Hoppin John Recipe (From 2011)

 

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYBODY! You know you have to have your Black eyed peas for good luck.....What better way to have them , than in a nice bowl of that southern delicacy, Hop N John. Here is my recipe- 

  INGREDIENTS: 

 •1 pound dried black-eyed peas 

 •2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone 

 •2 medium onions, divided 

 •3 large cloves garlic, halved 

 •1 bay leaf 

 •1 cup long-grain white rice or yellow rice 

 •1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved 

 •1 medium red bell pepper, chopped •1/2 green bell pepper, chopped •3 ribs celery, chopped 

 •1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced •2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning 

 •1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves •3/4 teaspoon ground cumin •3/4 teaspoon salt •4 green onions, sliced

  DIRECTIONS: 1.In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic. 

 2.Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. 

Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. 

 3.Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. 

Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Carbonella

 I thought since it's the end of the year I'd put something healthy on this post.

Swapping traditional ingredients like guanciale and pancetta for vegetable-based umami bombs (hello, garlic and smoked paprika) isn’t the only thing to consider when making a vegetarian carbonara. 

Many hard cheeses (including Parmigiano-Reggiano) use animal rennet, so if you want to seek an alternative, ask your cheesemonger or check out this list.

Any wayyyyy here is the recipe-

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. fettuccine or other long pasta

 Kosher salt 

 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2" –3" pieces 

 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

 ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

 Freshly ground black pepper 

 ¾ tsp. smoked paprika 

 3 large egg yolks 

 ¾ cup pre-grated vegetarian Parmesan, plus more for serving.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling generously salted water, stirring occasionally and adding asparagus when pasta has 1 minute left to go, until pasta is very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. 

 Step 2 Meanwhile, combine garlic and oil in a medium Dutch oven or other high-sided pot and set over medium heat; season very generously with pepper. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is light golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in paprika; set aside. 

 Step 3 Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Scoop out 1 cup cooking liquid from pasta and, whisking constantly, gradually add to egg yolks to temper. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. 

 Step 4 Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid; transfer pasta and asparagus to pot with reserved garlic oil. Set back over medium heat and toss to coat. Tossing constantly, add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, followed by reserved yolk mixture, then ¾ cup Parmesan. 

Cook, tossing constantly and reducing heat as needed to keep mixture below a simmer, until cheese is melted and liquid thickens enough to coat pasta in a glossy, silky sauce, about 5 minutes. (This might be easier on your hands if you use 2 wooden spoons, as though you were tossing a salad, rather than trying to do it with 1 hand and a pair of tongs.) 

Add more reserved pasta cooking liquid if needed to loosen. 

 Step 5 Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with more Parmesan and a few grinds of pepper.

And there you go...Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

 

Black Bean Burgers

 Here is a nice , Mid Winter comfort food treat....Black Bean Burger.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) seasoned black beans 

1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs 

1/4 c. grated white onion 

1 whole egg 

1/2 tsp. chili powder salt and pepper hot sauce (I used Choloula) 

8 slices Swiss cheese olive oil, for frying butter, for frying and grilling 4 whole Kaiser rolls or good hamburger buns 

Mayonnaise

 Lettuce or other greens 

Sliced tomato

DIRECTIONS:

Drain, but do not rinse, the black beans. 

Place them in a bowl and use a fork to mash them. 

Keep mashing until they're mostly broken up, but still have some whole beans visible. 

Add the breadcrumbs, onion, egg, chili powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. 

Stir until everything is combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. 

 Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil with an equal amount of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. 

Form the bean mixture into patties slightly larger than the buns you're using (the patties will not shrink when they cook.)

 Place the patties in the skillet and cook them about 5 minutes on the first side. Flip them to the other side, place 2 slices of cheese onto each patty, and continue cooking them for another 5 minutes, or until the burgers are heated through. (Place a lid on the skillet to help the cheese melt if needed.) 

 Grill the buns on a griddle with a little butter until golden. 

Spread the buns with mayonnaise and hot sauce, then place the patties on the buns. Top with lettuce and tomato, then pop on the lids! Yum.

Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!