I celebrate my husband’s Southern heritage on New Year’s Day with a festive, down-home-cookin’ brunch and soul-food-inspired dinner.

In the southern part of the United States, and especially the Low Country, where my husband is from, it’s customary to eat black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread on New Year’s Day for prosperity and good luck.

The black-eyed peas symbolize coins, while the greens and corn-bread symbolize wealth (the color of money and gold).

You’ll find these traditional dishes and other Southern favorites on my menu—all to ensure you have a happy, healthy, prosperous, and *lucky* new year!

SOUTHERN BRUNCH MENU

MAIN DISH

Whole-Wheat Drop
Biscuits (p. 58) with White
Bean Gravy (p. 60) or with
Creamed Tomatoes (p. 60)

SIDES

Cornbread (p. 19)

Southern Caviar (p. 60)

Black-Eyed Pea Collard Greens
(p. 61) or Creamed Kale (p. 65)

Tofu Scramble (p. 102)

Deviled “Eggs” (p. 120)

NEW YEAR’S DAY DINNER MENU

Cornbread (p. 19)

Black-Eyed Pea Collard Greens
  (p. 61) or Creamed Kale (p. 65)

Cajun Tempeh Meatloaf (p. 62)

Cajun Potato Salad (p. 62) or
  Deviled Potato Salad (p. 120)

Chipotle Ketchup (p. 78)

Whole-Wheat Drop Biscuits

MAKES 5 | Q | SF | MA | P |

Here are my quick-and-easy whole-wheat drop biscuits. For brunch, try smothering these with White Bean Gravy (p. 60) or Creamed Tomatoes (p. 60) and serving with a side of Tofu Scramble (p. 102) and a light salad or greens. Come to my house and we’ll break bread—er, biscuits—together!

1 c white whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

¼ c unsweetened applesauce

¼ c nondairy milk

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in applesauce so large clumps of dough start to form. A light flour dusting is okay, but make sure there are no hidden flour pockets at the bottom.
3. Pour in nondairy milk, gently stirring until a wet, thick, doughy batter forms, but be careful not to overstir. Add an extra splash of liquid if necessary.
4. Drop five spoonfuls of the batter on your cookie sheet, leaving space between them. For round biscuits, use clean, wet fingers to gently and lightly smooth out each drop into a circular shape.
5. Bake for 7–10 minutes or until the biscuits are firm to the touch and golden around the edges.

CHEF’S NOTE:

For a savory dinner roll, add in fresh rosemary.

Per biscuit (plain): 93 calories, 0.4g fat, 19.4g carbohydrates, 2.6g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 3.6g protein

VARIATION

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits: For a breakfast treat, add ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice) with raisins. Once baked, drizzle with my basic glaze: powdered sugar combined with a little vanilla or almond extract, and nondairy milk as needed.

White Bean Gravy

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

| Q | GF | SF | MA | P |

I really love this gravy—so much that I often eat it as a soup! (Oops!)

1 15-oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed

(see note)

¼ c vegetable broth

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (see note)

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Cajun Seasoning (p. 173) (see note)

tsp black pepper

1. Combine everything in a blender and puree until silky smooth, adding more broth as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. You don’t want to thin it out too much; it should be creamy and gravy-thick.
2. Transfer to a small pot on the stove and gently heat over low until thoroughly warm.
3. Taste, adding more pepper or salt as desired.

CHEF’S NOTES:

• For a little kick, add another ¼ tsp Cajun Seasoning, and for a bit of a cheesy flavor, add more nutritional yeast.
• Any white bean, including butter beans and cannel-lini beans, may be substituted for the navy beans in the gravy.

Per serving (1 cup): 169 calories, 0.4g fat, 29.4g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 3.8g sugars, 11.1g protein

Creamed Tomatoes

SERVES 4 | Q | GF* | SF |

This recipe comes from Katie Anderson, a lovely Herbie in West Virginia. Katie enticed me to visit her with this recipe, promising to show me how to make it. You’ll find her creamed tomatoes are great at breakfast but also very versatile! They could easily be served with toast, rice, quinoa, greens, couscous, potatoes . . . anything, really! Katie says, “This recipe is not an exact science. I just do it as I go.”

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1½ tsp raw sugar

½ c nondairy milk

1 tbsp cornstarch

Whole-Wheat Drop Biscuits (p. 58)*

1. Place tomatoes in a saucepan with their juices and the sugar (add more sugar if you like it sweeter or your tomatoes are very acidic).
2. Heat on medium-low for about 15–20 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the mixture has cooked down a bit.
3. In a small bowl or cup, mix nondairy milk and cornstarch together, then add to tomato mixture, and continue to cook until the mixture is thick.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste (I like it peppery) and serve poured over the biscuits.

Per serving (without biscuits): 53 calories, 0.7g fat, 11.3g carbohydrates, 2.6g fiber, 6.7g sugars, 1.9g protein

Southern Caviar

SERVES 12 | Q | GF | SF | MA | P |

This recipe comes from my mother-inlaw, Cynthia Nixon. She calls it “Lower Alabama Caviar” but I’ve heard people call it “Texas Caviar,” too, among other names. The inclusion of black-eyed peas makes this dish a perfect fuss-free appetizer or potluck dish for New Year’s!

30 oz black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

(see note)

30 oz black beans, drained and rinsed (see note)

30 oz Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained and chopped

(see note)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 bunch fresh parsley, minced

¼ c balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp raw sugar

1. Mix all ingredients together and allow to marinate for at least 12 hours.
2. Chill before serving.

CHEF’S NOTE:

Thirty-ounce jars are difficult to come by, so you may need to buy two smaller-size jars.

Per serving: 156 calories, 1.3g fat, 27.1g carbohydrates, 8.2g fiber, 4.8g sugars, 9.1g protein

Black-Eyed Pea Collard Greens

SERVES 1-2 | Q | GF | SF |

This is what I serve to honor my husband’s Southern heritage, along with Cornbread (p. 19) or rice. If you’re dining solo, this is a great small, one-pot meal!

1 bunch collard greens

vegetable broth, as needed

1 small onion, sliced (white, yellow, or red)

4–6 garlic cloves, minced

½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 celery stalk, diced small

Cajun Seasoning, to taste (p. 173)

hot sauce, to taste (e.g., Tabasco)

1 c cooked black-eyed peas

1. Drag a knife along the spine of collards to remove the stems. Then chop or tear into bitesized pieces and set aside.
2. Line a large skillet with a thin layer of broth. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add bell pepper and celery, plus more broth if necessary, and cook for a minute. Add a few dashes of Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.
4. Stir and continue to cook until bell peppers have softened, adding more broth as necessary, about 3–5 minutes.
5. Add greens and use a spatula or tongs to move greens around and incorporate well. Once they’re bright green (about 2–3 minutes), turn off heat.
6. Keep stirring to combine everything together. Stir in black-eyed peas, cover, and let rest for a few minutes. Add more Cajun Seasoning or hot sauce to taste. Serve over cooked grains or with a side of cornbread.

Per serving: 154 calories, 1.7g fat, 29.7g carbohydrates, 8.6g fiber, 3.2g sugars, 9.1g protein

Cajun Tempeh Meatloaf

SERVES 4 | GF | MA | PA | P |

My beloved Tempeh Meatloaf gets a Cajun makeover.

1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning (p. 173)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 small onion, minced

2 celery stalks, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz tempeh, shredded using a cheese grater

3–4 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

½ tsp browning sauce (optional)

Tabasco sauce, to taste (optional)

1 c instant oats

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside a standard nonstick 8-inch loaf pan.
2. Mix all loaf ingredients together and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Pack down into the loaf pan. STOP
4. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until firm and golden.
5. Let cool for 10–20 minutes, then serve.

Per serving (¼ loaf): 165 calories, 6.9g fat, 15.3g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 4.8g sugars, 14.0g protein

CHEF’S NOTE:

I like McCormick Gourmet Collection Cajun Seasoning and Badia Louisiana Cajun Seasoning.

Cajun Potato Salad

SERVES 6 | Q | GF_* | SF_* | MA | PA | P |

This New Orleans–inspired potato salad uses a creamy Cajun mustard as its base. It’s creamy, tangy, and a little spicy.

1 lb red potatoes, diced

Creamy Cajun Mustard (p. 173)*

2 tbsp chives (see note)

vegan bacon bits (optional)

paprika or Cajun Seasoning (p. 173) for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Immediately rinse with cold water and let cool completely. STOP
4. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in Creamy Cajun Mustard until all the potatoes are well coated, adding more Cajun mustard as desired.
5. Toss a few times with chives or green onions to ensure even distribution and sprinkle generously with bacon bits, if using.
6. Garnish with a heavy dash of paprika or Cajun Seasoning, then cover and chill until just before serving, at least 1 hour.

CHEF’S NOTES:

• The dark-green parts of green onions may be substituted for the chives.
• To make bacon bits, combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1½ tsp liquid smoke, 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp pure maple syrup, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ⅛ tsp paprika in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, immediately turn off the heat and stir in ½ cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) or TSP (textured soy protein). Continue to stir until all the liquid has been absorbed, then add salt as needed. Next you’ll need to crisp up and dehydrate the bits. You can either set your toaster oven to 200°F and toast the crumbs, shaking the tray every 2 minutes to prevent burning and repeating until crisp, or fry in a nonstick pan until crispy, stirring often.

Per serving: 61 calories, 0.4g fat, 12.9g carbohydrates, 1.6g fiber, 1.2g sugars, 2.1g protein

Creamed Kale

SERVES 2-4 | Q | GF | SF* |

Traditional creamed spinach gets a healthy makeover!

1 small onion, diced

5–6 garlic cloves, minced

1 c nondairy milk (see note)

¼ c nutritional yeast

2 tsp yellow or white miso*

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp chickpea flour (optional)

16 oz frozen kale (see note)

cayenne pepper (optional)

AJ’s Vegan Parmesan (p. 172) or nutritional

yeast for garnish (optional)

1. Line a large skillet with a thin layer of water (or vegetable broth) and sauté the onion and garlic over high heat until the onion is translucent and liquid has evaporated.
2. Transfer to a blender and add nondairy milk, nutritional yeast, miso, cornstarch, and chick-pea flour if using. Blend until smooth and creamy, then set aside briefly.
3. Add frozen kale to the skillet and cook over high heat for 1–2 minutes until it’s mostly cooked (add a tiny bit of water if necessary to prevent sticking). Once kale is nearly cooked, add milk mixture and stir to combine.
4. Continue to cook, stirring as needed, until it thickens slightly and kale is cooked completely, about 1–2 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus cayenne if you like your creamed kale with a kick. Garnish with vegan Parm or nutritional yeast if desired.

CHEF’S NOTES:

• Unsweetened almond milk or soy milk works best in this recipe.
• Some brands of frozen kale are stem heavy, which I don’t care for in this dish. If that’s all you can find, use frozen spinach or fresh (de-stemmed and chopped) kale instead.

Per serving: 84 calories, 1.8g fat, 12.7g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 1.2g sugars, 6.3g protein

VARIATION

Creamed Spinach: If you prefer the taste of spinach to kale, use that in place of the kale.