Black-eyed Peas are often served on New Year’s Day to bring good luck throughout the year. Here’s a delicious dish using black-eyed peas that also includes collard greens: Black-eyed Peas and Collards, which almost makes a complete meal. All that will be needed as an accompaniment is either cornbread (no sugar, of course, since this is real Southern fare), or good homemade biscuits. With all the rich food served during the holidays, this simple food will be a welcome change.

Black-eyed Peas and Collards is pure Southern comfort food, and can be made a couple of days ahead; just cover the crock from the slow cooker and refrigerate. When time to reheat, remove from the refrigerator, let sit about an hour at room temperature (so the crock doesn’t crack with the heat), then place in the slow cooker on low; it will reheat in about an hour. Other timesavers: use dehydrated red and green bell peppers, as well as onions – that will save a few minutes of chopping time; in this dish there is no difference in the taste. By cooking the black-eyed peas in the slow cooker, there is no need to soak overnight or do the hour soak as is necessary when cooking dried beans on the stove. That’s a great help for any cook who is short on time. Happy New Year!

8 Servings

1 cup black-eyed peas, picked over and washed
6 cups water

1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red hot pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds ham hocks

1 bunch collard greens, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1. Place the black-eyed peas and water in a large slow cooker; turn to high, and cook 2-3 hours or until the peas are almost done.


2. Add the red and green bell peppers, onions, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and ham hocks
.

3. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook four hours.


4. Remove the ham hocks; cool and remove any meat.


5. Stir in the meat and chopped collard greens.


6. Cook one hour on low; stir in the vinegar, and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 Calories from Fat 109
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 51% Protein 38% Carb. 11%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 97 mg
Sodium 667 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 20 g

Vitamin A 23% Vitamin C 26% Calcium 0% Iron 5%