Good Luck, Babe!

Beans—for good luck and good structure.

If you took ten-year-old Riley aside and told her that one day she’d be actually enjoying a plate of stewed black-eyed peas and bitter broccoli rabe, her eyes would’ve rolled into the back of her head, probably never to return. Growing up, I was strongly encouraged to eat at least one black-eyed pea each year on the first of January for good luck. I would usually oblige, but I’d let my face express how I really felt — a trait I’ve carried well into adulthood. It’s interesting that at present, I’m made up of roughly 60-70% legume (bloodwork has confirmed), but when I was younger I wouldn’t be caught dead eating beans. Maybe if they were black beans and only if they were refried. But tastes and preferences change, and I don’t believe that it has anything to do with growing up. It’s about exposure and knowing how to cook something the right way.

This dish is modeled after feijoada, a Brazilian stewed bean dish. While simple, each part of the plate needs to be prepared well. Spoiler alert: yes, there is a right way to make rice.

Rice

I’m team rice cooker, but if you use a pot on the stovetop, place a clean dishtowel between the pot and its lid — the towel will catch any condensation that forms on the lid and it’ll allow just enough steam to escape, leaving you with perfectly fluffy rice.

Beans

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — canned beans are perfectly good. But if you have time to soak dry beans, this dish will be even better. I like to add a hefty pinch of salt to the water so you get a jump start on seasoning even before you start to cook.

Broccoli Rabe

When cooked properly, broccoli rabe is more bittersweet than just bitter. In this recipe, I blanch and sauté it, so it might not be a vibrant green by the end but it’ll taste good.

Cornbread made regular appearances at our family gettogethers, so I decided to make this at the last minute. Whipped aquafaba is folded into the cornmeal batter to give it some body, and it’s brushed with a maple-butter glaze as soon as it comes out of the oven.