Strawberry Cream Pie

 

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
8 ounces whipped topping 

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

sliced fresh berries tossed with sugar for garnish 

 

Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar.

Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add strawberries.

Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into pie crust.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  

Garnish each slice with berries tossed with sugar.

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Fresh Strawberry Pie

 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 12 ounce can 7-UP
• red food coloring
• fresh strawberries
• pre-baked pie crust

Mix sugar, cornstarch and 7-UP in medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until filling thickens, about 15 minutes.
Stir in red food coloring.
Arrange whole berries in pie crust.
Pour filling over berries.
Chill.
Serve with whipped cream.

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Orange Curd

 

 

4 oranges

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

Zest the oranges and combine with sugar.  Set aside.
Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add the sugar and orange zest mixture and mix until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Add the orange juice and salt.
Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
The orange curd will be ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Be careful not to overcook, or it will curdle.
Remove from the heat and let cool or refrigerate.

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Orange Curd freezes well.
Great to have on hand for fruit tarts, dip, or as a great breakfast spread.

 

Egg Salad

Egg Salad

8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 tablespoon pickle relish

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons sweet pickle vinegar
Few dashes hot-pepper sauce

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together.
Chill before serving.

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New Orleans Po' Boy Roast Beef with Gravy

A good Roast Beef Po' Boy is judged by the number of napkins you need to eat it. 

• 2 pounds eye of round beef roast
• water, enough to cover beef by one inch
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
• 3 cups broth, reserved from the boiled beef

Bring the water to a rolling boil.

Add the beef roast, when the pot comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove beef from the liquid and refrigerate until cold.

Reserve broth.

While the beef is cooling make the gravy.

Slice the onion into lenghtwise slices.

Place onions in skillet with vegetable oil and cook over medium heat until caramelized.  Set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan.

Stir in flour to make a roux.

Whisk in 3 cups of reserved beef broth.

Add garlic powder, black pepper, salt, Kitchen Bouquet.

Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes.

Add onions to gravy.
When the beef is cold, slice as thin as possible.

Place slices in a baking pan.  

Cover the beef with the gravy.

Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender.

For the Po' Boy

• 2 12-inch French bread loaves 
• mayonnaise
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Slice the bread  lengthwise leaving a hinge along one side.

Warm bread directly on oven rack in 400 degree preheated oven 3 to 5 minutes.

Spread mayonnaise on both sides of bread.

Add beef and gravy.

Dress with lettuce and tomatoes.

Cut in half.

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Tips:
What distinguishes a good po'boy in New Orleans is the French bread that is used. The crusty outside combined with the light and airy inside.  I use Reising's Poor Boy Bread and now it is available on Amazon.
 
Kitchen Bouquet is a browning sauce.  It has been used as a flavoring addition for gravies since 1879.  It was a featured product in the United States exhibit at the Paris Exposition of 1889.  Kitchen Bouquet gives your gravies a deep rich brown color.



  

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Sausage Cheese Balls

 

 

• 4 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 pound hot pork sausage
• 2 tablespoons water

 

Mix all ingredients together. 

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Bake at 350 degrees in a pre-heated for 20 minutes.

May be frozen and baked later.

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Jezebel Sauce for dipping.
Recipe for sauce

 

Potato Salad

A creamy, classic Southern potato salad recipe

• 6 medium potatoes, boiled in skins until tender
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced 
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar from sweet pickles
• Sweet Hungarian paprika for garnish 

Peel the potatoes.

Cut cooked potatoes into cubes.

Mix onions, celery, celery seed, pickle relish, salt and pepper.
Add mayonnaise, mustard and  pickle juice.

Add to warm potatoes.  Toss gently.

Refrigerate potato salad at least 4 hours to let flavors blend before serving.  

Sprinkle with a light dusting of paprika before serving.

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Sour Cream Cornbread

 

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 8.25 ounce can cream-style corn
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal

Mix eggs, corn, sour cream and oil together until well blended.
Stir in cornmeal until just combined.
Pour into greased baking pan.
Bake in 425 degree pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips:
Heat greased skillet in oven while the oven is pre-heating.
Don't let batter sit after mixing.  Put in directly into the oven.  The leavening agents react immediately with the wet ingredients, so you will get the best rise if it is baked immediately.

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Hearty Beef Stew

Hearty Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1" cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tablespoon salt
1 bay leaf
3 medium potatoes, cut in 1" cubes
4 carrots, sliced
1 cup English peas

Mix flour, salt and pepper.
Coat beef in flour mixture.
Heat oil in a large pan.
Brown meat thoroughly.
Do not crowd meat, work in small batches.
Remove beef from pan.
Add onion, celery and bell pepper and cook 3 minutes.
Return beef to pan.
Add water, salt, bouillon and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Add potatoes, carrots and peas.
Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Vary the bread by the nuts used.  Pecans, walnuts, or macadamias complement bananas.

 



Macadamia-Banana Nut Bread


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts

Stir together dry ingredients.  Flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs.
Mix together wet ingredients. Eggs, sugar, melted butter, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Beat until smooth.
Stir in nuts.
Turn into a well-greased 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" by 2 1/2"  loaf pan.
Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees about 70 minutes.
Cool bread before slicing.

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Country Sausage Breakfast Patties

Country Sausage

• 2 1/2 pounds Boston butt pork roast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup ice water

Cut pork into cubes.
Grind with coarse disk of meat grinder
Mix seasonings together.
Mix seasonings into ground pork with the ice water.
Grind with fine disk of meat grinder.

Tips:
Select roast with the most fat on it.
Keep the pork very cold while making the sausage. Work in batches, keeping the cubed pork in the freezer. 
The water helps to distribute the seasoning throughout the sausage.
Fry a small patty after mixing to check seasoning.

Printable Recipe

 

Work in small batch.  Grind pork with coarse disk.

Mix seasonings together.

Mix ground pork with seasonings and ice water.

Grind sausage with fine disk.

 

Second grind mixes seasonings and gives sausage the perfect texture.

Store in refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake

 

A light airy pie, you can make with little effort.

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  8 ounce container of Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker crust

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Gradually beat in sugar.
Blend in vanilla extract and sour cream.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Pour filling in graham cracker crust.
Chill at least 4 hours

Slice and top with favorite canned pie filling

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Coconut Joys

Quick and easy confections.

 

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
• 3 cups flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate morsels

Mix melted butter, sugar, and coconut together.
Shape into 1 inch balls.
Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate.
Drizzle chilled coconut balls with chocolate.
Store in refrigerator.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Confectioner's sugar, coconut, butter, and chocolate morsels.

 

 

Mix sugar, coconut, and butter together until well blended.

 

 

Roll in 1 inch balls.

 

 

Melt chocolate in zip-top bag in hot water.

 

 

 

Drizzle chocolate over candy.

 

 

Store in refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 



Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts

Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing

Place chicken in baking dish.

Spread cream of chicken soup on chicken.

Sprinkle on shredded Swiss cheese.

Toss melted butter with stuffing.

Top casserole with buttered stuffing.

Cover and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Chicken, cream of chicken soup, Swiss cheese, butter, and Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.

Layer chicken, soup, and shredded cheese.

Toss melted butter with stuffing.

Top with buttered stuffing.

I first had this dish at a friend's home.  Donna was  gracious enough to share the recipe with me.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake

A classic Southern sheet cake. It is a decadent dessert yet simple to make.

• 2 sticks butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 bag miniature marshmallows
• 1 recipe chocolate frosting

Melt butter and cocoa over medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add flour, salt and vanilla, stirring well.
Pour into a greased and floured 13"x 9"x 2" pan.
Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Test after 30 minutes for doneness.
As soon as cake is removed from oven, sprinkle top with marshmallows.
Spread with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 stick butter or margarine, soften
• 1/2 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

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Top cake with marshmallows directly out of the oven.

 

 

Spread frosting over marshmallows.  Cool completely before serving.

 

 

 

Luscious chocolate, crunchy pecan, and gooey marshmallows

 

Spiced Pear Paste

Pear paste is ideal for adding to cheese platters. A great counterpoint to any cheese with a touch of acidity.  It is very refreshing and flavorful.

 

4 pounds pears
4 granny smith apples
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 lemons
5 cups sugar
1 box of powdered pectin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and core pears and apples.
Cook peels and cores in 1/2 cup of water until mushy.
Put in food mill and extract pulp.  Return to pot.
Place pears and apples in sauce pot with the pulp, Simmer until soft.
Place this mixture through food mill.  Return to pot.
Add the zest and juice of lemons.
Mix pectin and fruit and bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Add sugar all at one time, bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Pour fruit mixture into a heated crock pot.
Add cinnamon stick.
Cook on high 6 hours, stirring  every 30 minutes.
Stir in vanilla and remove cinnamon stick.
Ladle paste into sterile 4 ounce jelly jars.
Top with lids and bands and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Pears, apples, lemons, pectin, sugar, cinnamon stick, and vanilla

 

Use a food mill to extract pulp.  Do not use a food processor or blender.  It will breakdown the natural pectin in the fruit.

 

 

 

Warm crock pot before you pour the fruit into it.  Heat on high with water in it.   

 

Pears are a low pectin fruit.  Additional pectin is required to make them jell  Pear paste is a concentrated jam.  By using a crock pot it eliminates constant watching and stirring. Yield is about 6 pints.