Fa la la la la…fel

No, this post isn’t about Christmas or winter. Though it was snowing Friday morning, April 1st. Get yourself in check, Mother Nature!

Anyway, the first time I had falafel was while working in my dad’s office at Rutgers University the summer before my senior year of college. My dad, the purveyor of hidden deliciousness, brought me to a little restaurant across from the Middlesex County Courthouse; G&P Lebanese Pastry & Fast Foods. I immediately fell in love, and have been meaning to try my own for awhile.

Thankfully, the recipe I wound up using didn’t require me to deep-fry the falafel. As we all know, I haven’t yet mastered the whole hot oil and frying thing just yet. I’m still trying though – I wont’ give up! Aside from the fact that hot oil isn’t my friend in the kitchen, this baked version also means they’re at least slightly healthier. The recipe comes from The Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook, which is seriously right up my alley. All of the recipes are quick, easy, and best of all, cheap. The falafels were no different, though I did have some trouble locating the tahini, but I didn’t give up and eventually found it in ShopRite (we really need to find a better grocery store).

I think these bad boys would be great on a bed of lettuce, as a Middle Eastern burger, or just how we had them – in a pita with lettuce, hummus, feta, and hot sauce. Yum!

Falafel via Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook
– makes about 8 patties –

Ingredients:
1/2 medium red potato (I wound up throwing in a whole small red potato)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp paprika (I did a full tsp)
1 Tbsp parsley (I omitted)
Salt
Pepper

Optional ingredients:
Whole wheat pita
Feta cheese
shredded lettuce, tomato, and onion
Tsiziki sauce
Hot sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the potato into 1-inch chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot of water (enough to fully cover potatoes), and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
3. While the potato cooks, heat the oil in a small skillet and slowly sauté onion until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, mash the beans, potato, and lemon juice. Add the onion, garlic, tahini, paprika, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste; stir to combine. The mixture will have a consistency similar to cookie dough.
5. Lightly oil a baking sheet with vegetable oil/spray. Spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet, forming 3-inch pancakes. Place in the oven and bake for 15-minutes.

Breakfast for dinner: Huevos Rancheros

I finally got around to making the huevos rancheros I had planned for last week, on Monday. It was yet another edition of breakfast for dinner. We still had a bunch of corn tortillas left from when I made fish tacos, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try and finally use them up. For whatever reason, ShopRite doesn’t sell ripe, or almost ripe avocados (at least at the one near me). So, if you want a ripe avocado you need to buy it at least 2 weeks in advance. Unfortunately this meant no avocado on our huevos rancheros, but at least I’ll be able to use them in two weeks… So frustrating!

This is a quick and easy dinner, but can definitely be made any time of the day. I don’t really know much about “traditional” huevos rancheros, so I kind of just did my own thing, based on the flavors I tend to enjoy most in burritos, tacos, etc. I really like the idea of being able to customize the meal depending on what you’ve got in your pantry, and how you feel that day. These would be great for brunch, with a whole bunch of toppings laid out like a finxin’s bar so everyone can pick and choose. I should have a brunch party soon!

Huevos Rancheros
– Makes 4 –

Ingredients:
4 small corn tortillas
4 eggs
1/2 cup shredded blended cheese
1/4 cup chunky salsa
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 chipotle in adobo, diced
1 serrano chile, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Meanwhile, preheat oil in skillet. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add green pepper, serrano, and chipotle chile, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Once oven is heated, place tortillas directly on the highest oven rack; warm for 3 minutes.
4. Using the same greased skillet, cook each egg over-easy, leaving on either side just until it begins to crisp.
5. Remove tortillas from oven, and spread salsa evenly between four tortillas. As each egg is cooked, add to each tortilla, top with onion and pepper mixture, and finish off with a sprinkle of cheese.
6. Once all tortillas have been topped, put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Springtime Snow Comforts

Having off on Thursday and Friday to take care of some personal things allowed me to get reacquainted with my tiny, but efficient kitchen. Our current kitchen is easily a third of the size of our previous, but the counter space is about the same. Plus, we now have an electric stove, which adds extra counter-space when it isn’t being used. But I digress, as no one is interested in my cooking space (it’s boring).

After I got home, I headed out for a 4-mile run. I had debated the gym all of Wednesday, and when I woke up to an inch of slushy cold snow plastered to my car, was convinced I’d be spending my afternoon with the treadmill. Despite the early morning snow, it really wasn’t that cold out, and by 9am there weren’t any signs of precipitation. So I threw on some tights, a long-sleeve shirt, and sweatshirt, and got to work. I find that when I run in the cold, I feel painfully slow, but am almost always pleasantly surprised with my pace. In the summer, I also feel painfully slow, and that’s usually because I am. At any rate, the 4 miles weren’t all that bad.

After my run, and some quality homework time while cuddling with the cat, I got to work in the kitchen. I found a recipe for a potato, leek, and feta tart on Real Simple. I’ve actually never purchased leeks before, and I probably won’t again for awhile – they were $4 each, and I had to buy two! My fiancé balked at the price and said, “this thing better be good.” So, the pressure was on. It’s definitely a perfect meal for a snowy Spring day. Oh, that pains me to write.

Hopefully I can start making some Spring appropriate dishes soon. I fear we might be skipping Spring and heading right into Summer. We’ll see though…

Potato, Leek, and Feta Tart
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into half-moons
2 small zucchini, cut into half-moons
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Feta (about 2 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 Red Bliss potatoes (8 ounces), thinly sliced
1 store-bought 9-inch piecrust

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Feta and dill. Add the potatoes and toss to combine.
2. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the piecrust to a 12-inch diameter. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture onto the piecrust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edge of the piecrust over the edge of the potato mixture. Bake (covering with foil if the crust gets too dark) until the piecrust is golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

Pretty Pierogis

When I was in college, sometimes the cafeteria would have pierogies at lunch, or even dinner. They were always plain ‘ole potato filled, and swam in a sauce of butter, oil, and sautéed onions. Now don’t get me wrong, they were delicious, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get them most of the time. I knew that if I did, I would likely be spending the rest of the day with stomach pains, as I really can’t handle a lot of grease. For awhile when I was in elementary school, I couldn’t eat pepperoni pizza, and had to blot my pizza while all my classmates looked at me as though I had three heads. But if I didn’t, I was sure to spend the rest of my night in the bathroom – it was no fun.

Thankfully, growing up my parents always baked pierogies when they were made. Though, they were usually served alongside kielbasa, which is pretty greasy in itself (which is why I barely ate it). In cooking them a few times myself (always the frozen kind, though, I haven’t branched out to make my own), I’ve mastered the art of baking them first, and then just throwing them in a pan with already sautéed onions and cabbage just for a few minutes to mix everything together, leaving it still pretty grease-less (though I’ll admit there is a little).

Apparently mother nature has been confused, and even though it was in the high 70’s last Friday, there has been a snow/rain/hail mixture going on since Monday. So, these pierogies were a great warm and hearty dish to have while it was thundersnowing outside on Wednesday night! While I would like to at some point try and tackle making my very own pierogies (or at least a somewhat passable version of them), for now I’ll just stick to the frozen kind. At least this meal is semi-homemade?

Pierogies with Onions & Red Cabbage
– Serves 2 –

Ingredients:
1 box of frozen pierogies, any flavor (I used 4 cheese)
1 medium sized yellow onion, sliced
1/3 cup shredded red cabbage
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add pierogies and cook for 15 minutes.
2. In a skillet, heat oil and add sliced onion. Sautee for 5 minutes. Add salt and cabbage, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until onions and cabbage are soft.
3. Once pierogies are done in the oven, transfer them to the skillet. Combine all the ingredients, and cook together for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking creme and kitchen time

On Monday, I had grand plans of whipping up some huevos rancheros for Meatless Monday, but my plan was foiled when on top of my stressful day, I came home to a note from a professor telling me that my latest homework assignment was incorrect, and in order to get points, I should consider doing it over again. After a serious breakdown (the original assignment took me 4 hours!), I got crackin’ while the fiancé threw together some tortellini for us. I took a break for dinner, and then got back to the homework, finishing in about 2ish hours. So, hopefully I’ll get to try my hand at the recipe I had brewing next week.

I always hate when I miss a day in the kitchen, so I was happy to have time to make something on Tuesday night. After seeing quite a few commercials for the new Philadelphia Crème, and also receiving a $1 off coupon, I decided to pick some up. Of course, I gravitated towards the “Santa Fe” style, and thought it would make a great creamy and cheesey (and quick!) pasta dish. I’m always up for trying new things, and I think this cooking crème is a nice substitute for a healthier version of an alfredo. It comes in four different flavors, so it’s really versatile. The little tub even came with some recipe ideas attached, which was pretty neat!

I’m happy to report that since I started running last week, I’ve tackled 2, 3, and 4 miles! Even though it’s been extremely difficult to breathe (apparently my lungs forgot how to work under pressure), I’ve been able to keep it under 9 minute miles, without pushing myself. It’s nothing spectacular, but considering I really haven’t run since January, and throughout December only ran maybe 3-4 times, I can’t complain! The discomfort in my foot isn’t completely gone, but it goes away within a mile or so of starting the run, and isn’t a pain so much as it just feels “weird.” I’m hoping this means I can finish the race on April 17th (hey, I want that medal!), and then take a little time off before starting again to train for the big guy, the Philadelphia Marathon. Fingers crossed!

But back to the food… I highly recommend checking out the Philadelphia Crème if you’re looking for a quick dish that easily adds a lot of flavor. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty skeptical (and a little weirded out) of the idea at first, but I’m glad I decided to give it a try. It was quick and easy, which has been all I can afford to devote my time to the past few weeks. The semester is thankfully coming to a close in the next few weeks, so hopefully before the next one starts up (it’s never ending!) I’ll get to spend some more time in the kitchen. If only there were more hours in the day…

Baked Southwestern Pasta Skillet
-Serves 4-

Ingredients:
2 cups pasta (I used elbow, you can use any kind you’d like)
3/4 cup black beans
3/4 cup corn
1 can diced tomatoes & jalapenos
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a jack and cheddar combo), plus another 1/2 cup
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp Philadelphia Crème – Santa Fe style
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare pasta according to package
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet, add onion, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add black beans, tomatoes, and corn, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Once pasta is fully cooked, combine in skillet with sauteed mixture, add Philadelphia Crème and 1/2 cup of cheese, making sure to combine evenly.
5. Transfer pasta to a greased baking dish, top with bread crumbs and bake for 10 minutes. Top with remaining cheese, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Working Weekend

Ever have one (or multiple) of those days where you feel like you just don’t stop going and going? Well, that’s how my weekend felt! I’m certainly not complaining, but it left me little time to spend in the kitchen.

On Friday after work, a group of us decided to go to a local Mexican restaurant for happy hour to take advantage of the 70+ degree weather, where they have $2 Sol beers all day, every day. Conveniently, that’s also the name of the restaurant. We wound up hanging out for a solid 3 hours, and ordered some nachos and stuffed jalapenos – delicious! By the time we got home, we were zonked, so fiancé and I each grabbed a slice of pizza from our local pizzeria that we pass on the way home, and caught up on the excess TV we hadn’t finished from Thursday night.

Saturday was all business, but it started out with the fiancé making buttermilk pancakes! While I love cooking, it’s always appreciated when someone else does it for me. After fueling up and enjoying an episode of DC Cupcakes, I hit the books. Four hours later I came up for air, just in time to head to the grocery store! On our trip I picked up some leeks for a recipe later this week. Little did I know that they were about $4 each, and I grabbed two. Holy moly they are expensive! This feta, leek, and potato tart I’m making on Thursday better be delicious. Dinner was a quick peanut stir-fry that I was too hungry to photograph. We then went to see Paul, which was absolutely hilarious, and stopped to take some pictures of the “super moon.”

(source)

Sunday, the “day of rest” was far from it. I was up early to head to my parent’s to meet with a potential wedding florist. After my mom and I did that, we stopped at my favorite bagel spot, Bagel Chateau, where I picked up what I think is one of their best sandwiches. I know it’s New Jersey so everyone assumes we all love “pork roll” or “Taylor ham”… but I’m not a fan. Instead, I got what they call a “dutch,” which is a mixture of eggs, potatoes, and cheese served up on your bagel of choice. It was just what I needed to fuel my run! After a trip to Trader Joe’s my mom and I headed to the park to get our run on. My mom is new to running, so I was super psyched to see her finish an entire mile without stopping! I did three, which is a great feat considering my foot. I’m starting to think I’m back in the running game, but I don’t want to jinx it. I then headed home to finish up even more homework.

(source)

Where was my fiancé during my super busy Sunday, you may ask? Oh, he was just completing his Rita’s Ice Tour, 2011 edition. Last year, I too accompanied him on the adventure, but couldn’t due to my schedule this year. They stopped at 14 Rita’s and sampled a different flavor at each. Head over to his blog to read about it!

I really slacked on Sunday night’s dinner, too. I headed up some Gardin chipotle lime “chicken” strips, and paired it with some southwestern hash-browns. The hash-browns were a nice gussied-up version of just plain ‘ole pan-fried potatoes, and I think would go well at any time of day. Yum!

Southwestern Hash-Browns
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen hash-browns
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Adobo
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
6 Tbsp cooking oil

Directions:
1. Preheat skillet with 3 Tbsp of cooking oil. Add a layer of hash-browns to cover the skillet (2 cups). Cover, and let cook for 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another skillet, preheat 2 Tbsp oil, add sauteed onions, and cook for 5 minutes until onions begin to become translucent. Add black beans and corn, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. After 12 minutes, flip the hash-browns, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
4. Repeat steps 1 and 3.
5. Combine the hash-browns and bean mixture back in the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.

Veggie Calzones

Even though I haven’t been running (but started again this week, yay!), I’ve still been wearing myself thin in terms of everything I’ve been doing. This became apparent on Tuesday morning when I woke up to a raging headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, and the general inability to move. So, I decided it would be in the best interest of not only myself, but my co-workers, to stay home.

I’ve been in full-on wedding planning mode, trying to get as much done as I can in terms of ordering bridesmaid dresses, setting up floral appointments, invitations, and all those other little (but important!) things. This past Sunday I had my first hair and makeup trial, which was awesome. I actually had the opportunity to act as a hair and makeup model for DeVenir Beauty at a tasting event at The Mallard Yacht Club in Manahawkin. The property is absolutely gorgeous, so it was fun to see such a glamours venue. Plus, getting to show off my awesome hair and makeup and hear people say how much they liked it was really fun! Here’s a sneak peak at the back (I don’t want to completely give it all away!)…

20110313_195918_004_E — This was at the end of the day, after I took the hair comb out

I started the day off with my last sick day creation, and added almond butter to the mix. After resting for a few extra hours, I was able to get started on the loads of homework I had. My fiancé is always adamant when I’m sick to make sure I’m doing everything I can to get better. So before he left for work he instructed me to take medicine, drink an entire glass of water he placed by the bed, and to rest. Unlike last time, I actually listed to him, and am feeling much better.

Even though I was slated to start running again on Tuesday (2 miles), I pushed it off until later in the week. My fiancé is also going to give it a shot. This is the first time he’ll be running since our half marathon in January. I’ve made a few attempts in the weeks since then, but haven’t been completely discomfort free. I’m hoping that I will be this week, as we’re signed up for a half marathon in April. I have no intention of racing, but would like to complete it so I can get my medal! I’m trying to convince the fiancé to run it with me – it’ll be our last long distance race before we’re married, it would be fun to cross the finish line together!

Since I was home all day, I had an opportunity to make something that took a little more time than the rest of the meals that were planned for the week – veggie calzones! Since I used pre-made pie crust (or you can use premade dough) it was really just a matter of getting all the ingredients together, and then baking it. Thankfully this came out better than my buffalo chicken pizza.

Veggie Calzones
– Serves 2 –

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust or pizza dough
3/4 bag of frozen veggies (any mix you’d like)
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg plus 1 Tbsp of water for the egg wash

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Roll out pie crust or dough on a floured surface, and sprinkle half of the cheese on just one half of the dough
3. Heat oil in skillet, and add onions and veggies. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes, until the veggies are starting to get tender
4. Add vegetable mix on top of cheese, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Carefully fold the empty side atop the filling, making sure to roll the edges together
5. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water together. Using a pastry brush (or spoon if you don’t have one) coat the dough with the egg wash.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cut in half or in quarters, and enjoy!

A Spicy Fat Tuesday

Never being one to celebrate Mardi Gras (I grew up in New Jersey, and have sadly never been to New Orleans), I decided to play into the “Fat Tuesday” idea this year. While I didn’t gorge myself at every turn, I thought it would be a perfect night to make some Chicken(less) Buffalo Pizza! I love buffalo styled sauces, and have had my fair share of buffalo chicken pizza from pizzerias all over. In college, my friends and I always made it a point to stop at the place across the street from the bar before heading home to get our late night fix. So healthy, I know.

The chickenless chicken strips I had picked up at Trader Joe’s last week were meant for my Thai Pizza, but since that was a fail, I’m glad I didn’t waste them. Instead, I put them to good use as a nice barrier between the spicy and tangy pizza sauce, and mounds of cheese. Buying these pre-made pizza crusts has been a lifesaver – all you need to do is prepare whatever toppings you’re planning to use, then pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes. How much easier could it get?

Unfortunately my fiance wasn’t a fan… since I mixed the hot sauce with blue cheese dressing, it was just too blue cheese-y for him, as he really doesn’t like it. Apparently he was never much of a fan of the dressing or cheese itself, but after a little food poisoning incident with some moldy fruit snacks, he’s steered clear. So, that left me with an entire pizza to myself… dinner on Tuesday and lunch on Wednesday!

I realize that this is far from what one might call a Fat Tuesday, but hey, I got to enjoy one of my favorite meals that isn’t very healthy, so I’ll take it as a Foodosaurus FT win! And speaking of winning – don’t forget to enter my giveaway – you have until Sunday (3/13) at 9p EDT to enter!

Chicken(less) Buffalo Chicken Pizza
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pizza crust
1/4 cup light blue cheese dressing
1/4 cup buffalo sauce + 2 Tbsp for drizzling (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
1/2 cup chicken substitute strips (I used Trader Joe’s, but Morningstar makes some good ones, or you can use real chicken!)
1 cup shredded cheese blend (I used cheddar and jack)
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Combine blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce, spread on pizza dough
3. Add chicken atop pizza (strategically placed, of course), and cover with cheese. Drizzle extra sauce on top.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then add scallions, and continue to bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, until crust is golden brown

Meatless Monday: Black Bean and Broccoli Pasta

When I got home from work on Monday, I realized that my favorite part of the day during the week is when I pull into our development and swing around into my spot. It means I can get started in the kitchen, relax and enjoy some TV, workout, and also exercise my brain just a little more for the day with homework. I oftentimes wonder how I fit so much into so few hours, and day dream about what I could do if there were more hours in the day… or at least more hours spent not at work. Even though I’m all for three day weekends all the time, it doesn’t seem like corporate America agrees.

This recipe was inspired by one I found on The Nest. I’m one of those people that subscribes to, or at least puts my e-mail address wherever anyone asks. That results in a LOT of automatically deleted messages every day, but sometimes I find a gem. Enter this recipe, for Black Bean Orecchiette with Spicy Pork and Broccoli. I modified the recipe quite a bit (of course omitting the pork) and it was really good!

I’d like to say per the usual that it was quick and easy. For the most part, it was. But, I had some trouble opening the wine bottle. We don’t have the best openers, so I was left with this, until my fiancé came home to save the day:

The past few days have been about trying new things. On Sunday, I tried my hand at fish tacos. Then on Monday, for this recipe, I got to cook with wine – another first! And aside from my little mishap in opening the wine bottle, it was easy and yummy, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Black Bean & Broccoli Pasta inspired by this The Nest recipe
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
8 oz. pasta (I used elbow, but you can use any kind)
2 medium broccoli crowns, separated into florets
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 Italian long pepper, diced
1/2 cup black beans
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Bring a pot of salt water to boil. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.
2. Once water is boiling, add broccoli for 1 minute to blanch. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to bowl of ice water to cool.
3. Keep the water from the broccoli, and add the pasta to it. Cook for 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse, and set aside in a separate bowl.
4. Dry out the pot, and coat with oil. Once oil is heated, add garlic, onion, pepper, and black beans, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add white wine, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add broccoli and pasta into pot, sprinkle in red pepper flakes, and combine, making sure to heat through, about 5 minutes.

**DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY! Head here for your chance to win a bag of TERRA Blues Chips!

They can’t all be winners

I love party food. This means chips, pizza, appetizers, and of course desserts. Obviously, I don’t have parties too frequently, and they aren’t necessarily the best for you (by default), so they’re more of a treat than a regular occurrence. But, with a little tweaking they can be healthier, and incorporated into more meals (at least I think so).

Prior to my trip to Trader Joe’s on Saturday, I check out their Fearless Flyer to see what deals they had, and also perused their website where they have just a few favorite recipes listed. I was immediately drawn to the Thai Chicken Pizza recipe, since it seemed so different. I’m always up for pizza, because as one of my fiancé’s teeshirts boasts, pizza is the best!

Unfortunately this pizza wasn’t as good as I had hoped. I think it might have been the peanut satay sauce used solely as the sauce for the pizza – it was a little too much. The cheese, scallions, carrot, and cabbage mix worked nicely, though. I left out the chicken because I forgot to grab the Chickenless Chicken strips I purchased from TJ’s out of my parent’s fridge when I was leaving. Maybe the lack of chicken was the culprit. Oh well, I’m just going to have to make up for it by making some Chickenless Buffalo Chicken Pizza next week.

My other culinary adventure this week, though, turned out to be a success. I made a Smokin’ Hoppin’ John, from The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook by Kim O’Donel. I’ve seen variations of this recipe in quite a few different places, but finally settled on giving this variation a try, mainly because I already had the cookbook out when I was trying to plan our meals for the week.

Since I had the opportunity to throw it all in a pot and let it simmer for 25 minutes, it provided the perfect opportunity for me to fold the laundry pile that continued to grow as the week progressed. I also got to squeeze in a 45 minute yoga practice before starting to cook, and everything was ready in a reasonable amount of time. And I had leftovers… hello lunch!

Smokin’ Hoppin’ John via The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook
– Serves 6 –

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped coarsely
1 cup uncooked medium or long grain rice (I used long)
1/2 Tsp smoked paprika
1 (20-oz) bag frozen black-eyed peas
2-3 cups water or vegetable stock (I used water)
1/4 cup beer you like to drink (optional, but I added it!)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tsp salt or soy sauce (I used smoked salt)
scallions, grape tomatoes, chopped parsley, shredded cheddar, and/or hot sauce as garnishes

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the aromatics. Allow to toast for 1 minute. Add the smoked paprika and stir to coat.
3. Add the peas, followed by 2 cups of water, the beer (if using), and the chipotle chile. If not using beer, add 1/4 cup of water in it’s place. Bring to a lively simmer, lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. At 25 minutes, check the rice for both doneness and moisture. The rice and peas should be moist, but not super soupy. If the mixture is too dry, add additional liquid, a few Tbsp at a time (up to 1 cup). Return to the lid and allow to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the salt or soy sauce, stir, and taste, adding more as you see fit.
5. Serve hot with any or all fixins <– I used shredded cheddar, and a chipotle hot sauce