New Year’s Beans and Greens

Adapted from vegweb.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 medium-size onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cooked black-eyed peas*
• 1 bunch collard greens, chopped
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

*Do Ahead—Soak and cook the beans:

1. Black-eyed peas are actually beans, not peas. Measure the amount of dried beans you’d like to cook. 1 cup of dried beans yields about 2   1/2 cups cooked.
2. Rinse beans in a colander and place in a container to soak. Cover the beans with water and soak at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
3. After soaking, drain and rinse beans and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beans are soft when pierced with a fork (approximately 20–30 minutes). Stir beans every few minutes and add more water as necessary. When beans are tender, remove from heat, rinse, and drain in a colander.

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, cook the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.
2.  Add the cooked beans and collards. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the hot sauce and liquid smoke, and cook until the greens are wilted, 5–10 minutes.
4. Serve this dish over rice or with biscuits.

Serves: 2–3 people; approximate cooking and prep time: 20 minutes.