If you’re into southern food, then you know about red beans & rice. This is an authentic recipe that will impress anyone that is a connoisseur of this great dish!
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 pound dry kidney beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
4 ham hocks
Directions
Rinse the beans to make sure they have no rocks or gravel and place in the slow cooker. Clean the ham hocks under warm running water and place in the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4 hrs or low for 8.
About 3/4 of the way through, I usually check to make sure my beans haven’t gotten too dry (if I’m home), if so, just add enough water or chicken broth to make them moist again. They should be more creamy…not soupy.
After cooking is complete, remove the Bay Leaves. (If you don’t remove them, at least, please don’t eat them!!) Remove the hocks and put them on a plate (remove any beans from the hocks). With a potato masher, mash the beans until they reach the proper consistency (about half the beans should be mashed, the other half stay whole). After smashing about half of them, mix together. They should be creamy.
When the hocks have cooled for a few minutes, remove and discard the skin. Take the meat off the bone, and chop into chunks. Add the meat back to the beans and stir to incorporate.
In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover, and fluff with a fork. Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
This recipe is so basic that I’m almost embarrassed posting it. But after thinking back when I was young and raising my son, I really didn’t know how to make a lot of recipes that I now see as ‘basic’ and ‘easy’. This is a good go to Saturday staple (at least for me), but of course any day of the week is a good day to eat pork!!
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 pork chops(at least 3/4 inch thick)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shortening
Directions
Apply salt, pepper, garlic powder to both sides of the pork chops, press the seasoning into the meat. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
While the meat is resting; mix the flour and breadcrumbs. Using tongs, dip the chops in the eggs, then coat both sides with the flour mixture. Place the pork chops on a cooling rack and place in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the coating set on the pork chops. (this helps the coating stay on while frying).
In a cast iron skillet, heat the shortening to med-med high heat. Fry the chops about 5 minutes each side. Remove and drain on a cooling rack. Using a paper towel, gently dab the top of the chops to remove any excess oil.
This is an awesome recipe for pot roast that I’ve created about 10 years ago, basically by taking a bit from different recipes I’ve seen, to make it my own. It’s savory, with a nice hint of red wine. A couple variations include, adding fresh mushrooms, leaving out the potatoes and serving with mashed potatoes, leaving out the potatoes and serving with mashed sweet potatoes…etc. Try it as is, or use it and tweek it to your personal taste. That’s the great thing about this wonderful recipe!!
Ingredients
5 pound pot roast
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 lbs fingerling potatoes
1/2 lb baby carrots
1 onion, quartered
Directions
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet to medium high, and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Mix together the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat the roast with a thin layer of the flour mixture, and sear each side until golden brown. While the roast is searing; mix the water and wine in a bowl. When the roast is seared on each side, remove and set aside. Add the wine mixture to the pan, and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Place the soup, soup mix and the wine mixture in the slow cooker and wisk together.
Place the roast in the crock pot and ladle some of the soup mixture on top of the roast. Place the vegetables around and on top of the roast. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours.
This is a recipe I found on the web posted by ‘Foreign Cinema’. Foreign Cinema is a restaurant in San Francisco, and was very nice to share this recipe. Cuz this chicken is hella good!!
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp, plus 1 tsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Red Chili Flakes
1 pinch Sugar
1 (3 lb) Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 tsp Kosher Salt, divided
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Black Pepper
3 cups Buttermilk
Directions
Mix together 3 tbsp curry powder, garlic powder, chili flakes and sugar. Season the chicken with the curry mixture and 2 tsp salt. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, pepper, remaining 1 tsp curry powder and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, and then throughly coat with the flour mixture.
In a fryer preheated to 300f, fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan; let rest 4 minutes before serving.
The recipe above is as written by the Foreign Cinema restaurant. My variation is as follows…
I don’t marinade it overnight, because by the time I would make it the next day, which would be in the evening, I think the marinade would be too strong for my liking. I usually prepare it in the morning, and let it sit for about 8 or 9 hours. At the 7′ish hour mark, I pour enough buttermilk to cover the chicken, and let it set for another couple hours. I also use about 2 cups of panko, and 2 cups of flour; mixed together with about 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp salt, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tbsp red pepper. This adds more flavor, and the panko makes for a great crunchy coating.
These are just my preferences. I wanted to keep the integrity of the recipe by publishing it as written by the creator.
This is the basic recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pair with Pot Roast, Fried Chicken…and about a million other meals.
Serves 8
Ingredients
5-6 cloves roasted garlic, directions below
Olive oil
2 lbs potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place 5-6 cloves of garlic in the middle of a square of tin foil and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Close the foil to make a pouch. Roast in the oven for approx 15-20 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool then cut off the tips and squeeze out onto a plate and mash.
Peel and quarter the potatoes and put them in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender. They should slide off the fork when pierced. This takes approx. 15-20 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter then add the cream, roasted garlic, salt and pepper and whisk together until combined. Bring to a low simmer and remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
When the potatoes are done (don’t turn off the heat), drain them and return them to the pot. Put back on the heat for about 1 minute to make sure the potatoes are completely dry. Now, you can either leave them in the pot, add the cream mixture and mash to your desired consistency, or put the potatoes in a food processor with the cream, and blend. After all ingredients are incorporated, add the cheddar if desired, and mix just long enough to blend.
This is a nice, refreshing appetizer that I’ve made many times. I’ve made them for holiday get together’s with my family, and have even taken them to a couple of pot lucks. With this recipe, I cannot stress the importance of the highest quality of ingredients. Fresh from the vine tomatoes (I like Roma), Buffalo Mozzarella, fresh Basil, and high quality Olive Oil. Enjoy this before you’re favorite Italian meal, or serve to friends at a get together.
Serves 8
Ingredients
24 slices of french baguette, cut on the diagonal, about 1/4 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
Extra virgin olive oil
24 slices of Roma Tomatoes, about 1/4 inch thick
24 slices Buffalo Mozzarella, about 1/4 inch thick
24 basil leaves
Salt & Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub both sides of the bread with the garlic, and brush 1 side with olive oil.
Bake oil side up for about 10 minutes, and turn over and toast for another 2-3 minutes. They should be lightly toasted and dry. Let cool.
Top with 1 tomato wedge, 1 slice of mozzarella. Drizzle with the olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top each crostini with 1 basil leaf.
Because my boyfriend requested, and I obsess about learning to cook something that seems challenging when it’s ‘suggested’…whilst being somewhat challenged, I’ve recently learned to make the often coveted Pupusa. What’s a Pupusa you ask? Please see this quote from Wikipedia…
‘A pupusa (from Pipilpupusawa) is a thick, hand-made corn biscuit-like flat bread (made using masa de maíz, a maizeflourdough used in Latin American cuisine) that is stuffed with one or more of the following: cheese (queso) (usually a soft cheese called Quesillo found in all Central America), fried pork meat ground to a paste consistency (called chicharrón, not to be confused with fried pork rind which is also known as chicharrón in some other countries), squash (ayote), or (pataste), refried beans (frijoles refritos), or queso con loroco (loroco is a vine flower bud from Central America). There is also the pupusa revuelta with mixed ingredients, such as queso (cheese), frijoles (beans), [1], and chicharrón or bacon. Pupusas are similar to tortillas and especially to arepas. In fact, in El Salvador, normal tortillas are about the same diameter and thickness as pupusas, without the filling.’
Now, as you read this recipe, and watch this video (you really should watch the video, it helps ALOT to see how to make them)…
you might be slightly intimidated. Truthfully, the first few times I made these, since the masa is somewhat cheap, I did a trial run and threw away ALOT before I actually got them right, and proper enough to serve.
Please don’t let them intimidate you. YOU CAN DO IT!!
Makes approx 10-12 Pupusas
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken or pork
1 cup water
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp chipotle seasoning
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, mexican style
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup queso blanco, shredded or crumbled
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
6 cups maseca
5 cups water (approx)
Directions
Cut up the pork/chicken in 3 inch pieces. Combine the meat and the next 8 ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot, and summer until the meat is fork tender. Remove the meat from the mixture and shred. Place in a bowl, and set aside. Pour the sauce mixture into a blender, and blend to until smooth. Pour enough sauce into the meat mixture to just make it wet, not soupy. Put the rest of the sauce in an air tight container if you’d like, or discard. (I pour some on top of my pupusa).
Add the cheeses to the meat mixture, mix well to incorporate, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the maseca and combine with the water (add about 1 cup at a time). The texture should be soft, but not too wet. (the masa should not crack when pressed down on.) Also, you should have a little vegetable oil on a plate or in a small bowl. Lightly oil your hands before making each pupusa.
Once the masa is mixed well, lightly coat your hands with the oil, and take enough masa to form about a 2 inch ball. Once the ball is made, start flattening it out by using a slapping motion from palm to palm (kind of like a clapping motion). It should flatten out pretty easy and quickly. Cup your hands to make a well in the tortilla, and place the meat mixture in the ‘cup’, about 1 tablespoon. Close the tortilla around the mixture, to make a sort of pouch. Pinch off any excess masa, and add it back to the masa mixture after the pouch is closed. Lightly roll into a ball, and using the same clapping motion as before, flatten the ball to about 5 inches in diameter. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Keep covered while making the rest, and keep them separated by sheets of parchment paper or a moist papertowel.
You can start cooking the pupusas once you have a few made, and continue to form the others while the first are cooking.
Heat your skillet to med-high heat, and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Cook each pupusa about 4-5 minutes per side.
Serve your pupusa with 1 or all of the following…curtido (recipe below), salsa, or mexican crema.
Curtido is a salvadoran cabbage salad traditionally served with Pupusas.
Curtido
Ingredients
1 medium head of cabbage
3 cups boiling water
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
Directions
Place the cabbage in a heat proof bowl and add the boiling water. Let sit for 2 minutes and drain using a colander. Place the cabbage back in the bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
The traditional way to eat pupusas with the curtido is to tear off a piece of pupusa and use it to pinch some curtido and eat together.
I found a variation of this recipe on the web almost 10 years ago. The first few years, I made it as written and it was great. Since then, I’ve added my own spin to it, and now I must say, it’s simple perfection. My parents visited around the time I found this recipe, and I made it for them and it was quite a hit. Now my mom makes it, but with her own touch to satisfy her preferences.
For her version, after everything is done cooking, she likes to thicken the broth to make a gravy.
Me…I like it just the way I’ve written it below… Enjoy!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
salt and pepper to taste
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
Directions
Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Season meat with salt and pepper, and brown all sides in oil. In a slow cooker, layer sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. Place browned roast on top of vegetables. Pour about 1/2 the chicken broth in the skillet and let it come to a simmer while scraping the bottom to loosen the brown bits, pour the mixture along with the rest of the chicken broth in the crock pot. Cover, and cook on low setting for 6 hours.
I truly believe that this is the recipe that made my boyfriend fall in love with me. This takes a bit of time, but please believe me that it is well worth it.
Serves 8
Ingredients
(spinach mixture)
1 (10oz) pkg frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
(meat mixture)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
(glaze)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp mustard powder
Directions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Filling:
Coarsley chop the spinach and place in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee mushroom & onion until onion is translucent, then place in the bowl with the spinach, and mix together to cool down the mushroom/onion. Mix in the bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Meat Mixture:
Sautee onion until translucent. In a large bowl, combine all the meat mixture ingredients (don’t overwork the meat). Divide.
Place half the meat mixture in a loaf pan. Top with the spinach mixture, pressing snugly on the meat. Place the other half of the meat mixture on top of the spinach. Pat the meat tightly on top of the spinach.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain any excess grease.
Turn the oven on broil.
Top the meatloaf with the glaze and spread evenly. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and let broil until the glaze starts to bubble. (watch closely!) Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
I don’t know if these are the ‘real’ Cheddar Bay Biscuits that are at Red Lobster, but they’re damn close. I received this recipe from a friend many years ago.
Approx 10 Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/8 tsp garlic powder (for mix)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (for butter)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees f. Mix bisquick, milk, cheese, and garlic powder until soft dough forms. Drop the dough by spoonfulls onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Melt butter and add garlic powder. Brush mixture over the warm biscuits before removing from the cookie sheet.
If you’re into southern food, then you know about red beans & rice. This is an authentic recipe that will impress anyone that is a connoisseur of this great dish!
