Black-Eyed Peas & Green Peppers

I've recently taken a liking to black-eyed peas, in my search for a varied protein source outside red meat & fish. Though I didn't have the necessary ingredients for Texas Caviar, believe you me, it's next on my list.

Wikipedia says that this little bean is a New Year's food in the South, as it was the only crop that Northern forces did not destroy during the Civil War, thinking they were only fit for livestock.

They do take a bit more advanced planning to prepare if you're using the dried bean version. I used the Goya bean version, and sorely regretted not checking more closely for rocks. There is none of that absurdity with canned beans, but I don't think they taste as good. So, it's your call.

Here's what I did, and I think it worked:

1. Rinse well & soak the dried beans in some water overnight.
2. Boil them the next day with a dash of salt in the pot for 20 minutes, or until edible & semisoft.
3. Chop an onion and a quarter of a green pepper.
4. Heat a skillet with some olive oil & garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, throw in the onions & green peppers.
5. Spoon beans out of your boiling water (or, strain, but be sure to save some of the water because the stirfry gets too dry otherwise) and throw it in the skillet
6. Season with whatever herbs you have on hand. I threw some parsley, lemon juice, 2 T crushed tomatoes, salt, & pepper in there. But experiment. See what works.

Had that stuff with yams tonight, which I am starting to substitute more frequently in place of potatoes. Yams have a slightly lower glycemic index, which means it takes a bit longer for the starches to process than if you were to eat the same weight in potatoes.

ALSO. An obligatory warning. I just learned that storing garlic in olive oil at room temperature can lead to botulism poisoning. SO DON'T DO IT. It's fatal. Eating garlic in olive oil is obviously okay, just not storing it at room temp. OK, thanks.