Farm Wife Recipes

Roasted Garden Vegetable Soup

2009-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today, a fellow blogger posted on my other blog about eggplant soup. Looking over to my kitchen counter, what do I see but a lovely eggplant? I decide then and there, that I, too would be making eggplant soup today!

I realized that not only did I have the one largish eggplant needing to be used up, but I also have a table full of ripe tomatoes, and a few tiny, lonely red bell peppers from the garden. So, instead of the eggplant winning the starring role in my soup, I decided to throw them all together, with an onion (well, of course) and some garlic (duh!).

Ok, here we go:

1 eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
3-4 tomatoes, halved
1 onion, halved
1 red bell pepper, halved & scraped out
1 32. oz. box of chicken broth (or 4 cups homemade)
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. oregano
Olive Oil
Minced garlic
Half & Half or cream (optional)

To begin, take the vegetables that have been halved, and coat lightly in olive oil. Place on baking sheet and put in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. I timed it, and it took me four minutes to complete this step. Easyness, people!

When they're done roasting, put all the veggies in your soup pot with the chicken broth, fennel, oregano and garlic. You'll notice I didn't put an amount on the garlic. If I'd had fresh garlic on hand, I would've roasted it with the other veggies - at least 4 cloves. But I didn't, so I used a scant TBS of minced. I REALLY like garlic. You could use less.

Cook until everything is heated well and onions are really soft. Take it off eat and either blend it in the blender, or do what I do and use a hand blender. Incidentally, if you don't have one of these, and you make soups, it's worth the 20 bucks to own one.

When it's all blended and back in the pot, drizzle some half-n-half or heavy cream in, for a little added richness. It's totally optional, but I personally think it's worth it!

Serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Brownies

2009-03-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

For years, literally, I've been hunting the perfect brownie recipe. Seems that every time I try one, it's more cakey than the goo I'm looking for! Meanwhile, Mark's dad is forever bringing over the yummy, gooey ones from a box mix, which only serves to antagonize me more!

So a few weeks ago, my friend Roan posted a recipe for Chocolate Chip Brownies on her blog. Of course I had to try them right away. I knew, based on the ingredient list, that they would be scrumptious. And they were!

But they were more of a "blondie" than a brownie. I wanted that texture, that consistency, but in an all chocolate brownie. So what did I do? I simply added cocoa to the recipe, and finally, FINALLY, achieved the perfect brownie. We've made them over and over since then. Mark has come to expect them on weekends!

One of the best things about this recipe is that it's SUPER easy. You can actually memorize the recipe after a few times of making it!

2 sticks butter
1 box brown sugar (2 1/4 cups)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
12 oz. (1 full bag) Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together butter, brown sugar, eggs & vanilla. Mix in flour & cocoa powder till combined well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes, or until set in the center.

ENJOY!
Em

Oven Pancakes

2009-01-31T07:03:00.000-08:00

My Northern friend Jill made a comment recently about oven pancakes. Of course I had to ask her what and how! As it turns out, this may be the easiest thing I've ever prepared, next to boiling water!

The result was so pretty and delicious! My kids all said, "This is waaay better than 'real' pancakes!" And how much easier than standing and pouring and flipping! So...on to the recipe...

4 eggs
4 TBS butter
1 cup flour (I used 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
1 cup milk

Set oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a 9x13 GLASS dish, and place in oven to melt while oven heats. Beat eggs slightly, then add in milk and flour. When butter is melted and oven is ready, pour batter into the dish on top of butter and bake for about 20 minutes.

You'll know it's done when it's puffy and golden brown. Cut into slices and serve with berries, fruit, powdered sugar, maple syrup, jam, etc...

See, told you it was easy! The pancake puffs so beautifully, that if you were so inclined, you could be all fancy schmancy with it, dust it with powdered sugar, throw on some fresh blueberries...you get the picture. (Speaking of pictures, I tried to take one, but batteries were down. I'll catch it next time.)

The Burleson clan just smothered our pieces in maple syrup and ate it with sausage on the side!
I may seriously never make 'real' pancakes again!

Enjoy,
Em

Hot Chicken Dip

2008-12-30T18:11:00.001-08:00

It seems that every Christmas season, there is this one dish, candy, or whatever that I make for every event. This year it was Hot Chicken Dip, a recipe I got from my friend Roan's blog. It was a hit with everyone who tried it.

I made a couple of changes to suit me, and today a friend asked if I would post my version, so here it is. Again, thanks to Roan for this awesome recipe (click on link above to see the original).

Hot Chicken Dip

2 cans chicken breast or 2-3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 onion, sauteed in 2 TBS butter till soft

Mix all ingredients using a mixer (this step is important - ask me how I know). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with Wheat Thins or Ritz Chips.

Enjoy!
Em

Green Salsa

2008-12-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's not really green, but it's the name I was given, and it stuck. Whatever you want to call it, it's sooo good and so easy to throw together!

2 cans chopped green chilies
2 cans chopped black olives
2 cans Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican)
1 bottle Zesty Italian dressing
Cilantro, chopped, about a handful*

Mix all ingredients, cover and let sit in fridge at least overnight. It gets better and better the longer it sits.

*Note about the cilantro: a little goes a long way. I happen to love cilantro, so I use a big ol' handful. Use less if you need to, but the recipe really does need it.

Enjoy!
Em

Beef (Venison) Stew

2008-12-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, actually, we use deer...venison for the more sophisticated of my readers. But rather than try to persuade those who may be opposed to venison, I thought it would be just as well to let the recipe rest under the beef stew umberella. Just know that if you have it at my house, you'll most likely be eating deer stew...and you'd never even know it!

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. beef or deer stew meat
1 cup flour
season salt
black pepper
2 - 3 TBS olive oil
4 cups beef broth
1 28 oz. can crushed or stewed tomatoes
5-6 med. potatoes, cubed (unpeeled)
baby carrots, each cut in half
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp each: crushed bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and garlic powder
S & P to taste
pinch of ground red pepper

Lightly season flour with season salt and black pepper. Toss the meat and flour until meat is coated. Heat olive oil in skillet if you intend to use crock pot for the stew. Otherwise, just heat the oil in the soup pot. Once the oil is hot, add the coated meat and cook for a minute or two on each side, just till browned.

Deglaze (get the browned bits off) the skillet or soup pot with the beef broth, then add the rest of the ingredients to crock pot or soup pot. Cook on low forever. Well, maybe not that long, but the longer, the better.

Enjoy!

Farm Wife Hoppin' John Stoup

2008-11-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hoppin' John is the Southern version of the cajun specialty, Red Beans & Rice. It's made with field peas (a.k.a. purple hull peas) or black eyed peas, rice, and bacon (or salt pork). We eat lots and lots of field peas around here. My husband could quite literally live on them!

Well, I'm as Southern as they come, but I didn't grow up eating Hoppin' John. However, one day I found myself with leftover peas, and a bit of brown rice. I combined them, added a few seasonings, and some tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Later, I found out that I had inadvertently made a version (sans the tomatoes) of Hoppin' John.

Then recently, I was trying to come up with some new soups for Soup's On! Saturdays. I thought it would be fun to tweak the Hoppin' John recipe and make it into a soup. It was a success! Another warm, hearty, and delicious meal for these cold winter nights. And it's SO simple to make!

2 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 med. green bell pepper, chopped
1 TBS garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can tomatoes (crushed or diced)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups field peas or black eyed peas
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. crushed bay leaves
S&P to taste

Saute onion, bell pepper & garlic in butter & olive oil till tender. Add all other ingredients and simmer on low heat, covered, for about an hour, or until rice is cooked through.

Enjoy!
Em

Goulash

2008-11-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Goulash, in it's purest form, is a Hungarian stew with meat and vegetables. I will admit that I've never had "real" goulash. However, I've had what my grandmother makes and calls goulash since I was old enough to hold a spoon, and that's what I'll be posting about here.

This dish belongs in the same category with peas, cornbread, & taters: country food epitomized. It's one of those that brings an instant look of contentment across my husband's face! It never ceases to amaze me how I can spend hours preparing the (to me) yummiest dish ever, which he eats happily but never says a word about. Then I throw together a pot of goulash and he doesn't get the first bite swallowed before he's saying, "Mmmm...good stuff" out the side of his mouth.

So if you are like my husband and have a deep appreciation for simple, hearty, country food, I think you'll like this number.

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 med. potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 15.5 oz. can white beans (or 2 cups)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 TBS Worcestershire

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain if needed. Add in potatoes, beans, tomato sauce, water, garlic powder and Worcestershire. Cook on low-med heat until potatoes are tender. Serve over homemade cornbread.

Enjoy!
Em

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

2008-11-15T05:14:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite soups EVER. It's from Taste of Home.

I make the following changes to the original recipe (link above):

Instead of the two cans of tomato soup, I just use one 14.5 oz. can of tomato sauce, 1 TBS minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning or Oregano. It gives me the same thickening effect, and great flavor, with out all the extra "stuff" in the tomato soup (read the label to see what I mean).
Brown rice instead of white.
Beef broth isn't something I keep on hand most of the time. I always have chicken broth, though, and have used it very successfully in this recipe.
Sometimes I don't use mushrooms. If I have some fresh ones in the fridge, I'll use them, as they have more flavor than the canned. Otherwise, I leave them out. No biggie.

Your house will smell dreamy while this is cooking. I like to make it and take some to my grandmother (just like Little Red Riding Hood), as she is a fellow soup lover, and she doesn't try to pick around the green peppers like some pesky kids I know.

Enjoy!
Em

Chicken Chalupa Every Which Way

2008-11-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

This is a slight adaptation of a recipe I got from my favorite health forum. It's generally done with pork tenderloin, but since I most often have chicken on hand, I use it a lot! This recipe makes a TON! Thus the title of this post. After the first night, you can keep on keeping on with the chalupa, making it every which way! I like to freeze the leftovers in two to three cup increments and fill my freezer.

Here's the recipe:

About 3 lbs. pork tenderloin or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. dried pinto beans
1-2 small cans green chilies
1 onion, chopped
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS salt
1 TBS cumin
1 TBS cilantro
2 TBS chili powder
7 cups water (I like to use part water/part chicken broth for extra flavor)
1 TBS chopped jalapenos, optional

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low 10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, salsa, avocado, etc...

How simple is that??? And everyone will love it. It's such a hit, and so easy, it's ridiculous!

Now for what we like to do with the leftovers:

Chalupa Nachos: top tortilla chips, homemade or otherwise, with chalupa, then lots of cheese, preferably jack. Broil till cheese is bubbly then serve with typical taco toppings (see above).

Chalupa Enchiladas or Burritos: Fill either corn or flour toritallas with chalupa. Roll up, place in greased casserole, top with sauce and cheese, and bake for 25 minutes. See my chicken Enchilada recipe for a great sour cream sauce. You could add cream cheese to the chalupa filling if you had a hankering for something creamy.

Chalupa Soup: Take a couple of cups of chalupa, add a large can of crushed tomatoes, a can of green chilies, a cup or so of frozen or fresh corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder (or a taco seasoning mix), and extra jalapenos, and cook long enough for flavors to meld. Serve with tortilla chips and fixins. Cream cheese would go well in this recipe, too.

Chalupa Chimis: Fill large flour tortillas (whole wheat is best) with chalupa, roll up (folding ends in), secure with toothpick, and bake at 500 for 10-12 minutes. Place on a bed of Mexican rice and top with Sour cream sauce, white cheese dip, or just shredded cheese. Follow with fixins of choice. Don't forget to remove the toothpicks!

Mini Chimis (or baked taquitos): The close cousin to the chimis above, but use corn tortillas instead of flour. Roll them up tightly, secure with a toothpick, then place seam-side UP on greased pan (the ends will be open on these). Bake @ 500 for 10-12 minutes, then serve on bed of lettuce with cheese, salsa & sour cream.

I did these for lunch today, so I just happen to have a picture handy. This picture is dedicated to my friend Whiterock, who needs to SEE things ;)

As you can see, you can get lots of mileage from this one recipe! Just for the record, we had this for dinner last night (five of us), then four of us had it for lunch today. When we were done, I put up 11 cups in freezer bags for later.

Let me know how YOU use the leftovers. I love to hear how other folks do things!

Enjoy,
Em

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

2008-11-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I came up with when I really wanted something similar to taco soup, but I had chicken to work with, and I was craving something creamy. I looked at several recipes, including one from Tiff. With a little tweaking and some hot and smoky peppers, I was able to satisfy my craving. The spiciness of the peppers is tempered by the rich creaminess of the corn. A touch of cilantro makes it extra special. Perfect soup for a chilly winter night.

3 TBS butter
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups (one can) chicken broth
2 cups whole milk or 1/2 & 1/2
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can Rotel tomatoes (or 1 cup fresh salsa)
1 cans creamed corn (or 2 cups fresh)
1 TBS chipotle chilies, seeded & chopped
1 TBS jalapenos, chopped
1 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
S & P, to taste

Saute onion & garlic in butter. Add flour & stir till combined. Gradually add in chicken broth and continue stirring till smooth. Add in other ingredients and simmer on low for at least half an hour. Stir occasionally to keep corn from sticking. If you prefer it less spicy, green chilies work well here, also.

Serve with lots of shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!
Em

Spicy Chicken Queso Stew

2008-11-02T04:32:00.000-08:00

Once again, my "Soup's On" Saturday post arrives late. I let it slip by me yesterday!

Friday night was football game night. It was cool outside, and we needed to eat before the game, so I needed something quick, but warm and hearty. And of course, being me, I wanted a little spice! This soup was all that and more! Hope you like it!

1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 TBS corn starch
1/2 onion, chopped
2 TBS butter
3 cups chicken broth
4-6 smallish red potatoes, cubed, skin on
1 TBS Chipotle peppers, diced. BE SURE to scrape out the seeds, or this can get pretty hot, pretty quick! Ask me how I know***
8 oz. cream cheese
1+ cups milk
2 cups cooked chicken
1 TBS parsley

In a small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese and corn starch. Set aside.
In dutch oven or soup pot, saute onion in butter till tender. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and chilies. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Add one cup of milk, chicken, parsley, and Parmesan/corn starch mixture. Stir until cheese is melted. The cornstarch will further thicken the stew. If you find it's thicker than you prefer, then you may add more milk.

***The Chipotle peppers are the star ingredient of this stew. You'll find them very easily in the Mexican food section of your grocery store (I use Kroger). They come in a small can that reads: Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce.

Enjoy!
Em

Farm Wife's Chocolate Cobbler

2008-10-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Chocolate Day, I bring you our Chocolate Cobbler. This is our most favorite dessert, and one of the easiest to make. It dates back to our first year of marriage. It's an ugly story, but I'll share it anyway.

Mark would come home raving about this chocolate cobbler he'd had at this little diner where he often had lunch. Well, one day, I wanted to do something extra special for him, so I made a huge dinner, and I wanted to top it off with this dessert that I'd never heard of, much less knew how to make! So, I called the diner, explained that I needed this recipe, and was put on the phone with a sweet little lady who had to be at least 90 years old! She gave me her version of the recipe, which included lots of pinches, dashes, and dollops. I wrote down her every word, then scoured the internet to find the missing pieces in my understanding. The recipe below is the result.

Now I could stop there and it would be a sweet story. But, I was a wretch of a wife in those early days, and when he didn't come home early enough to enjoy all my hard work, I threw the entire dinner, cobbler and all in the trash. Even as I write that, I can't believe that was me! Though far from perfect, I am a walking testament to the changing work of the Lord! We laugh about it now, as it seems like another life, and thankfully, another WIFE! This dessert is my humble reminder of who I am without Jesus!

I hope y'all like it as much as we do!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 TBS unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 + cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in 9x13 casserole while oven preheats. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour this over melted butter.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups boiling water

Stir together the remaining sugar and cocoa powder, and sprinkle this over the batter in the casserole dish. Slowly pour boiling water over the top of the mixture.

Bake until set, 30-40 minutes. Be prepared to eat this while it's still warm, and get yourself some good quality Vanilla ice cream to eat with it.

Enjoy!
Em

Green Beans & Red Potatoes

2008-10-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite and most cooked side dishes, especially during the colder months when we don't seem to eat as many salads. It's our green vegetable of choice. Actually, it's one of the few that my dear husband will eat, and I think that's partially because it has potatoes right there in the pot with the green beans!

Growing up, green beans cooked this way were always called "fried", although of course, they're not. What they are is cooked down until they're falling apart, with just a little liquid remaining when done. I have a separate recipe for Fried Balsamic Green Beans, but that's for another day!

In the summer, or when you can get them fresh, then of course use fresh green beans. Otherwise, the frozen ones work great. I can't recommend canned green beans, well, ever, but especially for this recipe! As for the potatoes, the tiny little new potatoes are perfect, but most of the year, they're a bit harder to come by, so I use the smallest red potatoes I can find and quarter them.

1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 small onion, sliced paper thin
1 scant TBS minced garlic
2 cups chicken broth
6-8 small red potatoes, quartered, or 12-15 baby new potatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Add beans, onion and garlic, then toss till beans are coated. Add chicken broth. Cook, covered, over med-low heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until beans are just getting tender. Add in potatoes and cook for another 25-30 minutes, with the lid only half on, to allow for some evaporation of liquids.

Enjoy!
Em

Chicken Cobbler

2008-10-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

On my menu this week I had this dish listed as Baked Chicken & Dumplings. But it's really not. It's actually more of a cobbler, so I changed the name. Either way, do NOT try this recipe if you lack a deep fondness for creamy, buttery, savory, yet oh-so-simple dishes.

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into pieces
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, melted

Place chicken in bottom of greased casserole dish. Mix melted butter, flour and milk till smooth, and pour over the chicken. Do not stir.

2 TBS butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk

In medium saucepan, melt butter, then wisk in flour till smooth and allow to cook for about one minute, wisking constantly. Gradually add in chicken broth, then milk. Cook, stirring, till thick. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pour this over mixture in casserole. Do NOT stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Here's what "done" looks like:
Oops, I'm busted! You can totally see where I had been sneaking my spoon into the cobbler to "test" it!

I should also add that I used all whole wheat flour and of course, real butter. Use white flour if you must, but please, for me, use the real butter!

The possibilities for this dish are endless. You could add veggies, cheese, whatever. But I gotta say, you can't go wrong here. Fab-U-lous!

Speaking of possibilities, I have to add, here, that if you use self-rising flour (or add leavening to your plain flour), you're going to end up with bread-like "dumplings". That's ok, yummy even, it's just a different dish altogether.

Enjoy!
Em

Farm Wife's Spaghetti Sauce

2008-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

This is my basic spaghetti sauce. In a perfect world, I would add black olives and mushrooms to it, but alas, Mark says no! Still, it's pretty darn good as-is! This recipe makes a really big batch of sauce (the picture is only half the batch). For our family, it's two meals worth. I freeze half.

1 TBS olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 TBS fennel, coarsely crushed
2 28oz. cans CRUSHED tomatoes
1-2 TBS minced garlic
3 rounded TBS Italian Seasoning
1 TBS basil
1 cup finely shredded Italian Cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, or any combination)
S&P to taste

In a large dutch oven or sauce pan, heat the olive oil and then add ground beef, sausage, onion, bell pepper, and fennel. Cook until meat is browned, then add tomatoes and seasonings (this is also where I would add in mushrooms & olives). Cook on low as long as you can, at least a couple of hours, stirring occasionally (also works great in crock-pot, but skip the stirring). About the last 30 minutes, add in the cup of cheese, and stir fairly often.

I like this served over thin whole wheat spaghetti; nine times out of ten, though, we have it baked with cheese, per hubby's request. Here's tonight's, fresh from the oven.
Enjoy!
Em

Chili, Plain & Simple

2008-10-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love this time of year? I know that Fall has officially come to stay when it's cool enough outside to make a big pot of chili. It's a tradition in our house that on opening day of deer season, I make my chili. From then on, we eat it all winter long!

This recipe is very basic. It's not one I'd enter into any chili contests or anything. No exotic mixture of hot peppers, no bacon, no fire-roasted anything. Maybe one day I'll post something like that. For now, this is our family's "everyday" chili. Nothing fancy... just chili, plain and simple.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1-2 TBS minced garlic*
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 cans rotel tomatoes
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cans pinto or red beans (I really like to just use about 4 cups of leftover cooked pintos)
1 can beer
2 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin
1-2 TBS chopped jalapenos**

Brown ground beef and onion in dutch oven. Add other ingredients and simmer for at least 2 hours. Or you may cook it in the crockpot on low all day.

Serve with rice, cornbread, tortilla chips or crackers. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or jalapenos. Makes great chili nachos the next day! Also good over baked potatoes.

*I realize that some people like garlic more than others! I use the 2 TBS, but some will prefer only one.

**Please start at the low end here! I would love to add even more jalapenos, but I'm feeding small children, here!

La Salsa

2008-10-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is the simplest, easiest salsa I can imagine. Beyond that, it is sooo yummy. Be sure to have lots of chips handy when you make these. You'll need 'em!

Actually, it's more a list of ingredients than a recipe. After the first couple of times making it, I never looked at the list anymore. I never do it exactly the same way twice, but it's ALWAYS fabulous! Add, take away, tweak an ingredient here or there... Make it your own, and you'll find that you're making it all the time!

2 cans Rotel tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes (fresh tomatoes are great, too)
1-2 TBS minced garlic
1/4 of a small onion
1 TBS dried cilantro (use more if fresh)
jalapeno peppers (add a little at a time to test for heat)
quick squeeze of lemon or lime juice (optional: I often don't have it on hand and the salsa turns out fine without it.)
S&P to taste
dash chili powder (optional: my friend Jessica from Texas likes it when I leave it out)

Put all ingredients into blender and puree!

Chicken Enchiladas in Sour Cream Sauce

2008-10-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

These are the best enchiladas I've ever tasted, and I've eaten lots of enchiladas! I got this recipe years ago from my dear friend Rina, the first year we met. She told me the story of where she got them, but I can't remember it now. I just remember that they are authentic, and they are fabulous!

12 corn tortillas

2 c. cooked chicken
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. (or 1 can) chicken broth
1 4 oz. can diced jalepeno peppers
1 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded Monterey- jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap tortillas in foil, in two stacks of 6, and place them in the oven to soften as oven preheats.

Mix cooked chicken, onion, and 1 cup of cheese. Fill each softened tortilla with mixture, roll up, and place seam side down in greased 9x13 casserole.

In sauce pan, melt butter, then add flour & wisk till smooth. Add chicken broth and wisk till thick. Remove from heat and add peppers & sour cream. Salt & pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over top of enchiladas. Spread evenly, then top with cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes.

Now, here's the thing about these enchiladas: you just HAVE to serve them topped with this salsa! Combined, I've never had anything I enjoy more, and that is no exaggeration.

Enjoy!

Spinach-Chicken Enchiladas

2008-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

12 corn tortillas
2-3 cups cooked chicken
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cups spinach, raw
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small can green diced green chilies
S&P to taste
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack is great; cheddar will do fine.)

Preheat oven to 400. Wrap tortillas in two sets of 6, in foil. Place in oven to soften as oven preheats.

In large skillet, sautee onion in olive oil till tender. Add cooked chicken, spinach, and cumin. Cook until spinach is wilted. Set aside.

In saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and wisk till smooth. Add chicken broth slowly, then wisk till smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add sour cream and chilies. Salt & pepper to taste.

Take one cup of sauce, and add to chicken/spinach mixture. Fill each tortilla with mixture, roll up, and place seam down in greased 9x13 casserole. Pour remaining sauce over the top, spread evenly, then top with shredded cheese.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or till cheese is bubbly.

A Question about Bread

2008-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

I had someone email me today asking how I got the tops of my whole wheat bread to look like it does, instead of the big rounded tops. I thought it would be neat to answer her question here.

The answer is simple: my pans are too big! When I first started baking bread, 6+ years ago, I bought some loaf pans at Tuesday Morning. I was so proud of them! The more I baked, though, the more I realized that my pans were not conducive to that big, pretty loaf of bread with the rounded tops. The thing is, I'm too cheap to spring for more pans. I want to, really I do, but there's always something more pressing, know what I mean?

So there you have it, the secret to flat-topped bread! Sorry it wasn't more scientific than that.

I love that the question was asked, though. That's the only thing about blogging: it's so one-sided. I would love for there to be a way to open it up more, make it a bit more chatty!

So PLEASE, if you have a question or a comment, by all means, ask it! Or say, "hey, I notice that plate the cake is sitting on looks like one my grandma has". Whatever. Doesn't have to be brilliant, just any old conversation will do!

Cheesy Bacon 'Peno-pepper Poppers

2008-10-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, long name, huh? We'll call them poppers for short, but the cheesy bacon part is really important!

You'll Need:

1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend, b/c it's what was on hand. Cheddar is great.)
1 TBS grated onion (in a bowl, just take 1/2 onion and grate until you have about a tablespoon of onion juice & pulp)
1 tsp garlic powder
10 whole jalapeno peppers
1 pack bacon, cut in half

In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses, grated onion, and garlic powder. Now take your jalapenos and cut them in half. Use a sharp knife or a spoon to take out the seeds & ribs.

Fill each half with cream cheese mixture. Now take the bacon that's been cut in half, and wrap it around the little jalapeno popper. Some recipes I've seen only go around the middle, but I like to cover more area than that. I LIKE bacon! I did mess up when cutting my bacon, and ended up with some pieces that were too short, as you can see in the photos. Oh well, it sure didn't stop anyone! Anyway, put a toothpick through to hold the bacon in place.

Place poppers on a baking rack on a cookie sheet, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350. Or until bacon is done to your liking. I personally like my bacon a little crispier, so I may go a tad longer.

Oops! From the picture it appears that a couple of my poppers are missing. I have no idea how that happened! Certainly it wasn't me trying to sample them while the cheese was still sizzling...and I certainly didn't burn the heck out of my tongue in the process!

These are so, so, so, SO yummy! I also think they'd be good with real bacon bits added to the cheese mixture if you were in a time crunch and couldn't do the bacon wrap. Great. Now I have to try that! Poor me, having to sample all these poppers!

Em

Basic Cornbread

2008-10-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

This is my basic homemade cornbread recipe. There are SO many variations of this, but this is the one I use most often, for soups and such.

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup (+,-) buttermilk
1 TB honey
1/2 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375. While oven is heating, put the 1/2 stick butter into cast iron skillet or 8" square pan. Place the pan in the oven to allow butter to melt while you mix up the batter.

Blend dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients, and mix till just blended. When the butter from the oven is melted, take it out of the oven and pour the butter into your batter. It makes a great sizzling noise - so fun! Anyway, stir the butter in and then pour the batter into your pan and return it to the oven. Bake for oh, about 20-25 minutes, give or take a few; you'll know when it's really golden brown & crispy around the edges.
For both cornmeal & flour, stoneground is preffered; I use my Nutrimill, but they can both be found easily, sometimes even at Walmart.

Em

Taco Salad

2008-10-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is not one of those recipes that will win you any culinary awards! It is, however, a great one to have in your collection for quick, easy, filling, and did I say quick & easy?

2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes
garlic
cumin
cilantro
oregano
chili powder

Brown ground beef with onion, then drain. Add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes & green chilies (Rotel), garlic, and spices. You'll notice I didn't give measurements for the spices. I don't usually "do" measurements, because I'm a control freak, and I know how I want things to taste! If you must have them, though, just start with a teaspoon of each, and add a little bit at a time till you get what you're looking for. Or if worse comes to worst, use a pack of taco seasoning.

Sides:

Romaine lettuce
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Guacamole
Chopped Jalapenos
Black olives
Tortilla Chips

In our house, this meal takes on several variations. Mark & I will usually make a taco salad out of it; mine without chips and his without guac, salsa & sour cream. The kiddos usually eat just the meat over chips covered with white cheese dip, which, by the way, is a must have!

Veggie Beef Not-a-Casserole

2008-10-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

There's a culinary rule in our house: we just don't say casserole. Not because we're food snobs; quite the opposite! My husband simply "hates" casseroles. Just say the word, and he's already decided, "no good". So, I make what I make, and just don't call it a casserole.

Tonight's meal is one of those not-a-casseroles. I'll give you the recipe, but you'll have to name it!

First off, I should probably let those of y'all who don't already know, that I'm "off" most grains and other carbs for now. We're making sure to eat tons of veggies and good, healthy fats; just laying off the bread, rice & such. Don't worry, I'm not living on bacon, cheese & chicken wings!

Ok, on to the recipe.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped (you decide how small...if you have littles, make it tiny and they'll never know it's there!)
1 small head cabbage, chopped or shredded
1 small can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups cheese (again, your choice. Italian blends such as asiago/provolone are great, but so is good ol' cheddar)
S&P, to taste

In dutch oven, brown ground beef with onions & peppers. Then add the rest of the ingredients, except for cheese. When the cabbage & zucchini are tender, add in half of the cheese & mix well. Pour mixture into a greased not-a-casserole dish and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. Top with remainder of cheese and cook another 10 minutes or so, till cheese is good & bubbly.

I meant to serve this with creamed spinach, but I gotta say, I flaked out. That's what sitting around watching hurricane coverage all day will do for you! Makes ya lazy.

Anyway, be sure to let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Because there's no rice or pasta in the dish to soak up extra moisture being cooked out of the veggies, it will be really moist and yummy.

Hope you enjoy it. It's like comfort food, without the bloat!

This picture is of Rach watching me cook. I put it on here just because she's so darn cute!

Edited to add: I took down one of the pictures of this dish because it didn't do it justice. I also wanted to add that Mark actually said- three times-how much he liked it. That's as close as he'll ever get to "going on and on about" something!

Shoestring Onions

2008-10-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

I have a great onion ring recipe that I'll be glad to share, but I created these as a more "fork friendly" version to top off a salad. What I discovered was that they are fabu all on their own, and will work as a great side dish or just a snack!

1/2 large onion, sliced very thin
1 egg
1 cup milk
1-2 cups flour
season salt
garlic powder
pepper
oil for frying (we use peanut oil)

Slice onions very thin. Beat egg & milk together, and put onions into mixture. In separate bowl (as if you needed to be told that), combine flour & seasonings. Have your oil heating while doing this. It really doesn't take long at all. Now, take onions and shake off excess milk & egg, then throw them into the flour bowl & toss around a bit. When oil is good & hot, take the onions, shake off excess flour & put them into the oil. Have your tongs ready b/c they'll be done in no time! Just move them around a little in the oil to keep them separated, then take them out to drain on paper towels.

All of this is done in just minutes. It took me way longer to type out the instructions on how to do it than it does to actually DO IT!

BBQ Chicken Club Salad w/Shoestring Onions

2008-10-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy big, yummy salads, then you've got to try this one!

Boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 Tbsp BBQ sauce, your choice
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 strips bacon, fried & crumbled, or Real Bacon Pieces (Hormel is good)
1 ripe tomato, chopped
2 Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

Coat chicken tenders in BBQ sauce & bake, covered, at 375 till done, but still tender. Cut into bite-size chunks. Layer salad as follows: Lettuce, cheese, bacon, tomato, chicken, green onion.

Top with Shoestring Onions

Serve with your favorite Ranch Dressing. I make my own by using equal parts mayo and sour cream. Add in a couple cloves of minced garlic, parsley, onion powder (or grated onion), salt & pepper, and the most important ingredient, dill. When it tastes like it should, thin it out with buttermilk for the consistency you like. Much better than store bought, IMHO, and you can throw it together in just minutes.

ENJOY!!

Ok, I gotta get off here. My mommy is taking us to Cracker Barrel! Have a great Saturday, and let me know if you try the salad. Oh, and here's a hint: if you don't want to make the whole salad, at least make a big plate of the shoestring onions...they're to die for all on their own!

Bless y'all!
Em

Versatile Quiche

2008-10-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is more of a tutorial than a recipe! Since I've been trying to eat less carbohydrates, I've had to come up with some different things to eat! I've discovered that:
1) I love quiche! and
2) While you can make a million different kinds of quiche, the process is about the same.

Beat 6 eggs & 1/2 cup heavy cream . Set aside. Prepare filling. Layer filling, egg mixture, cheese. You should have two layers. Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes, until center is set.

That's basically it. Now, for an example, I'll give you the recipe for the quiche I made today:

For the filling, I browned 1 lb. of sausage, then added 1/2 package fresh mushrooms, and a bag of spinach. For seasoning I used onion & garlic. When the spinach was good & wilted, I poured it all into a strainer to drain (always drain mushrooms before adding to quiche or it will be "wet").

Next, I layered it as such: Sausage mixture, egg mixture, Italian cheeses, sausage mixture, egg mixture, Italian cheeses. That's it!

Last week, I made one with ground beef, onions, peppers, and bacon, and used cheddar cheese.

One word of caution: Do not believe the lie that you can just mix it all together & pour it into the pie plate. It doesn't work. Have you ever fried an egg too long? That part that gets just impossible to chew? Well that's how your "crust" will be if you don't layer. Just so ya know.
Here's a picture of today's. Forgive me for the smear of cheese on the plate. I'm obviously no food photographer. Oh, and that's paprika sprinkled on top before baking, just to make it purty.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread

2008-10-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Easy Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread
- makes 2 loaves

1/2 c. warm water
1 TBS yeast
1 c. HOT water
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. honey (use less if you like a not-so-sweet bread)
1 TBS salt
8-9 c. Whole Wheat flour (don't believe the lie that bread has to have at least some white flour to be edible. It's just not true. This bread is fluffy, light, and soft).

Put first two ingredients in mixer and let sit for a minute till yeast is dissolved. Add the other ingredients, starting with only about 7 cups of flour, adding more till the consistency is right (this means pulling away from the sides of your mixer bowl). Mix for about six minutes. Turn dough out, shape into loaves, and put in loaf pans. Let rise 45 minutes - one hour, then bake @ 325 for about an hour.

*To keep crust soft, place pan of water in bottom of oven while baking, then brush tops with butter when they come out of the oven.

**I "worked" this recipe for my Bosch mixer. If you don't have a mixer, then you'll need to make the following changes: First of all, you'll have to knead the dough by hand. (This will take about 20 minutes, but it's not that bad. I did it this way for several years before I got my mixer). Then, let the dough rise in a covered bowl till doubled; punch down, THEN shape into loaves; follow recipe as usual from there.

No Rise Yeast Rolls

2008-10-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's officially Fall. Ok, not literally, but certainly at our house. As soon as the cooler weather set in, something inside me screamed, "Bake bread!". And so I did.

First I just made some quick yeast rolls to go with dinner last night. Then today, I baked two lovely loaves to make grilled cheese sandwiches with, to go with our homemade tomato soup.

For fellow bread lovers, I thought I'd post the recipes! Enjoy, and Happy Fall!

No-Rise Yeast Rolls (or Ms. Emily's Sugar Biscuits, as a certain family refers to them!)

2 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
1/2 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 - 3 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground (or freshly bought at Walmart, or even white - gasp! )
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 extra TBS butter, for brushing on cooked rolls

Mix first three ingredients and let sit a minute or two, till yeast is a bit bubbly. Add the other ingredients (except for extra 2 TBS butter), starting with just two cups of flour, and mix, adding more flour till you have a soft, not too sticky, dough. If you've made homemade biscuits, or at least touched the dough your grandmama made, that's what it should feel like. Turn dough onto the flour-dusted counter top and press out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into twelve squares. Bake @ 375 for about 15 minutes, then brush with butter. Good stuff. *These are pretty sweet, so cut down on the honey if that's not your thing.

Spicy Veggie Beef Soup

2008-10-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my blogger-friend Tiffany for this wonderful idea! It has solved two problems for me this morning: first, what to post about today, and also, what to prepare for our home-church lunch tomorrow!

'Tis indeed the season for soup. It's like a rite of passage into Fall! During the cooler months, our family eats soup for dinner at least one night a week. I like to make a big pot, so that the kids and I can also get several lunches out of it. We just never get tired of soup!

I "got it honest", as the saying goes. My mom and my grandmother are big "soup people", and so I grew up eating soup. My grandmother and I have had the conversation more than once about how we could literally eat soup three meals a day. I vividly remember in elementary school my mom would pack for me a thermos of soup with a bag of crackers to take for lunch . I'll never forget the looks on my friends' faces when I poured myself a scrumptious cup of Cambell's Cream of Asparagus!

Several years back, my friend Jen asked us over for dinner on a rainy Saturday night, promising "just soup and cornbread" (gotta love the South). It was delicious! I asked for the recipe, which she gave me on the spot. But I gotta tell ya, when she got to the part about "a can of chili", I totally checked out. No offense, but there was no way was I putting a can of chili in any recipe with my name on it. Call me a food snob, but seriously...

The trouble was, I wanted that soup! So... I fiddled with the recipe a bit! It has become our most-made soup recipe. It's really such a staple in our home, that I simply had to start out this Soup Series with it. So without further adieu, on to the recipe!

SPICY VEGGIE BEEF SOUP
-an adaptation of Jenny's
(I know, I know, vegetable beef soup??? It truly has the potential to be dreadfully dull, but I promise this version is NOT!)

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (or use your own - I'm going for easy, here)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or use fresh garlic)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 c. chicken broth (Use water in a pinch - it really won't matter)

Brown ground beef with diced onion in dutch oven. Drain and return to pot. Add all other ingredients and simmer for at least an hour . Serve with cornbread.**

*This is my skeleton recipe. It's the one I do most often; the one I can do without thinking. However, it can be "tweaked". For example, there are times when the bag of veggies I buy doesn't have potatoes in it. Since that's a cardinal sin in my husband's book, I'll dice up a potato, skins and all, and throw it in. Or maybe I have some leftover peas (or whatever) that need to be eaten. I'll chunk them in, too. You seriously can't mess it up.

Chicken Stew with Basil Dumplings

2008-10-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe almost a year ago from a sweet online friend (Thanks, Ella!). My family was on a chicken and dumplings kick, and I was trying to find a way to make it healthier and use my fresh whole wheat flour to make a good dumpling. I found exactly what I was looking for in this recipe. Not only could I use my healthy flour, it also has added veggies. It's the epitome of comfort food, and yet it's so nourishing. I'm so glad Fall is here so we can have this again (and again, and again)!

I generally like to cook a whole chicken in my crock pot overnight, then in the morning, I have chicken for my stew, and twice the broth needed for this recipe. After the chicken is cooked, this meal is super simple to throw together. Here's the recipe:

Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (white wheat is best)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 t dried basil

Stew:

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 carrots, sliced very thin
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1 bag frozen peas
4 cups cooked chicken

In dutch oven, saute onion & carrots in butter until almost tender. Add garlic and saute a couple more minutes. ***If you like celery, add it to your saute. We don't like it so I didn't include it in the recipe.

Add flour, salt, basil, pepper and broth. Stir w/ wire whisk until thick.

Add peas and chicken and cook five minutes. Drop dumpling by large spoonful onto stew. Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 min and 10 min covered.

Serve with a big salad.

This recipe could "handle" a wide variety of veggies in the stew. I almost used zucchini tonight, in fact. In the end, I didn't feel like chopping an extra vegetable. Sad, I know!

You may also use a 9x13 casserole to cook this in, but it's likely to boil over a bit, and then you'll have to clean your oven. I like the dutch oven option because I can cook it from start to finish in one dish. Call me crazy.

Here's a picture of what it looks like just out of the oven. Sorry I didn't take the time to try and make it pretty! Not big on the extra steps tonight - can you tell?

Enjoy!
Em

Mimi's Potato Soup

2008-10-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

This is another one of our favorite soups. As far as comfort food goes, it really doesn't get much better than this! I got it from my step-mom, who my kids call Mimi. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

Mimi's Potato Soup

4 Large potatoes, cubed & cooked (I leave skins on)
1 Stick of butter

1 Onion, diced

1/2 c. flour
4 c. chicken broth
Milk, 1/2 & 1/2, or cream*
1 Tbsp Basil
2 c. shredded cheese
1 c. real bacon bits

S&P, to taste

Cube potatoes and boil till tender. Drain & set aside. While potatoes are cooking, saute onions in stick of butter. Add flour and wisk till blended. Gradually add broth & stir with wisk till thick. When smooth, begin whipping in milk, 1/2 & 1/2, or cream until you reach desired consistency. Add in basil, cheese, bacon, and Salt & Pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 15-20 minutes.

*You'll probably notice that there are no measurements for milk. Sorry. I don't know how much! Years ago, when I copied the recipe, I must've missed writing it down! So, I've always just added as much as I need to get it to the thickness we prefer. No biggie.

Enjoy!
Em

Shrimp Bisque with Parmesan Sourdough Toasts

2008-10-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

There's a little deli in town called Weezie's. They serve the BEST Turkey Club Panini and once a week, they have Shrimp Bisque on their menu. That's the day I go. In my last two pregnancies, I would schedule Wal-mart runs so that I would be in town on that particular day, right about lunch time. Yes, I like good food that much. Unapologetically, I might add!

Anyway, apparently my mom has been searching for a good shrimp bisque recipe, and she's finally found it! I ate some myself on Wednesday, and I'm happy to say that this recipe has found a permanent home in my recipe repertoire! I won't be needing to manipulate my shopping trips for soup anymore!

Shrimp Bisque

Green Bell Pepper, chopped
Celery, chopped
Onion, chopped
1 stick of Butter
1 can Corn, undrained (or 2 c. frozen corn)
1-2 lbs. Shrimp
2 14.5 oz. cans Chicken Broth
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. half & half

In soup pot or dutch oven, sautee the bell pepper, celery, & onion in the stick of butter (how much of each veggie is entirely up to you. Love onion? Use lots. Not so much onion-love? Use less)! Oh, and real butter, please!

Turn the heat really low, and let the veggies hang out in the butter for about 20 minutes, getting super soft. Next, add your corn & your shrimp. The recipe calls for canned corn. Blech. I would personally use frozen, and just add a little splash of water or broth to the pan. Cook the corn, shrimp & soft veggies together until the shrimp is cooked through (or heated through if using pre-cooked shrimp) and the corn is done.

Next you'll add the broth. Add one full can and half of the next. Whisk the flour into the remaining half. Just right there in the can. Now you've got what we call "thickening". Alternately stream in thickening & broth till it's all added. Stir until thick, and you've got bisque!

Now my brother, who also stopped by for some soup, ate his with a handful of crackers crumbled up into the bowl. Sad to say, but that's probably exactly what my husband and children will do as well. Sigh... it's like putting ketchup on a steak.

But here's what my food-appreciating mama did: She took a loaf of sourdough, sliced it up, buttered both sides and "grilled" it up in a pan till it was super toasty, and served it aside the bisque. To make the Parmesan Sourdough Toasts, butter both sides of small slices of sourdough. "Grill" them in skillet on both sides till toasty. Place on cookie sheet and top with Parmesan (I use a great Italian mix from Sam's). Broil till cheese is bubbly! YUM! I can't wait!!

I hope y'all enjoy this as much as I do, although I'm not sure that's possible!

Savory Supper Grits

2008-10-14T18:43:00.001-07:00

Ok, if you only cook one recipe I put on here, let it be this one! Seriously, if you like grits at all, or even if you only tolerate them, like my husband did up until I served him these! I've been looking for a new side dish, and although I make garlic cheese grits sometimes, I was just wanting something different. Here it is!

I call them "supper grits" because they're not like the grits we have for breakfast. The only way to describe them is that they're savory. And that's a good thing in my book.

Now I use straight up plain cornmeal, yellow or white, doesn't matter. You can buy grits in the box or use cornmeal like me. Just don't get the cornmeal mix, which has flour in it.

List of Ingredients:

1/2 large shallot or small onion (don't be afraid of the shallot. It's right there in your produce section close to the garlic & onions. Looks like garlic, but acts like an onion.)
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 TBS olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 + cups water, if needed
1 cup grits or plain cornmeal
Parmesan or Romano cheese, about 1 cup
S&P to taste

In saucepan, sautee shallot or onion till tender. Add garlic at the very end, so it doesn't sautee too long. It will become bitter. To this add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add grits & whisk in til smooth, being sure to get out any lumps. Reduce heat and cook over med-low for 4-5 minutes. Most grits recipes will tell you to cover them, but I don't. I'm a stickler for texture, and I like to watch and stir, to see if I need to be adding more liquid. They'll get thick on you super fast. That's fine, just add a little water. Cook another couple of minutes, stirring and adding water if needed, until they're smooth and creamy.

It's even ok to leave them a little thinner, as they'll firm up more when they come off the heat. Anyway, at this point, add the cheese, salt & pepper to taste, and serve.

I really hope these work for you. We're plum tickled to have this addition to our side dish rotation!

The Everyday Salad

2008-10-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when it started, but at some point in the not so distant past, I started serving salads with almost every dinner. We LOVE Caesar salads especially, but I'd begun to feel a little less than satisfied with the copious amounts of soybean oil we're consuming with that yummy bottled dressing. Not that I'm dissing on the Caesar. I've got nothin' but love for the Caesar.

Anyhow, for the longest time, I was totally intimidated by making my own dressing. Please don't ask me why. I guess I thought that for one, it was only the super-chef types that made their own dressings. Then, I guess I thought of plain olive oil and straight-up vinegar, and really... not lovin' it.

However, in my quest for making most of the foods I eat REAL food, I set out on a search for a salad that was both healthy and yummy. Lo and behold, I've finally found it! This is a salad I can eat every day. I think the original recipe was actually a Greek dressing. I've tinkered quite a bit, though, so I don't know if it still officially qualifies as such. Have to ask a super-chef, I guess.

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil
1 1/2 TBS lemon juice (fresh, preferably--I used bottled...shh!)
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic OR 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. basil
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
pinch of sugar, drizzle of honey, etc...(optional--just a teeny touch of sweetness if you think you need it)
Parmesan cheese, a good spoonful (also optional, but YUM)

Mix all ingredients in a lidded jar & shake the heck out of it. Stick it in the fridge and let the flavors mingle for at least an hour or so. Mingle...oh yeah, now who's the super-chef?

Salad:

Romaine hearts, chopped
Red (purple) onion, sliced very thin
Green bell pepper, sliced very thin
Plum tomatoes, halved or quartered (confession: I don't usually add those, b/c every single member of my family except for me picks them out. Good stuff, though.)
Feta cheese, crumbled
Black olives, sliced (again, the fam picks them out, but whatever. I won't budge on those.)

Place all ingredients into salad bowl and add enough dressing to coat. Toss & Serve, baby!

Even my kids LOVE this salad! They like to add real bacon bits (think Hormel) and croutons, too.
Hopes ya like it!

Country Fried Chicken

2008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of requests for this recipe, so I'll give it the honor of being the first one on my recipe blog. I'm almost embarrassed to even post it, because it's super easy, and really, nothing special! It's just good ol' country food, the kind that gets a "that was good, babe" out of my hardworking man's man! But in all seriousness, it hardly qualifies as a recipe - I don't even have measurements, for crying out loud!

But you asked for it, and I did say I'd post it if you asked, so here goes.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Milk or water
Flour
Cornmeal
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
S&P
Olive oil

Using either a tenderizing hammer or a rolling pin (I use a rolling pin), pound out your chicken breasts until they are a uniform thickness, about 1/4 inch thick. I cover mine with plastic wrap or wax paper to avoid splattering funky stuff!
In a shallow dish or plate, take two parts flour to one part cornmeal, add seasonings, and stir (I usually do one cup flour to 1/2 cup cornmeal, but it does waste a good bit. Doesn't bother me, but if it bugs ya, use less).
Put milk or water in another shallow dish. I prefer milk. You won't need much, just enough to wet the chicken. If your feeling really "kicky", add a little hot sauce to the milk.
Dip chicken breasts into milk on both sides, then dip into the flour/meal mixture to coat. Place on a cookie sheet to dry out a bit.
Heat 2-3 TBS oil in a large skillet (I use olive oil, or peanut oil on occassion).
Cook chicken breasts on one side for about 4 minutes. Turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until done.

That's it! Pound it, dip it, coat it, cook it.

Now for the fun part. Lately, I've been serving mine with sauteed peppers. I just add a bit more oil to the pan, then sautee bell peppers (I like red & yellow). However, my family much prefers it when I go the gravy route. To make gravy, add a bit more oil to the pan, then stir in a few tablespoons of flour to make a paste. Gradually add milk and whisk till you reach the thickeness you want, then salt & pepper to taste. So easy. And sooooo good!

These are great served over a big pile of homemade, buttery mashed potatoes, skin on, of course!

Enjoy!