Simple New Year’s Dinner for Good Health and Wealth

I grew up eating black-eyed peas and cabbage every New Year’s Day – especially with cornbread – which is supposed to give you good health and wealth for the new year. There may be luck in there too, but I forget. Here is my mom’s excellent recipe (hers is meatless):

Black-eyed peas:
Soak 1/2 lb. dried peas in large amount of distilled water overnight. In the morning, pour out the water, add about 2 cups of fresh distilled water, cover, and simmer peas on low until soft with the following ingredients (grown locally and organically, whenever possible):

1 onion, chopped fine
2-4 large toes of garlic, minced
1 bellpepper, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon Worchestershire
1/2 bay leaf (California bay laurel)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
basil, fresh or dried (to taste)

Serve with steamed brown rice.

Cabbage:
Quarter a medium-sized head of raw cabbage. Place in a large pot with lid along with the following:

Small amount of distilled water
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
1large turnip, peeled and quartered (or use a large carrot, or a potato)

Cover and simmer on low until cabbage wilts. Remove from heat. Set aside. Serve warm with black-eyed peas and brown rice.

Image via beardenb on Flickr