Creamed Peas & New Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

1 pound new potatoes or small red potatoes, halved or quartered if the potatoes aren’t tiny

Large pinch or two of kosher salt

1 cup sweet peas (English, green, garden, shell), shelled

Pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1-2 tablespoons red or yellow onions, finely chopped, optional

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk (or half & half or cream)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to boil in two medium-large saucepans. Add potatoes to one pot along with pinches of salt. Boil for about 10 minutes or until fork tender, then drain and set aside.  

Add peas to the other pan along with a pinch of sugar. Cook until just tender, 3-5 minutes, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Then add onion if you’re using and stir until onion is softened. Stir in flour and continue stirring for about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk and continue stirring until well combined. Add drained peas and potatoes to the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened.

Taste and add more seasoning as desired.

Serve immediately.

++Note: If you don’t want to dirty up three pans, you could make this dish using only one large sauce pot. First, boil the potatoes and drain them. Then boil the peas in the same pot and drain them. And finally, use the same pot to make the sauce and add the peas and potatoes back into the sauce in that same pot.

Braised Cabbage

Bacon fat or olive oil, enough to cover bottom of pan ¼ inch or so

½ head green cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces

½ yellow onion, chopped

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar or monk fruit sweetener

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Heat bacon fat or olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until cabbage and onions are completely softened, being careful not to burn the veggies, turning heat down to low if necessary. Cover the pan and keep on very low heat until ready to serve.

Please note that this recipe can be easily doubled; just make sure you use a bigger pot for cooking it.

Happy Lemon-y Hummus

1 can (approx. 2 cups) garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), drained, liquid reserved
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 large lemon
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Put everything except parsley in food processor or heavy-duty blender. Begin to process until
smooth, adding bean liquid, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to produce a smooth
consistency. Serve with parsley, a dash of cumin, and a swirl of olive oil on top! Great with pita
bread, chips, and veggies.

Family Chicken Cacciatore

6-8 chicken pieces, your choice – boneless or bone-in, skinless or skin-on
Salt
Pepper
½ cup flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, thickly sliced
3-4 bell peppers, any color, thickly sliced (seeds removed)
4-5 garlic cloves, diced
1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms, fresh or canned, optional
½ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
¾ cup white wine or broth or water
1 x 28-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes with juice
Fresh parsley & grated Parmesan for serving

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Dredge lightly in flour. Heat oil and butter on medium-high in heavy, oven-proof skillet or pot. Brown chicken on both sides (in batches if necessary so as not to crowd in pan).

Adjust heat as necessary. Set browned chicken aside. Add fresh veggies to same pot on medium heat and stir a few times. Add spices to pot, stir again. Add wine to pot and heat til bubbling. Stir in canned tomatoes then add chicken
pieces into pot. Cover pot and place in oven for 45 minutes.

Remove lid and cook another 15 minutes.
Serves 4-6

*This dish can be served by itself or with pasta, rice or polenta.

Stephanie’s Favorite Veggie Bowl

** this is vegan + gluten free

Stephanie’s Favorite Veggie Bowl

1 cup of FORBIDDEN RICE (black rice)

2 teaspoons coconut oil

2 cups brussels sprouts (halved or quartered)

1 medium size sweet potato (diced)

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup torn basil

1/4 cup torn mint

1 avocado, pitted + diced

1 Tablespoons black sesame seeds

Sriracha

Lime slices

Sauce

1 tablespoons tamari or amino acids

2 small garlic cloves

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon cane sugar (I use coconut sugar)

2 tablespoon water

1/4-1/2 tsp of chili flakes (to taste)

Cook the rice according the instructions. Keep warm.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind/amino acids, minced garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, water + chilies. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brussels sprouts + sweet potato along with a pinch of salt. Let sear 2-3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until tender.

Remove from heat.

Serve the rice in bowl, top with the brussels sprouts, sweet potato. Drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with the green onion, basil, mint + black sesame seeds. Serve with sriracha + lime slices.

Maybelle Carter’s Home-canned Half-Sour Pickles

MAYBELLE CARTER’S HOME-CANNED HALF-SOUR PICKLES from THE CASH & CARTER FAMILY COOKBOOK – Recipes and Recollections from Johnny & June’s Table

*Taken from The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook by John Carter Cash. Copyright © 2018 by Cash Cabin Enterprises, LLC. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com

Small to medium whole Kirby or other heirloom cucumbers, just enough to fill the jar (uniform size if possible)

4 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

2 quarts bottles spring water of another type of water with absolutely no chlorine

2 large bunches fresh dill

Garlic

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

½ tablespoon black peppercorns

3 to 6 oak, grape, or muscadine leaves of 2 tablespoons strawberry leaves

Half-gallon glass Mason or Bell jar

Glass fermentation weight

Cut just the tops of the cucumbers off. In a large bowl mix together the salt with the water and stir until dissolved. Add a third of the dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to the jar, plus half of the leaves. Then pack in the cucumbers to the halfway mark on the jar. (Packing the cucumbers can be an art; be careful not to bruise the crunchy vegetables in the process.) Add another third of the dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, and all but one of the leaves. Fill the jar with the remaining cucumbers, to within ½ inch of the top of the jar. Add the remaining dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, plus one final leaf. Pour the brine solution over the pickles, completely covering them.

Push the fermentation weight on top of the cucumbers, fully submerging them in the brine. (Using the glass wright ensures that none of the cucumbers are exposed to the air where they are vulnerable to bacteria.) Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, like cheesecloth, and secure with a rubber band. Let sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 days; the longer the fermentation, the less crispy the pickle. Once done fermenting, cover the jar with a metal lid, and refrigerate. These pickles can last for months in the fridge.

Makes ½ gallon.

Empanada Dough

Empanada Dough

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes or SHREDDED (it’s easy to shred chilled or frozen butter with a handheld shredder)

1 large egg

1/3 cup ice water (or more if needed)

1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingers until mixture is crumbly with butter pieces the size of peas.

Beat together egg, 1/3 cup water and vinegar with a fork. If mixture is having a hard time incorporating, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. It will be a bit shaggy at this point. Turn mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, just enough to bring dough together. Press dough out into a flat rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

Remove dough from fridge and roll out into a very flat rectangle. Using a biscuit cutter or tin can or glass or whatever, cut the dough into approximately 5-inch rounds or whatever size you prefer.

Makes about 12 pastries.

Easy Jerk Seasoning

2 Tablespoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar)

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

1 Tablespoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cayenne (or more if you want it spicier!)

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in a jar with a lid. Use generously to season pork, chicken, etc.

Jerk Pork & Veggie Filling

1 ½- 2 cups leftover cooked pork, beef or chicken, shredded or diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced small

1 medium white or red potato, peeled and diced small

1/3 of a large white/yellow onion, diced small

Jerk seasoning, to taste

2-3 Tablespoons cotija cheese (or pepper jack or cheddar or whatever you prefer)

Dice leftover meat and set aside. Saute carrots, potato and onion in a small amount of vegetable oil or olive oil or even butter. Stir in meat and sprinkle with jerk seasoning. Stir on low until mixture is heated through. Stir in cheese. Set aside to cool.

Meantime, roll out empanada dough and cut into circles. Once filling is cooled, spoon a bit into center of each circle then fold circle in half and pinch to close. You can also use a fork to seal the edges.

You can fry the empanadas in a skillet of hot canola oil a few at a time until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Or you can lightly oil a baking sheet, place empanadas on the sheet and spread a bit of egg/milk mixture on top, and bake at 350 until golden brown, turning at least once. I tried both frying and baking and liked both results! If you are baking them, plan on it taking 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your empanadas and your oven. Just keep an eye on them. If you’re frying them, make sure your oil is hot (it should sizzle if you put drops of water in it) and fry only a few at a time, turning until golden brown.

You can eat this straight up or dip in salsa or avocado dip or sour cream or whatever you like!

Makes about a dozen.

Braised Pork Bowls

Braised Pork Chops

3-4 boneless pork chops

Salt

Pepper

Spice rub (see recipe below)

Oil

Water

Season both sides of pork chops. Swirl oil into hot skillet. Brown/Sear pork on both sides. Pour a bit of water into skillet, turn heat to low and cover skillet with lid. Let pork cook in liquid until tender.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves 4

Pork Spice Rub

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together. Rub generously onto pork chops before searing/braising.

Fast & Easy Polenta

I love the Golden Pheasant brand of polenta … and usually just follow the Quick Polenta (microwave recipe) on back of package but add extra butter, milk and cheese.

¾ cup polenta

3 cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

¼ cup half & half or cream

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix the polenta, water and salt in a 3-quart glass bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove and stir briskly until well blended. Microwave for another 2-3 minutes, then whisk in butter, cream and cheese. Add more cream as desired to get the texture you prefer.

Serves 4

Fried Apples

Rinse, peel, core and slice apples (4-6 large apples- any variety)

Melt a 4 tablespoons butter in a hot non-stick skillet. Turn heat to medium and stir in a ½ cup brown sugar until sugar is melted into butter. Add apple slices and sprinkle cinnamon generously on top. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until apples are softened but not completely mushy.

Serves 4

BRAISED GREENS with BEANS

4 bunches of greens, your choice – can be mixed or just one kind – mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, beet greens, Swiss chard

Clean greens, remove the center stems and slice the leaves into small ribbons.

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

1 ½ cups chicken broth (or veggie broth or plain water)

1 can white or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, optional

Heat olive oil over med-high heat in large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion & garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant, 4 or 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Add greens in batches as they wilt down (if using Swiss chard, do NOT ADD yet).

Pour broth into pot and cook 15 minutes. THEN ADD SWISS CHARD if using and can of beans.

Cover and simmer at least five more minutes or let simmer on stove until ready to use in dish or eat.

Taste … season with more salt and pepper or red wine vinegar/lemon if desired.

Serves 4

Balsamic Gastrique Glaze

1 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar or honey

Mix vinegar with sugar or honey in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar

has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until glaze is reduced by half. This will probably take only 10-15 minutes. Glaze should coat the back of a spoon. Drizzle over the assembled pork bowl.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Braised Pork Bowl

For each bowl, spoon polenta into bottom of bowl. Place a big spoonful of Greens & Beans beside and partially on top of polenta. Lay pork chop across the polenta and greens. Dollop fried apples on top of pork. Drizzle balsamic glaze over entire dish.