Wilted Winter Greens & Black-Eyed Peas

From EatingWell: November/December 1994 — Subscribe Now!

For this sauté, soft, smooth black-eyed peas make a mellow match for the assertive flavors of dark leafy greens. Country ham or Italian prosciutto makes a nice change from the salt pork or ham hocks that greens are traditionally cooked with.

Wilted Winter Greens & Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

10 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours (plus overnight soaking)

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

8 ounces dried black-eyed peas, (1 1/3 cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pounds greens, such as collards, kale and/or escarole, trimmed, washed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 ounces country ham (see Note) or prosciutto, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Soak peas overnight in cold water. (Alternatively, place peas in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the peas, rinse well and place in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes. Add salt. Let sit, covered, for 1/2 hour, then drain and rinse.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add ham (or prosciutto) and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the greens and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, 5 to 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add the reserved black-eyed peas and heat through.
Season with vinegar, salt and pepper and serve.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2; cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Note: Dry, salt-cured and aged between 90 and 180 days, country ham is potent, salty and delicious; a little goes a long way. You can find it online at country-ham.com and at countryham.org.

Nutrition

Per serving: 124 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 7 g fiber; 232 mg sodium; 358 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (128% daily value), Vitamin C (66% dv), Folate (41% dv), Calcium (15% dv)

.5 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fat