Memorial Weekend

What do you do on a summer holiday weekend? Cookout. Okay, maybe you do that on any weekend, but especially so on a long one celebrating one of America's traditions. This weekend we honored all of the men and women who have fought so fiercely for our nation's freedom by cooking out, hanging with friends, and lounging around the house. It was fantastic. I appreciate all of their efforts with the privilege to do just that.

When you have a cookout what do you need besides burgers, hot dogs, ribs, or some other form of meat? Potato Salad. Yeah...its a must have. Its a definite must have when your mother makes the most wonderful potato salad in the world and she taught you all of her secrets! So with our burgers, with our brats, we had potato salad (and pie). Its one of those must-have American dishes that keep the folks coming back to the table for more! : )

Mom's Potato Salad
**This recipe is written for 4. Its easy to make it for 80, you just have to increase the quantities proportionately.

Ingredients:

5 to 6 Yukon Gold or red potatoes
2 boiled eggs, chopped
3 to 4 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1/2 to 1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 to 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes in quarter inch size pieces.

2. Boil potatoes and eggs for approximately 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, but not mashable.


3. Drain and rinse potatoes. Peel and dice eggs.

4. Pour potatoes and eggs in a large bowl. Add relish. Mix in mayonnaise and mustard until you reach your desired creamy texture.


5. Add salt and pepper to taste. (The important part is to taste as you go!)

6. Sprinkle a little paprika for color and a little kick!

Thanksgiving 101: A tale of two dressings

What’s the next step after making a turkey for Thanksgiving? Dressing! That’s right!

The first time I made homemade dressing was also the first time I baked a turkey. That day I hand chopped all of my ingredients. It took me like 47 hours because I’m not that quick with chopping. After that day, D bought me a mini-food processor. It has since changed my life, and I am forever grateful! : )

Most people like a traditional cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving. I’m a fan, and picky/somewhat of a control freak when it comes to making my dressing. Its actually a recipe my mother gave me several years ago, and in my opinion, it’s the best dang dressing you will ever eat in your life.

HOWEVER…when cooking for out Thanksgiving feasts, my father likes to make the dressing. And we do things differently. We use the same basic recipe, but he uses dry ingredients verses fresh. I prefer all of my herbs to be fresh in my dressing. You absolutely can taste the difference. And I’m not saying my dad’s dressing isn’t good. It’s very good. He is a very, very good cook. But…I will say I am partial to my own interpretation. Since that’s the case, I let him make the traditional cornbread dressing while I do a completely different version that is definitely far from traditional.

My dressing that I make for Thanksgiving every year now is a little bit of Texas and a little bit of Mexico. It is influenced by the 7 years I spent living out west. Not only did Texas play a huge role in forming who I am today, but it also had a great influence on my choice of foods. I like things a little bit hot and a little bit spicy, and therefore, my dressing is a bit of that.

Several years ago I learned how to make tamale dressing from a Dallas/Fort Worth news show. It is very similar to your traditional dressing, but uses crumbled tamales instead of cornbread. It is a bit of a risk, unless your crowd likes Tex-Mex. Which…mine does. So, I typically make it as an alternate to our traditional dressing. And top it with cranberry salsa…which is amazing.

Again, I stick to fresh ingredients. So, I use whole cranberries, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, etc. I think fresh vs. dry is the way to go. There is just so much more flavor there! And, the tamales add a little out of the box thinking to your typical southern Thanksgiving meal. It’s a nice change!

No matter what kind you choose, you have to have dressing with your turkey. We do both. If I picked one over the other, it would probably be the traditional cornbread dressing. But if you wanted to go Tex-Mex, then I would make a spicy turkey and season it with cilantro and lime juice! : ) I say use whatever herbs you use in your dressing to also flavor your turkey, or vice versa. Helps the two to compliment each other.

Here’s a link to my traditional cornbread dressing.

Here’s a link to my tamale dressing and cranberry salsa.

Healthy Springtime Meal...except for the cake part...

Last night a few of my girlfriends and I celebrated J's 29th birthday. It was quite a celebration of life...since we are getting older, much more beautiful, wiser, etc., with ever passing year. It was another perfect day in town, so we decided to dine outside in the back yard. Dinner was full of lots of laughter and conversation, and it was a great night.

Following our meal and dessert, we moved to the other side of the patio and decided to break in my fire pit. That was an adventure in itself. At first I wasn't going to use one of the 2 hour logs...who knew we had that much life to cover in our fireside chat? I first attempted to burn old bills and papers. Well, that didn't go over so well...so I got out the fire log, lit it up, and covered it with the only slightly burned papers, and sat back to enjoy the warmth.

It was a great time! I hope J enjoyed her birthday party as much as I did! I thought it was a blast. In honor of the event, I have posted the recipes for each menu item below. We will definitely have to repeat this night again soon! : )


Grilled salmon

Ingredients:
salmon (amount and size dependent on who you are cooking for)
Colorado Spice Salmon and Trout Rub (**Use your own desired seasonings. This is what I used. It contains BLACK PEPPER, SALT, BELL PEPPERS, GARLIC, ORANGE PEEL, THYME, BASIL, ONION AND SPICES 100% Kosher.)
1-3 twigs of fresh rosemary
EVOO
aluminum foil

Directions:
Create a foil pouch for fish. (Typically I lay two 1 foot to 1.5 foot pieces down and cover with an additional one at the end.) Lay salmon on foil and rub in spices. Lay rosemary on top of salmon, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cover fish with additional foil, and fold up sides to create a pouch. Cook on grill for about 10 minutes, flip pouch, and cook an additional 10 minutes. (Cooking time may vary on amount and thickness of the fish.)

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
3 tbsp butter
2 limes
2-3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
EVOO
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:
Boil 2 cups of water. Add rice, 1 tbsp butter, a dash of olive oil (EVOO), and about 1/2 tbsp or so of Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover and let cook for approximately 20 minutes (or until rice is done).

Transfer rice to a bowl and add additional butter, to taste. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over rice, and add chopped cilantro. Stir and serve!

Squash and zucchini

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning, to taste

Directions:
Slice squash and zucchini in rounds of about 1/8-1/4 an inch. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add butter and seasonings. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for about 10 minutes, or until soft.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:
4-6 oz. fresh baby spinach
6-10 strawberries, sliced
shaved Parmesan cheese
Poppy seed dressing

Directions:
Add spinach in bowl. Top with strawberries and cheese. You can add the dressing and toss...or...to keep the leaves fresh and crisp, let each individual dress their own salad.

**Also good with chopped walnuts and/or sunflower seeds.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Another version can be found here.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
¾ cup oil
¾ cup water
4 eggs
1 box instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 tub chocolate icing
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cake mix, oil, water, eggs and pudding. Once smooth, fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased/floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50-70 minutes, depending on how quickly your oven cooks. (Look for the cake to spring back when you gently touch it, and for it to begin pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Transfer cake to plate or cake stand and let cool for about an hour.

Spoon out about 1/2 of a tub/jar of chocolate icing into a microwavable cup or bowl. Heat for about 20-30 seconds. (Be careful not to burn it though!) Remove from microwave, stir chocolate, and drizzle with spoon or spatula over cake. If desired, put about 1 tbsp of powered sugar in a strainer, and lightly tap/dust top of cake.

HAPPY COOKING!

Football Food Frenzy

This weekend we celebrated two exciting events in my family -
1. My mom's birthday (Friday)
2. Opening day of MSU football

Since it was a weekend full of celebratory happenings, my entire family came to visit. Saturday morning I welcomed 6 adults, a two year old, a 3 month old, and a dog. Needless to say, it was a FULL house!

The game you can read about on my other blog later (http://biglovesmalltown.blogspot.com/). But here, you can read about the menu for our big birthday/football/Labor Day cookout.

On the menu:
Appetizers - Cowboy Caviar with Chips & homemade Chex Mix
Hamburgers with pepperjack cheese
Mixed Vegetable Salad (Recipe in a previous entry.)
Baked Beans (canned)
Mom's Potato Salad (Prepared by my sister)
German Chocolate Cake (Box mix) with MSU Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (YUMMMMM!)

Appetizers

We always have to have at least one, and normally two, appetizers to snack on while cooking the main meal. This week my sister-in-law and I split snack duty and each provided a homemade treat.

Homemade Chex Mix (which I am munching on while writing this blog)

Ingredients:
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup Cheez-its
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 stick margarine
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions: Heat oven to 250°F. In large roasting pan, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and cheez-its; set aside. Melt butter in microwave. Stir in seasonings. Gradually pour over cereal mixture and toss until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Also see previous entry on Sweet & Spicy Chex Mix.

Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients:
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
2 tomatoes (seeded and diced)
2 avocados (diced)
3 green onions (diced)
1/2 cup. salsa
freshly chopped cilantro (to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a large box. Chill for 1 hour and serve with corn or tortilla chips. (Tostitos or Fritos scoops work best!)

Main Course

Hamburgers - There's nothing really special about the way I fix my hamburger patties. Typically I mix Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, Tony Chateries Cajun seasoning, Dale's, salt & pepper, or really whatever is I feel like adding. However, this time I added a bit of cheese to the mix. I formed the patties it balls, and them made an indention in the center and placed two cubes of pepperjack cheese. Then I reformed the balls, and flattened into patties. When you bite into the burger, you get a surprise burst of cheese in the center. It was actually really good, and I would recommend trying with different types of cheese.

Mom's Potato Salad

My mother has perfected her potato salad recipe. Through the years, she has taught my sister and I how to imitate her creation.

Ingredients:
**This is for about 8-10 servings of potato salad. If you increase the ingredients in increments, you can make much larger portions. We make four large roasting pans each Christmas for my dad's company party. Tastes just as good if you get the proportions right!

3 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Mayonnaise
Mustard
salt & pepper
Paprika

Directions: Peel & chop potatoes in cubes. Add to pot and boil for about 10-15 minutes. Drop eggs in potatoes to boil at the same time. Potatoes will be done when they are tender and can be pierced with a fork. Be careful not to cook too long because they will mash when mixing. Drain completely, remove eggs to cool, and pour potatoes in a large bowl. Mix in relish, about 4-6 tablespoons of mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon of mustard. The mayonnaise mixture needs to be eyeballed. Start with 4 tablespoons of mayo, and keep adding until you get desired consistency. Chopped boiled eggs and add to mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle finished mixture with paprika for a little color.


Our first little football cookout of the season was a great success. We ate way too much food and had a lot of fun while doing it! All in all, good times with the fam!

March Marsala Madness

So, I had a bunch of mushrooms in my fridge that needed to be used up. What can I do with mushrooms? I decided to try making chicken marsala just to see if I could do it. It was an experiment, and not chef perfect, but I think it tasted pretty good!

Chicken Marsala a la Sheri

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 - 1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

sweet marsala wine -OR-

marsala cooking wine (which is what I used)

kosher salt

pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat grill pan or skillet with EVOO. Heat on medium. When oil is hot, lay chicken tenders in pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with mushrooms and onions. Pour generous amount of marsala wine on top. Sear in pan, turning chicken every few minutes, then transfer to oven and bake chicken until done.

**I had a problem with my liquid evaporating in the oven, so I had to add more. Be sure to keep enough liquid in your dish so it stays nice and moist.

Baked Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus

1 lime

1 lemon

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
EVOO

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Wash and cut asparagus. Lay flat in glass dish. Drizzle with EVOO and then salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze juice of one lime and lemon over top of asparagus. Slice butter and lay on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Parmesan pasta

1/2 box whole grain/wheat thin spaghetti

1 tablespoon of EVOO (or to taste)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions: Cook pasta according to directions on package. Strain and transfer to a bowl quickly. While hot, add EVOO cheese and butter. Stir until cheese is melted.

Other suggested sides: garlic bread, salad, or cooked spinach.

Wine pairings: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay

Thanksgiving Update

Thanksgiving was great again this year! (As always!) However, three of my cousins had to work, and we desperately missed having them around. Oh, and there was that seriously embarrassing loss by my alma mater/future employer's football team. We won't go there....

The food was great though!

Just to add an update, here are two non-traditional takes on two very traditional treats. They were a huge hit with my family, and gave us a little different taste for the season.

Tamale Dressing

Ingredients:

2 cups bread crumbs
2 cups corn bread crumbs
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 can mild green chilies
4 eggs -- slightly beaten
2-3 cans of chicken broth
8-10 tamales -- chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. When pouring chicken broth, use enough to make mixture a little soupy. Pour into a greased 9x12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1.5 hours. Dressing may be prepared ahead of time, except for baking, and frozen until time to bake.

TIP: I used 5 pork and 5 beef tamales to mix it up a bit.


Cranberry Salsa

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 bunch green onions
Juice of one lime

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in food processor and puree. With the jalapeno, remove seeds based on the temperature you want. (We removed all seeds.) Also, put the cilantro in first so it is weighed down by the cranberries. This goes really well on top of the tamale dressing, or just with chips!!!

Rub a dub, dub, thanks for the grub...

Thanksgiving for my family is always a huge eating event. My parents host my mother's siblings and their families for lunch the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It has been that way as long as I have been alive I think. We begin the day usually with a pancake breakfast prepared by my dad. Then the family starts arriving about mid-morning. The snacks are put out, and we continue eating until our late afternoon lunch. Really...we just eat ALL DAY LONG! Here are some family favorites though!

Appetizers:

Mississippi Sin

8 oz. cream cheese (Softened)
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheddar (mild)
½ cup chopped green onions
1 loaf Hawaiian bread

Directions: Mix all ingredients together. Dig out center of bread. Put mixture into shell and cover with foil. Cook for 45 at 350 degrees. Eat with bread bits, Fritos, melba toasts, etc.


Easy Cheesy Chili Dip

1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can chili
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Frito Scoops

Directions: Spread cream cheese in small baking dish. Dump chili on top. Cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chili is bubbling. Serve with chips.

Main Course: Fried turkey and honey baked ham.

Side Dishes:

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Squash Casserole

3 lbs. squash
½ cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup chopped onion
1 stick margarine

Directions: Wash and cut squash. Boil until tender, drain, and mash. Add eggs, sugar, onion and ½ margarine. Melt ½ margarine. Pour mixture into baking dish and spread melted margarine on top. Sprinkle crackers on top. Bake at 375 degrees until brown. (Apprx. 1 hour)

Desserts:

Dutch Apple Pie

It's The Great Pumpkin, Bars

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 butter cake mix
3 oz. chocolate instant pudding
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
¼ cup water
8 oz. sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla
6 oz. chocolate chips
½ cup frosting (chocolate)

Directions:
Mix first seven ingredients well for 2-3 minutes. Fold in chips. Pour into greased bundt pan. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Don’t open door. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake to serving plate and allow to cool for at least an hour. Drizzle frosting over cake. Allow frosting to set before covering cake.

Coconut Cream Pie

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix thoroughly in saucepan.

1/3 cup sugar
3 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup shredded coconut
3 egg yolks

Step 2: Stir in gradually until smooth mixture of following ingredients.

1 cup Evaporated Milk
1 cup water

Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Remove from heat and stir in 1 ½ tsp. vanilla. Cover and cool thoroughly. Put into cold 9-inch baked pasty shell. Spread with meringue.

Step 4: Meringue –Beat 3 egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gradually beat in 6 tbsp. of sugar. Spread on top of pie.

Step 5: Sprinkle ½ cup shredded coconut over top. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until light brown. Cool thoroughly before cutting with wet knife.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Holiday Blog-A-Thon - Part 2

There is nothing better than some good cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving! I have to say that my mom has the best recipe ever, and over the years she has taught me well! The key...fresh ingredients! Nothing beats this recipe!

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients:
1 large pan of crumbled cornbread (cooked and frozen early is best)
1 cup of plain breadcrumbs
Apprx. 4 cans chicken broth (have extra just in case!)
3 boiled eggs diced
3 raw eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion
3 stalks of celery
1 bell pepper
Fresh rosemary, cilantro, and sage to taste

Directions:
Sauté together onion, celery, bell pepper, rosemary, cilantro, and sage in two tablespoons of oil.
Mix together all ingredients in a large baking dish. Mixture should be soupy.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Holiday Blog-A-Thon - Part 1

Thanks to my friend April, here are two great recipies!

Sweet Potatoes w/Praline Topping

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup stick margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 (5-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to form a streusel. Set aside.

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until very tender. Drain well; mash in a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup streusel, granulated sugar, vanilla, egg white, and milk. Spoon into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray; top with remaining streusel. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.


McFaddyen Zucchini Casserole

INGREDIENTS
6 cups diced or sliced zucchini
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 (6 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix
2 cubes butter (one for sauteeing, one to be melted)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sautee zucchini and onions in 1 cube butter until soft. Remove from heat and add carrots. Stir in the sour cream and soup.

In a small bowl, mix together stuffing and the second cube of melted butter. Spread half of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of the casserole dish, add a layer of the zucchini mixture, and top with remaining stuffing mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

April's Tip for Easy Entertaining:

Here's a really interesting tip I read somewhere and put into practice last year... the microwave is insulated and will serve as a warmer if you only have 1 oven (like me). I kept a few dishes warm for about an hour in my microwave and it worked GREAT! Given my education and background with food (smile), I'm always a little excitable about food safety and keeping hot foods hot, cold foods cold. My hot foods definitely stayed hot!

Mixed Vegetable Salad

I have had several requests for the mixed veggie salad recipe that my sister-in-law gave me. It makes A TON, and is great for cookouts or picnics. It also keeps about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. This is one of my brother's favorite snacks!

Directions:
Drain all vegetables and mix together in large bowl.
1 can shoe peg corn or Mexicorn
1 can Niblets corn
1 large can lima beans
1 large can English peas
1 can green beans

Add:
1 cup chopped purple onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 ½ cup celery chopped

Mix: (in separate bowl)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup sugar (or Splenda)

Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables. Mix well. Marinate in refrigerator (the longer, the better).