I used onions, garlic, basil, olive oil, butter, potatoes, frozen vegetables, veggie sausages, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, Spike seasoning. I'd cooked up some red skinned potatoes in the morning so they were ready to be used. I defrosted the frozen veggies in the microwave but you can do it stove top. I used what I had, broccoli, squash, corn, but any kind will do.
Heat some olive oil in a skillet and brown diced onions until softened then add minced garlic and 1/2 t or more of dried basil. While they are cooking, cut up potatoes into smallish pieces. Add to the onions along with 2 T butter. Season with Spike (or other seasoning mix that you like.) This really makes the mixture rich and good tasting. Mix and continue cooking on medium heat. Cut up the vegetables into small pieces and add to potatoes along with a cup of diced tomatoes with liquid and Texas Pete, or other hot sauce to taste. Continue cooking until all warm and combined looking. While this is going on, cut the sausages into 1/2" rounds. Remove potato mixture from skillet into a big bowl. Cover to keep warm. Add a bit more olive oil into skillet and heat. Brown sausage rounds. Place on top of the potato mixture and serve.
1 large eggplant (about a pound)
1 clove garlic, mashed
3 scallions, diced (mom used regular onions)
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil (I think mom used a simple vegetable oil)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of dried mint (I don't remember mom using mint, I think she added parsley) Salt to taste and add a dash of cayenne, if you like.
Prick eggplant and roast in oven until extremely soft inside (extremely soft!) Mix the rest of the ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl (not metal.) Peel the eggplant (hard to do so I just scoop the insides out) and place in a strainer. Press out the liquid. Chop the pulp into chunks and mix with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Photo of Eggplants by: Mim (me)
Two cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed.
Olive oil
smoked paprika
sweet paprika
salt
dried parsley flakes
In a big mixing bowl, add about 1 or 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the chickpeas. Toss with lots of the paprika using more of the smoked than the sweet. Salt to taste. Parsley flakes are just for some green color, which looks nice with the redness of the paprika. Experiment with the amounts to suite your taste. Be sure to use enough salt, which really sweetens the whole thing. Really quite a nice side dish, or tossed in a salad or just as a snack by themselves. Let me know what you think of this recipe and where you think it originated. I'm curious.
Here's the recipe I made the other day, using The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Nicola Graimes.
I made the following changes
because a) I either didn't have the
ingredient or b) didn't like the ingredient (ha ha ha)
I used "red beans" in place of the kidney beans.
I did not use any tomato paste. I thought I had some and I didn't.
I did not use ketchup on principle.
I did not use coriander as Chuck thinks it tastes like dirt.
I left out the hot chili powder and used red pepper flakes
I used some organic red and orange bell peppers because I
like the way they look.
NO cilantro. Chuck thinks it tastes like dirt.
I used basmati rice because I love the way it tastes.
It really turned out quite delicious.
SHIRLEY'S LIME AND SOUR CREAM PIE
3/4 C of sugar 2 T cornstarch (or potato starch)
freshly grated peel of 2 limes, about 2.5 teaspoons
1/3 C of fresh lime juice
1 C half and half
1/4 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C sour cream
1 baked 9" pie shell or a graham cracker crumb shell
Topping: 1 C whipping cream 1 to 2 T sugar (this is optional as far as I'm concerned)
Combine the 3/4 C of sugar with the corn starch and lime peel in a saucepan.
Mix Well.
Add lime juice and stir until smooth. Blend in the half & half and the butter.
Place over medium heat and stir until it starts to boil. (10 to 12 minutes)
Remove from Heat and cool.
Stir occasionally. When cool, fold in sour cream.
Pour into the pie shell and chill.
Pour whipping cream in a bowl with the
sugar (or no sugar) and whiop up into soft peaks.
Spread on top of pie and serve.
Don't be afraid of the calories, don't count them.
Enjoy a little piece of pie once in awhile.
Invite some friends in to eat this with you.
Bon appetit!
The meeting was held, as scheduled, and was accompanied by a tv crew, and 2 citizens' video cameras. Perhaps it was those recording eyes that had such a moderating influence on how the meeting was run, but you, reader, will be pleased to learn that no one was physically injured in Tuesday night's city council meeting.
At the briefing before the meeting, Councilmember Paul Ford (3rd District) selected item 2C to be held off the 'Consent Agenda', and requested that it be placed onto the regular Agenda where discussion is held and votes are cast. Item 2C read: "Award of bid to Paradigm Traffic Systems, Inc. in the amount of $184,020 for traffic signalization cabinets and accessories."
At the appropriate time during the Council Meeting proper, Mr. Ford signaled his desire to speak and was recognized by Mayor Green. Mr. Ford proceeded to point out that both Mr. Green and Mr. Smithey had received significant campaign contributions from the Paradigm company, a traffic signal company, its subsidiaries, and its seeming "mailbox" or "shell" company called Durable Enterprises partnership, and pointed out that it would be improper for Mr. Green and Mr. Smithey to vote on the issue as it would be a conflict of interest and suggested they recuse themselves. He highlighted the fact that only 2 bids were received, with the second being almost 1 1/2 times that of the winning bid from Paradigm, an unusually wide range.
He deviated from the topic at hand for 30 seconds, prompting Mayor Green to...tap...his gavel and look very agitated. Speaking off topic about unflattering matters was the very thing that prompted Mayor Green to direct City Manager Cagle to direct Police Chief Brown to remove Mr. Ford at the last meeting that the Council held, nearly a month ago, on April 7th.
Mr. Ford then concluded his comments about the item and why he would not vote for it.
While he spoke, Mayor Green conferred with Mayor Pro Tem Dorothy Burton (At-Large) and when Mr. Ford was finished speaking, the Mayor asked if there was anyone wishing to comment. Grady Smithey was recognized and denied any wrongdoing in his 2008 receipt of an illegal campaign contribution from a corporation as he had given the check back after it was pointed out as illegal. Mr. Smithey then asked City Manager Kent Cagle if the bidding process for the traffic lights had, in any way, included him, to which Mr. Cagle answered, "No." Mr. Smithey revealed that he'd been in hospital and so had no dealings with this matter and then continued explaining how he had handled that situation with the check from the corporation, and asked the city's attorney, Bob Hager, if he should recuse himself. Mr. Hager answered, "You're fine." Mr. Smithey finished his statements with, "Mr. Ford, I think your village back in Massachussetts is missing its idiot."
Then Ms. Burton took a turn speaking, without her usual clarity, conviction, or volume, saying that she understood how it was 'customary' for few bids to return when government entities sent out requests, and she spoke in support of the Mayor as he recused himself.
Mr. Green then spoke about his friendship with local businessman, Mr. Bryant, and said, "I did not know Paradigm was a part of his system, and even though, Mr. Attorney, you say that there is no conflict of interest, I will recuse myself...I'm glad you pointed it out Mr. Ford. I had no idea." He then recused himself and turned the meeting over to Mayor Pro Tem Burton to conduct the vote. Mr. Smithey confirmed with the attorney Hager that it was not necessary for the Mayor to recuse himself, but Mr. Smithey offered to recuse himself but declared, "I think this represents a new level of paranoia."
The action to approve $184,020 for traffic light components was approved by the Yes votes of Councilmembers Weaver, Cannon, and Burton to the No votes of Councilmembers Ford, and Jameson, and then Mayor Green and Mr. Smithey returned. The Mayor joked that he was ready to take the chair back, and Ms. Burton joked that she would give it back. The Mayor then asked lightly, "How did that come out?"
The meeting progressed and had the highlight of a new program initiated by Councilmember Jameson called the Keep Duncanville Beautiful Adopt-A-Park in which civic-minded groups like sororities, and others, can periodically convene on a park for some cleanup and planting. The city will supply tools and training. Note: If you are interested, but perhaps not officially affiliated with a group, please send a note to Brian of bswcitizen.com to join together, across the divide, to keep our city beautiful. See you there!
Lastly, I expect elected representatives to act with the most noble intention of serving the will of the people, and to follow their own consciences. Dissent, not for the sake of being ornery, is an appropriate and natural consequence of a person acting with such high motives. Consolidated Majority of the Duncanville City Council, i.e. Mayor Green, Dorothy Burton, Grady Smithey, Ken Weaver, and Scott Cannon, take note: The absence of dissent is unnatural and unhealthy.
Some good quotations about dissent.
Hello, just some quick feedback about the recent newsletter, and the call I just received this morning. In the newsletter, the quotes selected were from unknown, Associate Justices that have not had a remarkable effect on history. Perhaps there is someone out there doing a dissertation on any or all of those quoted, but generally, selecting a quote from the unknown is not one's best decision. Secondly, it is remarkable to me that the choices given on that survey call from Rep. Marchant were so colored that there was not even the opportunity to select, "Other" or "None of the Above", or be allowed to record my interest. This is especially poignant when he asked, "Which of the following 3 social issues is most important to you?" And the choices were: Pro-Life Issues, 1. Protection of Marriage Issues, 2. 2nd Amendment Issues, 3. Listen, it was an offense that a politician cannot even frame a question without expressing outrageous bias! Regarding 'Pro-Life Issues', I feel that women own the sovereignty of their bodies, and as such, know what is best regarding their pregnancies--in all cases, though such sovereignty may go in a gray area in cases of underage persons. Regarding 'Protection of Marriage Issues', it is a shameful thought to deny a sovereign person the right to love whomever they please, and this prejudice is underlying every single utterance of "protect marriage," shame on you! The real issue could be resolved if civil unions are granted, through the State, allowing for equal protection under the law. If you choose to believe it, such persons will NOT be protected by your conception of G*d's law, but in America, Church & State are, and should remain, separate. Make our laws accordingly, and leave the mortal justice to Your G*d. And lastly, I do believe the 2nd Amendment is a valuable part of our privilege & responsiblity as Americans, but if I'd selected #3, it would have been like writing you a blank check. The right to bear arms should never have handed our country over to gun manufacturers who sell the most sadistic weaponry ever conceived, for the purpose of killing people--such rampant disrespect for others as is repeatedly espoused by people of the Republican Party and the so-called Right, such as yourself, is what makes our country weak.
Adapted from a recipe in the CSMonitor March 2009
2 T olive oil
½ cup diced onion
½ diced red (or yellow) bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 rib of celery chopped
½ t cumin powder
a sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes
(to taste)
½ C chopped, canned tomatoes
2 cans organic black beans
4 ½ C vegetable stock
juice of half a lemon
garnish: sour cream
heat the oil in a large, heavy pot until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, carrot, pepper flakes and cumin. Sauté over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, stock and lemon juice. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Partially cover and continue simmering until beans are soft, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add additional stock If necessary. This is a thin soup. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper and more red pepper flakes as desired. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream. Serves 4 I made some rice and added that to the soup as I served it.
The terrific black bean photo is by Declan Zimmerman (thanks for letting me use it.) You can learn more about him, and hear his very cool music, at http://www.myspace.com/declanzimmerman
