i love me some black eye peas, and had a mighty strong craving for some a week or so ago...i figured...i'm a savy cook, i can veganize grandma's southern salt pork version that i grew up on...

now, since i was working on the fly, and making things up as i went along, this isn't exactly a "tight" recipe, in other wards...i was adding a lil bit of this...a lil bit of that...tasting, until i got the right balance.

so follow this "loose" recipe, and taste and adjust as you go along...

ki-ki's veganized southern black eye peas

1 package of dried black eye peas
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 half strip of kombu*
1-2 tbl. of liquid smoke (i use hickory)
1-2 tbl. of soy sauce
1 capful of vegan bacon bits plus more for garnishing
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp. onion powder
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
spike *salt-free seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. about a day an a half before you plan on eating the beans...sort through your beans get rid of any bad ones...or rocks (which i've never found...but you never know) then, completely cover the beans in a bowl with water. soak the beans overnight, or for 6-8 hours. after the initial soak, rinse peas well and start a second soaking. soak for another 8 hours...or longer if you can. after the final soaking. rinse again really well.
2. chop up the onion and bell pepper. saute in a soup pot with a little bit of canola oil until soft and translucent. i also like to season my onions and peppers with spike, salt and pepper. not a lot..just add some flavor here.
3. once the veggies are cooked, add beans and cover with water. if you want more of a soup...add lots of water...less soup/broth add less. just make sure the beans are well covered.
4. add the kombu, smoke, soy sauce, bay leaves, "bacon" bits and seasonings. bring to a rolling boil.
5. once beans begin to boil, turn heat to low and cover.
6. cook for about 3-4 hours...depending on how you like your beans. i cook mines as long as possible. stir fairly often.
7. after the first hour and a half....taste the beans and add more seasonings if you prefer. keep in mind that the bay leaves and kombu will season the broth as it cooks...so the flavor will develop over the cooking period.
8. before serving, remove the bay leaves and kombu (you can leave this if you like but not the bay leaves...they will continue to season). next taste and adjust seasonings to your liking...adding more smoke will increase the smokiness and meaty flavor...soy sauce will make it saltier...and the other seasonings will enhance their respective flavors also.
9. serve over rice...or on the side of another dish...and serve with "bacon" bits on top.

make it your own: this is a recipe you can make your own. add more or less of the onion and bell-pepper as you wish. i tend to add half or less of an onion and bell-pepper, but in the past i've done all. also, adjust the soy sauce/smoke to your liking along with the other seasonings. these are just the flavors i used...you can use them as much or as little as you like. you can also add vegan meat crumbles (make sure you season them). Have fun...and enjoy.

*kombu is a sea vegetable that you can buy at your local health food store, it comes dry...add it to your bean recipes and it helps tenderize the beans and make them more easy to digest...i think it adds some good flavor too.

grandma's fried green tomatoes

green tomatoes (how every many you can get your hands on)
1 c. cornmeal
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbl onion and garlic powder
1-2 tsp. salt and pepper (this is to taste...i just usually eyeball it)
oil for skillet frying (i use canola)

1. slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick. sprinkle a pinch of salt & pepper on one side if you like...but don't dry them.
2. mix together the dry ingredients in bowl.
3. pour enough oil into a non-stick pan to halfway cover each tomato slice...not too much...we're not deep frying them and heat up your oil.
3. while waiting for your oil to be ready, place a few "wet" tomatoes in cornmeal mixture...and evenly coat both sides...don't shake off too much. try to flour them in batches...just as they are about to get fried.
4. make sure oil is hot. you know its ready when a bit of the cornmeal mixture fizzles around when dropped into the oil. carefully place the floured slices in the oil. don't over crowd them.
5. fry each side for a couple of minutes...or until golden-brown. try not to turn them more than once.
6. drain well. and serve anyway you like. these are best eaten while hot.

note: this mixture should coat about 2-3 medium sized tomatoes...if you run out...just shake a little more meal and flour into the bowl and mix well. there really isn't much need to measure...you just want a little more cornmeal than flour...a bit of sugar...and some seasonings so it don't taste like flour. i never measure...i just do like grandma says...and put some cornmeal...flour and seasonings together. now her recipe doesn't call for sugar...but then again she don't put sugar in her cornbread either...this is where i differ from grandma...i like my cornbread sweet.

follow this link to a more through post on my blog about bean cookery...and making them more digestible:
(http://quejimenez.typepad.com/fromscratch/2008/01/vegan-soul-food.html)

don't you just love the idea that traditional soul food can be healthy too?!

enjoy...and let me know if you try it!

lots of love and peace...

ki