New Years Beans

It's considered good luck to eat black eyed peas on New Years Day, it's thought to bring prosperity. Cooked greens are supposed to as well. Maybe by saving you a bundle on your grocery bill?

Since both are traditional, and go great together, I serve cooked greens with these black eyed peas over rice on New Years Days. I like to round it out even farther with warm spiced apple sauce and cornbread.

1 can black eyed peas, undrained
4 strips bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. Penzys ham soup base
Dash Black pepper

Saute bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan. Add the onion and saute in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Add the beans with their liquid, water, and ham flavoring.

Simmer 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Check and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or pepper is needed. Serve with the crumbled bacon on top.

Soup in a Jar

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why on earth we'd post a gift jar the week after Christmas, when you've surely finished making the rounds with holiday goodies and don't need any clever ideas until next year.

But if I had posted this two weeks ago, all of it's intended recipients would have seen it and ruined the surprise. Just look at it this way - you have a very early start on next year.

Unlike most dehydrated soup mixes, this doesn't come out powdery, gummy, or mushy. It was inspired by this 101 Cookbooks recipe, which is mostly composed of dried ingredients in the first place. I substituted dried shallots for the fresh, and they're really very good - none of the metallic taste or harsh flavor you often get from onion or garlic powder. Penzey's toasted onion flakes might be an interesting substitute also.

Ingredients Needed:

1 1/3 c. dried red lentils, divided

1/2 c. dry brown rice

7 tsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon, powdered (salt-free is acceptable)

4 Tbsp. dried shallots

pinch crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 pint-sized mason jar, with lid and ring

Pour a mounded 1/3 c. red lentils into the bottom of the jar. Layer with the brown rice and another mounded 1/3 c. of lentils, being careful to pour them in gently so that they don't displace the previous layer and mix together.

Mix the bouillon, shallots, red pepper, and paprika in a small bowl and then add as the fourth layer. Take a soup spoon or small spatula and gently but very firmly pack the seasoning mix down very tightly against the bottom layers. This will not only pack the seasoning mix down but will also pack down the layers underneath it and help keep them from shifting.

When the seasoning mix is packed tightly, add the remaining lentils (slightly more than 1/3 c). Add a few more if the jar is not completely full, so that it is packed full and won't shift easily. Top with lid and ring.

I like to print instructions and then cut them in a circle to place in the lid. They should read as follows:

Red Lentil and

Brown Rice Soup

Place in a medium sized soup pot.

Add 7 c. water.

Simmer until rice is very tender.

(about 45-60 minutes)

I shipped one of these across the United States. Lying on it's side the layers shifted a tad, so that they were slight slanted, but they did not mix together. If I were to do it again, I'd try to ship it upright. They can deal with being tilted quite a bit, but I guess lying on it's side all the way across the Rockies was just a bit too much!

Another Enchilada Recipe

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 tsp. rotisserie chicken seasoning

1 tsp. taco seasoning

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can white beans, drained

12 oz. cheese, grated

1 (4 oz) can green chilies

1 large can red enchilada sauce

1 c. prepared spanish rice*

12 tortillas

Combine the rotisserie chicken and the taco seasoning. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning and cook in a little oil until no longer pink OR roast in the oven or crock pot until cooked. Shred and put in a bowl.

In the chicken bowl add the two cans of beans, 8 ounces of the cheese, chilies, Spanish rice and just enough enchilada sauce to moisten.

Divide the filling between the tortillas, roll and place seam side down in a casserole dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

*For spanish rice you can use a commercial mix or make your own. For mine I saute a little onion, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil until tender. Then add 1 c. water, 1 beef bouillon cube, a dash of oregano, and 4 oz. tomato sauce and bring to a boil. When boiling I add 2/3 c. rice and simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed. Makes a little more than a cup

Skillet Stroganoff

I while ago I posted a Stroganoff recipe that was for just the sauce. This is easier and the flavor of it is more like the stroganoff I ate growing up.


1 onion
olive oil
1 can black beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 lb pasta
3 c. beef broth
1/2 - 1 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp catchup
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. browning
black pepper
1/2 tsp. McCormick Broiled Steak Seasoning + more to taste

Saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add the beans, soup, pasta, broth, catchup, Worcestershire, browning and steak seasoning. If the broth doesn't cover the pasta add water to cover. Cover and simmer until the pasta is al dente.

When the pasta is cooked remove from the heat and check for seasonings adding more steak seasoning or salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream and return cover to the top of the skillet for about 5 minutes to heat through.

Lentil Bouchees Pauillacaise with Walnut Cream Sauce

Potatoes
2 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
Dash freshly ground nutmeg
4 eggs,
1 c. breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for deep frying

Lentil Filling
1/2 c. brown lentils

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 shallot, minced fine
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c beef broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Boil potatoes until soft enough to mash.

Meanwhile melt butter or oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots and onion and saute
over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring. Add the lentils, beef broth and marjoram, and simmer until the lentils are super tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mash the potatoes. Add the butter and milk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat the pureed potatoes well over low heat, 3-5 minutes until they are very dry and thick. Add 2 beaten eggs. Beat again. Your mix should be very thick. Remove from the heat and cool.

Make balls the size of an egg with the potato puree. Flatten the potato mixture and top with a about a half of a tsp of the lentil mixture and pull the potato up around the lentil mixture to close the filling on the inside.

Heat oil to 365 F. Dip the potato balls in remaining beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Fry in the hot oil, in batches, until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on towels. Serve with walnut cream sauce

Walnut Cream Sauce

1 1/2 c. walnuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp presh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk,
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash nutmeg
Grind walnuts, garlic, parsley, marjoram, and olive oil together. Heat over medium heat. Slowly stir in ricotta, then milk. Add the cayenne and nutmeg.

Bell Pepper Soup

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 c. chopped cabbage
1 can white beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can tomatoes, undrained
1 can roasted bell peppers, drained and pureed
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 c. water
2 knorr Vegetable bouillon cube
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 - 2 c. leftover cooked grains, I used barley, brown rice would be good too
Black pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until tender. Add the cabbage and cook one minute.

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Taste and add more salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

Mexi Confetti Bake

1 c. cooked white rice
1 c. cooked brown rice
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped (optional)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can mexi corn, drained
1/2 c. salsa verde
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 c. grated cheese

Combine the cilantro and the salsa verde in a blender and puree until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients and cilantro mix. Pour into a casserole dish and bake, covered, at 400 until heat through, about 20 minutes.