New Year’s Day Food Traditions (Hoppin John)

Your Kitchen Table

Every family has New Years Day food traditions.  As someone with roots in Texas one of my New Years Day traditional foods is to have black eyed peas, greens, and cornbread in some form or another.  This year I made the traditional dish Hoppin John for the family.

Hoppin' John Recipe by What’s Cooking America  (Adapted)

Ingredients:

2 cups dried black-eyed peas

1 pound lean slab bacon or 1 pound meaty ham hocks (Optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth/stock (Or Vegetable Stock)

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

1 bunch collard greens (washed, stems removed, and leaves torn)

1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons tabasco

Salt and black pepper to taste

Slow Cooker Preparation:

To the slow cooker, add soaked black-eyed peas, partially cooked bacon or ham hock (optional), onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Add broth and stir everything together. 

Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 to 5 hours until the peas are tender.

Stir collard greens and dice tomatoes; cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes

Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with Rice.  Try this “Perfect Basic White Rice” recipe by Food.com

Makes 8 servings.

What New Year’s Day traditional food(s) do you enjoy with your family?  Leave a comment.