Recipes: Black-eyed Peas
Cow Peas in A Hot Southern Side Dish and a Cold Portuguese Salad
Just in time for New Year's Day, here are 2 recipes for dressing up those black-eyed peas to bring good luck to friends and family for 2008.
Black-eyed peas, sometimes called cow peas, have a rich, though tangled history. They are thought to have originated in either North Africa or in China, spread to India, and were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They are a popular staple in southern cooking in the United States and are said to bring good luck when eaten on New Year's Day.
Nutritionally, black-eyed peas are a legume rich in magnesium, potassium, folate, iron, protein and fiber.
Organic gardeners often use black-eyed peas as a cover crop for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. When on the vine, the peas look like string beans. The pods are harvested and left to dry, then the peas are shelled and cooked like other dried beans. One primary difference is that black-eyed peas have thinner skins than most dried beans so they require less cooking time and don't need to be soaked before cooking.
Black-eyed peas also can be bought canned or frozen, thus reducing the preparation time in the following recipes.
Cooking Dried Black-eyed Peas
For 2 cups of cooked peas, start with 1 cup of dried peas. Wash and sort, place in a heavy pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let peas simmer for 45 minute or more until tender. Near the end of the cooking time, add ½ teaspoon salt. Adding salt earlier makes the skin of the peas tough.
Southern Black-eyed Peas: a Hot Side Dish
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 2/3 cup chopped tomato
- 2 cups black-eyed peas with liquid
- salt and pepper
In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion, celery and green pepper 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, peas and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve with Spoon Bread.
Portuguese Black-eyed Pea Salad: A Cold Side Dish
- 2 cups black-eyed peas, drained
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well, cover tightly, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to marinade. Toss again before serving. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
One traditional New Year’s recipe is for a dish called “Hoppin’ John.” It combines black-eyed peas with rice. Hoppin' John Chili is one of Suite 101's versions of the recipe.
