Hoppin' John and Collard Greens

I've been wanting to try Hoppin' John for quite some time.  What could be better than a New Year's tradition that centers around simple, flavorful food?

Hoppin' John is a Southern dish traditionally made with black-eyed peas, rice, and bacon (or another form of pork).  The earliest written record of the dish comes from an 1847 cookbook entitled The Carolina Housewife, but the dish is said to date back to the slave trade.  Today, the consumption of Hoppin' John on New Year's is said to bring good luck for the coming year.  Although the addition of extra pork is thought to bring more good luck, I like to think that this vegan version of the dish is lucky enough. 

A plate of steaming Hoppin' John and Collard Greens (pre-hot sauce).

Even though it's long past the New Year, here's a recipe for Hoppin' John and Collard Greens. 

Recipe:
Hoppin' John and Collard Greens

• 1 large bunch collard greens, chopped (including the stems)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 onions, diced
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 - 15.5 ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

(NOTE: The list of ingredients includes cooked rice.  Be sure to cook the rice ahead of time, or start cooking the rice before beginning the rest of the dish.)

Bring water to boil in a large soup pot.  Add the collard greens and cook for 15 minutes.  Then, reserve 1 cup liquid before draining.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup vinegar, agave nectar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil and garlic over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until they begin to turn soft.  Then, add the drained collard greens, vinegar mixture, 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the skillet.  Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the rice, beans, and remaining 1/2 cup cooking liquid in a skillet until heated through.

Serve the rice, beans, and greens together. Yields 6 servings.

Comments:

Taste:            

The flavors in this dish are quite simple, and I enjoyed the fact that the collard greens and black-eyed peas truly stand out as the stars of the dish (rather than a sauce or spice).  The dish is neither sweet nor spicy, as the incorporation of both agave nectar and chili powder seems to achieve a good balance.  To add a bit of tang, and in true Southern fashion, we added some Louisiana-style hot sauce on top.

Accessibility:             

We had no trouble finding the ingredients in this dish.  The grocery store always seems to have collard greens, while kale and other dark, leafy greens are much more difficult to come by.  Tip: you can probably find agave nectar in the same grocery aisle as the honey.   

 Ease of Preparation:        

There are several components to this dish happening at once.  However, as always, chopping ingredients in advance will minimize confusion. 

Non-vegan friendliness:             

Someone who is familiar with bacon-laden Hoppin' John would probably miss the meaty flavor in this simple dish (and if that's the case, you could always add chopped imitation bacon to the mix).  Still, it's hard to find a healthier, more filling combination than black-eyed peas, rice, and greens.  I'd be very willing to serve this dish sans bacon to any non-vegan.

Quinoa and Black Bean Chipotle Chili

Having lived in Minnesota for about ten years, I'm quite conscious of the fact that a high temperature of 39 degrees is nothing to write home about.  And yet, here I am, writing about how the cold, windy mornings and the dark, crisp evenings make me long for a warm bowl of chili.

Here's a recipe for Quinoa and Black Bean Chipotle Chili--a hearty, protein-filled dish that will warm you up in an instant. 

Chili garnished with scallions

Recipe:
Quinoa and Black Bean Chipotle Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 - 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 chiles from a small can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• green onions, chopped, for garnish

First, heat the oil and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 6 or 7 minutes.  Then add the chili powder and coriander, and stir.  Cook for another minute.

Next, stir in the tomatoes, beans, chiles, oregano, salt, sweet potatoes, and quinoa.  Add 2 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooked through.  (Add more water as needed if the chili becomes too thick.)

Serve hot with green onions as garnish.  Yields 4-5 servings. 

Comments:

Taste:           

We all thoroughly enjoyed this dish.  The addition of the chipotle chiles--with their smoky, spicy flavor--really makes a difference.  The incorporation of the quinoa right into the chili also gives it a nice thickness, while the sweet potatoes help vary the texture.  With all of these components together in one dish, it's a one-pot meal.

Accessibility:            

We had no trouble finding these ingredients.  Fire-roasted tomatoes can be found among the cans of diced, crushed, and other tomatoes.  We found chipotle chiles in the grocery store's hispanic food section.

 Ease of Preparation:       

This straightforward recipe is also pretty quick to make.  Just make sure you have the ingredients chopped in advance, as always.

Non-vegan friendliness:           

Chili-lovers of all kinds would enjoy this filling, flavorful dish (I might even make this again for a chili cook-off later this month.).  As a pretty customizable dish, chili is a crowd-pleaser.  Rachel and Simon both added a dollop of sour cream to their bowls; you could also serve it with chopped cilantro or vegan cheese as added garnishes.

Quinoa and Black Bean Sloppy Joes

I love to make TVP Sloppy Joes.  There's something about eating one that brings me back to my childhood (more like Mary Kate and/or Ashley Olsen's childhood: It Takes Two, anyone?). 

We tried out Quinoa and Black Bean Sloppy Joes a few nights ago, and they were just as sloppy as any ground beef-based equivalent.  Actually, I had intended for them to be burgers, not Joes; but, the addition of a bit too much water put us on a new path. 

An extra-sloppy sloppy Joe.

Recipe:     

Quinoa and Black Bean Sloppy Joes

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
• 6 buns

First, place the quinoa, salt, and 1.5 cups water in a small saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the water is absorbed.  

 Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for five or six minutes (the oil left on the tomatoes should be sufficient, but add more oil if they stick to the pan).  Then stir in half of the black beans, plus the garlic, steak seasoning, and 1.5 cups water.  Allow the mixture to simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. 

Next, using a food processor, blend the cooked bean mixture and half of the cooked quinoa until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining quinoa and black beans.*  Then place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to cool while preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.    

Once the oven is heated and the mixture is mostly cool, it's time to bake the the Joes.  Generously coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and use a 1/2-cup measuring cup to drop six, evenly spaced Joes on the baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top.

Serve on buns.  Yields 6 sloppy Joes. 

Comments:
Taste:            

Once I came to think of these as Joes rather than burgers, I was satisfied with the results.  They have a sloppy, yet firm consistency and a fairly smooth texture.  The sun-dried tomatoes add a bit of depth to the flavor, while the steak seasoning adds a bit of spiciness.  Simon gives them his seal of approval, saying, "They're good." 

Accessibility:          

As I've mentioned before, quinoa is easier than you might think to find.  If you don't have steak seasoning (as is the case for many vegans, I'm sure), you can always make your own using a recipe like this one.

  Ease of Preparation:      

* I went through the process of baking the sloppy Joes with the original aim of making burgers.  Given that this recipe is now for sloppy Joes, I think you could skip the baking stage and still end up with an equally tasty (although perhaps less firm) sloppy Joe.  It's your call.    

Non-vegan friendliness:           

These aren't your average Joes, so to speak: their taste and mouthfeel are quite different than hamburger-based sloppy Joes.  That said, we all enjoyed them as a veganized version of the dish. 

Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie

I'm a big fan of dinner pies.  It's always such a good feeling to puncture the crust and release the savory steam trapped inside.  Plus, dinner pies are a pretty low-maintenance way to prepare veggies in a filling way.  This Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie puts a Mexican spin on more traditional pot pies. 

The full dish.

While I've used standard pie crust to top other pot pies, we tried puff pastry on this one (with limited success, as I'll explain below). 

Recipe:     
Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie

• 1/2 pound puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
• about 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (enough to cover the potatoes in the pot)
• 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• a dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• hot sauce to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set out a casserole dish.  Take the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Then heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.  Then add the jalapeno and garlic and cook for another minute.

Next, add the sweet potatoes and vegetable broth to the pot and stir.  Cover the pot and cook until the sweet potatoes are slightly softened.  Add the spinach and cook (uncovered) for another two minutes.  Then add the black beans, cumin, lime juice, pepper, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce and cook until the vegetable broth is mostly absorbed. Stir in the cilantro.

Finally, pour the mixture into the casserole dish and lay the pastry over the top, folding over any extra that would otherwise extend beyond the edge of the dish.  Bake for about 16 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Yields about 8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:            

We enjoyed this dish; but, as Rachel put it, it was unexciting.  As I alluded to earlier, the puff pastry caused some problems: it didn't puff up, and it tasted a bit doughy despite the fact that the top had seemingly browned sufficiently.  Perhaps we could have cooked the dish a bit more without burning it, so I'd give that a try.  I would also use another can of beans next time, since the black beans were a bit lost among the spinach and sweet potato.  That said, the dish had a good, almost smoky flavor and I did enjoy eating it. 

Accessibility:          

The puff pastry was on sale (at least it had that going for it!).  On the whole, the ingredients list is pretty accessible, but unfortunately nutritional yeast has yet to hit mainstream market shelves.  We went to Whole Foods to find it.   

  Ease of Preparation:          

Considering this recipe requires both cooking and baking, it's pretty fast and easy to handle. 

Non-vegan friendliness:           

This is a filling dish and I wouldn't say it's missing any obvious animal-based ingredients.    

Meaty Chili

We've made the same chili recipe several times over the past year and a half; so, when Simon's dad passed along a new one, we were happy to give it a try.  The recipe from Cook's Illustrated was called "BEST VEGETARIAN CHILI," so it had to be good--almost as good as this.

Don't forget to garnish with cilantro, like I did!

I made a few changes to the original recipe, reflected below.

Recipe:     
Meaty Chili

• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 - 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained (but save the juice in a bowl)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 8 ounces canned green chiles, drained
• 8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons oregano
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 pounds onions, finely diced
• 1.25 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 4 - 15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups water (plus more as needed)
• 2/3 cup bulgur 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

First, process three separate batches of ingredients.  There's no need to clean out the food processor between each batch--it's all going in the same pot in the end! 

• Process the walnuts for about 30 seconds or until a coarse powder forms.  Remove from food processor and set aside.  
• Then, process the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeno, garlic, and soy sauce until the tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
• Finally, blend the chiles, mushrooms, and oregano until finely ground.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside. 

Next, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until onions begin to brown.  Lower the heat to medium, add the mushroom mixture and cumin, and cook for another minute.  Then add the beans, water, bulgur, walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice.  Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes until the chili is thick and flavorful.  If you need to add more water during this time, feel free to do so.*

 

Once the chili is cooked, garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:           

This chili has a truly meaty taste--not in the sense that it tastes like meat, but rather that it has a full, deep flavor and a substantive texture.  The mushrooms, walnuts, and other ground up ingredients really come together to create a nice, thick chili base, and the beans add a bit of textural variety.  Even Simon--the carrot-rating deflator that he is--thought this recipe deserves four carrots.  If I were to improve the recipe, I'd add another jalapeno to the mix because the chili wasn't very spicy. 

Accessibility:        

There are a bunch of ingredients in this recipe, but we were able to find them all at our usual grocery store.  We had the most trouble finding bulgur, and for some reason the box of bulgur we did find had soy bits in it, too; but, it ended up working out fine. 

 Ease of Preparation:          

Thanks to our food processor, there's not a whole lot of chopping involved in this recipe.  It does take a while to cook. 

Non-vegan friendliness:         

This recipe yields a really tasty dish that would satisfy any appetite.  Plus, chili is pretty customizable: Simon and Rachel topped theirs with cheese and sour cream.    

* Note: we used too much water when we made the chili (I didn't properly account for the fact that the beans were already cooked), so I ended up bailing water out of the pot.  The recipe above reflects the amount of water that I left in the pot, but feel free to adjust as you see fit. 

Rajma Masala with Spinach

While I do still find time to cook in between applying for jobs, blogging has fallen by the wayside.  I made it a point to blog about the delicious red kidney bean dish we made last week, though.  We made Rajma Masala with Spinach--a creamy, filling Indian dinner. 

Rajma Masala served with rice and a samosa wrap.

Recipe:     
Rajma Masala with Spinach

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (or just add equal parts ground black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon)
• 1 red chili pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup unflavored tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 - 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 - 15.5 ounce can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 9 ounce bag fresh spinach (or more or less, to taste)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream

First, heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until it begins to brown.  Then add the ginger, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently.

Next, add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, garam masala, chili pepper, tomato sauce, and cilantro. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Then add enough water to get a saucy consistency.

Finally, add the beans, spinach, and salt and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and flavors have combined. Remove from heat, mix in sour cream, and serve immediately with rice.

Serves 4-6

Comments:

Taste:       

The creaminess of this dish was definitely the highlight.  Rachel was pleasantly surprised that we were able to bring the smooth texture that she loves about Indian food to a vegan dish.  The dish wasn't too spicy--especially when combined with rice--but it still had a rich, complex flavor. 

Accessibility:    

At first glance, this dish might seem unmanageable.  Between the fairly unusual spices and the vegan sour cream, this recipe loses some of its accessibility.  However, we were able to find all of these spices and the vegan sour cream (Tofutti brand) at our usual grocery store.  You might be surprised what you can find quite easily these days.

 Ease of Preparation:        

This is a pretty straightforward recipe.  The Rajma Masala doesn't take too long to make, but rice can take a while.  Just be sure to start the rice before beginning this recipe.

Non-vegan friendliness:       

As I mentioned, we all loved the taste and texture of this dish.  Even though it was filling, we all wanted more.  I wrote that it serves 4-6 because it barely got the three of us through 2 dinners!

Simple Vegetable-Patata Soup

This week we made one of the simplest one-pot meals imaginable (and it was tasty, too): Vegetable-Patata Soup.  I like to think of this soup as a Latino minestrone soup because it's chock full of tomatoes and vegetables with some south-of-the-border spice and potatoes. 

It's such a hearty soup!

Recipe:    
Simple Vegetable-Patata Soup

• 2 cups red potatoes, washed, de-eyed, and diced
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes
• 10 ounces frozen corn
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• A few shakes of salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a large soup pot.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then lower the heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have combined.  

 

Serve with fresh bread for dunking.  Yields 6 hearty servings. 

Comments:

Taste:          

I was pleasantly surprised by this soup.  The flavors are neither impressive nor complicated; however, I appreciated the fact that it was spiced without being spicy and had a warm, hearty flavor. 

Accessibility:  

The ingredients in this dish are both inexpensive and easy to find.  

 Ease of Preparation:      

There's nothing easier than putting ingredients in a pot and letting them cook for a half hour!

Non-vegan friendliness:      

The heartiness of this soup makes for a filling, non-vegan friendly dish.  Plus, you could swap different vegetables  in or out of the soup to please any palate. 

Cool Caribbean Curry with Plantains

Last night was a night of firsts for the ladies and gentleman of this apartment: we used both plantains and black-eyed peas for the first time.  I'm just as surprised as you are that we hadn't cooked up some black-eyed peas before now (seriously, though, I think my soft spot for black-eyed peas can only be attributed to the fact that they remind me of black-eyed Susans).  Our adventure was successful, as you can see:

Warning: This is Not Your Average Curry.

Recipe:   
Cool Caribbean Curry with Plantains

• 3 very ripe plantains, peeled, split lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 large red pepper, diced finely
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 4.5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/8 cups lite coconut milk
• 1 1/8 cups water
• 2 - 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 teaspoons honey
• 1.5 teaspoons lime juice
• 3 cups brown rice, prepared according to package instructions

 

First, steam the plantains.  Insert a steamer basket or metal sieve into a medium-sized saucepan and add an inch or two of water (the water should be below the bottom of the steamer basket/seive).  Bring the water to a boil and place the plantains in the steamer basket/seive.  Cover the pot and steam for about 10 minutes or until the plantains look bright yellow and plump.  Drain the water, re-cover the plantains to keep them warm, and set aside. 

Meanwhile, prepare the curry.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and peppers and sauté for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, ginger, and bay leaves and continue cooking for another two minutes.  Next, add a splash of water and stir in the curry powder, cinnamon, and thyme.  Mix for 30 seconds before adding the salt, coconut milk, water, and black-eyed peas.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.  Finally, add the honey and lime juice and any extra salt or seasoning, to taste.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  

 

To serve, spoon the curry over a bed of brown rice and top with plantains.  Yields 6 servings.

Comments:

Taste:         

This dish is both visually appealing and pleasing to the palate.  The colors are as bright as the flavors.  The creamy coconut milk tempers the curry powder and jalapeno, so the dish is really more mild than spicy.  And I really enjoy the meatiness of the plantains--they're really nice to bite into, which is a sensation that is often missing in many vegan recipes. 

Accessibility: 

Despite the fact that Uganda was the top producer of plantains in 2009 (according to Wikipedia) and I live in the U.S., we had no trouble finding them at the grocery store--along with all of the other ingredients.  Isn't it funny how that works?

 Ease of Preparation:     

This dish depends pretty heavily on having the kitchen tools needed to steam the plantains (or you can always do this).  That said, the actual cooking process is pretty simple.    

Non-vegan friendliness:      

We all enjoyed this dish.  Simon says that the hearty plantains are a welcome addition to the meal.