Black Eyed Peas and Grit Cakes
 
 
Spicy Cajun beans are served atop a creamy grit cake.
Yield: Seves 4-6
Ingredients
  • ½ lb dried black-eyed peas (or other similar bean)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tsp Cajun spice blend (see recipe below)
  • a few drops of liquid smoke
  • chipotle chili powder to taste
  • smoked salt, jalapeno salt, or sea salt, to taste
  • 2 summer squash, quartered and sliced
For the Grit Cakes
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 veggie bouillon cube
  • 1 cup grits (not instant or quick cooking!)
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Cajun spice blend
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp cloves
Instructions
  1. Soak the beans overnight in room temperature water. The next morning, add the soaked beans, garlic, bay leaves, and water to a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil and then decrease the heat to medium low and cover. Cook until beans are tender. Drain and remove the bay leaves.
  2. In a large nonstick saucepan, heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the summer squash along with the Cajun spice blend, liquid smoke, chipotle chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Saute until tender. Add in the beans to heat through and season to taste. Set aside.
  3. For the grit cakes, preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper.
  4. Add the milk, water, and bouillon to a heavy saucepan. Bring it almost to a boil and then decrease to a simmer. Slowly stir in the grits. Stir every five minutes for 30-40 minutes or until you taste the grits and they are no longer hard. Add in a pinch of salt, to taste.
  5. Remove the grits from the heat and spread onto the parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and served topped with the beans, and hot sauce on the side.
  6. To make the Cajun spice blend, grind all of the ingredients together in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or small food processor for about 10 minutes or until the whole bay leaf gets ground up.
Notes
adapted from The Great Vegan Bean Book
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅙th of recipe
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2013/07/recipe-black-eyed-peas-and-grit-cakes.html