Saturday Share Recipe - Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya

If you like Cajun-inspired dishes, you'll want to add this recipe to your repertoire.

My Mom's friend Nell is the source of this recipe which comes from her family's cookbook.

It's easy to make and delicious to eat with either crusty garlic bread, French bread, or even cornbread.

Like most legumes, black-eyed peas are a good source of complex carbohydrates with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are nutrition power houses. Just 1 cup (165 grams), gives you tremedous benefits.

NUTRITION STATS FOR BLACK-EYED PEAS

160 calories, 0.6 g fat, 33.5 g carbs, 5.2 g protein, 8.3 g fiber, 5.3 g of sugar and the Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) of these minerals:

10% of iron
15% of potassium

15% of zinc

16% of calcium
20% of magnesium
24% of copper
41% of manganese

and the MDR of these vitamins:

37% of vitamin K
44% of vitamin A
52% of folate.

BLACK-EYED PEA JAMBALAYA

Ingredients

1 chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper (charred to remove the membrane)

1 bunch chopped green onions

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 can beef broth

1 pound sliced smoked sausage

1 1/2 cup washed rice, drained

1-2 teaspoons or to taste of Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning

2 cans Trappey's Black-Eyed Peas (Yes, you can use another brand. I always use Trappey's because when I was a kid, we lived near the Trappey's cannery, and my Mom thought they were the best next to home-cooked black-eyed peas. You can also use the peas with Jalapeño added.)

Instructions

1. Slice the sausage and set aside.

2. Wash the rice and drain well.

3. Dice the onion, the charred bell pepper, and green onions.

4. In a Dutch oven or similar pot, add the oil and chopped vegetables. Saute until translucent.

5. Add the drained rice to the vegetables in the hot Dutch oven, stirring while you let it saute about 3-5 minutes.

6. Add the broth, peas, and sliced sausage.

7. Sprinkle in the Creole Seasoning to taste.

8. Stir well to blend everything together then let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done and the flavors have meded together.

9. Before serving, stir in 3-5 drops, or more to your taste, of McIhenny's Tabasco or just set the bottle on the table for your guests to spice it up the way they like.

ALTERNATIVES

1. There is no salt added to this jambalaya  because the peas, broth, Tony's, and sausage have salt.

2. If you're concerned about salt intake, look for low-sodium broth, Tony's, and sausage.

3. If you have leftover rice, omit the raw rice when you make the jambalaya and serve the hot "stew" over the already cooked (and warmed in the microwave) rice.

4. You can also cook black-eyed peas from scratch and use that in the recipe instead of canned peas.

5. If you like your food really spicy, add sliced jalapeño peppers and/or the peas with the peppers added. Also, use spicy hot smoked sausage rather than regular smoked sausage—and lots of Tabasco.

4. Don't forget the Tabasco.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

When I make any kind of jambalaya, I think of my Mom and remember watching her in the kitchen as she cooked jambalaya or gumbo or any of the other mouth-watering dishes she prepared. I miss her so much.

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