Posts

Showing posts with the label Southern

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with mini chocolate chips are sure to please everyone for a special occasion or any day.   These melt in your mouth chocolate chip pancakes are rich, buttery, light, and fluffy, and incredibly easy to make.  Top them with whip cream, and fresh fruit, then drizzle them with warm pure maple syrup. Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes If you want to wow your guest with big smiles on their faces, tell them you are making Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes for breakfast. We love pancakes at our house, but when special occasions come, we pull out all the stops, birthdays and sleepovers are some of our favorites. My buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes are fluffy sweet pancakes with the tang of buttermilk seeping through, giving them the perfect morning dream come true. What I love about making pancakes is there are no crazy ingredients to come up with.  I mostly just need to make sure my buttermilk is fresh.  I use full fat buttermilk in my pancake recipe, yielding the

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a fast and easy recipe that is perfectly sweet with brown sugar and loaded with oatmeal. Oatmeal No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies This is a classic cookie recipe for those that can't have or just prefer not to eat chocolate. These Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a version of the famous  Chocolate No Bake Cookies  using a cocoa powder that I grew up eating in the 50s.   I am especially a fan of no bake cookies during the summer month.  Not having to turn the oven on is a big plus. They always satisfy the craving for something sweet.  I love the moist, chewy texture and rich peanut butter flavor that just takes minutes to make, and the hardest part is waiting on them to set up so you can eat them. When my children were small, I would give them a spoon to scrape the sides of the pan and get all that yummy peanut butter mixture.

Hearty Split Pea Soup with Leftover Hambone

Hearty Split Pea Soup is made with a meaty hambone, generous carrots, onions, and celery, yielding a flavorful broth.  It is easy to make on the stovetop, but I have added a slow cooker and instant pot option. Split Pea Soup It is soup weather, and Split Pea is one of my personal favorites.  So easy to make, and what better time to use the hambone leftover from the holidays.  There is so much flavor from the bone and meat I always save it for later when I cook beans or collards . This soup recipe is all about going back to my childhood using old fashioned ingredients you have in your kitchen.  The split peas are cheap, and you already have your hambone. The carrots and celery are also inexpensive, a delicious humble soup. I use fresh thyme, a couple of bay leaves, chicken stock, or vegetable stock to elevate the flavor.  

Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

Warm gingerbread cake baked in a skillet on top of a sweet mixture of caramelized pears and flipped over to a stunning presentation, fancy enough for a Thanksgiving dessert. Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake The pairing of gingerbread and pears brings this cake to the forefront for the fall.   The pears hold up really well and play nicely with the cake's warm spices. Upside down cakes are famous here in the south, pineapple being the most traditional.   This Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake tastes and looks impressive and is made using a simple shortcut to save time and effort in the kitchen. The cake is moist and dense, just like I like it.  Usually, gingerbread cakes get better with age, but you will want to eat this cake in a day or two since the pears begin to soften.  The structure of the pears changes when cooked more than other fruits used in upside down cakes, such as pineapple, peaches, and apples. Serve thick slices of cake at a dinner party dessert or as an indulgent br

Epic! Pumpkin Roll Bread Pudding

My love for a pumpkin roll and bread pudding is the inspiration for the recipe.   The flavors of fall spices in the tender pumpkin roll cake and the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting are the beginning of an epic bread pudding.    Pumpkin Roll Bread Pudding with The Ultimate Custard Sauce. The bread pudding takes on a whole new level of deliciousness using a pumpkin roll cake cut up into cubes, and to add more richness, a pumpkin puree custard is poured over all the cubes.  And served with the Ultimate Custard Sauce, made with a secret ingredient.   

Jumbo Banana Carrot Muffins

Banana Carrot Muffins are a cross between banana bread and carrot cake, all the cozy ingredients that make this breakfast treats so delightful. Banana Carrot Muffins The recipe for these banana carrot muffins is packed with a full cup of bananas and 2 cups of shredded carrots, enhanced with brown sugar and a tiny bit of cinnamon and cardamom, yielding a light, fluffy and moist muffin. I love muffins of any kind for grabbing a quick snack on the go, and when they have healthy ingredients, it is a bonus.   We have been enjoying these Banana Carrot Muffins for breakfast each morning since I made them.  With the weather getting cooler, I think they would be a warm cozy accompaniment to a cup of tea in the afternoon. These Banana Carrot Muffins are delicious out of the oven or reheated after freezing.

Baked Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Lasagna Stuffed Peppers are full of rich Italian flavors, such as lean ground beef seasoned with fresh oregano and basil and sauteed in a  marinara sauce.  And layered with a mixture of ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese, all packed in sweet and colorful bell pepper. Lasagna Stuffed Peppers Two classic hearty dishes come together to make a comforting meal.  With just 20 minutes of prep work, you can sit back and relax as these stuffed peppers bake. Any time I can make a dish that takes little time or no time at all to make, I am thrilled.  That's how I feel about these Lasagna Stuffed Peppers. Everything is cooked and then assembled just before going into the oven.   The marinara meat sauce can be made the day before.   A lovely weeknight meal made for busy cooks.

Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes

These air fryer green tomatoes deliver a crunchy outside with a smooth succulent inside.  The perfect summer food you will ever devour.   Fried Green Tomatoes The air fryer is the perfect way to cook fried green tomatoes.  I like to call them healthified fried green tomatoes.  To finish them off, you can sprinkle a generous drop of coarse salt, salty capers, or a few drops of hot sauce. To make air fryer green tomatoes, start with medium size unripe tomatoes.   I like to use light green tomatoes that are pale green and have a little pink coming through the skin.  They are not quite so sour.   Don't make the mistake of choosing green heirloom tomatoes.  Green heirloom tomatoes are fully ripe tomatoes, a different variety of tomatoes. I love combining self rising cornmeal and panko for the coating, and of course, don't forget to double dip to get the most delicious, crunchy outside, divine.

Southern Sweet Iced Tea Made in A French Press

Southern Iced Sweet Tea Made in a French Press a quick and easy way to make tea using tea bags or loose tea since it strains automatically after steeping.  A French press is not just for coffee; it is so adaptable even for Southern sweet tea. I love sweet tea, and the stronger, the better.  When I think of a French press, I think of making strong coffee, but one day I thought, why not tea. I have used my French press to make my tea for the last couple of years.  I pour the boiling water over the tea bags, let them steep for 4 or 5 minutes, and pour in my tea pitcher with a cup of sugar.   This summer, though, I have been adding the sugar to the French press, pouring the hot water over it, giving it a couple of stirs, adding the tea bags, and then pushing the plunger down just below the water to steep, oh my so good.

Crisp Blistered Okra Recipe

Crisp Blistered Okra Recipe is a simple and fast okra dish that is crunchy, flavorful, and not at all slimy.  Some like it better than fried. There is nothing like fresh okra in the summertime.  I love okra any way you can cook it, but blistered okra could become my favorite way to eat it. This okra is super easy to make and takes very little prep work.  What keeps the okra crisp and does not release its juices which can be gummy, is to not add any water (liquid) when cooking the okra.   Another tip is to heat the avocado oil, firing hot but not burning, and then add the okra.  This renders the crisp outside to the okra and a tender inside.  This is also how I cook mushrooms, which makes a great compliment to the okra.   Once the okra is cooked, stop stirring it.  Continuing to stir the okra will change the texture of the okra, which is why it is best to cook the okra just before serving. The seasoning is straightforward, salt and pepper with a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Montreal ste

2-Ingredient Cream Biscuits

2-Ingredient Cream Biscuits, tender, fluffy, and scrumptious biscuits every time you make them.   Simple biscuits using only 2 ingredients –self-rising flour and heavy whipping cream.   A cream biscuit recipe is a cook's best shortcut secret.    2-Ingredient Cream Biscuits are the easiest biscuits ever.  No buttermilk, no butter or shortening, and as you know, no fuss is my kind of recipes, keeping it simple. I must say, we love biscuits around here, and we have some amazing biscuit recipes.  We have the  Classic Southern Buttermilk Biscuits , these giant  Cream Cheese Biscuits , these quick  Three Ingredient Biscuits , and these  Buttery Fresh Herb Biscuits . These different biscuit recipes bring many options to a meal, not to mention what I have in my pantry when I want to make some biscuits.  

No Fuss Blackberry Sweet Rolls

No Fuss Blackberry Sweet Rolls, a soft, tender dough swirled with a mixture of vanilla, brown sugar, butter, and a generous layer of luscious, whole blackberries all throughout and topped with a cream cheese frosting. Blackberry season is just around the corner, and the first thing I want to make is   Blackberry Dumpling Cobbler .   Last year I couldn't stop buying the large cartons of blackberries at SAMs.  The price always drops around this time of the year, and it is worth buying several cartons and keeping them in the freezer for later during the year to make these Blackberry Sweet Rolls. Sweet rolls are a favorite for a weekend breakfast treat.  My go-to recipe is my  Homemade Cinnamon Rolls .  The rise time is 30 minutes, and 15 minutes to bake, the perfect no fuss sweet rolls.

Fun and Easy Roasted Whole Caramelized Carrots

Fun and Easy Roasted Whole Caramelized Carrots, a classic, super simple side dish to grace holiday meals and family dinner tables.  The dish calls for a few straightforward ingredients that enhance the purest flavor of the carrots. I love everything about roasted root vegetables, especially how easy and quick they take to roast. While they are hanging out roasting in the oven, I can prepare other dishes to go with them. These roasted whole carrots are fun to make, just peel them and toss them in a mixture of seasonings, brown sugar, and avocado oil.   The carrots' natural sweetness and the deep seasoning flavor are excellent.   The small amount of brown sugar compliments the mild sweetness of the carrots. Honey is an option too.

How To Cook A Whole Bone In Ham

A Whole Bone In Ham recipe is so simple, with no glaze, no studding with cloves, and no fuss.  The recipe uses the low and slow cooking method and a blast of high heat at the end, caramelizing the outside.  The results are excellent, juicy, tender, and with superb flavor. Secrets To The Juiciest Ham With wide varieties of hams in grocery stores today, it can be daunting how to cook one.  I share secrets from how to buy ham, prepare ham, and cook the juiciest ham ever.  A whole bone in ham is the most effortless meat to cook for a holiday meal.  The preparation is equally as easy.   A whole ham is larger than needed for a regular meal but perfect for a large gathering or save and have for those wonderful leftover ham recipes. Most hams you buy are fully cooked, and all you do is score the ham and, if you want, add a simple glaze.  My family prefers the natural juices from the ham to baste the ham instead of a glaze.   By scoring a diamond pattern in the ham into the fat and skin, being

Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake

Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake is a chocolate fudge cake mix and fudge brownie mix that comes together to make the most scrumptious chocolate cake you will ever eat.  The chocolate ganache icing sends the chocolate love over the top.   Don't wait to make this cake.  The Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake brings back so many memories of my mother's chocolate cake growing up.    The Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake has a rich, and I mean rich chocolate presence in the cake from the two mixes, chocolate fudge cake mix and chocolate fudge brownie mix.  The cake is dense while tender and moist yet smooth.   There are only five ingredients in the recipe, meaning do not add the ingredients on the back of the mix boxes.   I used Hershey Milk Chocolate Frosting  and microwaved it for 30 seconds to make an almost homemade ganache.   If you prefer, you can make the chocolate ganache using chocolate chips and heavy cream.

Black Eyed Peas and Collards Soup Recipe

Black Eyed Peas and Collards Soup, a flavorful soup, combines two southern favorites, black eyed peas and collards with carrots and lean ham.  Drop a hot water cornbread medallion in the center of the bowl of soup that will leave you full but not weighed down. For New Year's Day, I had planned to cook a small amount of fresh black eyed peas and a small batch of collard greens since it was just me that would be eating them.   Until I remembered that I had seen a recipe somewhere for a soup made with both.   I don't know about all the good luck these ingredients bring. All I do know is this straightforward soup has few ingredients that are a comforting start to the new year.

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal, but for a holiday meal, you might say they are superb in every way.  Starting with, they can be made ahead and then refrigerated until time for your holiday meal. These Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are rich, velvety smooth, and so decadent.  Let me just say, my family loves my mashed potatoes, but when I make these, I raise the bar.      Honestly, they are so decadent, so rich, so buttery, that I reserve these for special occasions and holidays. For our Christmas dinner, while the  Prime Rib Roast  is resting under a foil tent, the ideal time to put the Magic Green Beans  and the Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes in the oven is now. This will benefit  everything coming together at the right time. 

Standing Rib Roast

Standing Rib Roast is succulent, exceptionally flavorful, and looks stunningly elegant on the holiday table.  This prime cut of meat can be intimidating to cook but rest assured, it is effortless. For our Christmas dinner, we have enjoyed Standing Rib Roast, also known as prime rib roast, for several years now, and this last year I decided to try my hand at making Popovers to go with our meal.  They turned out fabulous, perfect addition, so I think I will try the Yorkshire Pudding this year. We decided to keep the sides simple too.  We served  Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes and my Magic Green Beans . Simple is always best.

Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe

Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe, the classic cake for a Fall dessert.  A soft, tender pumpkin chiffon cake filled with pillowy cream cheese filling then rolled up in a jelly roll fashion and chilled before slicing. Don't miss out on serving this eye catching gorgeous dessert at your Thanksgiving gathering.     Pumpkin Roll Cake is one of my favorite pumpkin desserts.  Although I have not made many of them, I have eaten plenty.  If they are served for dessert, I make sure that I have a slice to enjoy.   While Pumpkin Roll Cake may seem a little challenging to make, I can guarantee that they are effortless,  so don't be intimidated. I can give you a little tip that has improved how you roll up the pumpkin roll.  Roll the pumpkin roll in parchment paper instead of a cool light towel dusted with powder sugar. Which I used to do years ago, and the new way is much easier.

How To Make Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes, sweet little potatoes crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside with a generous sprinkle of coarse salt.  There is nothing complicated or fussy about them–– just easy.   My household agrees that potatoes are one of the most delicious, adaptable, and affordable foods on the planet.  Mashed, fried, roasted, and baked––they take them any way they can get them.   I must say, though, these Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes hit the high marks for richness.