Ingredients:
- 1 lb dried Camellia Brand Blackeye Peas
- 8 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 2 cups celery, diced
- 2 cups carrot, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- creole seasoning to taste
- 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- green onions, chopped, for garnishment
Directions:
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Rinse and sort peas; place them in a large bowl or pot, cover, and let soak overnight.
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Drain and rinse off the peas. Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot along with the peas and bay leaf; bring the pot to a boil over MEDIUM heat then reduce the heat to allow the pot to simmer.
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While the peas are simmering, in a large skillet, saute the onions, green bell peppers, cloves of garlic until the onions are transparent and the peppers have softened; about 10 minutes.
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Add the celery and carrots to the skillet along with the thyme, sage, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and white pepper and continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes.
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Carefully pour the contents of the skillet into the simmering pot of black eyed peas and continue to cook until the peas, carrots, and celery are tender; about 1 hour.
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About 15 minutes before serving, add the Balsamic vinegar and hot sauce and adjust the seasoning with the Creole Seasoning and salt and pepper.
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Serve over hot white rice and garnish with chopped green onions.
I don’t make Black Eyed Peas and Rice nearly often enough. I tend to think of black eyed peas simply as the New Years Eve meal and forget about it throughout the year. But this meal is so much more than simply a way to start the year off with a little luck and the hope for extra spending money. This meatless version is hearty, healthy, and is a wonderful alternative during Lent if you want to skip out on the local fish fry. – Eric Olsson, Red Beans and Eric