Snow Day Soup

 

 

 

This first snow storm of this year came just after Christmas.  There are two big windows in my kitchen which overlook the back yard and I stood for a long time, marvelling at both the beauty of the falling snow and at my complete and utter laziness.  I had not put away any of the patio furniture or covered the sandboxes or even (it's true) emptied the little plastic play pool from this summer.  As I watched the snow blanket my eyesore of a back yard I smirked a little knowing that my slackitude would at least be hidden from view for a few days. 

 

There is something about a snowfall and still being in my pajamas at two in the afternoon which makes my thoughts turn to soup.  How beautiful is it that I can put everything in a pot, heat it up, and be stuffing my face in under 15 minutes?    This soup was warm and cozy and just the thing to fill me up before I got all snuggly on the couch and fell asleep to "Love, Actually."   

 

 

 

1 can black-eyed peas, UNdrained
1 can creamed corn
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (I get this in bulk at Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon (more or less to taste) diced hot peppers
 ¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste
 
1.  Add all ingredients up through the peppers to a pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat.
2.  When it starts to simmer, add cream and rice until heated through.
3.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 

Read more »

Corn Fritters You Can Bring to a (Vegan) Hillbilly Hoedown

The first time I heard of corn fritters was as a little girl, thumbing through The Beverly Hillbillies Cookbook (yes, it's real. My mother used to have it. Ours was from the 1970's, but there appears to be a newish version from the 1990's). It was one of the first recipes I ever made on my own (with the exception of the frying in oil part- for that I was an eager spectator).

What I loved about corn fritters is that they combined two of my favorite things: corn, and deep frying! There were times as an adult that I had to admit I'd eat just about anything if it were deep-fried, and at least corn fritters started with a somewhat healthy vegetable.

When I thought about updating this to be vegan-friendly, I focused on more healthful choices of ingredients. What I didn't want was to essentially lose the guilty pleasure of eating them, though. So, suffice it to say these aren't going to melt your inches away. But they ARE chock full o' fiber, so there's that!

My favorite way to eat these is cold, but I'm told I'm weird that way. They're just fine hot, too. This basic recipe can easily be altered. For instance, use unbleached white flour instead of spelt for a "lighter" fritter, or add some cilantro and cumin, or you could omit the tumeric and peppers and sprinkle the finished fritter with vegan powdered sugar for a sweet treat. Whatever you do, be sure to drain them thoroughly after frying.

Corn Fritters

1 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons golden flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons of water (let it sit a few minutes to thicken)
¼ cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
15 ounces canned corn, drained
1 tablespoon (more or less to taste) diced cherry peppers
Oil for frying



1. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, tumeric and nutritional yeast in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat prepared flax meal with milk and oil. Stir into flour mixture and add corn and peppers. It might be easier to mix gently by hand. Mixture will be fairly wet and thick.
3. Drop by tablespoonful into hot oil. Press dough until it's flattened a bit while it fries. Cook on medium-high until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain thoroughly on paper towels. Serve hot, or chill for an hour or so in the fridge and serve cold.

Read more »