I began cooking when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it was almost therapuetic, even then. After I got married, in 1982, I began really trying to come up with recipes and menus of my own.
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.

The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Cheesy Peas

1 bag frozen peas
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder ( I use more, but just do it to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, or very finely minced onion (about 1/2 of a small onion)
Salt
Pepper
Sliced American Cheese

In water, according to package directions, cook peas till done, but not too done... they will cook more later
Drain off almost all the water, saving about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to create a base for your sauce... you can drain completely if you want, since you are adding the evaporated milk, but I like to use some water to soften the taste.
Add all the other ingredients, except the cheese, using only enough milk to come about halfway up to the top of the peas. Add cheese, one slice at a time, till you get it just a little thinner than you think it should be. Put the peas into a shallow casserole dish and top with a couple more slices of cheese and either place in warm oven and allow cheese to melt onto peas, just barely... serve while warm

Old Timey Tater Pancakes

Most cooks my mother's age or older save everything, from every meal. I have learned to do just the same thing.If you make mashed potatoes and have some left over, don't throw them out. I am not a potato cake fan, but my husband can eat tons of these things... try them... you have nothing to lose, except some leftovers..

Leftover mashed potatoes, seasoned to your family's liking
1 Egg, beaten
Flour, about a Tablespoon for every two cups of potatoes should do
1/2 cup oil

Mix all the ingredients, shape into balls and put into oil... flatten with a spatula, to the thickness of a pancake and fry till just lightly browned... serve with any meat dish.

Beef Stew

Cubed Stew meat
1/2 cup flour
dash salt
Potatoes, largely cubed
Carrots, thick slices or frozen baby carrots, thawed
Three ribs of celery, sliced  (I usually pull the "string" off before chopping)
Pearl onions, or a large onion, with end cut off and cut into 4 to 6 sections
1 Package Beef Stew seasoning
Water

Cut beef stew into bite sized pieces, if desired. Sometimes, the pieces are a little large...dredge in flour to which the salt has been added.
Lightly brown the meat quickly in a little vegetable oil or evoo. The idea is NOT to cook this to completion, but to get it browned. The flour will cook off and thicken the soup as the stew cooks...
Put meat, potatoes and other vegetables into crock pot or stock pot... if using crock pot, just cover with water and add stew seasoning, cook all day or overnight on low...
If cooking in stock pot, use 1 cup water to mix Beef Stew seasoning packet and pour over the ingredients in the pot... barely cover this with water, and cook over low heat, until thickened, and vegetables are completely cooked... add salt if necessary... great over rice or served with cornbread or dinner rolls...
If you have leftovers, you can add some leftover veggies ( I save everything for a soup or stew as I cook all week) and make a soup to give you leftovers without it tasting like leftovers... just add some beef broth to "stock it up" for flavoring...

White Beans and Ham

Now, these I can eat, more easily than pintos for some reason... I like this served with coleslaw and hushpuppies, more than cornbread, but can't tell you why... most people like cornbread with beans, but I like a slightly sweet hushpuppy, cooked with onion inside... it's a matter of taste...

1lb. Great Northern Beans, sorted and rinsed
6-8 pieces bacon
1 Ham bone or smoked ham hocks (2 per pound dry beans)

Follow package directions for soaking, to reduce cooking time.
Softly fry the bacon in a large, heavy dutch oven, leaving the grease in the bottom of the pan... Do Not make the bacon crisp, leave it barely cooked.Add water and ham hocks, bring to a soft boil and boil for about ten minutes.
Add beans and 6-8 cups water per pound of beans.
Bring to a boil and cook for about an hourt to 90 minutes, until soft. Salt and pepper to taste... I use white pepper..
If you have a ham bone, use it, too, just remove it before serving.

These can be cooked in a crock pot, just like pinto beans. The soup or broth on these will be thick when cooked completely... if the beans are soft and the broth is too thin, mash a few of the beans and stir... works every time...

Pinto Beans

When I first got married, I didnt eat beans at all, and I am still not a big fan, but my husband loves these. He thinks this is fancy dining... serve with a slice of onion and cornbread muffins, cole slaw and fried potatoes for a true country fare!

1 lb Dried Pinto Beans, sorted to remove cull beans and rocks
1 Ham Hock (yes, they do sell these at WalMart)
Ham pieces (these can be purchased, or saved from a ham steak you may have had for breakfast, ect)
2Tablespoons Bacon Grease

Follow directions on bag for soaking the beans. I use the method where you bring them to a boil quickly, then let them sit several hours or overnight... this lessens cooking time, and some swear this is the only way to avoid "gas" from beans

Put ham hock into bottom of the pan, after draining beans into a collander. Put beans on top, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and add ham pieces and bacon grease. Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour. Test beans for doneness... they should be tender. If not, cook another 15 minutes and check again. Only when beans are done should you add salt, as salt toughens the beans, if added too early...

Crock pot method..
Soak beans as above... transfer all the ingredients to crock pot and cook on low. As much as I don't like beans, the smell of them cooking is just wonderful to come home to after working, especially on a rainy, cold day!
To serve, I dice an onion or green onion, including the green stems, and I like to add a diced roma tomato and finely diced jalapeno on top, but for true southern beans, the onion is enough...

Cubed Steak and Gravy

You can buy tenderized steaks at Food City and other stores, but true cubed steak is sent through the tenderizer twice, creating the cubed effect. It is different from what you will get at a restaurant, but I like it much better than restaurant steak and gravy... use what you have, but try this at least once...worth it!

1/2 cup self rising flour (shouldn't matter, but for some reason, plain doesn't taste as nice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 pieces cubed steak
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix first four ingredients in a shallow bowl. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Wash the meat by running cold water over it, and transfer one piece at a time to the bowl of flour mixture. Coat well, and put meat into frying pan. Turn over when bottom and sides are browned.
Sometimes, the oil is absorbed and you may have to add a little, but do so sparingly...
Once all the meat is cooked, stir the flour mixture, to eliminate any lumps and pour some into the pan, enough to make a roux, and lightly brown it. Pour milk into this mixture, beginning with about 3/4 cup and adding just a few drops at a time, stirring constantly. This will deglaze the pan and keep flour from clumping. Cook slowly, and when gravy has reached your desired consistency, lower heat to lowest setting and add pieces of meat back for just long enough to coat your steak. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas or green beans...

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Chicken Marsala

Okay, this is not my recipe, but my adaptation of several different recipes. I love the Olive Garden Chicken Marsala, and I think this is every bit as good. I usually use a good wine (if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it is what I had heard) but I recently made it with Marsala off the grocer's shelf, and it was terrific...
I also get my chicken at Sam's, so they are huge... I pound them, then cut them into three easier to manage pieces, and it looks like I have more on my plate than I do, and Olive Garden serves you three pieces of chicken cutlet, so...

1 Large boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to about 1/4" thickness
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt ( I use less, because I am not a salt person)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes
1/2 stick real salted butter
4Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
very thinly sliced onion, optional ( I don't use this)
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup marsala wine

Pound breasts, cut into smaller pieces, or they won't cook through before the oil and butter burn.
Melt butter in the oil over medium heat.
Dredge chicken into flour after adding the salt, pepper and oregano to the flour
Drop pieces into the oil and cook about three minutes per side. If you haven't pounded it thinly enough, you may have to keep turning it to cook it without burning it on the outside. Transfer cooked pieces to warm plate, if you have too much to cook at one time.
When all the chicken has cooked, add another little bit of butter and drop the mushrooms in, cooking just until heated through.
Drop some of the flour mixture in and whisk it till smooth, then add the stock, and stir until heated and bubbling. Add wine, cook until bubbly, then pour over the cooked pieces of chicken.

I usually serve this with garlic bread and garlic mashed potatoes or a salad...
Reheats well, too!