Meaty Black Eyed Peas My Way Food

BLACK EYED PEAS, FOR THOSE WHO USUALLY DON'T LIKE THEM,

Steps:

• 1. Rinse peas, cover with water, and heat peas in microwave safe bowl or on stove top until hot.
• 2. Drain well, pour into serving bowl and stir in mayonnaise until well combined.
• 3. Season with salt and pepper,.
• 4. Serve hot!

HEARTY- MEATY BLACK EYE PEA SOUP FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• 1. You will need a huge pot to make this amount of soup, but you can cut back on most of the ingredients, and still enjoy a great soup. Add the ham chunks to the pot, along with the Rough chopped garlic and a few peppers gives the soup a head start in flavor. Add enough water to cover. I like to cook the Ham chunks about and hour, before adding in the dried peas and other veggies.
• 2. These are some of the ingredients I used to create the soup. I did not use the extra canned Black Eye peas. Pick through the dry peas for pebbles and grit, and discolored beans, then wash and add to the pot. Pour in the stock, and cover pot with lid while you prep the other veggies. Heat over medium low heat.
• 3. I like to cut the veggies into large pieces and add them after about the first hour of cooking, so they flavor the broth in the soup peppers, onions,& celery. Don't forget to add the Bay leaves.
• 4. That's a lot of onions but you are making a large pot of soup, and the onions and garlic adds lots of flavor especially when combined with the granulated onion and garlic and other herbs and spices.
• 5. This is a partial pix of the canned items. Open all the canned veggies & tomato paste and pour them into a large bowl,that way they can all go into the pot at the same time. I add them about half way through cooking time, after checking the peas to see if they are somewhat tender.
• 6. Allow them to cook over medium high heat. Adding the spices about midway through cooking. I prefer adding all of the spices into a medium size bowl and then adding them all at once into the soup, then stirring them thoroughly to blend together. NOTE: I PURPOSELY DID NOT ADD SALT TO THE RECIPE, it had enough salt for us FROM THE HAM & OTHER INGREDIENTS.
• 7. Cut the smoked Sausage on the bias to get more meat per serving. Then add to the pot.
• 8. The baby spinach only takes a few minutes to wilt into the hot soup broth. So add it during the final 10 minutes of cooking, and stir to blend into the soup.
• 9. This is what the soup looked like after cooking. So serve with your favorite bread and enjoy. I made a Southern Style corn Bread with corn and chopped green chilis. My daughter who does not care for Black Eyed peas, ate 2 bowls full, as did my husband, and I only had one bowl but had 2 pieces of corn Bread. It was great on a day when the temperature was in the teens.
• 10. This is the Corn Bread I served with it. Recipe is from a Watkins Keepsake Cookbook, and was a perfect accompaniment.

~ MEATY BLACK EYED PEAS ~ MY WAY

Steps:

• 1. Soak time for the beans are not included in over all time it take to prepare these peas.
• 2. In a dutch oven over medium heat, add oil. Once shimmery - add ham, hog jowl and Andoille sausage. Cook and stir until browned. About 5 minutes. To this add the onion, garlic, bouillon and spices, stir and add water. Bring this to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
• 3. Next, stir in the peas and continue cooking for another hour and 30 minutes or until thickened and beans are tender. Stirring occasionally. Can remove thick slices of jowl or bacon, up to you. I used it mainly for flavor , but hubby made me leave them in. LOL
• 4. Serve with other New Years traditions or year round as I will be doing. Goes great with cornbread. Ladled over rice is great as well. Any way you serve them will be sure to please.

HOPPIN' JOHN - A NEW YEAR TRADITION - DEE DEE'S

Steps:

• 1. Soak peas. I used the 2-hour method for soaking peas; rinse and sort peas. Combine 8 to 10 cups of cold water, carrot, baking soda, and peas in a large pot.
• 2. Bring to a vigorous boil; boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let peas soak for 2 hours. NOTE: The carrot and baking soda is a little trick that was passed on from my grandmother and mother. They both believed that this will reduce gas. Not sure this is true but I have been cooking dried peas and beans this way for years without a problem.
• 3. Once peas have soaked, add meaty ham bone, 1/2 of the chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a med-low and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until peas are tender but not mushy. NOTE: If necessary, add additional water to cover peas.
• 4. Remove the ham bone, cut off meat. Dice and set aside.
• 5. Drain the peas and set aside.
• 6. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil; add rice and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
• 7. Add remaining onion, peas, Rotel tomatoes (with juice), bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, and seasonings to rice. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes until rice is tender.
• 8. Stir in sliced green onions and ham. Serve with hot cornbread.

MBAAZI WA NAZI (PIGEON PEAS IN COCONUT MILK)

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine pigeon peas and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the peas begin to become tender and most of the water is absorbed.
• Stir in 1 1/2c coconut milk. Continue to simmer over low heat. Add more water as necessary to prevent the peas from becoming dry.
• While peas are simmering: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the curry powder to the oil and stir for a minute. Fry the onion and chile pepper until they are tender.
• Combine the peas and onion-chile mixture (add either one to the other). Continue to simmer until peas are tender enough to eat. Add the remaining coconut milk and simmer on the lowest possible heat for five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve "Swahili style" with Chapati (Basic Chapati Recipe #137408), rice, or "up-country style" with Ugali.

BLACK-EYED PEAS LIKE MAW MAW'S

Steps:

• Based on the amount of Peas you are cooking, add water to Pot.
• Start to bring to a boil.
• Take Ham Hock and score skin side if needed and add to pot.
• Boil Ham Hock for about 20 minutes to season water, add Bacon Grease & stir until melted.
• Add Peas.
• Boil at a rapid boil for the first 20 minutes, then turn down to a low boil and cover pot. Continue cooking until Peas are getting soft.
• Take a taste.
• Season with Salt & Pepper to your taste.