Healthy New Year's Dishes

ATLANTA - We all have our favorite New Year's traditions, like eating collard greens for money and black-eyed peas for good luck.

But these are not always the healthiest dishes.

So we asked Chef Nancy Waldek to help us reinvent the dishes that help us kick off the New Year.

Our favorite New Year's Day staples: like black-eyed peas and collard greens, are actually ready good for us, says Piedmont Hospital healthy chef Nancy Waldek.

But we can just absolutely lose all of the nutrition by cooking it too long or by adding lots of fat and meat products.

So, we asked Waldek to reinvent our favorite first-day-of-the-new-year dishes.

New Years Foods 2016 from Healthy Chef Partyologist Nancy Waldeck

Collard Greens and Black Eyed Pea Stew

Black-eyed peas are a staple here in the South. We eat them year round in soups, stews, salads and casseroles. Did you know the black-eyed pea is thought to have originated in North Africa? It may have been introduced into India as long as 3,000 years ago, and was also a staple of Greek and Roman diets. The peas were probably brought to the New World by Spanish explorers and African slaves.

1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
2 Carrots, Chopped
5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Tsp Thyme Leaves
¼ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
4 Cups Veggie Broth
1 (15 oz) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes​
5 Cups Chopped Collards
1 Bag (12 OZ) Frozen Black-eyed Peas, Cooked as Package Directs

Optional: Greek Yogurt, Sliced Green Onions and Chopped Tomatoes to Garnish

Step One Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook and stir until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant.

Step Two Add the broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the collards; reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the black-eyed peas, taste for salt and pepper, and if desited, garnish with yogurt, green onions or tomatoes and serve.

Black Eyed Peas and Quinoa Salad

1 Cup Quinoa
4 Green Onions, thinly sliced
2 Roasted Red Peppers
1 (16 OZ) Bag Frozen Black-eyed Peas, cooked as the package directs
3 TB Chopped Cilantro
3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TB Fresh Lime Juice
2 TB Fresh Orange Juice
1 Tsp Orange Zest
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
½ Tsp EACH Fine Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 TB Chopped Jalapeño Pepper
1 Tsp Grated Garlic

Step One: Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Step Two: Stir the green onions, roasted red peppers, black-eyed peas and cilantro into the cooked quinoa.

Step Three Place the ingredients together in a small bowl; pour over quinoa mixture and stir to coat with dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Not a Quinoa fan? This salad is wonderful when you substitute brown rice for the quinoa.

Sauteed Greens
Collards, Kale, Turnips or Chard
2 TB Canola or Grapeseed Oil
1 Cups Minced Red Onions
1 TB Grated Garlic
2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Large Bunch of Greens, sliced thinly
½ Tsp Each Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Warm the oil in a large saute pan. Over medium high heat, add the onions, and cook and stir until soft. Add the garlic, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the paprika and stir until incorporated. Using tongs, add some of the greens into the pan. As the greens cook down, add more, continuing until all the greens are soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

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