Comfort Food

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Black Eyed Peas

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Black Eyed Peas

3 cups of dry black eyed peas

A pound of diced bacon

Fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon of garlic

2 tablespoons of better than bouillon

Two diced jalapeños

One diced onion

4 ounce can of diced green chilies

One sliced jalapeño (leave the seeds in)

In a large stock pot saute the bacon, onion and jalapeños in butter and olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add garlic, cilantro and green chilies. Add the beans and enough water to cover completely. Do not soak the peas but rinse them thoroughly. Add better than bouillon. Bring to boil and reduce heat to a vigorous simmer until the peas have a nice semi-firm consistency. Add additional water as necessary. This could take up to 90 minutes.

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Cheese Square Brownies

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One of my favorite childhood memories from Christmas in Oklahoma was the wonderful cheese Squares Mama Mable made. We called them cheese brownies. This is a simple and delicious hors d’oeuvre. it is perfect to have around the house during the holidays. Or, what a great gift for friends and neighbors. Enjoy!

Ingredients and directions for this recipe:

  • 5 Eggs

  • ¼ Cup of flour

  • ¼ TSP of baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

  • One cup of cottage cheese

  • ½ Stick of melted butter

  • 4 oz. Can of green chiles

  • 2 Cups of grated monterey jack cheese

Put in 9 x 9 glass dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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French Onion Soup

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French Onion Soup for Four

- 6 Sweet Onions

- Olive oil, Butter, Salt, White Pepper, Sugar

- Beef Stock

- Fresh Thyme

- White Wine

- Croutons

- Gruyere Cheese

- Manchego Cheese

Caramelize 6 onions in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Add pepper, salt, sugar and reduce to golden brown. Add beef stock and 4 springs of thyme. Reduce. Add white wine. Put croutons on top of that. Put in oven at 425 degrees and broil for about 10 minutes until manchego is toasted and browned. Yum yum!

BUBBA’S MIRACLE SOUP

Ingredients

  • 1 chopped onion

  • 1 Lb. sweet Italian sausage

  • 2 chicken breasts (diced)

  • fettuccine egg noodles

  • chicken stock

  • better than bullion chicken base

  • white pepper to taste

  • 1 Tsp. salt

Sauté onions, sausage and chicken in butter and olive oil.

Add water and chicken stock. Add pepper, salt and one

large spoon of chicken base. Add noodles and simmer

until noodles are soft. Enjoy!

Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

FOOD FOR HARD TIMES
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
AKA, SOS (Stuff On A Shingle)

Cream chipped beef on toast was a Great Depression food staple. Mama Mable fixed it all the time when we were kids and we just loved it. It’s an easy recipe and there are only four ingredients which were available to most people in the depression. Flour, milk, butter, and some dried beef. This was also known as stuff on my shingle. Or, something similar to that. You’re going a love this recipe. I promise!

Ingredients
½ stick of butter
1/3 cup of flour
3 cups warm milk or half and half
2 packages of chipped beef
¼ Tsp. nutmeg
½ teaspoon white pepper

Mix flour and melted butter and stir to a thick paste. Add milk, nutmeg and pepper and stir to a nice thickness. Add chipped beef and stir. Pour over grilled Texas toast.

Cheese and Charcuterie Tray

A MUST FOR YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY

Here are the instructions for an elegant and delicious cheese and meat board that is easy to assemble. Serve this at your holiday party and you will make a clear statement of your hospitality and the importance of your guests.

The first thing you should do when creating this cheese tray, is to look closely at the photograph  and watch the video. Then, I find it easy to go to a single source for everything you need. In this case, I recommend Trader Joe's, if there's a store near you.

There are no specific rules but some guidelines which should be followed to create this beautiful display of foods for your guests. Number one, is density. Be sure to completely cover your wooden cheese board with your food selection. Number two, is shapes and variety. Use different shapes of crackers, cheese, and meats accented with colors such as jam, fruit, olives, and etc.

Following is a list of items I used for this cheese tray.

Goat cheese, Brie cheese, Blue cheese, and manchego cheese. I used three different kinds of sliced pork. Then, the tray was accented with raspberry jam, gherkin pickles, olives, almonds, and Rosemary Sprigs. I purchased A box of different cracker shapes at Trader Joe's and I made some toast points to accent things even further.

Good Luck!  Be sure to watch the video closely!

Skillet Chicken Breast

Ingredients
• 2 12-ounce bone-in split chicken breasts (skin on)
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 leek (thinly sliced white part only)
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard


Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Rub breasts in oil and salt and pepper both sides. Place breasts skin side down and reduce heat to 450 degrees. Leave in oven for 20 minutes and flip breasts over and cook to 160 degrees. Remove from oven and place in a serving dish and tent with a loose piece of aluminum foil on top. Add thinly sliced leek pieces and butter to skillet and cook until leaks are soft. Add flour and stir for about one minute and then add chicken broth, wine, tarragon and mustard and stir until sauce reaches a nice semi-thick consistency. Take a very sharp knife and cut the chicken breast from the bone. Remove the breast and place on a dinner plate and add the sauce.

Perfect Prime Rib

ingredients

· Prime Rib (about one pound per serving)

· Kosher Salt

· Ground black pepper

Tips

Have butcher cut meat from the rib bone and then tie meat back on

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Let meat get to room temperature

Cut strings and season all sides liberally with salt and pepper

Sear all sides of meat at high heat in oiled skillet

Place meat back on the ribs and place in roasting pan

Cook until internal temperature is 120 degrees

Remove from oven, wrap in aluminum foil

Rest meat for 20 minutes in foil and serve

Jalapeno Rice

Directions

Mix all ingredients (except jalapeno strips and cheese) in a large mixing bowl

Spray oil in medium sided baking dish

Spread half of the rice on the bottom of dish

Add layer of jalapeno strips

Add half of cheese

Add 2nd layer of rice, jalapenos, and cheese (can’t use too much cheese)

Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees

Ingredients

* 4 cups cooked/steamed rice

* 1 chopped onion sautéed

* 2 cups sour cream

* 1 cup cottage cheese

* 1 crushed bay leaf

* pickled jalapeno strips

* a lot of grated sharp cheddar cheese

* salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Pot Pie The King of Comfort Food

Ingredients

  1. 2 (9) inch pie crusts

  2. 3 T butter

  3. 1/3 cup chopped onions

  4. 1 chopped celery stalk

  5. 1 tsp minced garlic

  6. 3 Tbs all-purpose flour

  7. 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

  8. 1 T onion powder

  9. 1 T garlic powder

  10. 1 tsp Italian seasoning

  11. 1/2 cup heavy cream

  12. 2 cup cooked, shredded chicken

  13. 12 oz. pkg. frozen peas and carrots

  14. 1 egg

  15. 1 tsp water

  16. salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

  2. Melt butter in a saucepan

  3. Sauté onions and celery in the butter until translucent; about 5 mins

  4. Add garlic and sauté for 1 min.

  5. Sprinkle in flour and stir for 2 mins to cook out flour taste

  6. Pour in the chicken stock and add in Italian seasoning, onion, & garlic powders

  7. Simmer for 5 mins

  8. Stir in the heavy cream

  9. Salt and pepper to taste

  10. Cook until mixture thickens

  11. Turn off the heat

  12. Add in the chicken, peas, and carrots

  13. Roll out one pie crust to 1 cm thickness and add it to the bottom of a greased, 9-inch pie plate

  14. Pour filling into the pie dish on top of the crust

  15. Roll out the other crust and top the filling. Press to seal the edges

  16. Whisk egg and water together and brush the top of the crust with it.

  17. Cut several slits in the top of the pie to vent

  18. Bake for 30-35 mins or until golden brown

  19. Allow 10 mins to cool before serving

 

 

Cajun Gumbo

Tips

Mix the flour and the oil together and place in the microwave for five minutes. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for one more minute. Then repeat this process one or two times until the mixture is a nice chocolate brown color and has a nutty aroma.   Heat the roux in a wok and when it is hot, Place  2/3 of the celery, onions, and green peppers,  and all of the jalapeños in the wok and stir thoroughly. Then I add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and basil. Stir a bit more and then place the remaining 1/3 of the celery, peppers, and onions into a blender with some water and turn it into a mush.   Add this to the wok and stir until well cooked. Transfer this to a large stock pot, and add water, better than bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, bay leaves, chicken, and sausage.   Add water and bring to a boil for a few minutes and then turn the heat down a bit and keep reducing and adding more water. Do this for about an hour until the gumbo becomes nice and thick.   Serve the gumbo with fried shrimp and chopped green onions.

 Ingredients (gumbo)

        One bowl chopped celery

·      One bowl chopped bell peppers

·      One bowl chopped onions

·      One bowl sausage links

·      One bowl chicken pieces (cooked in advance)

·      Heaping tablespoon thyme

·      Heaping tablespoon basil

·      Heaping tablespoon oregano

·       Two finely chopped jalapenos (seeds out)

·      1 heaping tablespoon of chopped garlic

·       heaping tablespoon chicken better than bullion

·      about 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire shire sauce

·      1/4 cup of molasses

·      5 bay leaves

·      chopped green onions

·      fried shrimp

Ingredients (roux)

·      One cup of flour

·      One cup of canola oil

The Perfect Steak

Be sure the steak is it room temperature when you start to cook

 

 Preheat the oven to 500°

 

Use a cast iron skillet/fajita plate

 

Put a spoonful of ghee on the skillet before you heat it up

 

Heat the cast-iron skillet/fajita plate on the stove top as hot as you can get the flame.

 

Rub the steak generously with ghee, salt-and-pepper only

 

Place the steak on the skillet/fajita plate according to the f following formula

 

Flip the steak and place in the oven according to the following formula

 

 Serve the steak on the skillet/fajita plate and it will stay hot until the last bite. My soul doing, the steak will start at a little above rare and continue to cook TO medium rare

 

THE SECRET FORMULA

 

MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF YOUR STEAK

 

 MULTIPLY THE THICKNESS BY 1.5

 

THEN, TAKE THIS CALCULATION AND USE IT FOR TIME ON THE BURNER AND TIME IN THE OVEN

 

 FOR EXAMPLE, A 2 INCH STEAK TIMES 1 ½ EQUALS THREE. THEREFORE, THREE MINUTES ON THE RED HOT SKILLET ON THE STOVE TOP, FLIP THE STEAK AND PUT IT IN THE 500° OVEN FOR ANOTHER THREE MINUTES.

Popovers

TIPS

 

·      Everything at room temp or you will have a disaster

·      Put a small piece of butter in each container and preheat at 400° for two minutes

·      Pour mixture into container until approximately half way up to the top

·      Bake for 20 minutes at 400°

·      Reduce temperature to 300° and bake for another 20 minutes

      Do not peek or you will have a disaster!!!!!!!!!

 

INGREDIENTS

(mix together until creamy consistency)

 

·      3 warm eggs

·      1 & ¼ cup of regular flour

·      1 & ¼ cup of room temp milk

·      ¼ teaspoon salt

·      1 tablespoon melted butter

·      1 small piece of melted butter in each pre-heated popover container

3 2 1 4th of July Ribs

TIPS

 

·      Rub ribs with a mixture of mustard and brown sugar

·      Liberally apply a dry rub of your choice

·      Put tinfoil over ribs and let them rest of the refrigerator for a day    

·      Remove ribs from the refrigerator and let them warm to room temp

·      Only use hardwood lump charcoal on smoker

·      Bring your smoker or grill to 225°

·      Place soaked woodchips on lump charcoal

·      3 Place ribs meat side up over a pan of water and smoke for three hours

·      Remove ribs from smoker and mop them and wrap them in tinfoil

·      2 Place them back on smoker at 225° for two hours

·      Unwrap the ribs from tinfoil and baste them with a BBQ sauce of choice

·      1 Increase temperature to 300° and bake for one hour

·      Allow the ribs too cool for 1&1/2half hours and then slice them

·      Enjoy

 

 

MOP FORMULA

            Mix together

                         Apple juice or apple cider vinegar

                         Brown sugar

                         Garlic

 Brush this mixture on the ribs after three hours and wrap them in tinfoil

THE PERFECT OMELET

Tips

  •  Two brown eggs at room temperature 

  •  Cook over very low heat with lid on top

  •  Use sliced cheese, not shredded cheese

  •  Use a crêpe pan if you have one, otherwise a 9 inch skillet

  •  Mix eggs with half-and-half

  •  Loosen up the pan with ghee, not butter or oil

  •  Cook ingredients in a separate pan, do not mix in with the eggs

 

Ingredients

·        two room temperature eggs

 ·        half-and-half

 ·        ghee

 ·        just a touch of salt

 ·        ingredients to suit your taste

 ·        tomatoes and/or mushrooms will keep the omelet hot

 ·        cheese slices, not shredded

Jalapeno Cornbread

TIPS

 

 With a paper towel, rub a thin layer of corn oil or canola oil on a black cast-iron skillet. Preheat the cast-iron skillet for several minutes before you pour the cornbread mixture into it. This will make the bread crispy on the side and bottom.

 

 If you can find it, use yellow stone ground corn meal.  If not, use regular steel ground processed cornmeal.

 

 Bake at 375° for 35 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

 

·      1 ½ cups of yellow cornmeal

·      one heaping tablespoon of flour

·      A teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda

·      one cup of warm butter milk

·      1/3 cup of corn oil

2 eggs

·      ½ cup of chopped green bell pepper

·      one chopped small onion

·      five slices of bacon, chopped and drained

·      one small can of creamed corn

·      two or four chopped jalapeños with the seeds out

·      1 ½ cups of grated Mexican 4 cheese mix

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