Until this past weekend, I never realized just how beautiful the Virginia countryside is. Last fall I took a trip to Culpeper, VA with a friend to visit their cute shops and pick apples. We had such a great time that I wanted to share the experience with some of my family members. So this past weekend I, my parents, a cousin and several aunts and uncles took an overnight trip to Culpeper and Madison counties for a few farm and winery tours. Blessed with sunny and pleasantly crisp fall weather, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and as we took the “back” roads from place to place, the sights of the wide open and beautifully manicured fields accented with wooden fences and gorgeous homes added to our enjoyment.

Culpeper County was having their official Fall Harvest Farm Tour, and although we didn’t include all 12 site visits on our trip, we made it to several including a few unofficial stops to two wineries and to Graves Mountain Farm for apple picking. Between the nine of us, we left the orchard with about 10 or 11 boxes of apples – staymen, red delicious, golden delicious, fuji, and granny smith. So needless to say, a few of my upcoming posts will include apples!

First up, apple pecan chicken salad. I’ve wanted to feature chicken salad for a while because it’s always great for using up leftovers from roast chicken (waste not). In addition, it’s also good to make when you’re short on time or want to make a batch to last you for enough lunches or afternoon snacks through the week. Just simply buy a whole roasted or rotisserie chicken from the supermarket – a great short cut.

The Corner Bakery has a delicious chicken salad that includes apples and currants, so along with the apples I picked, that is the inspiration for this recipe. The sweetness and crunch of the apples add a pleasant taste to this chicken salad, and my favorite flavor note in this recipe comes from the toasted pecans. So enjoy, and take a look back at my apple recipes from last fall – apple pecan salad with apple cider vinaigrette (apple pecan is a great flavor combo) and apple crisp.

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

1 whole roasted or rotisserie chicken (4 – 5 pounds),  shredded or well chopped into small pieces
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 cup diced apple
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon quality mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 light dashes smoked paprika
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Toast the pecan halves in a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Remove pan from heat once the pecans become fragrant (about 3 – 4 minutes). Allow pecans to cool slightly, then chop.

Working piece by piece (breast, legs, thighs, wings) and with your hands, separate the meat from the bones and chop the meat of the cooked chicken up into small pieces, then add it to a large bowl. Add the celery, diced apple, currants and half of the salt, thyme, paprika and some fresh ground black pepper along with the mayonnaise and stir well with a rubber spatula to combine.

Add the remaining half of salt, thyme and paprika along with the chopped pecans and stir to combine once more. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve apple pecan chicken salad on bread as a sandwich or with crackers or toasted bread. 

If you’re a no-meat-no-animal-products-eatin’-gave-up-pork-a-long-time-ago soul you’ll feel right at home in Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen. Bryant Terry, an Eco-chef and food justice activist originally from Memphis, TN, has offered us all in Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African-American Cuisine, a different take on soul food that is familiar, yet new and especially tasty.

At this point in the post, I know I already have the vegans and vegetarians hooked, but if you’re still skeptical or scared off by the word “vegan” (as I’ve discovered that many people are), trust me – read on. You eat vegan food all the time without even realizing it (a handful of grapes, spinach sautéed in olive oil, tea, and even french fries).

Vegan simply means food that is free of animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy, eggs and honey. While I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, I eat that way often. And just how many of my recipes can be adapted for the vegan or vegetarian, Bryant encourages folks to make his recipes work for you and add meat or dairy if that’s what you need. In his words, “freestyle and be creative.” 

African-American cuisine has always been creative, often times out of necessity (eg. chitterlings, pig feet, etc.). According to Bryant and contrary to popular belief, our cuisine has also traditionally been full of healthy, fresh foods such as home-grown fruits and vegetables. “This book is about the creative use of nutrient-dense vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes that make some bangin’ dishes,” Bryant writes.

As with all of my cookbook reviews, I tried out several of the recipes myself before coming online to sing the praises of Vegan Soul Kitchen (VSK). Cooking from these recipes was fun and educational. The Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux were really delicious and proof that you don’t have to simmer your collards for two to three hours with a ham hock or smoked turkey leg in order for them to taste good. I will definitely be making these on a regular basis.

The Open-Faced BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Carrot-Cayenne Coleslaw was also pretty tasty. It was my first time cooking tempeh, a fermented soybean patty that can be sliced, diced, marinated, grilled, baked, etc. The tempeh strips marinated in a homemade BBQ sauce and served over focaccia bread was filling and I can see myself using the marinade for chicken as well. I also enjoyed the Green Beans with Roasted Shallots and Walnuts, and the Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce (aka homemade hot sauce).

Bryant also includes many beverage recipes in VSK, which I really like. I made the Orange-Orange Pekoe Tea sweetened with agave nectar and the Lavender Lemonade. I loved the Lavender Lemonade! Are you familiar with Pink Lemonade? I remember drinking it in the past and never thinking that it was probably colored with some kind of synthetic food dye. Well here’s your answer for an all-natural pink lemonade that’s easy to make. The lavender water made from steeping lavender buds gives the lemonade its color. Of course culinary lavender isn’t easily found just anywhere but since I pick up interesting ingredients when I come across them, I actually had some culinary lavender in my cabinet. You can purchase lavender online or in specialty spice shops.

Pricy and unfamiliar ingredients for the vegan novice are the only real caveats I have about VSK, but with a little time and Bryant’s helpful tips included in the book, you’ll learn your way around a health food or international grocery store in no time. And, if you’re already familiar with one, you’ll learn it even better as I did (Who knew the best place to find raw, shelled peanuts is in an international supermarket?).

There are so many more VSK recipes I’m looking forward to trying including the entire chapter of watermelon recipes, including the Fresh Watermelon-Vodka Martini and Balsamic Syrup-Sweetened Watermelon Sorbet. I also already have the ingredients waiting on me to make the Candied Sweet Potato Discs and Apple Slices, Maple Almond Granola, Quinoa-Quinoa Cornbread, Almond milk, and Creamy Grits. And that’s only naming a few of the 150 recipes that fill this bold cookbook.

Leave a comment below about this post and your favorite soul food dish to be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Vegan Soul Kitchen. All comments must be left by Friday, March 27th, 11:59pm (U.S. residents only). While you wait to see if you won, try out Bryant’s recipes below and read other coverage of Vegan Soul Kitchen.

VSK Recipes and Reviews
Read more on Vegan Soul Kitchen and check out these sample recipes. ESSENCE.com has a great interview with Bryant. Hear him talk more about soul food and the new book in his own words.

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce
Carrot-Cranberry-Walnut Salad with Cream Walnut Vinaigrette
101Cookbooks.com: Bryant Terry’s Jamaican Veggie Patties
ESSENCE: Chef’s Choice: Bryant Terry
TheRoot: Vegan Soul Food, A Tasty Read

I love a variety of cuisines from around the world, and one of my favorites is definitely Latin cuisine. Whether it’s Mexican, Cuban, or some other Latin American fare, I enjoy many of the common flavors and textures of beans, rice, limes, cilantro, tomatoes and spicy chilies. As I try to think back to the first time I had tortilla soup, I can’t quite remember when and where I tried it, but all I know is that I loved it.

To help combat the winter weather (I still have chills from standing out on the National Mall for hours during Obama’s Inauguration ceremony) I looked through some of my cookbooks for inspiration on a good soup. Although, tortilla soup is usually made with chicken broth, I had no hesitation about trying Deborah Madison’s tortilla soup recipe in her cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I’ve tried several recipes from this cookbook, and I’ve enjoyed every one.

Madison’s tortilla soup recipe starts with her red stock vegetable broth made from scratch. I’ve been trying to provide my readers with recipes that are fairly easy and quick to make, so I made several adaptations to Madison’s recipe to come up with a tortilla soup that takes a little less time to make but is still very flavorful.

My version of the soup calls for a quality store-bought, organic vegetable broth and canned tomato sauce. When tomatoes aren’t in season, canned tomatoes or tomato sauces are your best bet for peak flavor. Roasted onions, jalapeño peppers and garlic are also key ingredients to the soup’s base, and the avocado, cilantro and lime garnish along with tortilla strips are the ingredients that truly make the soup for me.

I tried the soup with a garnish of crumbled store-bought tortilla chips, but it didn’t give me the flavor or texture that I love in a good tortilla soup. So, I took a shot at making my own tortilla chips, and now there’s no turning back! From here on out I think I’ll stick to frying my own tortilla chips. They were so good! I made thin strips for the soup, but then I also made some regular triangular tortilla chips and I loved the flavor.

So give this recipe a try along with frying your own tortilla chips. The chips may take you a couple of tries to make sure you have the temperature of the oil just right (I burned one batch of chips because my oil was too hot), but don’t get discouraged. Keep your eye on the chips as they fry. Once the oil is hot, it only takes about a minute to a minute and a half to have crunchy chips to go with a tasty soup.

Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Serves 6

4 Garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 Jalapeño peppers
1-1/2 Large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
3 tablespoons Canola oil
2 cups Canned tomato sauce (two 8-oz cans or one 15-oz can)
6 cups Vegetable broth (1-1/2 quarts)
2 sprigs Fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon Fresh oregano leaves, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
2 tablespoons Fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 teaspoon Salt (salt to taste)

Garnish
Quick squeeze of lime juice per bowl (about 1 or 2 teaspoons each)
Queso fresco (or shredded Mexican cheese)
Tortilla strips (recipe follows)
1 Ripe avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place jalapeños, sliced onions and garlic cloves on a baking sheet pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Roast in oven for 25 – 30 minutes turning the the jalapeños over once they begin to brown or blister on one side. Remove the garlic cloves from oven after 15 minutes (before the jalapeños and onions are roasted). Onions will be charred on the ends when done. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes.

Cut off the stem-end of the jalapeños and cut in half length-wise. Scrape out the seeds and veins. Add the jalapeños, onions and peeled garlic cloves to a blender along with the tomato sauce and puree until smooth.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add puree and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, thyme, oregano and salt. Stir and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice, and simmer soup for another 5 minutes or so. Salt more to taste if necessary.

Serve soup in bowls garnished with 2 slices of avocado, a splash of lime juice, crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheese, a handful of crispy tortilla strips, and a pinch of finely chopped cilantro. 

Tortilla Strips/Chips

Corn Tortillas
1/2 to 1 cup Canola Oil

Cut corn tortillas into long thin strips, and then cut in half to give you strips about 2 inches long. If making chips, cut tortillas across two or three times (like pizza wedges) to make triangles.

Heat oil on medium-high in a large pot (oil should be about 2 inches deep). Drop a tiny piece of tortilla in the oil. If it begins to sizzle and fry quickly without immediately turning brown and burning, your oil is ready. If it barely sizzles at all, the oil is not hot enough.

Add strips or triangles to the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pot. Fry in batches if necessary. Oil will immediately bubble up as it begins to fry the tortillas. Move tortillas around gently with a wide slotted spoon or wire spider. After about a minute to a minute and a half, tortillas should be crispy and light golden brown. Remove tortillas from oil and drain over a couple sheets of paper towels. Immediately sprinkle salt over strips/chips. Serve.

 

Luckily for me and my family in York, SC (where my parents are from and where I spent many weekends growing up), most of the pecan trees all over town were full and plentiful this year. Every fall for as long as I can remember, my family in York is always anxious to see whether or not we’ll have any pecans for the year. Of course, we can always buy a one pound bag for $7.99 from the store, but that seems so absurd to us given that for years we always got our own pecans for free from the trees on our family’s land.

I’m not sure why, probably due to changing weather patterns, but the pecan trees don’t produce every year. So this year when I found out that the trees were loaded, I made sure when I went home for Thanksgiving to gather as many pecans as I could get to use in my baking and to give some away as holiday gifts.

As a part of my immersion into cooking, I love to learn about the history and nutritional value of foods. It’s fascinating and it gives me a greater appreciation for what I’m eating. The National Pecan Shellers Association has an informative site all about pecans. Pecans are native to North America, in fact it’s the only native American tree nut, and the name is actually a Native American word (Algonquin) that described all nuts “requiring a stone to crack.” Pecans make a healthy snack with their many antioxidants, particularly Vitamin E, and the nut has more than 18 other vitamins and minerals and contains heart-healthy levels of fats (60 percent monounsaturated, 30 percent polyunsaturated, 10 percent saturated). 

This holiday season, I wanted to make gifts to give to some of my friends instead of just picking up a gift card, a tube of smell-good hand cream, or something else from the mall. While gifts that you make yourself can be a little more time consuming than something you get from the store, handmade and homemade gifts have a unique and warm appeal. So, I decided to make roasted curry spiced pecans and put them in 8 oz. canning jars that I decorated simply, offering my friends not only a tasty snack, but  also a bit of the nostalgia I have from my youth and my parents’ home town.

You can also make these spiced pecans for yourself or as hors d’oeuvres for a party. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out and my friends who received them as gifts really enjoyed them. One friend in particular asked for more! The curry powder gives the pecans a little extra kick over regular salted nuts. Plus, they’re pretty easy and quick to make. The only thing that takes time is shelling the pecans if you have to do so. However, most people probably don’t have access to unshelled pecans. So not having to crack the nuts is one benefit to buying them packaged from the store. As for me I love cracking and shelling pecans. It brings back holiday memories.

Roasted Curry Spiced Pecans

2 cups pecan halves
2 teaspoons cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecan halves in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Stir pecans well to coat with the oil. Sprinkle the curry powder and salt over the oiled pecans and stir well to coat.

Spread the spiced pecans evenly in one layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and place in the oven for 15 – 18 minutes. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature or slightly warm. Store the pecans in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Note: If you do have unshelled pecans, you can successfully get them to come out whole instead of in broken pieces by placing them in a large pot of water and bringing them to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and drain the unshelled pecans. Let them cool. Then carefully crack and shell them releasing whole pecan halves.