SUNDAYS WITH MARLENA SPIELER-LUBIYA

LUBIYA is the Sephardi Israeli soup made with black eyed peas.

1C dried black eyed peas or 2 cans
1Tbsp olive oil
2 chopped onions
4 cloves garlic chopped
2-3 mild fresh chilies or 1 medium hot chili chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground tumeric
90z fresh or canned chopped tomatoes
21/2C chicken stock, beef or vegetable stock
1 oz cilantro(coriander) chopped
juice of half a lemon

If using dried peas- put the beans in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit covered for 2 hours. Drain the beans and return the peas to the pan and cover with cold water and then simmer the peas for 35-40 minutes or until the peas are tender. Drain and set aside.
I used canned black eyed peas simply out of laziness or ease so if you do the same skip the first part and continue with the second part:
Heat the oil in the pan and add the onions, garlic and chili and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Stir in the cumin, tumeric, tomatoes, stock, half the cilantro (coriander), and the beans and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining cilantro.
Serves 4
Serve with pita bread or any nice bread.

I had chopped the onions and garlic earlier in the day so when I got ready to make the soup it was very quick to make. The soup was done was done start to finish within a half an hour.
It is a very flavorful soup.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

Today seemed like a good day to make soup. It was rainy, not cold but rainy days always makes me want to bake or cook. I think because on rainy weekends my Dad used to like to bake bread or cook stews or something like that. I guess because it was the one time there wasn't something he had to do. So when it rains it reminds me of the times we spent in the kitchen making dough for bread or baking cookies or making stews or some such thing. I miss my dad. He passed away a good 30 years ago but when it begins to rain it reminds me of him and I need to cook or bake. So today seemed like a good day for soup. I had a package of stew meat in the freezer and a bunch of odds and ends of vegetables in the fridge. There is no recipe other than 2 boxes (4 Cups) of beef stock. I just diced my stew meat and browned it added a diced onion to caramelize and some minced garlic. The 2 boxes of beef stock (if your ambitious you can add your home made stock)and about a cup of tomato sauce and let the meat cook or braise until almost tender. I then went through the fridge and found some Kale, carrots, celery, potatoes, zucchini and a small can of kidney beans. I julienned the kale and let that cook until tender, added the celery, carrots and potatoes and cooked until tender then added the diced zucchini and the kidney beans. Simmered until everything was tender. Seasoned to taste. Serve with garlic bread.. YUM! It would be good also if you topped the soup with some grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese.