Ham & Greens Pot Pie w/ Cornbread Crust

I think the rich, savory combination of smoked ham, collard greens, and black-eyed peas is a combination that deserves to be enjoyed more than just once a year.  I mean, I don't know about about you, but I could use a little dose of good fortune at least once a month.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

We had black-eyed peas two way on New Year's Day.  And neither was Hoppin' John, if you can believe that.  I almost can't believe it myself.  But I wanted to go a different route this year.  For lunch, we had little pot pies that had ham and collards along with the black-eyed peas (much like HJ, actually)... and a white cornbread crust.  That one is coming your way soon.

The other way we had 'em was in a dip.  A fairly unimpressive looking dip.  But the taste?  Oh, it was impressive.  And nobody stopped scooping until the dish was scraped clean.

Now, this isn't one of those ooey-gooey-oooh-and-aaah-at-the-site-of-glorious-cheese-ribbon dips.  It is a humble bean dip.  Easily overlooked next to its fromagey neighbors.  Just remember not to judge a book by its cover, okay?

That was one of the most valuable lessons my mama life has taught me.  While the stuff on the outside attracts your attention more easily, it's the stuff on the inside that you fall in love with.

Now hurry up and go get acquainted with this Black-Eyed Pea Dip.  Get lucky even after January 1st.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake appetizer vegetarian beans cheese New Year Super Bowl American

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 (~15.5 oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained & lightly rinsed
• ½ c. (4 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ c. (4 oz.) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ¼ c. sour cream
• 3 Tbs. roasted salsa verde
• ~1 Tbs. hot sauce (I used Cholula Chili Garlic)
• 1 jalapeño en escabeche (pickled), sliced or chopped
• 1 Tbs. minced, dried onion
• salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place about ⅔ of the black-eyed peas into a medium-sized bowl and mash. Add the remaining whole beans to the bowl along with all of the other ingredients and mix well.

Dump the whole thing into a small baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Slide into preheated oven and bake for ~30 minutes, or until hot and bubbling around the edges.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy.

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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Black-Eyed Peas with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Do you ever walk around the kitchen.  Craving something.  Yet you just don't know what it is that you're craving.  You check the cupboards.  You check the fridge.  You check the freezer.  Then you check the cupboards again.  And you check the fridge again...and so on.  When this happens to me, it seems my body needs either citrus (think sweet, juicy orange or fat, puckery grapefruit) or dark, colorful food (like deep, orange sweet potatoes and bitter, peppery greens).

The past few days...maybe even a week now...I've felt this way.  I went for a tangelo (aka mineola) first.  Nothin'.  A few more days and a bit more wear to the linoleum (ssshhhh...I tell myself it's tile, but really it is linoleum) and I knew I had to hit the market in a bad way.  I miss being able to run over the the community garden and come home with a big basket of kale.  Hurry up summer!  Fortunately the market had some good looking kale and a decent bin of sweet potatoes.  I found a recipe that I could not get out of my head in one of my Moosewood books, so that was on the docket for today.  Although the original recipe calls for pigeon peas, I used black-eyed peas because that's what I had in the house.  And to be truthful, I've never seen pigeon peas around here.  So that is for another day.  Subbing in some deep purpley-red onions for regular and olive oil for vegetable oil, the meal came together in a quick and ultra-crave-satisfying manner!

Black-Eyed Peas w/ Kale & Sweet Potatoes

adapted from a recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

serves: ~4

1 large sweet potato (~2 c.), peeled & diced into ½" cubes

1 medium red onion (~1 c.), chopped

1 Tbs. olive oil

~~

~1 lb. kale (a huge handful)

~3 c. black-eyed peas, drained if in liquid

salt

freshly ground black pepper

~~

tabasco, pepper vinegar, &/or cider vinegar, to serve

Bring a couple cups of water to boil in a pot, salt it and then add the sweet potato cubes.  Cook for ~10 minutes or until barely tender.  While potatoes cook, sauté red onion in olive oil in a large skillet until it is translucent.  

Remove the tough bottom parts of the stem from the kale, then slice lengthwise through the leaves and chop them pretty small.  Add kale to onions and sauté for a couple of minutes, or until the kale is bright green.  

Scoop about 3 Tbs. of sweet potato cooking water into the pan to help the kale steam and cook.  Drain the sweet potatoes and then add them to the skillet along with the black-eyed peas.  Toss everything and stir, cooking for a couple more minutes, or until everything is heated through.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.  

Serve immediately, offering Tabasco or vinegars at the table...for a little somethin' extra.

I liked the combo of pepper vinegar and the green pepper Tabasco on mine.  Tangy with a slight, lingering heat.  And I don't feel like I'm lost anymore.  Craving officially satisfied.

*MLLA is being hosted at Ammalu's Kitchen this month.

Encouraging fortune in the New Year with a bowl of Hoppin' John ...and reinforcing it with Skippin' Jenny

Thinking back to New Year's eve, what I remember as a kid is Dick Clark, the giant ball, and live music.  Well, live from the telley, at least.  We always cheered and toasted and enjoyed just being home to welcome in a new year.  We never went out to parties or even visited anybody, I don't think.  If memory serves and occasionally it does, I think I spent New Year's of my senior year at a friend's house.  And then there was college.  Well, now.  That is a whole 'nother story in itself.  But once that was out of my system, it was pretty much back to in-house celebrations for me.  Not always at my house, though until marriage and a slew okay, three of kids came along.  We pretty much just hang out at home and re-create the Dick Clark evenings of my past.  Only now I can drink as much as I choose.  Honestly though...I like it that!  I don't have to brave the crazies and drunk drivers. 

But anyway...my whole point of talking about New Year's of years past was to ponder the fact that we never had any New Year's food traditions growing up in my house.  So, I just went ahead and made some of my own.  I suppose I didn't really make some of my own...I borrowed them from other people...but you know what I mean.  One I basically credit myself with is drinking Mimosa's all day on the first of the year.  That's a fun one.  As a matter of fact, I'm drinking one right now ☺.  The popping of a cork at midnight is an age-old tradition...but I like to make sure that I have another one or two to pop throughout the day, as well.

I also love the tradition of eating twelve grapes with the twelve strokes of the new year.  Make a mental note of any sour ones, as those may be an indication of tougher months.  But one I've grown to love is making Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.  People usually associate it with the Southern states...but I think it's spread pretty far and wide over the years.

It is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day...and of course there are variations, but for the most part it is a stew-like dish that consists of black-eyed peas, greens, and a smoked pork product.  Mmmmmm...smoked pork.  The black-eyed peas are symbolic of coins and symbolize good fortune in the new year.  By mixing in the greens, you're adding more wealth (green=money) to the pot!  By leaving three beans in the bottom of your bowl, a person can ensure luck, romance, and fortune in the new year*. 

I've tried a few different recipes, but I think I've found one I'm sticking with in the future...it's a slow-cooker recipe (did you see my review a few days back?) which I love because I just had everything ready to go in the slow cooker and flipped it on low before we went to bed in the wee hours of New Year's morning.  It was ready for brunchin' on when we woke up!  I adapted it a bit and may change it around a little in the future, but it's a fantastic base recipe!

Hoppin' John {slow-cooker recipe}

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes + overnight soak fo

Cook Time: 8-12 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker entree beans greens sausage New Year American Southern winter

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 1 lb. dry black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced on the bias
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
• ½ c. brown rice
• 1 (10.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
• 12 oz. collard greens, washed and chopped
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 5 c. chicken broth or rich chicken stock
• crushed red chiles
• balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Place the soaked black-eyed peas in the bottom of a 6 qt. slow-cooker. Add the sausage, onion, garlic, rice, tomatoes w/ chiles, and collard greens. Add salt, pepper, and some crushed red chiles to taste; pour the stock/broth over the whole thing.

Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until beans are soft and tender. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar over each bowl at service.

inspired by and adapted from More Make it Fast Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea

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Don't forget to eat a second serving on the day after New Year's.  By doing this, you're demonstrating your fantastic frugal sense... and hey, it never hurts to have an added layer of prosperity in your corner in my opinion.  Oh, but don't call it Hoppin' John anymore...because on the second day, it's called Skippin' Jenny (okay, I don't know if this is true...just heard it this year, I thought it was a fun piece of food lore)*.

How 'bout you?  Do you and your family have any foodie New Year's traditions?

*source: Wikipedia