Mushroom Lardons with Black-Eyed Peas & Greens
One of my favorite holiday gifts this year was the cookbook Umami Bomb, by Raquel Pelzel, ‘75 Vegetarian Recipes that Explode with Flavor’. Racquel’s inspiring take on vegetarian fare feels both fresh and creative. Her simple recipes are totally different from my own cooking style yet extremely appealing. It’s been causing me to look at the ingredients in my pantry differently and think about how to combine them to completely new effect. I have already tried several recipes like crispy cheddar cheese waffles, miso cacio e pepe, and ‘bomb’ sauce, to name a few. All have been pretty awesome and I can’t wait to keep exploring her book.
The recipe shared here for Mushroom Lardons with Black-Eyed Peas & Greens is perfect to make near New Years Day when both collard greens and black-eyed peas are traditional. Served with a simple quinoa or wild rice pilaf, this is a healthy and super flavorful way to start your New Year off right!
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium portobello mushrooms, stemmed and caps sliced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 TB gluten free tamari
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
6 cups roughly chopped greens such as kale, collard greens, or swiss chard, stems removed
Method
Heat 3 TB olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they start to brown, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mushrooms are very deeply and evenly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium-low if they begin to darken and shrivel too quickly. Add the salt, tamari, and smoked paprika and stir until the pan is dry. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Place the remaining 3 TB of oil in the pan with the garlic, black pepper, and crushed red chili flakes, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the black-eyed peas and once they start sizzling, add the greens. Stir and shift the greens around using a slotted spoon or tongs, and once the start to wilt, after about 2 minutes, return the mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and serve.
