SALADITOS AKA SALTED PLUMS

I remember running around with the other kids on the block sucking on salted plums as a little girl.  I forgot all about them until someone mentioned them and how expensive they are now for just a few dried plums.  I thought since I had a bag of dried but soft prunes I would make some.  They came out wonderful.  So with that, I thought I'd share. This is not for all folks but 4 dried prunes holds a lot of potassium.

Ingredients:  

• One bag soft dried prunes. Pitted is best but not necessary about 3 lbs
• One cup salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper (Optional)

Instructions:

• Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  
• Add prunes and mix well. 
• Let sit  12 hours in the bowl. Then brush off excess salt
• Put on a cookie sheet to let air dry. Or put in oven lowest temperature to desired texture. 3 to 6 hrs.
• Store in a air tight container once cooled.

It makes a great stocking stuffer, or a nice tray at a party.or to just reminesque old time memories. Just pop one of these salty sour dried plums.  It would make every hair on your body stand on its ends.  Lol.

 Well, for those interested now you know how easy it is to make.  Please feel free to share with others on Instagram, facebook, Pinterest, or your own collection of recipes...be my guest.  Thanks for stopping by.  Till the next time...many blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

#maryhelenstestkitchen 

SWEET WHITE BEAN PIE

Sweet White Bean Pie made with baby lima beans

I started off soaking my baby lima beans for 24 hours when I realized I had soaked more than I needed for the bean curry I had intended to make.  In searching for a recipe to use these excess soaked beans, I remembered those bean pies I used to buy from some Islamic vendors dressed in suits on Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson in Los Angeles.  They were so good. You would never know they had beans in it at all.  If my memory serves me right, it was more like rich custard pie that was a cross of sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie..  So I continued my research till I found one similar to what I thought it would taste like.  First a tidbit of information.  Lol actually it wasn't a recipe at all.  Just some ingredients of what a bean pie has in it.  I know my  spices so I can do the math.

According to the free Wikipedia, it states that a bean pie is a sweet custard pie whose filling consists of mashed beans--usually navy beans--sugar, butter, milk, and spices.  Common spices and flavorings include vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Variations can include cloves, ginger, etc"  It's interesting to know that, "Bean pies (except those containing vanilla or imitation vanilla extract, as these contain alcohol) are commonly associated with African American Muslim cuisine.  They are also associated with the Nation of Islam movement its leader, Elijah Muhammed, encouraged their consumption in lieu of richer foods associated with African-American cuisine, and the followers of the community sell bean pies as part of their fund-raising efforts. I like that idea, and I'm already sold.  That's all I needed to hear.  It's healthy, cheap, and easy to make.  Best of all, its so delicious. so lets do it:)

Ingredients:

Soak your beans for 24 hours for
better nutrition absorbtion

• White Beans 2 cups cooked and drained
• Sugar  3/4 cup  (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 6 artificial sweeteners)
• Butter 3/4 cup softened
• Milk 1/2 cup (or non dairy, I used coconut milk)
• Flour 1 tablespoon
• Vanilla 1 teaspoon
• Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
• Pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon
• Cloves 1/8 teaspoon
• Pie Crust 9 inch (Not cookie crumb crust)

Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix all the ingredients together till blended
well.

• Mix all the ingredients together in mixer and mix well.
• Strain through strainer to catch all the bean skins.
• Pour into a 9 inch pie crust, and set that on a cookie sheet
• Put in oven and bake approximately 45 minutes, or until there is a nice golden crust and a knife comes out clean once poked in the center.  It smells so lovely with all the spices.  

Yes, tis the season folks. Holidays are right around the corner, and this is just a beginning of more delicious recipes that are cheap and easy to make for those Holiday dishes.   Your family and friends will think you really outdid yourself with one of these pies. They do make great "I love you gifts" any time of the year. My brother used to say that I was the "Hostess with the Mostest" with my million dollar recipes.  I hope this Sweet White Bean Pie sparks an interest to do something creative with those beans besides baking them, or serving them re-fried.  It's healthy, cheap and delicious and so easy to make.

Yummy Sweet White Bean Pie tastes like a cross
of sweet potato pie, and pumpkin pie, with a
strong egg custard texture.  Mmm. GOOD.

Well, that's it for now.  Again I leave you with many blessings.  If you like my simple recipes please feel free to share this site with others so they too can be inspired to cook too.  Goodnight dear reader.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

CHOCOLATE FRUIT WALNUT HEART BARS.



💝 Happy Valentines Day 💝HEART SHAPED CHOCOLATE FRUIT WALNUT BARS.

Ingredients  

DRIED FRUIT 

FIGS

APPLES

APRICOT

PRUNES

RAISINS 

WALNUTS

CHOCOLATE CHIPS.

In my blender I coursley chopped all ingredients. I rolled them. I 

then decided to make hearts.



EASY VEGAN CHILI



16 oz mushrooms any kind. 

1 purple onion

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper 

1/2 orange bell pepper 

1/2 yellow bell pepper

Garlic as much as you want

Serrano or jalapeno as many as you like

1 can petite diced tomatoes 

1 pack of soy chorizo 

1 pack of chili seasonings 

I added all the vegetables except the mushrooms, in the Ninja to mince. About 3 pulses



In a large heated pan I used

Grapeseed oil and vegetables.

Next I added the chorizo and seasonings

Sautee and stir well to incorporate all flavors. 

Add minced mushrooms  and canned tomatoes to pan.

Let simmer about 15 minutes

Ready to eat as is, with beans, tacos whatever suits your fancy. Note you can use meat add to or substitute mushrooms. 

Quick and easy right. It's not a heavy meal. Of course when you compare mushrooms to ground meat. It's healthy and delicious. 

I am so grateful to once again be of service. Until the next time many blessings 

Sincerely, 

Maryhelen Vasquez 

 

Roasting Organic Green Coffee beans In My Popcorn Maker

Folgers sell their dark roast for about $10.00 for 1.5 pounds.  They boast that it serves 210 cups of coffee.  Well, I'm boasting that this 5 pound bag of Peruvian Amazonian raw organic green coffee cost me $21.00 shipped to my door.  That's approximately a little over 700 cups per bag.  Folks it costs
ONLY 3 cents per cup...and that's a deal!

These beans were roasted using my old 1200W popcorn maker.  The beans on the right were popped before the second crack.  You can see they are light in color.  The beans on the left popped until after the second crack.  I stopped because I was smelling a strong espresso smell and started to smoke.  I literally burnt the beans.  lol.  I am going for the lighter roast because in my research, I found out the darker the coffee, the less nutrients it has. That includes anti-oxidants, and caffeine.  It gets burned off and destroys most of the natural oil content.  Too bad because most folks like me like a dark roast.

This coffee came from 33 ton coffee online.  The price was right, and if you can read the label. it is a delicious cup of naturally sweet coffee.  They co-op with the local farmers from the Peruvian Amazon Rain Forest so the farmers can sustain themselves.

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Using my Mega Ninja I ground almost 1/2 cup roasted coffee beans in 4 short pulses.  What you hear in the video besides my fire alarm  was the second  crack.  To fully hear it you have to see the end of the video.  Note: Wait two days for the beans to cure,  That's when it really smells and tastes the like gourmet coffee.  At this point it smells like burnt coffee/nut.  Store in an airtight container.

I write this post because gourmet coffee is not cheap outside of home.  However, it costs just cents per cup literally speaking for this raw organic green coffee beans if you shop online.  Best of all, when roasted lightly you  get as much phyto-nutrients as a serving of blueberries.  Furthermore, you get 4x the nutrients if you eat them lightly roasted.  I plan on making a house blend by mixing green (raw), light, medium and dark roasts together so I can have nutrition and taste.

Well, that's about it for now, I hope you like my post.  If so please stop and click like.  Please feel free to share. Till then. Many blessings.
Love,
Mary Helen

Now the brew...ahhh

Mary Helen's Test Kitchen: Healtyhy Raw Organic Green Coffee Easy As 123

Mary Helen's Test Kitchen: Healtyhy Raw Organic Green Coffee Easy As 123: Now this is real ORGANIC GREEN COFFEE From the Amazon Rainforest.  Smells like wheatgrass brewed but, tastes like green tea.  One cup has...

Healtyhy Raw Organic Green Coffee Easy As 123

Now this is real ORGANIC GREEN COFFEE From the Amazon Rainforest.  Smells like wheatgrass brewed but, tastes like green tea.  One cup has almost the same smount of anti-oxidants as blueberries.

I bought this Raw Organic Green Coffee which tastes really good roasted but also superior as an healthy alternative to regular coffee.  It is loaded with phyto-nutrients, and anti-oxidants+_+  and that's why I drink this delicious brew. 

Unlike coffee it does not give me a jolt like some folks claim.  It is quite soothingly refreshing.  It goes well with cinnamon or cardamom.

Raw Organic Green Peruvian Coffee Beans I purchased online from 33ton.com .  It's a beautiful dark forest green reminding me of the Amazon Rain forest from which it came

I ground the coffee beans in the Vita Mix for one minute, and this is what I got.

Note:  Raw green Coffee Beans are extremely hard.  I used my reliable heavy duty Vita Mix for this job.  I ground on high (without heat) for one minute straight.  I stopped because the Vita Mix did heat up. And I noticed the grinds were starting to turn light yellow...a sign of pre roasting. 

After grinding I soaked the beans about three tablespoons in one quart cold water overnight.  I brought this to a rapid boil and lowered the heat to simmer for one hour.  That's about it folks.

I hope I can be of service to someone who also enjoys the healthy simple pleasures of life.  Till then, many blessings!

Sincerely,
Mary Helen