Friday, January 1, 2016

Hello 2016, it's nice to meet you

How did you spend New Year's Eve? We enjoyed an early dinner at Cheddar's, made a quick grocery stop at Kroger, watched some Netflix, and toasted with prosecco at midnight. It was a quiet evening at home, but that was just fine.

Today, I'll be putting away my Christmas decor and probably taking a nap. For dinner, I'm making cabbage and Hoppin' John - both are traditional southern fare for the holidays. Black eyed peas and greens are supposed to bring health and wealth in the new year. I'm generally not very superstitious, but this is a tradition I remember from my childhood. I just wouldn't risk stopping it now.

If you want to make Hoppin' John, here's the basic recipe I follow now and the same one my mom used to make too. I have a feeling most southerners make it similarly. 😊

Bag of frozen miraproix cajun mix (onions, celery, green pepper)
1/2 stick of butter
1 pound hot ground sausage
2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced, seasoned tomatoes like Rotel
1 bag of boil in bag brown rice
Carton of chicken broth
Water
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning

Sauté miraproix mix in large stockpot with a pat of butter. Add sausage and brown. Drain excess grease. Add remaining ingredients except water. Bring to a boil. As rice begins to fluff, add water to keep the consistency more of a soup than a stew. Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste. Turn down to low and simmer at least an hour for flavor to meld. Serve with buttered cabbage and cornbread. (Some people put cabbage leaves in the soup, but I prefer to keep it separate.)

Happy new year to you and yours!

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