Baby Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Who doesn't want a warm stew during the winter months? It’s filling, warms the body, and can be customized to your liking. Whenever I make stew, I there are certain elements I include that make for a flavourful soup or stew, here is the breakdown:

Mirepoix and garlic. These four ingredients are just as critical to any soup or stew as salt and pepper! They add much-needed flavour. Sugars from the onion help them caramelize and add to the umami that makes the dish complete and enhances the stew, along with the garlic, carrots and celery.

Spices and fat. All stews need seasoning beyond salt and pepper for a depth of flavour, intensified by the blooming method of coaxing them out in heated oil or butter. This stew holds a curry profile, making the curry powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander and cumin most important. Optional, but the chilli flakes and pepper sauce add a great punch that makes the stew heartier.

Starch and legumes. I always include one legume or bean and one starch to add some substance and thicken the stew. In this case, of course, it was baby potatoes and black-eyed peas. The potatoes are easy to eat and absorb all the flavour. As for black-eyed peas, they are one of my favourite legumes for a reason!

Tomatoes and cream. These two ingredients add acidity, depth of flavour and creaminess. You can use heavy cream, but I typically use coconut for interesting flavour and because it’s dairy-free.

Ingredients

1 can black-eyed peas, drained

1 1/2 cups small potatoes, boiled and halved

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fenugreek powder

1 tablespoon rice seasoning (optional)

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Fresh parsley to garnish

1 tablespoon cumin

2 broth sachets

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 cup pepper sauce

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

1 small (5-ounce) can coconut cream

Instructions

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the garlic and mirepoix in the olive oil and butter for 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the spices and broth sachets, bloom for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure they don't burn.

Once fragrant, add the tomatoes, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the coconut cream and dried herbs (Italian seasoning and parsley). Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the pepper sauce, soy sauce, water, and bay leaves. Reduce the heat and put the lid on the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat and stir frequently. This will thicken the stew and prevent burning at the bottom of the pot.

Remove from heat and season to taste with extra salt, pepper and chilli flakes if you want more heat.

Serve hot with fresh bread and garnish with fresh parsley.

Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut and Tomato

I'm a huge fan of beans, and they are great if you are looking to cut down or eliminate your meat intake. They are filling, nutritious, and high in protein to name a few benefits.

Black-eyed peas - also known as cowpeas - are hearty and delicious. This bean is eaten extensively across West Africa where it's said to have originated and is an important staple in the Caribbean and the American South - where they are considered a lucky charm by some during New Years.

You can do a lot with black-eyed peas as they are quite versatile, check out my black-eyed pea and pinto bean meatloaf recipe for example.

I served this stew with finger millet in the form of sadza, a thick porridge native to Zimbabwe using an ancient grain much healthier than its white corn counterpart. You can find a recipe for it, here.

The spices muddled in the coconut milk and tomato makes for a rich stew that can be paired with a variety of vegetables or grilled meats or served as a main dish. You won't regret it!

Ingredients

3 cups dry black-eyed peas (soaked for 24 hours and drained)

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon ginger

1 can coconut milk

3 beef bouillons

6 cups water

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons tomato sauce/ketchup

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

Instructions

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and butter for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the spices, bouillon cubes, salt and black pepper, cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce/ketchup, cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the green pepper and black-eyed peas, then pour in the water and coconut milk. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Reduce the temperature and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Check the stew periodically and stir until the black-eyed peas soften and are cooked through. Add more water if needed. 

While the beans are cooking, prepare your sadza or whatever starch you want to serve the stew with. All you'll need for that is water and corn/maize/millet meal.

Serve both hot, enough for 4-5.

Black-Eyed Pea and Pinto Bean Meatloaf

If you're like me and have reduced your weekly meat intake for health purposes or otherwise, that shouldn’t mean you can’t eat certain meals! Especially with recipes that are flexible about the form of protein you use - and that doesn’t have to be meat! Beans and tofu are just two examples of additions you can make for a recipe that can be equally as delicious, especially when you season everything well. How about some meatloaf? Using black-eyed peas and pinto beans I put together a recipe that should satisfy most vegetarians, and no need for Beyond Meat (although I'm a fan, no shade).

It's quite easy and something you can eat for lunch or dinner. I like to think of meatloaf as a giant, rectangular meatball. For those who find meatloaf to be heavy, this version is light but still filing - you’ll probably get seconds though like I did!

If you're worried about your loaf drying, don't skip on sautéing your vegetables, adding the ketchup and BBQ sauce, and consider soaking your breadcrumbs.

The other thing I did is reduce the temperature halfway into baking to take it nice and easy, and it came out great! Luckily, unlike with meat, you don’t have to worry about the ‘doneness’ as much.

Ingredients

12-ounces black-eyed peas, cooked

15-ounces pinto beans, cooked

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 1/2 mushrooms, finely minced

2 celery sticks

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek, ground

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon plant-based mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

Prepare the black-eyed peas and pinto beans. If you're using dried beans you’ll want to soak them overnight or for at least 4-6 hours. You can also use drained, canned beans.

While your beans are cooking, melt the butter with the olive oil and sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the spices, salt and pepper (reserve 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt). Cook for another minute before adding the vegetables - onion, carrot, celery sticks, and mushrooms. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the juices, evaporate and the mixture is somewhat dry, set aside.

Mash the pinto beans and black-eyed peas until a mush forms - you can use a potato masher or your (clean) hands. It’s okay if you have larger bits as long as the mixture is mostly mashed.

Combine this in a large bowl with breadcrumbs, mayo, parsley, cooked veggies, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and the reserved spices. 

Combine the ketchup and BBQ sauce, add to the bowl and mix until combined but don't overmix - you may end up with a tough meatloaf!

Add the mixture to a bread loaf pan prepped with parchment and cooking spray, then brush with some more of the ketchup and BBQ sauce. Bake the meatloaf at 350F for 30 minutes.

Remove and baste with more of the ketchup and BBQ sauce mixture. Don’t be afraid to lay it on so you have a nice coating once the meatloaf is done! Reduce the temperature to 325F and bake for another half hour. 

Remove from oven and rest for at least 10 minutes then chill in the fridge to firm. Serve hot with more sauce.