Cynthia’s Fried Okra

by Anna // August 2, 2012 // 6 Comments

Does anyone else out there just love the Mitford Series of books by Jan Karon? I have enjoyed every one of the books that I have read and they are so uplifting, funny, clean–just really good reads. Anyway, one Christmas my sister gave me the Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader–bunches of recipes contributed by the “characters” in Ms. Karon’s books. What a fun concept. So, we had some fresh okra that needed to be cooked and I wasn’t about to boil the slimy things so I decided to fry them up. I have never really fried a good batch of okra, so I thought if anyone has a good recipe for southern fried okra it would be somebody in Mitford. So here you go…

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh okra
2-3 cups milk
2 1/2 cups White Lily Self-Rising Cornmeal
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Cut off tips and stems of okra. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place in a large bowl. Pour milk over the okra and let them soak for at least 10 minutes, or longer up to 30 minutes.

2. In a separate large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. I didn’t have any, so I found this recipe by Emeril Lagasse on line. Use a slotted spoon to lift the okra out of the milk, allowing the okra to drain. Place small batches of okra in the cornmeal mixture, tossing to coat.

3. Heat the oil in a deep cast iron skillet. Lift the okra from the bowl in batches, allowing the excess cornmeal to fall back in bowl. Fry okra in the hot oil until browned. Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Remove the okra from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

4. You can adjust the salt and pepper to taste while it is still hot.

Source: Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader

Kickin’ Collard Greens

by Anna // July 5, 2012 // No Comments

Okay, this recipe is from allrecipes.com. I thought it would be a good idea to find a healthier alternative to typical southern-prepared collards, since they really are good for you. It’s a pretty good recipe, but next time I will add more red pepper and give it a little more zing, like they suggest. If you are used to the usual fatback-laden, way-cooked collard, be prepared for a different experience!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used extra virgin)
3 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped ( I used yellow)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher)
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces (as you can see below, I opted for the bagged fresh collards. These definitely need to be cut smaller and I would also remove any large ribs.)

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (I used a dutch oven). Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pot, crumble it and return to the pot. Add onion, and cook until tender, approx. 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant.

2. Add collards and fry until they start to wilt.

3. Pour in chicken broth and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (next time I will use a little more seasoning). Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes–I would go a little longer–until greens are tender.

Source: Ken Adams, allrecipes.com

Fresh Blueberry Cobbler

by Anna // June 21, 2012 // 2 Comments

So, somebody brought home two pints of fresh blueberries and that means I had to make something with them quick before they went all mushy. You know the story. Anyway, I pulled out a few cookbooks and, since it was 10:00 in the p.m., there was no time to be really creative. Enter my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook–you know, the orange one, circa…I have no idea, because I lost the title page with all that good info on it. But I can always find a recipe in there when I have an ingredient and don’t have a clue what to make with it. Hope you enjoy this cobbler. We did…with a scoop of vanilla ice cream–can’t believe I had that in the freezer!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 cups fresh blueberries (or 2 1/2 cups because some of mine got eaten first)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons shortening

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in blueberries and lemon juice. I added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water because it needed a little more juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.

2. Pour mixture into ungreased 2-quart casserole; keep blueberry mixture hot in oven.

3. Cut shortening into the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder and the salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk.

4. Drop flour mixture by 6 spoonfuls onto hot blueberry mixture.

5. Bake until topping is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, New and Revised Edition

Mind the Gap

by Anna // June 3, 2012 // 3 Comments

Image from Microsoft Office Clip Art

Several years back, our parents took us four girls on a trip to Great Britain. It was a good trip and so interesting! I loved soaking in local culture and learning new words and phrases. One of my favorites was “mind the gap.” This was an important phrase when riding the Tube (subway in London). There is a gap between the train and the platform and you definitely do not want to step there! You are probably wondering why I would name this post Mind The Gap. Well last night my husband and daughter and I were having a discussion as we knelt for family prayer. He was talking about the gap between where we are and where we think we should be. Ladies, you know where I am going with this. We all compare ourselves to others, thinking that we will never measure up and that we will never make it back to live with our Heavenly Father. And you know where that discouragement comes from–the Adversary who wants to use that gap to his advantage. However, Christ, with His infinite Atonement takes care of that gap and if we let the Atonement work in our lives the way it’s meant to, we can accept where we are and know that as long as we are keeping the commandments, living the gospel to the best of our ability, then that gap is bridged by our Savior. He is minding the gap for us.

Have a wonderful Sabbath. Enjoy your church meetings and your families.

Chile Rellenos

by Anna // May 24, 2012 // No Comments

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner is Mexican food. Usually we have tamales, rice, beans and a salad. This year we chose Chile Rellenos because my tamale source-no I have never attempted tamales, and my friend makes them as a fundraiser for summer programs for her kids–was not available. I also opted for guacamole salad (like in a Mexican restaurant) instead of my usual tossed salad, because my daughter was home from college and she makes the BEST guacamole–maybe she will share in a future post!

Ingredients:

whole long green chilies (Anaheim)

all-purpose flour

Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces

Eggs, separated

Salt

Vegetable oil

DO AHEAD TIP: Since the chilies need to be roasted, I do this ahead of time and put them in the freezer in zippered plastic bags so that they will sweat and the skins will separate more easily from the meat of the chiles. When I need to use them, I just take them out of the freezer and let them thaw. It is super easy to peel the skins from the chilies and I always have some on hand. I also do this with jalapenos for making salsa.

1. Roast the chilies on a hot grill, or in a broiler on high heat, turning so that the skins are blistered and charred on both sides. Let them cool to room temperature and then peel the skins off. Be careful to not tear the chilies while peeling (you can also use canned whole chilies).

2. Make a small slit (about 2-4 inches) in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds.

3. Place a slice of cheese into each chile, trimming the cheese if necessary. You want to be able to bring the sides of the chile together over the cheese.

4. Lightly dredge the stuffed chile in flour–this helps the batter adhere better.

5. For the batter you will need about 2 large eggs per pound of chilies. Separate into whites and yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks. Fold the yolks and a dash of salt into the whites, incorporating carefully.

6. Dip each chile into the egg batter, then fry in about an inch or so of hot oil or grease. I use an electric skillet because I can do about 8 or 10 chilies at a time. Fry until golden brown, flipping to get both sides (you can also bake these, but my crew wants FRIED).

7. Place cooked chilies on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

8. Serve with salsa.

Source: I got the basic recipe from the Internet several years back but found better directions HERE while preparing this post.

Save the Cilantro!

by Anna // May 10, 2012 // 5 Comments

How much fresh cilantro have you had to throw out because it went bad before you could use the whole bunch? Me, too. I hated that! Then one day I was watching Emeril Live when a viewer shared a great cilantro tip…

1. Coarsely chop the fresh cilantro.

2. Place loosely in sections of ice cube tray.

3. Fill each section with water.

4. Place in freezer until frozen.

5. Pop cilantro cubes out of tray and place in a plastic, zippered freezer bag.

Now you have fresh cilantro to put in soup, salsa, etc., and none goes to the trash can or down the garbage disposal. Holla!

Source: Emeril Live

Caprese Salad

by Anna // May 5, 2012 // 3 Comments

I never even knew what a Caprese Salad was until I went on a cruise and saw it listed on the menu. I tried it. I…LOVED…IT!! Oh my goodness–so fresh. And fresh basil–are you kidding me right now? So awesome. Anyway, after the most recent cruise, I decided we needed to try this at home and it is so easy to prepare. I made some yesterday and got requests to make it again today. This was our entree for supper for two nights in a row. We probably ate the equivalent of a salad for two…each. Yes, but didn’t I tell you it was really good? Try it. See for yourself. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

3 fresh tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch slices (Romas are good but you can also use cluster tomatoes)

1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced in 1/4-inch slices

1/2 pkg. of fresh basil, chopped (or more, to taste)

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. To plate your salad, alternate slices of tomato with mozzarella.

2. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.

3. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: I have used a white balsamic vinegar when I didn’t want the brown liquid on my mozzarella. It has a slightly sweeter taste.

Cherry Bars

by Anna // April 26, 2012 // No Comments

Photo by Anna

This is one of my favorite recipes and it survived from my college days in the 70s–okay I went to college in 1976 and graduated in 1980, if you must know. I got it from my college roommate and it scores big time whenever I make it. This is also really good with blueberry pie filling. I am trying it with blackberry next time…

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond, a little less), 1 tablespoon water

1. Mix all ingredients well, except cherry pie filling.

2. Spread 2/3 of mixture into buttered 9″ x 13″ pan–yes, buttered, not cooking spray. There is a difference in taste if you spray.

3. Pour pie filling on top and spread evenly.

4. Spoon rest of dough, like dumplings, on top of pie filling.

5. Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes .

6. Let cool about 15 or 20 minutes and glaze while still warm.

Source: Debbie Duke Cornell

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Anna // April 12, 2012 // No Comments

My friend Saren posted this family recipe on her blog last week. I finally got a chance to make them and they are really good and have a healthy twist. You can read her cookie story HERE. I am only including the version that I used, but she has a lot of tips on add-ins and stuff. After I finish this post, I have some dough to bake and then I am putting my cookies in the freezer for future enjoyment!

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat convection oven to 330 degrees.
2. Mix first 6 ingredients together.
3. Add next 5 ingredients and mix well.
4. Next add the oats and chocolate chips, one cup at a time, and mix.
5. Drop by spoonful (or scoop) onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Take out when slightly brown on edges but still a little doughy in the middle. Let cool on wire rack.

Source: Saren Eyre Loosli, used with permission.

My Turkey Chili

by Anna // March 29, 2012 // No Comments

We are trying the Insanity Meal Plan at our house. My daughter got the 60-Day Workout plan for Christmas so I agreed to make the food and we would all eat it. One of the meals calls for White Chili so I thought I would just make some. Well the recipe I clipped from a magazine the other day looked really good but I had some ground white meat turkey I had to cook today, so I substituted that for the shredded white chicken. Actually, I just ended up substituting on quite a few things. It ended up not being white chili at all but it is DELISH!

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound ground white meat turkey, browned

2 (14.5-oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chilies

1 pkg. (1.75 oz.) chili seasoning mix

2 (19.5-oz.) cans frijoles charros

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans

1/2 can (14.5-oz.) refried pinto beans

Desired Toppings: chopped fresh avocado, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Heat to a boil, stirring often; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

TIP–I served this with a salad consisting of arugula, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced hard-boiled egg whites and dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.