Beans, beans...

Beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat.... the more money you save while eating healthy. =) Tonight was our very first beans and cornbread night. I tried a new cornbread recipe, and we LOVED it. It smelled so heavenly baking in the oven that I could hardly stand it.

So, here's the recipe for the cornbread...

2 c. yellow cornmeal (I got a nice, locally ground variety that they were actually selling at Walmart)
2 eggs
1 T. sugar
2 c. buttermilk or sour milk (I used powdered milk with 2 T. of vinegar to sour it)
2 T. oil
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt.

Grease a deep dish pie pan, and put in the 450 degree oven while you mix the ingredients. Pour into the hot pan and bake for approx. 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it; mine cooked a little faster than that. I added a can of shoepeg corn, but I think I'll leave it out next time...

Now for the beans portion. On the stovetop, I heated up a saucepan and added chopped green pepper, chopped onion, and some minced garlic. I sauteed until tender, and then added 2 cans of rinsed, drained pinto beans. I dumped a bunch of chili powder on top (Penzeys.com has the best chili powder ever), and then I simmered the whole mess until it was nice and gooey, but not mushy.

I ladled it on top of the cornbread and sprinkled a little cheese on mine. David said this was a really good dinner. Since he would like to eat a slab of steak and potatos every night, this is high praise for him....

I've been enjoying finding healthy, frugal recipes on all kinds of blogs. This is one of my favorite posts about cooking beans. Enjoy!