STIR-FRIED COLLARDS, PORK TENDERLOIN AND PEANUTS

My son Herbert Jr (Tarri) makes collards as his signature dish, so here is another twist on the dish from Georgia for your files.

I found from someones clipping file on a shelf at Ross Department Store while out and about shopping in Georgia, on Sunday January 16, 2011, with long time friends Mary Joyce Mitchell, and Connie Taylor.

This is not a vegetarian or vegan recipe, but you can take out the tenderloin, and chicken stock, substitute it for vegetable base. I just thought the interesting use of hot sauce, and peanuts brings an interesting flavor to collard greens.

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 25 minutes  Serves:4

This combination of pork, collards, peanuts and hot sauce just says "Georgia" to me. If you like your collards cooked more, take a little longer for the first step and then proceed with the recipe. You could even do the collards ahead of time, or use leftover collards from another meal. Chicken base is a great pantry staple that adds flavor without the need for cups of chicken stock. You'll find it in the prepared soup section of your grocery store. With 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, this is pretty spicy. Use less if your household isn't into heat. Serve the dish with rice.

1 pound collards, washed, stemmed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon chicken base
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pot tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

In a large saucepan, and collard greens with enough water to cover. Add chicken base. Heat over high heat until water begins to boil. Cook until collards are your desired tenderness, 5 to 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add park, cook 2 minutes, turn over and cook 11 to 3 minutes or until just done. Add the greens and hot sauce and toss until everything is coated with hot sauce. Stir in peanuts.

Adopted from "The Best of Georgia Farms" by Fred Brown and Sherri M.L. Smith.

Vegetarian Kale Soup- from Baltimore MD

Eillen Miller, shared this recipe for all you vegan's on her facebook page.Some of us had problems when we went to the link, below is the recipe. This wonderful soup will warm your insides, delight your taste buds, and fill your stomach on a cold winter's night. It is full of dark green kale, potatoes, and cannellini beans. Eileen's most famous weekend crock pot dish was chowder, she makes the best corn chowder I have ever tasted, even my own.


Also, a link to go to for a 21 Day Kickstart, is www.21daykickstart.org/ -

Vegetarian Kale Soup Recipe

1 lb dried white beans such as Great Northern, cannellini, or navy

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 cups vegetable broth

2 qt water

1 (3- by 2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf (not California)

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 lb smoked sausage such as kielbasa (optional), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

8 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1 lb kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped

Sunday Dinner with Mary Joyce and Connie

Homecoming, Mary Joyce left us on May 21st, 2011

Mary Joyce Mitchell, Portrait, Acrylic Glaze, 30" x 36"

" When it comes to family, we do not have the choice of who our relatives are, but we do have a choice on how we live and interact with each other. We still have to make an effort to form quality relationships and build lasting memories. So let us move forward on purpose and Love each other better, respect each other more, and communicate with open hearts and listening ears. I say this with much love to my sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws, and all these adopted into the family. I pray God's Abundant Blessings to all my family as we begin a new chapter in our life."

Hometown friends meet up in Atlanta: Sunday, January 16, 2011

These are two friends, mother and daughter, whom I have known from Fresno and Sacramento, California, since the mid 80's they both live in Atlanta, Georgia now. They have lived here for seven years, and surprise, January 13th was Mary Joyce's birthday, and January 15th was Connie R. Taylor's birthday.

They drove out to The Writer's Well, here in Sharpsburg, GA, so we could go to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. That was a fantastic place, a "World Market"  with so many cultures from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, not to mention the selection of food, spices, meat, wines, seafood, and live fish from all over the world. 

Mary Joyce has a collection of original paintings from my spirit keeper series; she contracted me to do this portrait for her book cover.

When we were in Sacramento, she invited everyone over. I tribute her for keeping her girls in the kitchen and learning recipes. I remember when she'd have all of us in the kitchen helping to prepare a pot of gumbo or Thanksgiving Dinner, or just because she has a flair for cooking and entertaining.

We had a lady's day outing, starting with going to worship at  World Changers Church International, where Clefo Dollar preached on the subject of food and pointed out in scripture where man calls for meat, corn, manna, and fish. So, of course, fruits and vegetables, I could picture a feast. After church, we went to Ruby Tuesday in College Park, Georgia Ruby Tuesday in College Park, Georgia; after church,  they had an excellent soup and salad bar.

VEGAN RECIPES AT THE WRITER'S WELL

VEGAN RECIPES- in my quest to eat healthier this decade I started to first withdrawal from all the bad eating habits I have fallen into over the years, take my system through the slow process of cleansing. That is one of my goals and also prepares myself with the knowledge of how to prepare dishes for guests that are vegan, visiting The Writer’s Well, for “Sunday Dinners”.  If you have a favorite recipe you can add them to the comments, and share them with our blog guest.

"This morning I was craving my favorite banana bread, but I have no bananas, there is ice on the road, and I have no plans on venturing outdoors. So I went into the cabinet to see what I can do to make a vegan apple bread, here are the online recipes that I'm going to try."

Vegan Banana Bread

1/3 cup low-fat soy milk
1 tsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. flax meal
5 Tbsp. water
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup mashed bananas (about two very ripe medium bananas)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix soy milk with vinegar; set aside.
3. Heat water for 30 seconds in the microwave.
4. Mix ground flax seeds with hot water; set aside.
5. Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
6. Mix bananas, applesauce, soy milk-vinegar mixture, and flax seed mixture in a medium mixing bowl.
7. Combine the banana mixture with the large bowl containing dry ingredients, and stir well.
8. Add chopped pecans and mix well again.
9. Pour into a greased 8″ square pan or loaf pan.
10. Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour (8″ square pan) to 1 hour and 15 minutes (loaf pan), or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

Banana-Date-Walnut Muffins

Recipe by: Susan Voisin

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup natural sugar (I used the large crystal, unbleached kind)
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/3 cup natural apple sauce
2 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 cup chopped dates (optional)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray. Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mash the banana with the sugar, soy milk, apple sauce, and agave nectar.

Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add in the dates and walnuts, and pour into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve to everyone who came running toward the aroma of fresh-baked banana muffins!

Makes 12 muffins

Christmas Cookies a Tradition at Laurel Bobzien 2010

Laurel Bobzien Christmas Party on  December 19, 2010

Laurel used her mother’s antique cookie cutters, she had prepared at least six dozen cookies, all we had to do was spread the icing and decorate with sparkles, gold beads. This was a fun way to be creative and bring back some of the family traditions we often forget about during the Christmas season. Of course, we exchanged gifts, toasted great wines, and had tasty trays.

Buttery Sugar Cookies

Buttery sugar cookies are shaped then flattened with the bottom of a sugar-dipped glass.

Ingredients: •1 cup butter •2 cups granulated sugar •2 eggs, well beaten •2 tablespoons milk •1 teaspoon vanilla extract •3 cups flour •2 teaspoons baking powder •1/2 teaspoon salt •granulated sugar

Preparation: Cream butter; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract; stir to blend. Combine and sift flour, baking powder, and salt; add gradually to creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass that's been greased and dipped in granulated sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to racks immediately to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen Christmas cookies.

 

Claire, an Urban Xplorer hosted Sunday Dinner December 12, 2010

SUNDAY DINNER FROM THE WRITER'S WELL IN GEORGIA



Sunday Dinner in Atlanta, at the Soul Vegetarian Restaurant South, 879 -B Ralph David Abernathy, Blvd.

Adilah and Jennifer "thanks for driving Jennifer"

Adliah Barnes founder of the Writer's Well....

"I am glad we all came together for dinner last night. (We made it happen!)

The company was good, the food healthy and a great way to introduce everybody to everybody.

 Here's to 2011 that brings each of us love, harmony, well being, peace of mind, perfect health, compatible relationships and abundance beyond measure!!



Renae Denise Artist,

"Not picture Alpha Bruton, and Cynthia Williams, but we were there enjoying the company of new friendships, and Sunday Dinner from the Writer's Well. in Sharpsburg Georgia."





Happy New Year 2011-01-01

It's a new year of family, food, fun, and fellowship. No better way to show how much you care about friends and family than to pull out the crockpot and start adding vegetables, spices, and a lot of love.