This recipe originally appeared on my former website Fighting for Wellness in January 2013. It was created as a spin on the traditional collard greens and black eyed peas meal on New Year's Day.
Growing up in the South there was not a single New Year’s Day when my mother didn’t make collard greens, black eyed peas, corn bread, and some sort of salty pork for dinner. Traditionally, the collard greens represent green money, the black eyed peas represent coins, and the corn bread represents gold. Eating this meal on New Year’s Day is said to bring wealth in the new year.
We can all use wealth, right? I thought so, but I didn’t want to make the collard greens and black eyed peas in the traditional way. Instead, I thought back to some of my other collard green recipes using collards as wraps, but wanted something a bit warmer on such a cold evening.
Ingredients
6-8 collard green leaves (depending upon size, left whole)
1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 collard green leaves (chopped)
1 can black eyed peas
1 yellow or orange bell pepper (diced)
1/2 medium onion (chopped)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Steam or briefly boil whole collard green leaves until soft enough to roll (if boiling, this should take 5-10 minutes). Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside. Sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil until onions start to become translucent, then add to quinoa. Mix in black eyed peas, chopped collard greens, and spices.
Spread softened collard greens on a flat surface and spoon filling into the middle. Roll top and bottom of each leaf, then roll sides until tightly wrapped. Place in a baking dish or deep sided pan, seam down. Spritz with cooking spray to avoid burning and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Plate and enjoy! These can be enjoyed alone or with your favorite accompaniment. I had mine with a dollop of Stonewall Kitchen’s Smoky Barbecue Aioli, but I think I’ll try my next one with a bit of fresh salsa.
