Soul Food

Tonight we're having pinto beans, collard greens and corn bread. This is one of my husband's favorite meals.

Pinto Beans

2 lbs dry pinto beans
4 slices turkey bacon

Sort and rinse beans. You can soak them overnight and then drain them. Put beans in a large pot. Cover with water to about 2 inches above the beans. (If you don't have time to soak them just rinse them well and put them directly in the pot, add water and bring to a boil and allow to boil for 10 minutes then turn down to a simmer.) Allow to cook on medium with cover on for about two hours. Check every so often to make sure there's enough water in the pot and give a quick stir. When the beans are soft enough to mash with a spoon add about 2 Tbsp. salt. Stir well and taste to make sure they are salted to your liking, if not add more salt. Allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes to allow the juices to thicken.

Collard Greens

3-4 bunches collard greens
3 slices turkey bacon or a smoked turkey wing
2 c. water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
vinegar (for serving)

Wash greens well in cold water. Drain water and one at a time, cut the stem from each leaf. Also cut off any discolored or shriveled areas of the leaf itself. roll a few leaves together and cut into about 2 inch pieces. Press greens down into a cooking pot and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook about 1 hour. You will need to check them often and stir because the greens will wilt. Drizzle with a little vinegar before serving.

Corn Bread

1 c. flour
1 c. corn meal (yellow or white)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 c. buttermilk (or regular milk)

whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 8 x 8 in. pan. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

There are lots more great soul food recipes on one of my favorite websites from the movie Soul Food.