Black Eyed Pea Salad with Baked Tortilla Chips

Every New Year’s Day, many people start the year off by having black eyed peas.  Why?  Because the superstition is that they are lucky.  Well here’s a dish that will give you luck, help you keep your new year diet, and is very high in nutritional value.  This black eyed pea salad is another dish I learned to make while participating in the Daniel Fast.  The veggies give a nice crunch, the vinegar gives it zing, and the jalapenos give it a kick.  A fantastic combination!

Note: Many canned jalapenos have sugar in them.  If you are making this for the Daniel Fast be sure to check the label!

I like to pair this salad with my homemade baked tortilla chips.  I buy organic whole wheat tortillas from Trader Joe’s.  These are honestly the best tortillas for making chips with.  They crunch up very nicely and have great flavor.  A little olive oil, salt, pepper – and you have homemade chips that go well with anything! 

Salad:

2 (15oz) cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1/3 red onion, finely chopped

½ large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

½ large red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

5-6 pickled jalapeno slices, finely chopped

½ c chopped fresh cilantro

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

¼ c balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

splash of jalapeno juice from jar

Chips:

2 whole wheat tortillas (Trader Joe’s brand preferably)

extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

In a large bowl, stir together peas, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro.  Add oil, vinegar, jalapeno juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well to combine.  Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Preheat oven to 375F.  Pour a couple of swirls of oil onto tortillas.  Both sides of tortilla should be lightly coated with oil.  Sprinkle both sides of each tortilla with salt and pepper.  Using a pizza cutter, cut tortillas into triangles.  Spread out tortilla pieces over a baking sheet.  Cook for 7 minutes, flip, and then continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes or until done.  Chips will be lightly browned and crispy.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad... with Sweet Potato Chips

There are about a million different ways to make chicken salad.  At the end of the day, it really comes down to your own tastes and how you are going to serve it.  Some people bake their chicken and then dice it.  Others (like me) take the easy way out and use rotisserie chicken.  It adds great flavor and the chicken is always juicy.  Some prefer it without fruit and nuts and others like both.  Some serve it on bread and others serve it on crackers.  I’m sure you get the point by now :)

I make my chicken salad with shallots, cranberry, and walnuts.  I choose shallots because they give the salad a bit of a garlic flavor and a mild onion flavor.  The dried cranberries allow the chicken salad to last longer in the fridge as opposed to grapes.  However, I have used grapes before and I could go either way.  The walnuts add a textural element along with the celery that comes in most chicken salad recipes.  The last thing that puts my version over the top is the lemon juice.  Lemon juice adds a little bit of a zing and brightens up the overall dish.  I can’t wait for you to try this!

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

1c mayo

1 tsp mustard

juice from half of a lemon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 small shallot, minced

1/8 c chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 rotisserie chicken, breast and leg meat removed and chopped (~2.5c)

¼ c cranberries

¼ c chopped walnuts

1 celery rib, chopped into small pieces

Sliced whole grain bread (optional)

Leaf lettuce (optional)

Whisk together mayo, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, shallot, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl.  Add chicken, cranberries, walnuts, and celery to dressing.  Stir well to combine.

Optional: To make sandwiches, lightly toast 2 slices of whole grain bread.  Place chicken salad in between slices and top with lettuce. 

…with Sweet Potato Chips

I think the American “way” is to have chips with salad.  I decided to fry up my own sweet potato chips for this weekend lunch I had.  To make these, use a mandolin to get very thin slices of sweet potato.  Try the thinnest setting or one level thicker. 

Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Once oil is hot, add the sweet potato slices to the frying oil.  No need to coat with anything!  Once the chips are brown and crispy, remove and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with kosher salt immediately after removing from the oil.

Zucchini Chips with Dill Tzatziki

Have you had your fill of zucchini yet after reading this blog for the past few months?  Sarah has a total zucchini addiction and I think I understand why after making these zucchini chips.  This squash is completely versatile.   Usually it’s in season from May to August (which is why it is called summer squash).  However, when it’s not in season, it’s a good time to combine it with other ingredients and make fritters, hand pies, or chips.

I got the idea for these chips from a restaurant we went to called Waterside.  They served fried zucchini chips with tzatziki sauce and it was delicious!  So I decided to try and make a healthier version for myself.  For this recipe, I used a combination of panko and regular breadcrumbs.  It allows for both even coating and crispy texture.  Flavored bread crumbs make these a little more exciting and the cayenne gives it a little kick that pairs very well with the cool tzatziki sauce.

Zucchini Chips with Dill Tzatziki Sauce

Chips:

1 zucchini, sliced (3/8” – 1/4” thick)

¼ c milk

¼ c panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp garlic & herb breadcrumbs

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425F.

Pour the milk in a large ramekin.  Pour remaining ingredients in a separate large ramekin.  Dip the zucchini slices in the milk and then the crumb mixture.  Press crumbs into slices so they adhere. 

Place zucchini slices on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Spray slices with cooking spray.  Bake for 30 minutes or until breadcrumbs brown and are crispy.

Sauce:

1c plain Greek non-fat yogurt

½ c cucumber, seeded and cut into small cubes

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tsp chopped dill

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Serve with zucchini chips.

These zucchini chips are a great healthy snack.  Serve them at your next party and watch them get devoured!  Keep in mind that they are best hot out of the oven so serve promptly after cooking.