Vegetable and Three Bean Salad

This recipe was inspired by some vegetable salsa my friend Jennifer brought me - it was AMAZING! I made a few modifications - not as much oil and sugar/sugar substitute, different beans and peppers, and walnut oil instead of canola oil. You can adjust the oil and sweetness to suit your tastes. Just a reminder: I used mostly organic ingredients. Use organic when possible!

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 can Northern white beans
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 2 C frozen corn
• 1 roasted red bell pepper (from a jar), chopped
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
• To add before serving (optional):
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1 large handful of cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1 T water
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t black pepper

Preparation:

1. Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Mix dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, and whisk to combine.
3. Pour dressing over salad and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving.
4. Stir in chopped tomato and cilantro before serving, if desired.
5. Enjoy!

Caribbean Inspired Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

This recipe came together like many of my recipes do: I browsed a dozen or so recipes for Caribbean soups and stews, did an inventory of my pantry, and came up with a creation all my own, inspired by others' ideas and what I had available! It was quite delicious, I must say. Pay attention to the curry you're using - if it's hot, you might want to tone it down. Me? I love spicy, and mine had a heck of a kick!

Ingredients:

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped fine
• 1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes
• 2 t curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/2 t ground coriander
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1-2 cups unsalted vegetable broth or water
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Pour the oil into a 4-quart slow cooker and set the cooker on high.
2. Add the garlic and put the lid on the cooker while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
4. Stir in the spices.
5. Add the beans, coconut milk, and broth.
6. Reduce heat, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
7. Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.
8. Enjoy!

Yellow-Eyed Pea Salsa

I recently made a slow cooker full of yellow-eyed peas and had about two cups of peas left after dinner, so I threw together this salsa. I have to say it was healthy and fantastic - so much so that I ate it with a spoon! Who needs chips?

Ingredients:

• 2 C cooked yellow-eyed peas
• 1/4 - 1/2 C salsa or picante sauce
• 1/4 C green bell pepper
• 1/4 C white onion
• 1 handful + cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 t garlic salt
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/4 t Italian seasoning
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• generous pinch of ground red pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix ingredients.
2. Enjoy!

Notes:

This is my favorite kind of recipe - one that I just put together without a lot of work and measuring! So, the measurements above are all approximations. Adjust according to your own tastes.

Easy Overnight Yellow-Eyed Peas

Did you know there was such a thing as yellow-eyed peas? They are new for me! I bought a bag of them at the North Carolina State Farmers' Market in Raleigh. My first thought was to cook them and make yellow-eyed pea salsa, but the broth turned out so good I ate two bowls of beans - straight from the slow cooker, topped with a dollop of salsa! (And I made salsa with the rest of them - recipe HERE!)

Ingredients:

• 2 C yellow-eyed peas 
• 8 C water 
• 3 Not-Beef bouillon cubes* 
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 t garlic powder 
• 1/2 t cumin 
• salt & pepper to taste 

Preparation:

1. Sort and rinse beans. I soak them for a couple of hours in the evening to reduce cooking time and pour off the soaking water. 
2. Put all ingredients in the slow cooker when you go to bed and set it on low. 
3. Stir a couple of times during the night, if you happen to get up. 
4. The house will smell wonderful and the peas will be ready for lunch the next day. 
5. Enjoy! 

Notes:

*I buy Edward & Sons brand vegan, gluten-free "Not-Beef" bouillon cubes. They are available at specialty grocery stores.