By New Year's came and went the way New Year's does when you have an eight-month-old and a three-year-old: we watched the ball drop on television, Kai asleep on the couch since ten and Luna in her crib, and Hannah and I sat in the living room with a glass of wine each and the television on low and that was 2017. Not a disappointment. Not what I imagined New Year's was when I was twenty-three and still had illusions about the occasion. Just what it is: a Tuesday night that happens to mean something on a calendar that is itself an arbitrary human invention.
I made black-eyed peas for New Year's Day, which is Oklahoma tradition regardless of race or ethnicity — everybody makes black-eyed peas on the first of the year for luck, even people who do not believe in luck, because some traditions are bigger than belief. I made mine the way Terry makes them: dried peas soaked overnight, cooked with a smoked ham hock until the peas are soft and the broth is silky and smoky, seasoned with salt and pepper and a little cayenne. Cornbread on the side. Simple and right and belonging to this specific latitude and longitude.
The pipeline has a big push starting mid-January — a new section of a gathering line project that is going to run through most of the spring. I have worked January starts before and they are always a recalibration: the cold, the short days, the body trying to remember what effort feels like after the holidays. I am ready for it because I have been welding for nine years and I know how to be ready for it, but ready and eager are not the same thing.
Danny called on New Year's Day. He wanted to know what I made for good luck. I told him: black-eyed peas and cornbread. He said good. He said his mother always made black-eyed peas and sofkee — a traditional Cherokee corn drink — on New Year's, two traditions side by side, the way everything in our family has always been: side by side, not blended into one, two streams running parallel in the same house. I said I should make sofkee sometime. He said he would find me the recipe. I said I would like that. He said he would look. I do not know if he will find it but the wanting of it is its own kind of beginning.
2017. Let's see what it gives us.
The black-eyed peas are the real thing on New Year’s Day in this house — no substitute, no shortcut, soaked overnight the way Terry does it — but the rest of the year, when a pipeline push is bearing down and the days are short and you need something solid on the table before the kids get loud about it, a can of black beans is about as reliable as anything I know. They carry the same spirit: legumes, warmth, a little smoke if you want it, food that does its job without asking for much. After a holiday that was quieter and better than I expected, I wanted to keep that feeling going into the week ahead.
15 Easy Recipes To Make With a Can of Black Beans
Prep Time: 5–10 min | Cook Time: 15–20 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more until fragrant.
- Add the spices. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne if using. Toast the spices with the onion and garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until they bloom and smell fragrant.
- Add the beans and broth. Pour in the drained black beans and the broth. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Simmer and season. Let the beans cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth reduces slightly and the beans are heated through and well-seasoned. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and cayenne as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls or spoon alongside rice, cornbread, or eggs. Top with fresh cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lime.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 290mg