its new years day and how i grew up that means one thing--well, two--black eyed peas and football...not necessarily in that order. my children LOATHE the idea of peas for ANY meal, but we do have them offered :) I eat them, my hubby eats them and anyone who joins us that day usually does, too. I have found a great recipe to make them a bit different that the usual--mexican black eyed peas.
I also grew up on turnip greens. LOVE them :) . get them any time i can at a home cooking kind of place. i have never cooked them and they have always intimidated me, but yesterday at the grocery store, there was one bag left....and that was too much of a challenge to pass up. i brought them (and the peas) home and the kids all went bonkers.....'what are those? do we have to eat them? when are you fixing them? what else can we have with them (meaning what can we cover the flavor with)'...
today, i cooked the greens, peas and cornbread....YUMMMMMMMM! here are the recipes.....
black eyed peas--mexican style
- 1/2 C chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 slices bacon
- 16 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbl chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups black eyed peas--today i used the frozen bags of them and put it all in together at the same time...
This is what I do: (because I rarely follow the directions given, nor do I remember them or keep them)
Cook black eyed peas til almost done. Fry bacon til crispy. Add onion and garlic and cook til tender. Add to the black eyed peas and stir in tomatoes and spices. Finish cooking until peas are tender.
turnip greens
I got this recipe from a southern cooking google search....
- Thoroughly wash 2 pounds of greens. Two or more washings may be necessary. ( I bought already cleaned and torn greens)
- Trim tough stalks and tear or cut large greens in pieces. Cut thick veins out of collard greens. (I like some of the stalks, it gives more fiber :))
- In a large pot, bring 6 to 7 quarts of water to a boil. ( i put the greens in at the same time as the water and used 9 cups and a table spoon of chicken base)
- Add a ham hock or a 4-ounce piece of salt pork to the pot. ( i put in a lb of cooked bacon with some of the renderings)
- Add a tablespoon of salt. ( also added 1/2 a chopped onion, a Tbl of vinegar and 2 cloves of garlic)
- Continue boiling for 10 or 15 minutes.
- Add the washed greens to the pot.
- Cover and simmer until greens are tender. Depending on the type of greens used, this might take an hour.
- Makes enough for 4 people.
Tips:
- Crushed red pepper, a few tablespoons of bacon grease, chopped onion, or other seasonings can be added to the pot for more flavorful greens.
- Serve with cornbread and pepper sauce or cider vinegar.
- If desired, serve with chopped hard boiled eggs, bacon pieces, or sliced green onion for garnish.