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Spicy Lentil and Kale Soup
Lentil and Kale Soup
It is certainly closer to soup season in North Alabama. We’ve had some freezing temperatures, just enough to make us bring in the giant Ficus and harvest our sweet potatoes. But then this weekend, it was in the upper 70s. Interesting weather so far! Regardless of the weather, this is a great soup. It doesn’t need a long time to cook, but the flavor improves as it cooks. It is similar to my Egyptian Style Red Lentil Soup but this has kale. Actually you could use most any variety of greens – you just might need to make a few adjustments. If you using a quick-cooking cooking green like cabbage or bok choy, just put it in later. You could also use collards, broccoli rabe, or even mustard greens. I haven’t tried this, but a sweet potato (freshly harvested from the Smith-Jordan garden) would probably be good in place of the regular potato. Play around with the spices, add some cinnamon or allspice if you want to mix it up even more. Use water or veggie broth. Have fun with this recipe and enjoy…
Spicy Lentil and Kale Soup (Print recipe)
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, diced in small cubes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ teaspoons freshly ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or a hefty pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red lentils
4 cups veggie broth*
2 cups water (might need more)
1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
Optional Garnish: Kale Chips
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the onions, celery, carrots, and potato. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, Aleppo pepper, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Cook another 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add lentils. Stir in the veggie stock and water. Add the kale. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low until the lentils are cooked, about 45 minutes. Garnish with crispy kale chips and serve.
*You can use 4 cups of veggie broth and 2 cups of water or you can use 6 cups of water. The veggie broth adds more flavor, but it is also delicious with only water. If you want a thicker soup, you can use less liquid. Depending on your lentils, you might need to increase the liquid if it is too thick.
Cutest Potatoes Ever
Cutest Potatoes Ever!
Usually, my food isn’t very pretty. I spend more time concerned with the taste than the looks. Wish I could do both, but I can’t. However, with these little potatoes, anyone can make “cute” and delicious food. To give you an idea of how tiny they are, the potatoes in the photo are in a 3-inch ramekin!
If you’ve been reading The Flaming Pot Holder lately, you know we like to grow our food when possible. Farmers markets are a great second choice for purchasing local food. However, sometimes you see something at a grocery store you must try. That happened a few weeks ago at the Whole Foods Market in Nashville. We found marble-sized red, white, and purple potatoes.
The company is Tasteful Selections and the Sunrise Medley Nibbles potatoes are from their Simply Amazing Potatoes line of products. They are tiny, but very flavorful and tender. When I emailed the company to ask permission to include them in the blog, I received a nice response from Melissa in their marketing department. I mentioned recently that I wanted to add a few reviews to the blog, so guess this is my first official one! I like the fact that this is still a family owned farm; it makes me feel better shopping at a big box store. If you want to give them a try, you should check out their website and Facebook page for other recipes, coupons, and even a sweepstakes. They also have a store locator so you can find where to buy them in your area.
To keep it vegan, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, margarine or your favorite oil. You just want something to help the salt, pepper, and herbs adhere. From start to finish, I think it only took about 10 minutes, so this really is a fast side dish. Hope you like these delicious and cute potatoes!
Cutest Potatoes Ever (Print recipe)
1 bag Sunrise Medley Nibbles potatoes (or other tiny potatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil (margarine, oil of your choice, or butter)
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper (I used ground black pepper and Aleppo pepper flakes)
Fresh chives and/or herbs, chopped (I used parsley and Greek basil)
Wash the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add one teaspoon of salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Test a potato, by piercing with a fork. Depending on the size, they might be done. Otherwise, they might need a few more minutes. Cook until tender. Drain. Add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh herbs. Enjoy! These are even delicious the next day cold! You can toss them into a salad.
Coming soon…my husband’s recipe for a Kitchen Sink Frittata that uses leftover potatoes as one of the ingredients!
Layered Summer Vegetable Bake
Layered Summer Vegetable Bake
The other morning on the TODAY Show, Martha Stewart had a recipe for a Provençal Vegetable Tian. It sounded and looked delicious. But of course I did not have all the ingredients she used. So, I decided to make my own version with things from our pantry, our garden, and our friend’s garden. That seems to be a theme lately – use what you have.
Back in high school, I was on the yearbook committee and one of my least favorite tasks was writing titles and captions. Not much has changed. I still struggle with this, in technical writing and in recipe writing. Not sure what to call my version of Martha’s recipe. Strata is not completely accurate since it doesn’t contain eggs, bread, or cheese. It reminded me of a baked late summer vegetable layered ratatouille. However, I didn’t cook the vegetables separately. It could be called a casserole, but it seems a little too fancy for that (not that there’s anything wrong with a casserole). I guess it really is a tian, a layered casserole of French origin. But, I hate to totally copy Martha, thus the lame name: Layered Summer Vegetable Bake. At least it is descriptive. Oh well, whatever you call it, hope you enjoy my version.
My typical disclaimer: This is another recipe where you can customize it to your tastes or use what is fresh and available. If you do not like eggplant, you can use zucchini, zephyr, crookneck, or patty pan squash. If you want to add peppers, go for it! Add more garlic if you’d like. If you do not have fresh herbs, dry herbs can be used. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet, you can omit or decrease the amount of salt. If you want to mix it up, you could even add sweet potatoes. Feel free to use different oil, if you prefer. Basically, you are layering veggies with a bit of salt, pepper, oil, and herbs, squishing it, and baking it. Ok you get it, please make this YOUR dish and have fun!
Slice of Veggie Goodness
Layered Summer Vegetable Bake (Print recipe)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, sliced ⅛ inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced ⅛ inch thick half-moons
1 leek or green onion, sliced ⅛ inch thick
4 small potatoes, sliced ⅛ inch thick
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 medium eggplants, sliced ⅛ inch thick (I used skinny green, purple, and a few round orange Turkish eggplants)
4 medium tomatoes, sliced ⅛ inch thick
4 tablespoons capers, whole or smashed/chopped
4 teaspoons fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, and basil), chopped
Garnish: Fresh Herbs
Serves: 4-8 (depends on whether it is a main dish or a side dish)
Wash, dry, and slice your veggies. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil into 13x9x2” baking dish*. Cover the bottom with half the garlic, onions, and leeks. Top with half the potatoes. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Top with half the eggplant. Top with half the tomatoes. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover with half the capers and half the fresh chopped herbs. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Use an oiled spatula to press down the vegetables. Repeat the layers – garlic, onions, leeks, potatoes, salt pepper, eggplant, tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, capers, herbs, 2 tablespoons oil. Use an oiled spatula to press down the vegetables. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil. Use an oiled spatula to press down the vegetables. Bake until the top is golden and caramelized, about 45 minutes more. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.
*If you have lots of patience, you could make individual serving sizes using either a muffin pan or mini ramekins. As you can probably tell from my photo, my version was very thin. That’s because we like crispy bits (there were lots). If you want less crisp and more layers, feel free to use a smaller baking dish.
Eye of the Goat Bean Soup
Leftovers?
Make Eye of the Goat Bean Soup
If you made the eye of goat beans and rice from the last post, there is a good chance you had leftover beans (unless you cooked for a crowd). So what do you do with them? You can freeze them, make bean salad, chili, or refried beans. Or you could make a simple, quick soup. That’s what I did! I’ve recently started back to work at a real job, as a technical writer and editor. After two years of not working, I’m relearning my time management skills. Juggling work, gardening, cooking, food writing, yard work, housework, etc. is challenging. Anything that makes a quick and healthy meal is a good thing in my book.
I served the soup topped with a bit of grated cheese, a few splashes of hot sauce, and some chopped fresh herbs. We had just bought some Cumin Gouda from the Franklin Farmers Market in Nashville and I thought it would be good with the soup. It was! The cheese is from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese in Austin, Kentucky. If you happen to see them at a market near you, I would highly recommend them (or you can order online). They have some unique flavors: Cranberry Havarti, Coffee Cheddar, Garlic Paprika Monterey Jack, etc. I also served the soup with Beanitos’ Black Bean Chips, a new chip we recently discovered. I have several food allergies/food sensitivities and avoid corn, but sometimes I want a corn chip. Well, these are a good substitute – no corn or gluten; but high in protein thanks to the black beans!
Eye of the Goat Bean Soup
Leftover eye of the goat beans (we had half the batch leftover)
Veggie stock or water
Salt
Pepper
Garnishes: grated cheese, sour cream, yogurt, hot pepper sauce, fresh herbs, chopped peppers, sliced green onions, crackers, chips, etc.
Special equipment: immersion blender, food processor, blender, or potato masher
Depending on how soupy you made the beans, you might need to remove some of the liquid and reserve it for later (just in case you need it). Heat the beans over low heat. Mash the beans, either by hand or use an immersion blender, food processor, or a regular blender. If needed, add the extra bean liquid, stock, or water to make a nice soup consistency. Make sure it is heated through and season with salt and pepper as needed. Top with garnishes and serve.
Eye of the Goat Beans
Eye of the Goat Beans
Last week, I was fortunate enough to be Freshly Pressed. It was an unexpected honor and I am thankful for the exposure. I am thrilled about new readers and grateful to my faithful followers who have been with me since the beginning. I appreciate the comments and the feedback and hope you will continue reading. I’m excited about upcoming changes to The Flaming Pot Holder – launching a Facebook page, changing the layout of the blog, categorizing recipes, improving my photos, etc. Ok, enough happy gushing, time for a recipe…
We first tried eye of the goat beans (a.k.a. goat eye beans) last year and loved them. We buy Gourmet Valley’s Eye of the Goat Beans. I really like this brand of heirloom beans. They have a nice variety of interesting beans – Scarlet Runner Beans, Christmas Lima Beans, Red Calypso Beans, Green Flageolet Beans, etc. One day, we hope to grow some of these varieties.
Gourmet Valley
Eye of the Goat Beans
Eye of the goat beans are similar in texture to black-eyed peas and pinto beans. They have a rich, firm texture that can hold up to long, slow cooking times. And they do look a lot like goat eyes. I know this personally, because we had two pet pygmy goats when I was growing up (even though we lived on Monte Sano in the city limits of Huntsville). Goats were frowned upon, so Mom told folks they were funny looking dogs with a weird bark :). They had beautiful eyes, similar looking to these beans.
There is a recipe on the package for drunken beans that sounds delicious, but it has beer and mushrooms. I’m avoiding gluten and “fungusy” foods so I decided to create my own version with produce from our garden. I added some fresh diced tomatoes and a little tomato paste. This made a rich broth, but it was also a tad sweet. Something to think about when you are making the beans. This “recipe” is just a guide; please adjust it to your taste. We like spicy food, so I added several hot peppers, feel free to leave them out if you don’t want it spicy. I used a crock pot, but a large heavy covered pot or Dutch oven would also work great.
I served the beans with basmati rice, made with a new technique courtesy of Peri’s Spice Ladle. She recently posted her Step-by-Step Guide to Cooking Perfect Basmati Rice and I had to try it. I was intrigued since I had never used a microwave to cook rice. It worked very well! I added some saffron and it was a perfect accompaniment to the beans. I’ve been struggling with Thai sticky rice with mango, I wonder if this technique would work in lieu of a rice steamer or cooker?!? Hmm, I’m thinking a future post. Hope you can find these beans (I have bought them at Whole Foods and Earth Fare) and you will give the recipe a try…
Eye of the Goat Beans
and Basmati Rice
Eye of the Goat Beans (Print recipe)
12 ounces eye of the goat beans
Water
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your choice)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup bell peppers, chopped (I used two small yellow and green peppers)
½ cup celery, chopped (including some leaves)
5 hot peppers, chopped (or to taste)
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, will add sweetness)
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper (black, cayenne, or Aleppo)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Garnish: Basmati rice, chopped fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro), and hot pepper (Aleppo or hot pepper flakes)
Pick through the beans to make sure there are no pebbles. Rinse the beans, drain them, and put in a crock pot. Cover with about two inches of water. Soak overnight. Drain. Pick through the beans again (just to make sure there are no bad ones you missed the first time). Cover with fresh water. Cook for 2 hours on medium or high. The temperature depends on how powerful your crock pot is; ours is old so I put it on high.
While the beans are cooking, wash and chop your veggies. Then, in a large frying pan, sauté the vegetables in the olive oil. Cook until the veggies are slightly tender. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add this mixture to the beans in the crock pot. Cover. Cook for about 2-3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Check periodically for doneness. You can turn it to low when the beans are almost tender. Serving suggestion: serve with Basmati rice, fresh herbs, and an extra sprinkle of hot pepper.
Coming soon: what to make with leftover eye of the goat beans…
Berry Mojito Sorbet
Here’s another recipe using the mint simple syrup recipe from a few weeks ago. Having simple syrup already in the refrigerator makes a quick sorbet since it saves a step. Also, there is no need for extra time to cool the hot syrup.
For this sorbet, I used a combo of frozen blackberries and blueberries because we had leftovers from last summer. Fresh berries would also be great in this recipe.
Berry variations: You could use all blueberries or all blackberries. Just adjust the quantities. If you use only blueberries, use 4 cups. If you use a mixture of berries, use 2 cups blackberries and 2⅔ cups blueberries. If you use all blackberries, which I’ve never tried, use about 6 cups. The reason is that when you strain the puréed mixture, you will lose some purée the seeds are removed. The blackberries I used were very “seedy” so I had to supplement with some extra blueberries. You want to end up with just under 4 cups of puréed fruit.
I decided to make this Berry Mint Mojito Sorbet to take to our friends’ house last night. I’ve only made it one other time. Nothing like cooking experiments among friends! Marshall and Melanie recently built a brick pizza oven in their backyard and they invited us over to celebrate our recent job news with a pizza dinner. Matt received a promotion at work and I love my new part-time editing job. Woo hoo, job-wise it was a good week at the Smith-Jordan house.
Back to the pizza and dessert…we all provided different toppings and made our own pizzas (most of the toppings came from our gardens!). I knew we would eat a lot, so I wanted to make a light dessert. However, I had no idea we’d eat that much. Oh my goodness, the pizzas were incredible! Aside from the pizza in Italy on our honeymoon, these were the best pizzas I have tasted. They were so worth the gluten splurge. By the end of the pizza fest (or pizza feast), I was glad we had a light and refreshing frozen dessert. Melanie had sliced fresh peaches with honey and citrus, a perfect accompaniment to the sorbet. Fresh berries and mint leaves are also nice additions. Hope you enjoy this refreshing summer dessert:
Berry Mojito Sorbet
2 cups blackberries
2⅔ cups blueberries
¾ cup mint simple syrup
2 tablespoons lime juice (I only had lemon juice, but it worked)
1-2 tablespoons rum (optional, but the alcohol helps the texture)
Pinch of salt
Optional garnish: berries, sliced peaches, and sprigs of mint.
Serves: 8-10
Heat half of the berries in a saucepan on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. You want to heat them until some of the berries pop. Remove from heat and add the other berries. Purée them in a blender or in a food processor until almost smooth. Strain the berries using cheesecloth, a sieve, or a chinois conical strainer to remove excess seeds. I strain the mixture directly into my large quart Pyrex measuring cup because it has a spout and this makes it easy to pour the base into the ice cream freezer. [Plus, this container fits perfectly in an ice bath (to speed up the chilling time). You can skip the ice bath step, just make the base and let it chill for several hours or overnight. You want the base as cool as possible before you churn it.]
Add the simple syrup, lime juice, rum, and salt to the strained berry purée. Taste and adjust as needed. Depending on the sweetness of the berries, you might want to add more simple syrup or more lime juice if they are very sweet. Place the Pyrex container in an ice bath for a quick chill. Then chill the mixture in the refrigerator for a few hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Let ripen (firm up) in the freezer before serving. Serve with berries, peaches, and sprigs of mint if you want.
Spring Salad
We are novice organic gardeners. We buy organic seeds and plants when we can and we don’t use pesticides. Instead, we use cayenne pepper, Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap, garlic, and diatomaceous earth. We also plant marigolds, mint, onions, and nasturtiums for bug control. We still have more bugs than we’d care to have, but the birds don’t seem to mind. There are lots of baby birds at the Smith-Jordan house and we’re enjoying bird watching. This photo includes our blue jay, chickadee, and woodpecker babies. The baby titmouse and cardinal are too elusive to capture on film.
We’ve been in our house for 2½ years. Since it was a new home, with a cleared lot, we have lots of sunshine and a blank canvas. We are slowly transforming the back yard into an edible landscape. So far, we have five raised vegetable beds (yay Matt!), one herb bed, one sweet potato straw “cage” (my summer experiment), two fig trees, and two containers of tomatoes. We are currently transitioning from our spring garden to our summer garden. We still have sugar snap peas, several varieties of lettuce, radishes, and purple mustard greens. The carrots are coming in slowly. Soon, we’ll harvest tomatoes, peppers, onions, leeks, cucumbers, and patty pan squashes. We’ll have to wait until the end of summer for the sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
We are enjoying lots of fresh salads. This week, we went to a birthday party for a friend. We brought a spring salad with a strawberry habanero balsamic vinaigrette. It was tasty with an interesting combination of flavors – sweet, bitter, and spicy. We picked the carrots, radishes, peas, and greens from our garden and bought the strawberries at the Madison Farmer’s Market. It doesn’t get much fresher than that!
The strawberry balsamic vinaigrette recipe is originally from Rachael Ray (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/green-salad-with-strawberry-balsamic-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html). I used the strawberry jam and strawberry habanero jam I made a few weeks ago in the dressing. I also made a few more changes to the original recipe to suit our tastes. This recipe is scalable, you can make it for two or twelve people, just adjust the quantities in the original recipe which serves 6-8. Be flexible with the fruit and vegetables that you add to the greens, use whatever you like, that is in season. Hope you enjoy experimenting with different flavor combinations…
Spring Salad
2 tablespoons strawberry habanero jam*
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) balsamic vinegar
½ cup oil**
2 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 cups mixed greens
½ cup pea pods, strings removed
½ cup carrots, sliced thinly
½ cup radishes, sliced thinly
1 cup strawberries, sliced thinly
Place jam in a measuring cup or in a small bowl. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar. Then add the oil and water. Whisk until you get a nice thick dressing (you might need to add a bit more water if it is too thick). Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the greens and veggies in a large salad bowl. Toss. Add the strawberries at the end to prevent them from breaking into pieces. Serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
Notes and Variations:
*Jam: If you only have strawberry jam, that is fine. The habanero just adds a little extra kick. Raspberry preserves, orange marmalade, or blueberry jam would also work.
**Oil: You can use extra virgin olive oil or a combination of olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. Whatever you prefer is fine.
Possible variations: Add toasted pecans, slivered almonds, walnuts, dried cherries, or dried cranberries (especially if fresh strawberries are not in season).
1 Can of Coconut Milk = 2 Recipes
I love coconut milk, but don’t have many recipes that use an entire large can. Most recipes use a cup or less. The large cans of coconut milk have almost two cups. When I find the tiny cans of coconut milk, I stock up. But I don’t find them very often. So, what to do with the leftover coconut milk? Many possibilities: Thai coconut soup, smoothies, sorbet, rice pudding, coconut oatmeal, pina coladas, etc. But, I thought it might be nice to have two recipes that go well together which use one entire can of coconut milk. So, I give you Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash and Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice. Coincidentally, each recipe also uses half an onion!
Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash
I originally found this recipe on an interesting paleolithic diet website: (http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-coconut-curry-spaghetti-squash-a-delicate-vegan-side/)
I don’t eat paleo so I took a few liberties with the recipe. Ok, I took a lot of liberties with the recipe. Wasn’t really in the mood for green curry or cilantro so I used red curry and hot pepper flakes. Also, added some orange peppers because it sounded like a good idea. I was craving sunny orange and yellow food. This certainly fit the bill!
This is a nice, light vegan side dish that is great served with Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice.
Curried Coconut Spaghetti Squash
1 medium spaghetti squash
6 ounces coconut water or plain water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ a medium-large onion, chopped (or 2 large shallots)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red curry paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon honey (or agave)
½ cup coconut milk
¼ cup cashew pieces (raw or toasted)
You can bake spaghetti squash in the oven at 350º F for 45 minute to an hour. However, it is mid-March and we are experiencing record temps in the mid to upper 80s here in North Alabama. Do not want to turn on the AC yet so I used the microwave to avoid heating the house.
Some people bake or microwave spaghetti squash whole, but I prefer to cut them. Wash the outside of the squash. Dry it thoroughly. The rind is tough so it can be a little tricky to cut, so use care when cutting it. Wrap it in a towel, place it on a cutting board and use a large knife to slice it lengthwise from stem to end. Then use a spoon or a sturdy ice cream scoop to scoop out the seeds and the stringy stuff. This is similar to how you clean a butternut squash or a pumpkin.
Place the two halves cut side up in a microwave safe container (I use a Pyrex pie plate). Fill the cavities with either coconut water or regular water. Pour a little extra water in the bottom of the container. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Rotate the squash halves and pour a little more of the liquid over the cut edges – this keeps them from drying out. Microwave another 5 minutes. Let them rest for about 5 more minutes. Then, use a fork to shred the squash so that it looks like strands of spaghetti.
In a large sauce pan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the spices, salt, and the bell peppers. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in the honey and coconut milk. Turn the heat to low, add the spaghetti squash and the cashew piece. Mix and serve immediately
Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice
Pigeon peas are one of my favorite legumes. They are also known as tropical green peas or gandules (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_pea). You can buy them canned or dried in most major grocery stores or international markets. In Huntsville you can get them at Publix, Garden Cove, Kroger, and Earth Fare. If you use dried, just soak them for a few hours, rinse, boil for until tender, and then drain. If you use canned peas, drain them for this recipe.
I have a friend and former neighbor, from Puerto Rico, and his specialty was pigeon peas and rice. It was one of my favorite meals and I looked forward to the days when Hector cooked. Over the years, I’ve tried to replicate Hector’s recipe, but nothing can top the original. Therefore, I decided to create my own version of Pigeon Peas and Rice. This is a vegan, curried version with coconut. It’s totally different, but I still like it. Hope you do too.
Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ a medium-large onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1½ teaspoons salt (or less if you want to keep the sodium low)
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups rice, rinsed (basmati, jasmine, or brown long-grain rice)
¼ cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup coconut milk
2¼ cups water
2 cups cooked pigeon peas
Heat olive oil and coconut oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, turmeric, curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and tender, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and coconut. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Then, gently stir in the pigeon peas. Cover the pot. Turn the temperature to low. Leave it alone for 20 minutes (no peeking!). Remove from heat and let the rice sit for another 5 minutes. Fluff/stir the rice and peas. Serve.
Date Nut Bars
I have been sick for the past week, so I’m a little slow with posting. Haven’t really felt much like cooking or eating either. However, now I’m taking medicine that must be taken on a full stomach. I’m not a huge fan of eating in the morning. I love breakfast foods, but there is something about eating them early in the morning that is unappealing. I get this honestly from my mom. Having these tasty date nut bars around should make it easier to eat in the morning so I can take my medicine.
This is another adaptable recipe. You can make them wheat-free or vegan. If you don’t like walnuts, use pecans or another nut. Not a fan of pumpkin seeds, then just use sunflower seeds. Want real butter or coconut oil instead of canola oil, go for it. If you want them for dessert or a snack bar, feel free to add a few chocolate, carob, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips. Don’t want to grind flax seeds? You can use sesame seeds or whole flax seeds. You can add other spices – ginger, cloves, or cardamom. If you love vanilla, you can add that too. Ok, I’ll stop now; you get the point.
I included substitutions in parentheses for most of the ingredients. Don’t let that limit you though. This is a fun, easy recipe, so play around with it…
Date Nut Bars
Dry ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats, not instant or quick
¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (or regular flour)
¼ cup maple sugar crystals (or date sugar or brown sugar is fine)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie or apple pie spice blend)
pinch of salt
¼ cup ground flax seeds (or whole flax seeds or sesame seeds)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds or pecans or hazelnuts or cashews)
½ cup dried raisins (or cranberries or cherries)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut (or shredded sweetened coconut or coconut chips)
Wet ingredients:
½ cup dried dates (or dried apricots or dried figs)
⅓ cup canola oil (or butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil)
¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter or cashew butter)
¼ cup maple syrup (or honey or agave or golden syrup or molasses)
3 tablespoons hot water
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Combine the dates, oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and hot water in a food processor. Process until it is a thick paste. Pour this date mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Press into a parchment or foil lined 9”x13” pan (I sometimes use a rolling-pin to make sure it is pressed down firmly). Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Carefully lift the parchment or foil to remove the bars from the pan. Cool on racks. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking with Food Sensitivities
The next few posts will likely deal with my battle against food allergies. However, I have been told by some doctors that I do not technically have food allergies, they are merely food sensitivities. Either way, they are not pleasant. This is a long post, apologies in advance.
My fight against food sensitivities started about 10 years ago. I found myself weighing over 200 pounds. I’m not a tall person, right at 5’5” if I really stretch. I was heavy, unhealthy, and unhappy. I tried dieting and exercising, but only lost one pound in four weeks. I had other health issues (hives, itching rashes, etc.) and suspected I might have food allergies. I went to my family doc and was referred to an allergist. Long story short…it was discovered that I was allergic to several molds, grasses, trees, pollen, pet dander, and dust. However, I only had mild food allergies to fish, peanuts, wheat. and oranges.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical professional; please do not take anything I write as medical advice. This is simply my experience with food allergies/sensitivities, a book recommendation, and a recipe. Please talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. Thank you and now back to the blog post…
After eliminating fish, peanuts, and oranges from my diet, I was still having reactions – rashes, stomach issues, joint pain, hives, itching, sinus issues, and no weight loss. A friend, who is also a physician assistant, suggested I read The False Fat Diet by Dr. Elson Haas. This book changed my life!! Haas mentions that people are often sensitive to seven common foods: 1) wheat, 2) cow’s milk products, 3) sugar, 4) corn, 5) eggs, 6) soy, and 7) peanuts. Other common food allergens include: chocolate, tomatoes, oranges, shellfish, yeast, oats, potatoes, MSG, and aspartame.
To determine food sensitivities, you can try an elimination diet, have a blood test, or have a skin test. I tried the skin test and didn’t have success with it. I tried the elimination diet but could not pinpoint my food sensitivities, so I tried the blood test. A few weeks later, I got the results in the mail. The lab results were not good: I was highly sensitive to six of the seven foods! I was also sensitive to several other foods, including one of my favorites – tomatoes!
I decided to change my life, eliminate those foods, and improve my health. I eliminated all the troublesome foods and a few others – wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, oranges, yeast, tomatoes, buckwheat, hazelnuts, MSG, aspartame, alcohol, and food colorings. Did I mention that I was a vegetarian at the time? Well, I was. But I added a little fish, poultry, and pork to my diet so I would have more variety. I also followed a rotation diet. I would eat a given food as much as I wanted in a 24-hour period and then not eat it again for several days. This can be tough, not many people like salads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It took some getting used to, but I did it. It also took lots of meal planning; I even had charts and spreadsheets. Did I mention I’m a bit of a nerd?
Before, During, and After Photos:
I followed this diet for about 8 months and increased my exercise. During this time, I lost over 75 pounds and got down to 125 pounds. That was probably a bit too skinny for me; I didn’t feel as healthy at 125 as I did at 130 or even 135 pounds. For the most part, I kept the weight off for many years. I would fluctuate between 128-138 pounds. I generally just avoided my reactive foods (particularly eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, and corn). My healthy lifestyle fell apart when I took a job that included travel and long work hours. I got lazy with meal planning, was less active, and put on weight.
Fast forward a few years to the present. I’ve had some different health issues, not been as active as I could, and my weight is up to its highest in several years. In January, I was at 160 pounds. So I joined a Scale Back Alabama weight-loss team with three friends. The goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. I would like to lose more. So far, in the first month, I’ve lost 7 pounds. I gave up wheat last week and I think that will help the weight loss. Doubt I will go totally allergy free, but I will go back to limiting my reactive foods, and become more active (my broken toe and torn up knee are not 100% but I can still walk, swim, do yoga, and go to the gym). No more excuses! The Flaming Pot Holder will likely show the diet changes. But then again, I might also post one of my favorite recipes (chock-full of allergens), because I’ve learned that occasional splurges are ok.
Oven-baked sweet potato chips are one of my favorite snacks. They are delicious, allergy free, and cover many of my snack requirements – crispy, slightly chewy, salty, and sweet. Hope you like them…
Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Chips
2 medium sweet potatoes
1-2 tablespoons oil (canola, olive, coconut, sunflower, or vegetable oil)
Kosher salt or flake salt (I like coarse salt in this recipe, but regular salt is fine too)
Preheat oven to 400º degrees F. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. I keep the peel because it’s one of my favorite parts, but feel free to peel them if you prefer. Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds (I use a slicer, but a knife works fine too, just keep the slices uniform).
Toss the sweet potato slices in a bowl with some oil. Arrange slices in a single layer on a greased baking/cooling rack, placed on top of a cookie sheet (so it catches any drips). If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just arrange the sweet potato slices on a cookie sheet (place it in the oven while it is preheating so it is hot, then you can get a bit more crispness out of the chips). Just be careful so you don’t burn yourself, I’ve done that way too many times.
Sprinkle the sweet potato slices with salt (optional, you can also make them salt-free). Place in the oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, sprinkle with more salt (if you want). Cook until crispy, about 7 more minutes. Depending on your oven temperature, the thickness of the slices, etc. it might take baking up to 10 minutes per side. These chips can burn quickly, it is a good to keep an eye on they while they are cooking. It took me a few batches to keep from burning them (though it still happens occasionally).
The Flaming Pot Holder 