Pigeon Peas with Rice

In looking for an authentic rice and beans recipe for the book club food to go along with "Their Eyes Were Watching God", I came across a can of Pigeon Peas. I wondered if they were what was meant by "cow peas" in the book, so I bought a couple of cans. Turns out cow peas are what we always called black-eyed peas, so I did the recipe with the black-eyed peas instead. Very yummy.
But now I had these two cans of pigeon peas on the shelf. On the back was a recipe for a hispanic version of beans and rice - I guess there's a recipe for beans in rice in nearly every culture! Turned out to be a family favorite - all the kids just loved it- ate every bite. So I made some for Kathy's family the next night. I hope they liked it too.

Here's the recipe with my changes:

4 slices thick sliced bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 c chopped bell peppers (I like a mix of red, yellow, and green)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans pigeon peas (Gandules Verdes)
2 tsp salt
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 cups rice
The recipe calls for something called Sazon Goya con Culantro y Achiote as well, but in looking up that item, I found that paprika plus a bit of nutmeg and dash of cayenne will serve just fine. Plus a sprinkling of fresh cilantro at the end is a very nice touch.

Cook the bacon in a large shallow skillet till crisp. Add the onions , garlic, and peppers and cook till softened. Drain most of the liquid from the pigeon peas and stir them in. Add the salt, seasoning, tomato sauce, rice, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook about 20 minutes until rice is done. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. You can sprinkle with a little hot pepper vinegar if you like.