Hoppin’ John is traditionally made on New Year’s Day to bring good luck and prosperity throughout the entire calendar year.
You remember the song from the musical, Mame? The one where it says “we need a little Christmas, right this very minute…” I think we could agree that we ALL could use a little good luck and prosperity right this very minute.
[edited 5:24 pm: okay, there’s some disagreement over whether or not it’s actually the first day of fall. It looks like I’m wrong—but the sentiment is still good!]
🙂
The Ingredients.
serves 10–freezes nicely!
1 pound dry black eyed peas, soaked overnight
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup instant rice (or use 1 cup already cooked rice, and stir it in at the very end)
1 (10.5-ounce) can Rotel
1 bunch of collard greens or kale, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
The Directions.
Put the beans directly into your slow cooker. If you don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, that’s okay! Instead, put them in a pot with a bunch of water and boil rapidly on the stove for 10 minutes.
Then turn the heat off, and cover the pot. Let it sit for one hour, then drain and rinse and plop into the pot.
easy-peasy!
Add greens, and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.
Cover ( you may need to shove in greens to get the lid on nicely) and cook on low for 8 to 12 hours, or until the beans are soft.
Stir well before serving.
The Verdict.
I liked how the smoky sausage flavored the beans and the kale I used just kind of shriveled up and disappeared—-we got a great punch of iron without notice.
other stuff you should make:
