Black Eyed Peas Power

As we experience this heat wave it's tempting to not cook and on the other hand I find myself famished. My mother always says we eat more when it's hot out. Never-the-less, I am in the kitchen daily, cooking up a tasty, satisfying meal.


I am consistently experimenting with the bean. Many beans, fresh beans, dried beans, canned and frozen. Last week was Black Eyed Peas and this week is Adzuki. This little white bean with its black eye, reminding me of a picture taken of a peacock feather in monochrome, has a lot to offer. Not only does it offer a nutrient value high in fibre, protein, potassium and vitamins A, B12, B6, Iron and Calcium; it just tastes great and lends itself to a plethora of recipes.
I shan't digress,

The following recipes were all made out of one batch of soaked and cooked B.E.P's.
1.5 cups of dried bean, sorted and rinsed.
Soaked in water covering two inches past the bean, plus a piece of seaweed, for 1-2 hours.
Drain and place in a pot, cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil with the lid off.
Then cover and turn heat to med-low, or a gentle simmer.
Put the timer on for 20 minutes.
At the 20 min mark, check a bean by squishing it in-between your pointer finger and thumb.
If squishes easily and is quit soft, then sprinkle in 1/4 tsp of salt and let simmer another 10 minutes. If it's not a soft consistency, continue to simmer in 15 minute intervals until desired texture.
Drain (save the juice for soups and stocks)
Place in a glass container and refrigerate or use in your favourite bean recipe.

Black eyed pea and Feta Dip

1 Cup Black Eyed Peas, cooked
1 Cup Feta, crumbled
1 TBS sour cream
1 green Serrano pepper, seeded
1/4 C steamed swiss chard, chopped - here you can use any green on hand. mint, parsley, kale, cilantro
2 tsp organic Tamari
1 whole lime, juice only
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt

Mix all together in a processor, and adjust to your taste.

Great with fresh cut veggie, crackers and bread.
This whole container was devoured when I brought it to the beach to share with a couple of friends and their kids.
It was refreshing and tasted great while being incredibly nourishing.




Coleslaw, in my kitchen, is never the same and proves to be a chameleon dressed in many guises. The main ingredients are fairly congruent but the choice in dressing is: Sky's the Limit!
General practice? What's the theme of the meal I am making and layer accordingly or sometimes it's the main attraction, as in what's left in the crisper?

More heat and a day at the beach lead to this ...


Black Eyed Pea Coleslaw

1 half green cabbage, shredded
2 green onions, small chopped
1/2 zucchini, small cubed
1 carrot, grated
1 Cup parsley, chopped
1 Cup Black Eyed Peas, cooked and cooled
3 radish, thinly sliced

Mix all the ingredients together

Make Dressing

2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Organic Tamari
1 Tbs Organic toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs Sunflower oil
1 tsp of plasma power chilli mix by Wild Scallions (an amazing restaurant in Pentiction with some of the best hot sauces and rubs ever!)
- now if you don't have this then you can make up a mix that's similar
- crushed seaweed, dried hot chilli's, turmeric and spices.

Pour over salad, sprinkle on Gomashio
My gomashio is made of organic sesame seeds, powdered nettle and crushed seaweed and salt.

Let it marinate in the fridge and eat for dinner or lunch
General Practice: I make it in the morning, ready for a meal later in the day.


Now, the other way to get beans in every meal, other than lunch and dinner, is to implement these fine friends into breakfast, more specifically, smoothies. Yes, I said it. Not your first choice? Why not, I say! These versatile little lumps really have a light flavour and absorb whatever they are placed with, plus they smooth down to a creamy consistency. This is perfect if you're refraining from combining dairy and looking to thicken the drink without filler or ice cubes.
Now in truth, I think the smoothy is over rated and in most cases detrimental to the body's digestive system, but that's another story. Ok, well quickly I will mention that most smoothies have to many ingredients that the body cannot attain all at once, there is a tendency to gulp the drink down which can cause indigestion and also prevents a full communication with the mouth's enzymes necessary to begin the digestion process, and this can lead to the stomach enzymes and acids to believe there is an intruder or toxins in the stomach so it puts on the alert to attack rather than absorb.
I know, that's more than a little blurb, but it must be noted.

Anyhow, I do make smoothies, and I do chew slowly and thoroughly, and I do limit the amount of ingredients.
This being it

Bean Smoothy

A hand full of Black Eyed Peas
about half that of pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs molasses
A hand full of blueberries
1 tsp of Organic Earthrise Spirulina
1/4 avocado
Coconut milk, cover the ingredients and then another 2 inches.

Blend and drink


This is my bean adventure for now. Tonight I am making buttermilk crepes with ricotta, swiss chard, sauteed mushrooms and adzuki beans. I will let you know how this goes.


Bean Blessing

Fibre Frenzy!

Hmm... Fibre. I'm talking Roughage!

This multi - functional, happy making, resourceful entity is low on the list for gratitude in general, but for me I am in great appreciation for it and praise it's spirit with every meal.
Fibre: Insoluble or Soluble dietary fibre that functions within the digestive tract. Research more on your own accord. Fibre is also found in grains and vegetables, some of my top spring veg includes; in-home made sprouts, yam, artichoke, asparagus, celery, and nettles.
Of course there is more resources of fibre than stated above.
The fact is it's necessary to aide in digestion and elimination, and is in most foods we eat, save meat products and eggs.
I have heard from other reputable sources and studies that it is what makes the "Blue Belt" equator living inhabitants happy. Most specifically from eating beans for every meal..... sound-sing-song familiar?
So I got out my bags of beans and began soaking. and cooking. and eating. The result: Joy!
Happy digestion, Happy elimination.
Silliness aside, there is a truth to feeling 'grounded' and more in-body, and a feeling of being nourished right to the very cells of creation. This is also from the great nutrient value beans carry and their ability to combine with starches to make complete proteins thus fortifying the body with strength and vigour.
The effect of beans also enhances the mind's state of calmness and endurance for long work days.

Now a lot of people have alarm bells ringing when they hear the word 'Bean'! They are too difficult to cook, are gaseous and crunchy and just too much darned work!
Well, for certain it's time consuming, rather I like to think of it as time well invested. And some beans don't need to be soaked and boiled before hand.
For starters experiment with split peas, mung beans and lentils, red, french, or green. Although these varieties don not require soaking, I do like to give them each a soak for a minimum of half an hour, up to two hours, and usually with a piece of seaweed.

The soaking type that usually soak and cook and quickly, I find, are adzuki, black eyed peas, pinto and romano beans.
The soaking time requires about 6-8 hours and the cook time is 30 mins to 1 hr. I love all these for making refried beans, soups, bean dips, salads, pastas and stir-fry.

The Pictures below are from our recent dinner that was a colourful array of veggies. Steamed Artichokes, good for the liver and kidneys' spring cleanse, Basmati rice and a black eyed pea salad I whipped up on a whim; leftover mint and fresh oregano, feta, kalamata olives, half a bake yam and some fresh veg diced up. A simple vinaigrette and the meal is complete!