Black-Eyed Peas with Oranges and Chipotle

In an effort to NOT turn on the oven while it's over 100° every day.... I pulled out Black-Eyed Peas with Oranges and Chipotle from Saladish by Ilene Rosen.

It sounds a little like a Fall dish, but the fresh oranges and cilantro make it a perfect summer salad or side dish.

I've taken a few liberties with the recipe. I tend to do that, since I really want to use what's in the pantry instead of having to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients. Along with the black-eyed peas, I used a can of black beans and instead of oranges, I used fresh mandarins.

This dish is hearty and still light in a way, with the citrus fruit adding a sweetness while the chipotle and adobo add a spicy smokiness. A delicious meal that was put together fairly quickly. Want it even a little easier? Use canned mandarins.

We enjoyed these Black-Eyed Peas with Orange and Chipotle. Maybe I should rename this Black-Eyed Peas, Black Beans with Mandarins and Chipotle. Nope, too long. We'll stick to the original and you can make changes - it's really fairly versatile.

I was liberal with the adobo sauce and chipotle because we like spicy, but you can start with a little and make it to your tastes.

Oh, and don't forget the cilantro! That finishes off the dish nicely.

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Black-Eyed Peas with Oranges and Chipotle

Yield: 8 - 10 sides

Orange adds a nice sweetness and the chipotle adds a spicy smokiness. 

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Ingredients

• 2 cans black-eyed peas
• 1 can black beans
• kosher salt
• 3-4 medium oranges or 4-5 mandarin oranges
• 1-2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ⅔ C canola oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
• ½ C lightly packed cilantro (coarsely chopped)

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas and black beans in a colander.  Lightly pat dry and pour into a large bowl.  Stir in ½ teaspoon of salt.  
2. Zest the oranges with a fine grater until you have 1 tbsp. of zest.  Use a sharp knife to cut all the peel away from the oranges (cut in strips, through the pith, turning as you cut) and cut into segments (without the membrane) and put into a small bowl.  Squeeze juice from the remaining membrane to make ⅓ cup.
3. Make the dressing:  In a blender or food processor combine the orange zest, reserved orange juice, chipotle (to taste) and adobo sauce (also to taste - start with 2 teaspoons), vinegar, and mustard.  Pulse to mix together. 
4. Set blender or processor to puree and while running gradually add the oil.  Puree for a couple of minutes until the dressing is smooth.  Add ½ tsp. of black pepper and ½ tsp. of salt, pulsing to mix into the dressing.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. To the black-eyed peas/black beans, add the onion, orange segments, ¾ths of the dressing and most of the cilantro (keep aside a little to garnish).  Use the remaining dressing if needed.  Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and adobo sauce as needed.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The original recipe called for 1 lb. of dried black-eyed peas, but I chose to go the alternative can way.  

I used mandarin oranges, which are milder than regular oranges. Regular oranges would be great, too.

I kept adding adobo sauce (about 1 tbsp.) because we wanted it spicier, but taste as you go.

Instead of red onion, I used what I had - yellow onion.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 288mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 8gSugar: 17gProtein: 7g

Nutrition Values are Approximate