New Year's Greens and Black-eyed Peas

Last New Year's Day I had people over to watch football and eat collard greens and black-eyed peas. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is a tradition in the South, because they are thought to bring prosperity for the rest of the year. Do I believe this? Well of course not, but it's a fun tradition and I really like black-eyed peas. The day and the meal was a success, so I hosted it again this year.

It was the last football Saturday until Fall 2011, so lots of games were on, including Bama's bowl game (Roll Tide!), so football was on all afternoon (another Southern tradition any day football is on). We had three tv screens set up in the living room with three different games going at once.

I had dinner ready a little after five, and the food was even better this year. In addition to the greens and peas, I made cornbread, two lemon pies, cran-apple cider, and Lee bought a ham from Apple Lane Farms. Eating pork is also supposed to bring prosperity in the new year. I think I will host New Year's Day at our house every year.

I didn't take any photos of the food or anything else yesterday, but here is how I fixed up my fixings:


Collard Greens

1-2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil (canola or veg. oil would be fine)

pork neck bones (I used 4 pieces)

1-2 tbs apple cider vinegar

3 bundles collard greens; washed well, tough centers removed from leaves, roughly torn or cut into 2-3 inch pieces (each bundle contained 3-4 stalks of collards)

water

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

green pepper sauce for serving (optional); this sauce is thin and vinegary and found in clear glass bottles that contain small, whole green peppers



Before you begin, you may want to turn on your kitchen fan and/or open a couple of windows. Once you add the liquid to the hot pot of oil and neck bones, some smoke is to be expected.

Heat a large pot on high and add the oil. Add the neck bones, browning them on the two largest sides (watch out for hot oil splatter). Add the apple cider vinegar, and scrape the bottom of pot to deglaze.

Add the collard greens, stir well, and add just enough water to cover them (the greens will quickly shrink, and you don't want too much water because it will dilute the flavor).

Add some freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil if not there already. Turn down the heat, but keep the greens moving. Boil for at least 3 hours. They should be quite tender before eating.

Add salt to taste and more pepper if necessary and serve.



Black-eyed Peas

1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil (canola or veg. oil would be fine)

pork neck bones (I used 4 pieces)

3 bags dried black-eyed peas, soaked in plenty of water overnight in the fridge and then rinsed and picked over to remove any bad ones that stand out

water

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste



Before you begin, you may want to turn on your kitchen fan and/or open a couple of windows. Once you add the liquid to the hot pot of oil and neck bones, some smoke is to be expected.

Heat a large pot on high and add the oil. Add the neck bones, browning them on the two largest sides (watch out for hot oil splatter). Add a little bit of water, sraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Add black-eyed peas, then add enough water so that the peas are covered with a 1/2 inch to 1 inch water on top.

Add freshly ground pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Watch the peas carefully, reducing the heat when necessary so that they do not come to a full boil (trust me, if the peas boil they fall apart too quickly and they will not be good).

Simmer for 2-3 hours.

Add salt to taste and more pepper if necessary and serve.



Lemon Meringue Pie
(the way my mom has always made it)

1 can sweetened condensed milk like Eagle Brand (I have been using the fat-free version lately, and no one including myself can tell the difference)

1/2 cup bottled lemon juice (I once used fresh and it just wasn't the same)

2 eggs, separated

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of cream of tarter

1 graham cracker crust pie shell, like Keebler brand



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

For the filling:

In a bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and 2 egg yolks. Mix well ( I use a whisk and/or a spoon) and set aside.

For the meringue:

In another bowl, add 2 egg whites, sugar, and cream of tarter. Beat with a mixer until creamy and fairly thick.

Pour lemon filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue on top, trying not to get the lemon filling mixed into it (this is the hardest part for me).

Bake directly on the oven rack for about 20-30 minutes. The meringue should be a light golden brown at its peaks.

Place on a cooling rack so filling can set. Cool as long as you can wait (often only 5-10 minutes for me) and serve. I like my lemon pie on the warm side, but if you want yours cool or cold, place in the fridge before serving. Definitely refrigerate any leftover pie.



Cran-apple Cider
(I throw this together every New Year's Eve or New Year's Day using my memory for a now lost recipe I got from a former professor and friend)

1 three-liter container cran-apple juice (This year I also added a couple cups of cranberry-pomegranate juice I had on hand)

1/2 cup orange juice ( I use my morning OJ, not freshly squeezed)

5 family-size black tea bags (more or less depending on how you like it)

water (optional) (to cut strength of cider if needed)

several cinnamon sticks

small handfull of whole cloves

sugar or sugar substitute to taste (I used a handfull of stevia packets this time and the cider came out nicely)

fresh orange slices for garnish (optional)



Heat all juice in a large pot until hot (not boiling), and then add tea bags. Steep tea for 15-20 minutes. Remove tea bags and add remaining ingredients (I placed my whole cloves in a gadget used for steeping fresh tea leaves so I wouldn't have to strain the cider as it was served...I left it in for 20 minutes, and then I refilled it with a new bunch of whole cloves for the remainder). I added a little water, about 1 1/2 cups to thin it out a bit (this is a taste and adjust as I go recipe).

Serve warm to hot.

I served mine to my guests from a crockpot, because I needed the stove for the greens and peas. I kept the remaining cider that wouldn't fit in the crockpot in the 3-liter cran-apple juice container and refilled the crockpot when needed (also a great way to travel with your cider).



Mexican-style Cornbread
(another treat I whip up without a proper recipe)

1 box Jiffy brand cornbread mix (usually found at the grocery store near the cake/muffin mixes and not with the cornmeal)

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

a little salsa, a tablespoon or two

a little cheddar cheese (I used one slice of packaged sharp)

green tabasco sauce (I used a little less than a tablespoon, and it didn't produce a cornbread that was very spicy, so I will use 1-2 tablespoons next time) (I usually use a tablespoon or two of chopped jalopenos from a jar of sliced jalopenos, but I was out)

a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper



Combine cornbread mix, egg, and milk in a bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Follow directions on cornbread mix package to cook cornbread.

Serve warm.

A Quiet Holiday Dinner for Two

Once I knew Lee and I would be at home by ourselves on xmas, and that I would have to prepare dinner, I began thinking of more than what kind of food to put on the plate. Since it was the first xmas we were by ourselves in our own house, I began thinking about what plates to use, what tablecloth to use, and what I could use to create a centerpiece for the table. I became quite overwhelmed.

In the end, we wound up with a humble table for two. I gave up on ironing a tablecloth, but I did create a centerpiece out of a candle and some fake pine cones I had in my craft stash. It was nice dining with candlelight. It was nice eating at the table. We usually just eat our meals on trays in the living room while watching television (a bad habit I want to correct before having children).



I liked having the challenge of creating a meal out of what we had on hand. I would have enjoyed it more if I had been feeling better, though. I have a sinus infection and have been suffering from dizziness and nausea daily.

The challenge was not too tough, because we had plenty of food around the house. I decided to use some chicken thighs I had in the freezer, farro we brought back from Italy, and the last of the loaf of bread for a sweet bread pudding.

I had never eaten farro until we brought this bag back from Italy. We bought it in Montepulciano, Tuscany. It is quite heavy and held us up in customs a bit, but I really like the taste and texture. It has a nutty, earthy flavor and texture a bit like an al dente pasta. I opened the bag up earlier this year and made a farro risotto with dried porcini mushrooms. It came out tasting a little too earthy, but I knew I would like experimenting with the farro until it was all gone.



My thinking with the farro was that it could be mixed with vegetables, nuts, and even cheese to resemble a stuffing to go alongside the chicken (Note: stuffing is not something I have ever eaten during the holidays, either...we eat dressing down here in Alabama). I searched the internet for farro recipes keeping in mind that as far as vegetables (besides carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes) I had some zucchini and one green and one yellow bell pepper. I also had several nuts, including pistachios, almonds, and pecans. As for cheese, I had parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, and a little bit of shredded mozzarella.

My search turned up a recipe for Zucchini and Farro Gratin over at Closet Cooking. This is one of my favorite food blogs. Whenever I am craving something, I can usually find something delicious there. So Zucchini and Farro Gratin it was, with some cheese substitutions. The recipe called for parmigiano regiano and gruyere, so I used the parm and the other two cheeses I had available. I used regular bread crumbs instead of the panko he used. I had some panko, but I just wanted to use bread crumbs. I also didn't grate the zucchini but just diced it into small pieces. They provided a welcome crunch on the plate next to the soft chicken and vegetables I made.



I had a bottle of Chardonay, so I settled on cooking the chicken with wine, herbs, and butter...yum, butter. I don't use butter, especially real butter, that often. I added onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes as well. As for the herbs, I used fresh thyme, a little fresh rosemary, and some dried sage. The vegetables ended up being delicious. The chicken was good as well. It was a litte tougher than it should have been, because I added too much wine and water to the pan and had to cook it too long.



The chicken served with the gratin and the rest of the Chardonnay made for a good meal. It just wasn't real holiday fare. I still really want some dressing. The meal was a little one-note too. We usually like more contrast and kick to our meals. A fresh salad with fruit and soft cheese would have been a nice addition. But, we made do with what we had. I need to do this more often, because we spend way too much money on food, and a good bit of it never gets used.

For dessert, I made a Nutella bread pudding.



Needless to say, it was yummy. Anything Nutella is delicious. It is also really easy. I just cut up our leftover whole-wheat sandwich bread and toss it with one can of fat-free sweetened, condensed milk, 1/4 to 1/2 cup Nutella, one egg, and enough milk to make enough of the mixture to cover the bread. I bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, and voila, a delicious, comfortng, chocolate dessert.



After dinner we watched The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers until we got so sleepy we couldn't keep our eyes open. Not a terrible way to spend the evening. Oh, and Santa did bring me a step ladder and some chocolate. He also brought me two surprises--a cheese grater and a wine saver kit.

We woke up this morning to more snow. We ate leftover gratin and finished watching the movie. I have the unused chicken thighs marinating in the fridge for my first attempt at chicken tikki masala, one of the only Indian dishes Lee likes. Indian is one of my favorite cuisines.

Huevos Rancheros

A few months ago I posted a recipe for Huevos, but I've tweaked it a bit since then. I've upped the amount of vegetables, adding more carrots, bell peppers, garlic, and onions. I also now add some tomato sauce along with the Cholula hot sauce.

After I sauted the vegetables, I cooked them in the sauce, covered, until tender. I then added the egg and covered again to make it really fluffy.



I just ate this for dinner, and it was delicious. It doesn't even need the chorizo or Soyrizo...of course, that makes everything better.

And for dessert...



Better-for-me Banana Split

Ingredients:

Fat-free plain yogurt
Stevia in the raw for sweetness
Vanilla extract
Banana
Ground flax seeds
Caramel sauce

This was yummy.

Chayote Squash Chicken and Rice

When I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few things, I was trying to come up with something for dinner that would include yellow summer squash. My mind was swirling around Mexican food. I was thinking about something with chipotle peppers, maybe coating the squash with chipotle pepper paste and roasting it.

My eyes fell onto some chayote squash, so I grabbed a couple. I had worked with one before but it was years ago. Chayote is pronounced [chah-YOH-teh] and resembles a green pear in appearance, taste and texture. It is sometimes called a vegetable pear.


I had picked up a rotisserie chicken as well as some dried chorizo sausage (I love chorizo!). When I make chicken tacos or enchiladas I start with some shredded rotisserie chicken, so I grabbed the chicken and went to work. I used a fork to shred the chicken this time and it worked great. I hate shredding it with my fingers even though it is very effective. I will use the fork from now on. I still had no idea of what exactly I was making. I had no taco shells and no tortillas, so I would not be making tacos or enchiladas.

I added some extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic and put it in a non-stick pan on low heat. I decided I wanted to add the chayote to the chicken mixture, so I sliced and diced it. There was somewhat of a seed pocket at the very center. It was very easy to work around and discard.

Well, here's the recipe with my usual nonmeasurement:

Chayote Squash Chicken and Rice

1 pack yellow rice (I use Vigo brand)
Extra virgin olive oil
Minced garlic (about a tablespoon)
1 bay leaf
Ground cumin (about a tablespoon)
Smoked paprika (small sprinkling)
Dried oregano (1-2 teaspoons)
Freshly ground black pepper (1-2 teaspoons)
Chorizo (I used one small dried sausage,sliced, but ground chorizo would work too)
1 chayote squash, diced
Shredded rotisserie chicken (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
Chicken broth (about 1 cup)
Salt to taste
Sprinkling of shredded cheese (I had mozzarella on hand)
Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Get yellow rice cooking according to package directions. Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick pan over very low heat. Add seasonings to oil (garlic thru black pepper). I shredded my chicken and sliced and diced my chorizo and chayote squash while the pan and seasonings were heating up.

Raise heat of pan to medium and stir seasonings and oil. When they start to sizzle a little, add the chorizo and chayote and stir to coat. Heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add chicken and stir to coat. Add chicken broth, a little salt if needed, and simmer over medium heat until liquid reduces.




After most of the liquid has reduced, top with a sprinkling of cheese and toss the mixture. Serve over rice with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

This was very flavorful. I was a little too heavy-handed with the salt, but other than that it was fantastic. I will definitely make this again. It would be a great enchilada or taco filling.