Recipes: Fancy S’mores, Cowboy Beans & Tamara’s Treat

(Graphic: Kat Borosky/TueNight)

All recipes serve six people.

COWBOY BEANS

These beans are a variation on a special-occasion go-to at my house: “Borracho,” or drunken beans. They are full of smoky flavor and can be as spicy as you choose.

INGREDIENTS

(2) 14.5 oz cans pinto beans
(1) cups water
Olive oil
(1) large onion
(4) cloves garlic
(1) tablespoons ground cumin
(1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes
(1) 7.5 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
(1) 12 oz can of beer — cheap is fine

DIRECTIONS

  1. Drain the pinto beans and pour them into a 3- or 4-quart saucepan.
  2. Rough dice the onion and garlic. They don’t have to be perfect or uniform, just cut into small pieces so they can melt into the beans.
  3. Pour a glug of olive oil into a medium size frying pan. Sauté the onion, garlic and cumin on medium high until onions are translucent — about 6 minutes. Keep them moving with a wooden spoon to make sure they don’t fry or crisp up.
  4. Add the sautéed onions, the can of tomatoes, the can of beer and a healthy pinch of salt to the beans and bring to a boil. When beans boil, back the heat off to a simmer and taste for salt balance.
  5. Depending on how spicy you like it, chop the chipotle chiles into small pieces and add anywhere from 1⁄2 to the whole can. Keep in mind that the chipotles have a long, smoky finish and will definitely be spicy. Save the chipotle sauce for the chicken.
  6. Simmer your beans for 35 minutes. Make sure the heat stays low so they don’t boil, just keep at a light simmer. They are done when they are soft but not mushy. Taste for salt balance before serving.

Prep Ahead: These beans can be made the morning of or even the day before and then reheated for dinner. You can reheat them on your campfire if you choose.

GLAMPING S’MORES

INGREDIENTS

(6) fancy organic chocolate bars (e.g. Green & Black’s, Valrhona, Callebaut)
(1) bag of organic Marshmallows
(1) box of organic graham crackers
Skewers of some kind, made of metal or wood soaked first in water so you don’t catch on fire
(1) bottle of champagne

DIRECTIONS

  1. Use a fire that has burned down a little bit.
  2. Break chocolate into pieces that fit with size of graham crackers. Everyone should have two s’mores sandwiches.
  3. Break graham crackers in half, coordinating with chocolate size.
  4. Skewer up marshmallows, roasting in the fire until the outsides start to turn black. Sing camp songs or talk about designer shoes while you are doing this.
  5. CAREFULLY pull marshmallows off skewers and make sandwiches with the chocolate and graham crackers.
  6. Pop open the champagne and toast to your fabulous life under the stars!

TAMARA’S SPECIAL CAMPING TREAT

INGREDIENTS

(1) 10 lb bag of ice
Big pot or vessel large enough for ice and 2 bottles of rosé wine
(2) bottles of excellent dry rosé — preferably Italian or French
(1) wine bottle opener
Good anchovies packed in oil
Peasant bread
Good salted butter

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the bottles of rosé into the pot or vessel and pour the ice over them. Let chill for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Open the anchovies.
  3. Slice the bread and butter it well.
  4. Add the anchovies to the bread, making open faced canapés.
  5. Open the rosé, pour it into glasses, and hand out the canapés.
  6. Sit on your fluffy beds under the stars. Marvel at your incredible good fortune, that you get to see a beautiful Montana/Wyoming/Upstate New York sky, and pen your thank you note to me in your mind.

Watch Tamara kick more recipe butt on Lifetime Moms:

Bangin Kale Salad

Mouthwatering Candied Bacon 

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2 Responses

  1. Wish You Were Here: Campers, Glampers & Me | Tue Night

    […] in our backyard, and he and I “camped out” there. We built a fire, made campfire hot dogs and s’mores, told scary ghost stories, and then I climbed into my sleeping bag and he onto his cot by the […]

    Reply
  2. Editor’s Note: Are You My New Bunkmate? | Tue Night

    […] Tamara Reynolds identifies and defines three special types of “campers,” as well as treats us to a few Cowboy & Campfire Recipes. […]

    Reply

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