decadent black-eyed pea dip...

Growing up in Southern California, the whole notion of eating black-eyed peas on New Years day was never part of our family traditions. In fact, our life out there was so healthy, I don't recall a need to come up with resolutions...but that is fodder for another post entirely. Anyway, you'd think that my marriage to a Southerner would have been the impetus for black-eyed peas in some form today, but his family never took on this tradition either. Interesting. So, why exactly do we think black-eyed peas are lucky? Clearly, I am not the only one buying into this theory because the grocery market shelf was just about empty yesterday afternoon. So, I went looking, and here's the best explanation I could come up with. Now, I'm not a superstitious person, but I do love to whip up new things...and a little luck this year could go a long way. So, without further adieu, here's the first way I served up some lucky black-eyed peas this year: Zanie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip from The Pioneer Woman's recipe archives. This is the decadent way to enjoy your black-eyed peas...

Basically, it's just a big ol' bowl of smashed black-eyed peas (a can of them, rinsed and drained then pulsed in the Cuisinart until they were partially chopped) + salsa + sour cream + shredded sharp cheddar + chopped jalapenos...all mixed together then poured into an oven-proof baking dish and popped into a 350 degree oven until warmed through. I topped it with some chopped scallions, since it looked a little nasty as is. But this stuff was totally decadent and totally addictive. Definitely the hit of any party. Serve with tortilla chips.