black-eyed-peas,-okra,-corn-and-bacon-plated

Ingredients

1/4 to 1/2 pound strip bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, chopped
3 cups fresh okra, cut into rounds
2 cups fresh corn kernels
2 fresh small red hot chiles, chopped
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, recipe follows
1 cup green onion, diced
5-6 organic tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 pinches Oregano and Sage Salt or Margarita Himalayan
6-7 Thyme Sprigs
Fleur de Sel Salt
Pepper
Freshly chopped parsley and Italian parsley leaves, for garnish

Have you ever served a black-eyed pea dish your children asked you to make again? Well, this recipe will become a favorite and it is packed with many nutrients to keep you healthy in the winter. Plus, the black-eyed peas are suppose to give you good luck.

This recipe makes a large portion but you will eat it all. We looked forward to the leftovers.

Directions

1) Mince 5-6 cloves of garlic with 1 pinch of Oregano and Sage salt or Margarita Himalayan with zest of lime salt. The garlic minces faster with salt. Let the garlic sit for 10 minutes while you chop the other vegetables to get all the cancer fighting properties. Wash and dice 5 or 6 red, organic tomatoes.

2) Add tomatoes, half the garlic, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pie or baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon of cane or coconut sugar and mix 6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme. Mix well and bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees. You can do this the night before if you do not have time.

3) In a large saute pan, cook the bacon until crisp. I used 1/2 pound of bacon.Leave the bacon grease and saute the chopped onion and rest of the garlic. When they are translucent and fragrant, add the okra and corn. I did not add the chili pepper since the kids do not like spice. Cook until very tender. The okra will start getting gooey and stringy.

4) Add the cooked black-eyed peas and 1 cup or more of the roasted tomatoes to warm them again. Then add the bacon bits and parsley. Season with Fleur de Sel Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. It does taste better the next day when the flavors meld together.

If you did not buy cooked black-eyed peas, here is how you cook them.

Black-Eye Peas:

2 cups black-eye peas
Water, to cover
1 onion, quartered, with a bay leaf attached with a clove
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt

Soak 2 cups beans overnight in water to cover. Rinse the beans and place in a pot with enough water to cover the beans. Add the onion and the black pepper. Over high heat, allow to come to boil then reduce to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until beans are firm but cooked. Season with salt. Let the peas sit in this liquid for 15 minutes before draining.

Original recipe for Okra and Black-Eye Pea Saute from Tanya Holland