HOPPIN’ JOHN

Servings: 4-6

Cooked rice needed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups chopped onions
¾ cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh garlic
2 15 ounce cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
dash salt
several twists freshly ground pepper
dash liquid smoke
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice

Place ½ cup of the broth in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add black eyed peas, remaining broth, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered over low heat for 5 minutes. Add liquid smoke and Tabasco sauce to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in cooked rice, adding more Tabasco and liquid smoke, if desired.

Hint: Instead of adding the cooked rice at the end, this may be served as a sauce over the rice or other whole grains.