Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas {#dairyfree} & Cross Country Skiing at Teacup {#MtHood #Oregon}

Happy New Year, friends!  Does it still count?  Did you have a good start into the New Year?  We certainly did - all chill just the four of us having Raclette, sparkling apple juice for the ladies and other sparkling for the adult units,  an eating break of firecrackers with friends, more Raclette, plus dessert…So who it to midnight?  Well, ahm it is time yet once again to show my true colors friends.  I have not made it to midnight in ions.  Yes,  I kid you not…it just has not happened I fall asleep.  So again all of us were soundly asleep by 10:30pm and woke up in 2015.  But hey,  it was already 2015 in Europe and on the east coast so technically we made it :)

New Years Day was spent lazily around the house but on the third day of 2015 we finally moved.  Yes,  the girls started their Cross Country Ski Lessons at Teacup Nordic up on Mt. Hood with perfect snow and weather.  Yay -  finally a full winter skiing season is ahead of us; let's just say that the entire family is excited.  The girls love their class, and the adults get to spend time on skis outdoors as well.  Winters past I have always regretted not spending enough time in the snow, especially since it is so close…right?!  We can be up at Teacup in a little over an hour so yes,  we have to take advantage of it. Can you tell that I am excited about this?  And I am even more, as in much more excited, that both girls love to cross country ski including our not so excited hiker, MiaRose :) her favorite part is - can you guess it - is my least favorite part and that is going downhill on the trails…

Now what does any of this have to do with Black Eyed Peas aka Hopping John?  It is a New Year and usually we eat Hopping John on New Years Day but it did not happen this year.  So on Saturday in the morning before we headed up to Mt. Hood at 8 am I threw (almost) everything into the slow cooker anticipating a hot meal on our return from the mountain…let's say I was a little nervous but by the time we arrived back home dinner was almost ready plus the house smelled absolutely delicious.  Yay!!! - We put on the rice and ate within the hour...

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas

• 2 C Black Eyed Peas, soaked over night
• 5-6 C water 
• 1  medium sized ham hock
• 1 Tb Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, cleaned and chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped  
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 Bayleaf
• Salt, pepper, optional -> cayenne, hot sauce to taste

1. Place drained, soaked black eyed peas in your slow cooker
2. Place ham hock on top of the black eyed peas - press down
3. Heat up olive oil in a sauté pan and quickly sauté the vegetables together with paprika until onions turn translucent.
4. Pour vegetables over the black eyed peas and mix under them
5. Place bay leaf on top
6. Pour water over the black eyed peas until they are completely covered {the ham hock will still stick out}
7. Cover.  Cook on low heat for 6 hours and have fun
8. Upon your return, remove ham hock from black eyed peas and add salt, pepper and/or optional flavors to taste.
9. Serve on a bed of rice.

Rice, Beans, Avocado & Sauteed Rainbow Kale with Creamy Tahini Sauce {#vegan #recipe #dairyfree}

Disclaimer:  I have received free produce however no further compensation; all opinions are my own

Rice & Beans one of my all time favorites when I need to grab a quick lunch - it is so good.  The Whole Bowl here in Portland serves up the perfect bowl; brown rice, secret sauce, black rice topped with avocado, cilantro plus sour cream as well as cheese shreds for "standard" version. It is just so so good and I finally attempted my own version of it by adding sautéed Rainbow Kale.

The hardest part to come up with a sauce…I am happy to report that it worked out.  Tahini, lemon juice, olive oil,  siracha, some water placed in the blender - added more water until the perfect consistency and flavor was reached.  Tangy lemon, creamy and nutty deliciousness. 

The recipe for the entire bowl is really quite simple. A couple of notes before you dive into the recipe.  I like to use dried beans and used enough to make another meal {recipe coming soon}; use canned beans if that is what you prefer.  Black or Orca beans work best - season them however you like.    Be sure to use brown rice please do not substitute with white rice.  I admit {yes, it is true} that white rice is usually our choice but here you need brown rice for the texture and taste of nuts in the grain.  

Creamy Tahini Sauce

• 1/2 C Tahini
• 4 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice {about 1 large lemon}
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 C cold water {start with less and add more if needed}
• 1/2 tsp Siracha
• 2 TB Olive Oil

1. Combine all of the ingredients in your food processor and blend for about 2 minutes or until smooth.  Add more water if consistency is too thick

This sauce is also great as a dressing for any salad.

Rice, Beans, Avocado & Sauteed Rainbow Kale

• 2 C dried black or orca beans soaked over night {use less if you do not want leftover beans}
• 1 TB Olive Oil
• 2 C chopped onions
• 1 large garlic clove  minced
• 1 C diced celeriac
• 4 - 5 C of water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 C brown rice
• 1 avocado
• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 8 oz Organic Rainbow Kale 
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 avocado sliced
• Creamy Tahini Sauce
• 2 scallion cut into rings

1. Saute chopped onions together with minced garlic and celeriac in the hot olive oil.  When fragrant
2. Add the drained beans mix them under the onion mixture and quickly add the water.  
3. Bring to a slow simmer and transfer everything to a slow cooker.  
4. Cook in your slow cooker on high for 4 hours
5. About an hour before serving prepare rice -> I use Alton Brown's method its perfect
6. Start heating the olive oil in a deep pan just about when the rice is ready
7. Add garlic to the oil sauté for a minute or so before adding the Rainbow Kale.  Mix it up with the oil and garlic; stir frequently until it turns bright green in color.  Add lemon juice to the kale as well as some salt
8. Assemble the bowls 
9. Add a scoop of rice, top the rice with generous amount of Tahini sauce, add a scoop of beans, place the sautéed rainbow kale around the beans, top with avocado and scallions.

Note:  I like to top mine with Siracha but since the other members of this family do not enjoy spice 

          as much as I do nobody else does.  Otherwise I would probably add more siracha to the tahini

          sauce…

Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo plus Yam

How is everyone? As you know this is the first week of summer break here in Portland and the weather has so far been all over the place.  You know sunny, warm, almost - dare I say that - a wee bit too hot and now back to overcast and chilly.  Well, it is still June and I am not complaining.  Everything is growing beautiful.  I am trying my luck again with tomatoes, sugar snap peas, as well as green beans - so fingers crossed it should be a good harvest. I am thinking way too far ahead and really do not want to go there yet. Now what does that have to do with Black Bean Soup?!  Yes, you are absolutely right. Nothing, nada, zilch...You may know how much we all love soup in our house, and Alena is a huge fans of beans.  3/4 of the family loves, loves, loves beans while one person - please guess - is not a huge fan; but add chorizo and that person loves it as well.

So this week, I made an Easy Black Bean Soup and since this person is now the proud owner of a slow cooker it cooked itself while I was in the office.  Now, that is what I call perfect.  Would someone please remind me why it took me so long to get a slow cooker?!

Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo plus Yam {slow cooker}

• 2 C dried black beans soaked overnight 
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1" fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 small to medium yam, peeled, and cut into pieces
• App. 5 C of water
• 1 C of your favorite Salsa {I used Pineapple Salsa}
• Juice of 1 lime
• 8 oz Chorizo {dried} - cut into bite size pieces {be sure to read the label}
• Salt & Cayenne Pepper to taste

1. Drain beans and place in slow cooker;
2. In a pot heat olive oil and sauté onions with coriander, ginger, and garlic until fragrant and soft,
3. Place onion mixture on top of beans in slow cooker;
4. Add at least 3 Cups of water to the pot in which you cooked the onions in and stir into it all the bits and pieces. Then pour it into the slow cooker,
5. Add more water until beans are well covered,
6. Add yam and set on high for 6 hours
7. After 6 hours turn slow cooker to low and  add Salsa, Lime Juice, and chorizo
8. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste
9. Leave a on low for at least another 30 minutes before serving

I served it with rice and avocado!  

#Dairyfree Chicken & Mushroom Ragout for #SundaySupper

Happy Sunday to all of you :)  You know what this means, right?  It is time to spend time around the family table for #SundaySupper.  This week's them is Cooking Low & Slow and the event is hosted by Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen. Thank you very much :)

The theme was actually a little bit of a challenge to me.  True, I like to use my cast iron pot and have dishes cook for a couple of hours in the oven, but that is not how I understand  low & slow.  Those are dishes that spend hours {as in more than two} in the crockpot, smoker, oven, etc. plus that are cooked at a very, very low temperature.  So here comes the moment of truth...are you ready for it? Okay - I do not {yes it is really true} own a crockpot; nor do we have a microwave.  Yes, I know...what can I say.  In any case my original plan was to finally buy a crockpot, but then I ended up borrowing one from our neighbor {thank you :)}.  Now, since I do not own a crockpot it was also somewhat of an experiment and I decided to make Chicken & Mushroom Ragout. I have made this before, but in the oven where it spent two hours at F300+ compared to six hours plus in the crockpot.  The result...wow...{note to self buy a crockpot}...not only was it quicker to make, plus it was even better.  It was even  better the next day, plus Ron had it for a late night snack....here is the recipe; it would have easily fed at least six...

Dairyfree Chicken & Mushroom Ragout

• 8 chicken thigs {skin on & bone in} - rubbed with salt & pepper
• 1 lb. mushrooms {I used Crimini}, sliced
• 3/4 lb. shallots sliced
• 3/4 bottle of dry white wine 
• 1/2 C Tofutti Vegan Sour Cream
• Italian Parsley for garnish

1. Heat a cast iron pan and when hot add chicken thigs, be sure not to crowd the pan.  Brown the chicken on each side {I browned it in three batches},
2. Place cleaned and sliced mushrooms, along with the sliced shallots in the crockpot. 
3. Place the browned chicken in the crockpot {I moved some into the mushroom/shallot mixture, and placed some on top}
4. Pour white wine over the mixture and put crockpot on high {or if you cook it over night put it on low} for about six hours then turn the heat to "warm" until you are ready to serve it
5. Just before serving, stir in Tofutti Vegan Sour Cream and adjust salt as well as pepper.  Garnish with chopped italian parsley

I served it on top of egg noodles, and a side of mixed salad!

Now, I know that I will be looking for more Low & Slow recipes as this was so easy and delicious...good thing that this is today's theme :)  Take a look at all of these great recipes from the other #SundaySupper contributors...

Low & Slow Breads & Starters:

• Asiago Meatballs from Daily Dish Recipes
• Slow Cooker Bread: Easy Dinner Rolls from Growing Up Gabel

Low & Slow Mains:

• Apricot-Mustard Baked Ham from Healthy.Delicious.
• Braniya {Lamb and Eggplant Tajine} from MarocMama
• Brisket from Sustainable Dad
• Brisket with Ale BBQ Sauce from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Carnitas from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Dairyfree Chicken and Mushroom Ragout from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Dry Rubbed Smoked Back Ribs from Noshing With The Nolands
• French Dip Sandwiches from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Fried Beef Ribs from The Urban Mrs
• Italian Beef from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Sunday Gravy from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Jambalaya from Gourmet Drizzles
• Minestrone Soup from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Osso Buco from Webicurean
• Pork and Sauerkraut Sandwiches from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Rice, Bean and Vegetable Casserole from Happy Baking Days
• Salsa Chicken from Momma’s Meals
• Sauerbraten from Magnolia Days
• Slow Cooker Chana Masala from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Slow-Cooker Mole from girlichef
• Slow Cooked Pork Sausage and Onions from Family Foodie
• Sweet Pork from Table for Seven

Low & Slow Sides:

• Caramelized Garlic in the Crock-Pot from Shockingly Delicious
• Slow Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Low & Slow Desserts:

• 8-hour Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes (gluten free) from Vintage Kitchen
• Gluten Free Slow Cooker Glazed Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Blueberries and Blessings
• Slow-Cooked Gooey Pina Colada Cake from Juanita’s Cocina
• Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Rice Pudding from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Low & Slow Food from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter Sunday! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat, or join us by TweatChat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.  Coming to Orlando July 19-21, the first annual Food and Wine Conference sponsored by #SundaySupper.  

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement