Black eyed?

Having grown up in the South one southern New Year's tradition is having black eyed peas for good luck. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat it since cooks flavor it with pork. Why else would it smell so good?

Well, I decided this year even though I am north of the Mason Dixon line, I could find alternative recipes for that pork flavoring. I discovered a recipe calling for Italian sausage which sounded good and I remembered I had little beef smokies in the freezer which I could substitute for the sausage. Perfect.

AND besides black eyed peas for luck the recipe also called for tomatoes which would guarantee good health, cabbage for wealth and a chile pepper to spice up life.

  Black Eyed Pea Stew

INGREDIENTS:

 3 T olive oil
 1 1/4 lbs turkey sausage (8 links)/beef cocktail franks

Cuisinart's great for chopping

 1 onion, diced

 1 green/red bell pepper,seeded & diced  3 garlic cloves, minced
 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

 14oz Italian tomatoes, drained & chopped
 2 c dried black-eyed peas, rinsed
 4 c low-sodium chicken broth
 3 c water
 salt and freshly ground pepper
 1/4 c chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish

1 Heat oil. Add sausage. Cook turning occasionally, until cooked through. (10min.)

    Remove from skillet.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño to skillet, cook until brown (6 min)

3. Add tomatoes. Cook until liquid evaporated ( 5 min.)

4. Add black-eyed peas along with broth and water.

5. Salt and pepper lightly. Bring to boil. Cover partially and simmer low heat until black-eyed peas tender, about 1 hr 15 min.

6.Cut sausage on diagonal into 1/2-inch slices and add to stew. ( no need to cut up cocktail franks)

7. Add chopped cilantro, season with salt and pepper. Simmer stew 10 min.

Spoon pea-and-sausage stew into deep bowls, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Wishing you and yours a very 

Healthy, Happy and

   Fulfilling 2014 

          from

End of the Rainbow Valley !