Lucky Foods for a Prosperous and Healthy New Year Roast Pork Tenderloin Black-Eyed Pea Salad

FOOD

Lucky Foods for a Prosperous, Healthy New Year

People all over the world wish for health, happiness and prosperity for the new year. Many believe that eating certain foods on New Years Day will bring that on.

Eating grapes are a tradition in Spain. The goal is to eat 12 green grapes during the 12 seconds remaining until the new year begins. Pomegrantes are the food for those in Turkey. Noodles, fish and cornbread are other foods that are believed to help start the new year right.

In Japan, people eat soba noodles. the Toshikoshi Soba, which means “year crossing buckwheat noodle,” denotes the crossing from one year to the next. Nibbling the noodles represent traveling from one year to the next as well as letting go of the previous year’s regrets.

Here are a few “lucky” foods to bring you and your family luck and prosperity as you ring in 2023.

Roast Pork Tenderloin

By Makinze Gore

A pork tenderloin is a long thin strip of meat from the loin of the pig. It is usually on the smaller side, but an extremely tender cut of meat. It makes it easy to cook quickly without worry of needing to marinade for a long time to help tenderize it.

Look for the largest tenderloin you can find, but try to find one that isn’t already marinated. They are often sold in packages with a marinade, but we are making our own glaze here. Our rosemary glaze is so good on the pork and helps flavor the potatoes making them absolutely incredible.

Yields 6 Serving(S) Prep Time 10 Mins Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

2 lb. baby potatoes, quartered Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 (2-lb.) boneless pork tenderloin 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/4 c. maple syrup 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. whole grain mustard 2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary, plus more for garnish 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Place potatoes in a 9”-x13” baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until starting to turn golden, about 40 minutes. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper all over, then place on top of potatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup oil, maple syrup, garlic, mustard, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper then brush over tenderloin and pour any extra over the potatoes. Roast for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and tenderloin is cooked through. Internal temperature should read 145°. Garnish with more rosemary to serve.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Black eyed peas have a rich tradition in the South. Eaten during New Year’s for good luck and prosperity, they also make an easy and very healthy salad. You can absolutely make this salad using dry beans, but canned black eyed peas also work great.

The best part of this simple salad is that it gets better as it sits, so feel free to make this ahead. Yields 4 - 6 Prep Time 10 Mins Total Time 40 Mins

Ingredients

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 c. red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced 2 (15-oz.) cans of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 medium tomato, finely diced 4 scallions, sliced 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper together. Stir in the red onion. Add the beans, red pepper, tomato, scallions, parsley, and basil. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. (Delish and MC) 

ENTERTAINMENT

Carefree Highway — Gordon Lightfoot

After 50 active years of hit song making and international album sales well into the multi-millions, it’s safe to say that esteemed singer-songwriter and musician Gordon Lightfoot resides with some very exclusive company atop the list of all-time greats. His song catalog is incredibly vast and includes such immortals as “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “Sundown,” “(That’s What You Get) For Lovin Me,” “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Cold On The Shoulder”, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Beautiful,” “Song For A Winter’s Night”, “Shadows”, “Rainy Day People”, “Did She Mention My Name” and “Summertime Dream” to name a few.

Gordon Lightfoot has recorded 20 albums and has five Grammy nominations. His songs have been aired regularly for 50 years, earning him Radio Singles Chart Positions in North America achieved by few others. Lightfoot’s radio hits in the USA have earned Five #1s, Five Top 10s and Thirteen Top 40 hits. In Canada he has earned Sixteen #1s, Eighteen Top 10s and Twenty One Top 40 hits.

You can see Gordon Lightfoot live at The Canyon Santa Clarita on April 17. Tickets are available online through AXS, over the phone at (888) 645-5006, and in person at the Canyon Santa Clarita box office. For more information, visit www.wheremusic meetsthesoul.com. 