Spicy Beans

For Thanksgiving we had both turkey and ham.  With the leftover ham and the ham bone, I decided to make a pot of beans tonight.  I've been following the Pioneer Woman blog for a while now, and she has a recipe for Spicy Beans that I thought I would give a try instead of my typical pot of beans (which usually has tomatoes of some sort).  It included simple instructions, which I actually followed pretty closely.  I did soak my beans overnight, which she doesn't do.  The beans were so good!  I was glad for a little change of pace in the taste of the beans, too.  Next time I will probably  only use one jalapeno since I'm a wimp when it comes to heat.  Horrible picture-it doesn't do the beans justice.  Just head on over the the Pioneer Woman blog for better pictures.  And whatever you do, don't judge this recipe on my terrible photography skills. :)

Here is the recipe from the blog:

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dry Pinto Beans
• 1 whole Ham Hock
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 whole Jalapenos, Sliced
• 2 teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, More To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Rinse beans under cold water, sorting out any rocks/particles.

Place beans in a stock pot with the ham hock and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the water level is fine. Add more water as needed.

Then throw in diced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and continue cooking for another hour or two, remembering to check the water level.

Add salt, chili powder (if desired) and pepper, then cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until beans are lovely and tender. Serve with cornbread as a meal, or spoon on top of nachos, tacos, etc.