WHAT’S ON HAND VEGETABLE SOUP

 

Here is a simple recipe for chunky vegetable soup using ingredients that you have on hand. This is easy to make and can be served as a starter or as a main course. Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand.

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 cups water or low sodium or low fat vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced
1 cup cut green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh peas
1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, or other greens
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft.

Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

May all the dear ones in your life endure a life of happiness in 2017

Buffalo Wings are the number one go to food for your Superbowl party

BAKED BUFFALO WINGS
These easy to make hot wings are crispy without being fried. Always yummy to snack on.

Wings
5 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°. Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Place all ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Divide wings between prepared racks and spread out in a single layer. Bake wings until cooked through and skin is crispy, 45-50 minutes.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil; top with a wire rack. Add half of wings to glaze (sauce) and toss to evenly coat. Place wings in a single layer on prepared rack and bake until glaze is glossy and lightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes. If you don’t have a wire rack, coat your foil-lined baking sheets with non-stick spray to be sure that the wings don’t stick to the foil. Space out the wings more so that the heat can circulate get them as crispy as possible.

Nana Sweet Wing Glaze (sauce)
1 1/2 cups any variety barbecue sauce
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons prepared mustard or spicy mustard
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* Tabasco to taste, optional
In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey, spicy mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Pour sauce over chicken wings.


Toss remaining half of wings in Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately (no need to bake).

Buffalo Wing Sauce
     8 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce (Frank's is the brand used in Buffalo)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, and over low heat bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then turn off.

Let me know what team you want to win or give me your best guest on what team is going to win. Just enjoy the game.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and may all the dear ones in your life endure a life of happiness this year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my house to your's 

It is a long-standing tradition in African American families to indulge in a family or communal New Year's Day dinner featuring cabbage or greens, which symbolize greenbacks (paper money), black-eyed peas which symbolize coins and both giving good luck for the New Year. Try my recipes for black-eye-peas and greens.

 

BLACK EYED PEAS

Ingredients:

1 pound black-eyed peas or 2 package of frozen

4 cups water

1 small onion chopped

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 or 2 smoked turkey tails

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Thoroughly pick and wash the black-eyes peas in strainer picking out small pebbles. Place peas in pot and add water covering the peas, place in refrigerator for 24 hours.  Drain and place into large  pot  (If frozen just place into the pot). Combine with salt, pepper, onion, water and turkey tails.  You can add crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. Bring to rapid boil, cover and reduce heat simmer for 1½ to 2 hours or until tender.

 

 

COLLARD GREENS

Ingredients
1 pound smoked turkey tails
5 bunches collard greens - rinsed, trimmed and chopped (4 bags of *pre-washed greens
2-3 cups water (just to cover the meat)
5 cups chicken stock or (low sodium chicken stock in the can or cartons)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

Preparation:
In an extra large pot, bring smoked turkey tails and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 30 hour.

Immerse greens in a sink full of water and wash well to remove sand and grit. Lift out, drain water, fill sink, and repeat the procedure approximately 3 or 4 times to ensure they are clean and free of sand, grit and insects. Cut out the thickest part of stems that runs down the center and coarsely chop the greens.

Increase the heat under the smoked turkey tails to medium-high; add about 1/3 of the greens to the pot. Cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Add remaining greens in two more batches, until all the greens fit into the pot.

Stir in the broth, garlic, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally about 2 hour or until the greens are tender. When done taste and adjust **seasoning.
smoked turkey tails and cut meat from bones. Dice and add back to the greens. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, pass the juices (also known as pot liquor) for dipping cornbread.

*wash your pre-washed greens just one time, yes they need to be washed because no respectful soul sister would just dump a bag in the pot.
** If it need a little salt, this is the time to add the salt.