Thai Cucumber Salad

Try this refreshing recipe!

4 Servings, Prep Time: 15 Minutes, Cook Time:

Description

This sweet and tangy summer salad of cucumber, cilantro, and peanuts with just a hint of heat is always a hit at picnics and potlucks since it doesn't need to be refrigerated and you're pretty much guaranteed to be the only one bringing this dish!

Ingredients

• 3 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

1.
Toss the cucumbers with the salt in a colander, and leave in the sink to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2.
Whisk together the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro; toss to combine. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top before serving.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Note substitutions to make the dish a little more healthy.

Ingredients:

1 large Ham hock ham shank, or ham bone (substitute with smoked turkey necks)
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 pound Smoked sausage hot sausage, andouille, bacon, ham, or other smoked pork (substitute with turkey sausage)
1 large Yellow onion chopped
1 large Green bell pepper chopped
1 Jalapeno peppers finely chopped (or 2) (optional)
2 tablespoons Garlic minced
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
2 Bay Leaves
1 pound Dried black-eyed peas rinsed and picked over
2 quarts Ham stock low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1/2 cup Fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

Preparation:

Wash peas, spread out on towel and check for derbies (you don't have to soak the peas). With a sharp knife, score the skin and fat on the ham hocks with 1/4-inch-deep slashes. (I used dried black-eyed peas, soaked them over night and rinsed the next morning and prepared it in the crockpot).

Heat the oil in a large heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ham hocks, garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and stock. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and bring down to a medium simmer, cooking uncovered for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, slice the sausage into 1/2" pieces and brown in a heavy skillet. (If using bacon, don't cook it until its crisp.) Add sausage to the beans, continue a medium simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the peas are creamy and tender (skim off any foam that forms on the surface). Add additional stock if necessary.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Cut the meat from the ham hocks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot, stir in the parsley and heat through, about 5 minutes. Check seasonings. Serve with cooked long-grain white rice, corn bread or corn muffins.

May be served over rice as a main course, as a side dish, or thinned with ham or chicken stock and served as a soup, as desired.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Jerk Chicken with Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed whole grain.
Yield: Makes 4 (side dish) servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes



2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
4 scallions, chopped
2 shallots diced
1 Vidalia onion diced
2 cloves diced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro



In a skillet put olive oil and fresh garlic, heat oil to infuse garlic, add shallots, Vidalia onion and cook until tender.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.
Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. (like you would do rice) When tender add black beans and tomatoes and stir and ingredients from the skillet. Salt and pepper to taste.

Before serving add cilantro and stir.

If you like you can add jerk seasoning to the pot as well. However it will make it a little spicy. I like this that way!

Very good served with Grilled Jerk Chicken. I use boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been marinated in jerk marinate and then I sprinkle on extra jerk seasoning before grilling.

Enjoy!

WHAT IS FOOD?

Food is what we need to exist…
Food is the fuel for our body…

Think of your body…as if it were a car…
Your car only holds so much fuel before it starts to over flow…
Your body is the same way…if we over fill it…we have excess fat…

Why do we give “Food” so much control over us….
Why do we “Love” food so much…
Can food love us back?
Why do we “Crave” certain foods?
Why do certain foods make us feel comforted?
Only to make us feel miserable later….
Why are we so obsessed with food?

The things we could accomplish if we didn’t spend so much time obsessing about food..
Perhaps we need to start thinking of it for what it is…
Fuel to run our body…
The better quality of fuel you put in….
The better your body will run..

Hhhhmmmmm
Makes sense doesn’t it…