Katie Lee Joel Does it Again

Anyone who's read my blog knows that I'm a huge Katie Lee Joel fan and very frequently cook from her book "The Comfort Table." She places a lot of emphasis on eating fresh, whole ingredients (organic and from a farmers market if available), and her recipes are super easy. I think I've probably made half of them and I'm already looking forward to the second half. Below are two of my favorite recipes I've made from her book. Enjoy!

Hoppin John Salad
This salad is delicous served over greens or on it's own. It would be a great side dish to take to a BBQ, or just as a healthy side to have with dinner. It's especially good after it's sat for a day and all of the flavors have run together. I make this all the time and even Matt, who doesn't typically like "things like this" loves it...that is a true testament coming from a meat and potatoes kind of guy.

Ingredients:
2 C. chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 C. uncooked rice (I use brown rice just to make it a little bit healthier)
2 15 oz. cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 lg. red bell pepper (I use 2 diced plum tomatoes instead)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/4 C. minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 C. shredded white cheddar cheese
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper

For the dressing:
1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. red wine vinegar
1 T. fresh chopped thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:
In medium saucepan bring the chicken broth and bay leaf to a boil. Add the rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and fluff. Let rice cool to room temperature.

In a large salad bowl, combine rice, black eyed peas, red pepper, onion, parsley, and cheddar. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, wisk the dressing ingredients to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Peach Cobbler

I made this last night and the prep work took me only 10 minutes. I cooked it at 350 instead of 325 and for a few minutes longer than the recipe called for. It was soooo good.

Ingredients
4 C. (peeled, sliced, fresh) peaches, about 4 to 5 peaches
1 C. sugar
1 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t.kosher salt
1/2 C. milk
4 T. (.5 stick unsalted) butter, melted
1 T. cornstarch
.75 cup(s) boiling water

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place the peaches in a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together ¾ cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Add the milk and melted butter, and mix well. Pour the batter evenly over peaches.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining ¼ cup sugar, the cornstarch and ½ tsp. salt. Sprinkle over the batter. Evenly pour the boiling water all over. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve in individual dessert dishes.