New Year, New Spices to try

 

New Year, New Spices to Try

Who doesn’t love ringing in the New Year? Party hats, kazoos, countdowns, and resolutions. The future year is a blank slate, and anything is possible. All around the world, people practice traditions for the New Year to bring good luck to themselves and their loved ones.

Whether you celebrate big or small, on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, you can’t go wrong with starting your New Year off with these snack and drink ideas for your celebration that will bring you luck and even some exciting spice to your life in 2023!

Snacks

Pretzels: A tradition in Germany for the New Year is to enjoy a symbol of luck with their loved ones – a giant, soft pretzel! With this recipe below, you can serve your friends a deliciously spicey bite-sized version of the lucky treat. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients;

Soft pretzels (preferably sourdough)

• Olive oil
• Salt
• Dry ranch seasoning mix
• Garlic powder
• Lemon pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the oil and seasoning.
3. Tear the pretzels into small pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Pour the seasoned oil into the bowl and mix until the pretzels are coated.
4. Cover a pan with the pretzel bites and drizzle any remaining oil over them.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir the bites, then bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Let cool, then serve!

Black-eyed Peas: Many cultures see black-eyed peas as a symbol of luck and prosperity due to their appearance, which resembles a coin. Consider putting out a delicious bowl of these roasted black-eyed peas at your next party for a snack that will bring all your guests luck and prosperity in the New Year! Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Black-eyed peas (already cooked and chilled – NOT from a can)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Chipotle or chili powder
• Paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Dry your peas (this step might seem small, but it’s essential if you want your yummy oil and spices to adhere properly).
3. Coat the peas in oil and seasoning, then spread them on a plan. Make sure to give each pea some space instead of letting them pile up together to make them extra crispy!
4. Roast in the oven until crispy – it should take around 30 minutes.
5. Let cool, then serve!

Drinks

Pomegranates & Oranges: According to Turkish, Greek, and Mediterranean cultures, pomegranates will bring fertility and greatness. According to the Chinese, citrus fruits will bring you happiness and good luck. Who doesn’t want to enjoy a nice, refreshing drink that looks pretty and brings all these benefits to their New Year? Certainly not your guests! Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Pomegranate juice
• 12 oz. water
• 28 oz. Spiced pomegranate juice
• 1 ½ cups of vodka (optional)
• 10 oz. club soda or seltzer
• 4 oz. orange juice
• 1 ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 star anise
• Ginger (peeled)
• ½ cup of sugar

** In the ingredient list, you’ll see 28 oz. Spiced pomegranate juice – this juice will be made with the 16 oz. Pomegranate juice, water, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and sugar in the 1st part of the recipe below:

1. Bring the pomegranate juice, water, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and sugar to a boil. Then simmer for 10 minutes at low heat.
2. Let the juice cool before straining it.
3. Pour the spiced pomegranate juice (should be around 28 oz) into a pitcher. Combine with club soda (or seltzer) and orange juice.
4. Serve over ice and with orange slices as garnish if desired.

Bonus: If you want to spice things up differently, make your drink boozy by adding 6 oz. of vodka.