New Year’s Lucky Grilled Foods and Cowboy Caviar

One of the many variations of Cowboy Caviar – from the book Great American Grilling by Kent Whitaker

It seems as if everyone is ready for 2021! The reasons are obvious. Now the question is how will people spend New Year’s Eve? Why not fire up the grill? Sure, there are some traditional New Year’s day foods including black-eyed peas, greens, pork, and cornbread.

But who’s to say you can’t start your own tradition with a Boston Butt, ribs, grilled pizza or just about anything else? Go for it!

Or, in case you want to stick to tradition then consider these New Year’s Grilling ideas using seven traditional New Year’s Day foods!

• PORK: Use smoked ham or even chunks of pulled pork in your batch of greens for added flavor.
• BLACK EYED PEAS: Did you know peas, beans, and lintels cover the Black-Eyed Pea category? It really depends on where you live, what traditions you grew up with, and sometimes your ancestory. If you do the bean or Black-eyed Pea tradition, then just Make a batch of Cowboy Caviar using Black-eyed Peas – Recipe below! Grill the corn and onions for bonus flavor.
• CORNBREAD: Make cornbread with blackeyed peas, cheese, onion, and peppers using a cast iron skillet on your grill.
• CABBAGE: The door is wide open! Make some traditional Southern Style Cole Slaw or go for the warm German-style dish! Either would be great on grill bratwurst or sausages!
• CAKE: Hey – it’s cake – always a good choice! But, why not try GRILLED POUND CAKE?
• FRUIT: Grilled fruit is a cinch and you can go with Fruit-based BBQ Sauces… or fruit-infused wine.
• NOODLES: Grilled chicken served over noodles with a cream sauce… endless variations.

Traditional foods will vary from state to state and country to country. But the main point about the suggestions above is that just about any food you choose for your New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day meal can be adapted for your grill. A good example is Cowboy Caviar!

NIGHT GRILLING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE? – BBQ Dragon Grill Lights are the perfect solution!

Speaking of Cowboy Caviar

Have you ever tried to feed a kid plain black-eyed peas while telling them it’s a holiday? Unless they really like black-eyed peas they may wonder what the heck was going on since the last several weeks have included holiday food ranging from smoked turkey and honey ham to cookies, candy, and cake!

Win the battle of the Black Eyed Peas by serving up a bowl of tasty salsa complete with chips. And, check out the suggestions above for turning boring dishes into grilled favorites.

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black-eyed peas rinsed and drained
• 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup tomatoes seeded and finely diced
• 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
• 1 cup grilled corn kernels. (Corn can be fresh, canned or thawed from frozen then grilled or toasted.)
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves chopped (Or 1 1/2 tablespoon dried)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2-3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-2 teaspoons cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of favorite hot sauce

Directions:
Roast your chosen ingredients on BBQ Dragon Grill Mats, a cookie sheet or foil on the grill. Such as corn, onions, peppers. Remove from heat, allow to cool and mix with remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill for an hour or so before serving. Toss regularly.

Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.