Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Crockpot Pinto Beans

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Cook delicious Pinto Beans in your crockpot or slow cooker! This healthy Crockpot Pinto Beans recipe is so easy to make! You will need some dried pinto beans as well as a few other ingredients to make this flavorful, healthy recipe! Besides being good for you this pinto bean recipe is very inexpensive to make.

Enjoy these Crockpot Pinto Beans alone or on top of rice, couscous, or quinoa. I especially love these beans on a taco salad! They are perfect in burritos, enchiladas, tostadas and so many other recipes. Mash or serve them whole. So many possibilites! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make these tasty Crockpot Pinto Beans. Watch this cooking video and make this delicious Crockpot Pinto Beans recipe today!

Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Pinto Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pinto beans, dry
  • Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Sort the beans. Remove any stones, debris or withered beans. Rinse well.
  2. Place beans in a crockpot. Cover with cold water and soak 8 hours or overnight.
  3. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans.
  4. Return the beans to the crockpot. Cover with 7 cups of clean, cold water.
  5. Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the salt.
  6. Cook on high for 4 1/2 - 5 hours or on low 8 1/2 - 9 hours. Cook until the beans are soft.
  7. Add the salt when the beans are almost finished. Add more spices at this time if desired.
  8. Cook until the beans are as tender as you like them.

Notes

These pinto beans are delicious over rice, potatoes, couscous, quinoa and in a taco salad. They are a good side dish, filling for burritos and on tostadas.

You can mash them with a fork or potato masher and use them like refried beans.

Add a medium diced onion if desired.

The pinto beans may take more or less time to cook depending on your crockpot or slow cooker.

The longer the soaking time, the shorter the cooking time.

© Karen Breyer

 

Crockpot Southwestern Corn and Beans

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Try this hearty, healthy, delicious Crockpot Southwestern Corn and Beans recipe! It is super easy to make in your crockpot or slow cooker. This corn and red bean recipe is perfect as a main dish or side dish. You can also serve it on rice or in a burrito or taco salad. In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Crockpot Southwestern Corn and Beans. Watch this cooking video and make this Crockpot Southwestern Corn and Beans recipe for dinner tonight!

Yield: 8 servings

Crockpot Southwestern Corn and Beans

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed (dried)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 2 15 ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups corn, frozen (about 16 ounces)
  • 1 14 ounce can tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped large
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, Kosher (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot.
  2. Cover. Cook on high 2 1/2 - 3 hours or low for 7 - 8 hours.
  3. Stir. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Notes

These Southwestern Corn and Beans are delicious as a main or side dish. They are tasty topped with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. They are delicious served with tortilla chips, in a burrito and on rice or a taco salad.

Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Cut the green peppers in 1/2 - 1 inch pieces.

© Karen Breyer

 

Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary

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Try this creamy, delicious Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary! In this cooking video Karen Breyer and her dad will show you step-by-step how to make this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe. If you are looking for new dinner ideas, I think you will be very happy with this yummy pasta and rosemary soup. Little and big kids will especially like the fun rotini noodles in this soup. This is a very healthy, flavorful soup recipe that everyone will love!

I expect you will find this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe so impressive that you can even serve it to important dinner guests! It can be served as a main dish or side dish. For a main dish I suggest serving it with a salad, and garlic or other crusty bread. You could also put this soup in a thermos for your children’s or your lunch. What a delicious idea! Watch this cooking video and try this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary for your next casual or fancy lunch or dinner!

Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces pasta, corkscrew (cooked)
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped (red or yellow)
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups zucchini, chopped
  • 2 - 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning/broth, instant (vegan or regular)
  • 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon (or to taste) salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions but leave out the salt. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft.
  4. Add the beans, water, chicken seasoning and rosemary to the cooked vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and beans and add them to a blender of food processor. Blend until smooth.
  6. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the pasta to the sauce pan. Stir frequently and cook over medium heat until soup is hot, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Notes

Corkscrew pasta is spiral shaped pasta like rotini.

If you use fresh rosemary, chop it into smaller pieces as desired.

You can half this recipe for less servings.

See a cooking demonstration of this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Curried Red Lentil Soup

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Try this easy, healthy, delicious Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe! If you love curry and love lentils you will be crazy about this Curried Red Lentil Soup! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Curried Red Lentil Soup.

A couple nice things about lentils compared to most beans is that you don’t have to soak them and they cook fast. One more bonus with this recipe is that it uses red lentils which cook even faster than brown lentils. Lentils are also very nutritious. They are high in protein and fiber and low in fat.

Looking for a new healthy soup recipe with lots of flavor? This is an outstanding curry and lentil recipe that is full of flavor and has a nice texture! Serve this soup as a main dish or side dish for lunch or dinner. Pair it with a salad and bread or crackers for a satisfying and filling meal! Watch this cooking video and try this Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe today!

Yield: 6 servings

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
  • 4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced OR 1/8 teaspoon ginger, dried
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 4 teaspoons chicken broth/seasoning, instant
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup red lentils (picked over, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes, diced
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups apple, finely chopped
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the onion. Sauté until it is soft and translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and carrots. Sauté another 3 to 5 minutes or until the carrots are softened.
  4. Add the curry powder, ginger, cayenne, water, chicken broth/seasoning, lentils, tomatoes and apple to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked to your desired softness. Serve.

Notes

You can use a sweet or tart apple.

I like to peel the apple but you do not need to.

Make sure to pick over the dried lentils and remove any debris or stones. Then rinse and drain the lentils.

See a cooking demonstration of this Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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