Zesty Pecans

June 12, 2013 by

A great starter anytime of year, and they taste better the next day. They’re also good as a little gift.

1/2 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 lb. pecan halves
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place butter chunks on a cookie sheet with sides and place in oven to melt – takes about 5 minutes. Stir in the pecans and coat them well with the butter. Bake for about 20 minutes – stir and check them, every 5 minutes – it may take only 15 minutes to toast. Be careful not to burn. Mix all the other ingredients together and sprinkle all over the pecans. Toss very well, again, right on the pan and let cool on the pan.

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The BEST Fried Chicken

June 8, 2013 by

Not much more to say, except you must try this.

8 serving size pieces of chicken for frying
Frying oil – either peanut or corn/canola
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. salt (kosher is best)
2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Rinse thoroughly  each piece of chicken and place in a large bowl or container, cover with cold water and let sit for at least 15 minutes while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

In a pan safe for frying chicken, pour oil to a depth of at least 2 inches and heat the oil over med-high heat. In a large paper bag or large zip lock type bag, place all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. When a little cube of bread sizzles in the heated oil, it is ready for the chicken.

One at a time, place a piece of chicken in the bag, close over the top and shake to coat the chicken, then carefully place in the hot oil – do this with about 4 pieces at a time so as not to overcrowd and watch it carefully so oil doesn’t bubble up over the sides of the pan. I usually fry the drumsticks, thighs and wings first then I fry the breasts in the second batch.

Fry chicken pieces until golden brown, about 15 minutes on each side, may even take longer for dark meat or larger pieces or until done – turn only once during cooking. Remove with tongs and place on paper-towel lined pans or even use brown paper bags.

Viola!

Filed Under: Chicken, Frontpage

Stewed Green Beans

June 4, 2013 by

Cooked slowly in a mixture of bacon-onion water makes for the perfectly stewed fresh green bean. Pair them with most any meat.

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 medium onion, peeled & sliced
3 cups water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed & cut into 2″ slices

In a large pot, place the bacon and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes; add the sliced onion, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add water, sugar, salt & pepper – bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes stirring once in a while. Add the green beans, raise heat to bring to a boil, reduce to simmmer and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occassionally.

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Spicy Ribs

May 31, 2013 by

I don’t know what it is – I LOVE tinkering with ribs and my family loves eating them.  All of you will be emailing me your thanks after one taste.  One year I made these for Easter and nobody missed the traditional ham.

6 lbs. spare ribs – (if using more, double rest of ingredients)
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Sauce (tone down the hot spices a bit if it seems too hot for you)

1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chli sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. celery seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup hot sauce

Get out a large pot and place the ribs into it (you will probably have to slice them into small slabs) then fill pot with cold water to cover.  Add 1 cup cider vinegar to the water, bring to a boil then cover slightly and simmer for one hour, stirring them once in a while.

Half-way through simmering time, preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and get ready 2 baking pans with at least 2″ sides; position your oven racks to accomodate these 2 pans. Now make the sauce. . .

Place all the sauce ingredients into a large bowl, whisk well to combine then spread half into each of pans.  When simmering is completed, using tongs, remove the ribs and divide between the 2 pans, turning ribs to coat completely in the sauce. Place in the oven – uncovered – for 30 minutes; turn the ribs, alternate pans in the oven, then cook 30 minutes longer.

Pass the napkins.

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Bean & Bacon Soup

May 27, 2013 by

A really good cold weather soup. Serve with saltines or homemade bread.

1 16 oz. package dried navy beans
1 lb. bacon
2 onion, diced
2 stalk celery, chopped
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes
4 cups cold water

Place beans in a large pot with cold water to cover by at least 1 inch. Let sit covered overnight. In the morning drain and rinse. Set aside until ready to make the soup.

Cook the bacon to whatever texture you like and drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and add this grease to a large soup pot or dutch oven. Coarsely chop the bacon.

Heat the bacon grease and add onion and celery; cook until soft. Add the bouillon, beans, bay leaf, salt & pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.Stir in the can of tomatoes with their juice and warm. Serve.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Soups & Stews

Oven Fried Chicken I

May 23, 2013 by

How can you fry a chicken in the oven, you ask? Read on to find out.

1/3 cup vegetable oil – (I use canola)
1/3 cup (6 Tbsp) butter – cut into chunks
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. marjoram – (optional, but oh so good)
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the oil and butter on a rimmed cookie sheet – like a jelly-roll pan. Place in the oven to melt and set aside.

In a big paper bag or large zip lock bag, combine the flour and the seasonings. Using 1 at a time, take each piece of chicken and roll in the melted oil & butter sauce, then drop into the bag and shake to cover. Place on a dish.

Place all the chicken back into the pan, skin side down, and bake for 45 minutes. Gently turn each piece over with a spatula and bake 10 minutes longer.

Serve and watch the smiles!

Filed Under: Chicken, Frontpage

Marble Loaf

May 19, 2013 by

This is a simple, tasty snack which can be jazzed up by adding some ice cream on the side.  I like it with a cup of hot tea or strong coffee. My sister sifts confectioners sugar and cocoa powder over her slice.

Make the chocolate syrup first:
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (NOT olive oil)

Now make the batter:
1-1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp.) softened, unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a loaf pan. Take out all the ingredients and set on the counter to come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes while your oven preheats.

Into a medium sized bowl, whisk together the syrup ingredients and set aside.

Into a large bowl, using a blender or you can even use a food processor, cream the sugar and butter for about 1 minute, add the eggs and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and blend for about 1 minutes. Add the milk and blend well. Scoop out 1 cup of this batter and whisk into the chocolate batter, then spread the rest of this yellow batter into the loaf pan. Now plop the chocolate batter on top. Using a butter knife inserted into the batter, swirl the knife around.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes; reduce temp to 325 and bake 30-40 minutes more, or until a knife inserted near the middle comes out with a few crumbs – keep an eye on it. Cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and unmold it onto a plate.

Filed Under: Breads - Quick, Desserts, Frontpage Tagged With: , , ,

Cheesecake

May 15, 2013 by

Cheesecake is so easy to make and this is a basic, plain cheesecake that doesn’t have a crust because they become moist the next day. Also, it needs at least a 12 hour fridge set so plan on making this a day in advance; it’s well worth the wait. Sprinkling the graham cracker crumbs on top of each individual piece is a crust alternative.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a springform pan. Wrap the springform pan in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil – you will be baking the cake in a water bath (no cracks) and this will prevent spillages. Place the wrapped springform pan inside a larger pan with high sides (such as a roasting pan).

Take the cream cheese, eggs & sour cream out of the fridge and place them on the counter while the oven preheats. This will take at least 30 minutes.

2 8 oz. pkgs. Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese (NOT lite, NOT low fat)
1 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (not imitation, please)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups sour cream

In a large mixing bowl (a heavy duty mixer works well here) beat the cream cheese and sugar until they are very smooth – this takes about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the cornstarch, then add the eggs 1 at a time and beat for the slow count of 10 after each one – scraping down the mixing bowl as needed. Now add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and beat these just until they are incorporated. Beat in the sour cream just until it is blended. Don’t over beat – this will create air bubbles.
Pour the batter into the pan. Slowly and gently fill the larger pan with hot water until it comes about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Place the whole thing into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN. After 45 minutes, turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the closed oven for 1 hour.

Remove springform pan to a rack so it can cool – takes about 2-3 hours. Then cover (remove the foil and place springform on a plate, then place another plate on top of the pan; I used to cover with plastic, but moisture droplets formed and plopped on top of the cheesecake, so I improvised) and place in the fridge at least overnight so it can set.

Filed Under: Desserts, Frontpage Tagged With: ,

Company Breakfast (a.k.a. Holiday Casserole)

May 11, 2013 by

Great on weekend mornings and holidays. This makes a good-sized casserole, so halve it if needed. Your guests may possibly stay longer after tasting.

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
12 slices white or egg-type bread
1/2 lb. pre-cooked deli type ham – diced
1 lb. bacon
1-1/2 lb. Swiss cheese – grated
12 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large glass baking dish.

Pull the bread apart and lay on bottom of the dish. Fry the bacon, drain, crumble, and place on top of bread. Distribute the ham over the bacon.

Saute the veggies in the melted butter until golden and distribute over the meat. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the veggies.

In a large bowl, whisk/beat the eggs, milk and nutmeg; slowly and evenly pour over top of casserole, press down gently but firmly with the back of a large spoon to make sure everything is moistened. Cover and refrigerate this for at least 30 minutes to set – you can even refrigerate overnight but this is really not necessary.

Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

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Beef & Potato Stew

May 7, 2013 by

Place everything in a pot, cover and put in the oven for 3 hours.  The only thing you have to do is stir occasionally (perhaps twice) and then serve.  I’m so lazy sometimes but it works!

2 lbs. stewing beef, cut into small pieces
1 can Campbell’s soups Mushroom Consomme
1 package Golden Onion Lipton soup
2 14 oz. cans beef broth
2 large baking potatoes peeled and sliced
6 baby carrots sliced, or 2 large carrots peeled & sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place everything in an oven-proof pot with lid, or cover with foil, combine well then place in the oven for 3 hours, stirring once or twice.  Serve.

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