New Year's Dinner

Traditional fare calls for Hoppin' John and greens. The rice and peas for good luck and the greens for money.
I served a Hoppin' John soup and not one but three types of greens this year. Surely, someone will when the lottery! ;o))

Hoppin' John Soup
3 cups cooked black eyed peas
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic minced
3/4 lb. sausage
salt & pepper to taste
Cook black eyed peas in chicken stock until done.( I used a spicy all natural chicken sausage but any type will do or omit all together.) Saute sausage, onion and garlic together and add to peas. Add cooked brown rice. Simmer until thick.

I picked lots of fresh greens from the garden. Spinach, kale and collards graced our table. I cooked the collards the way my grandmother did by boiling a ham hock covered with water for an hour and then adding the collards. They cooked until tender and were served with a splash of vinegar. I also served a pan of crispy kale to top the peas and spinach salads. The salads had chunks of local apples, cranberries, feta and walnuts. A delicious and healthy way to start the new year!

Stew Beef and Parsley Dumplings

We find this to be the ultimate comfort food! Slow cooked stew beef with parsley dumplings steamed on top is always a big hit around here. I usually serve with steamed carrots and a salad, all fresh from the garden.

   
Brown beef in a small amount of butter. Add a medium onion, chopped, and cook a bit longer. Cover with beef stock or water- stock makes for a richer end product. This is one of the dishes that I  like to add the dehydrated Hen of the Wood mushrooms that are stored in my pantry. I grind a few and break a few into small pieces and stir into the beef. Adding these adds a depth to the dish, not to mention adding medicinal properties as well. Cover and simmer until beef is tender. Thicken broth with a bit of flour mixed into cold water if desired.  (I do!)

Thirty minutes before serving, mix the dumplings:
3 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3-4 tbsp.minced fresh parsley
3/4 -1 c. buttermilk
Cut butter into dry ingredients. Add parsley. Mix in buttermilk and  drop by spoonfuls onto boiling beef. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 more minutes.

Hotdog & Hamburger Chili

As a rule we don't eat hotdogs, not because we don't like them but because we haven't found one we like that isn't full of junk. We do love hamburgers though and a favorite is one with cheese, slaw, chili and onions!
This recipe has evolved over time changing and adding a bit here and there. My boys also think it makes a great "sloppy joe". I like to use deer because when you boil it the meat cooks up very small. Beef is fine if you don't have venison. It makes a fairly large batch and I freeze small containers for when we want a hambuger with the works!

1 lb gound venison
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 cups water
Boil until meat is cooked. Then add:
1 small can tomate paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsbp. vinegar

Cooking Pumpkin

I would love to say I grew this lovely pumpkin but I did not. It did come from the NC mountains though. I only paid 5.00 for it and the amount of puree I get, it will last us all winter! I will freeze it in 2 cup increments since that is what most pie and muffin recipes call for.
I like to bake mine. There are some that boil it but when you bake, you can just put in the oven and walk away.
To begin with, I wash it well and with a large sharp knife cut it in half.
Scoop out the seeds and goop in the middle.

Lay cut side down on baking sheets and cover with foil.

Bake at 375 for 1 1/2 hours or until you can stick a knife through the flesh and it is tender.
Allow to cool and then scoop all the flesh into a colander and let drain in the refrigerator overnight. Once it has drained completely, process in a blender or food processor for a smooth and creamy puree.
Now you are ready for all of your favorite pumpkin recipes!

Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie
2 cups cooked pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 2/3 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
Mix all together and pour in a deep dish pie shell.
Bake at 350* for 45 minutes to and hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Top with sweetened vanilla whip cream.

Slow Cooked Beef Roast

Tonight's homestead meal is a slow cooked beef roast. I pulled a chuck roast out of the freezer to thaw yesterday. I love to cook this roast long and slow with nothing but a bit of salt & pepper. The slow roasting makes it extremely flavorful and tender.

Place roast in a large covered casserole dish. Salt & pepper to taste. Cover and cook on 300* for about 3  hours. When almost done, place large cubes of carrots and potatoes in pan along sides of roast. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender. A large salad made fresh from the garden and homemade biscuits complete the meal!

Lunch Meats

It is extremely expensive to buy pre-cooked lunch meats not to mention the fact that they are full of junk. The last time I checked roast beef was about $12 a pound! Even if you don't raise your own beef or hunt you can certainly purchase inexpensive cuts of meat and make your own lunch meats at home. We have a slicer that we purchased years ago. Amazon has one very similar for about $50. That may seem like a lot but if you purchase a 3 pound roast for $3.oo a pound, cook it, and slice it you have already saved half of what the slicer cost! We use ours for turkey, chicken, deer and beef. It will also slice bread and cheese.

This weeks lunch meat is a deer roast. I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and rubbed it with yellow mustard. I baked it for about 40 minutes at 350* or until the thermometer reached 140*, we like rare, so cook to your own liking. Wrap and chill overnight and slice while cold. You are ready for lunch!

Wild Mushroom and Kale Risotto

The way I make risotto is a quick and easy side if you cheat like I do!
I had some hen of the wood mushrooms in the fridge and a basket of kale and made this yummy dish.
First saute onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add 1 cup arborio rice and cook until browned. Add kale and cook until wilted. Add several cloves of minced garlic and cook for another minute or so. Next add 2 quarts of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until stock is absorbed and rice is creamy. Remove from heat and add a large handful of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!