Make NYE Healthy with Lucky Hoppin’ John
A Southern staple, usually eaten on New Year’s to bring prosperity to the new year, lucky Hoppin’ John is a hearty dish of black-eyed peas, rice, and spices. Naturally gluten-free and milk/dairy-free, this delicious dish is perfect for chilly autumn and winter weather.
Try these three different recipes for your New Year’s Eve celebration. (If you can’t wait for December 31, they also make superb additions to any Kwanzaa menu.) It’s a healthy way to bring good luck to your 2025.
Secret Recipe Club’s Hoppin’ John
(available via Lana’s Cooking)
Ingredients
1 -1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
6 ounces dried black-eyed peas, quick-soaked according to package directions and drained
4 -1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
6 strips bacon
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-3 fresh Habanero chiles, seeded and finely minced or reconstituted dried habaneros
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
This hoppin’ version of a traditional Southern dish is spicy with one Habanero chile, extra-gutsy with two, and fire with three! Use dried Habaneros if you like a slightly milder, smokier flavor.
In a Dutch oven, place rice with pre-soaked blackeyed peas and water. Stir in thyme and bay leaf. Cover and bring mixture to boiling. Uncover and reduce heat; simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until rice and beans are done, checking to make sure the mixture does not boil dry.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper toweling, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley, garlic, and chile to drippings in pan. Saute for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Crumble bacon; add to skillet. Remove from heat.
When rice and beans are done, drain off any excess liquid. Remove the bay leaf. Stir bacon mixture into rice and beans. Serve to taste. Makes 5 servings.
Traditional Hoppin’ John
Ingredients
1 cup black-eyed peas, washed, picked over, and soaked (I used canned, undrained)
4 ounces slab bacon or 1 smoked ham hock
1 large onion
4 teaspoons inch sprig fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ dried r-1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups long grain rice
Preparation
Put the peas in a medium pot with the bacon or ham hock, onion, herb, and water to cover by at least 2 inches.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Turn heat down to medium and cook, skimming any foam that arises, until the peas are tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the meat and reduce the liquid to about 3 cups; as the liquid is reducing, cut the meat into chunks, removing extremely fatty pieces if you like.
Return the meat to the pot.
Taste the cooking liquid and add salt and pepper if needed.
Remove the rosemary or thyme sprigs, if you used fresh herbs.
Stir in the rice and cook, covered, until the rice is done and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
At this point, you may let this dish sit for 15 to 29 minutes before serving.
Notes: I had canned black-eyed peas and leftover cooked rice. I added the black-eyed peas uncooked with the bacon, onion, and thyme sprigs and let them simmer for about a half hour. Then added the cooked rice and red pepper flakes, and about 2-3 tablespoons of water and let that simmer about another 20 minutes.
Article and recipes two and three appeared first at Foodista and are republished under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
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