What’s for Dinner?! Black-Eyed Pea Stew…and it’s WAY better than it sounds!

I must confess that headed into this recipe I was skeptical.  I’m a good Southern girl, but that doesn’t mean that I have a burning passion for things like black eyed peas and collards that I want to tell the world about.  In fact, memories of every single New Year’s Day growing up still make me cringe.

If you’re from the South, you probably at least know what I’m talking about.  The New Years Day dinner.  Black eyed peas for luck and prosperity in the new year, collard greens for money, cornbread for gold, stewed tomatoes for wealth and health, and if you really want to be the luckiest one at your table, then you’ll be the one served the penny in the bottom of the pot along with all of your black-eyed goodness.

I started dreading New Year’s Day food always very shortly after Christmas.  And every year I remember begging my mom to just make something normal.

SO, when my sister recommended that I try this recipe (originally from Cooking Light back in 2007) I just wasn’t so sure.  But she’s a great cook and so is my mom who also recommended it.  They both love the New Years food though.  It was a risk to be sure, but after weeks of sickness, and busyness, and travel…I have to be honest and say that my creative cooking bone has taken a vacation as well.  To put it plainly, I’ve been in a culinary slump.  And for today, I just didn’t want to have to think about what was for dinner…I just wanted to cook it.

I did it though.  I went to the store and I bought the stuff I needed and I made this stew.  And now since I taste-tested, I can’t wait to eat this stew tonight for dinner.  It is awesome! I’m thinking that even though it’s late in the year…and I don’t really have an ounce of superstition in me…maybe, just maybe this stewey conglomerate of all the New Years foods in one will bring added bonus to the rest of the year.  At the very least though, it’ll feed my family tonight.  And I’m gonna be bold and recommend that you feed yours with it at some point too!

Here you go ya’ll.  For those who love collards and black-eyed peas…and for those who, like me, need a new opinion of them.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (whatever…I used EVOO.  I have a feeling any oil is probably fine.)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 8 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I LOVE Better than Bouillon more than broth or bouillon…give them a shot for any base broth)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed collard greens (or mustard greens, or turnip greens…the collards are a little heartier though)
• 1 (10oz can) Rotele tomatoes (the original recipe didn’t call for this, but it added some awesome kick.) For a less spicy version, I’d leave this out.

Preparation

• Sort and wash peas; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in peas, salt, peppers, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften. Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.
• Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and mustard greens; simmer 10 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.

Enjoy ya’ll.  And lemme know if any unusual luck comes your way after you make it!  🙂