Hoppin' John and Collard Greens

I've been wanting to try Hoppin' John for quite some time.  What could be better than a New Year's tradition that centers around simple, flavorful food?

Hoppin' John is a Southern dish traditionally made with black-eyed peas, rice, and bacon (or another form of pork).  The earliest written record of the dish comes from an 1847 cookbook entitled The Carolina Housewife, but the dish is said to date back to the slave trade.  Today, the consumption of Hoppin' John on New Year's is said to bring good luck for the coming year.  Although the addition of extra pork is thought to bring more good luck, I like to think that this vegan version of the dish is lucky enough. 

A plate of steaming Hoppin' John and Collard Greens (pre-hot sauce).

Even though it's long past the New Year, here's a recipe for Hoppin' John and Collard Greens. 

Recipe:
Hoppin' John and Collard Greens

• 1 large bunch collard greens, chopped (including the stems)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 onions, diced
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 - 15.5 ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

(NOTE: The list of ingredients includes cooked rice.  Be sure to cook the rice ahead of time, or start cooking the rice before beginning the rest of the dish.)

Bring water to boil in a large soup pot.  Add the collard greens and cook for 15 minutes.  Then, reserve 1 cup liquid before draining.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup vinegar, agave nectar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil and garlic over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until they begin to turn soft.  Then, add the drained collard greens, vinegar mixture, 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the skillet.  Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the rice, beans, and remaining 1/2 cup cooking liquid in a skillet until heated through.

Serve the rice, beans, and greens together. Yields 6 servings.

Comments:

Taste:            

The flavors in this dish are quite simple, and I enjoyed the fact that the collard greens and black-eyed peas truly stand out as the stars of the dish (rather than a sauce or spice).  The dish is neither sweet nor spicy, as the incorporation of both agave nectar and chili powder seems to achieve a good balance.  To add a bit of tang, and in true Southern fashion, we added some Louisiana-style hot sauce on top.

Accessibility:             

We had no trouble finding the ingredients in this dish.  The grocery store always seems to have collard greens, while kale and other dark, leafy greens are much more difficult to come by.  Tip: you can probably find agave nectar in the same grocery aisle as the honey.   

 Ease of Preparation:        

There are several components to this dish happening at once.  However, as always, chopping ingredients in advance will minimize confusion. 

Non-vegan friendliness:             

Someone who is familiar with bacon-laden Hoppin' John would probably miss the meaty flavor in this simple dish (and if that's the case, you could always add chopped imitation bacon to the mix).  Still, it's hard to find a healthier, more filling combination than black-eyed peas, rice, and greens.  I'd be very willing to serve this dish sans bacon to any non-vegan.

Gumbo Z'Herbes

Cajun Week Part 2: Gumbo Z'Herbes!  As I mentioned before, this version of gumbo is surprisingly meat-free.  The dish below looks a lot like the gumbo I had last week in New Orleans, though due to a salt-related mishap, it was much saltier. 

Gumbo Z'Herbes, soon to be topped with rice.

I'll post the recipe below with a more palatable amount of salt.  Give it a try!

Recipe:  
Gumbo Z'Herbes

• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1.5 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen collard greens (or a bunch of fresh greens)
  
• 1 small head of cabbage, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 ounces frozen turnip greens (or a small bunch of fresh greens)
  
• 6 scallions, diced
• 1/8 cup chopped parsley 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 - 15 ounce cans red kidney beans
• Brown rice, prepared according to package instructions.

First, bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot.  (While waiting for the water to boil, continue with the recipe in the next paragraph.  Once the water boils, continue with the third paragraph.)     

Meanwhile, prepare the roux.  Heat the olive oil in a separate large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Then add the flour and stir constantly until a peanut butter colored roux is attained.  Immediately add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and sauté until the vegetables become tender.  Add the shallots, garlic, herbs, spices, and salt and continue to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Next, add the mushrooms to the roux mixture and cook for two more minutes.

Once the water in the soup pot is boiling, add the collards and cabbage and boil until tender.  Then stir in the turnip greens and scallions and bring the soup mixture back to a boil.   

Stir the roux mixture into the soup mixture.  Once combined, add the parsley, soy sauce and kidney beans and simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Top with brown rice and serve hot. 

Yields 8 servings.

Comments:

Taste:       

Mistaken saltiness aside, this dish had a great, deep flavor.  That's probably partly due to the addition of mushrooms (something I don't cook with very much, to Rachel's chagrin) and the roux base.  I also love that the gumbo is packed with a variety of dark leafy greens, cabbage, and other vegetables.   

Accessibility:      

There are a lot of ingredients in this version of Gumbo Z'Herbes, but they're all easy to find at the grocery store.  If you can't find some of the dark leafy greens (turnip greens, collard greens), I'm sure you could swap in some other dark leafy greens (mustard greens, etc.) in their place.      

 Ease of Preparation:    

Apparently Cajun cooking isn't the easiest.  Like the Seitan Jumbalaya I made earlier in the week, this dish has a number of steps and takes a while to make. Plus, it requires a pretty high level of attention during some more complex steps, such as roux-making.  But, don't be discouraged: I'm pretty sure this was my first time making a real roux and it was straightforward enough. 

Non-vegan friendliness:    

While we did have this as the main dish at dinner, I could see some non-vegans being unsatisfied with such a light main course.  This dish is less filling than some of the soups I've made previously, so it might work better as an appetizer.