Hoppin’ John with Avocado-Cucumber Dressing

Hoppin’ John is a southern U.S. dish adopted from West African culture. Black-eyed peas are the trademark ingredient of this dish, which is traditionally eaten on January 1st to bring good luck in the New Year. In this version I use fennel and collard greens, and top it with a creamy avocado dressing.

½ cup water
1 medium onion or shallot, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 ribs celery or 1 fennel bulb, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon cumin

2 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
6 leaves collard greens, julienned

Using water as needed, sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery or fennel on medium-high for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic, thyme, basil and cumin and sauté another minute. Last, mix in the black-eyed peas, scallions, parsley and collard greens, and cook until the collards are softened. Serve as is topped with the Avocado-Cucumber dressing (below), or over brown rice.

Avocado-Cucumber Dressing
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 avocado, diced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cucumber (with seeds), diced
½ cup raw spinach, chopped
1 scallion (green onion), chopped

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add water as needed.

Preparation: 20 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes; serves: 4