Black-Eyed Peas and Brown Rice
This grain-and-legume mixture is a true Southern-style comfort food akin to Hoppin’ John. Buy frozen, cooked black-eyed peas, or start with the dried legume and cook up a batch yourself, freezing any extra for future meals.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked, cold long-grain brown rice
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 3 cups frozen black-eyed peas
- 1 butternut squash, about 1 lb., peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. hot-pepper sauce
Directions:
Put the rice in a large bowl and gently separate the grains and break apart any lumps.
In a large fry pan, bring the water, onion, celery, garlic and pepper to a boil, stirring frequently. Add the black-eyed peas and squash and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas and squash are tender and most of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Add the rice, bell pepper and hot-pepper sauce; simmer, stirring and tossing frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, transfer to a bowl.
In a large fry pan, bring the water, onion, celery, garlic and pepper to a boil, stirring frequently. Add the black-eyed peas and squash and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas and squash are tender and most of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Add the rice, bell pepper and hot-pepper sauce; simmer, stirring and tossing frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, transfer to a bowl.
Adapted from The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook,
by John Phillip Carroll
(Time-Life Books, 1998).