Prosperous New Year? I have a recipe for that ..
Wishing all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.
As for the prosperous portion, there are some traditional foods for that …
Black-eyed Peas:
Food scholars and historians say black-eyed peas represent coins, collard greens represent paper money, and cornbread represents gold. Some say you’ll have the best chance at luck if you eat precisely 365 black-eyed peas, one for each day of the year. Others will even add a coin to the pot that the peas cook in, and it is said that whoever gets the coin in their dish will have the most luck in the coming year.
While there are varying origin stories, One version says that during the Civil War, Union army soldiers in General Sherman’s troop raided the Confederate army’s food stash but left behind black-eyed peas, viewing them as food for livestock. When the Confederate army had to make do with what remained, they were lucky to have the black-eyed peas to eat during the harsh winter; thus, it became a symbol of luck and abundance.
Black Eyed Peas
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb Ham Cooked
- 4 cups Black Eyed Peas Picked, Washed, Soaked
- 1 ea Onion Peeled Diced
- 4 ribs Celery Washed, diced
- 1 ea Green Bell Pepper Washed, cored, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic Peeled, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme Washed Chopped
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 4 cups Chicken Stock Low Sodium (to cover)
- 2 tbps Butter
Instructions
- Foam out the butter in a dutch oven
- Add trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) and cook until onions are soft and translucent
- Add thyme, garlic black pepper, cayenne, stir until fragrant ~ 1 minute
- Add left over cooked ham, peas and stock to cover, bring to a boil, thence reduce heat to medium low and simmer until peas are tender.
- Serve over rice or cornbread.
Notes
Nutrition
Collard Greens:
In Southern tradition, eating collard greens on New Year’s Day symbolizes prosperity and financial abundance for the coming year, as the green color of the greens is associated with money; this is often paired with black-eyed peas, which are believed to bring good luck.
Collards
Ingredients
- 4-6 Slices Bacon Thick Cut, cut to 1/2" pieces
- 1 ea Onion Peeled, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Vinegar Apple Cider is great here
- 2 lb Collard Greens Washed, Stemmed, Sliced to 1/8"
- 2 tbsp Sugar Optional
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- Hot Sauce To taste
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large skillet over medium heat, and cook until it begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onion and cook until it's softened and starting to take color.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and hot sauce.
- Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the vinegar and simmer. We are reducing by half and scraping the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the collard greens and the chicken stock.
- Return to a simmer. Reduce the temperature to medium-low.
- Cook, occasionally stirring, until the collard greens have wilted.
- Taste, Season, and balance the flavor, adding vinegar and hot sauce as desired.
- Serve with pot liquor (sauce) from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
CornBread:
Cornbread is a traditional Southern New Year’s Day food symbolizing wealth and good fortune. The golden color of cornbread represents wealth, and its brown shape, especially when baked in a cast iron skillet, is also considered a symbol of good fortune.
Corn Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Corn Meal Yellow, of course
- 1 cup AP Flour
- 1 cup Milk Sweet or buttermilk, whole full fat.
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt Kosher, of course
- 1 ea Egg Free Range, Large or better
- 1/4 cup Oil Vegetable, Canola or taste free
- 1/2 Large Sweet Onion Peeled and Diced
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper Large, washed, seeded, stemmed, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F . Place 9-inch cast-iron skillet in oven to warm it.
- Mix corn meal and mix in large bowl; Let rest for 5 minutes
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into corn meal mixture. Mix onion, jalapeno, and eggs into the corn meal mixture until you have a smooth batter, about 1 minute. Let rest 5 minutes
- Remove skillet and oil, or use butter for more flavor; Pour batter into skillet
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, turn out and slice into wedges. Serve as a side to chili, beans, or just with butter
Notes
Nutrition
Ham / Pork:
Ham is considered a lucky food to eat on New Year’s Day because the forward motion of a pig rooting for food symbolizes progress in the coming year.
Beer Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 1 ea Ham Fully Cooked, 3-4 pounds, Spiral Cut
- 1 can Beer Decent Stuff
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Mustard Yellow or whole grain
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place ham in roasting pan
- Pour over 1 cup of beer
- Roast for 12-15 minutes per pound. (looking for 135)
- Do baste this every 10-20 minutes.
- Mix 1/2 cup beer with the mustard and brown sugar. (looking for a thick paste)
- When the ham is at temp, pull it and glaze.
- Return the ham to the oven for 10-15 minutes longer to set the glaze (~140).
- Slice, serve and drizzle with cooking liquids.
Notes
Nutrition
Filed
under: American, Cajun, Creole, Cultural-Misappropriation, Southern, Winter
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