Happy New Year!! Cooking with Love Heart and Soul New Years Day Feast Menu to guarantee a prosperous year; and since New Years Day is a celebration of beginnings, an opportunity to forget the past and make a clean start; what better way to kick off and even subliminally direct the new year than with a united front of good will sustained by love. Why not enjoy a meal to increase your good fortune? There are a variety of foods that are believed to be Bless and to improve the odds that New year will be a great one. The 8 major categories of auspicious foods are Fruit, greens, fish, pork, legumes, rice, cornbread and cakes. Whether you want to create a full menu of lucky foods or just supplement your meal, here are a assortment of recipes, guaranteed to make for a happy new year, or at the very least a happy belly. *Greens, Collard, Turnips, Mustard, Kale, Cabbage, or Lettuce, represent dollar bills, symbolic of economic fortune. Green is the symbolic color of hope, and green is a color associated with natural growth. Its widely believed that the more greens one eats the larger ones fortune for the year. Food wrapped in lettuce is, rising fortune *Black eye peas, coins, ensuring wealth and Blessing. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. * Rice, The many grains signify abundance, while rice greatly increases volume when it cooks, all pointing toward growth in the coming year. Eating a bowl is thought to add one full year to your life. Procreation, a continuation of the family and the race. *Fish, especially those bearing silver scales, are thought to be very lucky foods for New Years since they symbolize silver and wealth. Fish Changes the World, eat fish for long life, and good harvest. *Pork, The custom of eating pork on New Years is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving; symbolizing progress without dwelling on the past. Where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity; equals a fat wallet *The Fruits of Your Labor Fruits play a role in global good-luck foods, as well. *Tangerines and mandarin oranges are considered auspicious fruits because they are round and golden like the sun. Symbols of abundant happiness, they are given as gifts and used for decoration. *watermelon is the ultimate New Years fruit because the meat is red, the luckiest color. The seeds are also dyed red and toasted, to be eaten as snacks. *Banana, orange, kumquat, pomelo, and finger citron. Each symbolizes a different meaning: Pomelos promise a lucky year, banana and finger citron symbolize a protective hand, while kumquats and oranges represent wealth and success. * Pomegranates are considered lucky because of their bright red color and the shape of the seeds, which represent wealth and prosperity. *apple slices dipped into honey to avoid a sour month *Grapes,12 Grapes, Each grape represents a different month, the sweetness of each grape, will bring Love, Joy and Happiness each month. *Cornbread for gold. golden cheese and bits of corn in the cornbread intensifies the prospects *Cakes bring Good Fortunate to the house. Blessed baked goods ring-shaped cakes were always considered fortunate because they signified continuity by coming full circle. Many cultures today make special cakes or sweets around New Years in round shapes which symbolize coins. Often they are incredibly sweet, with the thought that overindulgence (or over sweetening) stands for a wish for abundance ---------------------- Recipes for a Blessed 2015 HOPPIN JOHN, triple-blessed since it includes black-eyed peas, rice, and ham hock Ingredients 2 cup black-eyes peas 5 cups water 1 teaspoon vegetable flakes Pinch of red pepper flakes (option) 1 smoked ham hock (sliced) 1 cup chicken broth 1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup) 1 cup long-grain white rice Instructions: 1. Wash and sort the peas. 2. Place them in a saucepan, add the water, and discard any peas that float. 3. Gently boil the peas with the pepper flakes, vegetable fakes, chicken broth, ham hock, and onion, uncovered, until tender but not mushy — about 1 1/2 hours — or until 2 cups of liquid remain. 4. Add the rice to the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, never lifting the lid. 5. Remove from the heat and allow to steam, still covered, for another 10 minutes. 6. Remove the cover, fluff with a fork, and serve immediately. FRIED CATFISH INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs fillets cut into 1½ inch wide strips 1 cup yellow corn meal ⅔ cup crushed Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 teaspoons salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste Oil Instructions: 1. Pour enough oil into a large heavy skillet (cast-iron is best) so it is about ¼ inch deep. Heat oil to very hot, but not smoking. *SEE NOTES** 2. Rinse catfish in cold water. If using fillets, cut them into pieces. Put cornmeal, Panko, salt, pepper and cayenne into a thick brown paper bag. Drop filet strips into bag and shake until well coated. Shake off excess. 3. Carefully place catfish pieces in the oil. Fry in batches in a single layer so you dont crowd them. Cook until golden brown; about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on brown paper bag or Viva® paper towels. 4. Serve on a toasted bun with homemade tartar sauce (Recipe Follows). Homemade Tartar Sauce: • 1 cup mayonnaise • 3 teaspoons pickle relish • 3 teaspoons fresh dill weed • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste • ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed NOTES** Smoking hot oil will give the fish a burnt taste. You just want the fillets a golden brown. Too cool an oil will leave them too oily. SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoon Butter 2 tablespoon Flour 1 1/2 cup beef broth 6 pork chops 1 cup Flour for dredging (Soulfood Seasoning Recipe Below) 1/2 cup Vegetable oil 3 Onions, sliced 3 Cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup Celery, minced Instructions: 1. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat, stir in the 2 tablespoons flour, and cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until lightly browned. Stir in broth and season mix well, remove from heat, and set aside. This mixture will be the sauce. 2. Add season to the 1 cup flour; dredge chops in the mixture. In a large, heavy skillet heat 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil over medium- high heat. Add chops and cook until they are browned. Move browned chops to a large, oven proof casserole with a cover. Preheat oven to 350¼ F. 3. Melt the remaining oil in skillet over high heat. Add onions, garlic, and celery; lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until onions are golden (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and place over chops in the casserole. 4. Pour off all oil from the skillet. Add reserved sauce, raise heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Pour sauce over chops in casserole, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. CABBAGE WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE Ingredients: 1 cabbage head 1 pound turkey smoked sausage 1 bell pepper 1 small onion 1 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons sugar Soulfood seasoning for taste (recipe below) Instructions: 1. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the cabbage and remove the stem and heart, cut the cabbage into quarters, then cut into eighths (or however you want to cut up the cabbage). Separate the leaves. Place the cabbage into a large pot with about 1 1/2 cup of chicken broth. 2. Cut the smoked sausage into 1 inch pieces and add to the pot of cabbage. 3. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper, wash and cut into small bite size pieces. Add the peppers to the pot of cabbage. 4. Peel, wash and slice the onion and add to the pot of cabbage; 5. Add the margarine and sugar and place the pot of cabbage with smoked sausage and peppers onto the stove and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and boil the cabbage, just until tender, about 15 minutes. 6. Remove the boiled cabbage with smoked sausage and peppers from heat. COLORFUL RICE Ingredients: 3 can of chicken broth 1 cups uncooked Uncle Ben’s® rice 2 cups Mahatma Saffron Yellow Seasonings & Rice 1/4 of medium green bell pepper (diced) 1/4 of medium red bell pepper (diced) or pimientos can be used as substitute 1 small onion (diced) 5 TURKEY bacon strips Soulfood Season (Recipe Below) Instructions: 1. Cook bacon strips in a 3-quart pot on low heat (don’t burn the bacon). 2. Once the bacon produces enough bacon drippings, sauté onions and bell peppers (don’t burn onions & bell peppers). 3. Add chicken broth and let it come to a boil. 4. Sprinkle Soulfood seasoning (season to taste). 5. Add rice and let rice simmer for 20-25 minutes. Let rice sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. COLLARD, MUSTARD, KALE or TURNIP GREENS Ingredients: 1 large bag of collard, kale, mustard or turnip greens, You can also mix the greens if you like. (whatever type you prefer) 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 3 hot peppers or banana peppers (chopped) 1/2 cup chopped onion pinch of sugar smoked meat (whatever you prefer for added flavor) Soulfood Season (recipe below) Instructions: 1. After rinsing smoked meat,add to large pot filled half way with water and let boil for 25-30 minutes. 2. Add soulfood seasoning to pot as accent to season the pot (enhance flavor). 3. Pick stems from greens and wash several times in cold water until greens are clean (water is no longer dirty and greens are no longer gritty), 4. Put washed greens in a pot. 5. Pour vinegar over greens.Add hot peppers, onion, and sugar, allow to set.This opens the greens up so they will accept flavor and be tender. 6. Add chicken soup base and Pour over greens. Boil for 1 hour or until you feel the greens are done (nice and tender). SKILLET CORNBREAD Ingredients: •1 3/4 cups white cornmeal •1 teaspoon baking powder •1 teaspoon baking soda •1/2 teaspoon salt •2 cups buttermilk •1 large egg •3 tablespoon lard or bacon grease Instructions: Preheat oven to 450ᵒ degrees. 1. Start with a 9 cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat, put the lard in the skillet. 2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. 3. Mix the egg and buttermilk together in another bowl. 4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. 5. When you start to see little wisps of smoke coming from the lard, pour most, of the lard into the cornbread batter and mix well. 6. Then pour the batter into the hot skillet and hear the sizzling sound that guarantees you a nice crisp crust. 7. Place in the middle of the oven and bake about 30 minutes, until nice and brown on top. 7up CAKE Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups butter 4 eggs 1 Tablespoon pure lemon extract 2 1/2 cups sugar 3 cups flour 3/4 cup 7-Up® Instructions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 1. Spray cake pan with Pam® cooking spray. 2. In mixing bowl mix butter and sugar 3. Add eggs (one at a time) and beat well. 4. Add lemon extract. 5. Add flour. 6. Add 7-up®. 7. Mix to smooth consistency. 8. Pour into cake pan. 9. Bake for 1 hour. Test by sticking toothpick in middle, its done when it comes out clean. Take out and allow cake to cool on rack for 15-20 minutes. GRAPE SALAD Ingredients 4 cups seedless red grapes 4 cups seedless green grapes 8 oz. sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans, optional Directions 1. Mix together sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl. 2. Mix together both types of grapes in a separate bowl. 3. Layer grapes in a serving bowl, followed by the sour cream layer. Keep alternating these layers but end with a sour cream layer on top. 4. Top the dish with the brown sugar and pecans mixed together. Best if chilled overnight. Soulfood Seasoning Recipe Ingredients 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons onion powder 2 tablespoons dark chili powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1 teaspoon celery powder 1 pinch cayenne pepper Directions Pour all ingredients into a bowl. Mix together.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 19:39:37 +0000