Starting the New Year with Black-eyed Peas and Greens is a Southern tradition signifying good luck and prosperity. I'm not superstitious but what the heck, might as well just in case?
Peas represent coins and Collards are the green color of money. And you are visiting the right place, this Internet Chef likes cooking for cheap so you will save mucho dinero following my recipes. Black-eyed Peas and Collard Green have a lot of flavor the way I make them, so read on and see how much bang for the buck I deliver...free of charge!
I can honestly say I did not care for Black-eyed Peas as a kid as they were usually heated up right out of the can, but over time I have grown to savor them, especially when they are homemade.
My Black-eyed Peas video recipe below has the addition of a leftover hambone or ham hock. Ham is still cheaper than a buck a pound, but make sure to get it bone-in so you can add it to the Black-eyed Peas. Ham hock is more expensive but you are buying a small cut of pork.
The main vegetable additions are onion, garlic, and celery. If you are vegan it's easy enough to leave out the ham and add extra veggies like carrot and bell pepper. And for that smokey ham flavor add a few drops of Liquid Smoke.
And for the New Year's Day Celebration, my Black-eyed Peas just need some rice to make the Southern traditional Hoppin' Johns. You can cook some rice (about 20 minutes of simmering, covered) with the finished Black-eyed Peas or steam the rice separately and add the Black-eyed Peas when you are ready to celebrate.
Check out my easy-to-make Black-eyed Peas video recipe below and click here to see my original blog post's step-by-step directions with yummy photos and tasty text.
As for Collard Greens, I never had them until I started High School in Louisiana. We'd get them sometimes in the cafeteria for lunch and if you went to a local country-style restaurant or BBQ joint they were on the menu somewhere and they were always loaded with bacon or ham, of course.
My late wife Amy found a recipe she would make all the time and I fell in love with it, too. What makes the recipe over the top is the addition of a bottle of beer, a tablespoon of molasses, and a small splash of vinegar. Bacon is included, too but you can substitute it with a few drops of liquid smoke and make this a vegan entree.
I get Greens here for about a dollar per bunch -- that's still a good and cheap deal. So check out my recipe video below and click here to see my original blog post and all the yummy details.
No comments:
Post a Comment