Vegan comfort food for an inviting Mabon Autumn season, as the daytime hours wind down, relinquishing their domain to the lengthening night. This is kitchen magic made simple and delicious. Collard greens, yams, legumes, and a crispy corn meal top are the main features of this single-serve black-eyed pea pot pies. A protein-packed meal that is ideal for a crisp fall day. The legumes are cooked in a BBQ sauce that we perfected over many months of trial and error. Vegan, gluten-free comfort with every spoonful.
Prep Time: 45-50 min | Cook + Bake Time: 1 hr 10 min appx | Serves: 4 | Difficulty Level: ♦♦♦ Intermediate
the filling
- 2 cups black eyed peas, soaked for about 6 hrs
- 2 large yams, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup kale, chopped
- 1 cherry bomb peppers, chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter, plant-based
- 3 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp hickory smoked salt
the sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
cornmeal top
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup rice flour
- ⅔ cup milk, plant-based
- 2 flax eggs
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- butter to serve
Starting with the sauce
In a small sauce pan, slowly melt the sugar and molasses on low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining BBQ sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 min, or until the sauce starts thickening. Salt to taste if needed. Note that the sauce will be on the sweeter side. Set aside.
For the black-eyed pea filling
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the black-eyed peas for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. The cook time will depend on how long the peas soaked for – the longer they soaked, the less they will need to cook. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the onion, celery, and cherry bomb pepper (omit if you want a sweet and mild pot pie). Sauté for 2 min, then add the yams. Season with salt and spices, add a little water, and cook for 10 minutes, with the skillet lid on to create some steam. Add the precooked peas and BBQ sauce to the yams, stir well, and add the chopped kale. Stir again, cover with the lid, and cook for 5 minutes. It is okay if the yams aren’t fully cooked, as they will tenderize with the heat in the oven. Distribute the mixture among 4 4.5” ramekins, or a casserole dish if you prefer, and set aside.
The cornmeal top and assembly
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Make the flex egg according to the package instructions. The ratio is typically 1 tbsp flax meal to 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 5 minutes to obtain the “flex egg.”
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, garlic powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and vinegar to acidify the former and obtain a vegan buttermilk. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then whisk in the oil. With a whisk, mix the wet ingredients into the flour, then whisk in the flax eggs until the batter is uniform and all the ingredients thoroughly distributed.
Top off the ramekins containing the peas with the cornmeal batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, remove from the oven and serve with a dollop of butter on top.
