Another year has slipped by and a new one beckons shyly at us. School reopens on Tuesday and what seemed as a marathon to finish the year, just barely meeting our Christmas and year-end needs, we are planning for another year.

It has been a tough year for everybody, crawling out of the pandemic, learning about the new normal and coming full face with the genocide of the Palestinian people, after just witnessing the Ukraine-Russian war. Can we take any more? I know I can’t.

It is a new year but the wars still continue, let us always be mindful of the underprivileged and let us appreciate what we have and what we are able to make happen for this new year.

Let us practise healthy habits fuelled by good eating habits. Cook more at home and cook local foods, allow yourself to feel the difference. Make the effort to learn how nourishing our foods are, and make an effort to prepare these foods, move out of your comfort cooking zones and embrace the difference.

Tomorrow is Old Year's night and it is customary to cook rice and peas which brings good luck for the coming year. If we all cook a little then that’s a whole lot of luck for the world!

Happy New Year to you all and may you receive many blessings!

Black Eye Peas and Rice Cookup

1 cup cooked black-eyed peas

1 cup parboiled rice

2 cups vegetable/chicken stock

½ cup coconut milk

1 onion, chopped

1 tbs chopped celery

1 tbs chopped thyme

1 tsp salt

2 tomatoes chopped

2 clove garlic, chopped

2 pimento peppers, chopped

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 hot pepper, left whole

In a heavy medium saucepan heat oil, add onion, celery, thyme, garlic and pimento pepper, sauté until fragrant and onion is tender, add tomatoes and cook for 1 minute longer, add peas and turn to coat peas, add rice and turn to coat rice grains, add stock and coconut milk, bring to a boil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add hot pepper and turn heat to low, cover and steam until cooked, about 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Split Roasted Chicken with Guava rum glaze

1 4½ lb chicken, split into two, washed and cleaned

Marinade:

2 tbs red wine vinegar

4 cloves garlic minced

2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped or minced

2 tbs minced chives

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbs olive oil

Combine all the marinade ingredients and rub onto the chicken, taking care to get the marinade under the skin as well. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400F

Place the chicken on a baking rack and place in oven, cook for about 40 minutes until browned on both sides.

Baste chicken with guava glaze, turn and baste other side.

Do not leave too long in the oven with the glaze it will burn easily.

Guava rum Glaze

1 cup guava paste

2 tbs ketchup

4 tbs white vinegar

2 tsp yellow mustard

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs molasses

¾ tsp cumin

¼ tsp each allspice and nutmeg

2 tsp grated onion

2 tsp minced garlic

4 tbs rum

salt to taste

2 tbs vegetable oil

In a small saucepan, heat vegetable oil, add oni