black-eyed pea hummus

I know I’m a little early, but here’s a little bit different way to get your black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day.

1 lb black-eyed peas, dry

Soak beans overnight. Drain and return to pot; cover with water and add

5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons of sugar

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer until peas are soft. Drain and spread out on a baking sheet; cool to room temperature. Put the peas and garlic in a food processor and add

2/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Turn on the machine and stream in

olive oil

slowly until the mixture has the consistency you want. I’ve never measured how much oil I add. You will process the mixture for four or five minutes.

Spoon out into a bowl and serve with pita chips or crackers. I like to garnish it with tear jerkers for a little extra something.

Peace,
Milton

spicy corn and red bean chowder

I made this soup for our Advent Fest at church today, mostly because these were the ingredients I had in my kitchen. I wasn't really measuring things when I made it, but this is a reasonable apporximation.

1 stick butter
1 onion, small dice
1 red pepper, small dice
1 cup celery, small dice
3 cups frozen corn

Melt butter, then add other ingredients and sauté over medium heat. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in all the juices the vegetables create. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and slowly add

1/2 cup flour

and cook for another three or four minutes, to make a roux. Add

4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cumin powder
salt and pepper
2 or 3 bay leaves

and cook, stirring occasionally once everything is mixed well, until soup begins to thicken. Add

2 cans red beans
2 cans Ro-tel tomatoes with green chiles, drained

and continue to heat until everything is heated through and soup is thick.

Peace,
Milton