Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Stew

* *Dried Black eyed peas, 2 cup (remove)
* *Collards {1c = 85g}, 850 gram (remove)
* *Fresh Garlic (1 clove = 3g), 12 gram(s) (remove)
Fresh Sweet Onion (1 Medium Raw), diced
Bell Pepper - Red - 1 large , diced
Celery raw six 5 inch sticks, diced
Aldi Olive Oil, 3 tbsp
6 cups water
Wegmans Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce, 1.5 cup
Tomatoes, kitchen cut, wegmans, 14 oz
Amore Italian Tomato Paste(double concentraed -tube), 1 tbsp
Instant VegeBase, 2.5 tsp -prepared w/2 c. water
Thyme, dried, 2 tsp - divided
Dried Oregano, 2 tsp- divided
Paprika, 1 tsp
Franks - Red Hot Original Sauce, 4 tsp

Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3 more minutes.
Add the black-eyed peas, 6 cups water, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1 teaspoon of oregano.
Cook until peas are tender, about 45-55 minutes.
Once the peas are tender, add all remaining ingredients and cook for at least 25 minutes to allow flavors to develop. ((At this point, I transferred to a Crockpot on high for a few hours))
Serve with brown rice. Serves 6, heartily!!

Serving Size: Makes 6 hearty servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user GRACIESUE.