There are many superstitions surrounding the new year. Whether you eat 12 grapes or wander around your house with an empty suitcase, you’re joining millions of people across the world.

In our house, we eat Hoppin’ John and greens with cornbread. The greens signify dollar bills, the cornbread represents gold, and the black-eyed peas of the Hoppin’ John represent coins. My grandfather grew up in Tennessee, and I lived in South Carolina and Georgia as a young adult, and this tradition is ingrained in me. (I acknowledge that there’s something problematic with a white woman encompassing what are essentially the foods of enslaved West Africans.)

Hoppin’ John is a beans-and-rice dish that originated with the Gullah people of the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. Beans and grains have been paired for millennia; the legumes and grains combine to provide a full protein, and there are examples of this across the globe. It’s easy, inexpensive, and healthy. Oh, and it tastes really good with greens and hot sauce!

Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

5 or 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 or 4 stalks celery, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced (optional – I don’t use it but I know many who do)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped (divided use)
3 bay leaves (divided use)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (divided use)
1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups dried black-eyed peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce of your choice to serve (I like a vinegary Louisiana style hot sauce like Tabasco or Crystal with this)
Chopped parsley and/or green onions to garnish if you’re feeling fancy

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the black-eyed peas with 1 clove of garlic, two bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme in enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover the pan and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the peas are tender.

While the peas are cooking, render the bacon in another large saucepan or sauté pan over medium heat. Once the bacon is crispy and brown, remove the pieces to a paper towel on a plate and set aside. Sauté the onion, celery, optional bell pepper, and 2 cloves garlic in the bacon fat until the vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the rinsed rice to the vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is translucent and lightly toasted. Add the chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, stir, and cover the saucepan. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes, more or less.

Once the peas are tender, drain and remove the bay leaves. Gently stir the peas into the rice mixture with a fork to avoid smashing the peas or mushing the rice. (Yes, this is a technical term.) Remove the remaining bay leaf. Serve with greens and cornbread. Makes enough for 4 with leftovers.

The post Healthy Waists, Healthy Wallets, New Year’s Edition: Hoppin’ John first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.