Meatless Monday: Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Casserole

 

In honor of Meatless Mondays, this is the first of an ongoing series of posts to celebrate and promote the Meatless Monday movement.  Experts believe that a 15% reduction in meat consumption will have a significant impact on the planet as well as our health.  I was raised on and love meat but the thought of what animals are fed, the inhumane conditions in which they are forced to exist (not live) and slaughtered, the growth hormones and antibiotics administered to increase production and keep them "healthy," and what our consumption of meat is doing to the planet as well as ourselves, I realize that the choice to go meatless makes sense from a personal as well as social standpoint.

 

Not ready to kick the meat habit?  Try to eat organic meats and meats from farmers who raise livestock humanely and sustainably.

Black-Eyed Peas & Collards

The main ingredients of this recipe are soul food staples.  I've never prepared them as follows and found the recipe to be a delightful change.  All that's missing, as some of my people (family) would say is the "cornbread!" Brackets represent my modifications:

 

Ingredients:

3 cups, canned black-eyed peas [Fresh is best but requires additional prep time. When using canned, avoid brands with lots of additives.]

2- 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

4 oz. mushrooms sliced [Again, fresh is better but requires additional prep time]

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz. collards, coarsely chopped (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup tomato sauce [Look for low-sodium, free of high fructose corn syrup]

1/4 cup ketchup [Look for low-sodium, free of high fructose corn syrup]

[This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of molasses and 3 tablespoons of honey but I opt for no sweeteners. Try it with honey but only If you must!]

1- 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 – 3 drops hot pepper sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Pour beans plus liquid into a 3-quart baking dish [Silicone or glass cookware are healthier choices]

Add oil to sauce pan and warm over medium heat.  Add the onions, green peppers and mushrooms.  Sauté for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and collards.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the collards are just wilted.  Note, to minimize the bitterness of the greens, cook a little longer.

Add the collard mixture, tomato sauce, ketchup, honey [if you must!], mustard, parsley and hot pepper sauce to the black-eyed peas and liquid.  Mix well.  Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Original recipe courtesy of MeatlessMonday.com