Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

The hubs asked me to work some black-eyed peas into the mix... They now have found their spot in the rotation. This is a super simple, super easy, one-pot wonder that has great flavor. Its also a very hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal, which my Southern roots just love. I wanted to cornbread with it...

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Cajun seasoning, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion, pepper, and celery until tender. Pour in the veggie broth, and mix in rice, black-eyed peas with liquid, diced tomatoes and green chiles, diced tomatoes, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add water if soup is too thick.

Thank you Lynn for the recipe!

Prego!

One day I'll make my own spaghetti sauce. Until then, I buy Prego Veggie Smart. It has no added sugar and isn't stupid expensive like all the other "no added sugar" brands I've been able to find.

Peanut Soup!

My eldest sister made this for me and the husband over the holidays. He then demanded she give me the recipe to make here. We love it as is, with its creamy texture and bit of heat. My sister makes it with The Heat Is On peanut butter for EXTRA heat. Either way, the leftovers do not last long. And the next time we make it here, I believe I will empty out the fridge of all on the edge veggies, using it as a base for a garbage soup.

Enjoy!

• 3 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Saute onion and garlic is a large stockpot.
2. Add stock and peanut butter, stir well.
3. Once the peanut butter looks incorporated, add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes and spices. Cook about 45 mins.
   

Original recipe from The Peanut Butter & Co Cookbook

The No T.V. Initiative

The hubs approached me the tail of week before last with the thought of giving up T.V. during the week. The reason being that it is just too easy to come home, turn on the boob tube, and then tune out. We would eat in front of the T.V., talk in front of the T.V., and then wonder where the time had gone when we looked up from the T.V. to find it was past our bedtime. So I said sure, give up the T.V. during the week. I can't really say that my productivity has greatly increased, as I can always find ways to distract myself and I'm pro at procrastinating but the few nights when the action bug does bites, I find it easier to do what needs to be done whereas before I would have had to wait until the end of the episode or at least the next commercial. And we haven't missed it. OnDemand over the weekends gets us caught up on the few shows we do follow and I have absolutely loved sitting at the table to eat. My Spotify account has gotten a lot more action too.

"Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms." Alan Corenk

Protien: Round Two

Ok, so the ThinkThin bars were... ok, at best. More than anything they tasted processed. And even tho I was crazy about the 0g sugar, I'm not crazy about "prefab" feel (and taste).

Next up: LARABAR

They all seem to have about 5 ingredients or less in them. All of which I can pronounce, which is a major plus. And come in yummy flavors like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (which does have a small amount of sugar, sad) and Chocolate Coconut!

UPDATE: Larabar for the win! They are super tasty, I feel good about what I'm eating, and Costco has them in bulk bringing the cost down to 86 cents a bar. Yes, please!

Cascade Fresh

I love yogurt! Well, I love all dairy really... And I recently came across a fabulous fruit juice sweetened variety that I highly recommend.

Cascade Fresh is where its at. Apple Pie, Lemon Chiffon, and Blackcap are a few of my favorites.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Few things come out just right the first time around. This did. Fabulous flavor, great color, and just enough lingering heat. It's definitely moving into the rotation. I added frozen peas in with the veggies and then a couple eggs for added protein (and I just don't think its fried rice without egg). I was also a bit more liberal with the pineapple and veggies, just cause.

• 2 1/4 cups veggie broth
• 1 cup long grain rice brown rice
• 1 1/4 cups diced fresh pineapple
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 5 green onion, thinly sliced

1. Bring 2 cups broth and rice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. Blend 1/2 cup pineapple, remaining 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in blender until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add carrot and bell pepper, and saute 3 minutes more. Add remaining 3/4 cup diced pineapple, and cook 3 minutes. Add cooked rice to skillet, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blended pineapple mixture, and cook 3 minutes more, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onions; season with salt and pepper, if desired. 

Thank you Vegetarian Times for this recipe!