Hoppin’ John is a traditional new year’s meal in the Southern U.S., thought to bring good luck and prosperity.  I was mostly concerned with the good luck – so far, so good.  It features black-eyed peas (legume, not band) and the frugal favorite, ham.

7-8 c cooked black-eyed peas*
5-6 c broth (veg or chicken)
1 c ham, chopped (or a ham hock if your butcher has them)
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 c cooked rice (wild rice is excellent)
1 lg can diced tomatoes
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 jalapenos, chopped (remove the seeds from 1 or 2, depending on how hot you want it)
1 t paprika
1 t thyme leaves
1 t cumin
.5 t chili powder
1 T Worchestire sauce

After beans are cooked, or drained from the can as the case may be, set them aside.  Saute onions in 1-2 T of oil for 5-6 min, then add celery, peppers, garlic and saute for another few minutes.  Add tomatoes slowly as mixture starts to stick to pan.  Add remaining ingredients (except black-eyed peas and broth) and saute for another couple minutes.  Add beans and broth.  Simmer for a few hours for best flavor.

Delicious add-ons: chopped green onions, cheddar and hot sauce.

*Use dried beans to reduce sodium, save cash and reduce the use of tin cans.  Soak them overnight, rinse, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. If using a ham hock, boil it with the beans to create your broth.

A little creation using collard greens from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Southern MN, Featherstone Farms. The parmesan rind adds a nice tang and you’ve got a healthy and fiber-filled dinner inside of an hour.

1 c dried chickpeas
1 c dried great northern beans
1 c dried kidney beans
2 med onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 lg carrots, chopped
4-6 c collard greens, chopped

2-3 T tomato paste
1/2 c red wine
2 t honey, preserves or other sweetener
2 qts broth

1 parmesan rind
2 T dried roasted red Coug peppers*
4 sage leaves, crumbled
1 T oregano
3 bay leaves
2 dried hot peppers
2-3 t grated parmesan for each bowl

Bring 2 pots of water to boil, one for the whites, the other for the reds. Add beans, bring to boil, then simmer for an hour or so. Once soft, drain beans and set aside.

Saute onions, garlic and carrots for 5 min. Add tomato paste, stir, then add wine. Reduce until wine is no longer visible and puree mixture in a food processor. Add sweetener, parm rind, herbs and bay leaves. Saute for a jif, then add 1 c of broth. Simmer mixture for a few minutes. Add cooked beans and remaining broth and simmer for 45 min. Add hot peppers**, kale and cook for another 20 minutes. Top with parmesan and serve.

*For those of you without access to Coug peppers, substitute a mild red pepper mix. Or chopped red pepper. It would work without too.

**Remove the hot peppers after an hour or so unless you want a HOT dish.

This makes a MESS of red beans and rice and makes wallets happy.  Perfect for a fall Sunday dinner with plenty of leftovers for the week’s lunches.

It’s possible to make it vegetarian by omitting the pork products but I fear it will never taste as good without a little piggly wiggly.  I use more beans than the standard recipe to increase fiber.

6 c. cooked red beans
4 c. cooked rice (combo of white and brown works well)
1 lb spicy pork sausage
2 T canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
7 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T paprika
1.5 T thyme
1 T pepper
2 T Worchestire sauce
7 c veg broth (or chicken)
2 slices cooked, uncured bacon
4 bay leaves
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Cook up beans and rice and set aside.  Saute sausage in canola oil.  When nearly cooked through, add onions and peppers.   Saute for 4-5 min.  Add chopped garlic.  Saute for 1-2 min then add spices and herbs.  Saute w/ spices and herbs for 1-2 min more.

Add beans and rice, stir, then add worchestire sauce and broth.  Bring pot to just below a boil, add bacon and bay leaves, cover partially, and reduce heat to low.  Cook on low for 1 hour, then turn off heat, cover pot and allow to sit for 3 hours for flavors to marry.

Top with chopped green onions if you have them.  It’s dandy without too.

Thanks to Burk Cooks for the photo.

I once read that lentils are the “Ms. Congeniality” of the bean world.  I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve made them about 20 different ways and they’re always hearty and tasty.  Loaded with protein, low in fat and quick – a healthy eating trifecta.

For this recipe I used red lentils.  They don’t hold their shape and create a thick, creamy dish.  If you want it to be a little chewy, use green or french lentils.  You can make them thick or thin, depending on the amount of broth you add.

Interesting lentil facts: about half the world’s lentil production takes place in India but Saskatchewan, Canada, is the world’s largest exporter.

1 onion
1 c carrots
.5 jalapeno
6 plum tomatoes or a small can of chopped tomatoes
1.5 T curry powder
1 t cumin
1 t garam masala
1 t hot peppers
4 c lentils
6 c vegetable broth
1 small can coconut milk

Mince the onions, garlic and jalapeno. Grate the carrots.  And if you have one of my beloved mini-food processors, blend them into a paste that way.  Saute onions and carrots in oil for 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic, jalapeno and spices, and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes finely (or blend) and add to the pot.  Add broth and bring to a strong simmer.  Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes stirring regularly.  Add broth or water if needed and add the coconut milk last.

Living in Barcelona for a short stint with a kitchen the size of a thumb tack has forced me into taking a simplistic approach to cooking.  It’s good exercise.  Our cooking supplies are: 2 burners, 1 saute pan, 1 small pot, 1 large pot, 1 plastic spoon.

Ingredients are FABULOUS and we can pick up fresh supplies about every 100 yards at the fruit and vegetable purveyors.  This recipe makes lunch in about 5 minutes.  As usual, simplicity produces splendid results.  Muy bien!

(yes, I know, I really need to start taking photos…)

1 sm onion
2 cloves garlic
1 hot pepper
4 slices salami, chopped

.5 c tomato sauce
.5 c garbanzos
3 c spinach

oil
black pepper
salt
red pepper
2-3 T slivered manchego cheese

Chop onions, mince garlic and hot pepper.  Saute for a few minutes in olive oil.  Sprinkle black pepper, red pepper and salt to taste.  Add chopped salami, saute for about 1 min. then add tomato sauce and garbanzos and saute for another min.  Add chopped spinach then cover pan for a min. to slightly wilt spinach.  Toss everything and serve with slivers of manchego.