Reviews, Recipes, and Random Slices of Life

Warning: these recipes make a ridiculous amount of food, enough to feed at least six people.

Total cook time is 3 hours, not including prep time chopping. Black-eyed peas need to be soaked overnight, or quick-soaked by bringing to a boil for 2 minutes, then covering and turning off the heat for 1 hour before draining.



Collard Greens

6 c. water
1/2 lb. ham, chopped
2 bundles collard greens (about 3-4 lbs), rinsed and chopped
1 dried red pepper, minced (or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place water and ham in a large pot (stock pot size) with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Lower heat very low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add collards and pepper flakes. Simmer covered for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable oil and simmer covered for another 30 minutes. Serve with apple cider vinegar to drizzle over.


Hoppin' John

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 strips bacon
1/2-1 lb ham, chopped
1 onion, minced
1/2 celeriac root, minced (OR 1/2 c. chopped celery)
1 green pepper
1 jalapano, minced fine
1 dried red pepper, minced (or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes) - adjust to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
4 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dry thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
White rice to serve over

Heat oil in large soup pot, add ham and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add bacon and onion, cook until onion starts to brown. Add celeriac, green pepper, jalapeno, dried red pepper, and garlic, cook a couple more minutes.

Pause cooking here until 45-50 minutes before the collards will be done.

Add black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed. Taste, and add salt or pepper as needed.

Start cooking rice 25 minutes before collards will be done. Serve hoppin' john over rice.

Traditional for New Years' Day, but good year-round! Also great accompanied by cornbread.

And Happy New Decade! May this year be better than the last. (I say that every year, but this year there are a lot more folks saying it with me!)

( New Years Resolutions )

Fabulous party at gunn and ytinas's last night! Had a lot of fun, talked to a lot of interesting people, stayed up rather later than I should have, and drank more than was probably wise for a sick girl.

On the plus side, my cold has gone from evil death levels to a more reasonable "normal cold with some sniffles and coughing, but not too bad," at least while I'm taking DayQuil. Yay!