New Year's Day

Happy New Year! I hope your New Year's Eve was good (and safe), and that 2024 is good for all of us.

If you're like many people, you've come up with a few New Year's Resolutions (even if you didn't write them down). If you're like me (yes, I came up with a few), they involve improving your health (as much as you can possibly do), watching your diet, and exercising more. Am I close?

If one of the things you're planning to do in the new year is to become a vegetarian, or at least go vegetarian once a week, you've come to the right place. (Or, at least, one of many good places to check out.) Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to start the new year off right, including Frozen Toffee Pie and New Year's Black-Eyed Peas & Greens. (If you've ever lived in the Southern United States - or lived with someone who identifies as a Southerner, you probably know that Black-Eyed Peas & Greens are a big deal for New Year's Day.) Enjoy!

CREAMY YOGURT WITH PASSION FRUIT COULIS

This also comes from the October 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 69. It begins, “This light dessert is a lovely way to end a casual meal. To make your own Greek-style yogurt, place 4 cups low-fat yogurt in a strainer over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. This drains off excess liquid to thicken the yogurt.” Makes 6 servings in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 passion fruit

3/4 cup tangerine or orange juice

3 Tbs. sugar

3 cups low-fat Greek-style yogurt

Mint sprigs for garnish, optional

Directions

Cut passion fruit in half, and scoop pulp and seeds into saucepan. Add tangerine juice, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Strain out seeds, and cool.

Divide yogurt among 4 shallow bowls. Spoon passion fruit sauce over top. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 125; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 47 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 16 g

FROZEN TOFFEE PIE

This is from the November/December 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 70. It begins, “This dessert tastes particularly good after a rich meal when you want something sweet, but not too heavy. There are endless variations to try with different ice creams, toppings, and syrups.” Serves 10.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/frozen-toffee-pie/.

Ingredients

25 chocolate wafer cookies

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 qt. low-fat coffee ice cream

1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1-1/2 cups nonfat chocolate syrup, warmed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Pulse cookies to fine crumbs in food processor. Transfer to bowl, and stir in butter. Press into 9-inch pie pan, packing crumbs evenly across bottom and up sides. Bake 8 minutes, then cool.

Soften ice cream 30 minutes in refrigerator. Spread in cooled piecrust. Sprinkle with peanuts, cover with foil, and freeze until firm. Slice, and serve drizzled with chocolate sauce.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 351; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 54 g; Cholesterol: 27 mg; Sodium: 246 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 38 g

SPOON BREAD WITH FRESH SAGE

This is from the November/December 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It begins, “A puddinglike side dish from the South, spoon bread goes together in no time and should be eaten piping hot. Before chopping fresh sage, rub the leaves between your fingers to test its pungency. If the scent isn’t strong, increase the amount you’re using to 3 or 4 tablespoons.” Serves 8.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/spoon-bread-with-fresh-sage/.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 Tbs. butter, plus more for greasing dish

1 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs

1 cup low-fat milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Butter 9-inch-square glass or enamel baking dish.

Bring 2 cups water, sage, and salt to a boil in large saucepan. Stir in cornmeal, and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly, or until cornmeal begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and stir in butter until melted. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in baking powder.

Lightly beat eggs in bowl, then whisk in milk until combined. Whisk egg mixture into cornmeal mixture, and pour into prepared baking dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top begins to brown and spoon bread looks set.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 137; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 5.5 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Cholesterol: 64 mg; Sodium: 417 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 2 g; Gluten-Free

NEW YEAR'S BLACK-EYED PEAS AND GREENS

You know I couldn't post today's blog without adding a black-eyed peas recipe! This one comes from the December 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 68. This one begins, "“Eat poor on New Year’s, and eat fat the rest of the year,” goes the saying in the American South, where black-eyed peas are eaten at New Year’s for luck and good fortune. The peas are said to represent coins, and are often eaten alongside collard greens, which represent paper money, as well as golden cornbread. 
This version replaces the collards with superfood kale." Serves 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (1 1/4 cups)

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 3/4 tsp. salt, divided

1 12-oz. bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces

2 Tbs. lemon juice, divided

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (1 1/2 cups)

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano

Directions

Set peas in saucepan, and cover with boiling water; let sit 1 hour. Drain, return peas to saucepan, cover with fresh water, and add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and cook 20 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 tsp. salt, and cook 10 to 25 minutes longer, or until peas are tender but keep their shape.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add kale, and boil 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and toss with 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Toss tomatoes with 1/4 tsp. salt in colander. Let sit, shaking occasionally, 
to drain juices.

Combine remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 5 tsp. lemon juice, oil, 
green onions, parsley, and oregano in large bowl.

Drain peas, and remove bay leaf. 
Add to bowl with lemon juice and herbs, and mix well. Add tomatoes, and mix again. Serve warm, with kale on side.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 195; Protein: 10 g; Total Fat: 6 g;Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 701 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 6 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

TEXAS CAVIAR

This comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. She wrote, “This Tex-Mex style of salsa includes beans and white corn, along with the other traditional salsa ingredients of tomatoes, onions, chiles, and cilantro. Here, the chosen beans are canned black-eyed peas, so you can easily put this together. Make it a couple of days in advance so the flavors can meld. Serve with tortilla chips, and you have a crowd-pleasing party appetizer with little effort.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 cups

Note: I'm no longer able to find a link for this, but I did want to give credit for this yummy recipes.

Ingredients

1 (15.8-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained (see Notes)

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato

1 cup canned white "shoe-peg" corn, drained

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 Tablespoons canned chopped mild green chiles

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or white vinegar

1 Tablespoon (about 1 medium-sized) minced seeded jalapeno or serrano chile pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine black-eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, green oniones, mild green chiles, vinegar, jalapenos, cilantro, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir gently until mixed.


Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 days to let flavors meld.

To serve, garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and accompany with colorful, plain, or cheesy tortilla chips.

Notes:
Feel free to substitute black beans or small pinto beans for the black-eyed peas.

KFC’S COLESLAW

Okay, I admit it: I love KFC’s Coleslaw. When I drove cab for a living, I used to pick up some of their coleslaw probably once a week.

This copycat recipe comes from Recipe Lion; it was one of the recipes in their e-cookbook, titled “24 New Top Secret Restaurant Copycat Recipes.” The site has quite a few free e-cookbooks to check out. Please feel free to do so!

This recipe begins, “KFC copycat recipes are always delicious, and this one is an all-time favorite. When you're preparing for your next picnic or potluck with friends, consider this easy coleslaw recipe. It's always a crowd pleaser any time it's served and it couldn't be any easier to make.”

Ingredients

8 1/8 cups cabbage

1/3 cup carrots, shredded

1 teaspoon onion, chopped fine

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Core the cabbage, then shred using the slicing disk for the shredder attachment to the food processor.

Shred the carrot the same way or use pre-shredded carrots.

Mix together cabbage, carrot and onion.

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, milk, and lemon juice with a whisk until well combined.

Add the salt and pepper.

Add the sugar to the sauce until well mixed in.

Add the sauce to the cabbage and carrot mixture. Mix well and allow the mixture to marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Mix thoroughly before serving.