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SAUSAGE GRITS CASSEROLE
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1-8-oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups)
Prepare grits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender, stirring to break up the sausage. Drain on paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, grits, sausage mixture, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Spread in a buttered 3-quart rectangular baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 350° oven for 35 minutes or until set and heated through. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
ASPARAGUS a la FLAMANDE
2 lbs (1 Kg) fresh asparagus, white if possible
3 eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
6 Tbs (90 ml) butter, melted
2 Tsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
4 Tbs (60 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A grating of fresh nutmeg
Unless the asparagus are very thin, peel away the tough outer skin using a vegetable peeler. Tie them in a bundle with kitchen twine and drop into a large pot of boiling water. Cook uncovered until tender, 10 to 20 minutes depending on thickness. Remove the asparagus from the water and drain on a towel. Mash the eggs with a fork in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter or individual plates and spoon the egg mixture on top, leaving the ends of the asparagus uncovered. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
ORANGE-GLAZED PORK AND CARROTS
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (1 large or 2 small pieces)
Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Water
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Place in 17x11-inch roasting pan; roast 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook carrots in boiling salted water, 10 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons cooking water and set aside; drain carrots and add to pan with pork.
3. Combine marmalade, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water in bowl; pour marmalade mixture over meat and carrots, tossing carrots to coat. Roast 15 to 25 minutes longer or until instant-read meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 155 degrees.
4. Transfer pork to cutting board; cover and keep warm. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to blender or food processor; process with the reserved 3 tablespoons cooking water, scraping sides of container until smooth. Add 1/4 cup water to roasting pan; boil 1 minute, scraping up brown bits. Slice pork and arrange on platter; top with pan juices. Serve with carrots. Makes 4 servings.
CHICKEN BRAISED IN BEER
4 to 5 lbs (1.8 - 2 Kg) chicken pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 Tbs (15 ml) butter
8 whole shallots, peeled
12 - 18 large mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch (2 cm) pieces
2 Tbs (30 ml) all-purpose flour
1 - 12 oz (340 ml) bottle Belgian beer
1 cup (250 ml) beef broth
1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
2 bay (laurel) leaves
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat, and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Set the chicken pieces aside, and to the same pot add the shallots and mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned, and add the garlic and sugar. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the carrots, and sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir to incorporate the flour with the butter, making sure there are no lumps. Add the beef and the broth, stirring to dissolve the flour and to scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken pieces, thyme, and bay leaves, and simmer covered over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce by about one third. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.
BRUNSWICK STEW
One 4 pound Chicken
3 pounds pork loin
1 tablespoon salt
5 ounces Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces wine vinegar
4 ounces rice vinegar
2 large cans whole tomatoes
1 small red pepper, seeded
4 large Vidalia onion
16 ears white corn, shucked, boiled, kernels removed
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen lima beans
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen okra
1 (10-ounce) package frozen black eyed peas
6 medium garlic cloves minced
8 chicken broth bouillon cubes
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
32 ounces ketchup
10 ounces steak sauce
3 large lemons, juiced
1 dash extra hot pepper sauce
In a very large pot or Dutch oven, over very low heat, cook chicken and pork over very low heat in seasoned water (salt, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, rice vinegar and 1 quart water), covered, overnight. Next day pick meat from bone and pulse in food processor to small pieces. Then add back to the stock. To food processor pulse into small pieces tomatoes, red pepper, onions, corn, lima beans, okra and black eyed peas, and add them along with garlic cloves and bouillon cubes to stock. Then add hot pepper sauce, mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, lemon juice. Cook slowly on top of the stove, covered, stirring every 30 minutes or so for 8 hours. Stir in the extra hot pepper sauce. Then refrigerate for 24 hours and re-heat before serving.
CHEESE-MARBLED BROWNIES
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 oz.)
6 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1/3 cup honey
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
Dash salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt chocolate pieces and margarine or butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in honey, 2 of the eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add flour and baking powder, stirring just until flour is moistened. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in mixing bowl beat together cream cheese and sugar. Beat in remaining egg and the salt. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture over partially baked layer. Spoon remaining chocolate batter over filling. Using a knife, cut through batters to marble. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool; cut into bars. Makes 24.
POTATOES FLORADORA
6 potatoes (2 pounds)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. snipped parley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
3 Tbsp. milk
1 egg yolk, beaten
Snipped parsley (optional)
Wash potatoes thoroughly. Cut a thin slice from top of each potato. Carefully scoop out potato without harming skin, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. (If necessary, to make potatoes sit flat, cut a thin slice from the bottom.) Place shells in a large bowl. Cover with water until needed. Finely chop scooped-out potato.
In a large skillet cook chopped potato, onion, and mushrooms in hot margarine or butter until onion is tender. Stir in flour, the 1 teaspoon parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until golden. Add milk; cook until slightly thickened. Stir into beaten egg yolk.
Drain potato shells and fill with cooked potato mixture. Place in shallow baking pan. Bake potatoes, uncovered, in a 450º F. oven about 35 minutes or until potato shells are tender. If desired, garnish with additional parsley. Makes 6 servings.
BELGIAN WAFFLES
1 package (1 Tbs, 15 ml) active dry yeast
2 cups (500 ml) warm milk
2+1/4 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
1 egg
3 Tbs (45 ml) sugar
3 eggs yolks
8 Tbs (120 ml) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
3 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
Combine the yeast and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the warm milk in a small bowl and allow to proof for 5 minutes. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the egg, yeast mixture, and sugar. Stir to mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining milk and the egg yolks one at a time, stirring to incorporate. Add the melted butter and vanilla, stirring just to combine. Fold the egg whites into the batter, cover with a towel, and allow to rise for 1 hour. Stir down the batter when ready to cook and cook according to your waffle iron's directions. Makes about 12 waffles.
CHOCOLATE-MINT WAFERS
Makes about 3 dozen
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar for rolling
1/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 to 3 drops peppermint oil (or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract)
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, and continue mixing until well combined. Whisk together the cocoa powder and the flour. Add the dry ingredients, and, scraping the sides of the bowl down, continue mixing until just combined. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Shape into a small disc, and refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. (The dough can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.)
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Lightly sprinkle a clean work surface with confectioners' sugar. Place the chilled dough on the work surface. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. (Save the scraps to refrigerate and roll out again.) Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out the cookies, and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2 inch apart. You should be able to fit about 35 cookies on a baking sheet. Bake until you can smell the chocolate, about 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.
3. Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Very finely chop 6 ounces of chocolate, and add to hot cream. Stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the peppermint oil. Let cool slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a #11 tip. Pipe out quarter-size amounts of chocolate, about 1 teaspoon each, onto the center of half the wafers. Top with the remaining wafers. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 10 minutes.
5. Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Let cool slightly. Dip one side of the cookie sandwich to coat. Remove the excess chocolate by scraping the cookie against the side of the bowl. Return to the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.
CAROLINA-STYLE PULL PORK SHOULDER
1 five-pound boneless pork butt (shoulder), tied or netted
Rub:
Mix all ingredients together well in small bowl:
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne
Baste:
Mix all together in saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes:
1/2 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons molasses
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
2-4 chopped chipotle peppers (rehydrated if dried)
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Hardwood chips, soaked in water for 1 hour
Rub pork shoulder on all surfaces with rub mixture; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Prepare a medium fire in smoker (or covered grill with banked coals). Smoke pork shoulder with soaked hardwood chips; adding more charcoal and wood chips to maintain a medium-low heat -- between 250 and 300 degrees F. -- and smoke until internal temperature of pork shoulder is between 170 and 180 degrees F. This slow cooking process should take between 5 and 6 hours. Baste the shoulder every 20 to 30 minutes during the last couple of hours of cooking. Boil any leftover basting sauce for 5 minutes, shred ("pull") the meat and sauce it; serve on sandwich buns with cole slaw. Serves 12.
ALMOND-FUDGE BROWNIES
Nonstick spray coating
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter
2-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup candy-coated semisweet chocolate pieces
Spray only the bottom of a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick coating. Combine flour, almonds, and baking powder; set aside.
In a medium saucepan heat and stir butter and unsweetened chocolate over medium heat till melted. Stir in sugar, beaten whole eggs, beaten egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat by hand till just combined. Stir into flour mixture. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with candy-coated pieces. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Servings: 16
APPLE COBBLER CAKE
2 (21-oz) cans apple pie filling
1 Yellow cake mix
3/4 c butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c milk
Heat pie filling in large sauce pan until very hot
In large bowl combine cake mix & butter; blend on low speed for 1 minute till crumbly
Place 1-1/2 cup cake mix in medium bowl; stir in walnuts & cinnamon til well mixed
Add milk to cake mix in large bowl; stir til dry particles are moistened
APRICOT NECTAR CAKE
1 box lemon cake mix
1 pkg lemon jell-o
3/4 cup apricot nectar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix jello, nectar, oil, salt and vanilla and mix well
Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition
Bake in a well greased and foured tube pan at 325 degrees for 50 minutes
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup orange juice
Mix together and pour over warm cake
Taste better after sitting overnight
BASIC BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
2 tsp clear vanilla
5 Tbsp water
1/2 Cup shortening
1/2 Cup margarine (1 stick)
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs powdered sugar
Cream shortening, margarine, vanilla, water and salt. Slowly add sugar
Beat at medium speed till creamy
For chocolate buttercream, add 1/4 C. cocoa or 3 (1 oz.) melted unsweetened chocolate squares
You may have to add a bit more water
BOURBON PECAN POUND CAKE
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup Bourbon
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
Bourbon Glaze:
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. Bourbon
2 tbsp. water
Beat shortening @ med speed with until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar, beat at med speed 5-7 minutes
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beat just until yellow disappears.
Combine sour cream & 1/2 c. bourbon.
Combine flour & next 3 ingredients.
Add to shortening mix & alternate with sour cream mixture, begin & end with flour mix.
Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in pecans.
Pour batter in greased & floured 10" tube pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour & 10-15 minutes or until tests done.
Cool in pan on wire rack 10-15 min.
Remove from pan, cool completely on wire rack.
Drizzle with glaze.
