9th
Today we’ve got a recipe that is part my own and part from the Joy of cooking. I’ve tweaked it enough that I can give it a new name. It is a one-pot dish - vegetables, meat & seafood, all in a tasty broth. For those of you trying to stay healthy, it is also (relatively) low-fat, high-fiber, high-protein and easy to change up for people that don’t eat ham (Muslims and Max L). It is good for chilly nights and tastes even better reheated. I like it because it’s easy and basically involves chopping some stuff up and putting it in a pot. I know some of you may be intimidated by making shrimp stock, but it is very simple and only takes about 30 minutes. It is well worth it.
If you really want to make it porky, add a ham hock while you’re cooking the peas. It gives a good flavor. I buy them in bulk at the chinese market and keep them in the freezer.
Marengo Peas & Greens
Ingredients
1 lb shrimp, peeled (keep the shells for the stock)
1 ham steak, fat and bone trimmed off, chopped into chunks
6 cups shrimp stock (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cups black eyed peas
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 leafy celery top (I cut these off & freeze ‘em anytime I buy celery)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bag Country Greens (or any mix you like), soaked for 30 mins in ice water and drained immediately before using
Seasoning salt
Lemon wedges
Directions
Combine stock, celery top, carrot, garlic and peas. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Drain and keep 2 cups of the liquid. Add greens to the pot, then the peas, then the liquid. Simmer, partly covered, for 5 minutes. Add the ham and shrimp, give it a healthy shot of seasoning salt, and simmer 10 more minutes, partly covered, or until greens and shrimp are cooked. Strain again, reserving all liquid. Serve in bowls with some of the cooking liquid, a lemon wedge and some kosher salt on top.
Shrimp Stock
Ingredients
Shells from 1 lb shrimp (I always keep some extra shrimp shells in the freezer, so add those if you like)
2 tbsp
1 small onion
2 small carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
7 cups cold water
1/2 tbs cracked black pepper
Directions
Heat oil over medium heat. Add shells, onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 15 mins until shells are pink and smell great. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins, partially covered. Strain broth and discard solids. You’ll have about 6 cups, enough for the recipe above.
