Black Velvet

We started the St. Patrick's Day festivities with this smooth drink.  I am not a fan of beer, but I do enjoy Prosecco.  This is a wonderful blend of Guinness and Prosecco.  The proportions are roughly two parts bubbly to one part Guinness, but you can mix it to taste.  Like Irish Coffee, this drink is found all over Ireland.  This is an excellent party drink.  You can mix it to order as your guests arrive. 

For one serving:

4 ounces chilled Champagne or Prosecco

2 ounces chilled Guinness Extra Stout

Pour the champagne into a flute or other tall glass (I didn't follow the directions here.  I like it in a rocks tumbler.)

Pour the Guinness on top.  Guinness is heavier.  If you mix it the other way around, it won't combine evenly and will need to be stirred.

From David Bowers' Real Irish Food.

St. Patrick's Day Fun!

We had a great time celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  Here's a few pictures of the table setting.

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

1 T. olive oil

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 T. minced garlic

1 1/2 pounds lean ground chuck 

3/4 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned

1/4 cup ketchup

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 t. salt

1 large egg, beaten

3 T. milk

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped celery, onion, carrot and bell pepper.  Saute the veggies stirring occasionally until softened about 4 - 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 - 2 more minutes.

In a large bowl, mix ground beef,  oats, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and beaten egg,

Add the veggies and milk and stir to combine.

Spoon into a lightly greased 5 x 9 loaf pan.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven.

Gently spread a thin layer of ketchup over meat loaf and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Isn't that pretty?

Remove from loaf pan and slice to serve.

Roasted Stacked Potato Slices with Garlic & Thyme

This recipe is extremely simple, but the end result definitely dresses up the dinner plate, doesn't it? If you have a mandolin, slice those potatoes paper thin. You can either cook these in muffin tins like I did here, or stack them on a parchment lined baking sheet.  

3 T. olive oil

1 T. minced garlic

1 lb. Russet potatoes, sliced very thin (potato chip thin!)

1 t, dried thyme leaves

sea salt and ground black pepper

To make the garlic oil:

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan and gently warm over low heat until fragrant but the garlic is not brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them with a mandolin or by hand.

Brush 8 muffin tins with the garlic oil using a pastry brush or paper towel.

Put the slices in a large bowl and toss with the oil mixture and salt and pepper until well coated. Divide the potato slices evenly between the muffin tins. Sprinkle the potato stacks with the thyme leaves.

Bake the potato stacks in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and cook through. Serve immediately with any main entrees.

 

from jughandlesfatfarm

Roasted Asparagus with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Spring is here or will be very soon!  Asparagus is my favorite Spring time veggie.  Quickly roasted and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic makes a perfect side item for most any menu.

1 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Roast in oven for 15 - 18 minutes and remove from oven.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.



Alabama Eggs Benedict (2 ways)

I love making Eggs Benedict for breakfast. I adore hollandaise sauce. But tonight I thought I'd make the Alabama version. I started with a Grands Biscuit instead of an English Muffin. Then I fried up some bacon and pork belly instead of Canadian Bacon or ham. To top that, I added some over easy fried eggs instead of poached eggs.   And instead of the hollandaise sauce I adore, Sweet Harold made some of us famous gravy.  

Of course, you can't eat this every day or you'll be in danger of, well, lots of health issues.  But for a once in a blue moon breakfast, enjoy.

First, fry your bacon and/or pork belly and set is aside.  Then fry the egg.

Then bake some Grands biscuits following the package directions while you fry the eggs.

After the eggs are fried, time to make the gravy:

Drain all but 4 T of bacon grease from the skillet.  Over medium high heat, add 1/4 cup of self-rising flour and some black pepper to taste, stirring constantly until it has browned.

Then add 2 cups of milk, continuing to stir constantly:

Let the gravy cook until thickened and bubbly:

Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl:

Now let's assemble:

Take a biscuit and split in half and put a layer of either bacon or pork belly:

Then top with a fried egg and spoon some gravy over the top!

Chicken Casserole

Sometimes you simply need comfort food.  Tonight was one of those nights.  And yes this recipe includes a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.  If that's a deal breaker for you, scroll on past this one and try another recipe on the blog.  This recipe makes one large casserole or two medium casseroles.  You can cook one now and freeze the other for another time.

One rotisserie chicken, deboned and meat shredded

16 oz. sour cream

1 large family sized can of cream of mushroom soup

2 steam in bag mixed veggies (cooked in microwave using package directions)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 12 oz. package of medium egg noodles cooked according to package directions, drained (reserve 1 cup of boiling water)

1 t. dried thyme

2 cups finely shredded medium sharp Cheddar (divided)

1 cup crushed Pepper Jack flavored Cheezits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl.  Add 1 cup of the cheese.  Slowly add the reserved pasta water.  When thoroughly combined, spoon into lightly greased casserole dishes.  I used a 9 x 13 and then made a smaller one in a regular sized pie plate.  At this point, you can wrap casserole tightly in foil and freeze.

Cook for 25 minutes and remove from oven.  Top with remaining cheese and crackers.  Return to oven for 5 - 7 minutes until cheese is melted and cracker crumbs are browned.



Breakfast Bacon and Potato Hash

Once again, a great Saturday morning to play with the ingredients I have on hand in the fridge.  I called it a "scramble" and Sweet Harold said it was a "hash."  I'll just say it was really good.

6 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium Russet potatoes, diced

6 eggs, lightly beaten

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 t. dried thyme

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp and then remove from pan and set aside.

Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet and add potatoes and cook until crunchy and brown.

Add the cooked bacon back to the skillet.

Slowly pour in eggs, sprinkle in thyme and reduce heat to low.

Very gently, begin to mix the eggs through the potatoes and bacon.

Add the shredded cheese and turn off heat.  Gently fold in the cheese and do not overcook.  You don't want rubbery eggs. 



Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry cobbler is one of Sweet Harold's favorite desserts.  I made this version yesterday for him and he loved it.  You can use either frozen or fresh blackberries.  Of course, this would be delicious with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside!

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 t. vanilla extract

2 (14 oz.) bag frozen blackberries, unthawed (or 5 (6 oz.) packages fresh blackberries)

1/2 (15 oz) package refrigerated piecrust

1 T. sugar

vanilla ice cream (optional)

Stir together first four ingredients in a large bowl.  Gently stir in the blackberries until sugar mixture is crumbly.

Spoon fruit mixture into a lightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish.

Cut piecrust into 1 inch wide strips and arrange strips in a lattice design over blackberry mixture.

Sprinkle the top with 1 T. sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until crush is golden and center is bubbly.  Serve with ice cream if desired.

Mexican Cornbread

I semi-cheated with this recipe by starting out with a store bought Mexican cornbread mix.  The cute cactus shapes are courtesy of Lodge Cast Iron.  http://www.lodgemfg.com/seasoned-cast-iron/cactus-pan-L5CP3

1 pkg. Martha White Mexican Cornbread mix

1/3 cup milk

1 egg slightly, beaten

1 cup cream style corn

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix well and spoon into prepared cast iron skillet, muffin tins or any specialty pan that you choose.

Depending on the shape/size pan you use will determine how long to cook the cornbread.  When it's golden brown and slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan, you're ready to eat! 

Southwestern Beef and Vegetable Stew

I was in the mood for beef stew this afternoon and then decided I would stretch the idea a little and go with a Southwest flavor profile.  It was thick, full of flavor and delicious.

I've posted the recipe for the Southwestern seasoning previously.  I will post it again here and will keep in a tightly covered container for months.  Only use 2 teaspoons in this recipe.  Save the rest to use as a rub on roasts, steaks or sprinkled on burgers.

The recipe for the cute cactus shape Mexican cornbread will be posted separately.

2 lb. rump roast, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup flour

2 t. Southwest seasoning*

3 T. canola oil

2 cups beef broth

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 t. minced garlic

2 T. tomato paste

1 can Rotel tomatoes (lime and cilantro flavor)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 can white hominy, drained

2 large carrots, chopped
Juice and zest of one lime

Mix flour and 2 t. of the Southwestern seasoning in a small bowl.  Placed cubed beef in a large bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over and toss using tongs to coat well.

In a large Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium-high heat.  Brown cubed beef in batches until each cube is browned well.  It does not need to be cooked through.

When all the beef has been browned, deglaze Dutch oven with beef stock and scrape up all the browned bit stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Add in remaining ingredients (except for lime juice and zest) and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer, and partially cover the pot.  Let simmer for an hour or so until carrots are tender and stew has thickened slightly.  Make sure you stir occasionally while it simmers.

Just before serving, stir in lime juice and top each individual serving with a little of the lime zest.  You can add some cilantro if you choose.

Southwestern Seasoning:

5 T. iodized salt

2 T. granulated garlic
2 T. fine black pepper
2 t. cayenne pepper
3/4 T. dried thyme
3/4 T. dried oregano
2 T. paprika
1 T. onion powder
1/2 T. dried basil
1/2 T. cumin
2 t. coriander
2 T. chili powder
1/2 T. dry mustard

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

Bacon Cheese Breakfast Bread

This was a perfect Sunday morning breakfast bread. If you choose, you can bake this is muffin tins or even mini-muffin tins.

The eggs give the bread a rich yellow color, while the sweet yellow and orange peppers, smoky bacon and Cheddar cheese will remind you of a great omelet.

1 cup flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup diced red peppers
¼ cup scallions, finely chopped
4 ounces butter, softened, plus additional for buttering loaf pan
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
5 eggs, room temperature
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 ½ cups (about 3 ounces) white Cheddar cheese, shredded

Butter one 8×4-inch loaf pan.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the red peppers and scallions, and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter and mustard. Add eggs and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in bacon and shredded cheese. Add remaining flour mixture, and stir until combined, being careful not to over mix.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:  This recipe can be easily doubled to make 2 loaves.

From www.goboldwithbutter.com

Maquechou

Another version of a Cajun-country favorite.  Pronounced "mock shoe" this version is courtesy of Professor Jessica Harris' cookbook Beyond Gumbo.

2 T. butter

4 cups fresh corn kernels, about 6 - 8 ears

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 pint light cream

2 T. minced pimentos

dash of Tabasco sauce

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3 quart saucepan, and saute' the corn for 2 - 3 minutes, or until tender.  Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat the cream in small saucepan or in a glass measuring cup in a microwave and gradually add it to the corn and onion mixture, stirring occasionally.

Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the pimentos, Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes.  Adjust the seasonings and serve hot.







Braised Pork over Creamed Potatoes

As you can tell, I'm on a comfort food kick.  This is a great meat and potatoes dish.  The pork cooks for hours until it's falling from the bone and meltingly tender.

Begin with a 5 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast.  Liberally coat with a mixture of salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion powder.

In a LARGE Dutch oven, heat 3 T. oil over high heat and sear until roast is browned.  Add enough water to come up halfway on roast.  Add two bay leaves, cover Dutch oven and lower heat to let roast simmer and make broth.
 

At this point you can continue braising on top of the stove or you can can place in a 350 degree oven.  Depending on the size of the roast, it will need to cook for 3 - 4 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees for slicing or 195-205 degrees for pulled pork.

Melt a few teaspoons of butter in a skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle in a few teaspoons of flour and stir a few minutes until the raw flour taste has been cooked out of the flour.  Pour in a cup or so of pan drippings and, stirring constantly, cook until the gray has thickened to your liking. 

Fried Okra

One of my absolute favorite dishes is fried okra.  No sliminess here!  Just lovely crunchy goodness.

3 - 4 cups sliced okra (about 1/4" thickness)

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup canola oil

Mix cornmeal with salt and pepper.  Lightly toss sliced okra in cornmeal.  Shake off the excess cornmeal and set aside. 

In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  When oil reaches the shimmering point, add okra to skillet and fry until lightly browned.  Drain on paper towels and add salt if needed.

Squash Casserole

Squash casserole is a staple of Southern potlucks, family reunions and holiday meals.  Plus, it's just a great comfort food.  There are dozens of recipes for this classic including many which involve a "cream of ______" soup.  Here's my version.

4 cups thinly sliced yellow squash

1 T. olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz. sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, saute' squash and onion until softened, 4 - 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Mix in remaining ingredients until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small, lightly greased casserole dish, spoon in squash mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and bubbling.

Southern Comfort Food - Lolly Style

February was a very trying month for our family.  There were deaths of three very close family members and we've been running on pretty much automatic for the past several weeks.  Yesterday I asked Sweet Harold what he wanted for supper and he started naming off his favorite foods.  I was more than willing to spend the day in the kitchen cooking his comfort food meal.  There will be recipes of individual items posted in the days ahead, but for now, I thought I'd post of picture of my version of love on a plate.

From top center: Field peas over crumbled cornbread, braised kale, braised pork, squash casserole, creamed corn, butterbeans over crumbled cornbread, fried okra and creamed potatoes.

French Coconut Pie

If I liked coconut, this would be one of my favorites. 

This is basically a chess pie that's kicked up a little bit.  I'm not sure why this is referred to as a French Coconut Pie.  But I do know that every time I bake one, everyone raves.  Super fast to get mixed up (without a mixer!) and then a slow baking time works together to give you a lovely dessert for company or family.

1 stick butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

1 T. white vinegar

1 t. vanilla

1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and pour into pie crust.  Bake on middle rack of oven for 45 - 50 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.