NEW YEARS
BLACK-EYED PEAS
Blackeyed peas have long been a tradition for the New Year's table.
They are to bring good luck for the coming year. They can be cooked
with ham hocks, or a ham bone, and water. Serve with cornbread, ham
and greens. If you don't like to use ham hock you can
use a smoked turkey to flavor the peas.
GREENS AND BLACK EYED PEAS
1 1/2 kale or other greens**
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
Pinch of dried red pepper or ground black
2 cups canned, rinsed black-eyed peas
1 Tbsp. wine or herb vinegar
**Broccoli is good also
Remove the tough stems from greens, then chop leaves in
one-inch pieces. Place about two inches of water in a pot
and heat to boiling. Add the greens, cover and cook until tender,
stirring occasionally, drain. In a skillet,
combine oil and garlic. Cook the garlic over low heat, stirring,
about two minutes. Add the peas and pepper, stirring, about three
minutes. Add the greens and stir, then add the vinegar. Serve hot or
at room temperature.
ITALIAN LENTILS
1 lb. dry lentils
2 carrots, peeled, divided
2 stalks celery, divided
1 large sweet onion, chopped, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2-3 leaves fresh sage or 1/4 tsp. dried
1/4 cup tomato or spaghetti sauce
salt to taste
Wash the lentils and sort, place in water to cover, and
bring to a boil, then allow them to sit for one hour. Rinse and
drain. Put the lentils in a large pan and add a whole carrot, one
celery stalk, 1/3 of the onion and salt to taste. Add water to cover
all. Bring to a boil and the reduce to a low heat; cover and allow
them simmer for about 2 - 3 hours. Check occasionally to see if
they are done. Add more water if they look dry. About 30 minutes
before they are done, heat a pan with
the butter and oil. Add remaining carrot, celery and onion, finely
chopped. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes; then add the
tomato sauce and two fresh sage leaves. Simmer for about ten
minutes. Add them to the lentils and cook together for 10 minutes
stirring frequently.
BLACKEYED PEAS
1 1/2 cups dried blackeyed peas
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 small piece salt pork or thick bacon piece
Soak the peas overnight in water to cover. Drain, add to a large pan,
cover with about 2 1/2 cups hot water. Add other ingredients and
stir. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until peas are soft.
BLACKEYED PEAS, HAM & SAUSAGE
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1 lb. Italian or other sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 lb. cooked ham, diced
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1-15 oz. can black-eyed peas
salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, cook the bacon till it starts to
crisp, add the sausage and ham and saute until browned, add
onion, bell pepper and jalapeno, cook until the pepper
begins
to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and
add the can of black-eyed peas and simmer over low heat for
about 30 minutes. Can be served over rice.
BLACKEYED PEA SOUP
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 thick slices bacon
2 large sweet onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 whole bay leaves
1 dried thyme, crumbled
5 cups chicken broth
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
Place peas in a large pan, add cold
water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat; cook for 2
minutes.
Remove peas from the heat and let stand, covered, for 1
hour.
Drain peas and rinse; return to pan, add water and salt.
Bring to
a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30
minutes.
Drain peas into a bowl, reserving 1 cup liquid. Purée 1 cup
peas,
adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, if
necessary. Cut
the bacon into 1/2-inch strips, add to the pan the peas
were cooked
in, and cook till crisp, transfer
bacon to paper
towel to drain. In bacon drippings, sauté onions,
carrots, garlic,
bay leaves, and thyme over medium heat, until vegetables
soften,
about 8 to 10 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid, broth,
peas,
and pea purée and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to
low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Mix in lemon
juice, red
pepper sauce, and reserved bacon. Heat til warmed through.
Discard
bay leaves and serve. Makes 8 servings.
BLACKEYED PEA GUMBO
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup brown rice
4 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion, pepper, and
celery until tender. Pour in chicken broth, and mix in rice,
black-eyed peas with liquid, diced tomatoes and green chiles, diced
tomatoes, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer
45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add water if soup is too thick.
OLIE BOLLEN
Olie Bollen are a Dutch tradition. Sometimes raisins, currents or
other dried fruit are added. These are served
on New Year's Eve.
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup water
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk, warmed
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 pound raisins, soaked overnight
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and allow to stand in
warm place for 30 minutes. Combine eggs, milk, corn syrup,
raisins and yeast mixture in large bowl. Sift flour and salt into
mixture and mix well for a few minutes. It should be firm
enough to fall from the spoon in a ball shape. Either add
more water or flour depending on dough. Let the dough
rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Drop by tablespoonful
into hot, preheated grease. (Same temp. as for French Fries)
Fry until browned.
KIELBASA AND KRAUT
6-8 large red potatoes cut into quarters
4 yellow onions sliced into fourths
2 lb. Kielbasa, diagonally sliced into 1 1/2" pieces
1 large package (about 1 lb.) sauerkraut, undrained
1 T. dill
1/2 T. ground caraway seeds
1-3 T. sugar to taste.
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker/crock pot on medium for 2 hours. Check to make sure there is enough juice; you may need to add up to a cup of water to keep it simmering in its juice.
NOTE:
Can use only 1 lb. Kielbasa, and add about 2 lb. country-style spareribs, cut in small pieces. Serves 3-4.
BLACK BUN
Famous throughout Scotland since the eighteenth century, Black Bun was often made at Christmas, when it was sometimes called Yule Cake. The filling is much like a rich, black Christmas pudding. It requires neither eggs nor sugar. Also eaten for New Year's celebrations.
Serves 10-12
PASTRY:
1 lb. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. butter
FILLING:
12 oz. self-raising flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. seedless raisins
1 lb. currants
2 oz. mixed peel, optional
2 oz. glace cherries, chopped
4 oz. blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
2 T. whisky
Milk
2 beaten egg yolks
Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl; then rub in the butter until you have a crumb-like consistency. Mix in 1 T. very cold water. If the dough is still crumbly, add another and stir and mix until it will come away from the bowl in one piece, leaving the bowl clean.
Flour a board and roll the pastry out to a little less than 1/4 inch thickness. Grease either a 10x5 inch bread tin or a loose bottomed 8-inch cake tin. Line the tin, molding the pastry against the sides and making sure there are no holes. Set aside a piece for the lid.
Mix all the dry ingredients for the filling together and then add all the fruit and the almonds. Stir well together. Add the whisky and stir in and then enough milk to bring it to a stiff consistency.
Fill the tin and smooth off the top. Roll out the pastry lid and lay it loosely so that the inside can rise a little. Thrust a long skewer through the lid and filling, right to the bottom, in about 8 places. Lightly prick the lid all over with a fork. Brush over with the beaten egg yolks. Bake at 350F., 21/2 hours.
Allow the bun to stand in the tin on a wire rack for 30 minutes before turning out.
ITALIAN LENTILS (Lenticchie)
Lentils are eaten in Italian homes just after midnight on New Year's Eve. The belief is that eating lentils will bring you money throughout the rest of the year.
1 lb. dry lentil beans
2 carrots, peeled, divided
2 stalks celery, divided
2 medium onions, chopped, divided
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
2-3 leaves fresh sage
1/4 cup tomato sauce
salt to taste
Wash the lentils and the soak them overnight in a big pan with abundant water.
Drain the lentils and rinse them. Put the lentils in a large pan and add a whole carrot, one celery stalk, one medium onion and salt to taste. Add water enough to cover everything. Bring to a boil and the reduce to a low heat; cover and let them simmer for about 2 - 3 hours. Check occasionally to see if they are done; check for seasoning that they are salted correctly.
If there is too much liquid towards the end of the cooking time, remove the lid and let the excess liquid cook down. Or, if the lentils are dry, add a little water.
About a 30 minutes before they are done, heat a pan with the butter and oil. Add remaining carrot, celery and onion, all finely chopped. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes; then add the tomato sauce and two fresh sage leaves.
Cook at a low heat for another ten minutes.
Add them to the lentils and cook together for 10 minutes mixing frequently. Serve with a boiled sausage like Cotechino or Zampone .
OLIE BOLLEN
Olie Bollen are small round Dutch doughnuts; they are traditionally served on New Year's Eve in Holland. The name literally means "oil balls." Don't let the name turn you off because Olie Bollen are delicious. The Dutch regularly add raisins, currants ore even finely diced dried apples to their Olie Bollen dough.
1 envelope dry yeast
3 T. sugar
1 c. warm water, divided
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
4 c. all purpose flour
3 c. fruit (diced fresh apples, raisins or dried currants)
oil for frying
confectioner's sugar for dusting
Pour 1/2 cup warm water, about 85 to 115 F., into the bowl of a large food processor. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and mix at low speed. Let stand for five minutes. Slowly mix in remaining water, eggs, vanilla and salt. Slowly add flour a cup at a time. Mix on high for about a minute or two. The dough should turn into a ball and roll around the processor. If the dough does not ball up because it's to dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If your mixture is more like a batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Mix in fruit. Remove from food processor. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large skillet. Punch down dough. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. Drop dough balls into hot oil, frying until golden brown, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve hot.
Makes 4-5 dozen
Polish or German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.
SWEET CHICKEN BACON WRAPS
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (1 lb) package sliced bacon
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick inserted on the diagonal starting where bacon seam overlaps. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.
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