Easy New Year Meal

Happy New Year! We made it! This year was completely unexpected and I am looking forward to some positive changes in 2021!

Does your family have New Year traditions that you have carried on in your family? Growing up, we always had black-eyed peas, greens, pork and cornbread for our New Year meal. I have carried on these traditions (with slight variations) in my home.

Let’s begin with the black eyed peas which are said to bring good luck for the new year. I start these just after midnight on New Year’s Day and they are super easy! This year, I swapped the smoked ham hocks out for smoked turkey legs. I placed two turkey legs in a crockpot with some diced onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Then, I added the peas to the pot, added about 1.5 cups of water and stirred it a bit. I set the crockpot to low and covered.

The next morning, I removed the turkey legs from the crockpot, removed the skin and bones, and added the shredded turkey back to the crockpot. I seasoned the peas with seasoned salt, pepper, tony chachere original seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and chili powder. I always so season to your taste. I go light on the seasonings at first, then taste and add more, if needed. You want to cook these on low for at least 10 hours. Sounds like along time (it is), but your peas will be so soft and creamy and the broth will be thick and flavorful. My younger son loves these, but he loves beans, so…LOL. They key here is not seasoning the peas until they are almost done. You really never know how much sodium is in the smoked protein you use, so it is best to wait until that has cooked out a bit before seasoning.

Next, let’s tackle the cabbage. Growing up, we usually had greens, but I cleared this with my mama and she said as long as it’s green, I am good! The tradition says these will bring money in the new year. I usually fry my cabbage in pork fat and butter, but since I was trying to be a little healthier, I just sauteed the chopped cabbage in a pan with a little spray oil. I seasoned the cabbage with seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder and Tony Chachere’s. I like my cabbage to still have a little bit of a bite to it so I sautee it for about 5-10 minutes, then put a top on the pot and remove it from the heat so the cabbage can steam for a bit. I did add a little andouille sausage to the top of my cabbage because I just could not help myself…I wanted a little pork flavor in my cabbage.

The cornbread is gold in color and is said to bring prosperity for the new year. I just used my favorite sweet boxed cornbread this year. I had never tried this honey cornbread Jiffy mix, but it was a winner and I plan to buy it again! I do make cornbread from scratch as well, but I was feeling lazy this year.

Last, but certainly not least, is the pork tenderloin (for extra good luck). Growing up, my mother always made chitlins for the New Year. But, I am not doing that and no one in my house would eat them anyway. So, we opted for the easier, tastier and healthier option of the pork tenderloin. My hubby seasoned them with seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and a little Tony Chachere. He added them to the hot grill and cooked them on direct heat to get a char on all sides. Once all sides were charred, he moved them to indirect heat and cooked them until the internal temperature was 140 degrees. He wrapped them loosely in foil and let them rest for about 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing. These pork tenderloins were juicy, tender and flavorful! The absolute best!

So, this was our 2021 New Year meal! It was simple, delicious and health-ish. The best part: I won’t feel guilty about eating leftovers since I plan to get back on track with my eating habits this week!

What traditions does your family have for the New Year?