Black-Eyed Pea Casserole - Blue Monday

Photo Courtesy of EV Photos

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Barbecue season is rapidly approaching and with it come large gatherings of family and friends. This casserole is wonderful for picnics, barbecues or covered dish suppers. It was develop years ago for my Southern son-in-law who, as luck would have it, has yet to taste it. It is an economical dish and that makes it perfect for church suppers or organization picnics. Anyone who has ever managed one of these affairs knows the importance of foods that are inexpensive and allow dollars to be stretched as far as possible. The black-eyed pea, which is actually a bean, originated in Asia and was brought to the United States by slave traders. This small beige bean has a black circular "eye" at its inner curve. While originally grown as animal fodder, the beans, which are also called cowpeas, have become popular and are associated with good luck. Prior to the siege of Vicksburg during the American Civil War, the beans were used exclusively for feeding cattle. The siege lasted for 40 days and the people of the town were forced to eat cowpeas to avoid starvation. That started a southern tradition and nowadays they are eaten by some on New Year's Day to bring good luck in the coming year. The beans have been associated with luck and fortune since the days of the pharaohs. The superstitious believe that those who eat the humble cowpea show humility and will be protected from the wrath that will be visited on the vain. Fortunately, there are no meteor showers or thunderbolts tonight, so we can talk a bit about the casserole. It is very easy to make but plan on lead time for soaking the beans. Many feel this is not necessary, but I think the dish has better texture when the beans are soaked for 8 hours before proceeding with the recipe. If you want a completely vegan dish, saute the onions in vegetable oil. If you love bacon, fry four rashers of diced bacon and use the drippings to saute the onions. The bacon adds enormous flavor to the dish and I recommend using it if you can. As with all casseroles, flavor improves if the dish is allowed to sit overnight. That's it. Here's the recipe.

Black-Eyed Pea Casserole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and soaked overnight in cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Optional: 4 slices bacon, diced
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato catsup
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 large bay leaf
1 spring each fresh rosemary, thyme and sage
1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Drain and rinse soaked beans. Place in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse again. Place into a 3-quart to 4-quart casserole.
2) While beans are boiling, heat oil in a large skillet. If using bacon, add to skillet and saute until bacon is brown. Add onions and saute over medium heat until softened and transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey, molasses, soy sauce, mustard and tomato paste or catsup. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over beans in casserole.
3) Tie bay leaf and herbs together with a piece of string and add to pot. Pare 3 wide strips of zest from orange. Mix zest and black pepper into bean mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour.
4) Meanwhile, combine juice from orange with cornstarch and blend to form a smooth paste.
5) At end of hour, remove casserole from oven. Stir in paste and diced red peppers. Return casserole to oven, cover, and bake for 1 hour longer, or until beans are very tender.
6) Remove orange rind and herbs. Garnish with parsley and serve while hot. Yield 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Tuscan Bean Soup - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate and Black Bean Chili - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Black Bean Salad - One Perfect Bite
Smoked Ham Soup with White Beans - The Recipe Girl
Creamy Navy Bean Soup with Chicken - Poor Girl Eats Well
Navy Bean and Refried Bean Stew - Kalyn's Kitchen

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Homemade Ginger Ale and Candied Ginger

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm usually careful with my purchases, but ginger root got the better of me and I ended up far more of it than could normally be used. I can't bare waste. My search to avoid the compost pile led to a few interesting alternatives and I decided to make candied ginger and use the syrup in which it steeped for ginger ale. I've made candied ginger in the past, but never saved the syrup for other uses, so this was a bit of an experiment for me. There are three types of simple syrup and each is identified by the ratio of water to sugar in the mix. Thin simple syrup is used to glaze cakes and cookies and has a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part sugar. Medium simple syrup is used to make beverages and sweeten ice tea and has a ratio 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. Thick simple syrup has a ratio of 1 part water to 1 part sugar and it's used as a base for cold drinks and to glaze candied fruits. I'm not fond of overly sweet drinks, so I decided to go with a medium simple syrup. This process requires a lot of ginger and a bit of straight forward knife work or a mandoline. All told, you'll need 1-1/2 cups of peeled, thinly sliced ginger. Quick work can be made of this if you use the edge of a spoon to scrape the ginger clean. Try to keep the slices of ginger uniform in size for even cooking. A thickness of an eighth to a quarter of an inch is ideal. Time takes care of the rest. I was really pleased with how well the ginger ale turned out. It has a really fresh sharp taste that's missing from its commercial counterpart. I added slices of fresh lime to ours and can happily report this would make a wonderful warm weather beverage. Here are the recipes.

Homemade Ginger Ale and Candied Ginger...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups ginger, peeled and thinly sliced in 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided use
2 cups water
1 quart club soda
1 lime cut in wedges
Optional garnish: lime slices, mint sprigs

Directions:
1) To make ginger ale: Combine ginger, 1 cup sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer slowly for 1 to 2 hours, until sugar is dissolved and ginger is softened. Strain warm syrup and allow to cool. Save the ginger pieces to make crystallized ginger. Fill a tall glass with ice, add mint sprig and lime slices, 2 ounces ginger syrup and 6 ounces of club soda. Squeeze lime wedge into glass. Use more syrup if desired. Stir. Yield: 4 servings.
2) To make candied ginger: Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top. Place reserved 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Toss ginger in sugar and dry on rack for 1 to 2 days. Store in airtight container or a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Candied Orange and Lemon Peel - One Perfect Bite
How to Make Candied Ginger - David Lebovitz
Homemade Ginger Ale - Simply Recipes