Here in the South, New Years Day calls for certain foods to be eaten to ensure a healthy and prosperous year ahead. In my family, you were supposed to eat 3 main foods:
- Pork – It was more of a special occasion food in the South, particularly the “high on the hog” cuts and along with the rich fat content, is meant to symbolize wealth and prosperity.
- Black-eyed peas – Some people say lentils and peas are eaten on New Years Day because they resemble small coins. That’s what we always said. Others say the black-eyed peas tradition dates back to the Civil War when Vicksburg, Mississippi, was cut off from food supplies and the people resorted to eating the crops used to feed cattle (which is why these are sometimes called cowpeas). This saved them from starvation and made the peas a symbol of resourcefulness and good fortune.
- Greens (namely collard greens) – their green color is meant to symbolize paper money and ensure wealth and prosperity
- Bonus: Cornbread – it’s golden color and golden nuggets of corn are also supposed to ensure a year of financial success
This New Years Day dinner is perfect for when you want to get in all the goodies to set yourself up for a happy, prosperous year but you also want to stick to those New Years Resolutions.
Crispy Honey Pork Tenderloin
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1.5-2 pounds pork tenderloin
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1/2 cup honey (preferably raw)
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couple teaspoons of garlic powder
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couple teaspoons of salt
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
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Pat the tenderloin dry with a paper towel.
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Sprinkle with the garlic powder and salt, and then baste the tenderloin generously with honey.
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Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, then lower the oven rack and turn the broiler on.
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Broil for about 10 minutes, until juices run clear.
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Let sit for about 5 minutes before carving.
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Note: if your tenderloin is bigger, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Quick Southern Collard Greens with Bacon
INGREDIENTS
- 3-4 slices bacon (turkey bacon can also be used)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large head collard greens trimmed and julienne sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and fry bacon pieces until crispy. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside. (Leave bacon drippings in pan.)
- Saute onion in bacon grease over medium heat until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add sliced collard greens (see notes) and toss to coat in the grease. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add 1/2 cup water and cover pot. Simmer on medium low for 20 minutes. (Check after 10-15 minutes to make sure the collards have enough water. Add another few tablespoons if the pot is drying out.)
- Once the collard greens are tender, drain any excess liquid.
- Add apple cider vinegar, stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes on medium low.
- Serve hot with reserved, crumbled bacon on top.
RECIPE NOTES
I use 3 slices of bacon, cut in half, because that’s about all that will fit in the pot I use to make these. If you have extra room, feel free to use more bacon. I also prefer thick-cut bacon, but you can use your favorite.
I wash and thinly slice the collards while the bacon is cooking.
To prep your collard greens, remove the hard inner stem from each leaf and roll up the long strips of collard green leaves into a tight roll. Slice thinly — this is called a julienne cut — and they’re ready to go.
Easy Black Eyed Peas
We keep it simple in our house….I don’t have the time in the kitchen that I would like with 2 little ones and one on the way. So I grab a can of black eyed peas and throw them in a sauce pan with a can of fire roasted tomatoes, 1/4 diced yellow onion, 1/2 diced bell pepper (red or green!), along with salt, pepper, a little chili powder, and garlic powder. Let that cook low and slow for about 45min-1hr.
Low Sugar Sweet Potato Casserole
Creamy sweet potatoes with a cinnamon pecan topping.
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup butter softened, or ghee
- 1 tablespoon cashew milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans divided
- Cinnamon for sprinkling
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Boil water in a large saucepan over medium heat.
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Cut the potatoes into chunks and place the chunks in the boiling water. Allow the potatoes to boil for 15-20 minutes or until the chunks are soft.
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Drain off the water.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Add the butter and milk to the drained potatoes.
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Use a hand mixer to beat the potatoes until the butter is completely melted and the potatoes are smooth.
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Add the eggs, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until the egg is completely mixed in.
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Spray the bottom of a 8×11″ pan with coconut oil spray.
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Sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped pecans on the bottom of the baking dish.
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Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top of the pecans, covering the entire bottom of the pan.
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Sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans.
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Dust the top with additional cinnamon.
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Bake for 40 minutes.
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Serve warm.
Almond Flour Paleo “Corn” Bread
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups Almond Meal/Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp raw honey
4 eggs
You can add more honey if you like a “sweet” cornbread, but I don’t so 1tbsp is enough for us!
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients with an electric mixer until there are no lumps. Pour into a greased baking dish or muffin cups. I use my cast iron skillet greased with a little ghee/grassfed butter (makes it crispy and a little buttery…yummmm). Cook in a 320 – 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 min.
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