The North Carolina cyclospora outbreak is linked to parsley and cilantro, as well as lettuce, according to an update by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDHHS). While parsley and cilantro have been mentioned as possible vectors in this huge outbreak, this is the first time they have been linked to illnesses. North Carolina Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Parsley and Cilantro – https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2026/north-carolina-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-parsley-and-cilantro/
Cyclospora is different from other foodborne pathogens. It comes from human waste and cannot be removed by washing (although that helps some) or killed by chlorine. It can only be removed by microfiltration or killed by heat or, maybe, ultra-violet radiation.
It needs to prevented from getting into irrigation water.
15 oz canned Low Sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
1-1.5 T light brown sugar
dash salt
dash of ground black pepper
dash dried cilantro
Prepare the dressing by mixing the olive oil, lime juice, spices, sugar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Place everything else in a bowl. Dump the dressing in. Mix well.
Put the bowl on the kitchen countertop and allow the corn to fully defrost
If you have time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to marry. If not a good hour or two at room temperature should allow the flavors to marry.
Before serving, toss, taste and adjust seasonings.
I seriously wonder if there are any original recipes out there. You think to yourself “Let’s make a black bean and corn thing tonight”. So you do what everyone else does and hop on the internet to find numerous recipes that are pretty much the same. Full Disclosure: This recipe is a copycat and my inspiration was here.I don’t want to be accused of stealing a recipe that everyone makes in some form or another. (I found this post in my list of unpublished drafts from years ago and just published so the link may not work).
Tips and Things Most Cooks Don’t Tell You.
I used garlic powder, not fresh garlic. Use fresh if you like BIG garlic flavor. Powder is more subtle. Instead of red onion I used sweet onion and only about a quarter cup. No jalepeno. Too spicy. Watch the size of your lime. I used the juice from a half of a lime but it was a huge lime.
Thinking about making black eyed peas for good luck? Me too. As 2025 comes to a close I once again searched my blog for the number of Badass versions I have.
The beans needs to simmer for several hours. Give the beans an overnight soak in filtered water and change the water several times. Drain. Everyone in the pool. I don’t cook the beans separately for this dish.
1 T extra virgin olive oil 1 medium sweet onion, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 large green pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp each smoked paprika, chili powder 1 T Mexican oregano 1 T cumin
1/2 cup white wine 1 qt low sodium chicken broth 2 T tomato paste and one 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes 1/2 lb black eyed peas (dried, see soaking instructions) 1 lb ground turkey Salt & pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste
Place the dried beans into a stock pot large enough to hold the beans when fully plumped up. Rinse the beans with water several times. Fill the pot with fresh water and soak overnight.
In the morning drain then add fresh water to the beans. Change the soaking water at least twice. Drain the beans again and set aside. Take the pot to the stove.
Olive oil medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and green pepper until softened about five minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Add the turkey and brown, breaking up the clumps as you go.
Add about 1/2 cup white wine. Simmer for a few minutes.
Toss everything else into the pool. Spices, tomato paste, broth, and beans.
The black eyed peas (drained) with all ingredients needs enough chicken broth to barely cover everything. You may need more or less broth than one quart.
Bring to a boil then simmer for several hours with the pot partially covered.
Check the pot and stir occasionally. Add more broth as the peas cook and the dish thickens.
Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce.
Yum. Makes about 6-8 servings.
Odd Notes
This dish will taste better on day two. The chicken broth is a substitution for beef broth and results in a lighter dish.
Were you expecting an original recipe? Sorry but Beth has already taken the time to post this recipe on her blog and it reminds me of the simple sauce I make but never bothered to write down. Anywhere. If you want a richer sauce, sub some low sodium chicken broth for the water. Trust me on this. Vegan? Ignore my comment on subbing chicken broth. For everyone else who is not vegan or vegetarian try using chicken broth. Trust me on this.
Is there anyone else out there besides me waking up on a Saturday morning thinking about making black eyed peas for good luck? I didn’t think so. When I searched my own blog I was a bit surprised on how many versions of Badass I have.
I decided to make a no bacon version. Ground chicken because I found a source for good ground chicken at a reasonable price (hint, Aldi).
The beans needs to simmer for several hours. Give the beans an overnight soak in filtered water and change the water several times. Drain. Everyone in the pool. I don’t cook the beans separately for this dish.
1 T extra virgin olive oil 1 medium sweet onion, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 large green pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp each smoked paprika, chili powder 1 T Mexican oregano 1 T cumin 1 qt low sodium chicken broth 2 T tomato paste and one 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes 1/2 lb black eyed peas (dried, see soaking instructions) 1 lb ground chicken Salt & pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste
Place the dried beans into a stock pot large enough to hold the beans when fully plumped up. Rinse the beans with water several times. Fill the pot with fresh water and soak overnight.
In the morning drain then add fresh water to the beans. Change the soaking water at least twice. Drain the beans again and set aside. Take the pot to the stove.
Olive oil medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and green pepper until softened about five minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
Add the chicken and brown, breaking up the clumps as you go.
Toss everything else into the pool. Spices, tomato paste, broth, and beans.
The black eyed peas (drained) with all ingredients needs enough chicken broth to barely cover everything. You may need more or less broth than one quart.
Bring to a boil then simmer for several hours with the pot partially covered.
Check the pot and stir occasionally. Add more broth as the peas cook and the dish thickens.
Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce.
Yum. Makes about 6-8 servings.
Odd Notes
This dish will taste better on day two. The chicken broth is a substitution for beef broth and results in a lighter dish.
The quantity of dried beans is no longer one pound because someone in the family (not me) claimed I put too much beans in my chili. This version has a ratio of beans to meat that hopefully meats her approval. Get it? Meats.
My Mom loved hard boiled eggs. But beyond the egg, what she loved was her hot sauce. Tabasco, the one of a kind hot sauce from Avery Island, Louisiana. Mom always ate her boiled eggs with Tabasco and we’re not talking a few drops here and there. She would cut the boiled egg in half and hit that thing with so much Tabasco you literally could not see any yellow.
I thought this was disgusting.
I was 25 years young when I was introduced to the strange land known as Texas. What do you mean these chips are not potato chips? What’s that tiny bowl of red stuff? I was and still am a Jersey Boy from the mean streets of Newark. Seriously, people eat chips made from corn dipped in this red stuff?
It was not love at first bite. But like many other things in life I learned to love Texas and all things about the Lone Star State. This Jersey Boy met and married a Dallas girl and we created two more Texans. I acquired my desire for Thai food in Texas which then led me to other forms of spicy heat. The years sped by and when the Sriracha craze hit I never got on that train. I did keep a small bottle of the Huy Fong chili garlic sauce in the fridge which became my go to sauce when I needed to heat up my mild bland homemade chili made specifically not spicy for the someone else I live with.
Version 1.0.0
My chili garlic sauce had to get tossed because the expiration date was years ago. I guess I never used this sauce as much as I thought. Today is the first day of Fall and chili season grows near. I needed a replacement hot sauce. The Tabasco, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, some cheap Mexican hot sauce and the omnipresent jar of medium salsa were just not going to work for me.
Then suddenly (Devine Intervention?) this hit the grocery shelves.
Thanks Mom. I hope you are enjoying your hard boiled eggs wherever you are.
Cooking For One is Not Fun is still not fun even after yesterday’s mini-rant. The plan was simple: go to the store, buy two rotisserie chickens, rip the meat off the bones and make a quick simple dinner. Well I didn’t fix any dinner and now I have a tub full of cooked chicken. After a hearty breakfast of pancakes, peanut butter and banana I started thinking about lunch.
I found two small sweet potatoes, tortillas and Monterrey Jack cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease with some olive oil.
Scrub the dirt off the sweet potatoes and split them lengthwise. Place cut side down on the greased aluminum foil covered baking sheet and bake. (small to medium 30-45 minutes, large will take an hour or so). When done, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Scoop potatoes into a mixing bowl. See the list of spices? Add a pinch of each. The actual amount depends upon how much potato you’re working with. Mix well and set aside.
Heat a griddle or large pan on the stove, medium flame.
Butter or margarine one side of a tortilla. If using butter, add some olive oil to the griddle because butter burns. Tortilla buttered side down on the griddle. Fill one half side with potato and dot with chicken and cheese. Flip the other half over so it looks like a quesadilla. Brown on both sides. It’s done when the cheese is melted and the filling is warm.
Repeat. Eat.
Bet you thought I forgot the Sriracha. If you like spicy go ahead and add to your potato mixture along with the rest of the spices. Or use Sriracha as a drizzle or dipping sauce. Just remember if you add this to the potatoes before grilling I assume zero responsibility for the searing burn in your throat.
Actually, go ahead and use your favorite hot sauce.
Yeah, the picture above is cheating. Here’s the real shot.
The Bottom Line
Tasty. But I said it before and I’ll say it again. Cooking For One is Not Fun and this was a lot of work to make one quesadilla. At least I’ve worked out the spice combo and the flavors are fine. I did end up mixing a few dashes of Sriracha into the potato. Cooking for one needs to be quick, simple, filling, and nutritious. This quesadilla did not meet the “quick” criteria.
In the future consider the following:
Bake and season the potatoes the night before to allow the flavors to marry and to save time when actually making this quesadilla.
Make more than one quesadilla. Trust me on this.
Tabasco brand Sriracha (an unpaid endorsement).
Buy and debone your chicken ahead of time.
This post is #9 in my One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – The Concept series that I started 12 years ago. At this pace I won’t live long enough to finish the series. At least no one pays me for my content. Maybe I’ll change the title to One Rotisserie Chicken, 10 Meals and declare this series done.
“Competition puts hurdles in front of you that you have to clear.”
OKC Thunder coach Mark Daigneault
Here’s the same chart I posted from last year that is attributed to the New England Journal of Medicine. I could never find the original source article.
Take Home Lesson
“God speaks to us through signs. It is important to allow angels to act. When we see ourselves repeating our ordinary routine, we realize how much wealth surrounds our life. We understand each step, each attitude. We discover important things, and useless thoughts. At the end of a week – discipline is always fundamental – we are more conscious of our faults and distractions, but we also understand that, at times, there was no reason to act the way we did, that we followed our impulses, our intuition; and now we begin to understand this silent language which God uses in order to show us the true path. Call it intuition, signs, instinct, coincidence, any name will do – what matters is that through “conscious attention” we realize that we are often guided to the right decision. And this makes us stronger and more confident.”
garyskitchen.net 