For extra luck this New Year, try one (or all!) of these festive, healthy dishes from Nancy Waldeck, a chef at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. Each recipe contains a traditional ingredient thought to bring good fortune in the New Year. 

Collard greens and black-eyed pea stew

Folklore: Black-eyed peas represent coins and therefore, wealth.

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.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 4 cups veggie broth

• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes             

• 5 cups chopped collards

• 1 bag frozen black-eyed peas, cooked according to package directions

• Greek yogurt, sliced green onions and chopped tomatoes for garnish

Step one: Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cook and stir until just tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper. 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, five to 10 minutes. Stir in the black-eyed peas, taste for salt and pepper, garnish with yogurt, green onions and tomatoes, and serve.

Rutabaga mash, shredded collards and turkey bacon

Folklore: Collard greens symbolize green dollar bills and prosperity.

The secret to making your collard greens delicious is to shred them very finely. This will help them cook quickly and stay bright green. For this recipe, you’ll cook the turkey bacon in a small pan, remove it and then sauté the collards in the same pan. Buy the best turkey bacon you can find - a brand with no fillers or nitrates.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 4 strips turkey bacon

• 1 cup finely shredded collard greens

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup light buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• Sea salt and black pepper

Step one: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rutabagas and carrots together until fork-tender (about 25 minutes).

Step two: While the veggies are cooking, sauté the turkey bacon in a small sauté pan, just big enough for the bacon. When crispy, remove from the pan and toss the collards in the remaining oil.

Step three: Drain and mash the cooked rutabagas and carrots. Add the butter, buttermilk, balsamic and nutmeg. Mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, top with the crispy bacon and collards.

Did you know rutabagas are a cross between Savoy cabbage and turnips? A member of the cruciferous family, rutabagas are a well-loved veggie in the South, but other than a traditional place in a New England Boiled Dinner, they are not used often in the United States. Finland, Norway and Sweden are big fans of the ugly veggie. They are an integral part of Scotland’s “neeps and tatties,” a dish of mashed potatoes and rutabaga that is traditionally served with haggis (a Scottish savory pudding with meat “parts” and oatmeal).

Peanut-crusted pork tenderloin

Folklore: Because pigs root forward, they represent progress.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil spray

• 1 (1- to 2-pound) pork tenderloin

• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 cup finely chopped roasted and salted peanuts

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.

Step two: Coat the pork tenderloin with the Dijon mustard. In a small bowl, combine the peanuts, chopped thyme, red pepper flakes and pepper. Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough for the tenderloin. Sprinkle the peanut mixture on the parchment and roll the tenderloin in the mixture until well coated. Slide the tenderloin onto the prepared baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Place in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Red pepper and fresh thyme cornbread with goat cheese

Folklore: Because of its golden color, cornbread symbolizes gold and success.

Goat cheese is made all over the world and appears in a wide variety of forms, although most often in a soft, spreadable cheese. Because goat's milk tends to be leaner than cow's milk, goat cheese is leaner, too! 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper

• 1.5 tablespoons raw fine sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1/3 cup minced red pepper

• 3/4 cup grated parmesan

• 8 ounces buttermilk (low-fat is fine)

• 2 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 log of goat cheese

• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Step one: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a loaf tin with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.

Step two: In a bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Add the thyme, pepper and parmesan, and mix.

Step three: In a second bowl, beat together the buttermilk, eggs and oil. Mix into the dry ingredients.

Step four: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer poked into the top of the cornbread comes out clean. Leave to cool on a rack.

Step five: When read to serve, cut eight thick slices from the loaf and place on a baking sheet. Turn your oven to broil and cook until the edges are toasted. Cut eight slices from the log of goat cheese. Flip the bread over and place the goat cheese on top. Run the slices under the broiler again until the cheese is warm and melted. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and serve with a green salad. 

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