Alisa's Refried Beans

This one one of Alisa's staple dishes for her family--it works great in burritos or as a dip for chips.  You can substitute the pinto beans for black beans as well and use them whole in salads. 

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
2 fresh jalapeno peppers; seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
5 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
9 cups water

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 8 hours (or less--until done).  Once the beans have cooked, strain them and remove the liquid.  Mash the beans with a potato masher or immersion blender, adding the reserved water as needed to attain the desired consistency.  Or serve whole in salads after removing the onion pieces. 

Danish Pastry

Laurie's Recipe

2 yeast cakes (2 TBP).                             **2 cubes butter (1 cup) room temperature

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup water 

Dissolve Yeast with sugar in water.

3/4 cup cold milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

Add Yeast mixture to above...then add:

2 cups flour

Mix well. Then add 1 more cup of flour (making a total of 3 cups flour). The dough should be very soft. Set in fridge overnight or in the freezer for 1/2  hour or until dough is stiff.  Divide the dough in half and roll one half thin. Spread 2/3's of the dough with 3 tbsp. of butter (cut in thin slices). Fold 1/3 side without butter on top of 1/3 with butter. Fold the 1/3 side that is left with butter over that. Roll the dough thin. Fold and spread two or more times the same way until the cube of butter has been used. Roll out in a rectangle and cut into 8 strips. Twist each strip and make a horseshoe knot and place on a restaurant size cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Make a dent in each knot and fill with a jelly of your choice. Pile the streusel on top. (See streusel recipe below)   Repeat with the other half of the dough. Let raise until double in size...about  2-3 hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup coconut

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

Blend with pastry cutter. Add a dash of cinnamon. The topping should be a fine, crumbly texture.

Optional: drizzle with powdered sugar frosting after baking while still warm.

You can also make the pastries the night before. Follow directions up until you've put the streusel on... cover the pan with saran wrap and place immediately in fridge to prevent raising. In the morning take out and let raise...bake as directed above.