THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (30 page)

I make these beans whenever I want a change from the usual baked beans I see at every summer picnic. I love black-eyed peas any way you make them, but use whatever beans you have on hand to make this dish.

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Jerk Spice Rub (
p. 57
), more to taste

2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

sea salt to taste

1.
Sauté the onion and red bell pepper in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion starts to brown. Add water 1–2 tablespoons at a time as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking.

2.
Add the tomato sauce, Jerk Spice Rub, and black-eyed peas. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with sea salt and cook for a few minutes more.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

You can buy precooked polenta in the natural foods section of your grocery store or you can make Easy Creamy Polenta. Polenta, like most grains, adapts well to any number of flavors, even saffron. If you prefer, you can use arugula instead of the spinach.

1 18-ounce package precooked polenta or 1 recipe Easy Creamy Polenta (
p. 36
), set in muffin tins

1½ pounds fresh baby spinach

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 recipe Saffron Cream (
p. 65
), warmed

1.
Slice the polenta into ¾-inch-thick rounds. Place them in a nonstick skillet and warm over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Flip and warm the other side for 3 minutes.

2.
Remove the polenta rounds from the skillet and set them aside. Add the spinach to the skillet with a little water and salt and pepper. You may need to add the spinach in batches.

3.
Cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Divide it among four plates and top with the polenta rounds. Serve topped with the Saffron Cream.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

I eat these pancakes often in the summer when zucchini and basil flourish in the garden. And while you can serve them with a dollop of your favorite plant-based sour cream, I usually eat them as they are, with a salad or brown rice. They are creamy all on their own and don’t need much help in the flavor department.

2 medium zucchini

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1½ cups corn, fresh or frozen

½ large red bell pepper, finely diced

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1.
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well.

2.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

3.
Drop ½-cup measures of the zucchini mixture onto the heated skillet. Cook them for 4 minutes without touching them. Gently turn them over and cook the other side for 3 minutes.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

Cinnamon, coriander, and saffron are classic flavors in parts of the Mediterranean. And while a lot of stews can take hours to prepare, this one takes less than 30 minutes and doesn’t sacrifice any of that great flavor. Serve this over couscous, brown rice, or whatever grain you have on hand.

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch cubes

2 cups vegetable stock

1 16-ounce package frozen vegetables (look for a large, chunky vegetable blend)

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 generous pinch saffron

sea salt and black pepper to taste

chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1.
Sauté the onion and red bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add water 1–2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.

2.
Add the remaining ingredients (through saffron) and cook, covered, over medium heat for 12 minutes.