Veronica Hendrix

by

A soulful hummus to warm your soul

Soulful Hummus made with black-eyed peas and red beans.

There is nothing like the dutiful humming of a well-used food processor.

I love Beatrice – that’s my faithful food processor. She’s been with me for over 10 years.

Old Beatrice got down in the kitchen the other day and at the end of her soulful solo, she whipped up the most amazing hummus I have ever had.

And her timing could not have been better. So many of us across these United States are safe at home, quarantined, and snug as a bug in a rug as we observe the directives from our local, state and federal officials to cool our heels at home to help stop the spread of COVID-19 or Coronavirus.

Listen to me in the kitchen on my new podcast on 94.7 The Wave.

With so some many of us at home, we are eating an array of in-between meals, crunchy, salty and deliciously fat filled snacks.

Well put down that bag of chips and sour cream onion dip! My tasty and Soulful Hummus recipe is not only a healthier alternative, it’s creamy and savory deliciousness will warm your soul. You will love the marriage of black-eyed peas and red or light kidney beans in this hummus remix.   The easy to make tortilla chips are a bonus (you are welcome) and they are figure friendly too.

Stay home, stay safe and be well my foodie friends.

Soulful Hummus

  • Servings: 6 to 8
  • Difficulty: Very easy
  • Print

This recipe is not only easy to make, it will warm your soul.

You will need a food processor for this recipe. If don’t have one, try a blender but be sure to smash your peas and beans in a mixing bowl with a potato smasher before adding them to the blender.

Ingredients

1 heaping teaspoon jarred minced garlic or 2 fresh cloves finely chopped
1 (16-oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can red beans or light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ to 1 teaspoon salt (I used a teaspoon)
¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (use 1/4 teaspoon if you love the heat)
¼ teaspoon dried thyme (not ground thyme)
Lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, chives or green onion (your choice- optional)

Directions

  1. Gather all your ingredients before you start.
  2. Add all the ingredients to a food processor.
  3. Grate a little lemon zest over the top of the mixture in the processor.
  4. Process until smooth.
  5. Spoon hummus into a lovely plate or individual sized pasta bowl.
  6. Smooth out the surface and in a circular motion, drizzle 2 tablespoon over the hummus.
  7. Lightly sprinkle top of hummus with smoked paprika or sumac.
  8. Top with fresh chopped herbs of your choice (parsley, cilantro, chives or green onion) or lemon zest.
  9. Serve with pita chips, vegetable strips like bell peppers or my easy oven tortilla chips below.

Easy Oven Tortilla Chips
You will need a parchment lined baking sheet for this recipe

Ingredients
4 tortillas
Non stick cooking spray
salt – pain, seasoned or Cajun

Directions

  1. Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Gather all your ingredients before you start.
  3. Stack tortillas on top of each other.
  4. Cut them in half, quarters then eighths.
  5. Spread the cut tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  6. Spray the tortillas with non-stick. Turn them over and spray the other side.
  7. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake 9-10 minutes.
  8. Remove when done and season with salt right on the baking sheet.
by

Los Angeles Based Food Blogger Launches New eRecipe Book Series With A Little Help from Samsung Galaxy S7

Los Angeles, CA – Since her appearance on the Food Network show “Clash of the Grandmas,” Veronica Hendrix has been very busy.

Writing her widely read blog Collard Greens and Caviar, developing recipes for Real Eats, working on an upcoming live food event, and writing a new recipe book series entitled Collard Greens and Caviar Pop up eRecipes  have keep her buzzing. The recipe book is now available on Amazon.com in Kindle download and paperback.

For those who have been following her,  this is exciting news because the recipe book contains what she calls her “most coveted and closely held recipes” teased on her social media sites – including her highly sought after SoCali Chicken Croquettes recipe debuted on the Food Network.

Featured Recipes – Top: SoCali Chicken Croquettes. Left: Tarragon Panko Coating Mix. Right: Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Praline Topping

But for Hendrix, what’s really exciting is pioneering and forging a new approach to create and deliver recipe content. Her latest project shatters the traditional publishing paradigm and delivers concise content using tools such as self-publishing platforms, social media and leveraging the power of her Samsung S7 dual–pixel camera – which takes pictures whose quality meets the high production standards for self-publishing platforms.

“The picture quality that results from the advanced features of my Samsung S7 is the depth and resolution I need to bring my recipes to life,” said Hendrix

Move over traditional cookbooks

Traditional cookbooks have their place. For most it’s on a shelf after the reader is overwhelmed after thumbing through one hundred or more pages of recipes after recipes.

Traditional cookbooks take time to publish. The average cookbook project can take up to a year or more to get it into the hands of anxious cooks.

As a self published, epicurean entrepreneur, Hendrix has not only taken on the challenge of creating and publishing recipe content faster but also in publishing content in digestible bites using the simple rule of threes. As stated in the introduction of her recipe book:

“As a food blogger I have an eclectic collection of recipes I’ve developed that have never been featured on my blog. Many of them have been teased on my social media sites and my followers have asked if the recipes might one day appear in an upcoming cookbook. I’ve always said they might. Publishing an anthology of those recipes is a great idea. But to publish them quicker, I’ve created an eRecipe book of pop up recipes.

This eRecipe book features three of my most closely held and coveted recipes. Why only three recipes at a time? Well, as the “rule of threes” purports, when information is presented and viewed in threes, it is more regarded, interesting and memorable.”

For interview requests or additional information, contact eXude Communications at (650) 822-7271.

About Veronica Hendrix

Veronica Hendrix is Los Angeles based journalist, cooking coach, recipe developer and Food Network finalist. She is the creator of the widely read blog collardgreensandcaviar.com where she shares recipes and tells stories featuring food enthusiasts and culinary experts in addition to her own forays into the kitchen. She was the project manager and co-writer of the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper “Taste of Soul Cookbook” published in 2013.

Veronica has over 20 years experience in journalism, media relations and public affairs. Veronica was a syndicated columnist and feature writer of the column Veronica’s View in which she covered stories of the human continuum – from clinical trials of male contraceptives, to gang related violence. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Sentinel; Lee Bailey’s Electronic Urban Report; and the online interactive site The Root. She has been a feature writer for each edition of Who’s Who in Black Los Angeles. Veronica has produced radio and television shows in Los Angeles and is a Los Angeles Emmy nominated producer. Veronica’s career as a journalist has also included being a reporter for USA Today and KCLS Television in Los Angeles.

Veronica has launched a recipe book series entitled Collard Greens and Caviar Pop up eRecipes  that features some of her most closely held and coveted recipes teased on her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter sites.

by

Los Angeles Food Blogger Mixes It Up on Food Network’s Clash of the Grandmas Show December 11, 2016

That blogger is moi!

Now that the Food Network has made the official announcement about my appearance on an upcoming episode of Clash of the Grandmas – yes I said Grandmas – now I can officially announce it to you.  See the information below about my debut on the Food Network show which includes details from their official media announcement. I hope you get a chance to watch me in action. Oh – make sure to use the hashtag #ClashofTheGrandmas if you want to chime in on social media. Now that would be super cool!

scroll

Veronica Hendrix,  Los Angeles based journalist, food blogger of  the widely read food blog  Collard Greens and  Caviar, cooking coach and cookbook author, will make her debut on the Food Network’s Clash of the Grandmas Show, Sunday, December 11, 2016  at 10:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time).

clash-of-the-grandmas-contestants-12-11

Left to right: Joan Channon (Hawi, Hawaii), Dale Roland (Groveland, Florida), Neera Sharma (Columbus, Ohio) and Veronica Hendrix (Los Angeles, California)

Hendrix, a native Angeleno and grandmother of a 3 year-old grandson, competes on the hour long show against three other grandmas from Hawaii, Florida, and Ohio. This “on fleek” episode challenged contestants to make dishes that were on point with the latest food trends. This was a perfect episode for Hendrix whose personal style, culinary perspective, and youthful outlook shatter all expectations of the “traditional grandma.”

The panel of show judges on this episode are former NFL player and Food Network star Eddie Jackson; Lifestyle expert and POPSUGAR.com Reporter/Producer Brandi Milloy; and Food Network Star, Celebrity Chef and Television personality Jamika Pessoa. The show was taped in Los Angeles.

Up for grabs in the kitchen battle is $10,000 and Hendrix and her staunch competitors battle mixing bowl to stove top in intense elimination rounds that tested their cooking chops, creativity and nerves.

croquettes-two-shot-2

So Cali Chicken Croquettes  I  made in the first round. These moist and crispy, deep fried bites were called “the next big thing” in food trends by one judge [Photo credit: Veronica Hendrix home kitchen]

With 45 minutes or less in each elimination round, here’s the challenge rundown:

  • Round One – four contestants make an after-school snack featuring each of their grandkids’ favorite ingredients.
  • Round Two – three contestants make spicy fried chicken and grits using quick grits and a baking mix.
  • Round Three – the final two contestants battle for $10,000 and make a savory dish that looks like a dessert.

“It was an incredible experience that tested my skills and creativity. The inspiration of my mom, and the spirit of the many women and men in my family whose food nurtured me and generations was with me in that kitchen,” said Hendrix. “My competitors were fierce, and I learned so much about myself with each challenge.  I really am a fearless cook!”

So how did Hendrix handle the challenges?  Did she win the coveted prize? She can’t say, but make sure to watch Los Angeles’ favorite food blogger in action on the Food Network’s Clash of the Grandmas Show on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) and find out.

Social media

Follow Veronica on Instagram @collardgreenscaviar, Twitter @collardscaviar @vhend, and on Facebook at Collard Greens and Caviar.

About Veronica Hendrix

Veronica Hendrix is a journalist, a food blogger, columnist, cookbook author, cooking coach and healthy cooking advocate. Her column Veronica’s View covered a myriad of social and political issues and appeared in the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper and other online outlets for 12 years.

Today her widely read blog Collard Greens and Caviar (collardgreensandcaviar.com) features food stories and recipes of personalities behind the food, and has featured chefs, radio personalities, home cooks and her own personal foray into the kitchen. The stories are smartly written and entertaining. Veronica co-wrote the popular Taste of Soul Cookbook for Bakewell Media, a recipe book that celebrates the largest annual food festival west of the Mississippi.

She is the author of a cookbook that highlights the use of her Red Velvet Gourmet Spice Rub and Seasoning mix she created after a doctor’s diagnosis of high blood pressure.

Veronica also produced a half hour talk show called “LA Woman,” which aired on Los Angeles City View Channel 35. She is a Los Angeles Emmy nominated producer, has been a reporter for USA Today and KLCS News in Los Angeles. She is a 15-year member of the National Association of Black Journalists-LA and the Association of Food Journalists. Veronica is a native of Southern California, has two adult sons and a 3- year-old grandson.

by

Making history in the kitchen is a beautiful thing

What a great month it has been.

The National Women’s History Project has done another stellar job in highlighting the accomplishments of women this Women’s History Month by using their platform to show how the achievements of women matter to us all.

Women's History Word Cloud

Word cloud: Presidential Proclamation — Women’s History Month, 2016

Continue reading →