Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo Soup

Beth made this for us when we visted her recently. I tried okra once about 30 years ago and was not impressed with the flavour. But this recipe is delicious. I made the roux, but the soup would be tasty without it. The recipe is adapted from this one on allrecipes.com. Diced ham can be added if desired and it is tasty with a side of hot cornbread.

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped okra
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups water
2 cups chopped tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper chopped (use seeds if you want more heat)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas

1. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, and whisk in flour. Whisking constantly, cook 5 to 7 minutes, until a golden brown roux has formed.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in okra, onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 10 minutes, or until tender.
3. Thoroughly blend roux into the vegetable mixture. Stir in water, tomatoes, parsley, salt, thyme, cayenne pepper, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in black-eyed peas, and continue cooking until heated through.

Alternate method to decrease amount of oil: Cook vegetables in 2 tbsp of oil until softened. Add 1/4 c flour, stir in well and slowly add 4 cups water or stock. Bring to boil and stir until thickened. Add tomatoes and beans. Adjust seasoning. 

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

If anyone wants to know my favourite kind of dessert, look no further than this. I love cheesy, dense treats with fruit, nuts, pumpkin, carrot, etc. (carrot cake and cheesecake also fall in this category). My daughter bought a pumpkin roll at a local farm store and I immediately searched the internet for a recipe. I reduced the sugar in this version and did not add maple icing on the top. It is still perfect and is fast and easy to make.

Preheat oven to 375F
Grease a 15"x10" jelly roll pan, line with wax paper and then grease and flour the wax paper.
Sprinkle a clean tea towel with 1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar).

In a small bowl combine:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

In a medium bowl beat until thick (I used hand beaters):
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Add dry ingredients to egg and sugar mixture and combine well. Pour batter evenly on prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes until sponge is set. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven. Turn cake upside down on prepared towel and remove wax paper. Roll the cake and towel up into a firm roll starting with the short side of the cake. Put on a rack and let it cool. (It cools fairly quickly)

In the meantime, prepare the filling with:
8 oz (250 g) of regular cream cheese (light cream cheese tends to be too runny)
1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Beat until smooth. You can add 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or pralines if you want. When cake is cool, unroll it and spread filling evenly over the entire surface. Re-roll the cake without the towel, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Slice and serve.

You can sprinkle it with icing sugar before serving or add glaze/icing with chopped nuts on the top for a richer dessert.

This recipe freezes well.

Cooked Salad Dressing

I use this for tuna, salmon and potato salad. It can be mixed half and half with store bought dressings like Miracle Whip as well.

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1-1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients in a microwave safe bowl

Add to dry ingredients:

1 egg and blend to a smooth paste

Add 1 cup milk and stir until smooth

Gradually add 1/4 cup of vinegar

Cook for about 3 minutes in microwave (I use 50% power) and stir it every 30-60 seconds.
Cook until thickened. Add 2 tbsp of butter if desired. (I usually don't add butter)

Variations:

For fruit salads, add sugar or honey to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. Fold in an equal amount of whipped cream.

For a mayonnaise-like dressing, drizzle 1/2 cup oil in cold basic dressing and whirl in blender at high speed.

Vegan Muffins

This was my first attempt at vegan muffins and I modified Grandma's Graham Gems recipe as it is virtually impossible to ruin. When I asked my daughter what she thought of them she said with some surprise, "They taste like muffins!" And they were delicious!

Egg replacer for one egg:

Mix 2 tbsp chia seeds in 1/2 cup of water and let it sit a few minutes until the mixture thickens.

In the meantime combine:

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats*
1/2 cup ground flax seeds*
1/4 cup raw organic sugar or sweetener of choice
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-1/2 cups soymilk or almond milk
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup oil
egg replacer for 1 egg

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Add 1 cup of fruit. I used a mixture of fresh raspberries and blueberries. Spoon into prepared muffin cups

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until muffin tops are firm.

Makes 14-16 muffins.

*Use any combination of flour/grains to equal 1-1/2 cups

Grandma's Graham Gems

These muffins were a staple when we were growing up and we ate them with fruit for dessert most week nights. Mom also packed them in our school lunches. In the 1950s and 60s, whole wheat flour was not readily available in grocery stores, but graham flour could be purchased in small bags.
Here is the history of graham flour from wisegeek.com.

"Graham flour is a coarsely ground type of wheat flour that is unbleached, and less processed than whole-wheat flour. The production of graham flour starts by finely grinding the kernel or endosperm of winter wheat. The other parts of the wheat, germ and bran are also ground and added back to the endosperm grind, resulting in brown colored flour that many think is nicely sweet.
Graham flour is named after Sylvester Graham, one of the pioneers, or really frontiersman of the health food movement. He invented the flour in 1829 and used it in many recipes featured at his chain of “health" hotels. In addition to advocating for the use of less refined wheat flour, Graham founded the American Vegetarian Society in 1850, though he had less than welcome receptions from large food manufacturers and butchers of the time. He discovered, as many dietitians can attest to now, that it is usually healthier to eat whole grains than it is to eat overly processed food that contains a lot of chemicals."

This recipe is very adaptable and whole wheat flour and bran can be used instead of graham flour. Dried fruit is also a nice addition and cinnamon or other spices also work well with the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare 16-18 muffin cups.

1-1/2 cups flour (or whole wheat flour)
1-1/2 cups graham flour (or wheat bran)
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a large measuring cup or bowl mix;-

1-1/2 cups buttermilk (or soured milk)
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients mixing until just moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until tops are firm to light touch.

Makes 18 medium muffins.

Tostadas

During my recent visit to Mexico I enjoyed tostadas with various toppings. My sister-in-law served a hot chicken stew, a crab salad, a wonderful concoction with poblano peppers, mushrooms, tomato and cream, as well as refried beans with cheese on baked tostadas at my brother's birthday party.


I watched a group of young soccer players devour close to 50 tostadas topped with tuna salad while watching the World Cup. The Milpa Real tostadas are the fried version my daughter bought and they were addictively delicious. I haven't found anything as good yet in Canada.


The tostada in the first picture is topped with a salad of lentils, finely chopped apples, carrots, onions, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and sweet peppers mixed with fresh lime juice.

Or layer refried beans and ground round adding toppings of cilantro, tomato, salsa, sour cream, shredded cabbage or lettuce and grated cheese

The possibilities are endless...

Here is a link to more information on tostadas from Simply Recipes.

Bean Pie

This dessert pie takes the prize for economy and nutrition. Beans are used in desserts many parts of the world. I found some recipes for very rich versions of bean pie, much like pecan pies, which are popular in southern United States. This recipe is similar in taste and texture to pumpkin pie and can be served with whipped cream.

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie shell (9 inch)

In a blender combine:

• 2 cups cooked beans, preferably light, smooth beans such as peruano beans (or white kidney, navy or pinto beans)
• 1 cup milk of your choice (I used unsweetened soy milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger
• add 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and cloves if you like them
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt if you have not used canned or salted beans
• 3/4 cup brown sugar or sweetener of your choice

Blend together and pour into prepared pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F and then reduce heat to 350F and bake until set, about 25-30 minutes.

Layered Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it with a few modifications. It was fast and easy to make and is a good way to use up stale corn tortillas. I did not have any enchilada sauce and could find none at the grocery store. My daughter is going to teach me how to make an authentic version and I will post the directions after we try it out. I made a sauce from 1 cup of hot salsa, 1-6 oz tin of tomato paste and 6 oz of water which was combined in the blender.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups diced zucchini (I used 2 medium zucchini)
  
• 1 cup chopped onion (or substitute some chopped fresh mushrooms)
  
• 2 cups packed coarsely shredded fresh spinach (I used an 8 oz package)
  
• 1 cup whole kernel corn or 1 diced sweet pepper
  
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Add zucchini and onion(mushrooms and peppers if using) and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Add spinach and corn. Cook and stir until spinach wilts.
3. Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Place 6 tortillas, overlapping as needed to cover bottom of dish. Spread with half of remaining enchilada sauce. Top with half the vegetable mixture and half the cheese. Top with remaining tortillas and enchilada sauce and vegetables.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into 6 squares and garnish with cilantro.

Lentil Sprout Salad

I used to sprout mung bean seeds in jars but they are so inexpensive and easily available in the grocery store that it was not worth the effort to do them myself. A few years ago I tried sprouting green lentils and they have become one of my favourite vegetables. I use a large jar (Costco sized jar that had artichoke hearts in it) and soak 1/3 cup of green lentils overnight in cold water. I rinse and drain them using a piece of cheesecloth over the opening of the jar. They need to be rinsed with fresh water twice a day, and in 3-4 days the sprouts are ready to eat. (You can grow them as big as you want.) They can be stir fried or eaten raw. I saw a recipe for curried lentil sprout salad on Veganlicious and modified it as follows.

2 cups lentil sprouts (from 1/3 cup seeds)
2 cups grated carrot
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of one large lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
a handful of raisins
a handful of walnuts
chopped cilantro

Mix ingredients together and serve. I like it best if it sits for a few hours.

Vegan BBQ

It is a beautiful but unseasonably warm day today, perfect for sitting outdoors on the deck in the late afternoon and evening while cooking supper on the barbeque. I sliced onions, zucchini, and halved two large peppers. The portabella mushrooms and asparagus went on the grill whole. All the vegetables were brushed with a little olive oil and no other seasonings were added. I closed the lid intermittently with the burners on low and in about 20 minutes, dinner was ready. The mushrooms and asparagus cooked the fastest and were transferred to the top tray while the other vegetables cooked.


We put spicy black bean dip on thin whole grain buns (both President's Choice products) and piled on the vegetables.

Delicious! Who knew meatless would be this good?

Strawberry Shortcake Sliders

I saw these little shortcakes on Simply Recipes. The mini cakes above were made with our regular biscuit recipe instead of the richer ones featured in the first link (a 2 inch biscuit cutter was used). Cut the biscuits in half, add 1-2 strawberry slices and a dollop of cream. Store in the fridge. They may keep for a few hours depending on how many people are in the house. They do "slide down" very nicely!

Moong Dal

Our local grocery store has greatly expanded the "ethnic food" product line and there are many items I have never seen or used before. I went to get a bag of besan (chick pea flour) and saw an interesting package of split legumes called moong dal. They are split mung beans and are yellow in colour. I have only seen mung beans used for growing bean sprouts. I looked up a couple of recipes on the internet and made this modified dish which was very tasty and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups dried yellow split peas
• 5 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• chunk of fresh ginger root or grated ginger to taste
  
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or diced jalapeno peppers to taste
  
• 1/2 large fresh tomato, diced
  
• juice and grated rind of 1/2 lemon
  
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed (I ground mine with a mortar and pestle)
  
• 1/4 cup or more chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves chopped garlic (optional)
• 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
  

Soak beans in water for 30-60 minutes, rinse and cover with fresh water and salt and ginger chunk. Simmer until they are tender, about 30 minutes or longer if you want them softer. Watch that they do not stick and burn, adding more water if necessary. There should not be a lot of water left by the time the beans are done. Add the other ingredients and serve over rice. This recipe can be changed according to your tastes and what ingredients you have on hand. Like any spicy dish it tastes great the next day. Other vegetables can be added during cooking if desired such as carrots, peas, and onion.