Recipe of the Week: Blackeyed Peas a New Year’s Day treat

Jamál (Beauty), 2 Sharaf (Honor), 168 BE – Sunday, January 1, 2012 about 6:30 AM Pacific Time

Blackeyed peas and ham
A New Year’s Day requirement
Afternoon delight

Blackeyed Peas and Ham

Ingredients:

1 1-lb. package of blackeyed peas washed, sorted, and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
1 small to medium sized hambone (I use a honey baked hambone)

Instructions:

Step 1: Rinse and sort beans into a large pot (if you are cooking them on the stove) or other large container (if you are cooking them in a slow cooker).

Step 2: Put the 1 lb. (approximately 2 cups) into the container and pour 8 cups of cold water over them. Let the beans stand overnight (at least six to eight hours).

Step 3: If you are using a slow cooker. Place 8 cups of water into the cooker and turn the cooker on. The water has to be hot when you add the blackeyed peas.

Step 4: Drain the soaking water off the beans and then put the beans into the slow cooker (if you are cooking the beans on the stove then you can put hot water in the pot of beans and turn the stove on).

Step 5: Add the hambone to the slow cooker or the pot of beans and cover with a gently titled lid. Let the beans simmer for about 1-½ to 2 hours (note this will take longer in a slow cooker) until tender. (My grandmother added 1 or 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar while the beans were cooking; she said it cut down on the “gas”).

Step 6: Add the salt and pepper to the cooked beans if desired. (My grandmother always waited until last to add the salt and pepper to the beans.)

Note: You may add any other ingredients you like. For example, you may want to add Jalapeno Peppers.

New Years Day and Black Eyed Peas

Fidál (Grace), 18 Masá’il (Questions), 166 BE – Tuesday, December 29, 2009 about 10:04 AM Pacific Time

My grandmother always fixed black eyed peas on New Year's Day, so I'm keeping the tradition. I bought two packages of black-eyed peas at Food 4 Less a couple of days ago and I have a ham steak in the freezer. I'm attempting to remember Grandma's recipe, but it was never written down so I'm going to have to use my own creativity when it comes to fixing the black-eyed peas.

Ham and black-eyed peas
a New Year's Day sensation
keep the recipe.

I am Prepared for January 1, 2008

19 Masa'il 164 B.E. - Saturday, December 29, 2007 about 7:57 PM PST

I am prepared for New Year's Day 2008. I have a package of blackeyed peas and a jalapeno peppers. My grandmother didn't put jalapenos in her blackeyed peas, but I do. Grandma made blackeyed peas with pigs feet and that was it. She didn't add much else to it. I didn't get any pigs feet when I went to the store today. I'll have to get them Sunday, when I go after the filter for the air conditioner.

My grandmother made a shopping list when she went to the store, so she didn't forget anything. She didn't get anything extra either. I don't make a shopping list so I forget some things and get extra stuff. It's not the extra items that are the problem, it's forgetting items you need. Actually I hadn't planned on putting pigs feet in the blackeyed peas. I have a can of beef in the cupboard that I intended to open and put a little in the slow cooker with the peas. However, in reviewing the idea, I think pigs feet would be better then canned beef.

My New Years dinner will be creamed corn, blackeyed peas, sweet potatoes, beef with rice and Taco seasoning and chocolate bunt cake. I think that's it for New Year's Day 2008, while January 1 isn't the New Year's Day I celebrate it's difficult to break some traditions. Grandma always had blackeyed peas on January 1, so I continue to make them on the first of January every year.