Black-eyed pea and Hominy Texas Caviar

Black-eyed pea and Hominy Texas Caviar

by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

Black-eyed pea and Hominy Texas Caviar

Black-eyed Pea and Hominy Texas Caviar

This recipe highlights how canned beans can make you popular and happier. For happy, you can quickly toss together this dish as an appetizer, side dish or picnic nibble. It’s a popular party pleaser that also offers flavorful fiber and isn’t calorie dense—just nutrient dense. The recipe was inspired by a self-described “good ol’ boy from Texas” who made his version a popular office pot-luck contribution.

Black-eyed Peas and Hominy Texas Caviar

 

Ingredients:   

1 can (4-ounce) diced roasted green chilies, diced 1 can (15-ounce) Black-eyed peas 1 can (15-ounce) Golden Hominy (white can work also) 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 ½ cup) 3 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt as needed (depends on the salt level of the canned ingredients)

Steps: 

  1. Open cans, drain hominy and peas and add to a mixing bowl.
  2. Dice the red pepper and mince the garlic and add to the hominy mixture.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing elements (garlic, vinegar, olive oil and salt). If you plan to store the bean caviar for 1-2 days before serving you can make a classic vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients except the olive oil and whisk it in slowly to make an emulsion that will hold.
  4. Add the dressing to the hominy mixture and gently mix together
  5. Adjust salt seasoning to taste if needed.
  • 4g of fiber—a flavorful addition to the goal of 25-30 grams of fiber per day
  • Can use green peppers also, red offers a nice color contrast to the chilies
  • Golden hominy tends to have fewer calories, fat and sodium than white hominy
  • Serve as a party topping for crackers (try whole wheat, Wasa rye or Bran crisp crackers).
  • For a side dish, can add crumbled feta or parmesan for additional flavor contrasts
  • Can make 1-2 days in advance, but 2 days causes the beans to soften more and have shed their “skin”

“There are those who adore the black-eyed pea and those who deem it better suited to the provisioning of livestock”

Courtney Bond

    About Me

    The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
    Michele Redmond

    Michele Redmond

    French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

    It's about Making Food First

    Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

    Galettes de Bretagne or Buckwheat Crêpes

    Galettes de Bretagne or Buckwheat Crêpes

    by | Health and Food Culture, Le Blog

    Galettes de Bretagne or Buckwheat Crêpes

    When I ask other Americans about a French food they are most familiar with, crêpes are at the top of the list. In cooking classes, we often make crêpes because they are the easiest fancy food ever.

    “Crêpes have a gourmet mystique

    yet fold into on-the-go street food and with a few tricks are easy to make.”

     

    My favorite types are galettes de Bretagne or buckwheat crêpes which originated from Brittany in Northwest France. Buckwheat (Sarrasin in French) crêpes don’t look or taste like most crêpes served in the U.S. From a sensory perspective, the color, when cooked is a toasty brown, the texture is crispy around the edges and are made thicker than all-purpose flour crepes.

    This first crêpe from Crêperie Josselin in Paris is filled spinach and goat cheese and served with the required alcoholic cider beverage.

    Buckwheat crêpes: healthy, happy eating

    Nutritionally, for people who must eat gluten-free, buckwheat crêpes can expand their food options. But for eaters without restrictions, these are a fun addition to your meal time for both savory and sweet dishes. I will be posting some recipes and nutritional details in upcoming posts.

    Crepe Brittany Josselin ed

    My egg and “lardon” crêpe may cause some hesitation by those avoiding dietary cholesterol but I was hungry after four hours of walking about Paris running errands.

    “I didn’t hesitate because dietary cholesterol doesn’t have a significant impact on blood serum cholesterol levels.”*

    Also, because I don’t eat based on the amount of exercise I do, rather I eat when I feel hungry and what appeals to me per my no-food-rules life.

    I confess to only eating half this crêpe and sadly leaving the rest behind as it was too filling. Next time, I bring a friend to split with me so I can have a salted caramel dessert crêpe!

    Crêperie Josselin https://plus.google.com/104826267487524352578/about?gl=us&hl=en Buckwheat Crêpes josselin

     

     

    *The 2015 Dietary Guidelines and decades of research! This applies to the majority of people even those with high cholesterol blood serum levels; however, there’s always exceptions as everyone is unique.

      About Me

      The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
      Michele Redmond

      Michele Redmond

      French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

      It's about Making Food First

      Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

      Catsup Chutney

      Catsup Chutney

      by | Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

      Catsup Chutney

      Chutneys are fruity, sweet, sour or tangy with some heat from spices and ingredients such as ginger. This fast chutney uses canned tomato sauce as the “fruit” source because it’s available all year round and luscious, sweet tasting tomatoes are hard to find.

      Because this chutney has the texture of traditional catsup, it’s an homage to the old word for ketchup. This chutney can serve many purposes and so it’s a make once, use several times item for your week!

      Use this chutney as a sauce to cook or serve with chicken and salmon or as a condiment on sandwiches or for dipping french fries or fritters into (see crispy chickpea flour shrimp fritters ).

      Catsup Chutney
      Recipe Type: Condiment or Sauce
      Author: Michele Redmond
      Ingredients
      • ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
      • 1 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
      • 1 teaspoon coriander seed, crushed fine (optional)
      • 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce (no herbal seasonings added)
      • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
      • 1/3 cup sugar
      • 3 Tablespoons honey
      • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
      • ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
      • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
      Instructions
      1. Add the cumin and mustard seeds in a pot large enough to contain the recipe ingredients.
      2. Over medium heat, dry toast the seeds until you begin to smell the cumin and/or the mustard seeds may begin to pop—just 1-3 minutes.
      3. Then add the coriander, tomato sauce, ginger, sugar, honey, vinegar, pepper flakes and salt. Mix together.
      4. Turn down heat so that sauce gently simmers. Stir periodically to prevent from sticking. Cook for 40 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened.
      5. Adjust salt seasoning if needed (not to be salty but to balance and enhance the tomato flavor) and add more pepper flakes if a hotter version is desired.
      6. Pull off heat and place in a bowl to cool in the refrigerator if not using upon finishing. The chutney can store refrigerated for up to one week.

       

        About Me

        The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
        Michele Redmond

        Michele Redmond

        French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

        It's about Making Food First

        Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

        Marmalade Apple Chutney

        Marmalade Apple Chutney

        by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

        Marmalade Apple Chutney

        Marmalade apple ginger chutney on sandwiches or tartines.

        Here’s a tartine with the chutney, Italian Spring red onions, crispy slab-smoked bacon and melty, gooey cassarrigoni tallegio cheese.

         

        Marmalade Apple Chutney
        Recipe Type: Condiment
        Author: Chef Michele
        Chutneys have a long and diverse history. This means no one agrees what they are except that fruit is a central ingredient which is most commonly boiled with spices, sugar and vinegar. Vinegar, a central chutney ingredient credited to British influence, increases the shelf-life. Apples, popular in American and British chutneys, are used in this recipe but lemon replaces vinegar to brighten and complement the apple—so enjoy it within 3 days of making. [br][br]To make this chutney more “Indian-style”, you could add some mustard seed and coriander as a start.
        Ingredients
        • Ingredients
        • ¾ cup of low sugar marmalade
        • 1 medium sized gala or red delicious apple, peeled and diced (about ½ cup diced)
        • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely minced
        • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
        • Few pinches red chile flakes (ginger provides the primary heat)
        • ¼ teaspoon Indonesian ground cinnamon (Ceylon works also)
        • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (red wine or cider vinegar can substitute)
        Instructions
        1. [b]Fast non-traditional method: [/b]Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Taste, adjust as needed. Enjoy. [br][br]
        2. [b]Cooked method[/b]: Mix all ingredients together and either cook in a sauce pot on low heat until apples are soft or carefully microwave in a bowl until apples are soft. Taste, adjust as needed. Enjoy. Refrigerate unused portions in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days.
        Notes
        [b]Serving options: [/b][br]1) As jam, no duh. So try on toast, w/ bagels and cream cheese etc.[br]2) Sandwiches (open face tartines or regular sandwiches). Use as is or blend into a spread.[br]a. Chutney, taggliatelli, slice of bacon, red onion sliced thin, arugula[br]b. Chutney P&J, chicken salad—chutney mixed with greek yogurt and add toasted pecans[br]3) Make into a vinaigrette using a blender and adding olive oil or a neutral oil[br]4) A sauce for grilled, pan-roasted or baked chicken, pork, salmon or on top of crispy-fried tofu[br]5) Glaze for any of the above (blend the chutney into a puree) and thin a bit with water[br]6) Use as a topping for vanilla ice cream

          About Me

          The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
          Michele Redmond

          Michele Redmond

          French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

          It's about Making Food First

          Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

          Crispy Chickpea Flour Shrimp Fritters

          Crispy Chickpea Flour Shrimp Fritters

          by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

          Crispy Chickpea Flour Shrimp Fritters

          Shrimp fritters make fun appetizers that pair well with many sauces. Usually, fritters are made with a wheat-based flour, but in this fritter, chickpea flour is the starch substitute providing a crispy crust.

          Chickpea flour (Besan or gram flour) is a nutrient-rich ingredient completely made from chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Spices added to the chickpea flour adds a hint of heat and richer flavors.

          Serve these with catsup chutney (Fast catsup chutney recipe) or a sauce of choice.

          Chickpea Flour Shrimp Fritters

          Recipe Type: Appetizer
          Author: Michele Redmond
          Serves: 22-26 fritters
          Ingredients
          • ¾ cup chickpea flour
          • 3 Tablespoons rice flour* (if you do not have this use instead another ¼ cup chickpea flour)
          • ½ teaspoon baking soda
          • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
          • 1 teaspoon ground sumac (a citrus-like flavor, but is optional)
          • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
          • ¾ cup carbonated or seltzer water (regular water can substitute**)
          • 2 Tablespoons shallots, minced
          • 12 ounces (3/4 pound) shrimp, peeled and chopped roughly into ½ pieces
          • ~1 ½ cup high-heat organic canola oil or vegetable oil
          • *Rice flour is a classic addition to fried batter as it results in a crisper fritter
          • **Carbonated water usually creates a bit lighter, less dense fritter
          Instructions
          1. Place paper towels on a couple plates or a baking sheet.
          2. In a small pan or skillet (about 6” base), heat the oil over a medium-heat burner
          3. In a mixing bowl, mix well with a whisk the flour(s), soda, salt, sumac and cayenne.
          4. Add the water and shallot and mix until smooth. Add the shrimp and mix into batter.
          5. Oil is ready around 350˚F or test by dropping a bit of batter—it should sizzle. The amount of oil used should be able to cover about ¾ of the fritter.
          6. Use a teaspoon, scoop up the batter and release it quickly into the hot oil (do not drop from above).
          7. Leave a half-inch to one inch between fritters. Crowding the pan slows cooking (steam cools the oil) and reduces the “Crunch factor” plus it is easier to turn them over.
          8. Cook until each side is a dark brown color to ensure shrimp cooks completely—they temp at 170˚F+
          9. Remove with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and place on paper towels and do remaining batch.
          10. Serve hot with a chutney, remoulade or sauce of choice or simply fresh lemon wedges.

            About Me

            The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
            Michele Redmond

            Michele Redmond

            French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

            It's about Making Food First

            Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

            I love Paris in the cheese time | French Cheese

            I love Paris in the cheese time | French Cheese

            by | Health and Food Culture, Le Blog

            I love Paris in the cheese time | French Cheese

            In a country that brags about 1,600 types of raw milk cheeses plus pasteurized options, shopping in a French cheese store (Fromagerie) stimulates or anesthetizes your senses depending on your tolerance for an overwhelming variety of options and the unique sensory aroma experience. One of my favorite French cow milk cheeses is Langres from the region of Champagne Ardenne on the Langres plateau. From a sensory experience, the barn-yardy odor hits you first and visually it looks like a tiny orange cake with powdered sugar—the orange color is from annatto seed. The concave cap is sometimes filled with a splash of champagne before eating, but I just dig in to enjoy its bready, earthy, sour-cream, mildly salty, sometimes fruity finish creamy experience. When I visit or work in France, it’s one of my first go-to cheeses. So far, I haven’t found a U.S. equivalent nor an imported version that survives the travel distance or the U.S. pasteurization requirements. If anyone has tried these or knows of any American cheeses with similar characteristics, please share your experiences or send me some cheese please.

            French Cheese Langres | thetasteworkshop.com
            French Cheese Langres | thetasteworkshop.com

            French Cheese Please

            The French get a lot of grief for their high cheese consumption. That they eat so much of it, so often, and without weight or health concerns. They even have verifiable better health outcomes than us Americans who may worry about frequently eating French cheese or any cheese. I explore these French eating paradoxes in other posts, but for now I propose that cheese can be a healthy part of a diet, presuming you’re not, sadly, lactose intolerant.

            The biggest cheese challenge I have in France is which of the 1,000+ officially designated types of cheese to buy and not whether it’s “healthy”.

              About Me

              The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
              Michele Redmond

              Michele Redmond

              French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

              It's about Making Food First

              Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

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