Braised Moroccan Chicken

Sometimes we get bored of the same old thing. Especially with chicken recipes. It's one of our main proteins, so there's so much you can do with chicken before you get bored with it. It's not like we've been in a rut lately. I have been trying new things in the kitchen, but we have our basics we always gravitate towards.

I'm glad I tried this recipe, even though I forgot about bookmarking it a while back from Weelicious. Even though her blog caters to kids, there are a lot of great recipes for everybody!

I had everything on hand to make this and it was so simple to make. The chicken was moist and flavorful because of the dark meat. If you haven't tried dark meat before because white is technically slightly better for you, try it! I didn't really think the short cooking time and the simple ingredients would yield such fantastic results, but I'm now a believer. Simpler is sometimes better, and this recipe proves it. This will definitely go in my rotation more often.

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Braised Moroccan Chicken

made by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Weelicious




ingredients:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut in half then sliced thin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 lb (about 4-5 pieces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

directions:

1. In a hot pan on medium heat, heat the oil. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the spices and tomatoes, then bring to a boil.
3. Add the beans and chicken, and stir to coat thoroughly.
4. Reduce heat to medium low to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. Serve over your choice of grains.

Yield: 4 servings when served with rice or other grain

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Lentil Black Bean Stew

I've been looking for more lentil recipes so I can make something other than lentil loaves. This recipe came to me as part of the recipe swap, and it looked good to me. I showed it to Gary, and I'm so glad he's now on board with most vegan, bean, and lots of healthy recipes!

I think this came out ok. I made a mistake of not cooking the lentils enough and they were a little bit undercooked. It does say cook for 25 minutes, but I thought since I used brown lentils I could cook it for less time. I kept testing it out, and individual lentils were fine, but once I had a spoonful, I could tell it wasn't cooked enough. I also added a whole can of black beans instead of the 1 cup. I was a little confused with the ingredients list since it was all in one paragraph, but 1 can worked out. I think there wouldn't have been enough food for Gary if I only used 1 cup.

On a side note, don't you hate buying a can of tomato paste to use only one tablespoon at a time and the rest go to waste? Well, I bought a tube from Whole Foods a while back and left it in the fridge. It's lasted forever, and I can squeeze out as much as I need at a time. Of course, if you have a can of the stuff, you could probably freeze it and it will work the same, but I think the tube is easier.

Also, remember to check out Sarah's blog for the full roundup of soup and stew recipes, including my submission of hearty beef stew.

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Lentil Black Bean Stew

made by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Runner's World




ingredients:

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over for stones
• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of one lime (1 TBSP)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro for garnish

directions:

1. In a pan on medium heat, add oil, and onion and cook until soft. Add garlic, spices and saute for 1 minute.
2. Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, then cover and bring to a boil.
3. Add the lentils and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
4. Partial mash the black beans and add to the pot. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Yield: 2 servings

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

After the holidays, I had a few sweet potatoes left over. What a better way to use them up than in a chili! I saw this recipe on the Real Simple facebook page before Thanksgiving and I knew I wanted to try it with whatever sweet potato I had left. This is a great meatless chili and packed full of vitamins and fiber!

I thought Gary wasn't going to go for it at first, but he actually enjoyed it. He didn't miss the meat! Since he can't have dairy, he didn't add any of the toppings therefore making it vegan, and it was still delicious!

Although you can definitely taste a hint of sweet potato and cinnamon, I didn't really see it. I think it could use a bit more next time. I also used dried beans instead of canned, since I had them on hand anyway. I added more water since I was using the dried beans, and I'm glad I did. It soaked up very nicely, and the chili was still thick and hearty. I only added one jalapeno because we're not big spicy people, but it could probably have used more. I usually don't have peppers on hand, but you can definitely use whatever you have.

This made a lot, so you can store them in single serving portions and freeze for later.

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Crockpot/Slow Cooker Vegan/Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili
adapted from Real Simple

ingredients:
1 cup dried black beans
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried great northern beans
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (or more of desired)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 TBSP mild chili powder (or 1 TBSP medium-hot)
1 TBSP ground cumin
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups water
optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and/or tortilla chips

directions:
The night before, pick out stones and discolored beans and soak in cold water (changing the water once) in the liner of a 4-6 qt slow cooker.

If you have time right before making this, I recommend sauteing the onions, garlic and peppers to bring out some flavor. If not, you can follow the directions below.

Right before cooking, drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, black pepper. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid), beans, sweet potato, and water. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours

Serve the chili with the sour cream, scallions, radishes, and tortilla chips. [to keep it vegan, use Daiya (or your choice of vegan cheese), or omit the cheese and sour cream all together]

Makes 4 heaping servings, or 8-10 smaller bowls

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Quinoa with Black Beans and Mixed Vegetables

 

For some reason, I always thought I’ve tried quinoa before…but apparently I haven’t. I’ve always mistaken it for couscous. I guess it’s an honest mistake, since they’re both of similar size, and I’ve never really seen quinoa before. I’ve been hearing so much about this super food, that I wanted to try it for myself.

We usually have rice to accompany our meals, which is natural to us since we grew up doing that. Other than pasta, we’ve never really ventured out of our little box in the grain department. I’m glad I tried this. Quinoa has a sort of nutty taste to it, and a texture that sort of pops in your mouth. It’s hard to explain, so it’s best you try it for yourself if you haven’t.

I boiled the quinoa in chicken broth to give it a little more flavor, but you can definitely use water or vegetable broth to keep it vegan. I’m a huge fan of using shortcuts such as canned beans and frozen vegetables. I think it helps a lot when it comes to easy meals. The frozen vegetables I used contains peas, carrots, green beans, and corn.

This was a great first attempt at making quinoa and having a different grain as a side. I can’t wait to try it again! Gary enjoyed this as well, but in the end he suggested using the bean and vegetable mixture in rice. Well…I guess you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but as long as I’m making dinner, he’ll eat it :).

Quinoa with Black Beans and Mixed Vegetables
a Cathy original!

 printable recipe

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water for vegan)
2 TBSP oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (or an equivalent amount of fresh)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and chicken stock in a 1.5 quart sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Add in onion, garlic, vegetables and beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to mix.  Cook until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Add the quinoa to the large pan of vegetables and mix well, adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve 4 as a side.

My Twist on Sloppy Joes

When I was a kid, I don’t think I ever had a sloppy joe. If you think I was deprived, of course not. I grew  up eating homemade Chinese food. On rare occasions, we would order pizza. The only times I would probably see American food was during lunch at school. Even then, I wasn’t a fan of sloppy joes, beef patties, or stuff with ground meat. Heck, I was the one that ate only the jelly half of the pb and j sandwiches, but I digress.

The other day, I saw an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and it featured sloppy joes. After I saw it, I really wanted a sloppy joe, but I remembered I’ve never really had one. His recipe was a bit too complicated, and I decided to make one up, my way. It was my way to incorporate vegetables and other stuff Gary wouldn’t otherwise eat.  I originally wanted to use kidney beans, but I didn’t have any in the pantry. I ended up using small white beans, which worked out very well.

Sloppy Joes with Beans
a Cathy original!

 printable recipe

ingredients:
2 TBSP canola oil
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 (15 oz) can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 TBSP tomato paste
3/4 cup honey bbq sauce
1 TBSP chili powder

directions:
In a food processor, add in onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and grind for about 5-7 seconds, or until all the pieces are uniform. Or, you can dice them up into small bits. Drain and rinse beans.

In a hot pan on medium high heat, add in oil. Add in ground turkey, and cook until no longer pink.

Add vegetables and beans to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in tomato paste and barbeque sauce. Stir to coat thoroughly. Add in chili powder to taste. Stir to coat evenly and let cook for another minute or 2.

Scoop onto burger buns and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Crockpot Curry Chicken and Chickpea Stew

While I was browsing through a whole bunch of holiday magazines one day, I decided to start ripping out recipe pages I thought I would try.  This recipe stood out because it was a curry chicken recipe, and it was made in the crockpot!

I originally thought I wouldn’t like the chickpeas because I’ve tried them in salads, and I ended up picking them all out. I was wrong! I just don’t like them raw! I also love them mashed up in falafels. I guess I too can be picky with some vegetables.

The original recipe called for 1.5 lbs each of boneless chicken thighs and boneless chicken breast, cubed, but I used chicken wings instead, since I had some on hand. They were also frozen solid when I put it in the crockpot, so I cooked it for the 6 hours it needed. I followed the instructions to use 1 TBSP of curry powder, but I thought it was a bit mild, so I’ll probably add a little more next time. Gary also thought there were too many chickpeas, so I may also reduce that to 1 can next time.

Curry Chicken and Chickpea Stew
adapted from: All You December 2009
printable recipe

ingredients:
3 lbs chicken (wings, thighs, breasts, or any combo)  
1  tablespoon  olive oil 
1-2  tablespoon  curry powder (according to your taste)
1/2  teaspoon  salt 
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
4  cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
2  15-oz. cans beans (chickpeas, red kidney, black beans, or combo), rinsed and drained

directions:
Combine chicken, olive oil, curry powder and salt in slow cooker and toss to coat.

Sprinkle onions and garlic on top of chicken. Add tomatoes on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

During last hour of cooking, stir in chickpeas. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Turkey Chili

One of the favorite dishes of the night during the party was this chili. When we were coming up with the menu, my friend Kai insisted he didn’t like chili. He doesn’t like spicy stuff…well neither do I, but I love me some chili. Although we added plenty of spices, it still even seemed mild to me. I don’t think Kai tried it at all though.

I made a double batch (which made about 4-5 quarts) of this and all that was left at the end of the day was one lonely bowlful. It was that good!

I took the leftovers to work for lunch and it tasted even better after the flavors melded together.

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Chili  
inspired from: nubella.com
printable recipe

ingredients:
olive oil
1 1/2 cup chopped cooked onions
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausages, casings removed and crumbled (about 5)
2 cans red kidney beans, undrained 
1 28oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 TBSP chili powder (more or less to taste)
2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp paprika

directions:
In a heavy pot or dutch oven, add a little olive oil and cook onions until clear. Set aside.

In the same pot over medium-high heat cook ground turkey and sausages until turkey is browned. Discard drippings. Add jalapeño and onions back in stirring frequently to combine.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Use a potato masher (or something similar) to break up the tomatoes if desired.

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Barbecue Baked Bean Burgers

When I first saw this post pop up, I knew I had to try it. It’s such a great alternative to meat patties, and it was really filling to boot! We usually have baked beans in the pantry, and this was a good way to use it vs. our usual heat and eat method. I ate this plain the first night. The next day, I reheated it and added a slice of cheese to it during the last 30 seconds of nuking. It tasted great the next day too!

I made several changes to this recipe. It was originally vegan, but I used an egg, which deveganized it. I also used white jasmine rice instead of the brown rice and omitted the jalapeños since we don’t have and we don’t like heat in our food. Instead of adding oil, I sprayed a pan with nonstick spray instead.

Barbecue Baked Bean Burgers
adapted from: about.com
printable recipe

ingredients:
1 15 oz can vegetarian baked beans, drained (mine was 16 oz)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 egg
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 TBSP barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade (I used honey BBQ)
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan over high heat, combine all the ingredients except, mixing constantly until beans are slightly mashed and mixture holds together, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat, transfer to a bowl or dish and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Form the mixture into 4-6 patties and set aside. In a nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium heat, spray with non stick spray. Once the pan is hot, cook the patties, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Serve as sandwiches or on buns with desired vegetables and toppings.

I made 4 patties, but I found it still very filling with just the patty. I recommend dividing it into 6 patties rather than 4. BTW, I’m looking at the picture again, and it looks totally unappetizing, but I swear it tastes good!

This recipe is also being submitted to My Legume Love Affair, hosted by The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

I’m used to eating veggie burgers, I’ve done so for many years. However, I’ve never tried to make my own. I’ve always bought the packaged frozen burgers and ate them at my leisure. It wasn’t until I saw the recipe on allrecipes.com that I saw how easy it was to make these.

After I made it and took a bite, I thought to myself, I like this, but I’m not sure if Gary will. To my surprise, he liked it also! When I told him I was making this for dinner, of course he responded, “What, no meat?”.

I had a few alterations to this recipe. Instead of onion, I used dried shallots because I had none on hand. I used the whole bell pepper, added a carrot, added celery, used cayenne instead of hot sauce, and added extra panko. It came out wonderful. We don’t normally eat spicy food, and this wasn’t spicy at all. It had the nice kick to it without it being overpowering.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Adapted from: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges (I didn’t have on hand. I used 1 tsp dried shallots)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

Directions:
1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

2. In a food processor, grind up the black beans until thick and pasty. Transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Add the pepper, carrot, celery, onion and garlic into the processor and finely chop. Add the beans back in and pulse until combined. Transfer back to the bowl.

4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
(I grilled this on my George Foreman grill for 5 minutes.)

Serve as you would beef burgers with all the fixings. We’re sort of minimalists with our burgers (meaning we didn’t have anything). We ate them on whole wheat pita bread with ketchup.

Cumin Lentil Soup

When I saw this recipe for lentil soup on Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina... I knew I had to try it. I bought lentils previously to try a vegetarian meatloaf and still had half a lb left over. The lentil soups I’ve always had were from delis during lunch time, and they were always too salty. I liked this version because I had all the ingredients on hand (except for the onions, which I thought I had), and it looked fairly simple for a weeknight dinner.

I am also submitting this to Joelen’s Tasty Tools for February. This month’s event highlights the food processor.

Her original recipe called for 10 cups of water, which I already knew was way too much for the 2 of us. I halved the recipe and adapted it to what I had on hand.

Cumin Lentil Soup
Adapted from: Someone’s in the Kitchen with Brina…

Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and chopped*
2 celery ribs, chopped*
1 small onion, chopped (I realized I didn’t have any after I started, so I used 1 tsp onion powder)
1 1/2 cups green lentils
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 bay leaves
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken stock (or water to make it vegetarian)
3 cups cold water

*I will admit that I cheated a little and did not chop the vegetables. I ended up putting the carrots, celery, and garlic in the food processor and pulsed it a few times. However some pieces were bigger than the others. I think it was better for me because this is the only way I can sneak celery into Gary’s meals (as I do with other vegetables too). He doesn’t like celery, but he gobbled this up. My secret to getting a picky eater to eat his vegetables!

Directions:
1. Sort and rinse lentils. Using a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil, and sweat for about 10 minutes.

2. Add the cumin, bay leaves, lentils and water. Stir and turn up heat until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaves and season to taste, if you want more salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

Source: Branny Boils Over
Made by: Cathy

On the cooking message boards I frequent, great recipes are always being shared. One of the ladies shared her recipe for vegetarian meatloaf.

Gary and I have talked about having vegetarian night at least once a week, but it never happens. We eat plenty of vegetables, but there’s always a meat dish to accompany it. We still cheated tonight and had stirfry along with the meatloaf, but it is a great alternative to meat. Granted, it’s not exactly the same as meatloaf, but there was enough flavors going on that you wouldn’t even miss the meat.

Ingredients:
1 scant cup brown lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1 small onion
1 egg white
¾ cup tomato or spaghetti sauce
1 tsp basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup oatmeal
½ cup bread crumbs (I used Italian style)

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast & 1 Tbsp dissolved flax seed (ground)
OR
½ cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Boil 1 scant cup brown lentils in 2 cups water until tender. Add more water if necessary. Mash. I ran it through my food processor for a few seconds. It should not be too soupy (but not too thick, either) after mashing. Kind of like sloppy Joes.

2. Dice 1 onion. Beat in 1 egg white. Mix in tomato sauce, basil, dried parsley, salt, and garlic powder. Add 1/2 c oatmeal and 1/2 c bread crumbs to bowl. Mix. Add mashed lentils. Mix in nutritional yeast/flax seed OR 1/2 cup of cheese.

3. Spread mixture into greased loaf pan and bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the loaf, let cool 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a greased baking sheet.

4. Top with your favorite glaze (tomato sauce + brown sugar, bbq sauce, nothing) and return to oven until warmed. Let set 5-10 minutes before slicing.

I topped it with the leftover spaghetti sauce and spread it like frosting before I put it back in the oven. I was having way too much fun making it!

Dorayaki Cake (Japanese Pancake)

Adapted from: Nintendo DS – Personal Trainer Cooking, Ezine Articles
Made by: Cathy & Gary

So, Gary got the DS Personal Training game. He looked through and found a recipe he wanted to make. We've eaten the Japanese pancakes fresh from the Japanese supermarket, as well as packaged from the Chinese grocery stores. Fresh is always better.

So Gary went and bought the beans, he made it as instructed…it turned out fine. The next step was to make the pancakes. I ended up making it because, of course he initially thought he needed a CUP of BAKING POWDER! Give him a stovetop, and he’s fine, but baking is not his forte, so he handed it over to me.

I started out with the original recipe from the DS, and from reading it, I knew it was already a disaster in the making. First of all, there was too much flour to liquid ratio. The batter ended up thick and did not pour well out of the ladle. It was a mess! I was really annoyed and yelled at him the whole time I was mixing it. The pancakes turned out thick, hard, overcooked on the outside, and undercooked on the inside. Into the garbage it went.

So, of course, we couldn't let the beans go to waste. We left it in the fridge to try again the next day.

I googled the recipe for the cake. I found several, but went with one that used about the same ingredients as the DS version, but with much more accurate measurements. The result? Edible pancakes!

Ingredients:
Bean Paste:
2/3 cup azuki beans
2/3 cup white sugar

Pancakes:
3 eggs
2/3 cup of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of water
1 cup of all purpose flour – sifted

Directions:
Preparing the bean paste:
1. Wash the azuki beans and soak overnight.

2. Transfer the beans to a saucepan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, pour the water out, then replace with fresh water. Place over high heat again and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down a little and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down low and simmer for 45 minutes, cooking off the water until it barely covers the beans.

3. Add 2/3 cup sugar, stir well, then simmer until almost all the water has completely evaporated. Continue to simmer and mix the beans thoroughly over medium heat. Once the mixture takes on a glossy sheen, turn off the heat.

Preparing the pancakes:
1. Whisk together the eggs and sugar.

2. Dissolve the baking soda into the water. Add the water into the egg mixture.

3. Gradually sift the flour into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk.

4. Heat a skillet or a hot plate and put a little bit of oil into it. I used my indoor griddle, so I sprayed a little nonstick spray.

5. Scoop about half a ladle of batter into the skillet to form a small pancake (about 3" in diameter).

6. Turn the pancake over in the pan when bubbles begin to form and appear of the surface of the cake. Repeat this process to make about 16 pancakes.

7. Let the pancakes cool. Scoop about a tablespoon of the bean paste onto the flat side of the pancake, then sandwich with another pancake.

This recipe makes about 8 dorayaki cakes. You will need a double batch to use up all the bean paste. You can also make these bigger than the size indicated. We definitely spoiled our dinner by eating more than one of these.

Split Pea Soup

Adapted from: Ina Garten, Food Network
Made by: Cathy

Growing up, I’ve never been a fan of peas. Whenever my mom made fried rice, she would always scoop a bowl out for me, sans peas, then added peas for everybody else. That’s how much I refused to eat peas. My brother on the other hand, loves peas, and cannot get enough of it!

Since living with Gary, we’ve adapted to each other’s tastes, and I’ve grown to tolerate peas. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a recipe for pea soup that took 10 minutes to make. It was for some diet/weight loss show. Since I was channel surfing, I didn’t get the name of the show, but it looked pretty simple.

My quest for pea soup started! Most of the recipes I found was for split pea soup, so I tried that instead. This definitely didn’t take 10 minutes, but it was good. Gary liked it, and he even compared it to Au Bon Pain soup…I take that as a compliment.

The recipe called for 8 cups of stock, so I halved the recipe. We both agreed it was a bit salty for our taste, so I ended up adding an extra cup of water. It may be the stock we used, but I will use less salt next time.

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-diced carrots
2 medium-diced potatoes
1 stalk celery diced
1 1/4 cup dried split green peas (half a bag)
4 cups chicken stock or water (one carton)
1 cup water

Directions:
1. In a small stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, potatoes, split peas, chicken stock, and water.

3. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 60 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot, with bread or crackers.