Way-unusual pea cakes pack the protein with fresh veggies on the side

Can anything good emerge from a can? When garden fresh tomatoes and homemade slaw form an accompaniment to what a canned good yields, certainly good things happen. This recipe sounded so weird, it lured me to try it just to see what turned up. Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes and Slaw—has anybody except the staff of Southern Living magazine, source of this unusual dish in its August 2011 issue, ever heard of such a thing?

Well, Hubby and I have now. Over the weekend we took the plunge and now are great appreciators of this terrific menu item. Hubby even poured sugar-free syrup on his pea cakes; I can’t say I went that far (the finished product amounted to a cross between pancakes and cornbread), but I definitely enjoyed them, especially when I piled on tomatoes (we used Roma instead of beefsteak tomatoes) and the slaw (recipe calls for fresh broccoli slaw, but I still had some of the slaw left from the Lemon-Apple Coleslaw from a few days back, so I stuck with it. (But below I’ll reprint the original recipe with the broccoli slaw instructions included.)

I just loved the black-eyed pea cakes, that look like pancakes but are much more substantial—a dish straight out of the South.

Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Tomatoes and Slaw

1 (15-ounce) can seasoned black-eyed peas, undrained

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 (6-ounce) package buttermilk cornbread mix (I used Betty Crocker brand)

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons Southwest chipotle salt-free seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash brand)

1 teaspoon salt, divided (or salt substitute)

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 (12-ounce) package fresh broccoli slaw

2 large heirlooom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I subbed Roma tomatoes)

Coarsely mash peas with fork. Stir in garlic, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until blended. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly-greased griddle. Cook cakes for 2 minutes or until edges look dry and cooked; turn and cook 2 more minutes. Stir together 1/3 cup sour cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in broccoli slaw. Place each cooked cake on a serving plate; top each with tomato slices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with slaw; serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.