Look at THIS Martha!

I love collecting recipes.  Besides my numerous cookbooks, I have binders and folders full of recipes I've torn out of magazines.  I have web pages bookmarked.  I've even started a digital recipe file on my computer.  I collect far more than I'll ever have time to try.  But I make a point to attempt at least one or two new recipes a week.  If it's good, it goes in my "keeper" folder.  

This is one of those keeper recipes that I found in Martha Stewart Living.  It's a corn cake topped with shredded pork, avocado, tomato, cilantro and sour cream.

This top photo is my husband showing off his corn cake that he assembled to look just like the photo from the magazine.  He did a pretty good job there!  Below is my version (I didn't look at the photo and I added cheddar cheese) and the accompanying side dish of spicy, cheesy red beans. 

  
These beans are so awesome!  You simply drain 2 cans of red kidney beans, cover them with chicken broth, add 2 bay leaves, one onion (quartered), one jalapeño (also quartered), and 1/2 tsp. cumin powder,  and simmer for about 15 minutes.  If you like it spicier (I do!) add an extra jalapeño.  Then you drain off the liquid, discard the bay leaves, onion and jalapeño and add 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  I believe the original recipe calls for a Mexican cotija cheese, which isn't too hard to find here in the valley, but I forgot to put it on my grocery list and just used the jack cheese I had on hand.  We like it that way, so that's the way I make it.

I wanted to post the link to the corn cakes and shredded pork recipes, but the link is ridiculously long.  So if you go to marthastewart.com and do a recipe search for "Mexican Corn Cakes" and "Spiced Shredded Pork" there they are!