Vegetarian Cajun Hoppin John
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil (plus 2 tsp later)
- 1 c white rice (uncooked; 190g)
- 1/2 c diced shallot (80g; or scant 1/2 cup diced onion + 2 tsp minced garlic [80g onion + 5g garlic])
- 1/8 t onion powder
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/2 t paprika
- 1/2 t chili powder
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 t cayenne pepper
- 1/4 t dried thyme
- 1/4 t dried oregano
- 1.5 c vegetable broth (350mL; as needed, see below)
- 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes (400g; drained; one can, so approximately this much)
- 1/2 t sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 3.5 c cooked black-eyed peas (580g)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
1. Heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the shallots (or onion + garlic), onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, red chili flakes, cayenne, thyme, oregano, and 2t olive oil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the shallot (or onion) is soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and set aside.
3. In that same saucepan, combine the vegetable broth, tomatoes, and salt; bring to a boil. Add the rice mixture and the black-eyed peas; stir well. Bring back to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated.
4. Serve hot with your favorite hot sauce.
Notes
SJ Note 7 Jan 2014: This was pretty good, and is easy. I'll give it a go again. I took the "Cajun" out of this by cutting almost all the heat. Instead of the 1/2t paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cayenne, I used simply 1/8t paprika and 1/4t black pepper, with hot sauce on the table. My guests didn't want any additional heat, so that worked well.