Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Black-Eyed Pea New Years Day Recipes: Black-Eyed Pea Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms and Spinach and Black-Eyed Pea and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Vegan black-eyed pea curry with "light" coconut milk.

Vegan black-eyed pea and roasted red pepper hummus .



Black-Eyed Pea Recipes for New Years Day
I started the Foods For Long LIfe blog a year ago on New Years day. And, of course, I started it with a black-eyed pea recipe. In the south it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas on New Years day for a year of good luck. OK, why is an Italian from Brooklyn telling you this? Because I picked up this tradition as a student at the University of Texas and I've been doing this ever since. I've passed it on to my children and they will undoubtedly pass it on to theirs. Traditions are fun, especially those involving food. It's also fun to take this one ingredient and come up with a new recipe every year. It's kind of like "the Iron Chef". So this year I made a hearty curry and a dip - both perfect for a nice New Years day lunch or for watching football. And don't forget to leave 3 peas on your plate - that guarantees the good luck. For the dip, leave out 3 peas before you throw the rest of them in the blender.

My Last Post for the Year
This will be my last post for the year. My husband is taking me on a romantic cruise through the Panama Canal to celebrate our 20th anniversary. That's why I'm posting these New Years recipes so early. I have really enjoyed writing this blog and I hope you've enjoyed the articles and the recipes. I've appreciated your positive comments and I'm thrilled when I hear of people improving their eating habits. My parting wish to you is to enjoy the holidays but don't over do. Eat and drink in moderation and try to get in as much exercise as you can in between social events. (Let's see how well I take my own advice on a 16 day cruise!). Think about the good things you did for your body in 2009 (lost weight, lowered your cholesterol, got off of a medication) and develop and write down your health goals for 2010. Have a wonderful holiday and I'll see you next year!

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Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Curry [serves 4]
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow or red onion, diced (about 2 cups)
2 cups sliced button or crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 to 3 teaspoons curry powder (to taste, depending if it's sweet or hot)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, divided
One 15 ounce can black-eyed peas (about 2 cups cooked)
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup unsweetened, "light" coconut milk
5 ounces pre-washed fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
About 2 cups of cooked brown rice, polenta or noodles

Steam sweet potatoes until cooked (not too soft) and set aside. Heat oil and saute red pepper, onions and mushrooms until soft and the mushrooms release their liquid (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add garlic, half the cilantro and curry (to taste) and saute another minute or two until curry is blended in. Add black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Throw in the spinach and lower the heat. Cook 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts, gently stirring. Stir in the lime juice and top with the rest of the cilantro and serve over cooked rice, polenta or noodles.

Per serving (curry only): 264.3 calories, 8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8.1 g protein, 39.6 g carbohydrates and 8.5 g of fiber.

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Vegan Black-Eyed Pea and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
[makes about eight 1/4 cup servings]
One 15 ounce can black-eyed peas
One 8 ounce jar roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Rinse the roasted red peppers well, removing any seeds or blackened skin. Combine all ingredients (except parsley or cilantro) in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. Top with fresh cilantro or parsley and serve with raw veggies or baked chips.

Per serving: 70.5 calories, 2.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 9.9 g carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber.

9 comments:

janet said...

Happy Anniversary, have a wonderful time on your cruise!

Michal said...

Have fun on your cruise. Merry christmas :)

I love the idea of that hummus, its such an interesting combo of flavors.

Anonymous said...

It can be discussed infinitely

Dr. Joanne L. Mumola Williams said...

Thanks for your Christmas and Anniversary wishes. We had a wonderful time!

MarisasHealthyKitchen said...

YUM! That hummus looks divine!

I love your blog!

I've nominated you for the Happy 101 Blog Award :) http://marisashealthykitchen.com/2010/01/04/happy-101-blog-award/
Happy New Year!

Marisa

Dr. Joanne L. Mumola Williams said...

Thank you so much. I am honored!

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since Im more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful well let me know how it turns out! I love what you guys are always up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the great works guys Ive added you guys to my blogroll. This is a great article thanks for sharing this informative information.. I will visit your blog regularly for some latest post.

Dr. Joanne L. Mumola Williams said...

Yes, as soon as my husband buys me that camcorder I've been asking for! I'd love to do some videos!
Joanne