Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Stewed Greens drizzled with a Tangy Mustardy Sauce
This recipe evolved from the New Years Day meal I fixed for Matt and myself. While Matt has come a long way from not eating 98% of vegetables to eating vegan 100% of the time at home, he is still not the biggest fan of whole beans. So, this recipe came out of my desire to have black eyed peas on New Year’s but in a form that he would find palatable. In the months since, it has become one of his most requested meals. It is delicious, filling, protein and nutrient filled, and makes enough for a crowd or easy reheat leftover meals in the days following. Commonly we will make it for dinner, and then Matt will eat on the leftovers for lunch all week.
Now as for the greens, I know many people have had bad experiences with stewed or braised greens. My mother was not a fan, so I have no memory of trying them. At family gatherings, I skipped over them in the buffet line because they don’t look appetizing. Well, I came around to them surprisingly after my husband (one of the few things if tried before me). He had tried collard greens in a dish at his favorite restaurant and started asking me to try and make them. And from that first recipe I nervously tried, they were delicious! But I know bad memories or preconceived notions can ruin foods like collard or turnip greens for many people, so my suggestion is to try the recipe out with a green you do like. We have made it with everything from kale to collards, swiss chard to turnip greens. If you like sautéed kale, maybe start by trying this recipe with kale. Start with something familiar, and maybe next time use half of a less familiar green. The flavor is best anyway when combining two different greens.
As for making your own sauce, it is totally worth it. Matt even asked for this sauce on a veggie burger for lunch today, but if you don’t have time to mix a few ingredients together, a store-bought remoulade style sauce can be substituted with some of the flavor notes of the bright tangy mustard. (But it will not truly be the same, so if you have the ingredients, go ahead and try whipping it up).
Reheating this meal is super easy. Depending on your time and preferences, all the elements reheat in the microwave just fine. Though we prefer to throw the greens with the potlicker in a small saucepan for 5 minutes to reheat, while the fritters reheat in the toaster oven, and the rice warms in the microwave.
Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Stewed Greens and a Bright Mustardy Sauce
If you get the greens started cooking first, it can stew while you make and bake the black-eyed pea cakes. If you do not already have brown rice cooked, it is also a good time to start that. Brown rice can be cooked in no time in a pressure cooker or in only 30 minutes if boiled like pasta in extra water. If you are looking for less carbs, cauliflower rice, or part cauliflower rice mixed with real rice works with this recipe.
Stewed Greens
Ingredients:
2 c Chopped Onion (about 1 large)
8 c Dark Leafy Greens (destemmed and thinly chopped) about two store bought bunches*
3 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari
1.5 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce**
3-4 c Vegetable Broth***
2-3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
* Any sort of hardy green will do for this recipe. I like to mix and match different kinds, but any hardy green will do including: kale, collards, chard, turnip greens, dandelion greens, mature choy, etc.
** Whole Foods store brand is naturally vegan, though there are also other brands available.
*** Broth can be homemade but if you don’t want to make some, try a bouillon base like the jarred brand “Better Than Bouillon.” It will have more flavor than boxed broths.
Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat a tablespoon of neutral oil over medium high heat.
Once hot, add in the onions and cook until the turn translucent, about 4-6 minutes.
Then add in the greens and toss around gentle.
Add in the soy sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and broth.
Bring to a strong simmer, before covering and reducing the heat to low.
Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.
Before serving add in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust more vinegar, salt, etc. as needed.
Serve over rice.
Black-eyed Pea Cakes
Ingredients:
4 c Cooked Black-eyed Peas
70g / ½ c Diced Yellow Onion
145g / 1 c (packed) Grated Sweet Potato
¼ c Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Flax Seed Meal
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1.5 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Thyme (fresh) or ¼ tsp (dry)
1 Tbsp Parsley (fresh) or 1 tsp (dry)
1 tsp Salt
As Needed - ¼ c Water
Oil for Brushing
Directions:
Heat your oven to 375F.
Heat a skillet to medium heat with ½ tbsp of neutral oil. Add in the onion and sweet potato. Cook until the sweet potatoes have let off some of their moisture and the onions have softened, about 4-6 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
While those cooks, drain the beans and add to a large mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher to break up most of the beans.
Add the skillet continence, along with the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, flax seed meal, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, and salt to the beans. Stir to combine. At this point check the consistency. Depending on if your peas were canned, frozen, or cooked from dry, they may have more or less water/moisture. The mixture should be damp and the texture of mashed potatoes. If it is wetter than that – add more breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time. It if is dryer than mashed potatoes – add 2 tablespoons of water at a time.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out small cakes. I like to use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can use a large spoon and your hands. Press down the tops slightly into a small patty shape. Before putting in the oven, brush the top slightly with oil to help browning (aka flavor).
Bake the first side for 15 minutes. Then pull out of the oven and flip using a spatula. Brush the second side with oil and return to the oven for another 10-20 minutes depending on your mixture’s moisture and the size of your final patties. (They should be browned slightly on the outside and when one is broken open it should be moist but not wet or crumbly.)
Service over brown rice and greens and top with tangy mustard sauce (though they also make a great veggie burger substitute.
Tangy Mustardy Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ c Unsweetened Ketchup
¼ c Mayo*
2 Tbsp Creamy Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Onion Powder
Pinch of Fresh Black Pepper
Water for thinning
* Tested with Just Mayo brand.
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup.
Taste test for your pallet. Does it need more of something like salt or sweetness? Maybe you would like a drizzle of maple syrup.
Then the consistency should be thin enough to drizzle over the final dish. If it is thicker than a drizzle-able consistency, thin with a little water 1 tsp at a time.
To Plate – spoon a large heaping spoonful of rice into the middle of a plate and spread to around in order to make a bed for the greens. Using a slotted spoon, spoon over the rice with a few spoonful of greens and add as much or as little potlicker. Top with 3-5 black-eyed pea cakes and drizzle with tangy sauce. Green onions make a nice topping.
