Hoppin’ Juan

A spin on the classic rice dish from the Southern U.S.

I was going through old files from the restaurant trying to decide what to post next, when I found an article from 2011 in A-Line Magazine about Myra and this recipe! Several people have requested this dish, so I decided it was meant to be.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make all of the parts ahead of time and put it together whenever you want. I love black-eyed peas, so I am going to make it with them. You can also use spicy Black Bean Soup—or some of both, which is what is suggested in the article from 2011. Myra always cooked dried black-eyed peas and put the extras in the freezer. If you have any left over, don’t leave them in the refrigerator—they won’t last very long. Be sure to use a green pepper of some kind, even though you are adding salsa. It gives a nice crunch to the dish. And, of course I’m going to use a poblano pepper instead of a green bell pepper because they are fresh from New Mexico this time of year in Denver!

Hoppin’ Juan

A spicy version of the classic southern dish

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Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Entrees and Favorite Rice Combinations

Cuisine Mexican American, vegetarian

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

• 1 rice cooker, or your favorite rice pot
• 1 pot to cook the black-eyed peas
• 1 knife and cutting board

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups uncooked)
• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (aprox. 4 cups cooked) or one small can of black-eyed peas
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 or 3 green onions or onion of your choice I like green onions for this
• 1/2 cup pepper: green bell pepper, or chile pepper of your choice, chopped.
• 1 cup James' salsa (or more to taste)

Instructions

 

• Cook the brown rice according to directions
• Cook the black-eyed peas: 2 cups of dried beans in a small pot on the stove. Cover with 2 inches of water.

  Bring to a boil and turn to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Test the beans to see if they are tender. Too high heat or over cooking them will make them fall apart. Cook for another 10 or 15 minutes if needed. Drain and store in the freezer if not using right away.
• Gather the rest of the ingredients: Chop the onions, and the pepper, grate the cheddar cheese, get out the salsa.
• When everything is cooked place 1 cup of rice on each plate, with 2/3 cup of black-eyed peas on top. Next cover with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup salsa, 2 TBLS of onions and 2 TBLS of green peppers. You can finish it in the microwave, if it's not hot enough to melt the cheese.

Notes

At Myra’s you had a choice of black eyed peas, or Spicy Black Beans on your Hoppin’ Juan. And of course, you should make James’ Salsa to go on top!

Keyword black-eyed peas, brown rice, cheddar cheese, salsa, vegetarian