"Work or Lose Benefits" Black Bean Soup

Mitt Romney is an angel straight from heaven!  He cares so much about low-income moms...and how "they need the dignity of work." I guess he would spare women the option of the hardest job in the world...being a stay-at-home mom.  Poor Ann...no dignity for HER.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/15/mitt-romney-mothers-welfare-moms_n_1426113.html?ref=mostpopular


WORK OR LOSE BENEFITS 
Black Bean Soup
Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each


This soup does not require a lot of work, AND it benefits your health. Plus, at 0.72/serving, you don't need to be a billionaire wife to afford it.

1 lb. dry black beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1 meaty ham bone
2 bay leaves
1 quart chicken stock
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, freshly ground black pepper


Place beans in medium sauce pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.


Meanwhile, add onions, garlic, ham bone, bay leaves, chicken stock and black pepper to slow cooker.  Cook on HIGH for 1 hour.


Drain beans.  Add to slow cooker.  Cook on LOW 4 hours or until beans are tender.  Remove ham bone; chop any meat remaining on bone into small dice and stir into soup.  Serve with chopped cilantro and sour cream, if desired.


Tip:
I like to make this soup a few days after I've served a ham for dinner.  If you don't have a leftover ham bone, ask your butcher if he has a bone that you can purchase.  You can also substitute a smoked turkey wing for the ham bone.


Substitute ground red pepper (cayenne) for black pepper if you like a spicier soup.

Shameful Service Pulled Pork

The name says it all.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-scandal-and-alleged-prostitution-inquiry-began-with-night-of-partying/2012/04/14/gIQAytztHT_story.html

Shameful Service Pulled Pork
Makes 12 sandwiches or 24 sliders
No worries...nobody will get into any trouble pulling this pork.

1 (5 lb.) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston Butt)

Dry Rub
Combine in small bowl and set aside (makes about 1 cup):

1/4 cup paprika

2 tablespoons each: salt, sugar, brown sugar, ground cumin and chili powder

1 Tbsp. each:  black pepper, ground red (cayenne) pepper

Sift dry rub over surface of meat.  With gloved hands, rub spices into meat until entire surface is well covered.  Place in large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

Place meat in 5 to 6 qt. slow cooker.  Cook on HIGH for 3 hours, then reduce to LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is fork tender.  Turn off slow cooker and let meat rest and cool at least 1 hour.  

On large cutting board pull meat apart into bite-size pieces using gloved hands or 2 forks (discard fat and bone).  Return meat to slow cooker set to WARM or LOW setting. 

Serve pulled pork right from the slow cooker with tongs.  Offer freshly baked rolls to make sandwiches. 

Tips: 

When you purchase your meat, make sure that the pork has a layer of fat on the bottom and a bone going halfway through it.


The dry rub is a bit spicy; if you prefer a less spicy rub, reduce cayenne to 1 tsp. or omit.


This is a great recipe to make ahead of time (1 or 2 days in advance).  Prepare as directed, then store cooked meat separate from juices in the refrigerator.  The fat will rise to the top of the juices, and it can be easily discarded for a healthier recipe when you reheat it (this also applies to leftovers).

Secret Money Creamy Fruit Dip with Honey

Crossroads GPS, Karl Rove's Super Pac, has another big donor.  Are these big donations tax deductible?  Just wondering...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mystery-donor-gives-10-million-to-crossroads-gps-group-to-run-anti-obama-ads/2012/04/13/gIQAzdtdFT_story.html

Secret Money Creamy Fruit Dip with Honey

This dip is undeniably sweet, but a 10MM donation is even sweeter.  Cha-ching!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add honey, vanilla, nutmeg and cider vinegar; mix well.

Spoon into a shallow bowl; sprinkle with almonds.  Grate a bit more nutmeg over top of dip, if desired. 


Serve with assorted fruits, e.g., apple slices, strawberries, grapes and banana slices.


Tip:
Substitute cinnamon for nutmeg.

¡Vamanos! Obamanos Grilled Fish Tacos

Republican voters are no longer in favor of the war in Afganistan.  The president intends to bring home all U.S. combat troops by the end of 2014 — and he is tapping into the nation’s war fatigue on the campaign trail.  This is something that everyone can agree on.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/post-abc-news-poll-shows-drop-in-republican-support-for-afghan-war/2012/04/11/gIQAfl5oBT_story.html?hpid=z1

¡Vamanos! Obamanos Grilled Fish Tacos

Makes 8 fish tacos

¡Vamanos! to the fish monger and make these for dinner tonight.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 limes, juiced, divided

2 serrano chilies, minced, divided

1 clove garlic, mince

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt, divided

1 lb. flaky white fish

1/4 cup crema or sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1/4 cup chopped red onion

8 corn tortillas

1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Mix together oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 serrano chilie, garlic, 2 Tbsp. cilantro and 1/2 tsp. salt in zip-lock bag.  Add fish; marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat grill to medium-high heat and prepare slaw.

For slaw, whisk mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. lime juice, and remaining serrano chilie, cilantro and salt. Add cabbage and red onion and toss to combine; set aside.

Soak a paper towel with oil, then carefully rub surface of grill with oil using tongs.  Remove fish from the marinade.  Place on grill, flesh side down, and grill 4 minutes. Flip fish and cook 30 seconds longer.  Wrap fish in foil and let rest for 5 minutes.  Flake cooked fish with a fork; discard skin.

Grill tortillas for 15 seconds, then fill with fish and slaw.  Serve immediately with avocado slices, if desired.


Tip:
Delicious when prepared with lake trout!

Pundit Problemo Pico de Gallo

Rosen throws Romney a lifeline.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/hilary-rosen-throws-mitt-romney-a-lifeline-in-war-on-women/2012/04/12/gIQAJVTqCT_blog.html

Hillary Rosen

Pundit Problemo Pico de Gallo

28 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

Stay at home and party with the neighborhood moms after work tonight.  Margaritas, anyone?

4 large plum tomatoes (1 lb.), seeded and diced

1/3 cup finely diced Bermuda (white) onion

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

2 Serrano peppers, finely minced

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. black pepper

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Add salt ½ tsp. at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor.

Serve with warm tortilla chips.

Tips:

How to seed tomatoes:  Cut in half and scrape out seeds with a knife or spoon.

For a nice touch, serve tortilla chips in a slow cooker set on LOW.  Your guests will appreciate the warm chips and the aroma will be intoxicating.

Jalapeno peppers can be substituted for Serrano peppers.

“This is not about Ann Romney,” Ms. Rosen said on CNN Thursday morning. “This is about the waitress at a diner someplace in Nevada who has two kids whose day care funding is being cut off because of the Romney-Ryan budget and she doesn’t know what to do.”   

"I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended," Rosen said in a statement. "Let's declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance."

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Spring Vegetable Soup

It's the first anniversary of first lady Michelle Obama's military families initiative, and she is engaged in a two-day public tour that includes an appearance with one of the nation's leading political satirists.

Mrs. Obama will be interviewed by Stephen Colbert on his Comedy Central show tonight.

Employing its droll sense of humor, The Colbert Reportannounced that "the last time she appeared was in April of 2008, when she was still just a poor, lowly U.S. Senator's wife."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/04/michelle-obama-on-colbert-report-tonight/1#.T4YZyVE1-8A

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Spring Vegetable Soup
This soup is chock full of fresh spring vegetables that will support your good health.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 potato, diced

3 cups shredded green cabbage

1 leek, thinly sliced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

1-1/2 qts. reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup whole wheat macaroni

1 can (19 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large soup pot.  Add potato, cabbage, leek and carrots.  Cook and stir 7 to 8 minutes or until cabbage is wilted.

Stir in broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; add macaroni.  Cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender. 

Stir in beans, spinach and black pepper.  Cook 3 minutes or until heated through and spinach is wilted.  Serve with Parmesan cheese as a topping.

Tip:

Add a 3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary to the soup pot while the pasta is cooking.  Remove before serving.


To make this soup gluten-free, substitute 1 cup instant brown rice for whole wheat macaroni.

Happy Birthday to Marilyn Eisinger Brandt, my beautiful mom, who is 76 years old today.

Ethel Kennedy's Punch

Happy Birthday, 
Ethel Kennedy!

April 11, 1928 - 84 years young TODAY

Robert and Ethel held many get-togethers at their home. Whether it was a pool party or a formal dinner party, the guest list was impressive and eclectic. Journalist Roger Mudd remembers meeting John Lennon at one such party. Other notable invitees included the Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, entertainer Judy Garland, dancer Rudolf Nureyev and historian Arthur Schlesinger, who found himself thrown into the pool fully clothed where Ethel was also already swimming fully clothed.^[6]

The Kennedy children added to the wild atmosphere at Hickory Hill. Notoriously, Robert Jr. had a zoo in the basement. It was not unusual to see reptiles, a seal, an anteater, miniature ponies and even an elephant on the grounds.^[7] Jackie found the children so wild that she did not allow Caroline and John Jr. to play with their cousins.^[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Kennedy#Political_involvement

Ethel Kennedy's Punch

 Makes about 16 (8 oz.) servings

After a few of these, it's easy to see how one might end up in a swimming pool fully clothed!

1 bottle (2 liters) cold ginger ale

1 bottle (750 ml) cold champagne

1 bottle (750 ml) cold dry sherry

1 cup cold cherry brandy

Pour ingredients in punch bowl.

Stir gently to combine.  Serve over ice.

Tip:

Substitute sugar-free ginger ale