Black-Eyed Pea Risotto
Well folks, the Christmas holiday is officially over. And I must have been awfully good this year based on the treasure trove of gifts I found waiting for me under the tree. I mean you have to be pretty high up on the “nice list” to get a six pack of black socks and some underwear. Granted these gifts were not a brand new dirt bike (and I am still waiting for a Member’s Only Jacket), but all in all I am satisfied with my holiday windfall. And since the season was so hectic and crazy, I thought I would lay low for a while and take it easy.I was going to start blogging again next year, but that seemed like such a long way off in the future. Not to mention I felt compelled to give you all one last recipe in order to help you ring in the new year. You see it is tradition in most parts of the country to eat pork, legumes, and greens on New Year’s Day. The pork symbolizes progress. The legumes are symbolic of money and prosperity. And the greens, of course, represent economic good fortune. Down South here, I grew up eating pork roast, collards, and black-eyed peas.
Well, fast forward to today and while I no longer eat meat, I hate to buck tradition. And we all could use a few symbols of economic enhancement in our lives. Therefore, I give you my version of BLACK-EYED PEA RISOTTO. This is the ultimate vegan New Year’s Day feast minus the pork. However, I feel confident that the pigs I didn’t harm in making this dish will be more than willing to wish me progress in the new year. So put on a funny hat, grab a noise maker, and wait for the ball to drop… then whip up this dish tomorrow and enjoy great things in 2014.
Ingredients Instructions First you will need to cook your black-eyed peas. I used frozen because I am lazy and didn’t want to soak my beans overnight. However, dried or canned will work, it will just adjust your cooking times. So take the frozen peas and put them in a stockpot over medium heat covered with the 2 cups of vegetable broth. Bring this mix to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the peas are tender but not mushy.
While the peas cook, take another large stockpot and fill it ¾ of the way with water. Bring this water to a boil and then place your greens in the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain the greens and place them in a bowl of ice water. This step helps to soften the greens while still maintaining their color. Remove the greens from the cold water and squeeze them in your hands to remove any excess moisture. Now add the olive oil to the pan along with the 2 cloves of garlic and sauté the greens for about 3-5 minutes. Remove the greens from the heat and set aside until risotto is almost finished cooking.
By now the peas should be cooked. Drain the remaining liquid off the peas and set them aside with the greens until the risotto is almost finished. Now let’s finish our dish. In a large saucepan combine the bacon, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic with about 1 cup of the remaining broth. Bring this mix to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Now pour in the rice and your white wine. Cook the rice, stirring frequently, until the grains begin to get a bit translucent on the edges.
From here, you are going to add one cup of broth at a time, stirring frequently, and simmer the rice until all the liquid has been absorbed. The time spent stirring is a great time to reflect and plan your course of action for 2014 because this process takes about 20 minutes. When you add your final cup of broth, add back in the black-eyed peas and dried thyme. And just before you plate, add back in the collard greens and allow them to heat back up.
Serve immediately just by itself in a bowl (my preferred method) or add a piece of cornbread for added luck. Either way this recipe is a great way to kick-off the new year. I wish everyone the best of everything in 2014. Thanks for tuning in to my blog this past year. But now, I am off to find my funny hat and noise maker. We’ll touch base next year after the ball drops. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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