Plump buttery oysters in a creamy broth.

Ingredients
16 oz oysters shucked with liquor retained
4 cup fat free half & half
4 tablespoons margarine
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
old bay, moroccan rub, or whatever spice you like to kick it up a notch!

Directions

• In a medium to large pot, cook oysters in their liquor until they look plump and firm and the edges start to curl a bit.
• Turn heat to low. Add half & half, margarine, salt and pepper.
• Turn heat back up just a little, bring to just shy of a simmer, and heat the stew through. Do not boil. Stir occasionally.
• Best served immediately but will keep for a day or two in the fridge in a sealed container.

Sure, you can shuck your own fresh oysters. I’m way too lazy to do that, so I found a pint of fresh shucked oysters… liquor and all. Liquor is the liquid inside an oyster’s shell and is a key component of the stew’s flavor.

A pint of fresh shucked oysters.

The oysters just poured into the pan.

Simmer the oysters right in their broth.  At first, it is hard to imagine that these will become plump and juicy… but they do, and you will know it when you see it.  They’ll appear a bit more sturdy, and the edges will start to curl up just a bit.

Plump and yummy!

Once they’re firmed up a bit, turn down the heat and add in the rest of your ingredients.  Kick the stove back up a bit and heat the stew until it is warmed through and uniform.  You shouldn’t boil it, but I did bring it almost to a simmer.

Creamy and warm winter treat!

Add whatever spices you like.  Traditionally, Old Bay is the way to go.  I had a Pampered Chef moroccan spice blend I wanted to try, so in it went.  Wonderfully different!  At the point, the stew is really open to interpretation.  Add herbs and spices… serve it with oyster crackers… make it special!  We had ours just like you see it here.   Plain and simple!

About 1/2  cup makes a serving, and this recipe yielded approximately 5 cups.  To make a more traditional batch, use milk or cream where I used fat free half & half.  Real butter would replace the margarine.

I made this yesterday.  Just took a taste of it cold from the fridge, and it kept just fine.  Can’t wait to heat up some more for lunch tomorrow!

Hello little Wonderland Oysters! Into the pot with you!

My Sweet Prince holds his lunch up for us to see.

Wonder how this would do in a slow cooker?  I’ll have to try it!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

This recipe might be a little higher in sodium than desired, if you’re watching sodium intake.  I was very pleased with the low sugar count, considering I used honey ham.

Ingredients
1 lb. cooked boneless honey ham (not the brown sugar encrusted kind!)
2 c chicken broth, 33% less sodium brand
1 c navy beans, dried
1 c chopped celery
1 small white onion, chopped
1 c chopped baby carrots
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp liquid smoke

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.
• Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
• Enjoy!

Nutritional Info
Makes 8 half-cup servings. Calories 108.2, Total Fat 1.7g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 688.3mg, Carbs 10.1g, Fiber 2.3g, Sugars 2.1g, Protein 13g

This time, I wanted something hearty but not necessarily so creamy. I like a good red beans and rice mash, but I wasn’t in the mood for that this time. Soft beans, yes. Bean mash, no.

WTH?! That looks like a kidney stone, but these aren't kidney beans!

The first question most people have, when it comes to slow cooking beans, is whether or not to first soak them. The answer will differ, depending upon who you ask, because it really comes down to personal preference.

Some folks experience more stomach distress… otherwise known as “the toots”… if they don’t soak their beans overnight. While this might be entertaining among the Sunday football crowd, it’s probably not an ideal situation just before a romantic evening or a big business presentation!

Others simply rinse & pick their beans then toss them right into the slow cooker. I have done this myself in desperate times, and I had no problem with it. However, I do prefer to soak if only for general “sterilization” purposes. Having said that… If I’m in the mood for beans, I typically want them THAT DAY. I also think an overnight soak would have given me the mashy effect I was trying to avoid. So, I compromised with a quick soak method.

• Rinse and pick through the beans for pebbles and other field debris.  As you can see, I found a pebble.  This is not uncommon.
• Place the beans in a pan and add water to about twice the height of the beans.
• Bring beans just to a boil over medium to high heat
• Cover and remove from heat. Let sit 1 hour, then drain.

Photo op! You don't need to place your ingredients in the pot so neatly. I just thought it'd be purty.

I picked a nice Smithfield boneless honey ham with the intention of making a nice ham roast dinner, using the leftovers for the soup. As I had a real craving for bean soup, I decided to blow off the intended order of events. I diced the pound I needed and threw it in a pan with a sandwich-sized slice that made a nice lunch for my husband. I sauteed it in some non-stick olive oil spray until it was cooked through. I think it was about 15 minutes. Shame on me, I forgot to time it. I’m so used to eyeballing everything.

Finally, I prepped my veggies and tossed it all in the pan with the broth, thyme, and liquid smoke.  I set the slow cooker for 12 hours on low, but I wound up shutting it off around the 10 hour mark.   My slow cooker typically takes a little less than the specified time for most recipes, but I recommend you check it around 10 hours.  If you want a more creamy soup… soak your beans overnight, add a touch more broth, and leave it for the full 12 hours.  That might do it.

I am very satisfied with a 1/2 c serving.  Since my husband does not like beans, and it’s just the two of us here, this will probably feed me for several days.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had bean soup, and I’m glad I made this.  I am about to enjoy a cup while we watch football!

Strongbad thinks 1/2 c is more than enough for him!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.