Tag: recipes

Dinner Is Served: Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

There’s nothing better for dinner on a down right cold here in the Deep South night than homemade buttermilk biscuits.

biscuits-in-skillet

We’re on a buttermilk biscuit kick of late, which is probably attributed to changing weather patterns, leaves, internal clocks tuned into this weekend’s fall backwards gain of an extra hour, and feathering our nest routines.

Dave the Builder is a hot biscuit (yeah he is!) and butter man.

His view on jelly, jam, preserves, honey, or even good cream gravy is it complicates matters and covers up the true biscuit goodness.

I on the other hand go the small smear of butter with a drizzle of honey route.

homemade-buttermilk-biscuits-recipe

Heat oven to 500°F.  Grease your pan (I use a black cast iron skillet) with shortening.

skillet-greased-for-biscuits

I use a measuring cup to scoop the flour from the bag to a medium mixing bowl.

White-Lily-self-rising-flour-bag

Use a whisk to gently sift the flour.

self-rising-flour-in-bowl

Make a well in the center of the flour by pushing the flour to the edges of the bowl.  Pour cold buttermilk into well and add shortening.  Using your hand (I wear a vinyl food service prep glove- a total game changer) incorporate the shortening into buttermilk.

Begin to pull the flour from the sides of the bowl into the buttermilk and shortening well until you’ve worked the flour from the sides of the bowl into a dough.

Do not overmix.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes.  No need to over knead.  Shorter kneading time makes for a flakey biscuit.

Pat the dough out to slightly more than a ½-inch thick.  Very lightly dust dough with flour.

biscuit-dough

Cut dough with a biscuit cutter of choice making sure to dip cutter in flour between cuts.

My biscuit cut turns out to be about 2½ inches across each biscuit.

cutting-biscuitsTransfer cut biscuits to your greased pan, skillet or baking sheet.

Place biscuits close together in pan, sides touching.

cut-biscuitsReroll scraps of dough and cut into biscuit shapes.

Bake in a 500°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are lightly brown on tops.

Makes eight 2½ inch biscuits.

biscuits-served

biscuits-buttermilk-baked

Easy, warm, filling, familiar, and satisfying- homemade buttermilk biscuits hit the spot.

enjoy

Seasoned Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes Recipe

This seasoned cheesy broiled tomatoes recipe is a taste of summer on a plate.

homegrown-tomatoes

One the many things we love about summer is the fresh vegetables and flowers the season brings to the table.

vegetable-stand

When word gets out our favorite fresh vegetable vendor has homegrown tomatoes in stock, it’s time to place a call to my brother who lives closer to the stand located about 10 miles from our house.

fresh-tomatoes-squash-1

As long as I’m making and sharing with him a dish, sandwich, or burgers with fresh tomato slices or dices in the mix he’s happy to oblige.

sunflowers-in-the-morning

Fresh sunflowers, squash, and eggplant accompanied this latest tomato haul- a bit of Louisiana lagniappe.

fresh sunflower 1

Crazy is the word of the week here at Places In The Home.

I’ve been crazy busy tying up loose ends before Dave the Builder’s upcoming heart procedures.

In all the planning, packing, and pre-admit madness remains the fact you still gotta eat, and homegrown tomatoes at room temperature, which is the way we like our tomatoes, will ruin if left unrefrigerated for too long.

As delicious as a homemade hamburger and a tomato sandwich is, I was looking for a something on plate.

Something on a plate is a Places In The Home family term.

Credit goes to Dave the builder for taking a commonly used phrase into colloquial territory.

Here’s how it came to be:

My mother-in-law took a day off from work to finish sewing junior prom dresses for Dave’s fifteen-year-old identical twin sisters.

That’s two times the daughters, two times the junior prom dress fun.  To say she had a lot on her plate is an understatement.

Dave is eight years younger than his sisters, the baby of the family, and on this particular day was underfoot more than normal.

Parents in Covid quarantine know exactly what I’m talking about.

Dave set in asking his mother to fix him something for lunch.  Her promise of just one more minute and I’ll fix you a sandwich was met with Dave’s verbal protest.

“I don’t want a sandwich.  I want something on a plate.”

Dave wasn’t having any part of the simple sandwich solution to lunch.  What he wanted was a salad-meat-vegetables-bread something on a plate lunch.

Joe's-broiled-tomato

A quick inventory of cupboard and crisper coupled with the memory of the fabulously delicious broiled tomato served at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab brought about recipe inspiration.

Easy is the key ingredient of this seasoned cheesy broiled tomatoes recipe.

Seasoned Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

3 fresh tomatoes, halved

3 cups shredded mild cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese

salt & pepper taste

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

olive oil

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

6 Tablespoons bread crumbs; optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Rinse tomatoes and pat dry.  Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up in baking dish.

Salt and pepper each tomato to preference.  Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garlic powder over top of each tomato.

seasoned-tomato

Top each half with ½ cup shredded cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the cheddar & Monterey Jack.

bread-crumbs-topped-tomato-1

An optional choice is to top each tomato half with bread crumbs.

Give each cheese-bread crumbs topped tomato half a lightly drizzle of olive oil.

olive-oil-drizzled-over-top-of-tomato

Place baking dish in preheated oven and bake cheese topped tomatoes for 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn oven to broil.

Broil tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese-bread crumbs is toasty brown.

broiled-tomato

The above image is of the seasoned cheesy broiled tomato, and the image below is of a seasoned cheesy broiled tomato topped with bread crumbs.

Toasty brown puts just the right amount of crisp on top.

seasoned-cheesy-broiled-tomatoes-recipe

This seasoned cheesy broiled tomatoes recipe makes for a great side dish to grilled steaks, appetizers at the cocktail hour, or dinner entrée.

enjoy

Homemade Southern Biscuits

Southerners know the comfort found in a  warm, buttery, flaky pan of homemade Southern biscuits.

comfort food

noun

food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.

Quarantine days into nights hum right along to the catchy tune “Wishin’ and Hopin'” cause bakin’ and cookin’ and eatin’ and eatin’ is how I’m filling the stay-at-home times, days, afternoons, nights, plates, and stomachs of my fellow quarantine loved ones.

Baking is a time-honored tradition steeped in essentiality, creativity, comfort, and love.

Add to that recipes and wisdoms handed down through the years and practice makes perfect the dashes and splashes of spices and seasonings secrets handed down from generation to generation, and now we’re speaking truth to taste, y’all.

homemade southern biscuitsFlickr

Hands down, the best Southern biscuits I ever tasted were those from Dave’s mother’s kitchen.

Her recipe included the biscuit basics:

White Lily self-rising flour.

Cold buttermilk.

Crisco.

The delicious was brought forth by how she made her biscuits, a skilled technique perfected from childhood.

Her mother died when she was eight years old, leaving the culinary duties to her and her four sisters.

The girls baked sixty-nine biscuits a day- three each for her daddy and four brothers, two each for the four girls, three meals a day, seven days a week.

Believe me, she had her biscuit making routine down pat.

Dave and I have tried many times to perfect her biscuit recipe, but never have had success in replicating it.

homemade southern biscuitFoodies Feed

Practice in the Places In The Home test kitchen makes perfect.

biscuits-in-iron-skillet

Much to our delight, we have several respectable biscuit go-tos.

A local Chinese restaurant makes a fluffy flaky square-shaped mini biscuit that when paired with fresh honey is absolutely fantastic.

Popeye’s biscuits satisfy a Southern biscuit craving in true Louisiana c’est si bon fashion.

Lest we forget Cracker Barrel biscuits.

Oh yeah, we brake for biscuits.

All of the above biscuit options are distinctive and delectable in their own right, but are no match for the small bites of biscuit perfection set in the oven and upon the dining room tabletops of the Carriage House Restaurant located on the grounds of Stanton Hall in Natchez, Mississippi.

Carriage-House-Restaurant

Trip Advisor

Stanton_Hall,_Natchez,_MS

Stanton Hall – Natchez, Mississippi

Carriage-House-Natchez-biscuitsPhoto courtesy of Brittany of Hello, Honey.  Please do check out her blog post detailing a visit to Natchez and her very cool photos of Longwood and Arlington properties.  Here’s the link- Natchez, Mississippi

When in Natchez, lunch at the Carriage House Restaurant is a biscuit must.

Carriage House Lunch

A menu mixing of popular Southern fare classics and new-traditional dishes appeal to palate and plate.

Carriage-House-chicken Flickr

Fried chicken, rice and gravy, baby lima beans with ham, and fresh green beans please the patrons, but it’s the Carriage House biscuits that make a lasting impression.

Carriage-House-Biscuits

Flickr

Carriage House Biscuits

Ingredients

2  cups all-purpose flour

4  teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1  Tablespoon sugar

5  Tablespoons vegetable shortening

¼ to 1 cup cold milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400˚F.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut the shortening in with 2 knives until the mixture resembles peas.  Stir in the milk ¼ cup at a time until you have sticky dough.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead as little as possible.  Roll lightly to a ¼ inch thickness.  Cut biscuits with a small (2-inch diameter) biscuit cutter or a clean, small open tomato paste can.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick baking spray or grease lightly with shortening.  Place the biscuits with edges not touching on the prepared pan. Brush tops with milk.  Bake at 400˚F until biscuits are puffed and slightly golden.  Remove immediately, split and butter while hot.

Chef Bingo Starr

Regina-Charboneau-biscuits

Chef Regina Charboneau

Southern hospitality and butter biscuits are the calling card of Chef Regina Charboneau aka Queen of Biscuits.

Regina's butter biscuits

Regina’s Kitchen

Regina's biscuits

Regina’s Butter Biscuits 

Ingredients

4  cups flour

¼ cup baking powder (Regina suggests using Calumet baking powder.)

¼  cup sugar

¾  pound margarine, salted

¼  pound butter, salted

1¾  cups real buttermilk, not low fat

Directions

Put flour, baking powder and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  Turn the machine on low and blend the dry ingredients for 15 seconds.

Add the butter, margarine and buttermilk to flour mixture before turning mixer back on.  Turn mixer on medium and count to 10.  This goes very quickly; the key is to not overmix the dough.  There will be large chunks of margarine, the size of quarters, in the dough.

Scrape dough from the bowl onto a generously floured tea towel (or other floured work surface) and shape into a long, vertical rectangle about 2 inches thick.  The dough will seem rough and messy.  Using the edges of the towel, fold the lower part of the dough (about one third) toward the center, then fold the top portion down.  With a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 2-inch thickness.  Fold the two ends in again, lifting the edges of the towel to help move the dough.  Give dough a one-quarter turn, and roll it out again to a 2-inch thickness.  Continue folding, turning and rolling dough until it is smooth, with noticeable yellow ribbons of butter and margarine throughout.

Roll dough to a 1-½-inch thickness.  Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut dough into rounds.  Punch cutter into dough cleanly, without twisting.  When refolding and rerolling the dough, gently stack it to retain the layers. Do not overwork.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze. Once they are frozen, transfer biscuits to plastic bags.  The unbaked biscuits can be frozen for 2 months.

To bake, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place frozen biscuits in the cups of muffin tins, and let thaw in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Bake until golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes.  Makes two dozen large or three dozen small biscuits.

Regina Charboneau

No Places In The Home Southern fare blog post is complete without a biscuit recipe from Southern Living.

Angel biscuits made with butter and shortening- heavenly!

Ingredients

½ cup warm water (100°F to 110°F)

1 (¼-oz.) pkg. active dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)

1 teaspoon plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup cold salted butter, cubed

½ cup cold shortening, cubed

2 cups whole buttermilk

6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and divided

Directions

Stir together warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl; cut cold butter and cold shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbly. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times. Gently roll into a 1⁄2-inch-thick circle, and fold in half; repeat. Gently roll to 1⁄2-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch round cutter.  Reroll remaining scraps, and cut with cutter. Place rounds with sides touching in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a 12-inch skillet, place remaining biscuits in a 10-inch skillet or on a baking sheet.) Brush biscuits with 3 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Bake in preheated oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush with remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter, and serve.

Makes about 3½ dozen.

Southern Living

Mississippi-Current-CookbookMississippi Current Cookbook – by Regina Charboneau & Harriet Bell

Served with butter, jelly, preserves, gravy, or ribbon cane syrup, a batch of  homemade Southern biscuits may not be the healthiest part of a daily diet, but sure do body and soul good as a staple comfort food.

love your style

Fetching Friday Thanksgiving to Christmas Dinner Side Dishes

Today’s Fetching Friday shines the gather together spotlight on Thanksgiving to Christmas dinner side dishes.

fetching-definiton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanksgiving-to-christmas-dinner-side-dishes

Martha Stewart

New takes on classic and traditional Thanksgiving to Christmas dinner side dishes as delicious as these are sure to become must-have favorites at the holiday table.

roasted-sweet-potato-pear-red-onion

Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear, and Onion

Ingredients

2 Bartlett pears, about 14 oz, cored and cut into wedges

2 small red onions, cut into wedges

2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into ½ inch-thick half-moons

6 sprigs thyme, plus more for serving

3 tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 425°F.  On large rimmed baking sheet, toss pears, onions, sweet potatoes, and thyme with olive oil and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Roast until golden brown and tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

Sprinkle with additional thyme if desired.

-Good Housekeeping

Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes with Parmesan Recipe

Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes with Parmesan 

Ingredients

3 pounds small unpeeled red potatoes, roughly chopped

½  cup whole buttermilk 1 cup salted butter, softened

4 ounces herbed cream cheese (about ½ cup)

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼  cup chopped fresh chives

Directions

Place potatoes in a large Dutch oven with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high; boil until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain and return potatoes to Dutch oven over medium.  Cook, stirring once, until potatoes dry out slightly, 30 to 50 seconds.

Place buttermilk and butter in a microwavable glass bowl, and microwave on high until warm, 30 to 60 seconds.  Add warm buttermilk mixture, cream cheese, Parmesan, salt, and white pepper to potatoes, and coarsely mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.  Sprinkle with chives just before serving.

Reheating Instructions:

Slow Cooker:  Spoon potatoes into a 4 to 6 qt. slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high until heated through, about 2 hours.

Oven: Reheat in a tightly covered baking dish at 350°F until heated through, about 1 hour.

-Southern Living

corn-salad-bacon-honey-recipe

Corn Salad with Bacon and Honey

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 medium shallot, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

3 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 teaspoon pure honey

Directions

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate with a slotted spoon; reserve skillet.

Add shallot and thyme to reserved skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add vinegar and corn. Cook, tossing until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in honey and reserved bacon.

-Country Living

Melting Sweet Potatoes (with Maple-Pecan Sauce)

Oh my Melting Sweet Potatoes (with Maple-Pecan Sauce) goodness!  Click on over to Dessert for Two and get the recipe for this delicious take on traditional sweet potatoes.  Click here.

Winter Squash-and-Mushroom Medley

Winter Squash-and-Mushroom Medley

Ingredients

3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped carnival squash

3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash

3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped hubbard squash

2 (8-ounce) packages wild-mushroom medley

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons olive oil

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish: fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, mix together carnival, butternut, and hubbard squash and mushrooms.  Add melted butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.  Place on prepared baking sheet.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender and brown.  Garnish with thyme, if desired.

-Victoria Magazine

Pressure Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage

Pressure Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage

Ingredients

6 cups shredded red cabbage

2 cups chopped apples

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Dash ground allspice (optional)

Directions

In a 6-qt. electric or stove-top pressure cooker combine all of the ingredients.

Lock lid in place.  Set electric cooker on high pressure to cook 2 minutes.  For stove-top cooker, bring up to pressure over medium-high heat; reduce heat enough to maintain steady (but not excessive) pressure.  Cook 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  For both models, quickly release pressure. Open lid carefully.  Stir before serving.

-Better Homes & Gardens

honey-garlic-butter-roasted-carrots

Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, rinsed

5 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons honey

¼  teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

To prepare the honey garlic butter roasted carrots recipe:

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).  Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside. Quarter the carrots lengthwise, keep them attached near the base of the stem.

Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring very frequently.  Make sure not to burn the garlic.  Remove from heat and stir in honey and whisk to combine.

Arrange carrots on the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the honey garlic butter sauce.  Toss carrots to coat them evenly and arrange them in one layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Remove roasted carrots from oven and transfer to a serving plate.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

-Eating Well101

Delicious sets a fetching holiday table, and these Thanksgiving to Christmas dinner side dishes will bring the c’est si bon.

enjoy

 

Places In The Home For The Holidays: Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes Ideas

Thanksgiving dinner shines the spotlight on Thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas.

ironstone-vegetable-bowl-serving-spoon

Corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, green peas with mushrooms and pearl onions, buttermilk cornbread, and cornbread dressing pleases the Southern faithful.  Pondering Thanksgiving side dish recipes ideas provided me with delicious inspiration for dishing a new holiday side dish.

Cane Syrup-Roasted Carrots with Garlic-Herb Yogurt Sauce

Cane Syrup-Roasted Carrots with Garlic-Herb Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

¼ cup cane syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

2 (16-ounce) packages peeled small rainbow carrots with tops (halved, if large)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1 small clove garlic, grated

½ teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Garnish: fresh mint leaves, chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together cane syrup, melted butter, lemon juice, and cumin.  Set aside.

Divide carrots between prepared pans. Toss carrots with ¼ cup oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes.

Brush carrots with cane syrup mixture, and roast until tender, about 18
minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, 2 tablespoons water, mint, garlic, parsley, and zest.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring to combine. Drizzle yogurt sauce over carrots.  Garnish with mint and parsley, if desired.

-Louisiana Cookin’

Potato-Apple Gratin

Potato-Apple Gratin

Ingredients

8 medium Yukon gold or other yellow-flesh potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick (8 to 10 cups)

2 cups shredded or finely chopped Granny Smith apples (2 or 3 medium)

2/3 cup sliced green onions (6) or thinly sliced leek

4 slice bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups shredded Gruyere, provolone, Swiss, or Jarslberg cheese (12 ounces)

1 1/3 cups whipping cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Green onion slivers (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer half of the potatoes, half of the apples, half of the sliced green onions, and half of the bacon in prepared dish. Sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a medium bowl combine the cream, garlic, and, if desired, nutmeg.  Pour cream mixture over layers in baking dish.  Cover with foil.

Bake for 1-1/2 hours. Uncover; bake for 15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and top is golden.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  If desired, sprinkle with green onion slivers.

-Better Homes & Gardens

field-peas

Classic Fresh Field Peas

Ingredients

2 Smoked Ham Hocks or purchased smoked ham hocks

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons bacon drippings

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups shelled fresh field peas (about 1 lb.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bring hocks and 2 qt. water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, sauté onion in hot drippings in a medium skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes.  Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Add peas and onion mixture to Dutch oven with ham hocks; bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes or until peas are tender.  Remove hocks; drain peas, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Remove and chop ham from hock bones; discard bones.  Stir ham into peas, if desired.

-Southern Living

roasted-acorn-squash-with-maple-bacon-drizzle

Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple-Bacon Drizzle

Ingredients

2 large acorn squash

¼ cup butter

2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

5 black pepper bacon slices

1 tbsp. chopped rosemary leaves

½ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

fresh rosemary leaves

freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine butter and next 2 ingredients.  Coat squash with butter mixture; arrange on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake 20 minutes; turn squash over, and bake 10 more minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, sauté bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in skillet.  Cook rosemary in hot drippings 1 minute. Stir in syrup and vinegar and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until reduced by almost half.  Arrange squash on a serving platter and drizzle with warm maple mixture.

Crumble reserved bacon over squash and sprinkle with additional rosemary leaves and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

-Good Housekeeping

Butterscotch-Pears-taste-of-home

Butterscotch Pears

Ingredients

4  large firm pears

1  tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup packed brown sugar

3  tablespoons butter, softened

2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼  teaspoon salt

½  cup chopped pecans

½  cup pear nectar

2  tablespoons honey

Directions

Cut pears in half lengthwise; remove cores. Brush pears with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and salt; stir in pecans. Spoon into pears; place in 4-qt. slow cooker.

Combine pear nectar and honey; drizzle over pears. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Serve warm.

Taste of Home

Sweet-Potato-roast-recipe

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

5 large sweet potatoes, washed

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Garnish: fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; add
2 tablespoons melted butter to bottom of dish.

Using a mandolin or knife, slice sweet potatoes to 1⁄8-inch-thick rounds. Holding slices together, place in pan. Tuck in garlic among slices. Brush sweet potatoes with remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until potatoes are tender and crisp, about 1¼ hours. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

-Victoria Magazine

Seasoned Italian Green Beans

Visit the canned good aisle at your favorite grocery store.  There you will hopefully find several cans of Margaret Holmes Seasoned Italian Green Beans.

margaret-Holmes-seasoned-green-beans-canned

Buy them.  We are six for Thanksgiving dinner, so I go with three (3) cans, allowing for leftovers.  I add a heaping tablespoon of bacon grease (a staple of the Southern kitchen) and 1½-2 cups of water.  Pearl onions and/or sliced mushrooms dress up this side dish for the holiday table.

Delicious.

enjoy

 

 

 

Brown Sugar Creole Baked Pork Chops with Apples

Some things just naturally pair well together.

salt-pepperSalt and pepper. 

 

Netflix

rivet-modern-throw-blanket

Netflix and a cuddly throw.

Lennon McCartneyLennon and McCartney.

pork-chops-apples

Brown Sugar Creole Baked Pork Chops with Apples.

Although there’s no hard and fast scientific proof certain foods and food pairings simply taste better in a particular season, my taste buds attest to the fact baked pork chops paired with green apples, brown sugar onions, and sliced sweet potatoes dusted with ground cloves and fresh orange deliver the taste of fall.

baked-pork-chops-baking-pan

Brown Sugar Creole Baked Pork Chops with Apples

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

6-8 thin, boneless pork chops

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon thyme

1 ½ tablespoon chopped parsley

3 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and sliced

3/4 cup hot water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Heat olive oil in large skillet. Brown pork chops on both sides in oil.

pork-chops-browning

Add chopped parsley and sliced apples to skillet.

Cook until apples are slightly tender and parsley darkens.

green-apples

Place pork chops on baking sheet and top with apple slices.

Brown Sugar Creole Baked Pork Chops with Apples

In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, Creole seasoning, nutmeg, thyme and hot water.

Pour over pork chops.

brown-sugar-Creole-seasoning

Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chops has reached 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

cloves-sweet-potatoes

Sweet potatoes grown in South Louisiana bring the taste of home to plate and table.

My mother-in-law always said sweet potatoes taste best after the first frost, but cravings won out over first frost patience.

baked-sweet-potatoes-orange-cloves

Wash and cut six (6) medium sweet potatoes into thirds.  Place potatoes on baking sheet.

Sprinkle with ground cloves and drizzle olive oil over sweet potatoes.  Slice an orange in half and squeeze juice from one orange half over potatoes.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until tender.

Cloves and oranges = fall aromatherapy.

peeled-onionA new addition to my taste of fall side dish rotation is brown sugar onions.

Easy.

Delicious.

Did I mention easy?

brown-sugar-onions

Peel and slice 3 large onions.  Place onions in medium saucepan.  Add 1/3 cup brown sugar and ¾ cup water, stirring to combine.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce to medium and cover with lid.

Cook until onions are tender.

brown-sugar-onions-1

Sweet, savory, and spicy blend, mix, and marinate together to produce a fall dish full of seasonal flavors, comfort, and tradition fit for a crisp fall day or evening meal.

enjoy

 

Creole or Cajun? Louisiana Jambalaya

This post state dinner post is all about the c’est si bon.  I got completely caught up in the design and decorating details of the event, but knew I would be remiss it I did not chime in on the menu choice of jambalaya in the style of Louisiana jambalaya.  Cooked in the flavor traditions of New Orleans, the dish served at the State Dinner was Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya.

The in the tradition of New Orleans seasonings jambalaya reviews are in from Senior Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy who was in attendance.

Rice pilaf.

Now that’s funny.

Anywho, a quick google search provided a recipe from Carolina Rice for Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya.  As delectable as the recipe may cook up to be, if you’ve never tasted Louisiana Creole or Cajun jambalaya, you’re not eating Louisiana jambalaya.

Trust me on this one.  The taste buds don’t lie.

Louisiana chefs of restaurant and at-home test kitchen skill alike master their personal versions of this flavor rich to the core one-pot rice dish.  We’re all about the one-pot dish down here in the boot.  Variety is the spice of life and Louisiana jambalaya recipes.  There is Creole jambalaya and there is Cajun jambalaya.  The main difference boils down to the addition or exclusion of one ingredient- tomato.  Creole jambalaya (red jambalaya) is made with tomato (diced, paste, etc.) whereas Cajun jambalaya (brown jambalaya) is made without.  The holy trinity of chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery is flavor front and center in both, chicken, sausage and/or shrimp serves to further accentuate the flavor, and spice combinations work their seasoning magic. blue dutch oven

The great big blue pot aka dutch oven vs. Magnalite classic round dutch oven boils down to tradition and personal preference.  If Magnalite is the cookware of choice in your granmè, grand-mère, mamé, meme or mamaw’s kitchen, chances are it is in yours too.  Tradition is the key ingredient in regional dishes and the passed down from generation to generation recipes we love to cook.

 

Magnalite-dutch-oven

Magnalite Cookware Classic 5-qt. Round Dutch Oven

I cover all the culinary bases by owning both.  While I am loyal to the Magnalite dutch oven my mother-in-law’s best friend gave us as a wedding gift 35+ years ago however, the big blue pot cooks as pretty as it looks.

the-essentials

Let’s cover the essential c’est si bon that go so well with jambalaya.

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Crystal-hot-sauce-bottle

Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

southern-buttermilk-cornbread-in-black-iron-skillet

Creole Cajun Seasoning

Creole-seasoning

Creole Cajun Seasoning

1/3  cup paprika

3  tablespoons dried oregano

3  tablespoons ground black pepper

2  tablespoons dried basil

1  tablespoon dried thyme

2  tablespoons kosher salt

1  tablespoons cayenne pepper

1  tablespoon granulated onion

4  teaspoons dried thyme

4  teaspoons granulated garlic

In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground black pepper, dried basil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme and granulated garlic.  Stir to combine.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months.

Louisiana Jambalaya

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya from New Orleans’s Cafe Reconcile

Chicken and sausage is the Places In The Home house favorite for gumbo and Louisiana jambalaya.  Time is not on my side at posting, so I am using the image of the chicken and sausage jambalaya from New Orleans’s Cafe Reconcile as featured on Louisiana Cookin’.

Tried it.

Loved it.

Prepared it.

Sharing it.

Cafe Reconcile Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya 

Ingredients

2 pounds mild smoked pork sausage, sliced ¼-inch-thick

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken, chopped

1½ cups onions, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup diced tomato

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2¼ teaspoons fresh thyme

2¼ teaspoons chopped fresh basil

5⅓ cups chicken stock

1½ pounds long-grain rice

Directions

In a large cast-iron Dutch oven, cook sausage on high heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken, and cook until browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.

peppers-onions

Lower heat to medium, and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

chopped celery

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, Creole~Cajun seasoning, parsley, thyme, and basil.  Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

rice

Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add rice, and stir. When jambalaya returns to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until rice has absorbed all liquid, about 25 minutes.

~ Cafe Reconcile, New Orleans

cest-si-bon

Valentine’s Day Desserts

Valentine’s Day desserts scrumptiously show the one you love your decadent side.

Oh behave.

Better still, don’t behave. ♥

Old-Photo-Romantic-Couple-GraphicsFairy

The Graphics Fairy

Preparing or purchasing Valentine’s Day sweets for the sweet is a scrumptious tradition.

Sweet logic and delicious justification make Cupid’s case for whipping up one of these Valentine’s Day desserts delectably dedicated to the one you love.

Sharing is caring.

Food is love.

Calories don’t count on Valentine’s Day.

Let’s Valentine’s Day Desserts!

Cookie-Dough-Valentines-Hearts-1

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Valentine’s Hearts

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter-softened

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 cup mini chocolate chip morsels

For Dipping and Decoration:

10. oz semi sweet baking chocolate

1.5 oz white chocolate for garnish

A few drops of pink or red food colors

Directions

Beat softened butter and brown sugar until fully combined, then add vanilla and peanut butter and beat until fluffy.  Add flour and sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.  Fold in the mini chocolate chip morsels.

Press the mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper and set in the fridge to chill.

Pull off the parchment paper to lift the dough from the baking dish. Using heart shaped cookie cutter cut off the truffles and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Set in the freezer while melting chocolate.

Using a fork dip the truffles into melted chocolate ( one at the time), slightly tap the fork against the side of the bowl to trim the excess chocolate and place the truffle back on the parchment paper.  Set them back in the fridge to firm.

Melt white chocolate, stir in a few drops of red food color, transfer into a small bag, cut the corner off and pipe melted chocolate on top of the truffles.

Oh My Goodness Chocolate Desserts
Valentines-Chocolate-Cherry-Stack-Cake

Chocolate Cherry Stack Cake

Ingredients

¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sour cream

recipe Cherry or Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)

recipe Chocolate-Dipped Cherries (see recipe below) (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 6×2-inch round cake pans or springform pans.  Mix 1 teaspoon each flour and cocoa powder; dust pans. Set pans aside. In bowl combine ¾ cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.  In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds.  Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in sour cream and flour mixture.  Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan.  Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool on rack.

Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total.  Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting.  Repeat with layers.  Place top layer on cake.  Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks.  Refrigerate.

To serve, top with Chocolate-Dipped Cherries.

Serves 8.

Cherry Frosting

Ingredients

1 ½  cups powdered sugar

1  8 ounce carton sour cream

1  cup whipping cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream)

2  tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

Directions

In a chilled large mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, sour cream, whipping cream, and cherry juice.  Beat with the chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Ingredients

16  maraschino cherries with stems

½  cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1  teaspoon shortening

Directions

Drain cherries; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine semisweet chocolate pieces and shortening.  Cook on 50 percent power (medium) 1½ to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once.  Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set.  Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

Better Homes and Garden

eat-the-red-velvet-cupcake

Red velvet cupcakes, molten lava cakes or cheesecake!

red-velvet-molten-lava-cakes

Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes from Spache the Spatula look absolutely divine.

Click on the link to check out this and other tempting recipes from Spache the Spatula.   Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes

red-velvet-cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 pound milk chocolate, chopped

½ cup butter

19 ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (40 to 45 cookies)

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1 cup slivered almonds

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, melted

48  ounce packages cream cheese, softened

18 ounce carton dairy sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

11 ounce bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

Chocolate leaves (optional)

Powdered sugar (optional)

Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

Fresh raspberries and/or small whole strawberries(optional)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and ½ cup butter over low heat; transfer to a bowl and cool completely.

Place wafer cookies, chocolate pieces, almonds and brown sugar in a large food processor.  Cover and process until finely ground.  Add the ½ cup melted butter; cover and process until well combined.  Transfer crumbs to a 10×3-inch springform pan with a removable bottom.  Press crumbs onto bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving a ½-inch space at the top of the pan.  Set aside.

For Filling:

In a very large mixing bowl, beat the cooled chocolate mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, buttermilk and red food coloring with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined.  Add 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks all at once.  Beat on low speed just until combined.

Pour filling into crumb-crust lined springform pan.  Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan on the oven rack.  Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 1 hour, or until 2 inches of outside edge appear set when shaken gently.

Remove springform pan from baking pan.  Cool cheesecake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Use a small metal spatula to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan.  Cool 30 minutes more.  Remove sides of pan.  Cool for 1 hour; cover and chill at least 4 hours.

To serve, use a paper doily to decoratively sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder on the top, if you like.  Garnish the center with chocolate leaves and fresh raspberries, if you like.  Clean knife between each cut.  Makes 20 servings.

Bake and chill up to 24 hours.  Garnish just before serving.

Better Homes & Gardens

chocolate-sandwich-cookies

Food Network Kitchen – Photography Ryan Dausch

Double-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 ounces white chocolate (not chips), chopped

½ cup heavy cream

Directions

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon salt and the baking powder in a medium bowl.  Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg
and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture until just combined.  Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Roll out the dough until 1/8 inch thick on  a lightly floured surface, then cut out cookies with a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter.

Arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.  Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly firm, 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes on the  pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Make the filling:

Combine the white chocolate, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla and
pinch of salt in a large bowl.  Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan, then pour over the white chocolate.  Stir until smooth, then refrigerate until cold, 25 minutes.  Beat with a mixer until creamy. Sandwich the white chocolate mixture between the cookies.

Food Network Kitchen

strawberries-chocolate-whipped-topping-honey

Chocolate Strawberry Honey Nests

Ingredients

12 sheets phyllo dough

½ cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup strawberries, cleaned and sliced

3 squares dark chocolate, shaved

½ cup milk chocolate chips

3 teaspoons honey  or to individual taste

whipped topping

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

For Phyllo Nests 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on cookie sheet or counter work surface.

Using soft brush, brush over sheet with melted butter. Lightly sprinkle entire sheet with sugar.  Top with another sheet.  Butter, sprinkle and repeat until  6 sheets thick.  Repeat to create another 6 sheets stack. Using a pizza cutter or large knife, make ten vertical slices and one horizontal slice down the middle of each stack.

Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line each muffin cup with 1 of the phyllo pieces at a time, covering sides and bottom to form a cup.  Repeat making 12 cups.

Using a microplane, shave dark chocolate over each cup to dust.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and immediately place desired amount of chocolate chips in each cup allowing to melt.

Top melted chocolate chips with strawberry slices, drizzled honey and whipped topping.  Dust whip topping clouds with cinnamon.

Valentine's Chocolate Candy Box CakeValentine’s Heart Candy Box Cake from The Cake Blog.

Trust me, this recipe is well worth the time, the effort, and the click on the link to check it out.  Valentine’s Heart Candy Box Cake

valentines-day-desserts-goods

devil's-food-cake-mix

Easy as the top ingredient!

cupcake-toppers

chocolate-sweetheart-cupcakes

Chocolate Sweetheart Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

1 ½  cup sugar

2/3  cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

½  tsp. baking soda

¼  tsp. salt

2  large eggs

1  cup milk

2  tsp. vanilla extract

2 ½  cups all-purpose flour

Ganache

¾  cup heavy cream

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Lettering

3 oz. white chocolate

Directions

Heat oven to 350ºF.   Line 12 regular-size (2 1⁄2-in. diam) muffin cups with paper liners.  Beat butter, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl with mixer on low speed 1 minute or until well blended.  Add eggs; beat 2 minutes or until fluffy.   Beat in milk and vanilla (batter may look curdled), then flour just until blended.

Spoon scant 1⁄4 cup batter into each muffin cup, filling each about 2⁄3 full.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining batter.   Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting and decorating.   Each recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

For the ganache:

Gently heat ¾ cup heavy cream over medium heat, then pour over 8 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate.  Let sit for 1 minute; stir until melted and smooth.  Evenly spoon ganache on top of 12 large or 24 small chocolate cupcakes.  Let set for 30 minutes.

For the lettering:

Microwave 3 ounces white chocolate on 50% power in 20-second intervals until melted and smooth.   Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 tip, then get creative!

Woman’s Day

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

enjoy