Gourmet Food on a Budget
This Skinny Tamale pie is my version of my Grandmother’s famous recipe from the 1950s. Everything you expect with half the calories. Enjoy it with a salad and a glass of ice-cold beer.
You may remember that when I visited my cousin in South Carolina, part of the reason I did that was to get some of my grandmother’s recipes. I made both her Lemon Jello Cake and her tamale pie when I was there.
This recipe for Oyster Cornbread Dressing has been in my family for generations. There’s a reason for that – it’s damn good. The oysters do not taste fishy, they just give the stuffing umami which takes it over the top.
Almost every year, I bake a ham for Christmas so that I can have the bone for New Year’s Day. Of course, this year I roasted a goose, so I had no ham bone. Luckily, my good friend Stevie Lewis saved me the bone from his family’s Christmas ham. From this bone, I make Hoppin John, an old Southern dish of black-eyed peas, ham, and rice. With it, I serve steamed Kale and cornbread.
There is quite a long tradition with this meal. The black-eyed peas are said to represent coins, the kale is green like money, and the cornbread is golden to represent gold. Eating this for New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good fortune for the New Year.
Well, it might not bring any more money into your purse, but it is very economical. It’s a break for all the heavy holiday foods. It’s also very good for you. Black-eyed peas are high in protein, iron, zinc, and potassium. Kale has anti-cancer properties. Cornbread, if you don’t put tons of butter on it, is also good for you.