Who couldn’t use a little good luck in the New Year? To welcome in 2015, I thought I’d go with Southern tradition and serve black-eyed peas and greens. These Black-eyed Peas, Spinach, and Creamy Tomato Hand Pies are a fun way to serve a traditional dish.
Based on Southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas for the New Year is thought to bring luck and prosperity to those who partake. Traditionally, black-eyed peas are combined with some sort of greens and stewed tomatoes. The greens represent paper money, the black-eyed peas represent coins, and stewed tomatoes for health and wealth.
Combined, you’re in for a tasty treat – and hopefully a big batch of good things to come in the New Year. For a twist on a traditional dish, I thought it would be fun to include all these goodies combined into portable and fun hand pies. Whether you serve these as snacks, appetizers, or part of a light meal, these vegetarian hand pies are full of flavor.
My husband’s family always serves some combination of black-eyed peas and greens for the New Year, and I’m happy to keep the tradition going with these Black-eyed Peas, Spinach, and Creamy Tomato Hand Pies.
Here’s wishing all the best to you in the New Year!
Black-Eyed Peas, Spinach, and Creamy Tomato Hand Pies
Makes 12 hand pies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package (2 disks) prepared pie dough, thawed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced white onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
- 1 (14.5) ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4-6 dashes hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups packed spinach leaves
- Flour to dust work surface
- 1 egg, beaten, and mixed with 1 tablespoon water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato to the pan along with the salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and hot sauce. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the cream to the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes to help some of the liquid evaporate.
- Add the black eyed peas to the mixture, then the spinach. Cook for a minute or so, or until the spinach wilts.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Dust a flat work surface with the flour and lay out one round of dough. Roll out the dough just a bit, then use a 4-inch cutter (or the mouth of a wide glass) to cut out as many rounds as possible (2 rounds will be used to form 1 hand pie).
- Gather up the scraps of dough, and roll them thin with a rolling pin. Continue until all the dough is used.
- Divide the rounds, and place half on each baking sheet. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of the black eyed pea mixture to the center of the dough. Flatten it out just slightly.
- Dip your finger into a small bowl of water, and lightly wet the outside edge of the bottom of 1 round. Cover with a second dough round, and press the edges together tightly to seal the pies. Use a sharp knife to cut out a few small slits (or a small "X") in the center of the pie.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove, and lightly brush each pie with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture. Continue to bake for another 5 minutes, or until the pies are golden.
- Serve warm.
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