It’s really a Southern thing, but Black-eyed Peas in many homes are an absolute must to prepared for New Year’s Day in order to ensure wealth and happiness in the New Year. Eat them with greens, preferably collard greens, and either corn bread or corn in some other fashion; legend has it you’re guaranteed a New Year full of pennies (the peas) dollars (the greens) and gold. (the corn)
Since black-eyed peas aren’t really peas at all, but beans, so they are full of all that fiber and protein beans all have to ensure better vision, to say nothing of being heart healthy, low in calories, and great aids for digestive health; they should be a part of a healthy diet throughout the year.
Black-eyed peas can be prepared either dried, purchased in bags, or in cans. They’re different from most beans when purchased dry, however, since they don’t have to be soaked overnight to get them prepared for cooking; six hours soaked in cold water is generally enough to speed up cooking. Another option is soaking them in hot water for an hour or two, then covering them with water, or broth if you prefer, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let them simmer away for another 45 minutes until they’re nice and tender.
They’re full of copper, thiamine, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and potassium and loaded with Vitamin B6. They are also a great antioxidant so they help against disease as well.
There are several different legends that claim to be the origin of black-eyed peas for New Year’s tables but most originated in the Southern states. In every legend, they represent prosperity and good luck for the coming year, and true traditionalist insist on having them as the first food of the New Year, opting for these little critters in stews, salads, or alone rather than champagne when the ball drops.
The truth is black-eyed peas are really a West African crop, where they were known as cowpeas. The crop found its way to the southern United States through the slave ships. An easy plant to grow and thrive, it was known as a poor man’s food, and Southerners quickly adopted it for their own plantations, and slaves enjoyed a bounty of peas for their own creative recipes. Because they provided a foundation of healthy eating for slaves and an easy crop for plantation owners, they became known as a symbol of hope, a tradition that continues for New Year’s Eve wishes for the coming years.
There are those that say the tradition for black-eyed peas and good luck goes back to 500 years after the birth of Christ, and the Jewish people, in celebrating the Rosh Hashanah holiday, served black-eyed peas as a sign of good luck. West Africans served it on special occasions, like the birth of a child, to ward off evil spirits.
There are many more who liken the tradition to Civil War days when the Yankee troops, hungry themselves, raided the Southern soldiers’ food supplies, taking everything but the black-eyed peas. Or in a more specific story, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his army came through the Confederate South, and left large fields of black-eyed peas untouched, looking down on them as fodder for livestock and cattle only. So the peas grew rampant and spread. When the Civil War ended, however, the previously ignored beans saved the lives of desperate, starving families in the South.
Whatever is truth whatever is legend, it is a fact black-eyed peas and all beans are good for healthy bodies anytime of year. Enjoy this Tex-Mex recipe for Corn and Beans, serve it with a green salad, and may 2022 be filled with pennies, dollars and gold, together with lots of hope and happiness. This recipe is for that easy to use Air Cooker.
Tex-Mex Corn and Beans
Preheat air cooker to 350 degrees.
Combine:
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 Cup frozen corn kernels
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced, 2 cloves sliced garlic.
D Spray with olive oil and mix is a teaspoon lime juice, tossing to coat.
Sprinkle mixture with 2 teaspoons chili powder and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don’t like that much heat)
Place it all in the air cooker basket, roast for 10 minutes, shaking once.
That’s it!
May 2022 be filled with love, health and family
