New Year Recipes

I am really trying to post more than once a month this year. So you may get a few random postings of my favorite activities, like cooking and eating, or sewing. I don't have any sewing projects in the que right now, but I have been doing some yummy cooking. My two favorite cooking items right now are my crockpot and my cast iron skillet. If you don't have a crockpot, you must be living under a rock, get one! If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you are really missing out. I purchased one right before Christmas and have used it a ton. Even with an old electric stove, the skillet heats perfectly and evenly. With my old non-stick skillet, I have to crank the heat to get things to cook. But with the cast iron, I can keep the temperature pretty low and get quick and even cooking. I've been using it for everything.
Here are a few yummy recipes I have created these first few weeks of the new year.
The first is a traditional southern new year's day meal. It is good luck to eat black eyed peas and greens as your first meal of the new year. So we made Hoppin' John for dinner.

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
12-16 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage (1 package)
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 celery ribs
1 fresh jalapeño chile, diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups chicken broth

Serve with cooked rice, sauteed greens (I used spinach) and corn bread

Directions:
Soak black-eyed peas overnight.

(If you forget to do this, you can “quick soak” them by putting peas in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, soak peas 1 hour, drain peas in a sieve)

Quarter kielbasa lengthwise and cut quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop onion and mince garlic. Cut celery crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and mince jalapeño.

In a 3-quart heavy kettle (or in a cast iron skillet) cook kielbasa, onion, garlic, celery, jalapeño, and bay leaf in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add peas and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaf and stir in coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve Hoppin' John spooned over rice. Don’t forget the cornbread!

It was so good!! I added a little extra salt and I may add some spicier sausage or even some dashes of hot sauce to spice it up a little.
My kids really liked it! Melanie claims black eyed peas as a new favorite food.

Another great recipe for the crockpot is Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Again, who doesn't love chicken, ham, cheese and creamy sauce!?

We really enjoyed this and it was easy!! Now, if you really like traditional "brown in a pan then bake in the oven" cordon bleu, remember that this is in a crockpot and the texture will be a little different, but still good.

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts, (approximately 2 lbs.) pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
thin Ham slices
Swiss cheese slices
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sherry
S & P to taste
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Pound your chicken to 1/4- 1/2 in thick. Spray your crockpot with pam. Place a layer of chicken, then ham, then cheese. Follow with a second layer of each.
Mix together the soup, mushrooms, sour cream and sherry. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pour Sauce over chicken. Cook on High for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
When serving cut through the entire depth of chicken. This gives you the ham and cheese on the "inside" flavors without having to take the time to roll each piece of chicken. Put on a plate and spoon some sauce over the chicken. Top with a sprinkling of bread crumbs to get a little 'crunch'.
Serve with steamed veggies and brown rice. Enjoy!
Have fun trying out some new recipes. More may be coming soon! :)