Top 7 lucky foods for your New Year’s Day menu

Deep South lore calls for a traditional Southern New Year’s Day meal to ensure good fortune in the year ahead. Here are our Top 7 good luck foods and a few recipes from our friends at The Ingles Table to jazz up your New Year’s Day menu.

PORK
Pigs always move forward, thus the pigs for progress tradition of eating pork on New Year’s Day. Try this Cranberry Glazed Pork Tenderloin recipe by Ingles Chef Julie May for an attractive, tangy and healthy dish.

Shopping List

• Pork tenderloin
• Laura Lynn canola oil
• Laura Lynn steak seasoning
• 1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cup Laura Lynn sugar
• 2 tbsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup Laura Lynn orange juice
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Making the Sauce

Bring the following to a boil & cook for 10-15 min. stirring occasionally:

• 1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cup Laura Lynn sugar
• 2 tbsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup Laura Lynn orange juice
• 1 1/4 cup water

Preparing the Pork

• Remove fat and pat dry
• Season liberally with Laura Lynn steak seasoning
• Sear on all sides in a hot pan with oil
• Place pork in oven-safe dish
• Stir 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary into the sauce
• Ladle the sauce over the top of the pork loin
• Place uncovered in 375-degree oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (approximately 20-25 minutes)

Serving Tips
When you remove your pork loin from the oven, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This will allow the juices to cook into the pork and keep it nice and juicy when eating. Slice the pork about every half inch or so. Serve fanned out on the plate for a pleasing presentation. Sides like saffron rice, zucchini and sweet potatoes nicely compliment this dish. This is a fresh, fragrant, spicy and juicy dish perfect for the holidays. Enjoy!

BLACK-EYED PEAS
Tradition says that black-eyes peas on your News Year’s Day plate represent coins.

GREENS
Whether turnips, collard greens or cabbage, leafy greens represent dollar bills so eat up!

CORNBREAD
Apparently, it’s all about money on New Year’s Day, with cornbread representing gold.

HOPPIN’ JOHN SOUP
If you’d rather get your peas and greens in a hearty soup, Hoppin’ John is the way to go. This Carolina peas and rice soup features collard greens and onions, and can include bacon, turkey, ham or country sausage.

POTLIKKER SOUP
Potlikker is what Southerners call the flavorful liquid left behind after boiling greens such as collards. Add ingredients like smoked sausage, roasted bell pepper and onion, and you’ve got a good ol’ Southern Potlikker soup.

RING-SHAPED CAKES
Ring-shaped cakes and other round sweet treats are said to bring a full circle of luck to your New Year’s Day spread. This Apple Praline Bundt Cake from Chef Julie May is a made-from-scratch dump cake adapted from her husband’s great grandmother’s recipe.

Shopping List

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup Laura Lynn cinnamon applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 3 cups cake flour (could use all purpose)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups chopped Granny Smith apples
• 2 tbsp praline syrup (optional)

Praline Glaze Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Set oven to 375 & toast pecans for 8 min.
2. Then set oven to 350 for the cake
3. Prepare Bundt pan with cooking spray
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together: 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, ¾ cup Laura Lynn cinnamon applesauce
5. Next, mix in 3 eggs
6. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together: 3 cups cake flour (could use all purpose), 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg
7. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and mix together
8. Fold in: 2 tsp vanilla. 3 cups chopped Granny Smith apples, 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
9. Pour cake mix into Bundt pan and bake for 75 minutes (or until you can pull a long toothpick out cleanly; remove from oven and allow to cool)
10. For glaze, bring the following to a boil in a saucepan: (cook for 2 minutes while stirring continuously) 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup milk
11. Remove from heat and stir in: 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar

Adding the Glaze
Before adding the glaze, pour 2 tbsp of praline syrup over the top of the cake. Then while the glaze is still hot, pour it over the top of the cake. With the cake on a plate or a pedestal, rotate the cake and pour to cover. Then add candied pecans on the top and sides to garnish. And enjoy!