What I love about fall is being excited about pulling out my red Dutch oven and filling it with one pot comfort foods. In other words; it’s soup time, folks. Soup to me is any dish that’s prepared in a big pot with extra juices for sopping. Soup also feeds a crowd and freezes well for those nights when you don’t feel like preparing a meal from scratch. I’m also in love with this cookbook that my sissy gave me; filled with down home recipes. Celebrating Our Mothers’ Kitchens, published by The National Council of Negro Women; is a collection of recipes from several individuals who share their mother’s best recipes.

I have tried plenty of the recipes in this cookbook and they are all delicious. This gingerbread recipe is in the cookbook and it’s down home goodness. They are the kind of recipes you can tweak to your own taste and they still come out great. I grew up on beans and cornbread so this recipe is one of my favs. Add some heat to the ingredients if you like spicy. This recipe is easy sneezy and can be cooked in a crockpot as well. Just note that it takes all day to come out just right.

Note: This dish is not a fast cooking dish. It takes 4 to 5 hours for the ham hocks and beans to be ready. Put this dish on the stove in the morning and go about your business. It will be ready in time for dinner.
Ingredients:
1 package (16 ounce) dry red beans. (I used pinto beans)
2 small smoked ham hocks. (I used three)
1 large onion, chopped
4 bay leaves. (I used 2)
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves. (I used fresh from my herb garden)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. (I omitted this too spicy for the hubs)
1 tbs. Salt
2 tbs. Olive oil
1 6oz. can tomato paste (I added this ingredient to give the dish a tomato flavor and color)
1/2 tsp. black pepper. (I used 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pot of cooked rice. (I used Jasmine rice)

Directions:
Rinse and soak beans in water. Follow directions on package. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add ham hocks and other ingredients. Do not add beans. Add water to cover ham hocks. Cover pot and cook ham hocks for 2 to 3 hours or until skin is tender. Add boiling water if needed as the water cooks down. (Ham hocks need to be half done before adding the beans so they will fall off the bones). Drain beans and add to the pot. Add tomato paste. Cook beans until tender. Add boiling water if needed. Adjust seasonings to taste. Salt and pepper shrimp. Add to the pot. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat. Serve over rice.