Showing posts with label black eyed pea soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black eyed pea soup. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Tony & Toni Take A Road Trip...

Tony, my beautiful assistant, and I took Forkful of Simplicity on a road trip last Friday and what a great day it was.  We were invited to host a food sample demonstration at the corporate office of Dress Barn in Suffern, New York that my sister, Nicole - the assistant accessory buyer - arranged for us!


Dress Barn Corporate is extremely employee oriented and often hosts various vendors, on site yoga classes, and many more activities.  So it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time in the cafe of the corporation with a soup and snack sample from Forkful of Simplicity Cookbook.


So onward and upward to the north we go.  The Garden State Parkway to the New York Thruway with our crock pot in tow - this is the second time in a short period of time our crock pot has traveled.


We arrive early to set up and we are warmly welcomed by Diane who takes us to the section of the cafe we will be occupying for the next few hours.  She helps us settle in and even gives us a tablecloth.  Tony and I set up the crock pot of Jersey Corn Chowder and we fill the Tostitos Scoops with the black bean deliciousness creating the original Moschello Black Bean Bite!


For the next four hours we talk about Forkful of Simplicity Cookbook, we talk about our blogs, we answer questions, gave out tons of samples, spend some time with Nicole, met some of the nicest people, have our picture taken by Gerri, and sell some Forkful of Simplicity Cookbooks. We are well received and got so many compliments on our soup and bites.  We were invited back to do a summer sample menu in a few months.  I am telling you it really was a great day.


Thank you Nicole and Dress Barn Corporate for hosting Forkful of Simplicity.  We cannot wait to come back for take II.





Jersey Corn Chowder
1 Large Onion (chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
Vegetable Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flake
2 Boxes Frozen Corn (10 oz. each)
3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Cup Half/Half
Salt/Pepper
6-8 Slices Pre-Cooked Bacon (cut into bite size pieces)


Over medium heat coat the bottom of a Dutch Oven (or stock pot) with vegetable oil
Add onions and garlic
Cook till soft about 5-7 minutes
Add red pepper flake and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes
Add corn, cook additional 2 minutes
Season with salt/pepper
Add broth and half/half
Bring to a boil then turn down heat to simmer for 15 minutes
***Allow soup to cool
Transfer half of the soup to blender and puree till smooth
Return pureed soup to pot
Re-season if necessary with salt/pepper
Stir in bacon...Enjoy


***Be careful when blending hot foods - make sure soup is cool enough to handle before pureeing






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Friday, December 9, 2011

Jersey Meets Black Eyed Peas...

When I say Black Eyed Peas I do not mean let's put on our Fergie best and head to the concert. I mean the actual down south back eyed peas you eat - you know the little white peas with the black eyes staring back at you.  Here in Jersey we look at those things and curse at them thinking that they really are staring at us.

So what's this I don't pump gas, wind proof hair, jersey girl doing with black eyed peas in her kitchen is Paula Deen coming for dinner?   No way I am cooking them up but of course with a Jersey twist.

1 (16 oz.) bag of Black Eyed Peas - soaked overnight in water and picked over
4 Carrots (diced)
1 Large Onion (diced)
8 Medium Tomatoes (diced) - This is what makes it Jersey delicious!
Salt/Pepper
6 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Skin on Smoked Turkey Drumsticks (about 2 1/4 lbs. total)

In a large crock pot add the carrots, onion and tomatoes
Season with salt /pepper
Mix well to ensure vegetables are seasoned
Add black eyed peas and chicken broth
Tuck turkey drumsticks in mixture
Cover with the crock pot lid and cook on high for 6 hours
After 6 hours remove turkey drumsticks from soup
Allow them to cool, remove the skin and the small bones, shred the meat off the bone, set aside
After soup has cooled measure out 8 cups and blend until smooth
Add smooth mixture and shredded turkey meat back to the soup
Stir to incorporate and serve in a large bowl





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