When I read other people’s blogs, and they talk about having a taste for something or a craving, I often think that’s a weird way to begin their blog post, unless they’re pregnant, when it’s completely understandable. This post is probably punishment for being so judgmental, and I would like to apologize for my behavior, not that I actually posted a rude comment or anything. I just feel guilty. This is a really weird confession to make, but I had a weird craving. I woke up one morning, and as I was going through my usual morning activities I began to crave Hoppin’ John. That’s a little bit strange, but the really weird part is that I was craving the taste of thyme in my Hoppin’ John, and I don’t really like thyme. I considered making Hoppin’ John Soup instead, but my brain or taste buds or whatever is the source of cravings was adamant that it had to be Hoppin’ John.
Needless to say, like many food bloggers before me, I made what my taste buds were demanding. A pan full of Hoppin’ John that I ate over a bed of rice for breakfast. I didn’t eat the whole pan, but I did have it for breakfast, lunch, and again for Lunch the next day. If you’ve never heard of Hoppin’ John, it’s a southern U.S. dish, that contains black-eyed peas. It is built upon the Cajun Trinity–onions, garlic, and bell peppers, and with the addition tomatoes and other seasonings, the dish really comes to life. It’s delicious. It has to be, right. After all, I ate three servings on my own.
In my family, black-eyed peas are a New Year’s day menu tradition, and eating them is supposed to bring health and prosperity to you in the new year. I usually only make this dish once a year, on New Year’s Day, so having this craving in April was definitely strange, but I’m really glad that I made it. In fact, it was so good that I may make it again.
Here’s your printable recipe. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
Thanks for visiting Patty Cake’s Pantry.
- 2 sliced bacon, chopped
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- ½ medium bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can black eyed peas
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- A few dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce, to taste
- 2 cups cooked rice for serving
- Sliced green onions for serving.
- First put rice on to cook.
- In a separate 2-3 quart pan with a lid, fry bacon.
- Once bacon is cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add celery, and continue to saute.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme, and stir until well combined.
- Add bay leaf, and ensure that it is submerged in the mixture.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve atop a mound of cooked rice, sprinkled with sliced green onions for garnish.
I loved reading about your Hoppin’ John. It’s a very colorful dish. I’ve never had it before. Looks easy to make.
It is very easy to make, especially when you make it with canned beans. It’s a bit more complicated to make it with dried beans, but the end result has more flavor because you can add more seasoning to the dried beans as you cook them. The only warning about this is that you should wait until the beans are tender before adding the tomatoes. Tomatoes or any other acidic ingredient tends to slow the cooking of the beans.