For my dad’s birthday dinner, I decided to go with a BBQ theme. Since my ribs didn’t go quite as planned, I opted to make stuffed squash using the same stuffing mixture from the collard rolls. I found these cute little round squash, cut off the tops, and lightly steamed them. When they were cooled, I scooped out the insides. Stuffed with the pea, mushroom and BBQ mixture, they were delicious! (Once stuffed, btw, I put them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes to heat through).

Side dishes consisted of cornbread muffins (yummy), Carrie’s Creamy Vegan Coleslaw (DELICIOUS!) and Baked Beans from Vegan Planet.

I came across the recipe for last night’s dinner on “Yeah…” and thought it would make a tasty (not to mention unusual) roll. The recipe is originally from Veganomicon, but since the recipe has been posted elsewhere, I think it’s probably safe to post it here too (and that way I’ll have it for future reference). These were really good. Try them out, especially if you don’t use collard greens often. I think you may find a new favorite vegetable. The best part about dark greens (especially kale and collard) is that they are very nutritious, but don’t have that “green” taste to them. In fact, they don’t taste like much of anything at all so you can cook them with practically anything.

Since there are only two of us eating these rolls (the sauce is too spicy for Emma), I cut the recipe way down to avoid eating leftovers for the next century. The recipe posted here is my scaled down version. I would say that with a side dish, one generously stuffed roll is a good portion for one person. We ate ours slightly warmer than room temperature and they were fine. I don’t think that they need to be served piping hot, FYI.

BBQ Black-Eyed Pea Collard Rolls

(from Veganomicon)

makes 4 rolls

1 small bunch collard greens

1 tsp oil

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1.5 – 2 cups black-eyed peas (OK to use canned, I used ones that I cooked myself)

1.5 cups Backyard BBQ Sauce

Cut the stems out of all of the collard greens by folding them in half and running the knife down the side of the stem. Save four leaves for the rolls, chop the rest for the filling. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil the rolling leaves for about 6 minutes. You may need to fold them to get them to fit in the pot, but be gentle with them to avoid tearing. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes letting them brown on both sides. Add the chopped collard greens and cook for another few minutes until the greens have started to wilt down. Add the BBQ sauce and simmer until it thickens, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and heat through. Divide the filling into fourths (use a spoon to score it into quarters). When the leaves are boiled, let them cool a bit so that you can handle them without burning your fingers off. When they are cool enough to handle, spoon a quarter of the filling into the center, tuck the ends in and roll up. Repeat this until all four leaves have been stuffed. Serve with more BBQ sauce drizzled on top.