Squash Casserole

 

Ingredients:

 

2 lbs yellow squash

1/2 large onion

1 sleeve Ritz crackers

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 eggs

3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup butter (melted)

salt and pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

 

Lightly steam squash and onion.  Drain and set aside.  In medium bowl, 1/2 - 3/4 of  crackers and cheese.

 

In a large bowl add drained squash and onion, then fold in the crackers and cheese.  In a small bowl whisk egg and milk together, then add to the squash  mixture.  Stir 1/2 of melted butter into squash, season with salt and pepper and blend well.  Spread the squash mixture into a 9x13 pan, top with remaining crackers and rest of butter.

 

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

 

 



Macaroni & Cheese

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1pound(s) elbow pasta
4tablespoon(s) butter
1small onion, chopped
1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4cup(s) milk
teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4cup(s) (5 ounces) shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4cup(s) (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
8ounce(s) ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2slice(s) white sandwich bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.
 
Note: This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-to-16-ounce baking dishes. Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden

Creamed Corn

3 cup(s) fresh corn kernels, divided

3/4 cup(s) low-fat milk

1 tablespoon(s) cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon(s) salt 

Directions

Place 2 cups corn, milk, cornstarch and salt in a blender; blend until smooth. Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan, and add the remaining 1 cup corn. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture simmers and thickens and the corn is tender, 5 to 7 minutes

 

Potato Fritatta

Cat Cora’s Potato Fritatta

Servings: Serves 6–8

Ingredients

5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 large onion , finely chopped
3 large russet baking potatoes , about 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning spice blend
6 large eggs
1/4 cup (about 5) thinly sliced scallions , plus more for garnish
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Carefully add the chopped onion and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl and allow them to cool, but set the pan aside because you'll reuse it shortly.

While the onions are cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes or half-moon-shaped slices. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow them to cool there. When the potatoes have cooled, combine the onions and potatoes. The onion and potato mixture may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, scallions, Italian seasoning spice blend, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. (I add a lot of black pepper to this omelet, but start with a little and see what you prefer.) Add the cooked onion and potato mixture and stir to combine.

In the same nonstick skillet used to sauté the onions, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the egg mixture, spreading the potatoes evenly across the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and gently stir eggs for about 1 minute or until the omelet begins to set. Shift the skillet so that 1/4 of the omelet is directly over the center of the burner and cook for 1 minute. Shift skillet 3 more times, cooking each skillet quarter for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low, center the skillet over the burner and continue to cook the omelet until almost set, about 4 minutes.

Slide the omelet, bottom side down, onto a baking sheet or a large heatproof platter. Then invert the omelet back into skillet. Cook the other side of the omelet over low heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Slide the omelet onto a platter and allow to cool before serving. Garnish with chopped scallion if you like.

If made ahead and refrigerated, allow the omelet to come to room temperature before serving. This may be served warm or at room temperature

Williams & Sonoma Potato Fritatta

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes, 1 1/4 lb. total, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice
2 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
10 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3⁄4-inch dice
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. minced fresh chives
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, stir together the potatoes, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 500°F.

In the deep half of a frittata pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard the fat in the pan. Finely chop 2 Tbs. of the bacon and reserve for garnish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the cheese and the 1/4 cup chives.

In the deep half of the frittata pan over medium heat, warm 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the potatoes and diced bacon to the pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook, using a rubber spatula to lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath, about 2 minutes, then cook for 4 to 6 minutes more.

Lightly brush the shallow half of the frittata pan with the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil and heat over medium heat. Place the shallow pan upside down on top of the deep pan and flip the frittata into the shallow pan. Cook, covered, until the eggs are set, about 6 minutes. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the frittata with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Gently shake the pan to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved chopped bacon and the 1 Tbs. chives. Serve immediately with the sour cream. Serves 8.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Taziki's Rice

 

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe's Basmati Rice

 
2 cups basmati rice (see note)
3 cups water
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup (4 lemons) lemon juice
1/2 cup parsley, fresh chopped

Place water and rice in 8-quart pan with lid.

Bring rice to rapid boil while covered. When water reaches boil, turn on low for 12 to 15 minutes until rice is fluffy.

Take off burner and allow rice to sit for 2 to 5 minutes.

Pour cooked rice into a medium mixing bowl. Add all ingredients. Mix thoroughly with spoon or large fork.

Note: Use longer grain Indian basmati rice, which is sold at Whole Foods

Ham and Corn Beignets

• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
• 4 ears fresh corn
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 10 ounces diced cooked ham
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

1. In a large heavy pot, preheat the vegetable oil to between 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Shuck, wash and dry the corn. Using a sharp knife, shave the ears of corn into a medium sized bowl. Using a cheese grater, scrape any remaining corn and juice into the bowl with the kernels. Discard the scraped cobs.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Combine the corn, ham, cayenne pepper, red onion, salt, flour and baking powder with the egg and milk mixture. Whisk until a firm batter has formed.

4. Slowly drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil one at a time. The drops should form a loose layer on the top of the oil. Fry until the drops of batter are dark golden brown. Remove the beignets from the oil and place them on a towel. Check that they are cooked all the way through. If the centers are doughy, lower the heat of the oil and fry the beignets again for 2 or 3 minutes. Repeat this step until all the batter has been used.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 eggs

Directions

1. Place eggs in a pot; pour enough water over the eggs to cover. Cover and turn stove to high; bring to a boil; turn off heat and place pot on a cool burner. Let the pot sit with the cover on for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with cold water; transfer the eggs from the pot to the cold water. Replace the water with cold water as needed to keep cold until the eggs are completely cooled. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours before peeling.

Makes perfect hard boiled eggs. If you plan on using the eggs immediately after cooling you can tap them with a spoon to slightly crack the shells before placing them in the cold water. The shells will peel off like butter in about an hour letting you skip the refrigerator step. This recipe produces gorgeous firm eggs with brilliant yellow yolks and deviled eggs have never looked better! Thanks for sharing!

if you use older eggs, they will peel easier. Fresher eggs are always harder to peel. So, don't blame the recipe if your eggs don't peel well. Next time just use them closer to the expiration date and they'll peel easier. One tip that I've heard that might help, though, is adding a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water right after taking them off the heat. The salt doesn't actually make the egg inside salty, it just loosens the shell to make peeling easier.

If you are making deviled eggs, or a dish where it is important the yolk be centered...try this trick...while the eggs are still in the carton, place a rubberband or two around the carton and place in refrigerator on its side. Leave on side overnight prior to cooking and you will have perfectly centered yolks every time!

Another Version:

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 hard-cooked eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Paprika

Or This:

• 8 eggs
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons cream-style horseradish sauce
• 1 drop hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, for garnish
• 1 teaspoon paprika, for garnish

Or This:
• 12 hard-cooked eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Paprika

Try Several until you find the one you like:

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• paprika for garnish (optional

Two More:
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Last One:

• 12 eggs
• 1/3 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 dill pickle, finely chopped

Baja Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 6 large baking potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1 - 2 (11 ounce) cans Mexican-style corn, drained
• 2 (4 ounce) cans green chile peppers, drained
(BUTTER OPTIONAL)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Pierce each potato several times and rub generously with oil. Bake until softened, about 45 to 55 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine sour cream, cheese, corn and chiles.

4. When the potatoes are cooked, cut a slit in the top of each one and squeeze or scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2 inch thick shell. Combine the potato flesh with the cheese mixture; mix well. Spoon the potato mixture back into the shells, and place them on a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown

Yummy!!!!!! This is a must try. We have had this once and we all fell in love. The 2nd time I made it to a cassarole. Mashed everything together and baked it till melted and golden...... so good. Saved time from scooping the potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds unpeeled red potatoes, quartered
• 13 ounces butter, room temperature
• 5 ounces Romano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (or roasted garlic)
• 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 45 minutes; drain. Stir in butter, cheese, garlic, salt and oregano. Mash with a potato masher or with an electric mixer.

This was unbelievably delicious with roasted garlic.

To Roast Garlic: slice the top portion off a head of garlic and remove excess papery skin. Drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt. Wrap garlic tightly in foil and place in oven preheated at 375F for 35 minutes. I scaled this recipe down to 6 servings using a 3-pound bag of new red potatoes.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

• 4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

2. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

4. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

• In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

• Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:  These were fabulous! Everyone from Thanksgiving wanted the recipe. Followed exactly but next time I think I will cut the butter in half. Heres a hint to keep the potatoes from getting soggy in the crock. Lay a clean terry kitchen towel across the top of the crock then put the lid on. The towel absorbs the steam instead of it running back into the potatoes.

Also always use either russet or Yukon Gold potatoes rather than red skinned.

This recipe makes AWESOME garlic mashed potatoes when you use the Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese plus add garlic salt, oregano, and 1 cup of an Italian Cheese Blend - we were in heaven!!  I made mine three days early and refrigerated the stoneware crock until I was ready to cook them.

Once was pinched for time, and set the Crock on HIGH for 1 hour - they still tasted just fine, so I'm not sure 3 hours on LOW is necessary. (Tip: halve the time if you're cooking on HIGH - 3 hours on LOW equals 1 1/2 hours on HIGH, just a helpful thing to know when cooking with Crock-Pots.)

Fried Rice Restaurant Style

• 2 cups enriched white rice
• 4 cups water
• 2/3 cup chopped baby carrots
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• soy sauce to taste
• sesame oil, to taste (optional)

1. In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

3. Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Awesome Egg Rolls

• 6 cups cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
• 1 (4 ounce) can shrimp, drained
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• black pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• cornstarch
• 20 egg roll wrappers
• vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots, sprouts, celery, and onion. Stir in shrimp, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.

2. Pour beaten egg into a skillet placed over medium heat; cook flat and thin, flipping once, until done. Remove from skillet, cool, and chop finely. Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, mix, and allow to sit 10 minutes.

3. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

4. Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture into the center of an egg roll skin. Dip a spoon into the water and cornstarch mixture, and moisten all corners but the bottom corner. Fold the egg roll skin from the bottom over the mixture, making a tight tube of the shrimp mixture. Fold corners in from the sides, and press to stick against folded roll. Then roll the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers.

5. Pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, and heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Carefully place egg rolls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels.

Rich Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 5 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until very tender, about 20-25 minutes; drain well. Mash with 3 tablespoons of butter. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper; mix well. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Melt remaining butter; drizzle over the top. Cover and freeze for up to 1 month. Or bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. To use frozen potatoes: Thaw in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.
** I added adding a dash of white pepper and a teaspoon of turkey broth.

Four Cheese Macaroni

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 9 tablespoons butter
• ½ – ¾ cup shredded Muenster cheese
• ½ – ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• ½ – ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ – ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 8 ounces cubed processed cheese food - Velvetta
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the oil and the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 8 tablespoons butter; stir into the macaroni.

3. In a large bowl, combine the Muenster cheese, mild and sharp Cheddar cheeses, and Monterey Jack cheese; mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

5. Add the half and half, 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture, cubed processed cheese food, and eggs to macaroni; mix together and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly greased deep 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of butter.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges; serve.

*I mix up the Velveeta cubes until they're melted and then mix in the shredded cheeses real well too, before adding in the rest. Also I bake for 17 minutes and then do some more mixing and then sprinkle the last of the cheese and butter on top for the remaining 17 or so minutes. That's the magic ticket for me.

**I melted the butter in a pot on the stove, added the Velveeta cheese, then half the half/half and half skim milk, then the shredded cheeses. I was continually stiring with a rubber spatula and slowly adding all the cheese. When it melted completely, I took it off the heat. Then I tempered the beaten eggs with some of the warm cheese mixture. I then added the elbows, s & p, beaten eggs and warm cheese mixture. Stirring. Then baked in a glass pan.

Bubba Gump Southern Hush Puppies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 (17 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 large onions, chopped
• vegetable oil (for frying)

 1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
 2. Combine eggs and milk; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
 3. Stir in cheese, pepper, corn, and onion.
 4. Do not overstir.
 5. Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a small dutch oven.
 6. Heat to 375°F.
 7. Carefully drop batter by rounded tablespoons into oil.
 8. Fry hush puppies a few at a time 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
 9. Drain on paper towels.

French Fried Potato Balls (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:


1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
5 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mix ingredients in order given. Drop from a tablespoon into deep fryer at 360ºF. When brown, drain on brown paper. Serve hot.

Notes from The Paula Deen Test Kitchen: A light and fluffy potato ball. We sprinkled with The Lady and Son’s House Seasoning as soon as they came out of the hot oil and they were delicious. We also tried some right out of the hot oil with maple syrup and they were also delicious. Must be eaten hot/warm.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 4-6 min
Difficulty: Easy

Fried Rice with Cilantro

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, diced
• 2 cups cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet, over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic until golden, then add the chili pepper and chicken meat, and stir-fry until cooked through.

2. When the chicken is cooked, add the rice, sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently. When the mixture is well blended, stir in the green onions, basil, and cilantro. Cook for 1 more minute, then serve hot.

Cannellini Bean Salad

• 1 large sweet red pepper

• 2 (15 ounce) cans white kidney or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Clove garlic

Directions

1. Cut red pepper in half; remove seeds. Place pepper halves cut side down on a rack in a broiler pan. Broil 4 in. from the heat until skin blisters, about 8 minutes. Immediately place peppers in a bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Peel off and discard charred skin. Cut peppers into strips; place in a large bowl. Add the beans, onion and basil.

2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper; shake well. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat.

• Nutritional Analysis: 3/4 cup equals 190 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 472 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 7 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat.

Deep Fried Black Eyed Peas

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
• 1 onion, cut into large dice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• canola oil for frying
• 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Place the black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight.

2. The next day, drain and rinse the peas. Pour in enough water to cover the peas by 3-inches, then stir in the onion, bay leaves, and jalapeno pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender but not mushy, 40 to 50 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep the peas covered while cooking. Drain the peas in a colander set in the sink, and spread them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels or dish towels to drain. Discard bay leaves, and refrigerate the peas until ready to fry.

3. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4. Carefully pour about 1 1/2 cups of peas into the hot oil per batch, and fry until crisp, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the peas, drain on paper towels, and toss the hot peas in a bowl with seafood seasoning and kosher salt. Serve hot.