Hoppin’ John’s And Spinach Artichoke Dip For New Year’s Day

Tradition has it here in the South that black-eyed peas should be eaten on New Year’s Day for good luck in the coming year.  It’s hard to know if it really helps but we eat them and seem to enjoy good luck and no since tempting fate so we had them again this year.  It’s been 13 years since we used this recipe so I decided a redo was in order but I made several changes to the recipe as shown with the strike thru's.  Also, I tried to add as little heat as possible for Bev and Cindy although the Kielbasa had some.

Hoppin’ John’s

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

1 country ham hock

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. Hungarian Kielbasa (from the Wurst Kitchen), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise into 3/8" slices

1 qt. extra rich turkey stock*

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through, pre-soaked

1 can Rotel

1 to 2 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed and chopped small, or to taste

Couple pinches of salt, or to taste

15 turns of the pepper grinder, or to taste

1 tsp. Zaterain’s Creole Seasoning, no heat Emeril’s Esssence

½ tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

2 bay leaves

Additional water or chicken stock, if needed (I added three cups)

1 cup uncooked rice of choice (we used long grain)

1 bunch of your favorite greens (about a pound), tough stems removed, washed, and shredded (we used collards). 5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped.

*We made two quarts of rich stock by roasting the bones from our Christmas smoked turkey breast then cooking it with celery, onion, carrots, and garlic.

Directions:

Put oil in a large pot, add onion, celery, bell pepper and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add Kielbasa and lightly brown. Then slowly add one quart of stock, stirring to deglaze the pot as you do, and bring it up to a full boil. Add the ham hock, reduce heat and simmer for an hour (I did this several hours ahead).

Add the dried peas (or pre-soaked if you like), Rotel, jalapeno, salt, pepper, Cajun/Creole seasoning, cayenne, and bay leaves and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and partially cover, cooking for about 1½ - 2 hours, or until peas are tender and creamy. Remove bay leaves and ham hock – remove meat from hock, chop, and add back to peas.

Meanwhile in another pot, cook the rice in chicken stock.  It could have been cooked with the peas, but this gave me better control of the liquid amount.

Add a little olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat and add as many greens as the pan will hold. As they wilt, turn them and add more until all have been wilted.

About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir greens and rice into the peas and again adjust liquid if needed and check seasonings. I cooked the greens several hours ahead of time.

The Verdict:

We all thought they were very good and my liquid amount was just right for cooking the rice with the beans.  There was virtually no heat in the beans from the meat but it was a little spicy by itself.  I would make the recipe again but Bev suggested we omit the rice next time to forego the carbs.  The five oz. of spinach, after wilting, added just a little to the dish so collards might have worked better.

Spinach Artichoke Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, minced (1/3 cup)

3 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

8 oz brick full fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and diced

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Freshly chopped basil, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan or skillet and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl.

Add the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, Greek yogurt, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Stir until well combined.

Use a spatula to spread the mixture into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve warm with crackers, chips, cut vegetables, crostini, etc. 

The Verdict:

It Since I made it the day before, the sundried tomatoes made dark stains around them while it was sitting in the fridge.  It tasted very good but it’s a whole different dip than the one often made with Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix and served chilled in a bread bowl.  I thought it could have been more creamy.

For my meal I had some of the peas along with the dip and a few crackers.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

1/1/25 meal date