Alfalfa Restaurant's `Hoppin' John' rice

courtesy of whitney...

If you live alone, try making the black-eyed peas and sauce ahead of time and refrigerating them. Then, when you want a fast dinner, prepare individual portions of rice and top with a few spoonfuls of the reheated sauces. Of course, the dish also makes a simple-and-quick family dinner.

Rice:
2 cups brown rice
1 bay leaf (optional)

Black-eyed peas:
2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, with liquid
Garlic, minced, to taste
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoons dried marjoram
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon molasses
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings:
6 ounces or so white cheddar cheese, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced

Prepare rice according to package directions, but add bay leaf with water for flavor (if desired). Generally, the rice will cook in 1/2 hour.

Combine black-eyed peas, garlic, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warm, about 20 minutes.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until tomatoes break down and the sauce is thickened to your taste, 20 to 45 minutes.

To assemble: On each plate, layer rice, then black-eyed peas, then sauce. Top with cheese, peppers and onions. Serves 4.