Soup - Marge's Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Marge Garrett
From our "trip to Bostwana Book Club Meeting" 9/26/2019
Modified from PBS Recipe

NOTE: This recipe makes a lot!   Feel free to 1/3 the recipe.  1 can of black eye peas goes
a long way!


1.  Sauté onion until soft and lightly brown.
Add garlic and chili peppers. Cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes.

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 Fresno (red) chilies finely chopped

2.  In crock pot, combine water, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, chili peppers, onions and garlic.  Cook about 3 hours.

5-6 cups of water

3 14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

3.  When sweet potatoes are soft, add plum tomatoes and parsley.  Cook for an additional hour.

1 pound plum tomatoes chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf or curly leaf parsley leaves

Delicious as is -or- serve over rice!

Potatoes - Potato Skins, Tex-Mex

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Forks Over Knives

BAKE WHOLE POTATOES

Preheat oven to 450°F. Scrub potatoes and use a fork to poke several holes in each one.

Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet and bake 40 to 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Cool on baking sheet.

• 8 small (4- to 6-ounce) potatoes, scrubbed

POTATO SKINS

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out and reserve most of the potato flesh, leaving a thin layer of potato flesh with the skin to help retain the potato’s shape.

FILLING

Divide the potato flesh - about 2 cups will be used in the filling and 1 cup in the cheese sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of potato flesh, black beans, corn, cumin, garlic powder, chipotle powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix well. Set aside.

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

CHEESE SAUCE

Place 1 cup of potato flesh in a blender.

Add milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, the onion powder, pepper, and salt.

Blend mixture to a smooth, thick sauce, adding water a little at a time if needed to reach a thick saucy consistency.

• 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast *
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided
• pepper

* Cheese adds a special flavor to many dishes.  Those who avoid dairy but miss that unique flavor can use nutritional yeast instead.  It can be found in most grocery stores, usually on the baking aisle.  There are a good many brands and they vary by store.  Some are better than others.  It can get a little pricey but it's worth it to try several and find the one you like best.

FINAL BAKE & Putting it All Together

Roughly 30 minutes before desired serving time, preheat the oven to 375℉.

Fill each potato skin with the filling mixture; then drizzle 1 tablespoon sauce over each filled potato.

Bake on the oven’s top rack for 10 to 20 minutes, or until sauce and edges of potatoes are just starting to brown.

Remove stuffed potatoes from oven and top with pico de gallo and scallions. Serve immediately.

• 1 cup store-bought pico de gallo
• ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

Soup - Judy's Black Bean

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Epicurious

Judy made this for JC and I during a visit to the mountains.  Even though JC claims to not care for black beans, he loved this and has changed his mind about the whole black bean thing.  I love black beans and could have eaten this soup 'til I popped.  

This is from the first time I made it.  Just as Judy claimed, it was super simple.
And, oh my, sooooo good!  This recipe is a definite keeper!

The original recipe on Epicurious includes a few things I don't eat - olive oil, chicken broth, feta cheese.  Those were easy to skip or replace.  These directions reflect my preferences.  Also, canned ingredients are easy, but my sensitive stomach does better with fresh tomatoes than with canned.  As for the beans, sometimes I use canned, sometimes I cook from dried.


Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

garlic - 4 cloves, chopped

Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño.

jalapeño chile with seeds - 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped , divided

cumin - 2 teaspoons ground

Cumin tip I plan to try sometime:  More intense and nuanced flavor can be enjoyed by lightly roasting whole cumin seeds and then grinding the seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Add beans, tomatoes, and broth; bring soup to boil.

black beans - equivalent of two cans, undrained 

tomatoes, diced - equivalent of one can petite diced tomatoes in juice

broth - 1 1/2 cups

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot.
Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro and green onions.

cilantro - Chopped fresh 

green onions - Chopped 

CUMIN INFO

This recipe reminded me how much I enjoy the taste and smell of cumin.  Even better, cumins good for you!  It's mostly known as a digestive aid, but there are other benefits as well.

Potatoes - Sweet Potato - Chunky Monkey

Recipe Inspiration Source:  I saw this on Facebook.

If I'm hungry and desperately craving a sweet fix, this would definitely be a solution!

If you haven't tried a chunky monkey yet you are missing out!

Cook a sweet potato and open it up, smash a banana on top and drizzle with watered down PB2. So good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert (sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips for dessert).

Pasta - Spaghetti Salad

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Monkey and Me

I need to try this soon!

Spaghetti Salad has long been a favorite recipe.  My original recipe is loaded with oil and includes parmesan cheese.  It was delicious, but I'm determined to figure out a tasty healthier version.  I've experimented a few times on my own, but haven't hit on the right combination of flavorings yet.

Here is a recipe that may be helpful in my quest:

This one is from Monkey and Me.  It's vegan and oil free!
I have loved many of their recipes!