Category Archives: Vegetables

Black Eyed Peas

Uncategorized, Vegetables

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In honor of our southern roots my family always rings in the New Year with black eyed peas. It is a tradition I hope will pass on to my children. Black Eyed Peas are suppose to bring you good fortune for the New Year. I say good fortune because I do not believe in luck. To me, everything happens for a reason whether or not we understand the reason why it happens.

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So on New Year’s day, black eyed peas are guaranteed to be on the menu. Of course, they can be delicious anytime of the year. The key is to season the peas with a nice meaty ham hock or flavorful smoked turkey leg. For my vegetarian friends you will need to pack in a lot of other seasonings to produce a wonderful flavor in the peas.

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The hardest part of preparing black eyed peas is to tenderize the meat before adding it the peas. I am comfortable with using a pressure cooker so that is how I quickly tenderize any meat that would other wise take hours to cook to get tender. If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, you will need to cook the meat for a few hours until it feels tender. Taking the time to tenderize your meat makes a big difference in how the dish tastes. No matter when you decide to fix a pot of black eyed peas, I am sure good fortune will shine upon you.

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Don’t forget the cornbread!

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Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:
2 10 oz bags of frozen black eyed peas
1 small onion diced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 large ham hock or smoked turkey leg/ wing
3 cups broth from ham hock or smoked turkey
1 cups water
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
3-4 dashes of hot sauce

Place ham hock or smoked turkey in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Secure top of pressure cooker and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool before removing top of pressure cooker. Reserve 3 cups of broth from the cooked meat.

Place the meat, black eyed peas, onions, jalapeno pepper and seasonings into a large pot. Add the reserved broth and place lid over the pot. Simmer over medium heat until peas are tender. Approximately 30 minutes.

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Eggplant Casserole

Uncategorized, Vegetables, , ,

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I am an eggplant lover. Back in my single days I use to make eggplant parmesan and it became one of my specialties. Over the years I have forgotten my original recipe so I decided to just make a simple eggplant casserole recipe. Although I love eggplant, I was not too sure how my family would like it. They like fried eggplant but a casserole? I was imagining that I would be eating the casserole the entire week for lunch and dinner.

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I love it when I am wrong about how one of my recipes will be received by my test team. I was the first one to try it out. Usually, I don’t brag a whole lot about the dishes I make but I had to say out loud “this tastes good!”. My exclamation of how good the eggplant tasted made my hubby curious so he was the next one to dive into the dish. Like I said in the beginning, I love it when I am wrong about how one of my recipes will be received. Hubby was delighted and said he loved the different flavors.

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Eggplant casserole is a wonderful side dish or you can make it into a meal. It is filling and I am sure once you taste it you will go for seconds.

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Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients:
2 small eggplants sliced thin
2 shallots sliced thin
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup fontina cheese shredded or sliced thin
½ stick butter sliced
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tbsp black pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and spread around the cookie sheet. Place the sliced eggplant on the cookie sheet. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small frying pan then add shallots. Season with a little salt and pepper. Saute shallots until softened and slightly browned. Set aside.

Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Put a large spoonful of fire roasted tomatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer the bottom with the eggplant overlapping each ring. Sprinkle a little oregano over the eggplant. Spoon some of the fire roasted tomatoes over the eggplant then add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of eggplant and sprinkle with the seasonings then layer the shallots over the eggplant. Place fontina cheese over the shallots then add another layer of eggplant. Sprinkle with seasonings then spoon on more tomatoes. Layer more mozzarella cheese. Finish with a layer of eggplant, seasonings, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Bake eggplant casserole for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

 

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Prosciutto

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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I was talking to a friend recently about cooking and he asked if I had a side dish recipe for broccoli. I just happen to have a broccoli side dish but it was still in my head and not on paper. I figured now was a good time to try it out on my taste testers then share it with my friend and others on dmariedining.com.

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Broccoli salad is one of my personal favorites and I always looked forward to eating it when a close friend would make it for parties. However, I never took the time to make this wonderful dish because I did not think my family would eat it. I didn’t want to have a boat load of broccoli salad left over for days if I made it and no one else would try it.

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Imagine my surprise when my hubby said he would be willing to taste the salad when he saw me preparing the recipe. My hubby is not a big fan of mayonnaise which is another reason I thought he might not like broccoli salad. Although broccoli is the star of the dish it all comes together with the mayo. Fortunately, the broccoli salad recipe I came up with is not too creamy and is complimented by the mayonnaise.

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I must say I held my breath while my hubby tasted the broccoli salad. Again, I was pleasantly surprised when he said he really liked it. He especially liked the taste of the prosciutto with the broccoli and the slight sweetness of the golden raisins.

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For me, the best thing about broccoli salad is that it is good no matter the season. Winter, spring, summer or fall this is a recipe that works all the time.

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Prosciutto

Ingredients:
1 ½ fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp red onion diced
4 bacon slices
3 oz prosciutto
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup miracle whip
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade (Italian dressing optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Juice from 1 lemon

Prepare 4 cups of cold water with ice cubes in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan. Add prosciutto and lightly fry until crisp. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bacon can be oven fried, crisped in the microwave or fried on the stove. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and cook for 3 minutes. Remove broccoli and immediately place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let sit for a couple of minutes then drain. Remove any stray pieces of ice.

In a large bowl add broccoli and pour salad dressing over the broccoli. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently until well blended. Chill for 30 minutes or overnight. Stir salad before serving.

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Green Bean Casserole

Vegetables, , ,

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Green bean casserole has been around for many, many years and I must admit I have never been a fan of this dish. However, when I was thinking about new side dishes for the holidays green bean casserole kept popping up in my head. Probably because it is such a traditional dish and the holidays are all about tradition and family.

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I did not want to necessarily make the “traditional” green bean casserole so I went in search of something a little different. I was inspired by a recipe I saw made by Alton Brown. Instead of using a can of mushroom soup he made a mushroom sauce to compliment the beans. He also used fresh onions as a topping rather than the traditional fried onions in a can. Nothing against canned ingredients but fresh is always better if possible to make.

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I added just a few little twists to Mr. Brown’s recipe to come up with my own version of green bean casserole. After tasting this dish I had to give myself a thumbs up. Who knew I could become a new fan of green been casserole? I sure didn’t!

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Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
2 packages mixed mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup ½ and ½
1 large onion sliced thin
1 shallot sliced thin
2 garlic cloves minced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp and ¼ cup flour
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice from 1 lemon
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix onions, shallots and panko bread crumbs in a bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and olive oil. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread onion mixture on cookie sheet and place in oven. Cook for approximately 20 – 25 minutes until onions and panko bread crumbs are browned. Set aside.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms ½ tbsp salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes then add garlic and lemon juice. Cook for 1-2 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Stir in 2 tbsp of flour then add chicken broth. Mix well and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Slowly stir in half and half milk. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat to let mixture thicken.

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add string beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Move green beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain water from the beans then place in a large bowl. Season beans with a ½ tbsp salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp of butter and half of the onion mixture and toss. Place beans in a greased casserole dish. Pour mushroom mixture over beans and gently stir to mix. Top with remaining onion mixture and sprinkle parmesan cheese over onions. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Uncategorized, Vegetables, , ,

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The holidays will soon be here so I have been trying out new recipes to bring in the season. Although stuffing is appreciated any time of the year, it graces most tables during the holidays. I absolutely love eating stuffing! I usually cut back on eating breads and sweets well in advance of Thanksgiving just so I can pig out on my mom’s cornbread stuffing.

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This Thanksgiving I thought I would give my mom a run for her money and make a stuffing that had fewer calories but was still full of flavor. I came up with the idea of a sweet potato stuffing while shopping at Trader Joe’s and saw a big display of Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons. The thought of sweet potatoes and pumpkin just seemed like a natural combination.

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The great thing about this recipe is that it very basic. As I have said on other occasions keeping it simple usually works best. I found the croutons provided a lot of spice so there was no need to add a lot of other seasonings. Salt, pepper and nutmeg was all that was needed to bring out the wonderful deep flavors of sweet potato and pumpkin.

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As usual, I used my family as guinea pigs to try out this new dish. I served the stuffing with pork chops and greens beans and had smiles all around. So, this Thanksgiving there will be extra stuffing on the table. We just won’t tell my mom.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Ingredients:
8 oz pumpkin cornbread croutons (Trader Joe’s)
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a medium non-stick frying pan. Add onions, celery, salt and pepper.. Saute until veggies are soft. Set aside.

Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and golden.

In large bowl add croutons, sweet potatoes, celery and onions. Gradually, add chicken broth to stuffing mix until croutons are softened and stuffing is well blended. Place mixture in a greased casserole dish. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes.

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Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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For a while now my hubby has been asking me to make a “brothy” soup. My most recent soups have been thick and rich like my Carrot soup and my Leek and Potato soup.

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Vegetable soup seemed a simple choice but I wanted to make a soup that reminded me of the fall weather and colorful changing leaves. I love to see the trees speckled with orange, red and green leaves. That was the inspiration for the butternut squash and mixed baby kale soup. The soup is full of fall colors from the orange of the butternut squash, the red of the tomatoes and the bright green leaves of the mixed baby kale.

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I know. Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup is a long name. But, it would have been even longer if I added the names of some of the other ingredients that make this soup so delicious. I added Daddy’s to the title because my hubby claimed it to be his soup once he tasted it.

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Butternut squash is quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables. It is great all by itself or tastes even better when paired with vegetables like sweet potatoes or in this case mixed baby kale. The sweetness of the butternut squash along with the slightly bitter kale and spicy Italian sausage created a wonderful combination of flavors that swirl in your mouth.

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It’s the little things in life that often inspire us whether it is leaves changing colors in the fall or a nice pot of hearty soup.

Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian hot sausage
2 14oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed
1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 bags mixed baby kale
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
3 lemon slices
In a dutch oven or large pot brown sausage then drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off grease from the sausage and add olive oil to the pot. Add onions and Add broth, water, seasonings and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage, butternut squash and lemon slices. Stir and cook for 25 minutes. Add baby kale and cook an additional 10 minutes then turn off heat. Serve with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.

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Leek and Potato Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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Many, many years ago I had a bad reaction to cream of potato soup. It really was not the soup’s fault because it just happened to be the last thing I ate before I came down with the flu. Enough said.

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So, it took me a long time to try leek and potato soup. Once I mustered up the nerve to try the soup I was pleasantly surprised at the delicious combination of leeks and potatoes. Since my hubby and I are fans of all kinds of soups I thought I would create my own version leek and potato soup.

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The result received a thumbs up from all of my taste testers including me. Rich and creamy with tasty bits of potato,this soup easily fits into the category of comfort food.

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Topped with sauteed mushrooms and drizzled with melted butter, all I could say was um um good when my spoon hit the bottom of my empty bowl.

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Keeping it simple. Keeping it easy. Keeping it good!

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 – 3 leeks cleaned and sliced (white and light green part)
1 medium onion diced
2 large potatoes peeled and diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp parsley chopped
2 tbsp butter melted
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp roasted cumin
½ tsp chives
¼ cup assorted mushrooms
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup half and half
1 small hot pepper sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
5 dashes hot sauce
To clean the leek leaves remove the hard bottom then separate the leaves and rinse with cold water.  Saute mushrooms in a 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.

Place leeks, onions, potatoes and peppers in a large pot. Add seasonings and broth then stir. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes until leeks and potatoes are soft and tender. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, cream and half and half. Puree mixture leaving a few chunks of potato. Stir in hot sauce. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Place soup in a bowl and top with mushrooms then drizzle with melted butter.

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Crock Pot Roast

Meat/ Poultry, Vegetables, , ,

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I am dedicating this blog to Mr. E who is a family friend. Mr. E has been a faithful follower of dmariedining.com and has attempted to make a few recipes. Recently he asked me if I had any crock pot recipes that would make it easier for him to cook. He admitted he sometimes winds up with burnt food.

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First, I have to commend Mr. E for even trying to cook for his new wife. I wish more men would take up the ladle and attempt to cook for the family. Don’t get me wrong. I know there are a lot of great male chefs but usually they cook for a living. I do have a few men in my family who enjoy cooking for the sake of cooking but not many.

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After my conversation with Mr. E I started digging through old recipes and tried to come up with a few good crock pot meals. One of my friends nicknamed “Doll” helped me out by sharing a recipe she makes for special occasions. It is a pot roast simmered in mushroom and onion soup. I took the liberty of tweaking her recipe and added a few things of my own.

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I think this recipe is simple and will certainly put a smile on both Mr. E’s and his lovely wife’s face.

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One pot wonders are the way to go for aspiring chefs and anyone who doesn’t have time to fuss over a meal.

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 medium sized pot roast
1 packet onion soup mix
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz packet of frozen peas
2 large red potatoes peeled and cubed
6 carrots peeled and sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced (keep seeds if you like heat)
1 pint baby portobello mushrooms sliced
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ cup water
1 crock pot

Combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix and ½ cup of water in a small sauce pan. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Season meat with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Place in crock pot. Pour soup mixture over meat and add mushrooms. Cook on high for 3 hours until meat is tender. Add potatoes, parsley, peas and carrots. Cook an additional 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up all the wonderful juices.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

Vegetables,

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Roasting has become one of my favorite things to do when cooking. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of vegetables. Especially, butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

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Most people I know tend to boil sweet potatoes then mash them up with some butter and cinnamon. Boiling only drains the flavor and nutrients out of the sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are called “sweet” for a reason. If you boil them, they will lose some of that sweetness in the water. Butternut squash also loses something when you boil it. Usually, I only boil butternut squash when I want to make it into a soup. Then, I can use the broth created from boiling the squash and retain all the nutrients and flavor for an amazing tasting soup.

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In the past, I have roasted sweet potatoes and I have roasted butternut squash. However, until recently I had never considered combining the two. Once I mixed the two veggies together I was pleasantly surprised at how well they complimented each other. Each veggie has its own unique taste and a different type of sweetness. When combined, the butternut squash and sweet potatoes play off of each other and make your taste buds pop.

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The hardest thing about roasting vegetables is deciding what seasonings to add to enhance the natural flavors. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes call out for cinnamon and nutmeg. Besides those two seasonings it is best to keep it simple so that you don’t overwhelm the dish.

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So, the next time you want to add color to a nice meal consider roasting butternut squash and sweet potatoes together. This is one dish even veggie haters will like.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb butternut squash cubed
1 lb sweet potatoes cubed
½ cup shelled walnuts (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 small hot pepper sliced (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar
½ stick melted butter
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with cooking spray. Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl until squash and potatoes are well coated with butter, brown sugar and seasonings. Spread mixture onto the baking sheet for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and tender. Transfer to a serving dish.

Serves 4-6

Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes

Vegetables,

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Ham hocks, fat back and salt pork are some of the key ingredients to southern cooking. Whether you are fixing beans, stews, collard greens or other vegetables you will probably find one of those ingredients in the recipe. Growing up, all the women in my family would flavor parts of the meal with either salt pork or ham hocks. Back then I did not hesitate to eat anything my mom fixed unless it was wild game. Now? It is a different story. I still like ham hocks but I have found better ways to flavor food.

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Instead of sauteing zucchini and tomatoes in salt pork and bacon grease I now roast zucchini and tomatoes in the oven with a little olive oil . The end result is the same except it has a lot less calories and a lot less fat. The one thing this dish did not lose was flavor.

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The natural flavor of the zucchini and tomatoes along with sliced onions comes through and is enhanced by a few herbs and seasonings. Simple sometimes says it best and this dish is definitely simple. Slice, sprinkle, drizzle and roast. What could be simpler than that?

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Roasted zucchini and tomatoes might just become your go to side dish whenever you need a little something extra bursting with flavor!

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Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 zucchinis sliced
1 large onion sliced
1 lb Campari tomatoes seeded (can use plum tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp basil
½ tsp sugar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray a rime cookie sheet with cooking spray. Layer sliced onions on bottom of cookie sheet. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and basil. Drizzle olive oil over veggies. Place in oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir veggies mid way through roasting.