As we begin a new year, I wanted to share a very inspiring story from one of my students at Cosumnes River College and delicious recipes to bring you luck and prosperity! In Makayla’s words…

At 19, I was 100 pounds overweight, my favorite meal was two McChicken sandwiches with ketchup, large fries, and sweet tea with no ice, (so I could get more tea). You could ask anyone that knew me and they would tell you, I was never in the kitchen cooking, I was always at the table, waiting. I knew that I needed to make changes, so I got rid of all the junk and stocked up on plants, and a year later, I was hundred pounds lighter and learned how to cook! I became so “into food” that I started to grow my own. Fast forward to now, I’m 22, maintaining my weight and a garden. I just finished one of the best nutrition classes in the country, am living a plant-based lifestyle, and above all else, loving every minute of it! I feel great!

There is no doubt that my plant-based lifestyle has been key to my health transformation, losing the excess weight and seeing my energy levels soar. I would never have imagined that changing what I ate could impact every part of my life. Although not everyone in my family eats the way that I do, at least not yet, it is so fun and rewarding to be able to experiment with our most loved family recipes and make them plant-based, so that we can ALL enjoy them! As Professor Hagenburger always says, “Love the foods that loves you back!” Two of those special recipes come from my great-grandmother, Hun.

When I think of my great-grandmother, Hun, I think about the kitchen and good food. We visit her in North Carolina once or twice a year and she always has food ready for us when we arrive and packed up for the plane ride home. She’s 93-years-old and still spends majority of her time in the kitchen. A few of her famous dishes are mixed collard greens and black-eyed peas. During this past visit, I showed her ways to make her traditional recipes plant-based so that we could all enjoy her cooking and improve our health. What surprised me the most was how open-minded she was about tweaking recipes she had been eating and cooking for years. She enjoyed the plant-based versions that we cooked together and frequently calls to tell me how inspired she is to eat better and how amazing it makes her feel.

Hun’s Cooked Greens

Ingredients
2 bunches “dino” or Lacinato kale
2 bunches collard greens
2 bunches mustard greens
1 medium red onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic (~2 cloves)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic/garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 Escabeche jalapeños (Makayla pickles them with peppers, carrots, and onions from her garden)
1-2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, (if you like it spicy!)

Procedure
In a dry pan, over med-high heat, caramelize the diced onions and garlic, adding a few tablespoons of water or broth, if needed. Wash greens well, and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Add greens and remaining ingredients to pan with onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, if you like the greens soft. Top with Hun’s Black-Eyed Peas!

Hun’s Black-Eyed Peas

Ingredients
1 pound bag of black-eyed peas, dry
1 medium red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt, or more to taste
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic/garlic powder
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Procedure
Sort and rinse black eyed peas, then soak in a large bowl of water overnight in the fridge. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Sauté onion in a tablespoon of vegetable broth. Once the onions caramelize, add the garlic to cook for ~1 minute. Add the rest of the vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil. Add black-eyed peas and simmer for 30-35 minutes. Add salt, if using, and remaining spices, and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until peas are tender. Serve with Hun’s Cooked Greens!

The sky is the limit for Makayla Hopkins, as she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, runs Scarlet’s Farm (organic) and has a wonderful blog at www.fitfarmer14.wordpress.com

Timaree Hagenburger, a registered dietitian, certified exercise physiologist with a master’s degree in public health, is a nutrition professor at Cosumnes River College and sought after speaker. She is thrilled about the Plant-Based Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture certificate program, and her Thrive On Plants Club. In addition to her monthly articles, you can see Timaree on California Bountiful TV segments as well as monthly on Studio40 TV!  She also published her first season of her podcast (“Office Hours with the Nutrition Professor”), conducts local events, corporate wellness work, has a regular segment on California Bountiful TV, has contributed to several cookbooks and published her own cookbook – The Foodie Bar™ Way: One meal. Lots of options. Everyone’s happy. available at www.FoodieBars.com. Timaree has so many resources to share that are accessible here at www.TheNutritionProfessor.com, where you will also find details about Timaree’s upcoming events (cooking demos, book signings and talks about the incredible power you yield with your fork!) and can contact her about hands-on cooking instruction and consultations.