Recipe: Spicy Garlic Black-Eyed Peas with sauteed Chicken Breast

Ok little cuties, if you have even the smallest admiration for black-eyed peas, you must make this dish. Heck, you can save the recipe for New Years day. This is hands down the best recipe for black eye peas ever. The best thing is that they are healthy AND scrumptious. Here is how I make them:


For black-eyed peas:

4 turkey bacon slices
4 scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 celery rib, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 big pinches of hot red-pepper flakes
3 (15-ounces) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
about 8 dashes of hot sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tsp paprika


For the chicken breast:

1 lb of chicken breast or chicken breast tenders
1 swirl of EVOO
brown sugar
coriander
black pepper
sea salt
cinnamon
smoked paprika
star of anise seed (ground)
garlic powder

Prepare black-eyed peas:

Put two swirls of EVOO in a large stock pot then cook turkey bacon in a over medium heat until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate, then tear into small pieces. Cook scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the same stock pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas and broth along with the garlic powder, hot sauce, onion powder, brown sugar, and paprika. Stir in the turkey bacon and simmer 10 minutes.

Prepare Chicken:
While the black-eyed peas are simmering mix all of the spices for the chicken together making a dry rub. I just eyeball the amounts, with the brown sugar as my base. Cover the chicken thoroughly with the rub and saute in an oiled pan over medium heat.

Spoon black-eyed peas in your serving bowls and top with chicken. Enjoy with a beer. (Well at least that's what I do).

Deliciously Yours,

The Culinary Cutie