Black Eyed Pea Stew (Courtesy of Courtney Coleman of Cookwell with Courtney)
Black Eyed Pea Stew
with Kale, Carrot & Shiitake Mushroom
(a one-pot meal to store & reheat for your busy week!)
4 cups dry black eyed peas
1Tbsp each ground cumin and coriander
1tsp ground ginger
1/8tsp cayenne if desired
4 cups medium diced carrot or yam
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom
4-5 cups small diced seasonal greens such as kale, collards, savoy cabbage, bok choy or mustard greens – the darker green, the better!
1Tbsp each dried dill and marjoram, and ½ tsp sage
4Tbsp ghee, butter, virgin coconut oil or high-quality virgin olive oil
1Tbsp unrefined salt (Real Salt, Celtic, Himalayan Pink, etc)
2 lemons
Soak black eyed peas for 24hrs under 6 inches filtered water in a large stainless steel (4 – 6qt.) pot. Dry beans should not be older than about 3 months, otherwise they won’t soften with cooking. I get mine from the bulk bins at natural foods stores, where I know they’re fairly fresh.
The next day, rinse off the old soak water from the beans and replace it with fresh filtered water -enough so the beans are covered by at least 3 inches of water in the large saucepan or pot. Always use mineral-free water (such as distilled water or R.O. water) to simmer your beans because minerals and salts inhibit the softening of beans.
Bring beans to a boil, skimming excess foam off the top for the first few minutes. Reduce to a low simmer with the lid on at an angle (so steam can escape) for about 45 minutes.
When beans are soft, stir in ground cumin, coriander, ginger, and cayenne. Stir and simmer another 5 minutes.
Add carrot/yam and shiitake mushroom, bring back to boil & simmer another 6 minutes, then add (as much as will fit in the pot!) diced seasonal greens…As you stir in the greens, they’ll wilt right down.
Turn off heat and stir in the dill, sage, and marjoram.
Next, add ghee, butter, virgin coconut oil or high-quality virgin olive oil.
And lastly, add the unrefined salt (taste as you go, stirring until well-dissolved, then adding more if desired).
Garnish each serving with a squeeze of lemon juice.
