Hoppin John

Another quick go-to meal. I made this Jan 2, after I had black eyed peas for good luck on Jan 1st! :) 


Hoppin' John


1 can black eyed peas- drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper diced
1 jalepeno diced(you can easily leave this out, but if you use it........take the seeds and ribs out! that is where ALL the heat is in a pepper)
1/2 cup rice(uncooked) I used white or brown depending on my mood. Brown takes a bit longer
1 Kielbasa sausage link-cut into quarters( I use Oscar Meyer turkey sausage)
EVOO


Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add salt and 1/2 cup rice. Cover, reduce to simmer and cook 30 min. Meanwhile, heat skillet to medium heat and add 1-2Tbs EVOO. Add jalapeno and red pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and cook until browned. Once sausage is browned, add black eyed peas. Cook another 5 minutes to heat peas through. Once rice is cooked, stir together with black eyed pea mixture. Serve! 
Come on, how EASY is that?


Serves 1 with leftovers for the next night OR serves two!


Cooks Tips:


You can dice/chop your red bell pepper ahead of time and keep in the freezer. Same goes for fresh jalapeno.
You can also freeze kielbasa. 
With these 2 tips, this recipe is even better because it is all ingredients you can keep on hand! :) 
If you care to make your black eyed peas from scratch feel free. I am just trying to keep it simple.