Hoppin' John w/ greens. Good Luck recipe for all Year #GardenCuizine #vegetarian

Vegetarian Hoppin' John makes a nutritious New Year's side dish that you can enjoy throughout the year. Hoppin' John is traditionally made with ground meat or a meaty ham bone or ham hocks. My version adds greens making it an ideal side dish versus a main course. 

• For a vegetarian main course with complete protein, serve Hoppin' John with greens over organic quinoa grain, brown rice, or other whole grain.

What if I overcook the beans?
If you overcook the beans, just puree them and make a hummus-type bean dip or make them into bean burgers or croquettes. Never toss out overcooked beans. Beans can add dietary fiber and nutrients to many recipes.

Hoppin' John (Frijol de Carita) with Greens  
GardenCuizine freestyle recipe (...meaning use your own measurements of ingredients. Beans, soups or stews never have to be "exact". However, ingredient measurements are noted below for those who prefer to follow a recipe)

Ingredients
2 cups dry Black-eye or heirloom Yellow-eye peas (Cowpeas) - reserve cooking liquid (We use dried beans and cook without pre-soaking. You can also use frozen or canned cowpeas.
1 strip Kombu seaweed* (optional; I use about a 6 inch by 1 inch piece)

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 cup yellow Onion - chopped
1 cup Celery - chopped
1 cup Carrots - chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp grated ginger
1/8 tsp dried thyme
pinch dried, minced hot pepper 
1 bunch fresh or 1 package frozen chopped spinach, turnip, collard or mustard greens

1/2 teaspoon salt 
ground black pepper
hot sauce - optional
fresh or dried parsley or other favorite herbs - optional

Putting it all together

• Rinse dried beans; place in stockpot. Cover with water - about 6 cups and add a small strip of wakame seaweed if desired. Bring to boil, simmer and slowly cook beans until tender but still a little firm. Drain and save any cooking liquid - set aside.
  
• Reusing the same stockpot, add olive oil over medium heat and saute chopped onions, celery and carrots. Stir in cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, thyme, and hot peppers. Add greens. Cover with a little bean cooking liquid or water and simmer until greens are heated through.
• Stir in cowpeas and simmer until the flavors all blend
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and optional hot sauce
• Stir in or garnish with chopped fresh parsley if you have it
• Serve as a side dish or over cooked brown rice or quinoa. Some chefs like Latin-Cuban-Puertorican cook Nydia Pichardo like to serve Frijol de Carita with coconut rice garnished with crisp plantain chips.

Good Luck and best wishes for a 

Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Photo and recipe copyright (C)2014 Wind. All rights reserved. Rev 1/6/17.