SKILLET PEAS and POTATOES

This is a quick meal.  Super quick. Not much chopping involved either. It is meatless, in fact, it is Vegan.  But, more importantly, it is delicious.  How can you go wrong with potatoes?  Certainly if you don't care for coconut and you consume milk, you can replace with milk, just be careful about the burn factor.

This recipe is complete with substitutions.

Disclaimer:  The photo above was taken a little but before it was finished.  Once it was finished, it was like a mob scene.  No chance for photo ops.  Shhh.  I did get to steal some away for my lunch the next day before anyone else even had a taste.

SKILLET PEAS and POTATOES

1 pound small potatoes
1 cup peas
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 can or 1 cup of coconut milk
2 teaspoons Garam Masala*

In a large skillet pan or Dutch oven place your small potatoes or chopped potatoes, add about an inch of water and some salt.  Cover and cook until potatoes get fork tender.  If there is a little water in the pan let it cook out by taking off the lid, if there is still quite a bit, drain and return the potatoes to the pan.  Add in chopped onion and vegetable oil along with the garam masala.  Let the onions cook a little.  Add chopped tomato, peas and a half of a can of coconut milk. Make sure you scrape the bottom to incorporate those brown tasty bits.

*If you are not a fan of Indian food you can replace the spice with one of those spike mixes such as Montreal Steak seasoning or Rosemary garlic.  

FAUX SAUSAGE AND SPLIT YELLOW PEA SOUP

I love going to Amish stores.  Some are more expensive than others but I like the deals, I like looking at the different things they have.  Recently I found this mix, it's  a spice mix for sweet sausage.  I bought because I want to make my own sausage.  I was making soup yesterday and decided to add it in.  Pow! Sausage flavor in the soup without the sausage.  Perfect for my vegetarian daughter.

I realize that you may or may not be able to find this mix so I listed out the ingredients for you to add to the soup., so there will be a similar effect.

As for me.  I will use it again.

Just a note, when cooking dry beans, don't be afraid to add in flavors while you are plumping them up.  I usually do the customary soak overnight.  I drain in the morning and add the seasoning and cook until plumped.  I often times put Montreal Seasoning in with mine.  The flavor goes into the bean and helps the over flavor of whatever you are using it for.

Faux Sausage and Split Yellow Pea Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery
2 whole carrots, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups yellow split peas
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon sausage seasoning (see below if you dont have it)

Saute onion, celery and carrot in butter in a soup pot.  Cook until lightly golden.  Add in water, seasoning and yellow split peas.  At the end of the cooking time, about 50 minutes, add in spinach.  Cook until spinach has wilted and the yellow split peas are soft.

Sausage Seasoning Mix

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel, crushed
1 tablespoon cane sugar or brown sugar if you dont have it
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, crushed
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid or fresh lemon juice if you dont have it

Mix all ingredients together.  If you are using lemon juice instead of ascorbic acid.

Split Pea Soup II

A lot of soup here lately.  I did not make these all this week.  Its been over the past month or so. It sure had been soup weather.  Bitter cold temps.  A bowl of soup just warms you to the bone.  Its one of my favorite meals to make in the winter-  soup, with a nice loaf of bread and a salad.  Love it.  So easy.  And I can prepare it the night before, in the morning, whenever and just reheat before dinner. 

This is a classic, split pea soup.  I hated it as a child.  Hated peas.  Yes, thats all changed.  Except canned peas- I still can't stand them

SPLIT PEA SOUP
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2 cups split peas
1 ham bone
2 cups carrots
1 cup onion, minced

1 bay leaf
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup celery


In a soup pot combine split peas, water, bay leaf, one cup onion and a ham bone. Cover and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove ham bone and cut up any meat that may be in there.  Add carrots, thyme and celery to the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes more. Remove bay leaf and discard before serving.

* I know this may sound strange to some but I dont like really sweet soups so sometimes I add vinegar.  If tomatoes or carrots or whatever makes my soup too sweet, I add in cider vinegar.  Maybe a tablespoon or two, depending.  Its a taste thing.