Food for Black History Month
Traditional African-American cooking in the United States was more than just comforting, satisfying food. Since it was made by those making the most of limited ingredients and cooking materials, this style of cooking teachers more that just a bit of history. This type of cooking also teaches resourcefulness and creativity.
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Hoppin’ John
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Sauté pepper, celery, and onions until almost tender. Add rice, water, red pepper, basil, thyme, and oregano. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add peas and bacon; cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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African Peanut Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained
8 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, optional
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, broth, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve. Makes 10 servings.
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Easy Peach Cobbler
1 20-ounce can peach pie filling
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the pie filling and the cinnamon. Pour into an 8x8-inch baking dish. In a bowl, combine baking mix and sugar. Stir in the milk. Drop by spoonfuls over the pie filling mixture. Bank until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Soul food recipes traditionally are made by eye-balling ingredients. While that often works to create a flavorful dish, it doesn’t always work for a healthy diet. Measuring ingredients, especially fats such as oil or butter, will help you control the calories in your meal.
The Practical Pantry ©2007 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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