Frugan: Black Eyed Peas and Greens!

Happy New Year Black Eyed Peas

Even though I am not from the south, I bring in the New Year with Black Eyed Peas and Greens. 

I have made our New Years meal already this year ( it's in the freezer ) because I am pretty busy the next couple of days and I don't want to miss out on one of my favorite traditions! 

New Years Day Black Eyed Peas

• 4 T EVOO
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 small stalk celery, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T Old Bay Seasoning
• 1-3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
• 1 C dried black eyed peas
• 3 c veggie broth or water
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes and their juice
• ¼ t lemon zest
• 1 c fresh parsley
• 1 T fresh thyme, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 t liquid smoke
• Freshly ground pepper and soy sauce to taste

Method

1. Heat a heavy bottomed soup pan to medium heat
2. Add oil, onion, celery, pepper, garlic and old bay
3. Sauté for 10 minutes
4. Add chipotle, black eyed peas and broth
5. Cover and bring to a strong simmer. Cook for 30 minutes
6. Add tomatoes, zest, parsley, thyme and lemon juice; cook uncovered for 15 more minutes
7. Taste and adjust seasonings
8. Garnish with Gremolata ( recipe follows )

You can't have black eyed peas without your greens, so here is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. You can use collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, chard, beet greens, cabbage, escarole or any mixture of the above. I am partial to a kale and collard mix. To prep your greens, chop them well, then fill a HUGE bowl ( or a sink ) with cold water and a splash of vinegar. Let the greens rise to the top, allowing all of the grit to sink to the bottom. Lift out of the water. Do this twice ( three times for extra sandy bunches ).  Don't spin dry, you want the water on the greens to help them cook. Now, a note about the stems. Many people suggest de-stemming the collards and kale. I don't bother. I have several  reasons for this. First, I am frugal and this gives me more food! Second, I believe that the stems carry vital life force and I like to eat them and third, I am lazy! If you feel the need to de-stem, go right ahead. I don't use all of the stem, just the part that is connected to the leaves ( unless I am cooking chard or beet greens, then I use the whole stem.)

New Years Day Greens

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 t chipotle powder or smoked paprika if you don’t want the heat
• 1 large onion, sliced in half moons
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 T chopped ginger
• Pinch Tony’s Cajun Seasoning
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 10 c chopped collards or kale 
• 1/4 c chopped dehydrated sun dried tomatoes (optional)
• ½ c water
• 1 bouillon cube
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 2 T toasted sesame seeds

Method:

1. Chop Greens, wash well and set aside (don’t dry the greens)
2. Heat a large skillet to medium and add the oil, chipotle, onion, garlic, ginger and a pinch of Tony’s seasoning or salt
3. Sauté for 10 minutes or so
4. De-glaze with vinegar; add the collards, tomatoes, water and bouillon
5. Cover and Cook for 15 minutes
6. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, top with yeast sesame seeds before serving

This meal is great served with Gluten Free Cornbread or Basmati Rice and topped with Gremolata. 

Gremolata

• 1 c tightly packed parsley, washed well, dried and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• Juice and zest of 1 big lemon
• ¼ t salt
• ¼ t pepper
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil 

Mix everything together

As you can see from the recipes, I like a lot of flavor and spice. If you are unsure about the level of garlic, feel free to use less. If you don't like spicy food, you can substitute smoked paprika for the chiopotle. Start with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to replace 1 chipotle pepper and add more to taste. 

Here are some links to more Black Eyed Pea recipes:

• Black Eyed Pea Hummus, two ways 
• Broccoli Quinoa Soup
• Indian Spiced Black Eyed Peas and Greens
• Black Eyed Pea Burgers
• Chipotle Spiced Black Eyed Pea Stew
• Eggplant Quinoa Soup
• Summer Black Eyed Pea Spread 

Here are some of the other ways I've used Black Eyed Peas and Greens:

• Stuffed Collards, two ways
• Black Eyed Peas and Greens Pesto/Sauce 
• Black Eyed Peas and Greens Pizzarole 

If you're looking for a yummy Raw Collard salad recipe, click HERE for my Collard Apple Slaw.

Remember, a great way to get your greens is in a Green Smoothie!

• 2 c spinach
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 T flax meal
• 2 C water 

What are your favorite ways to eat your Peas and Greens?