Thursday, April 15, 2010

Vegetarian Hoppin John Recipe

Vegetarian Hoppin John Recipe

Edited From http://www.grouprecipes.com/44137/vegetarian-hoppin-john.html
I made this for the family New Year's 2010. I modified the recipe some to our liking. The whole family loved it! The boys were wanting more.

Ingredients
•(NOTE: Overnight soaking time is NOT included in the prep time.)
•1 pound dry black-eyed peas
•1 bay leaf
•1 teaspoon oregano
•1/2 teaspoon thyme
•1 teaspoon basil
3/4 tsp. Cumin
•Cayenne pepper
•3/4 tsp. salt
•Black pepper, freshly ground
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•2 onions, chopped, and some extra for garnish
•1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
•2 celery stalks, chopped
•4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
•1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes or tomato sauce
•2 1/2 cups COOKED brown rice

Directions
1.Rinse and clean the peas, then soak in fresh cold water overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Put them into a heavy soup pot and cover with more fresh cold water.
2.Bring this to a boil and add the seasonings. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, checking often, to add more water if needed.
3.In a medium skillet, heat the oil and saute the 2 chopped red onions for 3 minutes. Add the yellow pepper, celery and garlic, and saute until tender.
4.When the peas are done, add the sauteed vegetables, tomatoes and cooked rice. Stir together well and heat through for another 5 to 10 minutes.
5.Adjust the seasonings.
6.Serve garnished with more chopped red onion, and hot sauce if you like. This is great with cornbread.

Kathy's Hearty Minestrone

Kathy's Hearty Minestrone
This was given to us by Charlie's Mom from a recipe in a cookbook she found. This is delicious! The whole family liked it. The heading says, "Here's another recipe for you, and it might just be the best minestrone soup on the planet. Don't let the number of ingredients intimidate you - almost everything is in a can. If you can find the courage to make this once, it is going to be one of your favorite recipes. It makes a big enough pot of soup that you'll be able to eat ten or twelve bowls of it. Don't leave out the fennel seeds, even if you've never heard of fennel. Fennel is what makes this recipe so good."

1 pound Polish sausage (hot or mild)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) box chopped frozen spinach (make sure it's chopped!)
1 1/2 C. sliced carrots
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (19 oz.) can red beans
1 C. small dried pasta (shells if you can find them)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen cut green beans
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Pierce the skins of the sausages with a fork; place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked. Drain the liquid into a separate bowl. When the sausages are cool enough to touch, cut them into small slices.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, lightly brown the sausage slices in hot olive oil. Add the onions and the garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes (including liquid), frozen spinach, carrots, basil, oregano, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and let it simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender.
Add the red beans (including liquid), the pasta, and the frozen beans. Let mixture simmer 5 to 7 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender but firm. Season the soup to taste. (It can be thinned with additional chicken broth or with the water from boiling the sausages, if necessary). Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 10 to 12.

About 15 grams protein per serving?

Best Ever Egg Salad

Best Ever Egg Salad
Ingredients:


6 large hardboiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Procedure:


Combine chopped eggs, celery, online, parsley and olives in a bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP: Add bacon to your egg salad sandwich for a savory twist.

Sweet and Sour Beef-Cabbage Soup

Sweet and Sour Beef-Cabbage Soup

From http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet_sour_beef_cabbage_soup.html

This wholesome sweet-and-sour soup combines beef, caraway seeds, sweet paprika and cabbage—ingredients that star in a number of German dishes. It is particularly nice served with crusty rye bread. For an even heartier soup, add diced cooked potatoes along with the cabbage.


6 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lean (90% or leaner) ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed, chopped
1 medium Golden Delicious or other sweet-tart cooking apple, unpeeled, diced
6 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 15-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Hungarian sweet
3 cups coarsely chopped Savoy, or green cabbage
1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
1.Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef, caraway seeds and thyme and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a spoon, until it is mostly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in pepper-onion mix and apple; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more.
2.Stir in broth, tomatoes, honey and paprika and adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in cabbage and cook just until barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Season with vinegar to taste, salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Per serving: 250 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 54 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 20 g protein; 4 g fiber; 705 mg sodium; 717 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Iron & Potassium (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Quick Whole Wheat Rolls

Quick Whole Wheat Rolls

8 C. Whole Wheat Flour
2 2/3 Tbsp. yeast
½ C. honey (or sugar)
½ C. oil
2 tsp. salt
3 1/3 C. water (almost too hot to the touch but not quite)

Knead together for 5 minutes (in machine). Let rise for 5 minutes. Use an oiled 1/3 measuring cup to scoop out the dough into rolls. Place on lightly greased sheet. If you have a hamburger press, you can press them. If not, just press on them to your liking. Turn the oven on and let the rolls rise as oven is heating. Bake at 400° for 10-13 minutes.

McDonald's Big Mac

From http://www.stuffucanuse.com/Macdonald%20recipies.htm

The Big Mac

BIG MAC™ Special Sauce
Ingredients:

1/4 cup KRAFT Miracle Whip

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons, heaping, French salad dressing (the orange stuff)

1/2 Tablespoon HEINZ sweet relish Good without any relish in it, too

2 teaspoons, heaping, VLASIC dill pickle relish (Heinz dill relish also works)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried, minced onion

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon ketchup

1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix everything very well in a small container. There better be no streaks! Microwave 25 seconds, and stir well again. Cover, and refrigerate at LEAST 1 hour before using.( to allow all of the flavors to "meld". ) Makes nearly 1 cup...enough for about 8 Big Macs™

Cooking your BIG MAC™
INGREDIENTS:

(this is a per sandwich recipe)

1 -regular sized sesame seed bun

1 -regular sized plain bun

2 -previously frozen regular beef patties

2 -tablespoons Big Mac sauce

2 -teaspoons reconstituted onions

1 -slice real American cheese

2 -hamburger pickle slices

1/4 Cup -shredded iceberg lettuce



COOKING:

Discard the crown half of the regular bun, retaining the heel. The cooking method for the Big Mac™ is basically the same as the regular burgers, only the bun toasting method is slightly different. In the Big Mac's case you toast the bottom (heel) first. Do this along with the extra heel. (this will be your middle bun.)

Cook the two-all-beef-patties just like the regular burgers. After the bun parts are toasted, put 1 tablespoon of "Mac sauce" on each of the heels. (toasted side.) Then add 1/8 cup shredded lettuce to each. On the true bottom bun, place one thin slice of American cheese on top of the lettuce.

On the extra "heel", the middle bun, place two pickle slices on top of the lettuce. Toast the "crown" (top) of the bun also. When the meat patties are done, place them one at a time on both prepared buns. Stack the middle bun on top of the bottom bun, and put the crown on top

For proper "aging", or "Q-ing", ...wrap the finished Big Mac® in a 12"x18" sheet of waxed paper as follows:

1...Center the burger, right side up, on the waxed paper. Fold the "long" ends of the paper up over the top. (It will resemble a tube with the burger in the center.)

2...Fold the two remaining ends underneath. Wrap snug, but don't squish it like the regular burgers.

3...Let sit 5-8 minutes, allowing the flavors to "meld"

4...Microwave, still wrapped, 15 seconds on high

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Spicy Black Bean Soup
Adapted by Laura Cannon from Taste of Home

12 ServingsPrep: 25 min. Cook: 40 min.

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced or 1/2 tsp. Sambal
2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil (didn't use any, used water from frozen pepper)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Tomato Sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)
1 -2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Saute onion and peppers in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
Stir in the beans, broth, tomatoes and chopped green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Add cilantro and cheese; cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Place half of soup in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Return to the pan and heat through. Top each serving with 2 teaspoons sour cream (optional).

Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each).


Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup equals 150 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 667 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein.