What To Do With Purple Hull Peas:

Remember how I asked for purple hull pea recipes in my last post? Well, I didn't get any responses (it's ok... I doubt anyone knew what to do with them)... so I made one up! (as a side note, I did find one recipe on the world wide interweb that called for "fat back." I did NOT make that recipe.) I hulled the little buggers and they looked a lot like black eyed peas... so I made a three- bean salsa that came out pretty dang good, I must say! You'd like to know how to make it, you say? Wish granted:

Three Bean Salsa

1.5 cups cooked purple hull peas or black eyed peas (to cook, just boil in salted water until tender)

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced

1.5 cups frozen corn, cooked (according to package directions)

1 container salsa

3 tomatoes, diced

juice (and zest) of one lime

1 small handful of cilantro

Salt, to taste

Smoked paprika, to taste

Ground red pepper, to taste

Chili Powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste (you can use a fresh onion, but raw onions are rough on my tummy... so I stay away)

Drain the canned beans and combine everything in a large bowl until it tastes how you want it to! It doesn't get much more simple than that! (Note: use half of the lime zest first and then taste it. If it's perfect, don't add the rest of the zest - it might be too overpowering, depending on the size of your lime)

Purple Hull Peas
(no longer in the shell)



Those are my preferred bean brands.



Spices!

Mix it all up and enjoy!

Ryan and I ate the heck out of this stuff! I used it as a side dish with some baked grouper and we also ate it with some blue corn chips (Frito-Lay brand, of course). But, I think it would be great with tacos or quesadillas or... well... in a spoon!

Hope you enjoy it!

~ Mari

Thai Noodle Salad

According to the radio, today we have a heat advisory here in Middle Georgia. The high is going to be 102 degrees, but it will feel like 110 degrees. Awesome. So, I wanted to share with you a very refreshing and cooling salad that can make that heat a bit more bearable.

I got the idea from this month's issue of Fine Cooking magazine (my favorite cooking mag). In it, there was a section on limes and what to do with them. (Just buy a big bag and make the agua fresca from my last post... and this salad. Yum!) One recipe that really stood out to me was the Vietnamese-Style Rice Noodle Salad. And so, I did what I do... and adapted. Here's what I came up with:

Thai Noodle Salad

1 bunch Japanese buckwheat noodles (I found them at Kroger)
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
2 cups shredded chinese cabbage (if you can't find this, use iceburg lettuce)
2.5 large handfuls of broccoli slaw mix
1 small cucumber, diced
3-4 medium radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and let sit. When the water is boiling, add the noodles and stir. Cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and toss with the sesame oil (if it isn't enough to coat the noodles, add a little canola or olive oil).

While the noodles cool, prep the other veggies. Combine everything (except the peanuts) in the bowl and toss. Serve cool and sprinkle peanuts on top (so they don't get soggy).

Cooked buckwheat noodles
(They look just like what's on the package!)

Chinese Cabbage

Mmmm...

I served the salad with Chicken Satay
and Peanut Sauce
(Courtesy of Tyler Florence)

Stay cool and enjoy! ;)

~ Mari

Panzanella

I just got Ellie Krieger's cookbook, "So Easy," and I found a great-looking recipe for a dish we made in culinary school: Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad). Ellie's recipe is a bit different from the one we made in school, but it has the same basic ingredients - bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. So, I decided to combine the two recipes into my own version of the classic Italian salad!

Panzanella

3-4 cups of bread, cubed

1 English cucumber, seeded and diced

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 of a small red onion, thinly slivered

1 avocado, peeled and diced

a few sprigs of fresh fennel (or any other fresh herb you have on hand)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

dried italian herbs to taste

3 links of chicken sausage

First, preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Then put the cubed bread on a sheet pan.

Next, combine a few tablespoons of olive oil with salt, pepper, and dried italian herbs in a shallow bowl.

Dunk each bread cube into the olive oil mixture on two or three sides. Put them back on the sheet pan and toss them around a bit.

Stick the sheet pan in the oven on the bottom rack and allow them to cook for 15 - 20 minutes (until they're crispy). While they cook, combine all of the vegetables and herbs in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them and toss.

Once the bread cubes are done, add them to the vegetable mixture.

Pour the rest of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and bread. Now toss it more. I added some black cooked lentils (from Trader Joe's) as a garnish - you can too if you have them. If not, it should be just fine! Then I cooked the sausage, sliced it, and served it alongside of the panzanella. That was Ellie Krieger's pairing idea - and it was perfect! I also plated the salad overtop of some mixed baby greens.

I hope you enjoy it! It was so simple to make - I couldn't even believe it! Plus, it was delicious and full of texture!

~ Mari

Goat Cheese & Parsley Potato Salad

I shan't tell a lie - I'm not a fan of potato salad. Actually, I'm just not a fan of the regular potato salad that shows up at most picnics and summer events. German potato salad is delicious, as is loaded baked potato salad. But, I was feeling a little adventurous, so I thought I would put my own little spin on tater salad.

Goat Cheese & Parsley Potato Salad

28 oz. Yukon Gold potatoes (2-bite size)

2 pinches kosher salt

2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 Tbsp. mustard

1/4 cup creamy goat cheese

salt & pepper to taste

dried dill to taste

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1.5 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

First, wash the potatoes and put them in a large sauce pot. Next, sprinkle some kosher salt over them.

Next, cover the potatoes with just enough water so that none of them are peeking out.

Put the cover on the potatoes and let them boil for about 15 minutes (until you can pierce the largest potato with a fork and it goes in like it would into chilled butter).

Now, mix the sour cream, mustard, and goat cheese in a bowl with a whisk. Then add the spices and taste the mixture. Remember that the cayenne pepper will intensify as it sits in the fridge, so put a little less than you actually want. Then add the olive oil and whisk that in.

Once the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool. Slice them in half (or quarters, depending on their size).

Put the potatoes into the bowl with the sour cream mixture.

Now, stir it up with a large spoon - being careful not to smoosh the potatoes too much.

Now, chop the herbs!

Sprinkle the fresh herbs over the potatoes and stir a few times.

Next, cover the bowl with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge for a few hours (this allows the flavors to soak into the taters!). All that's left to do now is eat it! (Take it out about 30-45 minutes before you want to eat it if you want it a little creamier.)

I served it with a seared pork chop and warm apple slaw (courtesy of Ellie Krieger). Delish! It has a nice creaminess to it and a unique tang from the cayenne. The parsley and oregano add a great freshness and texture to it. I hope you like it as much as Ryan and I did!

~ Mari