Rancho Gordo Zipper Cream Peas

Rancho Gordo Zipper Cream Peas

Just as heirloom beans were a revelation after growing up with commodity beans, heirloom varieties of peas have opened up worlds of flavors we never knew existed. We were wrong. Peas are not beans, but they are worthy of your admiration, especially when they are as good as Zipper Cream field peas. The first bite of Zipper Creams is nice, a little like traditional Black Eyed Peas, but all of a sudden, a wonderful nutty glow takes over, and so far, everyone has been happy, even those who think they dislike Black Eyed Peas. We don't want to oversell them but we like them very much and they are staying in the Rancho Gordo family.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb uncooked Rancho Gordo Zipper Cream Peas, picked over and rinsed (you will use 1/2 cup cooked peas for this recipe and save the remaining for another use)
1 tbsp finely diced onion
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 to 3 parsley stems
12 oz unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
2 to 3 drops Liquid Smoke
Olive oil for serving
Sliced bread or cornbread for serving
Directions:
If time allows, soak peas for about 3 hours.  Cook in lightly salted water with the onion, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley stems until al dente tender but still holding their shape.  Drain, cool, and reserve 1/2 cup for the butter (save the rest in the refrigerator or freezer for another use.

Cut butter in pieces and let it soften to a smooth pomade consistency. Transfer to a stand mkixer with a paddle attachment.

Start the mixer on low and begin creaming the butter. Add the cooked peas gradually, mixing gently. The goal is a partially broken texture _ some peas fully incorporated, some still whole for speckling throughout.

Add the salt, sherry vinegar, and liquid smoke. Mix just until combined, then taste and adjust. The butter should be lightly smoky, slightly tangy, and rich but balanced.

Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with a single drop of liquid smoke on top for aroma. Serve at room temperature with bread or cornbread. Serves 8 to 10

Brandy Rose Cocktail ~ Vegan Tahini And Eggplant "Bacon" Dip

                                         

Brandy Rose Cocktail  Vegan Tahini 

And Eggplant "Bacon" Dip

A Jack Rose cocktail is traditionally made with American apple brandy. This flexible recipe is lovely with grape brandy, or even premium Cognac, and stays chilled and looks dramatic poured over colorful flavored ice.   Try this drink at cocktail hour alongside our creamy vegan Tahini and Eggplant “Bacon” Dip, garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds.  Dip recipe follows. 

Ingredients:
8 oz or more of pomegranate-blend juice (such as cranberry-pomegranate) for colored ice (optional)

3 oz brandy
2 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 oz grenadine 
Lemon twists for garnish

Directions:

1. For flavoured ice, at least 1 day before serving, pour juice into moulds and freeze overnight, or until solid. 

2. When ready to serve, fill a cocktail shaker with plain ice cubes then add brandy, lemon juice and grenadine, and shake for up to 30 seconds, or until the shaker is icy-cold. 

3. For each drink, pour half of the mixture through a fine cocktail sieve or wire strainer into a coupe glass. Or, if using flavoured ice, place ice in the bottom of two coupe or rocks glasses and pour half of mixture through a fine cocktail sieve or metal strainer into each glass. 

4. Garnish each drink with a lemon twist and serve.  Makes 2 drinks

Tahini And Eggplant "Bacon" Dip

This Middle Eastern plant-based dip gives the smoky flavour and crunch of bacon but in a creamy, satisfying vegan dip. Top with parsley and pomegranate seeds for a fresh, light holiday garnish. Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
Eggplant Bacon
½ medium-size eggplant
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) tamari
1 tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid smoke
1 tsp (5 mL) smoked paprika
½ tsp (2 mL) fresh ground pepper
DIP
½ cup (125 mL) tahini (sesame paste)
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, fi nely minced
¾ cup (175 mL) water
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Garnish
2 tbsp (30 mL) pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions: 
1 For eggplant bacon, preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2 Cut eggplant in half again lengthwise. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice eggplant into very thin strips, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Place in a single layer on baking sheet.

3 In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients to make sauce. Brush each side of eggplant with a generous amount of sauce. Bake in oven for 30 to 40 minutes until eggplant is dark brown and crisp.

4 Remove from oven and cool slightly. Finely chop eggplant bacon and set aside.

5 For dip, add all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until creamy. Mix in finely chopped eggplant bacon, reserving 1 tbsp (15 mL) for garnish. Refrigerate dip for at least 30 mins.

6 When ready to serve, garnish dip with the reserved 1 tbsp (15 mL) of eggplant bacon, pomegranate seeds and parsley. Serve alongside Crispy Baked Root Vegetable Skins (recipe below). 

Serves 4 to 6


Crispy Baked Root Vegetable SkinsNot only are root vegetable skins filled with nutrition, they save on food waste. These skins are absolutely delicious when lightly seasoned and baked. Every time you peel carrots, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes or ginger, use a sharp peeler to peel wide pieces and place peels in a bowl stored in the refrigerator. These peels can be stored for up to 5 days with the exception of the russet potato peels, as they turn brown in color and should be used right away.
Ingredients:
Skin of 2 large red beets
Skin of 3 large parsnips
Skins of 3 large carrots|
Skin of 3 large sweet potatoes
Skin of 3 large russet potatoes
Skin of 1 large ginger root
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1 Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel root vegetable skins into wide pieces.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3 In a large bowl, toss vegetable skins with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until skins are crispy, occasionally checking and tossing for even crispiness.

4 Serve warm or at room temperature with dip.  Serves 4 to 6

Eggplant "Bacon"

Eggplant "Bacon"

Crisp, chewy and smoky, this eggplant “bacon” is worth making even if you eat the real thing. Try it with eggs, in a BLT, or as a veggie burger condiment. Instead of a traditional globe eggplant, you could also use two straight Japanese eggplants (7 oz/210 g each) and slice them whole lengthwise.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) tamari soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) pure maple syrup
1 tsp (5 mL) liquid smoke
1 tsp (5 mL) smoked paprika
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1 straight (i.e. not curved) eggplant, 1 lb (500 g)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250°F (120°F). Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, tamari soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, smoked paprika and pepper.

Trim and discard eggplant stem. Cut lengthwise into even quarters. Using a mandoline, carefully slice eggplant lengthwise about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Place slices on prepared trays (save trimmings for another use). Brush both sides of sliced eggplant with marinade. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip eggplant and bake another 30 minutes. Flip again and bake until deep brown and crisp—they will crisp up further as they cool—10 to 20 minutes more.

Remove from oven. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or store uncovered at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Makes 20 to 24 slices

Chicken Tiki Masala ~ Instant Pot

Chicken Tiki Masala

Six Servings.

Ingredients:

Marinate the chicken:

1 ½ pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (breast or thighs), cut into large pieces

½ cups Full-Fat Greek Yogurt

4 cloves Garlic minced

2 teaspoons Minced Ginger minced

½ teaspoon Turmeric

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika for color and a slightly smokey taste

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (omit if unavailable)

For the Sauce:

1 Onion chopped

1 14-ounce Canned Tomatoes

1 carrot chopped

5 cloves Garlic minced

2 teaspoon Minced Ginger minced

1 teaspoon Turmeric

½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1-2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 teaspoons Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

To Finish:

4 ounce Half and Half (use full-fat coconut milk if dairy free)

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

¼-1/2 cup Cilantro chopped

Directions:

Marinate the boneless, skinless chicken thighs with full-fat Greek Yogurt (or full-fat coconut milk if you are dairy-free), minced garlic, minced ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper (Indian chili powder), smoked paprika, salt, garam masala, and liquid smoke if using. If you do not have yogurt, you can also use full-fat cream.Make sure to beat and blend the plain yogurt well so it doesn't separate later. This will create a thick paste to coat the chicken thighs in. Let it rest for 1-2 hours if possible.

Place sauce ingredients into the Instant Pot. Place the chicken with the yogurt on top of the sauce.

Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes and release pressure quickly.

Remove chicken and either set aside, broil, or put in your air fryer to brown, as you choose.

Meanwhile using an immersion blender, purée the sauce well.

Add 1/2 cup of half and half, cream, or coconut milk and stir well.

Remove half the sauce and freeze for later.
Put chicken back into the remaining sauce, mix in the garam masala, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Tips And Tricks For Making Chicken Tikka Masala
The spices for marinating and for the sauce are almost the same. The marinade takes half the spice the sauce does.

To be efficient, put the sauce ingredients in the Instant Pot, and the raw chicken in a bowl. As you add turmeric to the marinade, add twice that amount of turmeric to the onion and tomato sauce as well.
Please note that a few readers who used 8 quart Instant Pots had the BURN message with a single batch of this, but not a double batch. The same readers were able to make this without the BURN message.

If you have an 8 quart, either double this recipe or use 1/2 to 1/4 cup of water to add to the chicken and vegetables.

You can make this recipe with skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.

You'll see jars of this sauce with the Indian cuisine in the grocery store. Skip those and make this sauce instead. It's worth the extra effort.

If you don't like your food spicy, reduce or omit the cayenne pepper to reduce the heat.

My recipe for Homemade Garam masala is made with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and a host of other delicious things. You should try making it instead of using store-bought.

There's no reason you can't use leftover tikka masala sauce with leftover grilled chicken. Just throw it in a skillet with a tiny bit of oil and saute to reheat and enjoy chicken tikka masala a second time.

Indoor Pulled Chicken With Bar-B-Que Sauce

Indoor Pulled Chicken

Bar-B-Que Sauce

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cut the chicken thighs into halves.  In a pan over nedium-high heat add the chicken broth, molasses (not black strap), and sugar.  Stir to dissolve sugar.

Add the liquid smoke, unflavored gelatin and salt.  

Add chicken thighs and turn heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes or till fork tender and falls apart.

Remove chicken from cooking liquid.  

Strain cooking liquid and place in a measuring cup for later use.  Place chicken in a bowl.  With a tongs, pull chicken into shreds by a twisting motion.  Cover chicken and set aside while making Bar-B-Que Sauce.

Bar-B-Que Sauce 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespooms worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup braising liquid
3 tablespoons skimmed fat or butter
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Directions:

Combine ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.  Stir to mix well.

Place Bar-B-Que sauce in pan chicken was cooked in and add shredded chicken.   Add skimmed fat, braising liquid and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, reheat.

Place shredded chicken in pan it was cooked in and add 1 cup of the bar-b-que sauce with 1/2 cup braising liquid.  Reheat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.