Dinner Nightmares: Happy 2011 Austin, TX Style

I am not much for New Year's resolutions, however I do hold to the superstition that you should eat all of the "lucky" foods you can on New Year's Day. Generally, I am sure everyone is award that if you don't eat black eyed peas on January 1st you will be sentenced to a full year of gloom and doom. I also discovered that the same goes for cabbage. We just so happen to have cabbage making an attempt to grow in our garden, but no actual cabbage yet :-( only leaves. I did my best to incorporate these two lucky ingredients (along with some other questionable food products) into side dishes for Alex's Texas Hill Country Smoked Ribs. I can only take credit for the sauce. The ribs are all him!

p.s. For January 1, 2012 I did discover there are some foods to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.

Canned black eyed peas, cabbage & green leaves, onion, jalapeno, potatoes and carrots. I used whatever I had in the fridge. After all, who wants to leave the house to venture out the the grocery store on New Year's day and miss any college football??

Saute onions, garlic and jalapenos.

Okay....I really hate this but it is a nightmare ingredient that was thrown in. Why did I have summer sausage you ask? Well, when I went home for the holidays my family had amassed many holiday gift baskets that they would never consume. Hence, the strange array of crackers, cheeses, etc. you may see showing up in my nightmares. Ick!

Surprisingly, when summer sausage is cooked down and charred pretty much to it's death it tastes a lot like bacon.

Texas Caviar: Black Eyed Peas, Onions, Garlic, Jalapenos, Cilantro, Summer Sausage, Red Wine Vinegar, EVOO, S &P

A side note... Here is my amazing Cuisinart food processor. It has dutifully served me pretty much daily for well over 5 years. I suggest every kitchen have one. However, my good friend is pretty worn and nearing it's last leg. If anyone is shopping for food processors, keep me in mind. Mom, dad, anyone, hint, hint.