Cooking on an empty cupboard - Meals Made Easy #8 - Black-eyed Peas & Rice

Due to travel and such my cupboard has been sorely neglected, like my fridge has a couple beers and carrots in it, all dry goods in the cupboards and let's face it one cannot survive off of girl scout cookies and almonds (although I may try).

Inspiration: Needed to cook something delicious, easy and filling til I can make it to the store.

Food Obtained from: Seward Co-op

I made enough for 4-6 servings so cut your recipes accordingly

List of Ingredients:
1 c. dried black-eyed peas
1/2. c. red rice (can use any rice)
1 small yellow pepper
1 small white onion
2 garlic cloves
salt & pepper
pad of vegan butter
some olive oil

Preparation:
Chop onion, garlic and pepper.

In a large sauce pan full of cold water, add black-eyed peas, bring to a boil and simmer for roughly 45 minutes, or until tender. Strain (I like to rinse to cool down) and set aside.

In the meantime, in a smaller sauce pan boil water or broth (I used black-eyed pea water for some flavor as I made ahead of time) to a boil, add rice and simmer on very low for roughly 45 minutes or until tender.

In the saucepan used to make the beans, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat, add the onion and saute for 7 minutes until it begins to get tender, add garlic and pepper and saute for a few more minutes. Over low heat, add a bit of water (or leftover bean water), the black-eyed peas, rice, salt & pepper; stirring to mix it all together.

From there just eat it. It's good.
p.s. I was just thinking as I write this - add celery, that would enhance the flavor. Maybe some dried cranberries too. I love dried cranberries in stuff.

Meals Made Easy #7 – Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates, Salad, Creamy Garlic Mushrooms over Quinoa & Chocolate Delight - A four course lunch for three

Timing has never been my forte but wanting to become better and serving others I elected to make a simple, yet great coursed meal.

Inspiration: Cooking a special lunch for three. Wanted it to be delicious but not too time consuming since I was doing all the preparation myself and wanting to enjoy time with my guests.

All Food Obtained From: Seward Co-op & Surdyk’s Cheese Shop

While this meal is four courses I broke up the prep over two days and each course itself is not labor intensive, saving the creamy garlic sauce for last. Most everything else can be done ahead of time.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates

8 marjool dates

Blue cheese

Walnut halves

Cut dates in half, lengthwise. Remove seed. In each half, add blue cheese to taste place one walnut on top.

Mixed Green Salad

Mixed greens

2 small sweet peppers

1-2 large brussel sprouts

Handful of sugar snap peas

Queso fresco

Blueberry, cranberry vinaigrette - recipe here

Divide mixed greens on salad plates. Julianne the brussel sprout(s) and place over the greens. Cut the snap peas in half, and slice the peppers arranging on plate. Cube the quesco fresco and add over top. Dressing , salt & pepper to taste.

Creamy Garlic Mushrooms over Quinoa with Crusty Bread

3 full roasted garlic bulbs

1/2 c vegetable stock

1.5-2 lbs assorted mushrooms (I usually use crimini and shiitake) - sliced

1 tblsp olive oil

1 c. shallots or red onion, finely chopped

1/3 - 1/2 c white wine

1/4 c parmesan cheese

Fresh thyme or other herb

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 loaf of crusty bread

Quiona

Ahead of time, prepare the quinoa (can refrigerate for day or two).

One part quinoa to two parts stock (or water)

Any other seasonings normally used in rice

Many people recommend rinsing quiona but I do not find a disparaging taste difference. Bring stock to a boil, add quinoa and simmer on low for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Set aside.

Roasted Garlic

Roast the garlic. This can and should be done ahead of time. Simple recipe here.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce.

Add the garlic cloves to vegetable stock and puree in blender. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in large pan and over medium heat sauté shallots for 4-6 minutes until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and sauté for an additional 6-7 minutes, tossing several times and further seasoning with salt and pepper. Turn heat to high, add wine and sauté until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn heat to medium-low, add garlic sauce and simmer for a couple more minutes. Toss in parmesan and pour over quinoa stirring to mix all together. 

 While making sauce,  Cut crusty bread in half and in pieces without cutting all the way through to the bottom. But pads of butter between each slice, wrap crusty bread in tin foil and heat in preheated 350 degree oven.  Heat for about 15 minutes. 

Serve immediately. 

Chocolate Divine*

This can be made a day prior and stored in the refrigerator. 

4 small avocados

.5 c cocoa powder

.5 c agave (could substitute honey but may need more/less)

1 tblsp vanilla extract

Pinch or two of cinnamon

Combine the avocados (without shells and seed), cocoa powder, agave, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a blender or food processor. Combine roughly two minutes or until well mixed. It will have the consistency of a thick pudding/mousse.

Serves 4-6

 Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates

Mixed Green Salad

*Dessert recipe courtesy Native Foods, Chicago

Meals Made Easy - Blueberry, Cranberry Vinaigrette

Homemade dressing is very simple to make and tastes so much better than the store bought stuff. It takes minutes to make and the results are fantastic.

Start with a staple recipe and expand based on your tastes. My Blueberry, Cranberry vinaigrette is a variation from Betty Crocker's basic vinaigrette recipe. My version makes a purple-hued dressing, adding even more color to your salad.

1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 in ginger

1/4 teaspoon mustard or mustard seed (I use seeds)
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/8 teaspoon pepper(corns)
Few tblsp water

In a food processor combine all ingredients and blend until fully processed. Put in a airtight jar. Mixture can become thick so give it time to warm up and if dressing is too thick cut with small amounts of water.

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Not pictured: ginger

Meals Made Easy - Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is delicious and amazingly easy to make. You can prepare multiple bulbs at one time and save leftovers in the fridge

Preheat oven to 400. Take the bulb of garlic and cut of the top so the garlic cloves are exposed (I recommend saving the tops to use another time). Place on tin foil right side up and drizzle with olive oil. Completely wrap in tin foil and bake for 45-50 minutes until garlic is soft and slightly browned. Let cool fully and then remove the cloves.

Meals Made Easy - #6 - Scallops with Saffron & Mushroom Barley Risotto

Oh, risotto. You are so creamy and delicious. You can be a side or a main dish; you seem extravagant yet so easy to prepare (with just a smidge of time on your hands for stirring). Pair you with scallops and a gourmet meal you resemble, yet, truly, anyone can prepare you.

Inspiration: Craving for delicious yet simple; two random recipes I stumbled upon, working from the risotto and recalling the scallop recipe from memory.

All Food Obtained From: Seward Co-op with the exception of the saffron from The Spicehound in Cleveland

List of Ingredients:
Risotto
1.5 c. pearled barley
.5 large onion chopped
4 c. vegetable stock
saffron
crimini and shiitake mushrooms (volume to liking)
.33 to .5 c. dry white wine
kale (1 stalk)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Scallops
4 large Massachusetts scallops
small sliver of Earth blend butter
whole wheat flour
lemon juice

Prep: Ahead of time: chop onion and mushrooms (keep separate). Julianne the kale.

Risotto
In a deeper pan (you need room to add the broth and rice), add olive oil over medium heat add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add barley and stir for 2-3 minutes until glossy.

Add wine and stir until mostly absorbed, a few minutes. Add stock, one cup at a time, stirring almost constantly until each cup is absorbed. You can take mini breaks to do other things (like shake your shiitake pan or pour yourself more wine) but don't let the mixture sit. I add minimal salt and pepper at this step as I like it to set. I recommend also allowing people to add it to taste at the end.

As you are adding the stock and stirring take your shiitakes and add them to a small pan over medium heat, sauteing until crispy.

Once all the stock is added and absorbed, looking good, add the sauteed mushrooms, shredded Parmesan and julianned kale, mixing lightly to serve.

Scallops
Dredge in flour. Heat oil or vegan butter in very hot pan. Place scallops in pan, let sear for one minute, flip and sear the other side. Allow other sides to briefly color as desired.

Note: Scallops, like most seafood, are picky. Do NOT overcook.

Arrange on plate and serve with risotto.

Que magnifique!

all the ingredients for risotto

scallops ingredients - so easy! 

the final product - scallops with saffron & mushroom risotto

Meals Made Easy #5 - Avocado & Kale Salad

Avocado and Kale Salad


A very simple and supremely delicious salad that can be added to a meal or enjoyed as a stand alone.
Inspiration: My buddy, Claire

Food Obtained From: Seward Co-op

List of Ingredients:
4 stalks of kale
2/3 small avocado
1/4 c. red onion
small amount of lemon juice
salt and pepper

Prep: Remove kale from stalks and chop. Add to mixing bowl. Halve an avocado, remove pit and cut inside vertically and horizontally so it is cubed and add to bowl. Roll lemon on cutting board so it becomes softened (loosening the juice.pulp). Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Combine until well mixed (I have read that is 16 tosses of any salad). Add salt and pepper to taste.

This literally takes about 6 minutes to make and is amazingly delicious and healthy!

(instead of taking a photo I ate it promptly).