Smoked Turkey and Black Eyed Pea Salad

I found this recipe when cutting up my latest Food Network magazine.  When I get the newest version of a cooking magazine, I take my scissors to the old one to save just the recipes I want and file them away in my box of recipes.  It used to be an old show box, but I just got a nice new filing box at Ikea so now my clipped out recipes can wait patiently in style.  :-)  I don't think to have main dish salads at all really.  When I think salad for dinner I think of some awful version of a salad buffet with the iceberg lettuce with the carrot savings and purple cabbage, not so great veggies that have been sitting out too long and goupy dressings.  This salad convinced me I need to start thinking differently.  I forget about the many different kinds of salad greens that are ready to go right in the supermarket and different ways to top them.  The black eyed pea and turkey mixture was warm and played off the crispness of the romaine.  I liked it a lot and have since dug out my stack of recipes filed under 'Salads' to review for some yummy main dish options.  

We made just a few changes -- all romaine for the lettuce, no celery (I don't like it) and our grocery store did not have frozen black eyed peas so we got canned instead.  I really liked the heat of the cayenne and the bites of the pickle found throughout the salad.  In fact, we've made this salad twice in the last two weeks!  I can't say I've remade a recipe that fast before!  We did have some of the smoked turkey to use up, but this is definitely a winner!

Smoked Turkey and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 10-ounce box frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
1/3 cup sliced bread-and-butter pickles, plus 4 tablespoons pickling liquid
8 ounces smoked turkey leg or breast, skin removed and meatshredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
10 cups torn arugula, escarole and/or romaine
2 stalks celery, chopped (with leaves) (omitted)

Directions

• Combine the garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and 2 tablespoons pickling liquid and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the turkey and heat through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the scallions, and salt and cayenne to taste. Discard the thyme.

• Meanwhile, whisk the mustard and the remaining 2 tablespoons pickling liquid in a large bowl. Add salt and cayenne to taste, then gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the tomatoes and toss. Add the arugula, celery and pickles and toss again. Divide among bowls and top with the black-eyed peas and turkey.

Per serving: 

Calories 318

Fat 18 g 

Fiber 5 g

WW Points: 7