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

One-Pan Meal: Broiled Salmon with Mango Salsa and Broccoli

It's mango season, folks! Who's excited? The Smiths, that's who. I made this yummy (and easy) meal tonight and thought I'd share! The best part? It only uses one pan to cook in! (Ok - technically there is also a pyrex baking dish involved, but most of the cooking is done in one pan) The salsa is sweet and tangy, the salmon is moist inside and crispy on the outside, and the broccoli is fresh and crunchy. It's a good mix, I must say.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 cup salsa (I used the Publix brand... it's delish)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Have I mentioned how much I love mango?

Broiled Salmon

1 large salmon filet (with skin on one side)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate (I always keep a can of this in the freezer - it's great stuff!)

Combine all ingredients (except salmon, of course) in a gallon ziploc bag. Swish them around to mix. Put salmon in the bag, skin side up. Allow to marinate 10-15 minutes on the counter. For the next steps, look at the broccoli recipe below.

Let's make a marinade!

Just like a bubblebath...

Crispy Broccoli

1 large head broccoli, washed and cut into florets
salt & pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Put broccoli in a microwaveable dish (I used an 8x8 pyrex). Put about 1/8 inch of water in the dish. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cling wrap and microwave for about 1.5 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and crunchy.

McSteamy

Prepare a sheet pan with two pieces of aluminum foil. Turn the edges up on all sides so that the flavors won't combine in the oven. Put the broccoli on one side and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Take the salmon out of the bag, slice it in half (lengthwise) and place it, skin-side down, on the aluminum foil.

It's almost like two mini sheet pans in one!

See? One pan?

Preheat the broiler (on high). Put the pan in the oven and check the broccoli after about 7 minutes (it's fast, I'm tellin' ya!). If it's browning nicely, just pull the mini aluminum foil pan out with the broccoli on it. Let the fish cook a few more minutes (maybe 3) and check it. When it's really browned on top, take it out and let it rest for a few minutes.

Browned tips = deliciousness

All that's left is to... eat it! Get that salsa out of the fridge and plate it up! I served mine with some crispy flour tortillas (I literally friend strips of flour tortillas) and we were happy campers!

I love making things that taste so good and aren't rough on the waistline! Speaking of waistlines... did you notice no starch in this meal? That's my new thing. I'm trying not to make a starch for dinner because I figure we get plenty during the day (cereal for breakfast...sandwich for lunch...granola bars for snacks... you get the idea).

Hope you enjoy it!

~ Mari

Flank Steak Tacos

Tacos are kind of amazing. Especially when they're easy to make and good for you! I'm a huge fan of fish tacos and shrimp tacos, but I saw a lovely Flank steak at Kroger and decided that I would go that route. We rarely eat red meat, but it just seemed like one of those times. So, I turned the grill on and got to cookin'!

Flank Steak Tacos

For the steak:

Olive oil

Flank steak

Chili powder

Cinnamon

Cayenne pepper

Salt

2 cloves garlic

For the salsa:

1/2 cup pre-made salsa

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/2 small red onion, slivered

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup fresh tomato, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, diced

For the slaw:

1/4 bag slaw mix

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 lime, juiced


While the grill heats, rub the steak with olive oil (enough to coat it). Then sprinkle it with the spices. Put the garlic cloves through a garlic press and rub it around on both sides of the steak. Grill it for about 10-15 minutes (however you want it).



Here's Ryan - hanging out by the grill on our back porch. :)

Mmmmm... here's the steak! Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

After the meat has rested, slice it thinly. Yum.

For the slaw, simply mix the above ingredients together and toss.

For the salsa, again, mix all the ingredients and toss! I told you this was easy...

Now, all you have to do is pile it on a tortilla in whatever order you want. I wouldn't eat this with the new in-laws or anything... it definitely dribbled down my face. But, it was worth it!

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Tarragon and Cheddar Frittata

The incredible edible egg was calling my name today for lunch. Do you ever get in an egg mood? So, I decided to make a frittata (an Italian omlet thingy) with some fresh tarragon that I had in the fridge. If you are also feeling a bit eggish, here's the recipe:

Tarragon & Cheddar Frittata

1 large egg

1/2 cup liquid egg whites (or 2 egg whites)

1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon (1 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. dill

1.5 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

fat free greek yogurt (for garnish)

salsa (for garnish)


Whisk all the ingredients together (except for the garnishes, obviously) in a bowl until combined. Heat a small non-stick skillet to medium. Once the pan is heated, put about a tsp. of olive oil in and pour the egg mixture in as well. Then put a lid on it and allow it to cook for about 5-6 minutes (until you can slip a spatula underneath the frittata without it still being liquid-y). Flip the frittata over with the spatula and allow it to cook, uncovered, for about 3-4 minutes more. The frittata should be fluffy and set. Next, flip the frittata out onto a plate and garnish with a dollop of yougurt and salsa.

Now... eat it! I think you'll like it.

Thanks for looking!

~ Mari