• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup apples, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Sift dry ingredients together.  Combine beaten egg and milk.  Gradually blend into dry ingredients.  Stir in apples, beat well.  Drop by spoonful onto hot, greased griddle.  Fry on both sides for 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Roll in mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.

YUM!

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups frozen diced potatoes with onions, red and green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup bacon crumbles
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• paprika
• 1/3 cup 4 cheese blend
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in an [ovenproof] skillet over medium-high heat on the stove.  Add potatoes and stir.  Cook 3-5 minutes until the potatoes are lightly coated with oil and start to brown.  In a separate bowl beat eggs and add salt and pepper.  Pour eggs over potatoes, add bacon.  Do not stir, but cook on medium heat until the eggs begin to set or become firm around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Place skillet on center rack in preheated oven at 400 degrees and bake until the eggs have set in the center, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Remove the skillet from oven.  Run a knife around the edge of the frittata to loosen it.  Place a plate upside down over the skillet.  Place a hot-pad on the plate and carefully invert the skillet so the frittata is sitting on the plate.  Remove the skillet leaving the frittata on the plate.

Top with 4 cheese blend and garnsh with paprika and parsley.  Cut into wedges and serve.

• 1 lb firm white mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 medium lemon
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted
• 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp minced parsley

Sprinkle mushrooms with lemon juice.

Then in a food processor, coarsely chop them.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and lightly saute’ the shallots.

Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, saute over medium high heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid disappears.

Add salt, pepper, cream and stock, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly, serve in warm bowls.

Sprinkle with minced parsley.

This recipe was sent to my email from my wonderful 1st mother-in-law (yes, I STILL love her and keep in touch with her . . . sort of - as long as email counts as “keeping in touch”.)  So anywho  — it MUST be good! )

• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
• 1 lb link sausage (or whatever your favorite sausage is)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

Rinse, prepare, soak and cook peas in about 3 cups water, following directions on the package.  Drain and reserve half of the cooking liquid.  In a skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and onions; drain off excess fat.  Place peas in 3 quart casserole dish, add sausage and onions.  Stir in reserved liquid, brown sugar, mustard, salt and barbecue sauce.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

This recipe sounds pretty good and a little different.  I’ll probably do what I always do and combine 2 or 3 different recipes to come up with my own.  I’ll let you know how it turned out.  I would love to know what YOU come up with too.

This recipe was contributed by About.com

• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
• 2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 3 large cloves garlic, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 can (10 – 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chili peppers, juices reserved
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
• 2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 green onions, sliced

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the peas, ham and 6 cups of water.  Cut 1 of the onions into quarters and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 – 2 1/2 hours.  Remove the ham bone, cut off the meat; dice and set aside.  Drain the peas and set aside.  Remove and discard and the bay leaf, onion pieces and garlic.  Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil.  Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, creole seasoning, thyme, cumin and salt.  Cook until the rice is tender, 5 – 8 minutes.  Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham.  Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

This recipe was found at About.com.

• 4 strips of bacon
• 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
• 2 cans black-eyed peas
• 1/2 cup onions chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine

In a medium saucepan, chop four strips of bacon and fry until slightly brown.  Add the onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno saute’ mixture for 15 – 20 minutes or until onions are golden.  Add the 2 cans of peas to the mixture, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

This recipe is from GCHC at Real Cajun Recipes.

• 1 cup black-eyed peas, picked over, loaded in cold water for 8 hours and drained
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 habanero chili, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1″ piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cilantro sprigs, chopped
• 1 scallion, trimmed and sliced

Combine the peas with 4 cups of water in a large saucepan and simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes, or until tender.  Add water as needed.  Drain and set aside.  Melt butter in a deep pot over medium heat.  Add onion, tomatoes, and chili, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, chili powder,  and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the turmeric and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.  Add the peas and salt and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and scallion, and serve.

This recipe was contributed by Miss Wanda Ravernell of Oakland, she is also writing a book on African American New Year’s customs.  You can e-mail her at food@sfchronicle.com

• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
• 4oz salt pork, (rind removed, diced) or thick bacon or hog jowl
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Creole or Cajun seasoning mixture
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• ground hot pepper, optional and to taste

Follow package directions, soak peas over night or cover with water, boil for 2 minutes, then let stand for 1 hour, drain.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute’ diced pork with onion until onion is browned.  Combine salt pork and onions with drained peas and remaining ingredients;  Add water just to cover.  Simmer for about 1  1/2 – 2 1/2 hours or until tender, checking and adding a little more water if necessary.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Serving suggestions include: hot boiled rice, spinach or collard greens and freshly baked skillet cornbread.

This recipe was found at About.com

Eat them on New Years and they’ll bring you good luck?

Well I’ve done some homework and I’m here to tell you that Black-eyed peas are neither a pea nor a bean.  They are however a member of the legume family, so in my opinion, for all intense purposes . . . black-eyed peas ARE beans – whatever.

Just in case you’ve been the slightest bit curious about the whole Black-eyed pea – good luck thing, I’ve got a little history lesson for you (make that ½ lesson, ½ folklore – I came across so many varying bits of information about the pea/bean that I’ve decided to come up with my own interpretation).

According to some sources, the black-eyed pea has been around for thousands of years and was even considered a symbol of luck and fortune during the time of the Pharaoh’s.   Where did the Pharaoh’s live? – That’s right, class North Africa in Egypt.  

Wanda Ravernell of Oakland has added even more insight, stating that New Year’s Eve or New Years Day reaches back to West African traditions.  So the Egyptians probably spread the Black-eyed beans to southern African through trade.  During slavery, it became an African American tradition and the custom continued after emancipation – hence the relevance of New Years Day also being called Emancipation Day.  The ritual symbolism of the meal for African Americans is linked to the New Years Eve church service called Watch Night, a tradition originated by the Methodists, where people gathered to pray for the coming year.  For African Americans, free and slave alike, New Year’s Day was when laws that had been passed in the previous year that might especially impact them went into effect.  They worried when the Fugitive Slave Act went into effect on Jan. 1, 1850 and rejoiced on Jan 1, 1863, when slavery ended.  Until emancipation they would vicariously celebrate the end of slavery with Haiti’s independence in 1804 and Jamaica in1839. 

Another account foretold that the pea/bean was strictly used for cattle feed in the 1800’s in the south.  Obviously before African Americans food choices effected the white American population at that time. During the Civil war battle of Vicksburg, the town was under siege for over 40 days cutting off all supplies from coming in and or from leaving.  The entire town was on the brink of starvation, until they decided to eat the peas, then called cowpeas.  Thus starting the southern tradition of eating Black-eyed peas on New Years for luck and prosperity.  The superstition is that those who eat black-eyed peas, an inexpensive and modest food, show their humility and save themselves from the wrath of the heavens because of the vanity they might have. 

Other accounts state that the black-eyed pea was a staple in the southern diet for over 300 years.  Having been long associated with luck and prosperity for the New Year, the pea is said to represent coin money and the greens (collard greens used in most southern recipes), that of paper money. “Hoppin’ John” is a very popular recipe for black-eyed peas served and or cooked with rice.  Most recipes cook the beans in some sort of broth with some sort of pig parts, onion, and salt, sometimes a variety of other spices.  However you choose to cook and eat your peas, may they bring you the BEST of LUCK, and a VERY PROSPEROUS New Year.  Happy New Years Everyone!

Here is a collection of a few recipes I found (that varied enough) to warrant putting them all in one place – makes comparing a lot easier.  10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . .

• 1 frozen pie crust, thawed, (deep dish if adding meat), (or your own crust)
• 4 slices bacon
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
• 1/4 cup ham, chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

Cook and chop bacon into small pieces, let drain on a paper towel.  Cook onion in remaining bacon grease and set aside.  Mix together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and beat until thoroughly combined (Note: if you use a hand mixer for this step it makes your egg batter light and fluffy). 

Sprinkle cheese on the bottom of pie crust.  Layer meats and onion on top of cheese.  Pour egg mixture in last.  To prevent crust edge from burning, place foil around edges for the first 1/2 of the cooking time.  Bake 35 – 40 minutes @ 375 degrees.

Thanks Joey (and Allen) for the really YUMMY recipe!