Hoppin' John Soup

There are so many different traditions related to food on New Year's Day. In the area where we live, a common tradition is to have pork and sauerkraut for luck. This year, while perusing recipes online, I stumbled across a recipe for Hoppin' John soup, which is also supposed to be a lucky dish to eat on the first day of the New Year, but tends to be more of a southern tradition. I decided to give it a try as something different.  I have to admit that while it did look good, I was not anticipating it being a huge hit. Let me tell you, it was.  And I hope that this soup isn't meant to be eaten only on New Year's Day, because I plan to make it all year long.  I don't know that I have ever cooked anything with Black Eyed Peas (which are actually beans, not peas, so you can eat them, Dad, despite the fact that you won't go near green peas with a ten foot pole) and my experience with Collard Greens is very limited, but the flavor combination in this soup had my whole family going back for more.  As for the luck it is supposed to bring, so far so good!  Happy New Year, all!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small bunch (about 1 pound) collard greens
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (I used a handful of baby carrots because I was out of whole)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 dried bay leaf
• One 15 1/2-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used a packet)
• Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove the stems and center ribs from the collard greens. Stack about six leaves on top of each other, roll into a cigar shape, and slice into thin ribbons. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the ham, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, roughly 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Add the collard greens, and sauté until they begin to soften. 
3. Pour in the chicken broth, the bay leaf, the black-eyed peas, and the can of tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the rice into the soup to warm. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. 
4. Spoon into bowls, and sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese. 

I wish this picture did it justice!

Difficulty: easy

Time: 15 minutes prep, about 40 minutes cooking

Source: adapted from www.tastebook.com

Chicken and Ham Stew

I generally make a turkey for Christmas and my mom makes ham for Easter, so I don't often find myself with much in the way of leftover ham.  Several years ago, however, I decided to change things up a bit and make ham for Christmas.  We had so much leftover that I was searching for recipes to use the remaining pounds.  I ended up using much of it in this great slow cooker recipe.  Sometimes I think too much ham in one meal is overwhelming, so I love that this strikes a balance with both ham and chicken.  My kids love it, too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups diced ham
• 2 cups diced boneless chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• (2 Tbsp cornstarch)
• (2 Tbsp water)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine soup, ham, chicken, vegetables, and seasonings in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 1-3 hours.
2. If you like the mixture a bit thicker, mix the cornstarch and water in a bowl, stir it into the slow cooker and cook for 10-15 minutes longer.
3. Serve with warm buttermilk biscuits.

Note:  Because this recipe has ham in it, it does tend to be a touch salty.  If you are able to use low sodium cream of mushroom soup, I would recommend it.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 15 minutes or less prep, 1-5 hours cooking

Source: Adapted from a Crock Pot Chicken recipe book

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes (Slow Cooker)

This recipe is a fantastic use for leftover Christmas or Easter Ham.  To be honest, the first time I made it, I wasn't sure how it was going to all play out.  But I couldn't believe how quickly my notoriously slow eaters gobbled it up.  The quote from my husband the first time I made it: "Wow!! This is really good!!"  With the family's full endorsement, this one made the "will definitely make again" pile.

INGREDIENTS:

• about 1.5 lbs cubed ham (a little more or less would be fine, too)
• 8-10 red potatoes, peeled and sliced 
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS:

Layer the ingredients in the following order in a 4qt crock pot (I have two crock pots and this is the smaller of the two): 1/2 ham, 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 cheese, all of onion, rest of ham, rest of potatoes, rest of cheese, pour soup on top.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  (I cook mine for longer because I don't have a timer on my slow cooker and it cooks while I am at work.  It turns out just fine.  Delicious even!)

Difficulty: Medium.  (Only because it one requires a bit of slicing and dicing and peeling the night before it cooks.)

Time: It took me about 25 minutes to prep, but I am pretty slow at slicing, dicing, and peeling.  Then the 6-8 hours of cooking time.

Source: Someone shared this on Facebook a while back...and now I just saw it on The Crockin' Girls website!