Veggie Black-Eyed Pea Appetizer Recipe by Khashayar Parsi

How do you make staying healthy easy? Focusing on what’s good to eat (rather than what isn’t) helps me. So does collecting wholesome recipes that are simple and delicious.

My husband welcomes challenges, nutritious cooking included. (Enjoy more of his recipes here and here and here and here and here and here.) Here’s a favorite dish that family and guests love…

Veggie Black-Eyed Peas Appetizer

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 zucchini
• 1 head garlic
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups black-eyed peas
• 1 cup dried maitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup white rice
• salt and pepper to taste
• olives
• crackers

Instructions

1. Coarsely chop onion.
2. In a medium sized pot, sauté it in coconut oil until golden.
3. Coarsely dice zucchini.
4. Add zucchini to onions and sauté another five minutes on medium heat.
5. Mince garlic.
6. Add garlic to the pot with turmeric and sauté two minutes.
7. Add black-eyed peas, mushrooms, walnuts, rice, cheese, and water. Bring to boil.
8. Lower heat to medium and simmer for half an hour.
9. Once fully cooked, coarsely grind with an immersion blender (which is a little easier to control) or mixer. Tip: if mixture overcooks and becomes too dry to blend, add water 1/4 cup at a time until it can be emulsified without becoming watery.
10. Let cool.
11. Spoon into large bowl.
12. Garnish with Olives.
13. Serve with crackers.

Serves 8-10 people.

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