Good Luck Recipes for the New Year!

Happy almost New Year, folks!  Whether you're going out and partying or staying home and skipping the whole thing, January 1 is just around the corner.  New Year's Day brings with it culinary traditions from around the world involving foods and dishes symbolic of good luck, wealth, and longevity.  Much like music and love, rich meat and leafy greens seem to transcend cultural differences and geographical and political borders, appearing as an integral part of the New Year's meal across the globe.  Here are a few of my favorite New Year's recipes!



Cotechino e Lenticchie (Cotechino Sausage & Lentils)

black lentils

Cotechino is an especially fatty, mildly spiced pork sausage made in Italy and traditionally eaten at midnight on New Years Day to bring in the new year.  The pork symbolizes richness, while the round lentils are thought to look like coins, also symbolizing wealth.
 

1 cotechino sausage (fully cooked), approximately 1 lb.
generous splash olive oil
3 shallots, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
3-4 whole dried sage leaves, finely crumbled
generous grinds of coarse black pepper
1/4 c. dried porcini mushrooms, chopped
light splash wine
8 oz. French lentils (also called Le Puy lentils)*
2.5 cups water
salt
truffle oil

Pierce the sausage all over with the tip of a knife.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20-30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add the shallot, carrot, sage, and black pepper; saute, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is translucent and soft. Next, add the porcini mushrooms.  Stir until the mushrooms are coated with the oil, then add the wine.  Stir thoroughly. 

Now, add the lentils to the pot. Stir for 1-2 minutes, or until the lentils are thoroughly coated with the oil/wine mixture.  Add the water.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft, but not mushy. 

Once the sausage has cooked, remove it from the water, and when cool enough to touch, slice it into thin rounds.  When the lentils are done, spoon portions of the lentil mixture into individual dishes and finish with a light drizzle of truffle oil.  Top the lentils with 2-3 slices of the sausage, garnish with fresh herbs of your choice, and serve. 

* You can use regular lentils, but the beauty of French lentils is that they do not lose their firmness or their shape during the cooking process.

Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is eaten on New Years Day in the American South to bring wealth in the new year.  Pork symbolizes wealth because it is a rich, fatty meat, and collards symbolize wealth because they are green, the color of money. 
 
5 oz. thick-cut bacon, sliced into 1/2" chunks
1 T. butter
1 large onion, diced
12 oz. lager or pilsner-style beer
1 large bunch fresh collards (approx. 2 pounds), ribs removed, chopped
2 t. dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 16-oz. can black-eyed peas
3 cups cooked white rice
salt & pepper to taste

In a large, heavy bottomed stock pot, cook the bacon, butter, and onion over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and much of the fat has rendered off of the bacon.  Next, add a splash of the beer and stir until the liquid stops frothing, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.  Now, add the collards, thyme, garlic, cayenne, bay leaves, and the remaining beer.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Once the collards have cooked, add the black-eyed peas, rice, and salt & pepper.  Stir, then cook for 5-7 minutes or until the black-eyed peas and the rice are thoroughly heated.  Serve in small bowls. 


Pork & Sauerkraut

The Pennsylvania Dutch believe that because it is not possible for a pig to look backwards without turning completely around, therefore pork is associated with moving forward.
 
Amazing Breaded Pork Chops

bone-in pork chop

2 bone-in pork chops, about an inch thick
1 t. salt
generous amount coarsely ground black pepper
4-6 whole dried sage leaves, finely crumbled
1/4 c. mild red wine vinegar
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar*
1/4 c. water
1/4 - 1/2 c. flour
1 egg, beaten
1/4 - 1/2 c. Italian-style bread crumbs
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. olive oil, for frying*

Rub the pork chops with the salt, coarsely ground pepper, and half the sage leaves (reserve the other half for later).  Place the pork chops in a shallow dish with the wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and water.  Marinate for 30 minutes, turning the pork chops halfway through. 

chops cooking

Set up three plates in the following order - first, flour, second, egg, and third, bread crumbs.  Add the thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and remaining sage leaves to the bread crumbs, mix well.  Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy bottomed frying pan (preferably cast iron).  While the oil is heating, bread the chops by dredging (lightly coating) each chop with the flour on both sides, then dipping each chop in the beaten egg, and then coating each of the egged chops with bread crumbs in a thick, even layer.  Coat generously; no moisture should come through. 

Once the oil is heated, add the chops to the hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Once they are done cooking, set aside to rest for 5-7 minutes, then serve with sauerkraut. 

* No need to use an expensive aged balsamic vinegar for this marinade; the cheap stuff in the salad dressing aisle will work just fine for this purpose. 

Sauerkraut

To step up your sauerkraut, simply add a splash of gin, a generous grind of coarse black pepper, 2 halved garlic cloves, and 2 teaspoons of caraway seeds to store-bought sauerkraut (just don't buy the stuff in a can, it's crap - the stuff in plastic bags and glass jars has a fresher flavor).  Cook it over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, drain, and serve with pork chops. 



Longevity Noodles

The Chinese eat uber-long noodles called li mein during new year's celebrations.  The length of the noodles symbolizes a long life, and therefore cutting the noodle with a utensil is symbolic of cutting one's life short - never cut the noodle!  You can, however, chew them once they're in your mouth.  Chinese folks also serve steamed dumplings called "jiaozi" or "Yuanbao," both of which contain pork and cabbage. 

While I'm not familiar enough with Asian noodles to take a stab at this recipe, I've been told that many authentic Chinese restaurants serve longevity noodles, and in some restauarants, diners can watch as the chefs make the noodles - quite a process, which involves pulling and stretching the dough, not unlike taffy.  I find it so incredible that cultures on opposite ends of the globe include the same types of ingredients in their traditional dishes!



Hot-Blooded Mary

This isn't really a tradition, but if you're going to party on New Year's Eve, you might wake up on January 1 with a hangover that makes you curse the day your father met your mother.  If that happens, sometimes a little hair of the dog is the best cure.  Even if this doesn't cure your hangover, its spiciness will certainly wake you up! 

juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 t. prepared horseradish
1/4 t. Old Bay seasoning
splash worcestershire sauce
2 oz. vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
splash ghost pepper oil*
dusting of freshly ground black pepper
celery stick with leaves to garnish

Cmbine the lime juice, horseradish, Old Bay seasoning, worcestershire sauce, and vodka in a highball glass.  Mix well.  Add an ice cube or two, then pour in the tomato juice.  Stir again.  Top with a few drops of ghost pepper oil and a dusting of freshly ground black pepper. 

Be prepared to forget that you were hung over!!!

* If you haven't made ghost pepper oil, substitute a few drops of ultra-hot hot sauce and a few drops of olive oil.

This Weekend's Meat-Free Menu

This weekend, hundreds of dogs and their owners gathered on Boston Common to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. To honor animals and all the work advocates do on their behalf, I not only volunteered at today’s walk, but everything I’ve cooked this weekend has been either vegetarian or vegan.

So what is the difference between vegetarians and vegans? Vegetarians do not eat meat or fish, but they may choose to eat eggs, dairy products, and other products obtained from live animals. Vegans neither eat nor otherwise use any products derived from animals, including honey and wool.

Because this blog is written to celebrate food - nothing more, nothing less - I do not believe that this is the forum to discuss the plethora of issues surrounding meat consumption. I’ll skip the sociology lesson and let you investigate the economic, political, medical and ethical questions on your own time, but I will highlight a few of the benefits of vegetarian and vegan cooking. I’m not expecting meataholics to put down their steak knives and start mainlining tofu, but consider these facts*:

• Vegetarian/vegan diets are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than omnivorous diets
• Factory-farmed meat products are more likely to contain antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella, E. coli, etc.
• No animals have to suffer to make falafel, beans & rice, or quinoa salad
• Intensive livestock production is one of our country’s greatest sources of environmental pollution
• Vegetarian dishes are generally easier on the wallet than dishes containing meat and/or fish

Even if you don’t want to give up meat, try cooking a vegetarian or vegan meal once or twice a week - most vegetarian recipes are so delicious that you won’t even miss the meat!

Before I did any real cooking, I had to try vegan bacon. Oxymoron, right?!? The stuff isn’t bad. I am thankful that someone has been able to make such a great substitute. No one should be denied the joys of bacon, butter, and booze.

This stuff cooks up just like real bacon. Grease the frying pan for a more authentic flavor, turn it over a few times, and voila! Vegan goodness.

The flavor is very spot-on, and the texture isn’t an exact match, but it’s pretty darn close. And honestly, people who cook bacon in the microwave probably won’t know the difference. The smell of vegan bacon frying is so alluring that Tessie, my roommate’s pup, joined me in the kitchen, barked to get my attention and showed off her “sit” skills when I picked up a piece!

The first dinner recipe I tried was a vegetarian casserole with whole wheat pasta, Savoy cabbage, fontina cheese, and fresh dill. The cabbage is extremely high in vitamins and minerals, and both cheese and 100% whole wheat pasta contain protein. Choose a high quality Italian brand of whole wheat pasta made with durum wheat, which is naturally higher in protein than other varieties of wheat. This dish is rich, gooey, hearty, and delicious - this one will stick to your bones on a cold day.

The next dinner recipe was more of an experiment, and it turned out to be fantastic! I was inspired to make this after accidentally buying a bag of Roland Sweet Dried Tomatoes - sounds like plain old sun-dried tomatoes, right? Wrong - these are sweetened with sugar, and their flavor and texture remind me of a tomato-tinged prune or raisin. I thought their sweet quality could enhance a recipe much in the way that adding raisins to a savory recipe deepens the flavors. In Sicily, golden raisins are sometimes added to tomato-based sauces; this was a perfect starting point.

I decided that I wanted to give myself a greater challenge than simply creating a vegan dish - I wanted to make one that was both vegan and gluten-free. Flavors? Check. Proteins? I call on my favorite legume, red lentils. Carbohydrates? Herein lies the challenge. Gluten-free pasta? Nah, just ate pasta last night. Rice? That’s for gluten-free amateurs. I chose millet.

Millet is the seed of a grass, and it is commonly used in parts of Asia and Africa. It is readily available in health food stores, co-ops, and better supermarkets. Try and get over the fact that you’ll without a doubt recognize it as a key component in commercially prepared birdseed; it’s inexpensive, nutritious, and has a wonderful, fluffy texture. If you cannot find millet, quinoa or amaranth are also great whole grains suitable for those on gluten-free diets, and they also carry the added perk of being two of the only plant sources of complete proteins.  Check out more gluten-free grains here.

Whole grains are a great substitute for couscous, the preferred starch source in Moroccan cooking. Knowing this, and knowing that my sweet dried tomatoes could work in a Sicilian-inspired dish, I decided to try a dish that blended Sicilian and Moroccan flavors, which was not a difficult task since their cuisines are very similar to begin with due to their proximity.

Now, it’s time to get cooking. Try these recipes and eat up!

Cabbage, Fontina, and Dill Casserole with Whole-Wheat Rotini

8 oz. 100% whole wheat rotini

1 small head Savoy cabbage, quartered and shredded into ¼” strips

1 clove garlic, minced

4 T. chopped fresh dill

Olive oil

2 T. chardonnay (try using an Italian variety, known as Sciardonne, produced in Italy’s Alto Adige region)

5 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded (fontina is soft, so grate it fresh from the fridge or it will melt)

Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Whole wheat pasta takes a little bit longer to cook than regular pasta, so be patient.

Meanwhile, combine the cabbage, garlic, 3 T. of the dill, a splash of olive oil, and chardonnay in an ovenproof dish. Place in oven. Check after 5 minutes, if the cabbage has wilted, remove from oven. If not, cook for a few more minutes, no more than 10, and remove from oven. Do not let the cabbage brown.

Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the cabbage in the casserole. Add half the fontina, mix well until all ingredients are blended evenly, adding another splash of olive oil to the mix. Once the pasta, cabbage, and cheese are well-blended, top with the remaining fontina. Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, and serve.

Millet with Sweet Tomato and Lentil Stew

Splash olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

Pinch crushed red chile flakes

Pinch fresh ground black pepper

1 cup chopped sweet dried tomatoes

½ cup red lentils

1 cup white wine

¼ t. ground cumin

¼ t. ground coriander

1 t. smoked paprika

½ cup water or vegetable broth (if necessary)

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

2 T. fresh mint, chopped

2 T. capers, rinsed and drained

Salt to taste

1 batch cooked millet

Chopped toasted hazelnuts

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until the onions become translucent. Do not let them brown. Next, add the chopped tomatoes, chile flakes, and ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down and released some of their liquid.

Add the sweet dried tomatoes, lentils, wine, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. By this point, the lentils should be cooked but still firm. If the lentils need more cooking time and/or no liquid remains, add the ½ cup water or vegetable broth and simmer for 5-10 more minutes.

The final step is to add the parsley, mint, capers and salt, stirring until well-blended. To serve, spoon over cooked millet and sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

* information obtained from www.tryveg.com and www.bostonveg.org