Black-eyed pea fritters
Perhaps you are looking for a way to use up leftover black-eyed peas, or you just didn’t get enough of them on New Year’s Day this year. Fritters are a satisfying option.
Filled with fiber and protein, black-eyed peas are right up there with other legumes when it comes to nutrition. Mashed together with cornmeal and studded with red and yellow bell pepper, jalapeno and onion, the mixture comes together without eggs or other binders. Cooking the fritter in a non-stick skillet with a spritz of non-stick cooking spray is an excellent way to achieve a crisp fritter without frying in oil. A couple of tablespoons of oil may be used, but the other method is a nice way to eliminate excess oil from our diets.
Angelina Larue is a food writer, recipe developer and author of “The Whole Enchilada Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine.”
Makes 8 fritters.
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, no liquid 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1⁄2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1⁄4 sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
1⁄4 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1⁄4 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1⁄2 cup cornmeal 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray, or 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Place peas, garlic, jalapeno, onion, and bell pepper in a medium mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add cornmeal, salt, and black pepper to the vegetable mix; stir to combine.
Mash the mixture by hand until the peas are softened and hold the mixture together when pressed in your hand (like the consistency of mashed potatoes).
Divide mixture into 8 equal parts. Heat2915 l
add 2 tablespoons oil).
Once skillet is hot, cook 4 patties at a time, cooking 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Serve warm.