1 lb pinto beans or Navy beans
Seasoning meat-(bacon, salt pork, ham bone, ham hock, etc.)
1 large onion, chopped up and divided in half
salt, pepper, bay leaf-(optional)
Cajun seasoning In a pot, add the seasoning meat with enough water to cover, cook down, break up the pieces of meat. Pick over beans, removing imperfect beans, stones, etc. Rinse well and drain. Transfer beans to pot. Cover beans with water, then add 1 to 2 cups more! Add half of the onion, and some of the seasonings. Cook on medium until boiling, lower the temperature and cook for several hours until the liquid has thickened, but with enough to be soupy. Adjust seasonings and add other half of the onion. Serve. Cornmeal Dumplings-(traditionally they are dropped into the hot pot just like regular dumplings but my daughter doesn't like dumplings that way so I came up with baking them instead and it works!) Cornmeal Dumplings: Self-Rising Cornmeal and All Purpose Flour-equal parts, mix with milk. Form into ball, add more flour if needed, to prevent sticking, cut ball in half, lay on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until browned. Remove from pan and let cool. To serve, add the baked cornmeal dumplings into the bowl, ladle soup beans on top, let it soak into the dumplings. (It will be crispy like a cracker but with the taste of cornbread.) Enjoy! Submitted by: Patrice Farmer | 
