I'm on the phone with Shelly and we are trying to figure out how to work a gumbo with just chicken and sausage.
See...we don't make just chicken and sausage gumbo. We don't make just seafood gumbo. Playa...we puts alllllllllllllllllllllll of that in there plus some mo!
Gumbo to us is an ALL.DAY.AFFAIR! Hell...if you wanna get REAL about it...the cooks in my family make it the day before so it's super marinated by the next day! My gumbo recipe is a family recipe and I don't give it to ANYONE! When people taste my REAL gumbo recipe they look at me like I've sprouted wings and a halo. Sure...I've developed an easier, tasty version to give to folks...but yeah...the real deal is not passed around.
What's in YOUR gumbo? Do you make gumbo? Have you ever tried my super simple gumbo recipe that Robby and I developed? Super Simple Gumbo
4 tablespoons of liquor with some tint to it (Bourbon)
4 cups of water
Slice lemons thin and put in pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to boil and boil until water has reduced to about half. Stir in honey and liquor put in teabags and cover letting steep for about 5 - 10 minutes.
Pour through a strainer and drink hot!
(I'm not adding this to the recipe because the Vick's people would be HORRIFIED if they knew it...but my mom added a bit of Vick's to it too. Vick's says it ain't for digesting...but it never killed us. LOL!)
1 tablespoon canola oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 2 garlic gloves, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch long, thin strips 2 cups mild refrigerated FRESH salsa Salt and freshly ground black pepper
****HANDFUL OF FRESH CILANTRO, CHOPPED
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook 30 seconds more.
Add broth, increase heat to high, and bring to a rapid simmer. ***ADD CILANTRO. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in salsa, bring back to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.
Makes 4 (2 1/4 cup servings)
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Per serving: 320 calories, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 46 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 680 mg sodium
I like my lamb chops simple. SUPER SIMPLE. And hot. I like to eat them IMMEDIATELY out the skillet so a quick recipe is best for me when I'm having folks over. I can cook them while folks are chatting without a lot of trouble if I have everything already set up.
And I always have everything set up. :) Here is a recipe most like how I do them. ENJOY!
Nothing complements the flavor of lamb better than rosemary. And our
Quick Broil method makes this dish very fast and easy to prepare. Grass
fed lamb is a great source of protein on which the structure of the
human body depends. It is also a good source of zinc to help boost
immune function and B vitamins for energy production.
Press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out its hidden health benefits.
Mix together lemon juice, rosemary, pressed garlic, salt and pepper. Rub lamb chops with mixture. Set aside on plate.
Preheat broiler on high heat, and place a stainless steel or
cast iron skillet large enough to hold the lamb chops under the heat
for about 10 minutes to get very hot (about 5-7 inches from the heat
source). Be sure that the handle is also metal.
Once pan is hot, place lamb chops in pan, and return to
broiler for about 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness of lamb. Lamb is
cooked quickly as it is cooking on both sides at the same time. This is
our Quick Broil cooking method.
I know you guys are busy and I enjoy searching for new recipes for us to try out. Changes I plan on making to this recipe include adding more bacon, a full pound of shrimp NOT cut in half and an extra squeeze of lemon juice.
As yall know here at 13700 I gets down in the kitchen. I tend to try new stuff often and if it's REALLY good I share it after I've made a few "Monnie adjustments."
Well, tonight I made a recipe that was in this month's "Cooking Light" magazine in their Dinner Tonight series and, I'm sorry to say, I wasn't happy with it.
I'll post the recipe as they have it listed and then I'll post the recipe with the changes I would suggest be made in order to make it something that I feel comfortable with telling you guys is mmmm-mmmmm-delish. Cuz as is currently? It was just aiight.
Aiight. That's the recipe from the magazine. If you read it through you'll note some missing information like when to put the chicken mixture in with the rest but I'll leave that alone seeing as though I was annoyed with other parts of the recipe.
Ingredients.
Imma need them to recognize that there is nothing on the shelves called dark sesame oil that I've seen. So if you're going to make this recipe, please note that you'll be purchasing TOASTED sesame oil. Mmmmkay? Mmmmmkay.
Please keep in mind that a full tablespoon of grated peeled fresh ginger is a big hunk on ginger so don't think that you can get a small finger of it and all will be well. Ginger loses a lot of content to liquid and that should be taken into consideration.
Make sure that your chicken breast has been seasoned when you cooked it. Just basic seasoning of salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder should be just fine for you.
SPICY? I think not. 2 teaspoons of sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) will NOT be even REMOTELY spicy. Oh...and there are all types of chile paste so you might have to enlist some help to find the sambal oelek at the Asian market as I had to.
From there I'd say the ingredient list should be: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast, seasoned 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (you may substitute dry sherry or white wine vinegar if you have either) 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) 1 (6.75 ounce) pack thin rice noodles 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1. Boil water for rice noodles and prepare according to instructions but breaking them in thirds before adding to the water. (Only takes 3 minutes to cook so be quick with the rest of the preparations.) 2. Heat 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan and cook for about 45 seconds stirring constantly (once garlic has browned it will be bitter so make sure you stir constantly and that the heat is not up too high). Transfer to a large bowl that can fit inside of the microwave. 3. In the SAME LARGE BOWL, add, 1 teaspoon of oil, the chicken, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and sambal oelek.
NOW HERE IS THE TRICKY PART. You see...none of these items are heated so it's like...they will be room temperature. Since you rinse the noodles with cool water they are room temperature too. Um...no. I like my food hot. Sooooooooo...I put the bowl into the microwave for a good 1.5 minutes which was enough time to heat it through and then I tossed the mixture with the noodles.
Serve by sprinkling a bit of the chopped roasted peanuts on top or...forget to add them as I did and sit down, eat your meal and then remember that you have chopped nuts sitting on the counter halfway through your meal, ask your husband if he wants some to which he responds with a quick shake of his head cuz he's almost finished anyway.
Okay...that's all I got. Thank you for your support. I give this recipe a C-. Yall gotta come harder "Cooking Light."
I was surprised the other day when talking to a girlfriend who is a good cook. She admitted that she doesn't make good grits. I was like...how can you make a good pot of gumbo and not know how to make good grits?
I'm still puzzled. LOL!
As I was making grits this morning I read the instructions on the box and thought...hmmmmm. If someone followed these instructions their grits wouldn't be like mine. LOL!
I use the old fashioned grits. Why? No reason other than I just buy the kind my mother used to buy and I'm a creature of habit.
Bring instructed amount of water to boil adding a pat of butter for each serving. Sprinkle a bit of salt in the pot. When the water is boiling, using a whisk...WHISK grits into boiling water. Continue whisking for about a minute. Turn the pot down to low and put top on. Set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, whisk quickly. Put the top back on it and set the timer for 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat and whisk one mo gin. Season to taste.
Serve.
VOILA! Creamy grits that are mmmmmmmmmm...mmmmmmmmmmm...GOOD! I DOUBLE DOG TRIPLE DARE you to mess up grits if you follow these directions.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until veggies are softened about 6 minutes. Stir in eggplant, salt, and some black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until eggplant is very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
Either cool and put in blender until smooth or use immersion blender in pot.
Main dish was Pork and Poblano Chili:
1 1/2 pounds of poblano peppers seeded and roughly chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds lean pork, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons grond cumin
2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Using food processor or blender on PULSE...finely chop (NOT PUREE) poblanos. Remove and put in bowl. Next, do the same to mix of onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Strain to remove any liquid. Add to poblanos.
Heat oil in Dutch oven or large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high head. Add pepper mixture and cook for 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in pork, broth, tomatoes and their liquid, and cumin. Bring to simmer, cover and reduce heat to low for two hours. Add beans and cook for 10 minutes.
Aiight...this was a good alternative to high fat football foods and we enjoyed it all! The Pork and Poblana Chili was the best to me THE NEXT DAY! I got a text from Becca the next day saying the same. ROFL!
1 (16 ounces) package kidney beans (cooked and drained)
1 can Rotel “Chili Fixin's”
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
¼ cup diced celery (1 rib)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
3 tbs chili powder
1½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2½ cups water
Brown turkey, drain fat, and crumble. Combine all ingredients into a
large pot and simmer over low heat. Cook for 2-3 hours, stirring every
15 minutes. You can top it with chopped onion and low-fat cheese.
I'm going to post a few of the the healthy recipes for the dishes I'm making for The Robinator to get his Super Bowl viewing on. I'm getting them from this book: The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook
3 tablespoons trans-fat-free margarine 2 tablespoons Tabasco (minimum...ROFL!) 1 teaspoon canola oil 3 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/4 teaspoon salt black pepper cayenne pepper 3 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
Melt margarine in a medium nonstick saucepan. Whisk in pepper sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to pan and cook turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 - 8 minutes. Add margarine mixture to pan and gently toss chicken until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and skewer each cute with a toothpick. Add a piece of celery to the bottom. Arrange on a platter with dip.
DIP:
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar Tabasco
Mash blue cheese in a medium bowl leaving some small lumps. Whisk in the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, vinegar and pepper sauce to taste.
1 1/2 pounds flank steak 1 package (3.75 ounces) cellophane or bean-thread noodles olive oil 6 green onions (slice half thin and half in thirds) 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1 garlic clove, minced 8 leaves of Boston lettuce 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into strips salt, pepper, jalapeño flakes
Pat flank steak dry and season using a bit of olive oil so the season sticks well. Place in a grill pan and put in oven on broil. Broil for 10 minutes on one side, flip (using TONGS...NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL PIERCE) and broil for 6 minutes on the other side.
Remove from oven and place on cutting board letting it just sit there for like 10 minutes.
While the steak is resting, cook the noodles as the pack says. Drain and return to pot. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and sliced scallions. Season with salt, pepper and jalapeño flakes.
In a small bowl, combine lime juice, cilantro, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. This is your sauce.
Eat as you would if you were at PF Changs by using your lettuce as the wrap that you fill with steak, mango and scallions and drizzle with sauce. :) The noodles are a side dish. (I found them kinda bland so the next time I make I'm going to add a bit of chicken broth to them.)
If you're looking for a really good, REALLY healthy, make ahead breakfast dish...this is one you should make a staple in your kitchen. They are good to freeze and you can make a batch on Sunday to have through the week. I got this from recipe from "The South Beach Diet" book years ago and still use this recipe often. Well...with a Monnie twist. I'm sure you can guess the twist. LOL!
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach 3/4 cup liquid egg substitute 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese 1/4 cup diced green bell peppers 1/4 cup diced onions a pinch of jalapeño flakes (optional)
Microwave the spinach for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Drain the excess liquid.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups.
Spray the cups with cooking spray.
Combine the egg substitute, cheese, peppers, onions and spinach in a bowl.
Mix well.
Divide evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
A serving is 2. 77 calories, 9 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fats, 160 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber.
Forgot to post this. Sorry. Put it in your recipe book for next year. I'm a bad big sister. :)
1 lb black eyed peas (SOAKED IN WATER OVERNIGHT!)
1 ham bone or 1 lb ham hocks (this is why you save the bone with the difficult to cut meat on it from the Christmas ham...just wrap it good in foil and put in a ziploc freezer bag!)
1 yellow onion
1 bell pepper
5 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of thyme
9 cups of chicken broth (yes I use boullion cubes)
Salt and pepper (black and cayenne) to taste *NOTE! I DON'T PUT IN SALT UNTIL THE VERY END AS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW SALTY THE HAM HOCK WILL BE! WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR LAST "TASTE" ADJUST SALT THEN...YOU PROLLY WON'T NEED ANY!
In olive oil, saute diced onion, celery and bell pepper for about 10 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, black and cayenne pepper. Add beans and broth, then ham hock.
Bring to boil uncovered. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. YES...I SAID TWO HOURS! The best cooking is done slooooooooooooooow!
After two hours, remove ham bone and put on plate. Carve meat off bone into bite sized pieces. Put meat ONLY back in pot. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Cover and let sit for like 20 minutes.
Serve over brown rice. Oh yeah...they will be muuuuuuuuuuch better tomorrow! LOL!
You do red beans the same exact way cept you add sausage after you add the chicken broth.
SMOOCHES!
P.S. For you non-pork eaters...I guess you can use smoked turkey...but I wouldn't know cuz I use pork...the pig ain't never done nuttin to me! I eat it "from the rooter to the tooter!"
There are lots of cake recipes here...just copy and paste the link into your browser. I cannot endorse any of these cakes because I haven't used these recipes yet so don't go talking bout Creole told me it would be good.
Cuz I ain't. If the recipe makes sense...it will prolly taste like it should.
Yall know I cook an organic bird and I have noticed that since it isn't pumped full of juices and whatnot, the skin has a tendency to start pulling away from the leg tips and wing tips quickly-er. (I love saying that by the by.)
So...during the basting stage I make a shield for my bird.
I line a piece of large, heavy duty foil with a piece of parchment paper. (The parchment paper doesn't oxidize all up on top of your bird. You should do with with anything you ever bake in the oven covered with foil that is going to be touching your food.)
Then...I just LAY it on top of the bird. No tucking...Just LAY!
(By the way...1969 is just WEIRD! She just called from the track working out. WORKING.OUT! I mean really...WHO DOES THAT ON THE DAY OF EATING??????? Nobody likes a showoff! NOBODY DAMMIT...NOBODY!)
1. Remove the second rack from the oven and tuck it by the fridge out the way. Position the lone rack so that when you put the turkey in...it's in the MIDDLE of the oven from top to bottom and side to side.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Take turkey out of brine. Drain right side up holding turkey under the wings.
4. Put turkey on rack inside roasting pan.
5. Put turkey neck and giblets in bottom of pan UNDER rack. (Hopefully you have the proper rack that is not flat to allow this.)
6. IF YOU'RE NOT STUFFING (which I never do) place a lemon, cut in half, inside the cavity along with half a bell pepper and half an onion.
7. With hands...rub turkey down really well with softened butter (If you forgot to allow your butter to soften put in the microwave for 10 second intervals checking it between intervals to see how soft it is. Should only take one and a half interval or so depending on your microwave.). Make sure you get all up in the crevices and everything.
8. Sprinkle the turkey LIGHTLY with SOME of your herbs at first. Why? Cuz the heat and the butter is going to make most of them slide off in the beginning. Pace yourself...it's gonna be fine...I promise!
9. (I'm trying this step for the first time after watching Oprah yesterday) fold aluminum foil over the wing tips. You know...kinda like making long Erica B. style gloves for the bird so the tips don't dry out.
10. Using linen cooking twine, measure out twine. I usually cut off more than I need and trim. Pull twine out, hold arm straight in front of you and let length of twine almost reach the floor. Double that and cut. Starting at the center of the twine...put it under the butt of the bird, folding the butt up tightly. Follow in a common sense way to pull the legs and wings as tight to the bird as possible without it being TOO tight so the twine doesn't cause damage to the skin. It doesn't have to be neat...just tight. Mmmmkay?
11. Add water or broth to the bottom of the pan and put it in the oven.
12. Set your timer for HALF the time you're going to cook the entire bird.
13. When timer goes off...you're ready to start the basting process. You won't have much (if any) liquid in the bottom of the pan. This will change. LOL!
14. I always start off with two cans of broth in the bottom of the pan along with half a stick of melted butter. (DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE ALUMINUM FOIL GLOVES!!!!!)
15. Sprinkle your bird with the rest of the seasonings you're using and (reset timer for the rest of time needed to cook your bird) Baste the turkey using a paint brush (you can use a basting bulb but the paintbrush is MUCH better I promise!). BE QUICK! EVERY TIME YOU OPEN THE OVEN HEAT IS ESCAPING SO YA GOTTA BE QUICK! USE THE LIGHT ON YOUR OVEN TO CHECK IN!
16. I don't know how often I baste but it's prolly like every 20 minutes or so. I'm quick. Pay attention to what's in the bottom of the pan and adjust as needed with broth and whatnot.
17. Keep basting until the bird is done. It should be a lovely golden brown.
18. Remove and using handles on rack...remove the bird from the pan and put on a long cookie sheet cuz you're about to make the gravy.
TO BE CONTINUED...THE ROBINATOR HAS MADE BREAKFAST! HAPPY TURKEY DAY MY FRIENDS!
You brine your turkey 1 hour for every pound of turkey you have so back out your time from the time you want the bird to be finished. I like all of my cooking to be done by noon. My turkey is 17 pounds so I'll need to cook it for about 4 hours which means I'll have to put it in the oven at 8:00 am.
That said...I need to back out my brining time by 17 hours from cooking time so my bird will be put in the brine at EXACTLY 3:00 pm today!
These just made my menu for my grazing table. I was going to make mini pecan pies and was comparing recipes online. When I saw this recipe with Kahlua (I'm using Bailey's cuz that's what I got) and chocolate and COULD.NOT.RESIST adding them to the list!
Ingredients
1 recipe double crust pie dough
3/4 cup chopped pecans
36 pecan halves
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
You will need a muffin tin, 12 cup regular size
Preheat the oven to 325º F.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Press each
ball in the bottom and around the sides of each muffin cup. Work the
dough all the way to the top of the muffin cup.
In the bottom of each muffin cup, add 1 tablespoon chocolate chips and
1 tablespoon chopped pecans, then arrange 3 pecan halves on top of each.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown
sugar, corn syrup, Kahlúa, vanilla, and salt. Pour the filling over the
pecans, making sure all of the pecans are coated in the mixture.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set and the crusts are
golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for at least 30
minutes. Remove them gently with a plastic knife. Keep pies in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days.
NOTE: To
freeze the pies, chill them first, then wrap each one thoroughly with
two layers of plastic wrap. Put them into a freezer bag. They will keep
for up to 2 months.
(By the way...GroupRecipes sooooooooooooo rocks! I love the feedback you get on the recipes and the suggestions for making them better. You know that's a group of REAL cooks! MY KINDA PEOPLE!)
I switched this recipe up after Robby requested it. My family didn't eat green bean casserole but his mommy makes it and he loves it.
The first time I made the recipe on the back of the fried onion can I was like...ummm...Imma hafta make some changes to this cuz ummm...me no likey dis. So...I did...and this is what I came up with. (I usually double the recipe because it's one of his favorite things on the table for the holiday.)
1 can cream of mushroom
½ cup of milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (cut back to ¼ if need be)
4 cups cooked cut green beans (drained)
1 1/3 cups French’s Onions
Mix soup, milk, soy sauce and peppers in sauce pan. Stir constantly until simmering. Do taste test. Adjust seasoning as needed (no salt…the onions are salty!).
Add green beans and 2/3 cups of the fried onions and stir until heated.
Transfer to covered casserole dish and bake for 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining onions and keep covered until time to serve.
If you've ever had stuffed peppers from the South...you KNOW this is a meal in itself. We don't put rice in our stuffed peppers. *sigh* I miss home.
DISCLAIMER...do NOT feed this dish to ANY man you do not want to marry. This (and my gumbo) is one of those recipes that will make a man fall in love with you FOR LIFE! Ask Robby. LOL!
Ms. Carolyn’s Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
2.5 lbs ground chuck
1lb Jimmy Dean Spicy Pork Sausage
2 lbs shrimp (cleaned, de-veined and halved)
1 lb diced ham (ham steak)
2 cups bread crumbs
1 bell pepper - diced (for stuffing)
1 onion - diced
4 eggs
8 bell peppers (halved and cleaned)
1 can evaporated milk
butter
Season ground beef to taste and cook. Drain in colander and spread in extra large pan or bowl. Break up pork sausage and cook (crumble). Spread on top of ground beef. Cook diced ham in ¼ inch of water for 5 minutes after brought to boil (reserve juice). Spread on top of pork sausage. Saute shrimp in ¾ stick of butter (reserve juice). Saute diced onion and bell pepper. Spread on top of shrimp. Blend mixture.
Add bread crumbs on top. Beat eggs and add to mixture along with ½ can of evaporated milk that has been been added to an equal portion of water. Use some of the reserve juices to help blend smoothly. Season to taste with black pepper, salt, accent, cayenne pepper, etc. Mix well.
Boil large pot of water and add halved peppers (make sure end with stem has only been trimmed so as not to have a hole in the pepper). Remove peppers from water as soon as their color changes. Place peppers in a large roasting pan and stuff with mixture. Sprinkle each with a little bit of bread crumbs and add ¼ of a tab of butter to top of each pepper. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan so the peppers won’t stick, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
The difference in color between a raw bell pepper and a parboiled one.
2 lbs small-med shrimp (peeled, deveined and cut in half)
1 container of chicken liver
1 container of oysters (cut in half - optional)
2 cups chopped celery
1 stick of butter
2 cups chopped bell pepper
Put gizzards and livers in a pot. Cover with water plus 2 inches and season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a quick boil and simmer over medium-low heat until tender and liquid has reduced by about an inch (watch the sides of the pot).
Prepare cornbread according to the directions on box and bake in a large rectangular pan. (Make sure you put butter on the sides of the pan and dust with flour so the cornbread is easily removed.)
Drain gizzards and livers retaining the broth as this is the STOCK of your dressing.
Either chop gizzards and livers finely by hand or toss all into a food processor and chop. (I usually only use half of the livers personally cause Robby doesn’t like the taste of liver even though I don’t think you can actually “taste” the liver.)
In a very large skillet, melt one stick of butter.
Saute the onions, bell peppers and celery until onion is translucent (about 10 minutes). Season mixture with black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper. (Remember this dressing is going to have a lot of different flavors associated with it…so it’s nice to have a little extra pepper to add cohesiveness to the taste. We like ours spicy, of course, but do it how you like it.)
Add shrimp and oysters. Saute until shrimp is pink.
Add chopped gizzards and liver. Mix well.
Cut corn bread dressing into one-inch cubes and begin adding into the skillet with everything else. Begin by using a large spoon and scooping a large spoon full into mixture, then add some of the broth you’ve saved. Alternate adding cornbread then broth while mixing with large spoon.
Your dressing should look “damp.” In other words…there shouldn’t be any dry cornbread, but you shouldn’t see any liquid in puddles either.
Spoon dressing into the pan you baked the cornbread in.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees covered with foil for about 20 minutes. Uncover and then bake for about 10 additional minutes.
Garnish with parsley if you’re putting the pan directly on the table.
Option B – Stuffing
Personally I don’t like stuffing a turkey. I’m just not sure about the juices that run through the turkey…but if you would like to stuff your bird with this, I’d cook the turkey until there is about an hour left and stuff with the mixture BEFORE you bake it in the oven.
Two each of at LEAST 4 of these veggies PLUS red onions:
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Asparagus (use a pound or more)
Green bell peppers
Yellow bell peppers
Red bell peppers
Eggplant (only use one since it's so big)
Mushrooms (white, sliced a pound or more)
Red onions
Cut up all veggies THICK and put in large roasting pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil FIRST (so it coats veggies well enough for seasoning to stick to it) and then season with salt and pepper. Toss.
Place in oven at 350 degrees covered with foil for 25 minutes. Then take off foil and let it cook 10 minutes more.
According to how much you make...you can eat off this dish of roasted veggies all week. This size pan I made fed Robby and I for a week. I just add lean meat and a quick salad and voila...maximum healthy good tasting fast meal for minimal daily effort.
Do you guys have something you do like this that we can all incorporate into our weekly menus?
Not too long ago I came to realize that
my meals were boring. I had been eating the same few meals over and
over again for years. It was time for a change. Now I spend my free
time searching for and trying new recipes.
Other good substitutes for refined sugar(Skinny Bitch; from page 31):
"Other good substitutes for refined sugar include evaporated cane
juice, Sucanat, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, Rapadura sugar,
Turbinado sugar, raw sugar, beet sugar, date sugar, maple syrup,
molasses, and blackstrap molasses. (Some companies add lard to maple
syrup or molasses to reduce foaming, so be sure you are buying 100
percent pure, organic products.) Don't shit and piss yourselves, but
all of these natural sweeteners possess one or more of the following
health benefits: enzymes, calcium, iron, potassium, protein, the B
vitamins, magnesium, chromium, fiber, and folic acid. Some even contain
complex carbohydrates. We'are not saying you should eat naturally
sweetened cupcakes three meals a day. We're just saying that you can
have your cake and eat it. Just use your head regarding the amount of
sweets you consume."
The other day Sissy was over and I asked did she want something to drink. One of the options was hot chocolate and her eyes lit up like mine do when I'm about to have some hot chocolate.
She was on the computer and I got up and went to the kitchen. Got out the Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, the vanilla, the milk and the sugar. Started whipping up the cocoa. Sissy looked up and was like...GIRL...WHATCHU DOING? LET ME FIND OUT YOU MAKING THE REAL HOT COCOA LIKE I DO!
And we both started grinning. LOL!
When I was a kid I didn't really think about real stuff ya know? Why? Um...cuz I was a damn kid. And...I was one of those annoying as hell know-it-all kids too...so that didn't help AT.ALL in our household. I remember when it was time for hot cocoa...my mother pulled out the unsweetened cocoa, the vanilla, the milk and the sugar. If she was in a REALLY good mood you'd get a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate shavings...but usually only around Christmas. LOL! I remember wanting to get some instant stuff. Instant ANYTHING really and she always looked at me like I was crazy.
I ALWAYS wanted some dang Rice-a-roni...that San Francisco treat.
My mom would give me a side eye and whip out her canister of rice, add some frozen broth cubes from the freezer, mince some carrots, onions and green onions, toss it all up together and put it on our plates with a look that said...Rice-a-roni my butt. This is better.
And it was...but I still wanted instant cuz I believed the only reason she was making the rice dish instead of getting an instant version was the same reason we had them damn fruit rings and not the coveted Fruit Loops. Because she had a family of 6 to feed and a damn bi-polar head of household who might not go to work next week just BECAUSE.
So yeah...I always wanted the instant stuff.
The older I've gotten the more clearly I see things and...the more clearly I understand a major reason why none of us in my immediate family ever got fat...was because we weren't eating any of that instant crap that we sooooooooooooooo wanted. I remember my mother's freezer having odd shaped aluminum foil packages in it to the back right. She knew what it was because of the piece of freezer tape stuck to it that she'd written on. Carcasses of hams, chicken, you name it. Things that would go on to be boiled down to make stocks and broths (stocks are made by using more boney things like backs, necks and breast bones and is usually clearer than a broth which is made by using more meaty things like a whole chicken or chicken leg quarters. Stock is usually more opaque in color.) so that she could freeze and have readily available to flavor food. GOOD food. Food that stuck to your rib and satisfied you without filling you full of CRAP.
Macaroni and cheese in our home was never out of a box. She always boiled macaroni and added real cheese and milk. Far cheaper to feed a family of 6 than it was to buy boxes of something that she didn't trust because the cheese looks ORANGE. LOL. I learned a lot from my mother man. A lot that I didn't even KNOW I was learning but that I'm so glad I did.
If you come to my home and look in my freezer you'll find something odd shaped wrapped up in there. Throw away a ham bone? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! It's getting wrapped up something good and put away for a rainy day. Shrimp shells? If you're planning on making some gumbo in the next couple of months you'd better NOT throw that away! I remember my mommy shrieking at me once for throwing away the shrimp shells cuz I hated looking at the heads with the eyes still on them. She couldn't BELIEVE I'd thrown away "good shrimp shells." She went on and on and on about how fresh those shells were. I think she even got on the phone and told someone about my transgression.
Made me feel bad. Really, really bad. My father looked at me and SLOWLY shook his head as if to say...what kinda misfit are we raising? Tut, tut, tut.
LOL. Rough huh?
Being in the kitchen is something that I love and have always loved because in my world we show our love by feeding those we love. In my world we have patience in the kitchen with those who want to learn to cook because we understand they recognize the power of the talent. In my world...to take ordinary and extraordinary bits and pieces of foodstuffs and cooking something delicious to put in front of your family and friends for them to eat...is the PUREST EXPRESSION OF LOVE THERE IS. Yes folks...I show my love through food.
It is no secret that I'm a good cook. I'm EXTREMELY proud of my skills in the kitchen but I'm always proud of how it makes me feel when my husband leans over in the middle of chewing to kiss me. LOL. Showing his appreciation for me loving him enough to cook him a wonderful, tasty meal.
I'm pretty damn basic man and this is why, in my home, you won't find much instant crap. No frozen foods, no canned soups, no canned veggies save for Rotel. In my home...I'm a cook.
Yup. I COOK.
I believe one of the secrets to a successful marriage is having mad skills in the kitchen. Can't nobody stay mad bout silly ish if you just put some good eating down in front of them. LOL!
It's a cool day here in the DC Metro and after lunch I asked my husband if he wanted some hot cocoa. He smiled and got a twinkle in his eyes like a kid at Christmas. "Ooooooooooooh...yes!" I got up from my comfortable spot on the other end of the sofa and pulled out the Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, the vanilla, the milk and the sugar.
Started whipping up the cocoa.
Just like my mommy would have. ____________________________________________
HERSHEY'S FAVORITE HOT COCOA (always on side of the Hershey's Cocoa container since I was a little girl...there is a recipe for single servings too!)
1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa 1/3 cup hot water 4 cups milk 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.
If I was coming over to your home for a casual family dinner and you asked me what I was in the mood for and I answered...spaghetti...
How would you prepare the spaghetti? Do you use a jar sauce? Which one? Do you make your own sauce? How? What kind of meat if any? Do you make meatballs? Any cheese on top? What will the sides be?
If you're in a rush don't just POUR the glaze over a Southern Comfort cake. There is a REASON my mother always used a paint brush. *sigh*
Oh...and if those shrimp have been sitting in the fridge for MORE THAN A DAY...unless you know FO SHO they were fresh...do NOT put them in a pot of gumbo. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!
What about you? What have you learned by screwing up in the kitchen?
1 cup of eggnog
8 teaspoons of International Suisse Mocha
2 tablespoons Southern Comfort
***pinch of nutmeg (Addition to recipe from last year!!!!!)
In a large measuring cup (a 4 cup one) heat eggnog til hot. (About
three minutes...it's thick.) Add 1.5 cups of boiling water and stir in
the Suisse Mocha and the Southern Comfort.
Use frothier thingy and blend. (Or blend in blender to create froth.)
Pour in mugs and ENJOY!
Shelly sent a text to tell me eggnog was in the stores now. My answer? Duh...I bought some yesterday and had an eggnog latte today round lunchtime. Yup...it's that time folks! Make em at home cuz you know if you wait for the red cup it's gonna cost you about $4.00 each. Um...NO!
So we've had a laid back as hell day. Seriously chilling. Yall know I'm not one big on snacks and whatnot and since I've recently purged my kitchen cabinets...we're not doing too good in the snack area.
I don't have a problem not snacking cuz I don't think about it but when I think about chocolate...I WANT SOME DANG CHOCOLATE!
And so does The Robinator. LOL!
So I decided I'd bake some cookies. I looked up recipes online and in my recipe books and found that for every recipe...I had everything needed except ONE DAMN INGREDIENT!
And not only that...but some of the really good recipes in Martha's book would require me to take a trip down to my basement storage in wedding gift land to get ish like double boilers and the paddle attachment for the mixer thingy.
Um...no. So I did what any chick feeeeeeeeeeenin for some chocolate would do. I made some ish up. LOL! YUP!
I made some ish up.
I took the base of the majority of chocolate cookies. Flour, cocoa powder, pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and some sugar. Then...I melted a 4 ounce bar of some semi-sweet chocolate and a stick of unsalted butter. Instead of the double boiler...I broke it down to the basics. A glass bowl sitting kinda in a pot of boiling water and stirred with a whisk until blended. Then I added the mixture to the other stuff...added two eggs and a cup of chopped pecans. Lastly...I folded in half a bag of expired chocolate chips. Yes...you read right. They were expired but it was an unopened bag. I pulled one out and popped it in my mouth and it tasted fine if you wanna be perfectly honest...so for good measure (in case the flavor had diminished by mucho) I doubled the amount I would have usually folded in the mix.
Next...I laid em out on parchment paper lined cookie sheets using an ice cream scoop and baked them on 325 for 18 minutes.
I bake chicken like my mother baked a chicken. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse it off and pat it dry inside and out. Place in a roaster pan. Salt the cavity. String it up with a simple knot simply to keep the bird tight. Salt it WELL and follow with black and cayenne pepper.
Place in the middle of the oven, UNCOVERED, for 1 hour (might need to be a bit more for a really large chicken. Google cooking minutes per pound).
Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter (use the Smart Balance stuff to be healthier) and pour into the bottom of the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices, sprinkle with a pinch of thyme and let it sit for about 15 minutes before cutting.
The dang bird was so good I couldn't even get a picture of it intact before wild jackals attacked it.
When cooking a dish that calls for onions, celery or bell pepper, cut up the amount you need and put it to the side. Then...cut up the rest of the veggies and measure. Put in freezer bag and write on outside of bag the measurement.
Next time you need, as we call em, seasoning...YA ALREADY GOT IT!
We had this tonight at 13700 and I must say...it was DELICIOUS! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! The recipe is for 4, but I made it for 2. I hate reheated fish.
Ingredients
1 cup tomato, diced
1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup plain Lays potato chips, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (1/4 if you don't like spicy)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
cooking spray
Lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Mix tomato, leeks, green bell pepper and garlic together in a bowl. Spread out over the cookie sheet. Add fish and season with salt and pepper.
Mix bread crumbs, cheese, potato chips, paprika and cayenne pepper with melted butter. Put on top of fish. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with a lemon wedge.
We had it with asparagus. DELISH! LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!!!
Cover fish in dish with olive oil and minced garlic. Salt. Put in oven on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. In separate dish add tomatoes, cilantro and green onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Put in oven the last 5 minutes of the cooking time on the fish.
Serve by putting a significant spoonful of salsa on the fish.
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