Get Lucky in the New Year with Slow-Cooker Black-Eyed Peas & Greens

I’m not what you would call a superstitious person, but I do like to partake in fun food traditions like lucky foods for a lucky New Year! As such, I’ve combined some of the luckiest foods in one slow-cooker creation: beans, greens, and pork! Start the New Year off right with lucky foods and a bowl of hearty, veggie filled goodness. For my vegetarian friends, simply omit the meat and sub vegetable broth, and you have a great vegetarian dish.

Happy 2013 everyone !

Recipe notes: You don’t need to soak your beans – cooking low & slow with produce tender beans without the extra step of soaking. Also, if you have leftover ham from the holidays you can easily throw that into this dish. You can substitute the ham hock for 2 cups chopped ham.

Ingredients

• 1 large ham hock
• 4 slices thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped finely
• 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted
• 3 cans (14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Splash olive oil
• 2 lbs. mixed greens (collards, mustard, kale – whichever you prefer)
• S/P

Instructions

In a large slow-cooker combine the ham hock, bacon, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add the black-eyed peas. Pour the chicken broth over all the ingredients. Stir to combine. Add enough water to cover the other ingredients (this will vary depending on the size of your slow-cooker). Add the bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Add a splash of olive oil.  Stir to combine. Cover the slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are tender.

Remove the ham hock and shred the the meat, discarding skin and bones. Return meat to the slow-cooker. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the greens prior to serving, let soak in the warm broth for a few minutes to soften. Taste and add S/P as needed to season – I suggest doing this at the very end because most likely you won’t need much seasoning (the pork is salty). Serve immediately. For a spicy kick, stir in a splash of hot sauce to each bowl.

Serves: 8-10

Recipe source: Original

Time: 6-8 hours plus prep

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