NEW AGE SOUL FOOD
On the menu
Hoppin John – New Age Style
8 – 10 Servings
Ingredients
1 pound sorted dried black eye peas
6 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt – Divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, diced
4 large cloves garlic chopped
2 teaspoons Sazon – Recipe to follow
3 large Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Method
Place waters and beans in a large pot and place on medium low heat uncovered. Add the bay leaves, granulated garlic and onion and 1 teaspoon salt.
Cook uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, peppers, garlic, sazon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and saute until liquid is absorbed.
Transfer the mixture to the bean pot and cook another 30 minutes or until beans are done and sauce is smooth and creamy.
Keep beans covered with at least 1 inch of liquid at all times. If needed, add additional water, 1/2 cup at a time.
Once beans are done, mix in chopped cilantro or parsley and serve over brown rice.
Sazon Seasoning – Salt Free
½ cup
If you like that commercial brand then you’re gonna love this 100% pure Sazon Seasoning!
Ingredients
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon annatto
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a glass container with lid and shake until all spices are thoroughly combined. If you use an airtight container, product can be kept for 6 month.
Roasted Turkey Wings – New Age Style
4 – 6 Servings
Ingredients
4 turkey wings
1 tablespoons of granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 medium onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 bay large leaves
2 cups vegetable broth
Method
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Wash wings under cold water and pat dry with a paper tower.
Combine all the dried seasonings then season wings with mixture. Cover and let wings marinade in seasoning overnight.
Line the bottom of a large roasting pan with the aromatics; onions, carrots, celery and bay leaves then sprinkle with the seasoning blend.
Pour in the vegetable broth then place the marinated turkey wings into the roasting pan on top of the vegetables.
Cover the roaster with foil and cook undisturbed for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes has elapsed, remove the foil and let wings continue to cook for 15 minute or until they are brown.
Once they are brown, cover the roaster and let wings sit 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Brown Basmati Rice
8 Servings
Ingredients
3 ½ cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons granulated onion
½ teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
2 cups brown basmati rice
Method
In a 3 quart saucepan bring water and seasonings to a boil. Add the rice, bring pot back up to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to the lowest setting.
Let rice cook undisturbed 45 minutes. After cooking period is completed, do not open pot, just remove it from the heat and let it sit 20 minutes undisturbed.
Remove top and fluff before serving.
With Saute Garlic and Onions
4 – 6 Serving
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red peppers
4 – 6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced, thin
2 pounds of greens (any greens), washed, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon garlic, granulated/powder
1 teaspoon onion, granulated/powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ – 1 teaspoon pepper
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
Add the crushed red chili peppers and sauté until peppers start to brown approximately 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced garlic and onions, continue sautéing approximately 1 minute, do not let the garlic brown. Add the greens, orange juice, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt and pepper, mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Bring pan up to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 15 – 30 minutes (depending on the greens), stirring occasionally.
That is a sufficient amount of time for the greens to be done. Taste for flavor and adjust.
Skillet Cornbread
8 Servings
Ingredients
¼ cup shortening
1-½ cups yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ – ½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 cups of buttermilk, more or less
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add the shortening to a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the skillet into the oven to melt the shortening and heat the skillet. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using mitts, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the hot fat around to coat the entire skillet. Pour the fat from the skillet into the cornmeal mixture; stir. Stir in half of the buttermilk and add the egg; add more buttermilk as needed to make a thick but pourable batter. Depending on the grind of your cornmeal and the type of buttermilk you use, you may not need it all. Fold ingredients and don’t beat the batter. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet. Carefully place directly into the oven and bake at 450 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then very carefully turn the cornbread out onto a plate or platter to preserve that nice crispy crust!
Deep South Ice Tea
8 Servings
Ingredients
5 to 7 individual tea bags, (Luzianne brand preferred)
1 quart of cool filtered or bottled water
Pinch of baking soda, optional
1 (4-cup) glass Pyrex measuring cup for steeping
2 quart glass pitcher filled with ice
1/2 to to 1 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
Fresh lemon, sliced or wedges, and some mint sprigs, optional
Method
Boil one quart of cool filtered or bottled water, bringing to a full, rolling boil then turn off heat. Steep tea bags in the hot water for 9 minutes. Gently squeeze bags of excess water and remove. Whisk in sugar (and baking soda if using) until dissolved and set aside. Fill pitcher with ice, and carefully pour the hot tea concentrate over the ice. Stir well and pour over ice filled glasses, garnishing with a sprig of mint leaves and a nice juicy slice of lemon. Savor. Makes 2 quarts.
Cook’s Notes: For a milder tea, use 5 bags; for a more robust tea, go with 7. Increase sugar as needed to your sweetness level. Never pour hot tea directly into a glass pitcher without ice in it! To conserve your ice and use the tea per glass, fill the 1/2 gallon pitcher with 1-1/2 quarts of water instead of ice, and top with the steeped tea.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
Angelique
Fruit cake really has a bad reputation. By the time they mix in that hard stuff they call fruit, wrap it in plastic, box it and sit it on a shelf, fruit cake becomes nothing but a nasty tasting brick.
Mom
Cake doesn’t belong in plastic or a box! In order to truly appreciate a fruit cake, it cannot be commercially prepared; you have to make it yourself.
Angelique
Making a fruit cake isn’t really as complicated as it seems. Plus, it’s a great family activity. You’re in the kitchen and the kids are prepping the fruit and nuts with Christmas music playing in the background.
Mom
What a fun new family tradition and you’ll be amazed with the outcome. The key is not to use that hard fruit rind mix that shows up on the shelves at holiday time. We use dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, raisins and tropical fruit mix.
Angelique
But there’s still the issue of fruit cake’s bad rep. How do you get people to try it? That’s why Mom added a New Age Twist.
Mom
We introduce it as a spice cake. Sure it’s got the fruit in it, but our cake is very moist, rich and tastes more like gingerbread.
Mom
We introduce it as a spice cake. Sure it’s got the fruit in it, but our cake is very moist, rich and tastes more like gingerbread.
Angelique
OH! And make sure you bake a Rated R and a PG 13 version. Cause you want the adults to get plenty of liquor in theirs.
Mom
That may be the real reason Grandma can’t wait to get our fruit cakes every year.
Angelique
Yep and I always sneak in extra liquor for Gram. Her cake is so strong its Not Yet Rated.
Mom
That may be the real reason Grandma can’t wait to get our fruit cakes every year.
Angelique
Yep and I always sneak in extra liquor for Gram. Her cake is so strong its Not Yet Rated.
The Fruit Cake Fix
8 – 10 Slices
Note: Do not purchase the fruit mixes typically associated with fruit cakes, buy the individual dried fruit packages that are normally found in supermarkets.
For the Kids version, use apple cider or apple juice instead of liquor.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped dried tropical fruit mix
1 cup raisins
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup dried cranberries
2 cups brandy or rum
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1 teaspoon dried orange peel
1 stick butter
1 cup unfiltered apple juice
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
½ cup walnut pieces
Method
Heat oven 325 degrees F
grease and flour a bundt or loaf pan
Combine dried fruit, brandy, lemon peel and orange peel in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the butter mixing until melted; add apple juice, sugar, cloves, allspice, ginger and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly and let simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Let sit until mixture is completely cooled.
Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a fine wire mesh colander and sift ingredients into the cooled fruit mixture. The object is not to over work the batter, fold in the ingredients just enough to combine then quickly fold in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the nuts and transfer batter to floured loaf pans.
Cook 1 hour, remove from oven, baste top with brandy or rum and let cake cool in the pan on a rack.
Store cake in an air tight container, if storing for any length of time, once a week spritz the cake with brandy or rum to keep it moist.
