Pigeon peas/5 recipes

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

This is based on a delicious Paula Deen chicken recipe. It makes a great appetizer and only uses 5 simple ingredients. I found the original recipe way too sweet so have modified it to be a bit less sweet and have added a spicy kick to balance out the sweetness.

The chicken breasts came out juicy, tender and tasty. Sweet, sour and salty orange marmalade - hoisin glaze added a layer of great flavor. Sugar snap peas and carrots were a perfect side dish that went deliciously well with the chicken.

Sugar snap peas, strips of chicken and greens with pasta and dressed with a garlicky Caesar salad dressing.

Used snow peas, mushrooms and red peppers for the veggies, and didn't add any cashews. It still came out delicious.

Make-ahead breakfast casserole that's perfect for Sunday brunch or breakfast. Most breakfast casseroles are huge amounts, this one has been scaled to make just two hearty servings so you can enjoy it anytime.

How about having some baked "rats" made of ground beef at Halloween dinner, this will impress everybody!

"Pudding and whipped topping -- the perfect combination for this yummy no-bake, cold and creamy pie."

The soup was creamy yet slightly chunky, which was the kind of texture I love. Served it with some homemade croutons, absolutely delicious.

Creamy, sweet and delicious. It's worth making your own creamed corn instead of getting it from a can.

Quick, easy and delicious salad, and everyone loves it.

As I do not own a bread machine, I adapted this recipe to make in my KitchenAid stand mixer using the dough hook. I kept the igredients basically the same, with the exception of adding 1 1/2 Tbs. honey. I baked it in a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Just like mom used to make it

I love these spiced chick peas. It was so tasty, and very easy to make. I cooked the mixture a little longer, just wanted a thicker consistency, and I served it with toasted pita bread. YUM!

Slightly sweet and sour. Ginger and garlic Asian dressing was super flavourful. The napa cabbage, carrots, and radishes gave the salad a nice crunch. Definitely will be making it again with my leftover turkey. I'm sure that it works great with chicken as well.

Sweet Gherkin Pickles recipe