Our Veggie Kitchen

We hosted a birthday and a Super Bowl party this weekend. I made three loaves of Semolina baguettes that were pretty tasty, but somehow one of the loaves tasted quite a bit better. I can't even begin to guess why that might be. I made a batch of cheese sauce and baco-bacon dip and the birthday girl kept bragging "that dip doesn't have bacon or cheese" I made red beans & rice and a batch of Cajun mushrooms with vegan andouille. Oodles of Southern themed food for twenty people screaming for a Saints Super Bowl. We weren't disappointed.

The hit of the party, though, was my Beeps & Greens.  I simmered black eyed peas (BEPs) with collard greens, tomatoes, carrots and the Cajun trilogy of onions, celery and bell pepper.  After a couple hours of simmering, it was creamy and comforting; a definite treat.



Beeps & Greens
1 lb dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
4 carrots, diced
1 bunch collard (or other) greens, trimmed and chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
10-12 cups water
1 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a stock pot.  Add the onions, bell pepper and celery and saute until soft.  Stir in the garlic and spices (except salt).  Stir for a minute, then add the black eyed peas, tomatoes, carrots and greens and water.  Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer until the black eyed peas are tender, an hour or two depending on the age of the beans.  Add more water as necessary.  Remove the bay leaves and season with salt.  Scoop out 2 cups of the soup, blend in a blender, then return to the pot.  Stir to combine and serve.

8 Servings:  280 cal (5g fat, 47g carbs, 16g protein)

I was scanning the internet for some good-luck black eyed pea ideas this new year. I came up with this dish, entitled Texas Caviar. I got the original recipe from a fellow Oregonian (see it here) and it's naturally vegan. Black Eyed Peas, tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilanto in a sweet & tangy sauce make for a delicious salsa. I wasn't sure about avocado and I added some the next day, which was even better.



Texas Caviar
2 15 oz cans Black Eyed Peas, drained & rinsed
1 can Hominy or corn, drained & rinsed
3 Tomatoes, diced
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded & diced fine
1 Green, red or yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
1 avocado, cubed

Sauce:
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tbs paprika

For the sauce, combine the vinegar and sugar and microwave until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and paprika. Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the avocado in a mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over and fold into the salsa. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, cube the avocado and stir into the salsa. Serve with chips or just east a bowl with a spoon.

8 Servings: 213 cal (8g fat, 32g fat, 7g carbs)

The weather had finally turned, here in Eugene. The sun was warm and there was no rain/hail/locusts. It was perfect weather to kick back on the deck and nurse a couple of beers. So that's what I did. I had made these wonderful black eyed pea burgers earlier in the day, so i pulled them from the fridge, slapped them on the barbeque with some potatoes and enjoyed my beer.



BBQ Black Eyed Pea Burgers
3 cups black eyed peas, 2 cans or 1/2 pound dried
1 onion, grated
1/2 small sweet potato, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1.2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup vital wheat gluten
oil for frying

Roughly mash the black eyed peas, so that there are just a few whole beans. Do not mash the beans to a paste. Add all other ingredients and need dough until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. If you've made burgers before, the dough will be wetter than is typical. You may cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Split into 8 evenly sized balls and flatten the balls into thin patties.

When you are ready to make the burgers, pour some vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet, put in the oven and set it to preheat to 425 degrees. When the oven is heated, put the patties on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

These are best cooled and reheated. By intention, they are soft coming out of the oven, but they won't dry out too much if you fry or BBQ them after they've been chilled.

To Finish,

Fry Option: Pour a little barbeque sauce in a fry pan and fry the patties over medium heat until warmed.

BBQ: Put the patties on the outer (cooler) edges of an outdoor, baste with BBQ sauce and turn a couple times. Cook until heated through.

Microwave: Microwave either chilled or frozen patties until cooked though. Feel free to add more bbq sauce at any point.

12 Servings: 143 cal (3g fat, 16g carbs, 13g protein)

Hoppin John is a Southern dish of simmered black eyed peas and rice. It is eaten on New Year's Day and is said to bring about good luck for the coming year. The beans are normally served over rice, but they're excellent without and I didn't want to wait another 30 minutes to eat. In other words, I forgot to put rice on the stove.



Hoppin John
1 lb dry black eyed peas, soaked overnight
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions, celery and green peppers until the onions are very soft. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Stir for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth, liquid smoke, salt and pepper. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer. After about 30 minutes, remove the cover, increase heat and cook until the beans reach the desired consistency and firmness. Add some water, a little at a time, if it becomes too thick.

To serve, ladle the beans over cooked rice.

8 Servings: 243 cal (4g fat, 39g carbs, 14g protein)