Going through my pantry, I've soaked them and am cooking them. But I really don't know what I will do with them. Any ideas?
I was born in the south and my parents always made Hoppin' John on New Years Day for good luck in the new year. I loved it.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hoppin-john/detail.aspx
For a classic side dish, cook them with some leftover ham (and a ham bone, if you have one), and some chopped celery and/or onions if you like, until they are soft. You can add other spices if you want to experiment. My mother's family custom was to serve black-eyed peas on New Year's day. My husband doesn't care for them, so that's about the only time we eat them, but I think they're great.
What's wrong with eating them as a side dish or main dish?
Throw in some bacon or a bullion cube for flavor, or leftover ham/ham bone, toss in some celery, carrots, maybe some diced tomatoes.
You can treat them like beans - cook them as you would any other bean (except maybe Mexican-style - not sure about those flavor combinations).
I make Texas Caviar with them.
Cook them until they are firm to the bite.
Rinse in cold water so they stop cooking.
In a separate bowl, I mix some oil, apple cider vinegar, little salt, pinch of cayenne pepper.
Mix well with the peas, add a little chopped celery if desired. Refrigerate an hour or overnight to let flavors absorb.
Serve cold. Add some fresh chives on top or sliced boiled eggs to make it pretty.
I am sorry, I don't have exact measurements. I just do a little of this and little of that for our family's taste. We love it tho!
It is just like any other bean cook them and then serve them with cornbread and maybe some sliced sausages.
BTW, in the south we believe the more you of them you eat on New Years day, the better luck you will have during the New Year! We make a huge pot of them.
Many times they are served at New Years Parties and while watching New Years day Football Games.
I throw some bacon, fatback, or ham in the pot with them, along with jalapenoes, onions, and garlic, and serve them over rice as a main dish with cornbread and mustard greens on the side.
I always make them then have ham and the black eyes peas as the side but we also make them where the ham is in them.
I love them in a cobb salad made with baby spinach. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
MMMMMM..........black eyed pea dip!!! It's delicious and I actually make it year round. It's great for get togethers and I always take home an empty bowl! There is NEVER any leftover. Even the "ew gross, I hate black eyed peas" people love it! Please humor me and give it a try! =0)
2 cans black eyed peas (drained)
1 can white shoepeg corn (drained)
1 can original Rotel (mostly drained)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onions (diced)
1 small bottle italian dressing
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. I usually prepare it the night before to allow plenty of time for all the flavors to marinate together. Serve with tortilla chips!
Updated
MMMMMM..........black eyed pea dip!!! It's delicious and I actually make it year round. It's great for get togethers and I always take home an empty bowl! There is NEVER any leftover. Even the "ew gross, I hate black eyed peas" people love it! Please humor me and give it a try! =0)
2 cans black eyed peas (drained)
1 can white shoepeg corn (drained)
1 can original Rotel (mostly drained)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onions (diced)
1 small bottle italian dressing
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. I usually prepare it the night before to allow plenty of time for all the flavors to marinate together. Serve with tortilla chips!
There are many different variations to this! If you like more kick, use the hot version of Rotel. You can add black beans or even jalapenos. You can't mess this one up! Hope you love it!
Put some ham or at least some chicken stock in them (if you really want them good, put a ham hock in there). Throw a few splashes of cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar in and slow simmer them for a few hours. When you get ready to eat them, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and pepper vinegar, Tobasco or Chulula hot sauce -YUMMY!
And the Texas Caviar is wonderful too -really, really great appetizer!
One thanksgiving, my cousin made the below recipe. I loved it. She cooked hers in the crock pot, and they didn't cook completely. They were still a little bit hard. I took home some of her leftovers and cooked them longer and gobbled them up the next day.
2 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen (or dry) black-eyed peas, cooked acccording to pkg. directions
3 oz. sliced pepperoni, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
NOTE: I substituted the hot sauce and bell pepper with 3 to 4 habenero peppers.
Combine in a large pot. Cover and simmer 1 hour (3 hours if using soaked, dry peas), stirring occassionally.
