Vegan Hoppin' John

I made this dish, from Eating Well Magazine, a couple of years ago, but felt it was worth a remake, for New Year's Day. We ended up going out on NYD, so we had it on January 2nd. Go figure. I
Give it 4 bowls, because it was quite delicious, yet it lacked originality, in that it was quite similar to many of the dishes I make. Nevertheless, it was an excellent venture back Into the kitchen, after a month of not cooking, after having a baby. Here's to more fun times in the kitch!

Barley Hoppin' John
Adapted from Eating Well
 
4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth(use 2 cans if using regular pearl barley)
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley (I used regular, and added cooking time)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broth, barley, thyme, lemon juice, crushed red pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the barley is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in black-eyed peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving : 320 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 58 g Carbohydrates; 12 g Protein; 11 g Fiber; 677 mg Sodium; 529 mg Potassium
3 Carbohydrate Serving

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

Health nuts seem to agree - striving for "Meatless Mondays" is where it's at. I know plenty of people who take pride in their meatless meals, and who actually take this on, as a huge challenge. For me, it's a little different. I love cooking vegetarian meals, and we are meatless for several evenings a week. My kids love beans and vegetables, and Kevin and I love the complexity of flavors that come with vegetarian meals. In my world, meat is boring.

So, here is a vegetarian chili that has several things going for it. First and foremost, it's easy peasy. So many of the ingredients come out of cans, and you can swap them out for things that you already have in the pantry, if you don't have everything handy. Also, this is a one pot meal. Don't you just love it, when you only have one pot to clean? And lastly, the flavors in this chili are mild, but really lovely and perfectly tasty. I would definitely say that it's a tad more sweet than it is spicy, and that's always disconcerting to me at first, when it comes to chili, but in the end, this dish is a keeper. It makes a ton, too, so get ready for some lunchy leftovers!







Chunky Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili recipe a great way to get kids to eat fiber-rich foods. It can be taken on camping trips, and in school lunches in a thermos.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

CALORIES 257 (9% from fat); FAT 2.7g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.5g,poly 1.2g); IRON 4.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 150mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.8g; SODIUM 876mg; PROTEIN 12.8g; FIBER 14.2g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

Tempeh Beanballs Primavera with Cajun Marinara

I was a vegetarian for about 12 years, and this was the first time I have cooked with tempeh. It always looked... skeevy. Now that I am addicted to this cookbook - "Appetite for Reduction" - I decided I must try tempeh. I had it in the fridge for several weeks, before I took the plunge. This recipe for pasta primavera with tempeh beanballs and cajun marinara, is really terrific. I used brown rice, instead of pasta, which was a definite mistake on my part. This needs to be served over whole wheat pasta. Seriously. Anyway, there were a lot of components to this dish, but honestly, it was worth it. These faux meatballs are perfect. They are easy to make, and they are surprisingly delicious, and amazingly healthy. I added peas, zucchini, and peppers to my cajun marinara, and it was a really full bodied, flavorful marinara. In fact, part of me thought it was a tad over spiced, due to the plentiful amount of oregano and thyme in the sauce, but I still loved it. We had a lot of leftovers, to which I added pasta, instead of rice. I can't wait to make this again. It was such a filling, comforting, and tasty vegetarian dish. Kevin and the kids liked it, too. Mmmmm... Another thumbs up for Isa Moskowitz. Who knew vegan cooking could be so... perfect??



Make this. It's a tomatoey, comforting pot of yum. 4 Bowls!

Cajun Marinara
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

1 tsp of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of dried thyme (I think I'll reduce by half next time)
1 tsp dried oregano
Feshly ground black pepper
1 (24 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tbl Cajun Spice Blend (I used Penzey's)

Veggies (swap out your own, if you want!)
1 cup of peas
1 zucchini
1 sliced onion
Thinly sliced pepper

Preheat a 2-quart pot over medium/low heat. Saute the zucchini, onion, peppers in the oil for several minutes, or until browned garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil for about a minute. Add thyme, oregano, and pepper, and saute for a minute more, adding a splash of water if necessary. Add the tomatoes, cajun seasoning, and salt, and stir everything together. Cover the pot, leaving a gap for steam to escape, and cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and seasoning.


Make this. It's a great meat substitute, and my meat loving family adored it. 4 Bowls!

Black Eyed Pea and Tempeh Beanballs
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Ingredients:

12 ounces of tempeh (1.5 packages)
1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
Black Pepper (several pinches)
1 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl tomato paste
1 tbl balsamic vinager
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt

First, prep a steamer, to steam the tempeh. Steaming tempeh takes out the bitter taste, which some dislike. I've never tried it un-steamed, and didn't want to chance it! Once the steamer is ready, break the tempeh into bite-size pieces, and steam for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350, and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the beans. They should be well mashed, with no whole beans left, but not totally smooth, like a puree. Grate in the garlic (I used bottled, mince garlic). Add the hebs and spices, soy sauce, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar, and mix well.

When the tempeh is done, add it to the mix, and mash well. It's good if it's still steaming, because it will help all the flavors meld, before baking. When the mix is cool enough to handle (a few minutes), add the bread crumbs and salt. Taste for salt (the batter may be a bit bitter, but it mellows when cooked).

Using about 2 tablespoons of the mix per ball, roll the mixture into walnut size balls, placeing them on the baking pan. Spray liberally with cooking spray, and cover loosely with tinfoil. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the balls, and bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered.

Serve over pasta, with marinara!

Hawaiian Chicken with Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini

I know it's been a while since my last post, but we've had to work on our leftovers. Man oh man, we had a lot of leftovers. After we finished them, I chose to make a couple of dishes I'd made in the past so that we could feast on some oldies but goodies. It was nice to come to the table, knowing we'd love the food.

Tonight was a different story. I decided to try this Hawaiian chicken, from the January issue of Cooking Light. The issue is full of chicken recipes, and so far, we loved all the ones we've tried. This was no exception. It marinated for about 4 hours in the fridge, and the end result was a juicy, sweet and sour chicken, that tasted really delicious. We aren't pineapple lovers in this house, but the pineapple juice, mixed with the soy sauce, and the sweet and spicy ginger, just really made for a nice, mellow flavor. The only issue I had with this one, was that I attempted to cook it on the stovetop, without a grill pan (I can't deal with the smoke from my grill pan), and I ended up popping it into the oven after about 10 minutes, because it just refused to cook through. It wasn't such a biggie, but it prolonged dinner a bit.

Anyway, I was going to serve this with an orzo veggie toss, but at the last minute, I decided to make a chickpea and zucchini stew. I adapted the recipe, from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new book, and I was NOT disappointed. This is dish has a really rich, comforting flavor, that I just loved. I served it over brown rice, and it was a really nice blend of spicy and salty, with a robust tomato richness. I didn't think it would coordinate very well, with the chicken, but it was actually perfect. I cut up the chicken and ate the 2 together, which added a great depth of flavor, and a really lovely sweetness.

You know dinner was good, when you think about it for the rest of the night...


Make this. It's sweet. It's salty. It's juicy. 4 Bowls.

Hawaiian Chicken


Other Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1/2 cup rice)


1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.

3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.

CALORIES 247 ; FAT 1.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.4g); CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 26mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.2g; SODIUM 674mg; PROTEIN 29.9g; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.9mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2011

Make this. It's good. Really good. 4 Bowls.

Moroccan Chickpeas & Zucchini

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction
1 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic (I use bottled)
1 tbl of minced, fresh ginger
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp of salt
2 cups of veggie broth
1 cup of carrot chunks or baby carrots
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of chickpeas
1 15 ounce can of cannelini beans

In a large stockpot, saute onion in olive oil, over medium high heat, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Use a little Pam or broth if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and saute another minute.

Add the remaining spices and salt, and saute for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pot with veggie broth and mix in carrots. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes, and mix in beans.

Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Then adjust lid, to partially cover, and cook for another 15 mins, as liquid reduces a little. Turn off heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove bay leaves and taste for salt.

Serve over couscous or brown rice.

Spiced Chicken with Black Eyed Peas and Rice

So, you're supposed to eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day - you knew that, right? Well, technically, you're supposed to eat Hoppin' Johns, but I wasn't in the mood for that, so I made these during the first week of the year, instead. This recipe is super easy to throw together, and the flavor is really delicious. I always have issues with spicing and cooking chicken breasts. They always seem to be bland, boring, and dry. This recipe has a really nice rub for the chicken, and the cooking technique - starting on the stovetop, and finishing in the oven - really created a nice, flavorful, juicy chicken breast. The rice (I used brown, by the way) was really tasty, with a mellow spiciness, and a delicious bite of green onion. I will definitely make this again. It's a really great recipe to make when you are feeling rushed and desperately in need of a grocery run!!




Make this. It's so easy, healthy, delicious, and comforting. Oh, and it's good luck! 4 Bowls!

Spiced Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Rice

For juicier chicken, sear on the stovetop and finish in the oven.

Yield: 4 servings


1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup frozen chopped onion, thawed
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 (15.8-ounce) can black-eyed peas, undrained
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350�.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine paprika, seasoning, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side. Wrap handle of pan with foil. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350� for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Cover and keep warm.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add frozen onion and garlic; saut� 3 minutes. Stir in rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, hot pepper sauce, and black-eyed peas; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Spoon about 3/4 cup rice mixture into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 chicken breast half. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions.

CALORIES 405 (14% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.2g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.5g; SODIUM 868mg; PROTEIN 47g; FIBER 5g

Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Thai Veggie Chili

I hesitate to call this a chili, because it is clearly a stew, but whatever...

When I tried this chili, my first reaction was, "Wow, this tastes really unique. The flavors are so different, considering a lot of the ingredients are the same ones I use all the time."

Kevin's first reaction was, "This tastes sort of generic. I mean, it tastes similar to a lot of things you make."

Hmph. Really? Were we eating the same thing?

Anyway, we both loved it. Well, actually, all four of us loved it, with the ultimate winner being Jonah, who couldn't tear himself away from it. I took this recipe from the the author of Veganomicon, who adapted it from an "Eating Clean Magazine" recipe. I really liked this dinner. It has a sweet and spicy flavor, with a really nice, subtle coconut curry undertone. It's a nice, thick stew, and it went beautifully over a bowl of brown rice. I will definitely be making this again. Soon.







This is a vegetarian hot pot of yums. Make it. 4 Bowls.

Red Lentil Thai Chili

Olive oil (1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, however much you feel like using)
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes cut into ¾ inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable broth
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 15 oz can lowfat coconut milk
28 oz can diced tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Limes for garnish (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Saute onions and pepper in oil with a pinch of salt, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more.

Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!

White Chicken Chili (Again)

I made this White Chicken Chili several months ago. It was one of my first blog posts. We loved it back then, but it was even better the second time around. It is also a super easy recipe, and most of the ingredients are household staples (for us, anyway). You should try this one. It is tasty, and my kids adored it. Just a flavor tip - use Cholula hot sauce, instead of Tabasco. Mucho gusto.



Make this. It's a winner. 4.5 Bowls!

White Chili

This white chili recipe uses hot pepper sauce made from jalapeños; it's milder than the red hot pepper varieties. Stirring frequently toward the end of cooking time prevents the bean-thickened broth from sticking to the bottom and scorching. Serve with Spicy Jalapeño Corn Bread.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup chili, 4 teaspoons yogurt, and 1 teaspoon green onions)


2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 Red Bell Pepper (I added this! Just saute it with the onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt (Omitted)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (about 1)
Lime wedges (optional)

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, and chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth mixture; cool.

2. Add cornmeal and beans to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk; simmer 15 minutes. Mash about 1/4 cup beans against side of pan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Top each serving with yogurt; sprinkle with green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

CALORIES 198 (19% from fat); FAT 4.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 63mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.3g; SODIUM 456mg; PROTEIN 24.8g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2008

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

Make these. They are great for a party, and the leftovers are a great substitute for a sandwich at lunch. I give them 4 bowls. Kevin gives them 3, but he isn't into pastry crust. Insane, you say?? Hmmmm...

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

Mild sweet potatoes and black beans take on smoky, spicy tastes from cumin and chiles. These pies are great served hot at a party; leftovers also make a tasty room-temperature snack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 empanada)


9 ounces all-purpose flour (2 cups)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 poblano chile
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine canola oil, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and egg in a medium bowl. Gradually add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Knead lightly until smooth. Shape dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Place poblano on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 8 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a paper bag; close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chile; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes. Finely chop.

4. Preheat oven to 400°.

5. Cook the cumin seeds in a large saucepan over medium heat 1 minute or until toasted, stirring constantly. Place cumin in a clean spice or coffee grinder; process until ground. Combine cumin, poblano, sweet potatoes, and next 5 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt) in a large bowl; mash with a fork until almost smooth.

6. Divide dough into 10 equal portions, shaping each into a ball. Roll each dough portion into a (5-inch) circle on a lightly floured surface. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), spoon 3 level tablespoons poblano mixture into center of each circle. Moisten edges of dough with egg white; fold dough over filling. Press edges together to seal. Place empanadas on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut 3 diagonal slits across top of each empanada. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until lightly browned.

CALORIES 209 ; FAT 8.4g (sat 0.7g,mono 5g,poly 2.3g); CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29g; SODIUM 359mg; PROTEIN 5.1g; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 2.3mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2010

Pumpkin-Turkey Chili

Didn't I just say, about a week ago, that I would never need another chili recipe, because I had found chili perfection? Well, I guess I lied. I came across this "Pumpkin Chili" recipe, and I was intrigued. In case you didn't know, there was a pretty intense pumpkin shortage last year, and there hasn't been canned pumpkin in the supermarket in close to a year. Just a couple of weeks ago, it finally reappeared in stores, and I stocked up. Yes, I have 10 cans in my basement. Anyway, I've been using it in everything, and I got very excited to use it in our dinner last night. After reading the hundreds of comments about the chili, I adapted the recipe, according to what I thought my family would like. The end result was a really good, solid dish, that my family liked. It was not exceptional, particularly special, or very unique, but it was easy and tasty. I couldn't quite imagine what kind of difference the pumpkin would make, but it was actually a really fun and healthy addition. It adds a very subtle sweetness, and makes for a nice, thick textured chili. The thing is, if you like a salty and spicy chili, that also has that underlying sweetness, you have to doctor the recipe. Anyway, Kevin's first comment about this dish was, "Wow, this is sort of bland, but I like it." Hmmmm. I didn't think it was bland at all, and I liked it too, but I still think the other chili recipe was a little more to my liking.



Maybe you should try this.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I used red)
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel, to make it spicy)
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I didn't use this)
1/2 cup sour cream (or this)

I added:
A can of black beans
A cup of frozen corn
A tsp of cumin

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.