Veggie Wednesday: Bean and Roasted Pepper Burgers

Bean and Roasted Pepper Burgers

It's been about a year since I did a Veggie Wednesday; shame on me. I've been very busy with veggies, mostly growing my own as usual. If you follow my Instagram feed you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

Today I want to share a recipe for a veggie burger that I absolutely love. Bean burgers can be dry, but this one uses richly flavored and textured roasted red peppers (my favorite) to add body and moisture. Garlic and green onion boost flavor, as well so these burgers are a real hit with more than just the vegetarians in your life.


Bean and Roasted Pepper Burgers

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 patties

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers plus 2 Tablespoons liquid from jar
4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Pour beans into a food processor or blender and add peppers, onions, salt and garlic.
2. Pulse until a thick paste forms but tiny chunks of beans are still visible.
3. Spoon into a bowl and add Panko crumbs, mixing well until a thick dough forms.
4. Form into 4 patties and cook over a preheated grill pan or lightly greased skillet, about 4 minutes per side.
5. Serve on whole wheat buns with your favorite condiments and veggies.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili is not only well-loved but well-debated. Ask anyone who lives in, or once lived in, Cincinnati and they will tell you exactly what their chili should or shouldn't contain. They'll also tell you which chili parlor (there are more than 140 in Cincinnati) is the best and which 'way' they prefer their bowl.

Its origins being Greek in nature, the spice blend is different than Texas chili, and the beans are an option, not a must. Cinnamon, allspice and cumin are heavy-hitters in this chili and the flavor is like no other.

There's no denying the intrigue and fun of this dish, though and this version is as close to the 'real-deal' as you may find. I'm sure I'll hear an argument to the contrary, and from passionate Cincinnati Chili lovers, I'd expect no less.

Cincinnati Chili
Printable Recipe
Ready In: 3 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound ground round
3 cups water
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti - cooked and kept warm
2 cups kidney beans - cooked and kept warm
8 ounces finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium white onion - chopped

Directions:

1. Break up ground round as finely as possible and add to a large pot. Add water, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf and spices. Cook at a simmer (medium-low heat), breaking up beef as it cooks so it will be very fine. This is important to the end product.
2. Cook beef for a total of 3 hours, leaving the grease that forms on top - that's a vital part of the flavor. Remove the bay leaf and stir well. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
3. For the different 'ways' to eat Cincinnati Chili, follow the instructions below:

2-way: Cooked spaghetti topped with chili.
3-Way: 2-way with shredded cheddar added on top.
4-Way: 3-Way with diced onions on top.
5-Way: 4-Way with cooked kidney beans added on top.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It doesn't get any easier than this ... really. When it comes to simple recipes with just a handful of ingredients, I'm all ears. With so much going on in my life daily it helps to have tried and true recipes with few ingredients  that are frugal to boot.

I make this for the kids fairly often and it never fails to disappear completely within minutes. As soon as they realize it's being stirred together they're waiting with tortillas in hand to scoop up and devour. I've made it in different ways before, but this is the one we all like best.

You don't need to rinse the black beans, and feel free to use your own beans cooked from dry and freshly cooked or thawed frozen corn, as well. I've also made this with fresh salsa that I make myself. The cumin and garlic are optional depending on the seasoning used in the salsa.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Makes 6 cups
Printable Recipe

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or two cups cooked from dry)
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (or two cups fresh or thawed frozen)
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa (or two cups fresh)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all and stir well to blend. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Watch it disappear!

Happy New Year

A couple days late with that sentiment isn't so bad, is it? I've been busier than I hoped I'd be this past year and the amount of posts I had is evidence of that. I don't do resolutions, but I do promise to try and be a bit more vigilant in 2011.

I think I got caught up in wanting to write what I thought others wanted to read. That's all well and good because artists want to please their fans, but I also need to get back to why I started this in the first place and that was simply for me and my kids.

This coming year looks to be filled with positive changes for us and I'll try and keep those of you who are loyal readers in the loop, but it's all good things, not easy and some rather difficult, but all for the best in the end.

Here's a typical Southern recipe for the New Year, one that actually comes from my own upbringing. We aren't Southern, but the influence in the area of Indiana where my mother grew up was heavily Southern and many of her recipes reflect that.

You can chill out some with the bacon here, but it really is necessary for the right flavor. Try and get organic produce when you can and feel free to substitute canned black-eyed peas if you like.

Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

1/2 pound bacon - cut into small dice
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 small yellow onion - chopped
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 large collard leaves - rinsed, dried and chopped
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 bay leaf

1. Pick over beans and rinse. Cover with cold water and soak overnight.
2. Drain water from beans and place in a heavy pot. Cover with 1-inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 bay leaf and 1 Tablespoon salt (the salt will NOT make the beans tough, that's an old wives' tale). Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beans are cooked through. Remove bay leaf, drain well and set aside.
3. Heat the same large pot over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until crisp and add onion and garlic. Cook just until onion turns translucent. Drain grease and add chopped greens. Stir well and add 1 cup water, vinegar and cayenne. Lid tightly and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until greens are tender.
4. Add drained beans and heat through before serving.

It's Not Even Spring Yet!

I couldn't help it. I tried to restrain myself, really, but this stretch of warmer weather had me champing at the bit to grill something. Anything. So, after spending the morning zesting citrus for various things (Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake was one) I felt the need for fresh flavors on my dinner plate.

I had already thawed chicken breasts and was planning on fried chicken with a tomato based sauce, but I caught sight of the grill outside and made a last minute executive decision: the chicken must be grilled.

I had also been cooking beans to have on-hand. The beans were cooking with dried arbol chiles, bay leaves and garlic, and after tossing the lime shells (limes sans zest and juice) into the beans I felt like they needed to come to play in our dinner somehow. I scratched the tomato sauce idea and instead made a quick salsa with beans, avocado and tomato. It was the perfect complement to the grilled chicken. It was so good, in fact, that I had to keep from finishing it off myself. There are no herbs added and it doesn't need any at all - the combination of crunchy onion, tender avocado and tangy lime juice is terrific as-is.

Our dinner was a thrown-together delight. The chicken was topped with the salsa and I made a simple side of linguine tossed with olive oil, dried lemon zest and basil. It was divinely delicious and even the kids liked it. Not quite summer, but so close I could almost taste it.

Simple Tomato, Bean and Avocado Salsa
Makes 3 cups
Printable Link

1 1/2 cups seeded and diced tomato
1 1/2 cups cooked and drained beans (I used kidney and pinto)
1 small Hass avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Combine all in a small bowl and toss well. Let stand for several minutes to blend flavors before serving.

Veggie Wednesday: Sofrito Rice and Beans

Sofrito Rice and Beans

Sofrito is an ingredient that plays a very large role in any type of Hispanic cooking. However, there are two distinct ways of making it; one involves tomatoes and one does not. I've used both and it really depends on my mood as to which will find its way into a dish, but for this dish it was the green sofrito made without tomatoes.

This sofrito is another of those things I made by throwing together the ingredients until it 'looked good'. There is a good recipe for it HERE. I simply tossed green peppers, cilantro, garlic and onion into the blender and chopped it fine. I store mine in the freezer in small batches until needed.

This isn't a typical Hispanic recipe - just something I made for lunch when this was all that I had on-hand.

Sofrito Rice and Beans
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons oil
1 cup green sofrito
2 cups uncooked rice - rinsed
3 cups cooked pinto beans
4 cups water plus more as needed

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and add sofrito. Cook and stir until fragrant. Add rice and toss until well coated with oil and sofrito. Add beans and stir until well mixed. Add 4 cups of water and reduce heat to very low. Cover tightly and check every 5 minutes - stirring to keep rice from sticking. This is completely contrary to the usual method of cooking Puerto Rican rice and beans - that one you want to have stick to the pot!

Add water if necessary and cook with the lid on until the rice is tender. Salt if necessary and serve.

Homemade Hummus and Wheat Pita

Hummus and whole wheat pita is one of my very favorite things. In fact, I joke with my son Ian that he's 'half hummus and pita' because I ate it so often when I was pregnant with him. I used to pay big money to get good hummus and pita and then I started making my own. Not only did it taste better, but it's so much cheaper that I don't buy the pre-made stuff any longer. I paid less than $5 for both the pita and hummus - a far sight less than when I bought it at the grocery.

It's also a lot easier than you may think. Here are the recipes I use most often.

Hummus
Makes 2 cups
Printable Recipe

2 cups cooked and drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 cup tahini - sesame paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon

Toss everything into a blender and pulse until smooth. For this one I added in a cup of diced red pepper. You can add in other veggies, etc. just make sure to balance out the liquid so the hummus isn't too thin.

Cooked chickpeas

Lemon, garlic, tahini and salt


Red pepper

Red Pepper Hummus

Homemade wheat pita

Wheat Pita
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Stir flours together with salt and set aside. Add yeast to 1 cup of warm water and stir until dissolved. Mix in 1/2 cup of flours and let stand until bubbly.

Make a well in the center of the flours and pour in the yeast mixture. Start mixing together and add the remaining warm water. Stir well until combined and knead for 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Coat a bowl with the oil and add the dough - turning over once to coat both sides with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a cookie sheet into the oven to heat as well.

Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 6 inch circle. Let stand for 10 minutes. Taking turns, place each pita onto the preheated cookie sheet and bake for 4-5 minutes. Turn over once and continue baking until the pita puffs up. Remove from oven and push down gently with a wooden spoon to flatten out. Continue until each pita is baked. Let cool and store in plastic bags.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans with Green Olives

I learned how to make Puerto Rican Rice and Beans about 15 years ago. I was in the throes of my culinary education and my husband and I and two small daughters lived next to a lovely Puerto Rican family. Carmello and Brauli were parents to 3 kids of their own and we spent a lot of time trying to bridge the cultural divide. We would teach them English and they would teach us Spanish. Brauli sent food over to us and we would treat them in kind.

They would often have large numbers of family over to visit and each time there was a huge undertaking in the small kitchen they had. Women would converge there - aunts, mothers, cousins, daughters, grandmothers - and they would each take up something that contributed to the large meal they would all share.

The men would head outdoors to play horseshoes or stay in to watch sports on TV; no cultural divide there!

On one of these occasions, Brauli invited me over so I could watch her make rice and beans. There were many questions from me, which she and the other women would try to answer (in between trying to over stuff me on various dishes) as she went along.

The ingredients were not ones I had heard of before and they tried to explain as best they could. My laments of "Shouldn't you stir that?" were met with giggles and choruses of, "No! No! Just put the lid on. Don't touch." Once it was finished, Brauli promised to come to my own kitchen and help me make it there.

I gathered the ingredients as best I could and Brauli came by to show me how to make it for myself. I still had a hard time not stirring, but I got over it quickly.

Other friends of ours, Jose and Henriquetta, made beans and rice with the same method, but different ingredients. Jose always preferred green olives and never used pigeon peas (which were the only beans Brauli used). My daughter Megan's best friend's mom always uses kidney beans. I had a conversation in the ethnic aisle recently with a very sweet Puerto Rican woman who told me she's as shocked as I that certain ingredients are just not available here unless you seek out a small grocer tucked in a side street nearby. We also agreed that the sofrito being sold on the supermarket shelf is not the "real deal".

The one thing that cannot be left out of this dish is sofrito. Sofrito is a sauce used heavily in Hispanic cooking, although it varies from cuisine to cuisine and is used in the Mediterranean, as well. The Mexican version is not the same as the Puerto Rican version, etc. It's also one of those things that everyone has their own recipe for. I can tell you that the Sofrito sold in jars by Goya is not the one you need for this. The sofrito sold in plastic containers in the freezer section is far closer to what is most commonly used - at least here in Pa where we have a very large Hispanic population.

This is the recipe as taught to me by Brauli. It's the one I use time and again, adding ham or shrimp sometimes or tossing in green peppers. I haven't made it with olives myself, but Jose's version was really delicious with them added.

You need a good heavy pot for this. My friends all had calderos (literal meaning is cauldron) for theirs - the aluminum type - but I have a heavy Calphalon aluminum pot I love that works just fine. Make sure you have a tight-fitting lid, as well.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons sofrito
4 oz tomato sauce
1 packet Sazon (the orange Goya packet - con culantro y achiote)
1 can green pigeon peas - gandules verdes
1 small green pepper - chopped (optional)
1 cup rice - rinsed
1 cup water

Heat the pan over high and add oil. Add sofrito and stir for a minute. Add tomato sauce and stir again. Toss in Sazon, beans and pepper, if using. Now is the time to add other things like olives or ham. Stir in rice and water and cook, stirring often, until the water has almost evaporated completely. Once the rice is dry enough, mound it all in the center of the pot. Turn the heat down as low as possible and put the lid on firmly.

Leave the rice this way until done, about 20 minutes. Do NOT remove the lid to check every 5 minutes or the heat will escape and it will take forever. When the rice is done it's not fluffy like whit rice, it's very al dente and oftentimes a lot of it will stick to the bottom of the pot. This is totally normal! Scrape it up, if you like and serve it. It definitely shouldn't be burned at all, though, so make sure your flame is turned as low as you can get it.



Oil, Sazon, sofrito, tomato sauce and beans.
Added rice.

Added water and green pepper.

Cooked dry and mounded in the center of the pot.

After cooking.


The best part; Ready to eat!

Beans 'n' Cornbread

In between Christmas and New Year's we try to keep the food a little lighter here. Beans are not as heavy as you may think, but heavy enough to be filling, and more than that, comforting. There's nothing better on a cold day, I assure you.

When I was a kid, my mom made beans and cornbread often. She's from the Midwest in an area that was settled mostly by people from Tennessee and Kentucky, so most of the food that mom grew up with had a heavy Southern influence. Regardless, my mom never made beans and cornbread with pinto beans; she always used navy beans.

I don't have an exact recipe for these beans, but it goes a little like this:

Cover 1 pound of navy beans with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse them. In a big, heavy pot, cook about 5 slices of diced bacon until crisp. Don't drain that bacon grease! Leave it where it is and add a chopped onion, one chopped carrot and 2 chopped celery ribs. Add the beans and cover by one inch with chicken stock. Cook this over a low flame for just about forever, or until the beans are soft and the stock has thickened a bit. Add a generous tablespoon of salt and a healthy dose of pepper. Don't add salt while the beans are cooking or they'll get tough.

While those beans are cooking for the last half hour or so, make your cornbread. Please don't use that boxed stuff, real cornbread is so easy to make that there's just no excuse for it.

Cornbread
Makes one 8x8 pan
Printable Recipe

1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
2 T. sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 beaten egg
1/4 c. oil

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder
and stir together well.
Mix in milk, egg and oil.
Don't over mix this, you want your cornbread to be tender,
not rock-hard! Mix just until moistened.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a greased 8x8 pan at 400 degrees F
or until golden brown.

Now, you can serve this in a big bowl with the cornbread tucked off to the side, or do what we always did; smother that cornbread with beans and eat 'til you pop!

Veggie Wednesday

Three Bean Salad

This is my favorite salad as of late. It's super fast, no-cook, frugal and delicious. It continues to get devoured before I think to snap a picture, though.

Three Bean Salad
Printable Recipe

1 can each black beans, dark red kidney beans and garbanzo beans-drained
1 large cucumber-peeled, seeded and diced
1 large ripe tomato-seeded and diced
1 cup (or more, if needed) Italian dressing

Mix and chill. It doesn't get any easier!
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Now...I must apologize for being so far behind on posting. The end-of-year rush with field trips, graduation and special half-days at school has my head spinning. I promise to get caught up ASAP!
Much love to those of you who continue to stop by in my absence.

Veggie Wednesday

This is my contribution to everyone's health; something I would like to do each Wednesday. Nothing overly special; just a recipe each Wednesday that is either all veggie or very close. These may be completely vegan, ovo-lacto, or a recipe that simply includes a lot of veggies.

With the temperature outside a whopping 12 degrees F with the wind chill, soup seemed like the right choice for today.

Salsa Bean Soup
Serves 6-8
Printable Recipe

4 cups cooked beans
8 cups vegetable stock
3 T olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 cup salsa, mild or hot, your choice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
OR
In place of these 3 seasonings, add a packet of your favorite taco seasoning.

Cook onion and bell pepper in olive oil until transparent. Add beans stock and salsa;bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add seasonings and continue simmering for an additional 20 minutes.

Garnish ideas: chopped green chiles, shredded Monterey jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, sour cream. I love tiny pasta like ditalini or acini in this to make it a bit heartier-about 1/2 cup uncooked does it.

Back in the Saddle Again

Yeeha!

Well, I guess on the internet that should be, "Yahoo!".
After several harrowing days with computer problems,
a brand new computer and then phone problems, (Verizon has MUCH to answer for)
I'm finally back. Bet you missed me!

I had originally wanted to post about holidays following THE Holidays, like Epiphany, but that has since passed and I'm thinking on other things.

Since I don't have tons to say, and since it goes along with the title of this post,
here are a few "Cowboy" recipes. Git along little dawgies and et up.

***************

Cowboy Caviar
Printable Recipe

2 (14 oz each) cans black eyed peas, drained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans drained
1 (11 oz) can sweet corn, drained
1 (14 oz) can Rotel (chopped tomatoes with green chilies), undrained
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies or 1 or 2 jalapenos depending on how hot you like it
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1 small jar pimentos, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 bottle oil and vinegar Italian salad dressing

Drain all cans of beans, etc and empty into large bowl. Mix in
undrained can of Rotel. Add onion and avocado. Pour bottled Italian
dressing over all and mix to combine. Chill at least an hour for
flavors to blend. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

***************

Ranch Style Chicken Fried Steak And Gravy
Printable Recipe

Steak

4 lb Round Steak 1/2-inch Thick
1 c Milk
1 c Unbleached Flour
Salt & Pepper


Gravy

4 T Fat
4 T Unbleached Flour
1 qt Milk

Tenderize round steak. Dip in milk and then flour, salt and pepper to
taste. Fry in deep fat at approximately 375 degrees F until golden
brown. After steak is done, pour off fat leaving about 4 T in pan.
Add 4T flour. Stir until smooth. Add 1 qt milk. Stir and cook until until
thickened for steak gravy.

***************
Cowboy Beans
Printable Recipe

1/2 lb Lean bacon
1 lb Ground beef or chuck, lean
1 lg Onion-diced
1/4 c Green pepper-diced optional
1 can Pork 'n beans (16 oz.)
1 can Red kidney beans (16 oz.)
1 can Butter beans (16 oz.)
1 can Baby lima beans (8 oz.)
1 can Great northern beans(16 oz)
1/4 c Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/4 c Molasses or maple syrup
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp Pepper

Cut bacon into 1/4" bits; brown in a large skillet. Remove bacon from
rendered fat and set aside. In the bacon drippings, saute the onion &
pepper until tender. Add the ground meat and brown lightly.Put the
meats into the bottom of a crockpot. Add the Pork 'n Beans with the
liquid on them. Drain most of the juice off of the remaining cans of
beans and add them with the remaining ingredients to the crockpot.
Mix all well. Cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour to get well heated
through, then lower heat setting to LOW and allow to cook for 5 - 6
hours. Stir from time to time. Check on seasonings and correct if
desired. A little more brown sugar or syrup might be desired.

***************

Cowboys' Favorite Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe

1 box white cake mix
5 c. flour
2 pkgs. quick-rising yeast
2 1/2 c. warm water
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Combine cake mix and flour; stir yeast into warm water. When yeast has
softened add to flour mixture and stir will. Cover and let double. Roll
1/2 inch thick and then butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and
cinnamon. Roll up and cut into 3/4 to 1" slices. Place in greased pan
and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 15-20
minutes. Frost with confectioners sugar or brown sugar frosting.

For My Loyal Readers, A Little Luck!

I've been having some technical difficulties with my computer (no ... not because I'm blonde) and so I am working offline mostly on a post, but for those of you who are STARVING, here are a few traditional New Year's recipes.

OK, I know, New Year's is over~but I didn't want to hang onto these until next year!

New Year's foods around the globe:

· Japan: Noodles at midnight at Buddhist temples
· Pennsylvania Dutch: Pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day for luck
· Cuba: 12 grapes at stroke of midnight to signify the 12 months of the last year
· German folklore: Herring at midnight for luck in the New Year
· Polish: Pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year for good luck
· Southern United States: Black-eyed peas for luck, corn bread for wealth and greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach for money
· Philippines: An abundance of food on the table at midnight in order to ensure an abundance of food for the coming year
· Denmark: Boiled cod
· Holland: Olie Bollen, a doughnut-like fritter

Since I'm in Pennsylvania and my mother-in-law is part PA Dutch, here is a traditional recipe for Pork and Sauerkraut. If you've never had it, give it a try. It sounds so simple but is very rich in flavor.

Sauerkraut with Pork (Sauerkraut Und Speck)
Source: Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book-Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press,1936.
Printable Recipe

3 lb piece of pork
1 qt sauerkraut
water
salt & pepper

Wipe piece of pork with a damp cloth, place in large stewing pan and
cover with cold water. Set over flame to cook slowly for one hour.
Add the sauerkraut and more water if necessary and continue cooking
for another hour or until meat has become thoroughly tender. Season
with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Choucroute Garnie
Printable Recipe

Literally "garnished sauerkraut"-this is typical French provincial fare and my favorite version of pork and sauerkraut.

1 medium onion-sliced
5 slices bacon-diced
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 lb kielbasa cut in 2" lengths
1 lb pork cut in 2" cubes
1 lb sweet sausage -like country style- cut in 2" lengths
2-16 oz cans or bags sauerkraut-rinsed and drained
6 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
2 cooking apples peeled-cored and cut in thick slices
2T brown sugar
4 whole cloves
4 juniper berries-or 1 shot of gin-optional
1 bay leaf
1t freshly ground pepper
1c white wine

Saute bacon and onion with garlic in oil until onion is
tender-don't brown.
Add meats and saute until no longer pink.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer until potatoes and
meats are tender-about 45 min.
Remove bay leaf, cloves and juniper berries before serving.

Hoppin' John
Printable Recipe

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
½ pound salt pork, cubed
½ pound cooked ham, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ham bone
¼ teaspoon (more to taste) crushed red pepper
Pepper to taste
3 cups cooked rice

Rinse peas and pick over, removing any small stones or particles. Cover with cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil for a minute, remove from heat, cover and let sit for one hour.

In a large skillet, sauté the salt pork to render fat, add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is soft, about five to six minutes. Add the onion mixture along with the ham bone and seasonings to the pot with the peas. Add enough water to cover the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 1 to 1½ hours or until black-eyed peas are tender and not mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot, cooked rice. Serves eight.

Southern-Style Collard Greens
Printable Recipe

2 pounds collard greens
6 to 8 thick slices partially cooked bacon
4 to 6 cups water
1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt

Wash collard greens in about 3 changes of water, until no sediment can be felt in bottom of sink or bowl. Cut out thick stalks and any thick veins. Roll leaves and cut in 1/2-inch strips or chop coarsely. Cook diced bacon to render some of the fat; discard fat or save for another use.
Bring water to a boil. Add the chopped onion, cooked bacon and salt. Add greens to boiling water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 hour, or until greens are tender.
Serves 4 to 6.


Ollie Bollen
Printable Recipe

1 Cake yeast (2/3 oz)
1 Cup Milk
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1 Egg
1 1/2 Cups Currants and Raisins
1 Tart (Cooking) Apple Fat for Deep Frying
2 tsp Salt

First blend the yeast with a little lukewarm milk. Sift the flour and salt. Add Milk, mix to a batter with yeast and egg. Add currants, raisins, and peeled, minced apple. Leave batter in a warm place to rise to double its size. Heat the fat to 375 degrees F. Put two metal spoons into the batter. Shape balls with the two spoons and drop them into the fat. Fry them for 8 minutes until brown. The doughnuts should be soft and should not be grease-soaked inside. If they are fried to slowly the crust becomes hard and tough and the doughnuts become greasy. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve then piled on a dish and thickly with sifted confectioner's sugar. Eat while hot if possible.

Eat up~and I hope the start to your 2006 has been great so far!

What's Cookin' Today

I recently purchased a 5 pound bag of black beans from the "dented cans" section at my local grocery. Here are 2 recipes for them. I made the soup 2 days ago and am in the process of making the chili. Mmmmm it sure smells good here!

Black Bean Soup
Printable Recipe

2 cups dried black beans
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 medium carrot-peeled and diced small
1 large stalk celery-diced small
1 small onion-diced small
1 can tomatoes with chiles (Rotel) or tomatoes concassé
1 ham hock
4 cups chicken, vegetable, or other stock
1 bay leaf

Sort and soak beans overnight; drain and discard soak water.
In a 4-quart pot, saute garlic, onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until tender
but not browned. Add beans, stock, ham hock, bay leaf, and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, 1 to
1-1/2 hours. Remove ham hock and bay leaf before serving.


Black Bean Chili
Printable Recipe

1 pound lean ground pork
1 medium red OR green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime juice
Shredded cheddar cheese

Coat a heavy, large, covered pot with olive oil.
Heat over medium-high heat.
Add pork, bell pepper, onion, garlic and cumin. Cook and stir until pork is brown and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain off fat.
Stir black beans, undrained tomatoes, water, oregano and salt into mixture in pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Uncover; simmer about 15 minutes more or until desired consistency.
Stir in lime juice. Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese. Serve with tortillas, if desired.
Serves 4 to 6.


I got this recipe from Paula and plan on making them today. They sound awesome~and we all know this is one of my favorite combos~pumpkin and chocolate.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Recipe

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

4 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda combined with 2 tsp. milk

1 11 oz. bag chocolate chips

Blend pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs together - set aside.

Stir together flour and cinnamon. Add flour to pumpkin mixture and stir in baking soda mixed with milk. 

Fold in chocolate chips and drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes

These are a delicious, soft, moist cookie.

I use only half a bag of chocolate chips, and I think that's perfect, but the recipe calls for a whole bag.

I Love Falafel

Really I do. My oldest daughters love it too so I buy dry falafel mix often (Near East is good but I prefer Manischewitz). It is a bit pricey though so I found myself doing an intense search for falafel recipes. All I could find were recipes using cooked beans, mostly the traditional garbanzos.

I figured if the big companies could make an "instant" falafel mix, so could I.

I had 1/2 pound of dried lentils on hand and decided to give it a whirl.

I put the lentils into the blender and blended them to powder, added spices and flour (I am out of whole wheat so I used all-purpose), added water to the mix and fried away.

The first batch tasted fine, but they were a bit flat so I added baking soda to the next batch and although they don't taste like the commercial stuff, they were definitely good! They do need some parsley and possibly lemon juice added with the water but, all-in-all I was pleased with the result.

This is the basic recipe I came up with but keep checking back. I plan on trying whole wheat flour, matzoh or even panko as a binder.

Lentil Falafel
Printable Recipe

1/2 lb dried lentils
1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
spices to taste-what I used was:
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
few dashes of black pepper

Grind the whole thing into powder in a blender or food processor.

To 1/4 cup of mix add 1/4 cup of warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.

Drop mix by teaspoonsful into hot oil and fry, turning once until browned. Drain on paper towels.

We eat our falafel in whole wheat pitas with fresh tomato, cucmber slices, and raita or tzatziki.

Cucumber Raita
Printable Recipe

1 cucumber, peeled and grated
1-1/2 C. plain yogurt
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin/coriander powder
1/4 tsp chili pepper
Add cucumber to yogurt and water. Roll cumin seeds to a powder and add. Add coriander and spices.

Tzatziki
Makes about 2 cups
Printable Recipe

1/2 European cucumber, peeled and seeded
Salt
2 cups plain yogurt, drained 4 hours
4 cloves garlic, mashed in a mortar or minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Grate cucumber on the large holes of a hand-held grater until you have 1 cup of
grated cucumber. Spread cucumber on several layers of paper towels, salt lightly
and let drain for 15 minutes. To keep tzatziki rich and thick, be sure to blot
cucumber thoroughly. In a bowl, combine drained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint
(if using), dill, olive oil (if using), and lemon juice to taste. Stir to mix well, season
with salt and serve. This may be made ahead a day, but do not add garlic until the
day of serving.