Slow Cooker Black-eyed Peas with Okra and Mahogany Rice

Time for another edition of slow cooker beans!

This week's star is black-eyed peas.

Isn't she loooove-ly?

I cooked them in much the same way I cooked the black beans for the tacos. Only this time, I wanted to make them generically flavored so that I could add them to any dish I wanted. So, I went with some standard aromatics.

The slow cooker method once again yielded the perfect bean. Tender, but not mushy. So exciting! I took sulfababy's suggestion and froze the ones that I didn't use. I'll let you know how they turned out the next time I use them.

In my ever-increasing efforts to make as many beans 'n grains dishes as possible, I decided to put these over rice. Because my brown rice was hosting some uninvited guests, I used mahogany rice instead. I also had some frozen okra left from my farmer's market creation, so I added that as well.

Notes: I would definitely use a mix of brown rice and mahogany next time. For me, there was something overpowering about the flavor. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was too strong. Otherwise, it was pretty tasty.

As I mentioned, the bean recipe makes a whole mess o' beans, so be prepared to freeze the leftovers or use them in another dish for the next few nights.

Ingredients:

For beans:
1 lb black-eyed peas (I used Camellia)
1 small onion, root intact, quartered
3 or 4 celery tops or stalks, cut in half
1 heaping tablespoon of salt
6 cups hot tap water
8-10 drops Tabasco
1 capful of liquid smoke

For rice dish:
1 cup mahogany rice
2 1/4 cup of chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons of butter (divided)
1 cup of thinly sliced fresh orka (or any veggie you like)
Salt
Pepper

Start by cooking the beans. Put the beans in a colander and rinse them. Pick out an broken or shriveled beans. Dump everything in the slow cooker and and put it on high for 4 hours.

When your beans are an hour away from finishing, start the rice. Pour chicken stock, rice, and 1 tablespoon of butter into a 2 quart or larger sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir once, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing.

Black gold

While your rice is sitting patiently off the heat, add the remaining butter to a skillet and set to medium-low. When the butter has melted, add in the okra and garlic and saute briefly. Add two ladles of beans to the pan (about a cup -- I have a shallow ladle) and mix the beans and veggies together. Season with salt and pepper.

When the rice is finished, dish it up and top it with your beans/veggie mixture!