Know any Texans that remind you that if you do not eat these babies on New Years Eve your year is shot like trying to hide a coon in heat?
Well, it is a Southern thang...and I love'em...cannot help it! ...and with three days till the count down...I need all the luck I can get for all of us!
HISTORY: The "good luck" traditions of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud (compiled ~500 CE), Horayot 12A: "Abaye [d. 339 CE] said, now that you have established that good-luck symbols avail, you should make it a habit to see Qara (bottle gourd), Rubiya (black-eyed peas, Arabic (Lubiya), Kartei (leeks), Silka (either beets or spinach), and Tamrei (dates) on your table on the New Year."
They are also known as cowpeas, blackeyed's, frijole caritas, and are grown in the south because they love the low frost season, and sandy loam soil. Black-eyed peas are an excellent source of calcium (211mg in a 1 cup serving), folate (209mcg), and vitamin A (1,305 IU) among other nutrients. There is also a south american version, but they are a much bigger pod.
A fun and easy way to eat them is taking a can and adding diced tomatoes with chilies, and then a few flat Italian green beans. This is a healthy snack for lunch or dinner!
Texas Caviar
1 1/2 cups black eyed peas- soak in water over night, and then clean
4 pieces of bacon (use portabellos to make a vegetarian version)
2 T garlic powder
1 T paprika
salt and pepper to taste
-Cook until tender
Add 1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies
diced onion
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
half cup frozen corn- thawed
My twist on this...sprouted Munng beans added for extra fiber and protein! ...I will explain this in the next post...
-Combine and serve room temp with chips for dipping,
Or serve warm as a soup by adding stock, and add a very small portion of meat balls...both my hubby and I are trying to slim down, so the menu is too...
