Barley Hoppin' John

Not surprisingly, this is another slightly tweaked recipe from Eating Well magazine's website, which has supplied us with lots of great meals this year.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 3/4 c. vegetable broth
1.5 c. pearled barley
1/4 t. (rounded) crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. (rounded) Cajun seasoning, or to taste
1/4 t. (rounded) salt, or to taste
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4-5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add broth, barley, crushed red pepper, Cajun seasoning, and salt.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the barley is done, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in black-eyed peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 3-4 as a main dish. 

Red Beans and Rice

This refreshingly interesting but still vegetarian version of red beans and rice came from none other than Southern Living magazine, so you know it's tasty!  Serve the dish with a pot of greens, and you're good to go.

Ingredients:
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
1 T. Creole seasoning
1 t. smoked paprika
1 vegetable boullion cube
salt, to taste
3 c. uncooked long-grain rice
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
garnish:  sliced green onions

Place the beans in a Dutch oven, add water to cover 2 inches above the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, cover, remove from heat, and soak 1 hour.  Drain.

Stir the Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, boullion cube, and beans into 7 c. water in a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 - 1.5 hours or until the beans are tender.  Season with salt to taste.  (I usually use a scant tablespoon for a pound of beans.)

While the beans are cooking:
1.  Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Saute the celery, bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the olive oil 6 - 8 minutes or until tender.

Stir the sauteed vegetables into the beans, and serve over the cooked rice.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

Warm Kale Salad

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, and it is quite rich and tasty.  It serves about 4.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

5 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 t. Cajun seasoning

2 15-oz. cans kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 c. frozen or fresh kale (or other greens as you choose), chopped

Louisiana-style hot sauce

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the celery and scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (4 - 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add the beans, tomatoes, and 3/4 c. water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 - 12 minutes.  Stir in the kale and cook until tender.  Add the scallion greens and a hot sauce, to taste.  Serve warm.

Cajun Rice Pilaf

Here's another dish I got from The Food Network magazine.  There recipe called for pork and sausage, but it was fine without the meat. As you can see, I served it with crowder peas, collard greens, and cornbread for an excellent meal.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1 c. wild rice blend
2 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 t. tried thyme)
1 t. Cajun seasoning
1 large paste tomato, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
salt, to taste

Method:
Cook the wild rice according to pkg directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bell pepper, celery, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 7 minutes.  Add Cajun seasoning, the cooked rice, the chopped tomato, and the chopped scallions and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until heated through.  Season with salt, to taste.

Serves 2 - 4 as a side dish.

Southern Collard Greens

I hope each of you enjoyed a happy, relaxing Thanksgiving with some great vegetarian food!

 

I'm so excited that I finally have a good vegetarian recipe for Southern collard greens, and would you believe it came from Food Network Magazine and not from family or friends?  See, the deal is that most people in the South make their greens with ham or other meat seasonings.  In fact, the magazine's recipe called for bacon (What recipe does not call for bacon these days?) and chicken broth, but I just decided I'd go for it without any meat seasonings and see if it turned out.  There were plenty of other seasonings in the recipe, so I felt it would probably be ok.  And it is!  Here's how I did it, adapted from their recipe:

 

 

Ingredients:
2 bunches collard greens, washed
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 t. Cajun seasoning
4 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water (and more, if needed or desired)
apple cider vinegar, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

First, tear out the large stems from the greens and discard.  (My dogs like to eat them.)  Chop the greens into, oh, about 1 - 1 1/2-inch pieces. It doesn't have to be perfect.

In a large pot, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chopped collard greens in batches, allowing each batch to get coated in oil and wilt down enough to accommodate the next batch.  Add vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the greens are tender, about 1 - 1.5 hours.

Add vinegar (I only used a couple of splashes.), hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.  Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish.

Greens are delicious and outrageously healthy.  I served them with crowder peas, cornbread, and a Cajun rice pilaf (which I'll give the recipe for soon).  Hope you enjoy the greens!