Greek Style Black Eyed Peas

It's New Year's Day, and most cultures enjoy special foods to bring luck in the coming months. I usually make a lentil dish honoring my  Italian mother, but this year, I  decided to do it up Southern style with black eyed peas. I'm not a huge fan of the traditional Hoppin John and it is too many carbs for us anyway. I saw many recipes online for mediterranean inspired salads, but I wanted something hot and comforting. I perused my pantry - I knew I had the peas, but only 1 cup dried. So, I quick soaked them while pondering how to increase the protein in a one pot meal for two. I had some leftover pork loin and some feta, so, Greek it is. Here is what I did:

1 C or 8 oz dried black eyed peas, soaked

1 med onion, diced

2 lg carrots, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

EVOO

1/4 tsp black pepper

15 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

2 bay leaves

1 - 2 Tbs dry dill, plus more to garnish

1 tsp chicken bouillion or Vegeta powder

Salt to taste

Optional meat or sausage

Garnish with a drizzle of really good EVOO, some crumbled feta, and a pinch of dill

In a 3 or 4 qt heavy bottomed pot, saute onion, carrots, and garlic in EVOO till soft. Add the pepper, bay leaves, tomatoes, meat (I used leftover pork loin), bouillion powder, and drained peas. Stir well. Add about 2 C water, or more, to ensure everything is submerged. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally, and topping off with more water so it doesn't dry out. 

It took longer for the peas to be tender than I thought it would. You want the peas to retain their shape but cooked through, and not too juicy because I didn't envision a soup. Once the peas are done to your liking, taste for salt. I added about 1 tsp of pink salt.

The garnishes really made this extra delicious, so don't skip them.