Introducing myself to the group--a new member

[Guest guest]

Hello!

 

 

 

I have just joined this group and am so excited!  So many good recipes already! 

 

Let me introduce myself just briefly.  I am a mid-50's gal from what we call

" America's heartland " --that's a fancy name for the rural midwest.  I am

following a

vegetarian style of eating most of the time, but would not call myself a

vegetarian at this point.  I like eating vegetable-based meals and so does my

husband of 32 years.  We feel healthier and are learning to savor new flavors

this way...and, we both (especially me) like SPICY foods!

 

I don't have a recipe to submit at this time.  When I cook, I don't measure too

precisely, so when I tell how I make something, it's kind of " go by feel " . 

 

Example:   (Totally was just " off the top of my head " when I made this!)

 

Last night I made:

 

1st, I cooked some " green " chickpeas until tender. (I bought them in a store

with Middle-Eastern foods section; they're smaller, harder and

dark-blackish-green in color)  The quantity: oh, about 3/4 cup--it was an

experiment, because I hadn't liked the chickpeas the first time I tried

them--wanted to give it a second chance!

 

2nd, when the peas were almost-done, I added 1/2 tsp. baking soda (releases some

of the " gas " ) and also added 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried minced onions.

 

3rd, As I tested the peas and found them to be fully tender, I added some

seasoned salt (about 1/4 tsp or so--didn't measure, remember) and some chipotle

hot pepper flakes that had a little bit of saltiness in them.  I also stirred in

some parsley flakes.

 

(I used things I had on hand; I could have gone and purchased fresh herbs or hot

peppers, but I like to do these spur of the moment meals with " what I find here

in the pantry/fridge/freezer " and use up those things that seem to get stashed

away but forgotten sometimes!)

 

The cooking chickpeas were in a small crock-pot and by this time the cooking

liquid was making this nice, dark, onion-spicy " gravy " . 

 

I had a potato baked up and ladled the cooked, seasoned " green " chickpeas and

their cooking gravy all over the potato.  It was something I had just pulled off

the top of my head on a whim, but I found it to be surprisingly GOOD--the

smaller, nutty-earthy tasting cooked chickpeas and their dark-brown, gravy-like

broth, seasoned with the onions, smoked hot pepper flakes and seasoned

salt--complimented the bland, starchy baked potato flavor nicely!  " I will do

this again " , I thought.

 

Sadly, my husband missed out on the delicacy I'd made. HE was enjoying a

warmed-over bowl of mixed-beans chili I had made a while back...He says he

doesn't like chickpeas, but he's eaten them a few times anyway.  THESE little

green ones look (when cooked) almost more like black " turtle " beans--but don't

taste like them.

 

I do a lot of bean cooking.  Beans are a mainstay of my veg. meals--along with

some kind of grain...a rice...a home-made bread...I like all kinds of greens and

the differently-colored vegetables.  I try to steam or have in mixed salads a

LARGE variety of vegetables, whenever I can get them seasonally or locally.

 

That's about all I can say about myself right now.  Hope to learn more from

you-all.

Thanks for letting me join this group!

 

Best regards!

--Laura B., in Illinois