Category Archives: Uncategorized

Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers, and Onions

Here is another “wicked good” one!  I served this with the recently posted Mashed Potato Casserole and it was just an amazing combination of flavors, both within each recipe and among the two. Talk about comfort food with a complex flair!

And, just a reminder – I don’t have tons of time to post, never mind proofread, so please forgive typos and grammar errors – but feel free to point them out to me, also.  Thanks!

I made the recipe exactly as presented.  Here it is, followed by more discussion by me.  🙂

Italian Sausage with Fennel, Peppers, and Onions Gourmet | April 2008
by Melissa Roberts
The fennel bulb we’ve added to this Little Italy combo is a natural complement to the fennel seeds in the sausage.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 40 min

4 Italian frying peppers (Cubanelle) cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large fennel bulb, bulb quartered, then cut into 2-inch-wide pieces and 1/4 cup fronds coarsely chopped (discard stalks)
1 large onion, quartered and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage links, halved crosswise
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat broiler.
Toss together all ingredients except fennel fronds with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat until sausage is browned and vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Turn over and stir, then broil until sausage is just cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

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I believe I mentioned in my previous post that I made this because I had fennel in my fridge that I had bought the week before.  I now remember why I had fennel in my fridge.  While I don’t remember what recipe I was going to try, I know it called for a bulb of fennel.  I went to Farm Land, which is my favorite grocery store,  and found….a bulb of what was called “anise.”  Hmmm, I said to myself, is it the same thing?  I bought it, but then got sidetracked and didn’t research fennel and anise until this week.  Turns out that the plant that is officially known as anise is used only for its seeds, whereas the names fennel and anise are used interchangeably when referring to the fresh bulb of what is actually fennel.  SO, if it looks like this, it is what you want, providing you are looking for fresh fennel!

Fresh fennel, aka "anise" or "sweet anise"

Fresh fennel, aka "anise" or "sweet anise"

This recipe asked for the bulb and fronds, only.  Save the stems and munch on them like a stick of celery  for a tasty snack.  I am munching on a stalk as I write this.  Very refreshing.

chopped fennel bulb and fronds

chopped fennel bulb and fronds

This recipe calls for another ingredient with which I was not really familiar, although it turns out I have been seeing them for years at, you guessed it, Farm Land!  Cubanelle peppers are long and thin like chili peppers, but are mild in flavor, considered to be a sweet pepper.  To me, the flavor is lighter yet also more intense than bell peppers.  Does that make sense?  Hmmm.  I’ll have to buy some more and think about it.  Anyway, I forgot to take a picture of them whole, but here there are chopped and ready to go into the dish:

Cubenelle peppers

Cubenelle peppers

Along with cutting up the onion (I used 1 and 1/2 of regular size rather than one large), I used 2 sweet and 4 hot Italian sausages from Farm Land.  The total of 6 came, conveniently, to the 1.5 pounds called for in the recipe.

While I would prefer to use meats from animals that have NOT gone though the typical “manufacturing process used by the bulk of our food industries, I do feel better about using sausages and ground meats from Farmland because they make/grind their own so you are not eating a mixture of meat from god knows how many cows or pigs in each bit, and don’t add lots of unnecessary ingredients.   Plus, they make really delicious sausages!

Ready for the broiler

Ready for the broiler

Once all the ingredients are chopped – just toss with the olive oil and salt and pop in the pre-heated broiler, turning one part way through, as directed.

the finished product

Then, eat.  It is really, really good!  And, it is even better when matched with those Mashed Potatoes with collards.  Just a great blend of flavors.  Both recipes and the combo are keepers at my house!

To my vegetarian readers – try this with a vegetarian sausage or maybe even with flavored tofu or tempeh and let me know how it comes out.  🙂

arrrggghh – but I’ll write down the recipe, next time!

I am so disappointed with myself.   I purposely wrote down, exactly, each ingredient and how much of each when I made vegetable stock a few days ago.  It came out heavenly.  Sweet, with just a touch of a a so subtle edge of bitter that added depth…  And I lost the darn slip of paper before I got it onto the computer.  ARRGGHH!

But, no fear.  I will do it again and be sure to immediately record it for posterity upon making it – and then share it if it tastes as good.  <grin>

I can tell you the key ingredient. Corn cobs.  Yes, after you enjoy your corn, SAVE THE COBS!  Whether you use a pressure cooker as I do or simmer for a while on the stove, you will be at a high enough temperature to be sure all is safe.  Asparagus stems are great in stock, too.

But, now that I think of it, although I have a bunch in the freezer (I always save and freeze them for stock) I should probably stick with vegetables that are available year-round at a reasonable price while coming up with a veggie stock recipe to share here.  Although, I suspect that the asparagus stems may be almost as important as the corn cobs…  Well, check back later to find out!

Skye’s Lemon Pepper Marinade or, what WAS that Rosemary, Onion, and Garlic photo all about?

I found this VERY TASTY recipe  in About.com’s Southern Food section.  I don’t know who Skye is, but here is the recipe with her comments:

##

I use the marinade on almost all meats and fish.. however Alaskan Coho Salmon is especially nice with this marinade! My husband really likes the Salmon but enjoys boneless, skinless chicken breasts as much!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, finely minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • fresh course ground black pepper, to taste
  • grated zest of one lemon

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients and use the marinade immediately with meat or fish in your choice of a zip-lock plastic bag or container. Cover or seal and marinate in refrigerator. Use this as a basting sauce as well, but bring to a rolling boil before using after using as a marinade.   [Wendy’s note – I don’t recommend re-suing marinade – make some extra to set aside for basting!]   With or without marinating first, you will find that if you are grilling, this works best for most fish. (Note: if you want to add a sweeter caramelizing effect. Add 1-2 tablespoons of orange blossom (or clover is alright) honey to the marinade recipe.

##

This was really good.  I used it on a variety pack of chicken pieces and had Steve cook them on the grill.  I took the most of the skin off all but the drumsticks  since the skin keeps moisture in and drumsticks seem, to me, to get dry more quickly than the other parts (besides wings, but there were no wings in this pack.)

I think my husband at first thought the lemon flavor was too intense, but he ate it, and continued  to eat the  leftovers the next day or two, so I think he liked it once he knew what to expect.  Leftover, it made a great chicken salad, too!

I really enjoyed the very lemony flavor and, even for those (like my husband) who might be surprised at first, I do think all the flavors meld even more beautifully by the next day.  This is definitely something you can cook in a batch via grill or oven and then have on hand for the next few days.

Next time, I want to try Skye’s suggestion to try adding honey. I suspect that it will add a really nice touch.  Anyway, This is what I was making when I took the photo in the Rosemary, Onion, and Garlic  post.  Also, a thank you to my friend Susan Calabrese’s husband Mark for making the wonderful cutting board featured in that photo.  Hmm, I should go credit him in that post.  I will do that next.   But, if you try adding honey to this recipe before I post about it, please leave a comment about it!

Garlic Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

Here is a delicious, easy and economic chicken recipe from the About.com southern cooking section.

Garlic Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
By Diana Rattray, About.com

Garlic roasted chicken leg quarters are tasty and easy on the budget. Serve this chicken with roasted or mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetables.
Ingredients:

* 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* dash freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 chicken leg quarters
* 1/2 cup chicken broth (part dry white wine, if desired)

Preparation:
Heat oven to 425°.

Combine the garlic, oregano, salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Add olive oil and mix well. Use a mortar and pestle to make a paste consistency, or mash with a fork.

Wash chicken leg quarters and pat dry. Snip off any excess skin. Arrange the chicken pieces in a baking dish and pat the garlic mixture over each quarter. Pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth (part dry white wine, if desired) into the baking dish. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Serves 4.

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For a lower fat version with all the flavor, rub the paste UNDER the skin before cooking.  The skin on will keep the flavor and moisture in the meat, then remove the skin before serving.  And, a thank you to my friend Lori for this next tip: at a tablespoon or so of brown suger to the paste – it adds a nice depth without too much sweetness.   I think I need to get the recipe for the super potato salad that Lori made for our July 4th party, too!  Lori is a great cook, too.  I think it has to do with being born between August 14 (my b-day) and August 16 (Lori’s b-day.  August 15 = Julia Child’s b-day.  <grin>

anything with smoked paprika….

WELL, I discovered smoked paprika when devising my menu for the New Year’s Day party. Along with making the pulled pork and Hoppin’John with ham super delicious, it gave a lovely depth to the vegetarian Hoppin’ John as well as the collard greens that also had no meat in with them. Note: collard greens are traditionally cooked with ham hocks or the like, but the smoked paprika does the trick nicely.

NOW – here is a link to a chicken thigh recipe that is VERY tasty. Braised Chicken Thighs with Smoked Paprika.

I made it with boneless, skinless thighs that I had grabbed on sale and it was great. I know bones and skin add flavor, but frankly, it was really tasty with the boneless skinless thighs. I had 1 1/2 pounds and had the dish in the oven for maybe 1 and 1/2 hours. So – whatever you got in the fridge or freezer should work fine.

Quick Dinner NOT the usual pork and beans!

Do you want a meal in just about an hour start to finish? Here are the links. If you are like me, you wait until the pork tenderloin is on sale.

I bought what DeMoula’s/Market Basket calls a “mini sirloin roast” last week with the intention of trying it as a substitute for the tenderloin in this recipe, but ended up making this:

Braised Pork Chops with Sage

It was very yummy – luckily I have a lovely sage plant that wintered over. My Rosemary and Oregano did, too. Now I have to set myself up with year-round thyme and basil!

Anyway – the following recipes will give you a lovely meal in the proverbial “just about an hour
from start to eating.
Pork Tenderloin Medallions With Spicy Marmalade Sauce


Sesame Green Beans

And, I tried out mung bean threads – for the first time! Very unexpected texture – I need to learn more about how to use them. I would recommend vermicelli (rice sticks) instead for a quick carb accompaniment if, like me, you don’t get basmati brown rice on the stove at the very beginning!

Easter Dinner – Sticking with the Favorites.

At least, sticking with the same menu I’ve been serving on Easter since I started hosting this holiday in 2006. My brother Steve and his wife Lorraine do Thanksgiving and Christmas. My Steve and I do Easter and July 4th – and now also New Year’s Day. I added that – it is too long between July 4th and Easter. I needed another excuse to clean the house. I am not kidding.

So – Ham. I always get a Cook’s spiral – sirloin end, versus shank end, this year (I am going to stick with the sirloin end from now on so I can use my Dutch oven. More on that later. Chicken Tarragon, Baked Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, and, new this year, Mini Crab Cakes for an appetizer to go along with the shrimp that Lorraine and Steve brought and the delightful artichoke dip my long-time friends and upstairs neighbors Lori and Joel brought.

Liz and Joe brought fabulous Matzah ball soup, which I had never had before – I am now a fan! Matt and Liz were going to bring biscuits to serve the chicken over, but apparently the biscuit muse was taking a day off. They brought extra beer instead and I am glad that they did. Here is why:

Have you ever tried Peak Organic IPA? It is superb – VERY bitter, which I love. Thanks Matt and Liz! Now I need to find a local source.

Lisa and Pauline brought a lovely fruit platter, Meggie brought delightful chocolate trifle, and Suzanne is brought wine – she has most excellent taste in wine!!!! and beer. Dave came early and was a big help with last minute setting up.

Lori and Joel, who live upstairs, hosted the egg hunt. We have one every year, whether or not there are children in attendance. In fact, there were no children the first year. It is great fun – very silly. And, it is chocolate!

I managed to plan things so all was pretty much low stress. On Saturday, I borrowed Lori’s big slow cooker and did most of the Chicken Tarragon cooking and prep – de-boning and removing the skin after cooking – and storing the juices separately. I also prepped the potatoes – boiling and then mashing them with cream cheese and other goodies before spreading them in a 9×13 pan and refrigerating overnight.

I bought the asparagus on Friday and left them sitting in water like cut flowers to stay fresh until Sunday.

I also prepped the crab cakes on Saturday – the batter/crab part – leaving the crust part for Sunday.

– I prepped the asparagus after church – easiest recipe in the world! AND, the crab cakes – a la bon appétit magazine. I prepped the rest of the ingredients after church, also – just need to add some butter and panko (breadcrumbs) before baking in mini muffin tins for 30 minutes. They can be cooked and reheated within an hour or two, so I wasn’t concerned about them getting done early. I used my toaster oven/convection oven for them since my oven was still busy with the ham. I have one of those Krupps ovens and I love it! Lori generously provided oven space for the potatoes, which I had simply taken out of the fridge when I got home from church so they would not be cold into the oven at 2:15 p.m.

I reheated the chicken

Appetizer time started at 2:00 p.m. with dinner a bit after 3:00 p.m. and then the egg hunt. THEN dessert.

I had two surprise – and very welcome! – guests – yet another Liz, who has been a close friend of the family for years, and Andrea, Lorraine’s niece. I love a crowd!

Okay – I started this post the night before Easter and had to edit the tense, fix it up and finish it – just didn’t have much time – but here it is, with all its imperfections! AND:

Here are my recipes:

Crabcakes – click HERE for recipe

Cook’s Spiral cut ham – 275 degrees for a few hours, etc. – but I did make a tasty glaze from Cook’s Illustrated – really quick and easy! I’m not providing a link because it is a subscription site, and well worth it, I will add!

Maple-Orange Glaze:
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, syrupy, and reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 10 minutes; set aside – until ready to glaze.

The potatoes: Click HERE for recipe
Always a hit. This year I used just about 6 lbs AFTER peeling, with half Idaho and half Yukon gold, with a bit more of the other ingredients – 5 Tablespoons butter, ¾ cup half and half, and a bit extra garlic salt.

The Chicken Tarragon: Click HERE for recipe
I used just about 6 lbs of chicken – mix of legs, breast and thigh – bone in and with skin albeit some skin trimmed.
I used 1 plus ½ ingredients in prep, and ended up adding hmmm…maybe two cups chicken stock for the “gravy” and I also added about 2 cups frozen peas when reheating on Sunday before putting it in the crockpot.
Asparagus: Just coat lightly with olive oil and a touch of kosher salt, roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then sprinkle with freshly grated parm cheese. YUM.
Anyway – if I keep re-reading and double-checking, this or actually finish it, I’ll NEVER get around to posting it. So, here it is, albeit a few weeks late…

Spicy Meatballs – and not from that old TV ad!

Ah – blogging once more – hopefully I can stay back at it for a while! Actually, I think I am getting close to finally taking a running leap and making food service a career. I am thinking Personal Chef or the like. I am looking into joining the Personal Chef Network for support. I must say that learning about the local https://www.grandmaschickensoup.com/ lady from Wakefield MA is very inspiring, too. I want to cook, write about cooking, and share good food with others.

But – in the meantime – here I am actually posting again!

So, I’ve been making meatballs for a while. They are tasty – baked to lower the fat content, and containing diced onion and green pepper and some grated then chopped carrot – and an egg and oatmeal . When Steve was still having reactions from eggs and I was not using them, I would grind flax seed to get that binding thing going. No difference in taste or texture, but I started using eggs once Steve could handle them because it is way easier and less messy than grinding flax seeds!

I know that all sounds way too healthy to taste good, but they are quite tasty, as I said above. I have a committed carnivore husband as a quality control person, remember? [grin] – but Steve started saying he wanted “spicy” meatballs. Okay – so I started by searching for and then selecting a recipe for Spicy meatballs online.
Click HERE to see what I picked as a base. I added veggies and stuff – so this was just the starter recipe. But, one must start somewhere….(with apologies to Paul Valéry)

BUT, while poking around, I also found another recipe on the Cooks’s Country website that suggests using part sweet sausage meat “for a more intense pork flavor.” This is suggested as being more effective than using plain ol’ ground pork.

Their recipe called for 2 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (80 percent lean) to 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed.

AND – I kept coming across recipes saying to soak fresh bread crumbs in milk to make a paste….It was time for me to experiment!

The first time, I totally guessed and bought and used two sausages – turns out that is about ½ a pound if you buy them at The Farmland, my FAVORITE market. And, I soaked breadcrumbs in milk, but, I am not sure if they were fresh or dry or of the proportions. That will teach me not to write things down when I cook!

But, bottom line is – the meatballs came out most excellent!!!! Not to be a Rachel wannabe, but YUMMO.

However, I didn’t write down what I did – and I did adjust the recipes…SO, here is what I did the NEXT time:

1 lb ground beef (I actually had in the freezer a pound of beef that I had ground myself in the food processor a few weeks ago from chuck or the like that was on BIG sale. – my next option is ground beef from Farmland because they grind their own – so not from many cows.)

½ pound sweet sausage (I had forgotten whether I should get sweet or hot sausage and when I explained to the gentleman behind the counter at Farmland, he told me I wanted sweet sausage and that they had it available to buy all ground but not yet in the casing. That was easy! I got ½ a pound since I liked that proportion the last time.)

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup milk
½ cup oatmeal
¼ cup grated and chopped carrot
¼ cup diced onion
1 egg
2 tsp Worcester sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp fresh ground pepper (well, 50-60 twists)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or the like)
1 tsp chili garlic sauce

I started by mixing the breadcrumbs and milk first and letting them sit while I did the rest of the prep. I put everything but the meat into a smaller bowl and mixed it up – then added the soaked breadcrumbs and then mixed it all with the meat.

It made 15 meatballs around 2 ½ + inches in diameter. To bake – in a regular oven, I would preheat to say 375 or so, place the meatballs on a cookie rack over a cookie sheet or on a broiler pan, and bake for 30 or so minutes, turning once at 15 minutes – then check the internal temperature of one of the meatballs to make sure it is close to 160. You might need to adjust cooking time and temperature.

You see, I have one of those Krups toaster/convection ovens (this was a $200 investment but WELL worth it! It makes great toast, works great as a regular oven, and the convection option is super.) I usually do meatballs on convection at 350 for 30 minutes, turjing at 15 minutes – although I did this batch at 400 for the first 7 minutes. They were bigger than I usually make. But, just bake them until they are brown and a little crisp and have a safe internal temperature. Although, they get more cooked if you put them to simmer in sauce for a while. FYI – I used a 26 oz jar of prepared sauce and had to keep back 4 of the meatballs since I made no extra sauce this time. Now I have to find the recipe I used for quick but REALLY great sauce from diced tomatoes, etc., that I used last time! It was better than the one I have from Cook’s illustrated.

BOTTOM LINE: They were very good – excellent, even. And, as spicy as my husband had imagined and wanted. BUT, I liked the texture of my first try better. And I know why. Turns out I did use breadcrumbs from fresh (well, day old but not dried out) bread the first time.
So – next time, I will use fresh bread crumbs. No, I don’t know how much or the amount of milk! I am trying to remember……But I am convinced that it will make the texture softer without decreasing the firmness, and adding a touch of smoothiness/creaminess…

Hopefully I’ll remember to post subsequent experiments! : )

Pulled Pork, Vegetarian Hoppin’ John and Collard Greens

Here are some foods I served a a recent church luncheon for which I had many requests for the recipes. I also served these dishes, along with a ham and bacon version of the Hoppin’ John and a few fun condiments, at my 2009 New Year’s Day party. YUM! This is good stuff. (Kelli, see the link for the pulled pork for the chutney recipe!)

As I have described to some folks, I was really nervous when pouring the barbecue sauce over the pork when making pulled pork that first time the day before the January 1 party… It seemed bitter and overly “molassasy.” But, within two hours at 250 degrees, it smelled heavenly.

And, the smoked paprika is key in all these recipes. I don’t remember how I discovered it, but I know I didn’t want to use Liquid Smoke after reading about it online. Perhaps that is how I found this amazing way to impart a deep smokey flavor without the kettle grill or smoker. AND, it is super for vegetarian recipes. The original Hoppin’ John and boiled collard green recipes depended on smoked ham hocks or the like to create that deep flavor, but smoked paprika does the trick.

Okay, here are the recipes and links at which I found them:

Pulled Pork (serve over rice – I use brown basmati)
https://gourmetfood.about.com/od/fishandseafood/r/pulledporksand.htm

I used 9.5 lbs for the church luncheon and just multiplied all ingredients by 1.5.

6 Pounds Boston Butt (Pork Shoulder)

RUB:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary
2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt

BBQ Sauce:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Dark Molasses
1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke or smoked paprika! (optional)*
1/4 Cup Mustard
3 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Jalapeno Juice or 1
Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

*Use smoked paprika – useful also in vegetarian dishes to give that “smoked ham” flavor.

Prepare the Pork:
In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, cumin, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Rub mixture all over pork shoulder. Refrigerate pork for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to medium-high. Add the pork shoulder to the pan and brown on all sides.

For the BBQ Sauce:
In another bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, mustard, honey, cider vinegar, jalapeno juice, salt, and pepper.
Transfer pork shoulder to a Dutch oven or large oven proof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the top and place into oven. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. Cook pork for 8 to 10 hours until it easily falls apart. Remove the lid or foil the last 30 minutes.
Remove pork and let cool. Shred pork by pulling it apart with two forks.

[NOTE: this is a re-heatable dish and be kept at a safe warm temperature for a number of hours with no harm to texture or flavor.]

Vegetarian Hoppin’ John
https://aquarianvegetarian.wordpress.com/2007/12/02/hoppin-john/

one 16-ounce package of dried black-eyed peas
one large can of tomatoes [diced and their juice work fine]
one large onion
one green pepper
three sticks celery
three carrots
1/4 cabbage
four to five tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable seasoning such as Mrs. Dash **
1 tablespoon garlic salt
[NOTE: I don’t buy Mrs. Dash, so I looked up a “copycat recipe for Mrs. Dash and added a pinch or so of most ingredients listed (everything from marjoram to cumin) and also added two teaspoons or so of smoked paprika. The smoked paprika is key.] **

Directions
Soak beans overnight. Drain. Simmer beans in enough water to cover them for about four hours [more like 1 or 1½ or so!] or until done. Remove the core from the cabbage, and peel and chop all the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a six-quart, Dutch-oven pot. Add the chopped vegetables to the olive oil and cook, with the lid on, for about ten minutes or until the cabbage is soft, stirring the vegetables occasionally.
After the vegetables are “sweated,” add the vegetable seasoning and salt and cook for a few more minutes to create a flavor base. Add the canned tomatoes. Heat to a simmer. Add the cooked beans and their liquid. Heat again to a simmer and then turn off the heat. The beans are done.

[NOTE: this also is a re-heatable dish and be kept at a safe warm temperature for a number of hours with no harm to texture or flavor.]

Vegetarian “Southern-style” Collard Greens
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-for-real/vegetarian-southern-style-collard-greens-recipe/index.html

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 pound collard greens, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic, cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 40 minutes. Add tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
[Note: These can be left in the water over a burner set on low for a number of hours and again re-heated later.]