Black Eyed Pea and Collard Soup

I made this for New Year’s Day lunch in a big batch to meet all of our superstitions for a prosperous new year. I’m glad I have enough leftover to freeze for another time because it is a really healthy meal that just makes me feel good too. Like all of my favorite recipes, its really easy to make.

What you need:

1 small yellow onion

2 stalks celery

4 cloves garlic

1 bell pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2 cups of chicken stock

4 cups water

1 ham shank

2 cups fresh black eyed peas (canned are ok too)

2 large bunches of collard greens

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Chop your onion, pepper, and celery into small pieces and add to a large stock pot with a bit of olive oil and add 1.5 tsp of salt and pepper. Stir them around for a few minutes over medium heat. When the vegetables have softened move them to the outer edges and place your ham shank in the center. Sear on each side for about 3 minutes. Now add your fresh herbs and garlic and stir around for a minute until the garlic smells really fragrant and has softened up a bit. Add your chicken stock and water and another tsp of salt and pepper, bring the water up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile clean your collards and chop them up, I like to remove most of the stems. Throw them into the pot and let simmer for at least one hour but up to 2 is completely fine. When you are satisfied with your collards, use tongs and pull the ham shank out of the pot. Now add your black eyed peas, fresh ones take about 20 minutes to cook through and canned ones will only take about 5. Let it cool for a minute and pull as much meat as you can off the ham bone and add it back into the soup. Finish with 2 tbsp of vinegar and red pepper flakes. Serving this soup with corn bread is always a good idea : )

Harissa, Tomato, and Lemon Chicken

This dish is perfect for a family meal or a dinner party, its full of flavor and so easy to make. It looks pretty on the plate, its comforting, and its also really healthy. I wish I had thought of it sooner. This dish is rich but also zesty combining classic Mediterranean flavors with chicken thighs that are hard to screw up. I cannot recommend this enough. Also, I made this recipe small since it was just for the two of us (no, the kids won’t eat this yet : ( but it can easily be doubled or tripled.

What you need:

- 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs

-4 tbsp of harrisa (the good kind, pepper forward)

-1 cup of marinara sauce ( I don’t stray from Rao’s)

-1/2 a lemon

- 1 tsp oregano

-salt and pepper

-1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained

- 1/2 cup of feta cheese

-olive oil and/or canola oil

First, pat your chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them. Next gently loosen the skin on your chicken thighs and rub the harissa all over and under the skin. Set a skillet or pan with a lid over medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil and canola oil (about 1 tbsp each). I like to combine them because canola oil does a better job of not letting the chicken skin stick. Then place your chicken thighs skin side down and let them sit for a solid 5-6 minutes, do not flip them early. Let them get a good sear and even char a tad. Squeeze some of your lemon on the side facing you and then flip them when its time. Squeeze a little lemon on the other side and pour your marinara and chickpeas into the pan. Now add your oregano to the pan, sprinkling it evenly. Using a spatula, scrape up the burned brown bits from the chicken skin and lightly swirl it into the marinara sauce. Place the lemon in the middle of everything and cover with a lid and let it simmer over low/medium for about 12 minutes. When your chicken thighs have reached an internal temp of 155 go ahead and turn off the pan and sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the top of the chicken and chickpeas. Put the lid back on and wait for 5 minutes, the chicken will finish cooking (should be 165 internal temp...or juices run clear when pierced with a fork). I like to serve this with a Greek salad, loaded with olives, banana peppers, and a good vinaigrette.

Bacon and Eggs Ramen

This is the ultimate comfort food that I honestly think you could eat any time of the day. I’ve made lots of different ramen noodle recipes over the years with favorites coming from Anthony Bourdain and Tieghan Gerard. Most recipes require some type of chili or curry paste but those can be hard to find w/out traces of peanut in them and with my allergy I try to avoid them unless I’m certain. You can get a lot of flavor from dried spices so I opted to use a curry powder, Chinese 5 spice or Japanese 7 spice would be even better. It’s hard to make a ramen noodle dish that isn’t good so feel free to use some creative license. My pantry has been cleaned out and our local grocery store doesn’t carry much in the international department so I made do with some fairly pedestrian ingredients.

What you need:

-1 onion, sliced

-1 red bell pepper, sliced

-1 cup of sliced mushrooms

-4 cloves of garlic, minced

-3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger

-1 tsp curry powder

-3 strips of good quality bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces

-4 or 5 cups of chicken broth

-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

-2 tbsp rice vinegar

-2 tbsp hot sesame oil.

- 1 1/2 cups mixed green vegetables (spinach, snow peas, edamame)

-1 10 oz package or ramen noodles

-cilantro, hot pickled peppers, pickled radishes, carrot shreds, scallions, sriracha sauce for garnish

-4 soft boiled eggs (the eggs in my photo are slightly more done than my preference....I messed up! A good 5 minute egg is perfect, will cook more in the broth).

Put 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large stock pot and add bacon and cook over medium heat until browned. Do not drain the fat, its not much and it adds tons of flavor : ) Next throw in your onions, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger sauté those until they’re soft and the aromas from the garlic and ginger are really fragrant. Add in your curry powder and stir a few times for 2-3 minutes. Next add your chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes to allow your flavor to develop. When you are ready to eat, turn off the stove add your ramen and green vegetables and let steep for about 5 minutes. Serve in a big bowl and garnish with egg, cilantro, hot sauce, etc. Slurp away!