Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Vegetarian Hoppin' John For A Prosperous New Year in 2015


Update 12-31-14: I re-made this today to take to a new year's potluck gathering, adding smokey ham and substituting rich chicken stock. I left out the red bell peppers and added 4 diced carrots to the saute. It's rich, earthy, and has a wonderful salty-smokey element from the ham.  Happy New Year!

Black-eyed peas, especially in the form of Hoppin' John, are traditionally served on New Year's Day as a symbol of prosperity and good luck during the coming year. Originally a southern dish, it has gained popularity and can be seen in many recipes this time of year across the country. What I've made here is a very loosely-based compilation of some of those recipes.

For my rendition of Hoppin' John, made for a crowd of 18, I started with tubs of Melissa's black-eyed peas, available in most supermarkets this time of year. Traditionally prepared with bits of inexpensive meat, I omitted the meat entirely, making it vegetarian/vegan friendly, and gave it a kick with a bit of cayenne and Meyer lemon juice.

This makes a great side dish any time that black-eyed peas are available so don't put it off just because New Year's Day is almost over.

Here's to your good health, good luck and prosperity in 2009!


Vegetarian Hoppin' John
Christine's original recipe
Serves a crowd of 10 or more as a side dish
Ingredients:
4 11-ounce tubs of black-eyed peas, cooked
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4-5 stalks celery, tough strings removed, diced small
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, deveined and diced small
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons
1 to 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you wish)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (canola may be used instead)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional, but it's mighty good)
Preparation:
For each tub of peas, put 2 1/2 cups of water in a large stock pot. I cooked all 4 tubs in 10 cups of unsalted water.
Bring the water to a boil then add the black-eyed peas and give a gentle stir. Allow the water to return to a boil then reduce the heat so the peas simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain the peas well and return to the stockpot.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a large heavy skillet (I always use cast iron) over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onions and celery and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and red bell peppers and sauté until just tender. Don't overcook.
Add the sautéed vegetables to the hot peas and stir gently.
Add the Meyer lemon juice and the cayenne pepper, stir to blend.
Put the mixture over medium-low heat and add the water or broth a little at a time until it reaches a consistency you can live with. The peas will absorb most or all of the liquid.
Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Serve as a side dish accompanied by steamed rice and greens for truly traditional southern fare.

Cook's Notes:
If you wish to prepare just 1 11-ounce tub of peas, adjust your sauté by about one quarter. That said, the ratio of veggies to peas could be as much or as little as you like.
Should you have leftovers, you can buzz them in a blender the next day to make a spectacular spread for crackers or crusty bread.
I just happen to have cilantro growing in my garden (still!) and even though I share it with my cilantro-loving chickens, I had enough to use here. Lucky me.
One more thing that I forgot to add: Hoppin' John may be made much more stew-like by adding more broth. You can serve it over steaming hot rice for a more traditional feast. Be sure to adjust the seasonings accordingly.






Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

19 comments:

  1. Great recipe! Hope you had a great new years celebration!

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  2. I was hoping you'd write about this and I had my first wish of the year granted: thank you! I liked them at the party and liked them again last night, when I had some more.

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  3. Thanks for visiting, Foodista.

    Happy New Year back to you, Cynthia!

    Thanks so much Simona. I thought it was even better the next day.

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  5. I've never had 'black-eyed peas' which is a shame 'cause I love beans of all flavors. This looks delicious... and I love the name!
    Happy New Year (a bit late)

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  6. Hi Katie. It's so nice to hear from you!

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  7. The first time I ever tasted this was at a New Year's get-togehter when were living in NC. Of course, it wasn't vegetarian but I was. SO i had to pick out the beans for the taste and answer a bizillion questions about why in the world I would want to be a vegetarian. It was fun. So fun. ;)

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  8. Hi Susan. Happy New Year. Isn't it funny how folks will be so unrelenting about another's food choices? I was that way about the vegan eating lifestyle until I understood more about it from my own son.

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  9. One day I will start the New Year off right with Hoppin' John.

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  10. Looks very tasty
    Anne

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  11. Hi Mimi, One year I made black-eyed pea cakes with a red pepper remoulade which were quite the show stopper.

    Thanks Anne. How is life across the pond?

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  12. I hope it's not too late for me to make this. I need all the good luck, health and prosperity I can get for the New Year.

    Best wishes for the New Year,
    Paz

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  13. I hope it's not too late for me to make this. I need all the good luck, health and prosperity I can get for the New Year.

    Best wishes for the New Year,
    Paz

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  14. I think you can make this anytime (preferrably in January) and still enjoy its rewards. I wish you my very best, dear Paz.

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  15. Thanks, Christine! I also love that you still have cilantro growing in your garden (and your chickens love it.). Very cool!

    Paz xoxo

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  16. thanks, Paz! I'll get photos up soon of my chickens and the cilantro. Today I noticed that I still have some lettuces hanging on, despite the snow and freezes we've had. Amazing!

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  17. MmmmMmm! Sure looks good. I sure want to try this. Happy, Happy New Year! xoxo

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  18. Great looking food - good for the waist line and good for the planet as well!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  19. Hi Stewart and thanks for visiting my food blog. Glad you like the recipe! See you on the photography blot circuit!

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