Hoppin' John Salad

Another great dish by Paula Deen. For me she is comfort food, for my mother's side of the family is from the south. I close my eyes and I can hear my grandmother, Grace. so when I see a dish that sparks a memory, I see how much I can health it up and usually have to veg it up. You know Paula, everything tastes better with Bacon/grease,, mayonnaise, and or butter. I swear one day my daughter and I will go on her show and cook her some dee-licious vegan food. But I have to find the right recipes, and get them perfected. I swear I am going to do it. And...I will drag Savanah with me.

How cool is that, Savanah, cooking in Savannah? But I got time on my side. But on to this recipe. The dish is supposed to be a cold salad. But I was on a time crunch, so we ate the dish hot. I am almost afraid to try it cold. That's how good it was hot. Both my husband and Savanah went nuts over it. And for me and Nana, it could have been a complete meal, but she made her first attempt at baked beans, and did OK. The flavor was dead on, but she cooked them a little bit too much and they were a wee bit dry. She learned what she had to do for the next batch.

This recipe folks was simple stupid ans Paula herself has said on many occasions. The ingredients are basic and most folks have them in their kitchen already. So drop on by, make this and invite me, for I will bring a batch of cornbread to go with this dish.

Hoppin' John Salad Recipe : Bobby Flay : Food Network:
Ingredients:

2 cups rice
4 slices bacon (We used Morningstar Farms fake bacon)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces frozen black-eyed peas, thawed (We cooked our own)
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
10 ounces frozen baby lima beans, thawed
2 cups chicken broth (We used homemade veggie stock)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt (We used Paula Deen's House Seasoning)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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Directions:

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add rice, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the water.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Set aside on paper towels. Reserve drippings in skillet.
To the skillet add onions and cook over medium heat, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Add black-eyed peas, corn, lima beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender; drain. Place into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, seasoned salt, and pepper. Pour on top of vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Mix in rice and crumble in the reserved bacon. Cover and chill in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.