These spicy black-eyed peas with tomatoes make a delicious and unexpected addition to a Southern food themed luncheon buffet. Good served hot or cold. Creamy cole slaw and corny corn muffins make the menu a winner. Add a dessert of lemon layer cake with lemon curd Filling. That's southern goodness!

Spicy Black-eyed Peas With Tomatoes Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (follow directions on package)*
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbspn. olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 tspn bottled hot pepper sauce (Frank's is excellent)
1/4 tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Cilantro or regular parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet heat olive oil. Sauté onion with bell pepper and garlic 3 minutes. Stir in black-eyed peas, chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir occasionally 15-20 minutes to cook the tomatoes and blend flavors. Garnish with cilantro.

Hint
*Or use canned black eyed peas



Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Makes an Excellent Dessert

Food such as spicy black-eyed peas needs a cool and slightly tart dessert. A lemon layer cake with lemon curd filling fills the bill nicely. My mother used to make her cakes from scratch, and cooked lemon pudding for the filling. I don't do either, but I do add an extra egg real lemon extract to the cake mix which helps to make the cake homemade. I use jarred lemon curd for my filling.

The text time you go grocery shopping, add these items to your list, pure lemon extract, a box of lemon pudding cake mix and a jar of really good lemon curd. Then surprise your family with this delicious cake.

Prepare the cake mix according to box directions, then add one extra large egg and one teaspoon of pure lemon extract to the mix. Continue following directions to complete the cake. After baking, allow the cakes to cool. Before spreading cake layers with lemon curd brush crumbs from cake.

Spread a fairly thick layer of lemon curd on the first layer of cake and top with the second. This cake can be finished in two ways. The first is to top the second cake layer with more lemon curd. It is not necessary to put filling on sides of the cake. The second way and my favorite, is to shake confectioner's sugar over the top of the top layer of cake. This can be done by using a decorative paper doily to make a pretty design, or put the sugar in a small strainer and tap over the top of the cake. Either way, it is pretty and very delicious.

For southern recipes take a look at Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook Amazon.com.