Beans 5 Ways Part 2: Hoppin John!

I've pulled out the black eyed peas.  I soaked them 6 hours.  Now I'm ready to make some Hoppin John!

 

Black Eyed Peas

  I've had black eyed peas once, that I can remember, but for some reason I keep a bag in my pantry.  The traditional dish looks simple enough, a lot like your basic pork and beans, except the beans are white and black.  I found some beautiful pictures of Hoppin' John and then I found a step by step illustrated recipe.  It takes the traditional black eyed peas and then dresses them up with extra veggies, spices, and rice.  It looks yummy! 

I used a little bit from both The Pioneer Woman and Garden and Gun recipes.  I bought a ham hock and I also had bacon in the fridge, but I decided to just use the bacon this time and put the ham in the freezer for another day.
 Black eyed peas are more like a pea. They only take six hours to soak and about 1/2 an hour too cook.  They can also be cooked without soaking if you bring them to a boil and simmer for a couple hours, this could be perfect for use with a crock pot and ham hock.

And now for my first mistake.  I started my onions first, by sauteing them in olive oil while I chopped the peppers.  Then I remembered that I wanted to cook it with bacon, meaning the olive oil was overkill, and by the time I got my peppers chopped my onions were soft and the bacon was boiling in the juices instead of browning.  I highly recommend frying the bacon in your pan then adding the onions. 

At the grocery store I found a bag of tricolor

mini sweet peppers on sale, so I got that and a big poblano pepper.  I love cooking with colors!

Into the Pot!

Don't Forget the Rice!  I used a whole box of chicken broth, and in the end I had a lot of extra liquid.  I suspect that adding a cup of rice at the same time as the beans should even things out, and you wouldn't have to cook your rice in a separate pot....I'll have to try that next time.

I think things went pretty well.  I didn't originally use much hot spices, but I think spicier is better, so I'm adding Tabasco the my recipe.  I'm fairly certain that this is a dish that tastes best on the second day.  Tomorrow, I'll be serving mine over jasmine rice.  

Here's my final recipe for your consideration....

 

Soak 1 pound black eyed peas 6 hours.

In a large pot:
Fry 1 pound chopped bacon.
Add:
1 chopped onion
1 mashed clove garlic
1 large green chili (poblano)
6 mini sweet peppers
1 chopped celery heart
2 cups chicken stock(just enough to cover the beans, or try 1 cup of rice, 4 cups broth)
2 whole bay leaves
generous black pepper, and Tabasco
salt to taste

Bring to boil, simmer until beans are tender.  (about one hour) Remove the bay leaves.

Serve With Rice, or Cornbread

see also:
Beans 5 Ways:
Garlic Sausage Lentils
Hummus
Ramjah
Adzuki Bean Paste

Eating Well

I had hoped to make this a list of gourmet recipes....then I did some research and soul searching, and discovered something very important- I am not a chef.  I only use recipes for things I've never tried and for pastries.  When I do use recipes I often eyeball the portions and make new stuff up as I go.  I have no real recipes of my own to share.  However I have been cooking in some form or other since I was a kid.  From quesadillas and peanut butter and jelly, to high end restaurant kitchen work, all the way back home to feeding my family three healthy meals and snacks.  
So here's some ideas for lighter foods with comfort food flavors:

• Add a premixed seasoning to cooked veggies or salad to give it the flavor you're craving.  You can add these seasonings to any dish to give it extra flavor without compromising nutrition.  For example:
• Steamed Broccoli with pizza seasoning and a sprinkle of shredded Italian cheeses
• Sweet Potato wedges baked with a little olive oil, sea salt, and Italian seasoning
  (keep your portions small for this one)
• Salad greens, tomatoes, feta, and dried garlic and herbs, salt and pepper
• You don't need to add sugar, fat, or flour to get an awesome desert.  The most important ingredient is often the fruit!  
• Pumpkin puree and Apple sauce with pumpkin pie spice
• Raw or Baked Apples with cinnamon
• Berries, frozen, hot, or anywhere in between
• Fresh Fruit salad. Not canned in syrup!
• Smoothies!  Just add your favorite fruit and crushed ice
• Some things I do almost every day, for my chocolate fix:
• Mocha: 1 mug of coffee and about 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 Tbsp honey, less than 1/4 C 2% milk. about 65 calories/cup
• Mocha frappe: 1C cold coffee, 1/2C crushed ice,  1/2Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 serving chocolate protein shake or chocolate nutritional shake.  blend. about 150calories
• For meals:  watch your portions, skimp on carbs and fats, double the veg!  here's a few regular dinners in my house:
• Baked herb chicken breast, brown and wild rice cooked with bouillon, and green beans from the garden.
• Easy Three Bean Chili: 1 sauteed onion, 1 can each of black, pinto, kidney beans, and vegetarian chili, add chili powder, cumin, and salt to taste.  
• Rabbit Stew: Super easy in a crock pot- meat from 1 rabbit (or chicken), 2 potatoes (or turnips), 1 onion, and 2 cups carrots, all coarsely chopped .  Cover with 1 box chicken broth, cook on high. When potatoes are cooked but still firm, add 2-4 cups green veggies (celery, leeks, kale).  Season with parsley, salt, pepper, and whatever you like.   
  
     

BONUS:
Our Valentine's Day Menu
Pan Cooked New York Steak on a bed of Kale with Quinoa and Brown Rice
Strawberries in Sparkling Wine
Popcorn, Air Popped with Olive Oil and Sea Salt


Resources
What's In Season?
Circle h Organic CSA
All About Kale:Video
5 Most Common Mistakes When Cooking Quinoa
The Perfect Steak - Heston Blumenthal
How to Cook a Steak in a Pan - Gordon Ramsay
caramelized-pancetta-and-fennel-salad-recipe
myfitnesspal.com



It was delicious!