Home Cooks Online

Try this traditional
New Year's good luck dish of black eyed peas, greens and rice, known as Hoppin'
John, in a slow cooker.

I don't like to be superstitious, but I can't entirely
resist it either.  I have stopped myself
on more than one occasion while just about to put a hat on the bed remembering my
mother's warning that was surefire way to cause a death in the family.  Fortunately, no one really has that much power.  Anyway, I finally started taking up this traditional New Year's Day good
luck meal, and figured out how to do it in a crock pot.  Start the cooker, take a nap, then have a
bowl of this with the last bottle of champagne you should have hidden away for yourself the night
before.  Enjoy.

Hoppin John

(or Black Eyed Peas and Rice)

• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed


• 1 vegetable bouillon cube


• 1 medium onions, chopped


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 smoked ham hock


• 2 bundles of fresh collard greens, washed and chopped


• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes


• 1 tablespoon dried oregano


• 1 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes, drained


• 5 cups of water (or as much needed to cover other
  ingredients)


• 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked


• Salt and pepper

Put the peas in a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a
boil.  Boil 2 minutes, then reduce heat
and simmer one hour.  Drain.  If using bacon in place of ham hock, fry the
pieces first and drain on paper towels to remove excess fat.  Dissolve bouillon cube in a small amount of
hot water and mix well.  Place all
ingredients in slow cooker, except rice, and turn to high for five hours.  Stir in rice and cook one more hour.  Alternatively, rice can be cooked separately
and served with peas.  Remove meat from
bone and return meat only to pot.  Season
with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot
with corn bread. 

*Note: 
This recipe originally posted last year at Suite101.Com, where I am a
feature writer.