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You don't have to change your religion or be African-American to enjoy Kwanzaa, it's a
celebration of African-American customs and history for people everywhere! This special holiday
begins on December 26 and lasts for seven days. And put those corn dogs away. Kwanzaa is a time for
healthy nutritious, and delicious meals! Hoppin' John, or black-eyed peas and rice, is no
exception. It's a traditional African-American dish that is believed to bring good luck. So why not
take a chance and try your hand at it this holiday season? (NOTE: you'll have to begin preparations
a day in advance since you'll need to soak the peas overnight.)
What You'll Need:
- 1 pound of dried black-eye peas, 5 cups of water
- 1 cup of uncooked rice
- 1 pound of low-fat smoked sausage or kielbasa
- 1 medium-size onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup of chopped celery
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, chopped
- 2 10-ounce cans of chunky tomatoes and green chiles
- a teaspoon of salt
- a teaspoon of ground black pepper
What To Do:
- Put the peas in a large bowl and soak them in water overnight. Then pour the peas into a
strainer and rinse them with cold running water. Pick out and throw away any shriveled, broken, and
icky-looking peas.
- In a large saucepan, cover peas with 5 cups of fresh water and heat them until the water
boils. Then lower the heat and allow the peas to simmer until they're tender yet firm. This should
take about 40 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook 1 cup of rice (follow the instructions on the package). Slice the
sausage into 1/2" pieces and brown them in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the chopped
onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper. Then sautee the ingredients for about five minutes or until
they're slightly cooked.
- Add the sauteed onion/garlic/pepper/sausage mixture into the pot with the peas, along with the
salt, black pepper, and cans of chunky tomatoes and chiles. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low
heat for about 20 minutes more or until the peas are tender. Serve the peas and sausage over the
rice. This makes 6-8 scrumptious servings!
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