New Orleans duex

We had some andouille sausages I wanted to use and as you know, I'm in a New Orleans kind of mood. So, I was browsing the Gumbo Pages and found this recipe that uses andouille sausage. Now, I have to admit to being very bad and hardly following the recipe at all. I was planning to and I will do so next time. But, this version came up pretty darn good.

Black Eyed Peas and Andouille Sausage Soup/Stew

• 1/2 pound black-eyed peas
• 2 Andouille Sausages  - pan fried and cut into bite size pieces
• 5 oz ham (I had some left over in the freezer from a dinner we had done up a bit ago)
• 6 cups beef stock (well that was what I had in the fridge since we had just done up some beef stock)
• 2 tbsp Cajun spices (I used Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning )
• 1 large onion - chopped finely
• 1 large bell pepper - chopped finely (red since the BF doesn't like green, go figure)
• 2 bay leaves handful of parsley leaves - roughly chopped
• butter to saute

In a hot pan, saute the onions and bell pepper in butter until onions are softened, about 5 min.

Add Cajun seasoning and give it a quick stir. Add bay leaf, stock, black eyed peas - simmer for about 10-15 min.

During the simmering time, cook up the sausages and cut them into bite size pieces.

Put in sausages, ham and parsley.

Simmer for a few min - until the black eyed peas are done to a consistency you like.

We did eat it with a wee bit of sourdough bread that I got from Gene's. Best sourdough I've bought outside of San Fran.