Cuban Black Bean Soup

This is rich and filling and black beans are said to be cancer fighters so all in all it makes a wonderful supper or warming lunch.
You will need:
2 15 oz cans of Black Beans drained and rinsed.
Mash 1/3 of them to thicken the soup. If you choose to use uncooked beans you will need to soak overnight, then increase cooking time by several hours.
Chop up one large sweet onion finely.
You will need 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced fine
A handfull of chopped parsley

1Tablespoon of Oregano
1 or 2 teaspoons of chile powder
2 nice bay leaves
Freshly grated black pepper to taste
1 small can of chopped MILD green chilies
4 cups or so of chicken or vegetable broth
2 limes.

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil.
If you wish to make this a meat dish, saute some kosher sausage also.
If kosher is not a concern to you, you can use ham or pork sausage. Add about 4 sausages or about 2 cups of cooked ham.
Brown it all nicely .
Add your whole and mashed up beans and the spices and broth and simmer for about an hour or more to mingle the flavors well if the beans are canned. You will need to simmer for about 6 hours if the beans are not cooked. Cooking in a crock pot would work well in that case.
Add more broth, beans, whatever you wish as you think it is needed and more broth if the soap thickens too much. It is your soup, you make it to suit your tastes.

Serve piping hot with a squeeze of fresh lime over each bowl and a wedge of lime on the side.
If you do not add meat, then top with grated fresh cheese of your choice or a hefty dollop of sour cream.
By the way, you might use pareve sour cream with the meat.
Serve with crusty Italian style bread that you have smeared with garlic and olive oil in the following manner:

Cut a loaf of bread down the middle.
roast 2 whole garlic bulbs. you can wrap them in foil or use a clay garlic roaster.
when done you will have a paste inside each of the cloves. Scoop it out carefully.
Combine this with the smallest touch of olive oil and spread on hot bread. Delicious!
The roasted sweetens the garlic .
Enjoy.

Pineapple Vinegar/How to Grow your Own Plant too

Real Pineapple vinegar is found only in Mexico sadly because it's one of the best vinegars in the world.

Del Monte uses it in their ketchup which is why , if you do a taste test, you will find that Del Monte Vinegar is the best tasting ketchup in the world... Bar None!! No, I don't work for Del Monte, but I do love good ketchup and I have run several taste tests for people and everyone agrees each time, Del Monte Ketchup is the best.

This recipe is for a pineapple flavored vinegar rather than one made from pineapples, but, its nice none the less.

You are going to need
a cup of cut fresh pineapple( you can leave the
cleaned outside peel on too)
Sugar , make sure you use castor sugar or
very
fine refined sugar, the

kind made for iced tea, etc. Jack Frost
makes a nice one.


Use 3 cups of a good Rice wine vinegar (because
it is very mild)


Or use a very mild white vinegar if you can find
it.


Start by putting your pineapple in a sterile glass jar or bottle.
Now add
some sugar to taste, but only if you think it needs it . Pour the
vinegar over
the pineapple . Store it covered in a dark place for 6 to 14
days. You can make
sure at 6 days if its strong like you wish it , or let it
go longer for more
flavor.
Then you can filter it through a paper coffee
filter or cheese cloth and
refrigerate .

Its nice with salads believe me.

Instructions for how to grow your own pineapple plant indoors.

Apple Glazed Brisket

This is a really nice change of pace from the usual brisket and has a great taste also.

You need the following ingredients:
a medium onion quartered
2 cut up cloves of garlic
10 whole cloves
10 ounce jar of apple jelly
3 tablespoons full of good brown mustard
minced green onion (scallion) about 3-4 tablespoons
3/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp curry powder and salt to taste.

Put the brisket in a large heavy stew pot and add water to cover it up half way only and put in the cloves and the quartered onion.
Simmer this for 2 1/2 hours approx til the beef is nice and tender.
Now drain off the water and preheat the oven to 325°F.
Meanwhile mix the apple jelly, mustard, green onions and curry powder, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil . You are making a glaze with this.
Put the beef into a shallow baking dish and glaze over with the sauce and bake now in the heated oven for about 45 minutes.
Baste often to keep the glaze on the beef and to allow its flavor deep inside.

This recipe takes some time but you will agree its worth it.
Serve with parsleyed new potatoes and green beans.