Hoppin' John

Last weekend, Mom made Hoppin' John soup to ring in the new year. That one bowl just wasn't enough, so today I am making more.

Here is an interesting tidbit for those of you who are trivia minded (like me). Basically the name hoppin’ john originated in the south. The creole french in Louisiana called black eyed peas pois pigeon, which they would cook up and serve to the slaves. the slaves would hear them called pois pigeon (pronounced pwahpeeJON) and it just evolved through the dialect to Hoppin’ John. There is your lesson in useless knowledge for the day, here is my recipe for Hoppin' John.

1 pound of sausage, browned and drained, a pound (or 2 cans) black eyed peas, I like the frozen, but the canned are fine if you rinse them well, 1 - 1 1/2 cup rice, 3 cans chicken broth, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Just mix everything in a big pot, bring to a boil and let simmer for an hour or 2, all day in the crock pot works well, too.

We like this with cornbread, but crackers or rolls are fine. It can be made vegetarian easily by doubling the spices and leaving out the sausage. The leftovers also freeze well for another meal another night. Enjoy (and stay warm).