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CHILI'S CHILI QUESO
3 ounces ground beef
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
16-ounce bottle Cheez Whiz
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1. In a small bowl, mix together ground beef, flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Use your hands to work the dry ingredients into the ground beef. Brown the beef in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to crumble the beef as it cooks. Cook the meat until it's brown, then set it aside.
2. Melt the Cheez Whiz with 2 tablespoons of milk over low heat. When milk and cheese has been combined, add the ground beef and remaining ingredients. Heat while stirring often until mixture is hot and ingredients are well combined, then cover saucepan and remove it from the heat. Serve with chips for dipping.
ANOTHER PECAN PIE
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Karo Syrup
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 cup chopped Pecans
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Heat oven 350º degrees.
Mix sugar, flour and salt together. Stir in corn syrup. Lightly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat as it will make it foamy. Add vanilla and evaporated milk, then stir in the pecans. Bake 50 minutes or until firm.
BAKED BANANA PEACH DELIGHT
2 peaches, pitted and peeled
4 tablespoons Splenda(sugar substitute)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 bananas, peeled and cut in half
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Purée peaches in a blender or food processor.
In a small saucepan, combine peach puree, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Cut four pieces of aluminum foil; place one half banana on each piece; cover with 2 tablespoons peach puree. Fold the foil closed. Bake 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Cooking Tips
Ice cream adds a finishing touch to this dessert.
BUTTER ROLLS(150 YEAR OLD RECIPE)
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter
Sift the flour and salt together. Add the shortening and blend to a crumbly stage. Add enough ice water to make a stiff dough. Make the dough into five balls. Roll each ball of dough into a circle the size of a saucer, dot with butter, and sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over each circle. Roll each circle of dough up as you would a jelly roll. Place side by side in a square baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) until brown.
Remove the rolls from the oven and pour over them a mixture of: 1 pint milk, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Put the rolls back into the oven for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.
ANOTHER CICKEN FRIED STEAK
2 Eggs
2 C Milk - at room temperature
3 C Flour - all-purpose
2 t Meat Seasoning (Lawry's S.S., etc.)
2 C frying Oil - preferably Canola/Corn Oil
8 (6-oz) tenderized Beef Cutlets at room temperature (or tenderized
center-cut boneless pork chop, or tenderized boneless chicken breasts)
Whisk eggs and milk together in a med. bowl and set aside.
Combine the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil in a heavy 14" cast iron skillet over medium heat to
350. (325°.jc) (350° is just too hot and will burn the flour in 3 minutes flat)
The oil should pop loudly when a drop of egg or water is dropped in.
Lightly S&P each side of each cutlet.
Dip each of the first 4 cutlets in the EGG WASH mixture. Dredge them in the seasoned FLOUR, then back into the EGG WASH, and very gently place them in the hot oil.
As you carry them 1 at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of noisy oil popping.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown. Gently turn them with a long handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Cook another 2-3 minutes.
Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a towell-lined platter.
Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets.
MASHED POTATOES
1 # Baking Potatoes - like Russets - peeled and cut in quarters
12 T (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 C half-and-half or 1-1/2 C milk
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth. Serve with cream, brown or giblet gravy.
TEXAS CREAM GRAVY
4 T drippings
4 T flour
3 C milk
1 t salt
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t coarse black pepper
Heat drippings in large skillet.
With a wire whisk, whisk in flour until well blended. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until gravy begins to thicken. Add seasonings.
Serve over Texas Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, torn bread, or biscuits.
ANOTHER CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
Ingredients:
Steak (Round Steak)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Flour
Milk
Wash the steak and place it between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper.
Use a meat mallet to pound the steak until it's no more than a 1/4" thick.
Season the meat to taste, dredge in the flour, and fry as you would chicken, until done. Just be mindful that chicken fried steak doesn't take as long as chicken. Drain the meat on paper towels and set aside. Pour off all the grease, except for 2 tablespoons and the drippings. Add enough flour to absorb the grease and cook until brown. Using a whisk (or fork), add enough milk to make a gravy. Taste the gravy at this point for flavor and season accordingly. Add the steak back to the gravy and heat through. I serve this over boiled or mashed potatoes.
SENSATIONAL SWEET POTATO CAKE
Cake:
1 (18.25-ounce) package reduced-fat yellow cake mix
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 (15-ounce) can sweet potato pieces, drained & mashed
1 1/3 cups water
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside.
2. Place all ingredients for cake in a large mixing bowl and beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Distribute the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or when pressed lightly in the center and cake springs back. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
4. Frost between cooled cake layers, top and sides with Cream Cheese Frosting Makes 1 (3-layer) cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until well-blended. Makes 3 cups.
ANOTHER CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless beef top loin
2 cups shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cut top loin crosswise into 4 (4 ounce) cutlets. Using a glancing motion, pound each cutlet thinly with a moistened mallet or the side of a cleaver.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 365 degrees F.
3. While the shortening is heating, prepare cutlets. In a shallow bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, mix together garlic powder and 1 cup flour. Dip cutlets in flour, turning to evenly coat both sides. Dip in egg mixture, coating both sides, then in flour mixture once again.
4. Place cutlets in heated shortening. Cook until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
5. Using the drippings in the pan, prepare gravy over medium heat. To 1/2 cup drippings, blend in 1/4 cup flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk to desired consistency, stirring constantly. For a thicker gravy add less milk; for a thinner gravy stir in more. Heat through, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken fried steak.
ANOTHER HUSH PUPPIES
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium yellow onion,finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 green onions, finely chopped (use only 2 inches of the
green part)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
Mix the dry ingredients and the onions together. Blend the egg with the buttermilk and stir into the dry ingredients. You will have a very hick batter
Allow the batter to sit for 1/2 hour, then drop by the tablespoonful into deep fat at 375F.
Deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200F oven until served.
STRAWBERRY AMBROSIA MUFFINS
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 2 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries ( not thawed), coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
TOPPING:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
-2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tbs chilled butter
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 12 standard size muffin pan cups or line with paper liners.
Mix together flour, granulated sugar,coconut, baking powder,& salt. Stir in frozen strawberries.
Mix together milk, oil, egg & vanilla.
Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture all at once to well, tossing with a fork until dry ingredients are just moistened. ( Do not overmix.)
Spoon in batter into prepared pan, filling three-quarters full. To prepare topping, in a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, coconut, & flour.
Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into coconut mixture until coarse crumbs form.Sprinkle over muffins. Bake muffins until tops are firm & golden, 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Turn muffins out onto rack to cool completely.
TART COLE SLAW
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
3 - 4 large carrots, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, diced
2 - 3 heaping Tablespoons canola mayonnaise (I like canola mayonnaise because it tastes lighter than the usual supermarket varieties - can be found in health food stores. Do NOT use Miracle Whip.)
3 - 4 heaping Tablespoons plain yogurt
1 - 2 lemons
1 T dried dill
herb salt and pepper, to taste
Put the cabbage (I slice it thin, and then chop the long pieces into thirds) and the carrots into a large bowl. The ratio should be equal, so adjust the amounts of the vegetables until they are. Add the minced onion, the mayonnaise and the yogurt. Add the juice of 1 lemon, dill, herbal salt and pepper. Mix well and start tasting. At this point you balance the heavy taste of mayonnaise with the plain yogurt and if it's not tart enough, add some more lemon juice. Refrigerate if not using immediately. The dressing will pool on the bottom and increase as moisture seeps from the vegetables. It's ok - just mix thoroughly before serving. This salad keeps well. Leftovers are yummy. Serves 6-8.
CATHI'S CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
1 boneless chicken breast half per serving
1 piece of favorite ham - we like Virginia-style baked ham - not to be confused with Smithfield ham
1 piece of sliced cheese - we like Swiss
Flavored dry bread crumbs, or fresh bread crumbs mixed with some of your favorite herbs
vegetable oil spray
Pound out chicken breast until fairly flat and even. Lay ham on chicken and top with cheese. Fold sides in as best as possible, and kind of roll the chicken up. This will not look pretty, but that's okay. Dredge in bread crumbs, pressing them into chicken. Chicken is moist, so it isn't necessary to use an egg wash or milk first. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Place chicken on sheet, and spray with oil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes. You want the chicken cooked through, but not dried out.
Depending on your ham and cheese, this can be as healthy, or decadent as you'd like.
CABBAGE SOUP
3/4 pound chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
8 cups chicken stock
1 medium head Chinese cabbage (red cabbage)
Cut the chicken into thin, small pieces. Place in a pot with the stock and cool over medium heat for 7 minutes. Cut the cabbage into 2-inch wide strops and add to the soup with salt and pepper. Cool until the cabbage is tender, about five minutes,no more; don't let the cabbage get soft. Remove from heat. Serve hot.
