENO, diced
  
• SPANISH ONION, medium, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend first 8 dry ingredients (flour, mesquite meal, corn meal, baking powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder & chili powder ) in large bowl. In a separate medium sized bowl blend olive oil, eggs & milk. Combine wet & dry ingredients until well blended. Blend in jalapenos & onions. Fill in muffin tins about 2/3rds and bake about 20 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 cornbread muffins.

Peruvian Scramble - Recipe

This mesquite meal recipe for a breakfast dish is from www.cocinadevega.com. Permission to print granted by Chef Jim.

PERUVIAN SCRAMBLE

• ½ tablespoon MESQUITE MEAL
  
• ½ cup ONION, diced
  
• 2 ounces CHEDDAR CHEESE, grated
  
• 4 large EGGS
  
• ½ cup BELL PEPPER, diced
  
• SALT & PEPPER to taste

Saute onions & bell peppers over medium heat until onions begin to lightly brown. Whip eggs well and add to onions & bell peppers stirring constantly. Just when eggs are done mix the mesquite meal & ½ of the cheese into eggs; mix well, then top eggs with the rest of the Cheddar Cheese.

Mesquite Meal Drinks - Recipes

You can make some delectable non-alcoholic drinks with mesquite meal! Following are three recipes:

• Hunger Quencher:Try adding one tablespoon of mesquite meal to your morning smoothie/meal replacement drink. Hunger won't return for 4 to 6 hours.
  
• Summer Mesquite Drink: Add 2 tablespoons finely ground mesquite flour to 1 cup cold water. Stir & let sit for a couple of minutes, then strain, add honey to taste & serve.
  
• Mesquite Tea: Use your drip coffee maker to make a great pot of mesquite tea! Put a coffee filter in the basket. Fill the filter with ½ tablespoon of mesquite meal for each cup of water that you plan to "brew". Fill the coffee maker with water and turn on. Enjoy!

Mesquite Meal 101

The mesquite tree grows in the desert regions throughout the world, areas not suitable for most agriculture. Mesquite forms fruit of bean-like pods in the fall that have long been a nutritious food source to humans, wildlife & livestock.

Mesquite meal, made by grinding the ripened pods into a high protein flour, can be used as either a flour or a spice. Mesquite meal is 100% natural, low in carbohydrates & fat, high in dietary fiber, and naturally sweet. You can sprinkle, shake, or mix mesquite meal into all of your everyday foods to create healthier and tastier dishes with very little effort.

When used in baking, mesquite meal is generally used in combination with other flours using about 30% mesquite to 70% grain or rice flour. Try mesquite in your pancakes, muffins, cakes, corn bread or cookies.

As a spice, sprinkle generously then grill, fry or broil almost anything for a great mesquite flavor. Mesquite meal is great for flavoring steaks, chicken, pork & fish. Sprinkle it on vegetables before grilling; add it to your breading for meat & fish. It can be added to vegetable stir-fries, scrambled eggs, biscuits, breads, soups, even ice cream.