David Taylor's Hoppin' John

Someone requested some information about preparing pigeon peas. Pigeon peas are in the quite popular Carribean dish peas and rice. I like using substituting them for Black-eye peas in this Hoppin' John recipe. I usually use a mix of crowder, black-eye and pigeon peas.

From The Food Pharmacy Guide to Good Eating by Jean Carper

  • 1 1/4 cup dried black-eye peas, soaked overnight
  • 1/2 cup imitation bacon bits
  • 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Morton's Natures Seasoning (optional) ( I use Spike without salt)
  • 2 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce ( I also like to use Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids)
  • 2 Tbs. Soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup rice, soaked overnight
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Drain the soaked black-eye peas, reserving 3 1/2 cups of the liquid.

    Put the peas, reserved liquid, 1/4 cup bacon bits, onion, cayenne pepper, optional Nature Seasonings, 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce and 1 Tbs. of the olive oil ( I also add bay leaves) in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.

    Drain the rice and add it along with the remaining soy sauce, olive oil and bacon bits, plus salt and pepper, to the black-eyed peas mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked, then serve.

    Makes 8 servings. 200 Cal, 4.8 g. fat, 286 mg. sodium per serving.

    I like it with cornbread.