Dinner from the Freezer

Yesterday was one of those days when I ran around all afternoon, Targeting and hitting up Trader Joe's with a toddler demanding every sort of food we passed (on the upside?  I forgot how wonderfully salty Target popcorn is).  It was also about three thousand degrees outside.

So we return, a tad disgruntled, newly poor and sweaty.  I get Miss Priss settled, then unload my bags of groceries and various other necessities, only to realize, "Hot damn, I have nothing to eat for supper."

Don't you hate that?  You've just spent a kajillion dollars at the grocery store, but the only readily available foodstuff is squeeze applesauce, string cheese or mandarin oranges (unsurprisingly, this comprised the first half of my cranky toddler's dinner).

However, feeling very Suzy Homemaker indeed, I raided my freezer. Ha!  A pan of "Anytime Chicken and Dressing" modified from Southern Living's "Fix It & Freeze It & Heat It & Eat It" (a rather unwieldy name, for a cookbook which is nothing but wieldy).  I set it in the oven for an hour, chopped an onion and sauteed it with a little country ham, added frozen green beans and chicken broth, and dinner was ready shortly after Miss Priss got out of the bath. Frozen green beans made me hang my head in shame, as pole beans and stringers are overflowing locally, but sometimes you just can't muster the energy to string a bean.  Or hell, go to the grocery store one more time.

This dinner is not fancy.  It is simple and good.  Dell Harper sat with me, and enjoyed her second dinner immensely.  Morgan loves when I pull a pan of this casserole out of the freezer.

Anytime Chicken and Dressing
Makes Six (large) Servings

1/4 cup butter
10 green onions (roughly a bunch of green onions), chopped
5 celery ribs, chopped
10 cornbread muffins, crumbled (I made mine from a mix, just make sure the mix does not have sugar*)      
                     (about 3.5 cups)
1/2 (16 oz) package herb-seasoned stuffing mix
5 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups cooked chicken (I used an entire rotisserie chicken)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and celery and sauté about 5 minutes until tender.
2.  Combine the cornbread and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add the sauteed vegetables, stirring well.  Spoon the dressing into 2 lightly greased 8x8 baking dishes.  Each will be about 4 generous servings.

To freeze:  cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, and cook at 350 degrees for an hour and fifteen minutes.

To eat right then- bake uncovered at 350 for 55 minutes or until lightly browned.

*Sweet cornbread is an abomination and all who eat it should feel hot shame.  Much like I feel, eating frozen green beans in July.

Comfort food at its finest.

Creole Love Call

You know what makes me happy?  Slicing, stirring, tasting- making a delicious meal for my family.   And of course, eating said delicious meal is quite enjoyable as well.

We capped off a wonderful beach trip with an early Mother's Day dinner of Shrimp Creole.

This Shrimp Creole is adapted from the indomitable Nathalie Dupree.  It is an essential dish to add to your repertoire- easy to prepare ahead of time, fit for company, and incredibly delicious.  It was a lovely meal with my parents, husband and child (Mama- we forgot to get any pictures of the two of us!).

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:
1.5 lb. fresh raw shrimp
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 medium onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and thyme)
1 bay leaf, crumbled
hot sauce to taste
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
salt
freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon flour
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon

Peel the shrimp and set aside

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a  saucepan.  Stir in the onions and cook until soft.  Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook about 3 minutes stirring occasionally (the vegetables should stay crisp).  Add the tomatoes, herbs, bay leaf, hot sauce, lemon rind, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook 20 minutes, or until thick.  Add the shrimp, cover, and cook three minutes.

Blend the remaining butter with the flour, and add bit by bit to the simmering pot.  Cook about 1 minute  Add the parsley and lemon juice.  Heat and serve over rice.

I like to serve it with the perfect rice- this recipe comes from Virginia Willis' excellent cookbook, "Bon Appetit, Y'all".  This rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan, or to itself.  I am generally not a rice fan, because, well, it doesn't taste like anything.  This rice tastes like something good.  Then you add the Shrimp Creole on top.  Well, it's just heaven.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 2 cups long grain rice
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large, oven-proof saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until foaming. Add the shallot and cook until clear and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add rice and stir to combine. cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is coated with butter and lightly toasted. Season with 1 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste. Add the stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in oven and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 17 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Add the parsley and fluff with a fork just before serving.

I ate a bowl of this on the road home, and it tasted even better the next day.  It eased the pain of the long, long drive home with a toddler (oh, the days when I could drive without stopping for wiggle breaks).

Plump and Sassy

That's how Martha Hall Foose describes this chicken dish.  An excellent descriptor, and one I have used to describe myself on occasion.

This excellent late spring supper comes from her cookbook, A Southerly Course, which of course, I highly recommend, if solely for reading purposes.  It is always nice to make something sophisticated and fresh, that uses readily available ingredients and the omnipresent boneless skinless chicken breast.


Butter Breast of Chicken

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (5) ounce chicken breasts
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups panko crumbs

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Spoon the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a log.  Wrap tightly in the wrap, and place in the freezer until firm- about five minutes.
• Put a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, and pound to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.  Place a quarter of the butter in the center of each breast and roll the chicken around the butter  Secure each roll with a couple of toothpicks.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Set up three shallow dishes- one with flour, one with egg, and one with panko.  Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, then dip in egg, then roll in the panko- pat the panko crumbs in tot he chicken.  Place the chicken in a large baking dish- taking care not to crowd.
• Okay, here Martha Hall Foose says to bake it for 15 minutes.  I have never met a chicken breast who will bake in 15 minutes, but maybe that is just me.  I say give it about 30 minutes, and check for doneness.

Yum!

The lemony chicken is perfectly paired with a quick and garlicky side of spaghetti squash tossed with fresh homemade pesto.  Especially since the whole thing takes 10-12 minutes.  I have never loved spaghetti squash as much as I did prepared like this.

Summertime Spaghetti Squash:

1 spaghetti squash
1/2 tightly packed cup of fresh basil leaves
2 heaping tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (plus more to top)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cups toasted pecans
1 minced garlic clove
salt and pepper

Prick the squash in 3-4 places with a fork, place on a plate, and cover loosely with saran wrap.  Microwave at full blast for 9 minutes, and let stand covered for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pesto.  Put the basil, cheese, oil, garlics, nuts, salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and pulse until well combined.  (I used my mini- processor and it worked just fine).

Once the squash is cool enough to touch, halve it and scrape out the seeds.  Using a fork, scrape the pulp into a large bowl.  Add the pesto and toss to combine.

Writing this post is going to send me straight to the fridge to eat the leftovers.  I finished off dinner with a brown rice medley cooked in chicken broth, tossed with toasted pecans and the last of my green onions (sob!).

This was extra delicious as it met my needs of reasonably fresh and healthy, and Morgan's need of not overtly "healthy" and super tasty.  Thanks Martha Hall Foose!

Elvis Enchiladas

Kingsley and I were chatting the other day and she remarked on my recent cream based diet.  "What? Cream based. .  ." I began to protest.  Weakly.  There's been a lot of undisclosed poppyseed chicken and the like in there too.  Mmmm.  I'm chasing after the faster crawler in the world.  I need fortification.

Anyway, I made a couple pans of these enchiladas for a friend who had a baby, and had to make a couple for myself as well.  Last time I made them, Buddy leapt on the counter, nosed them to within the grasp of his nose/paws and devoured an entire pan that was cooling.  I was rather heartbroken, but lived to make them again.  They remind of the Elvis Burrito from my favorite Mexican place in town, (that I never get to go to, because long waits and a loud toddler are no bueno).  The Elvis is a chicken burrito topped with spinach con queso.  These chicken and spinach enchiladas are doubly delicious because ether are topped with the filling and sour cream.  Oh, and cheese.  Lots of cheese.

The recipe is adapted from the Taste of the South Comfort Food magazine that I am always yammering on about.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced in rings
2 (6 oz bags) of fresh baby spinach
cream sauce (see below),  or 1 can cream of chicken soup, or 1 and 1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 8 oz shredded cheese (I actually used pre-shredded cheese- the queso blend with the cream cheese in it)
1 (4 ounce) can diced roasted green chiles
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 T fresh lime juice (one lime)
12 corn tortillas
1 (8 ounce) container of sour cream
Garnish- sliced red onion and cilantro

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 13x9 baking dish (or 2 8x8's) with PAM and set aside.

2.  In  large dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for five minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and releases its liquid. Remove the spinach and onion from the pan, and put it in a colander.  Press with dish towels and squeeze all the water out of the spinach.  Nobody wants watery enchiladas.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cream sauce and 1 cup of chicken broth, whisking until smooth.  Add the chicken, spinach mixture, 1 package cheese, green chiles, spices, and lime juice.  Stir to combine.

4.  Spray aluminum foil with PAM.  Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the oven on a baking sheet until they are warm and pliable (about 10 minutes).

5.  Place about 1/2 cups filling in the center of each tortilla, and roll the tortilla around the fillings.  Place seam side down in the baking dish.

6.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth and sour cream to the leftover filling.  Pour over the enchiladas.  Top with the remaining package of cheese.

7.  Bake until bubbly- about 30 minutes.  Lightly cover with foil if the cheese starts getting too brown.  Garnish with cilantro and onion if you want!

Cream Sauce- substitute for Cream of Chicken soup

• 3 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan.
2. Blend in the flour and salt, cooking until bubbly.
3. Whisk in the milk and broth, using a wire whisk to prevent lumps.
4. Cook until just smooth and thickened.

For the new baby dinner, I made Mexican rice, and took tortilla chips, salsa and cheese dip along with the enchiladas.  I mean, who doesn't like cheese dip?

Elvis sure as hell did.

Weeknight Chicken and Dumplings

Don't y'all just love Daylight Saving Time when it springs forward?  Despite the havoc it wreaked upon my toddler's sleeping habits, and my day yesterday, today was one of the days that I celebrate its length.  My child was lovely, our day was both productive and pleasurable, and the sun shone through the chill.

Anyway, although it feels like we have more time in the evening, I still don't have all the day to make chicken and dumplings (although yesterday I would have gladly trading a day of stirring chicken broth to temper tantrums in the Trader Joe's).    This recipe is from that excellent cookbook, "Quick Fix Southern", by Rebecca Lang that I have raved about in the past.

Instead of using biscuits in a can (insert side eye), it uses rotisserie chicken and homemade dumplings.  You gotta have Crisco for proper dumplings.  My brother and I would always explode with sheer happiness when we saw Mama put on her flour dusted old apron and reach back in the cabinet for her battered can of Crisco.  It meant homemade biscuits, chicken and dumplings, or both!  JOY!

Anyway, this tastes as good as completely homemade, and can be whipped up quickly even with frequent interruptions from a baby underfoot.

Ingredients:

12 cups chicken broth (low sodium, and organic if you can- it tastes better, I swear)
1 rotisserie chicken
3 cups self rising flour, plus a little more for the counter top when you roll out the dumplings
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons Crisco
1 cup milk

In a large stock pot with a lid, heat the chicken broth over high heat. Remove the skin from the chicken, pull of the meat and shred the chicken.

Add the chicken to the broth and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine the flour and spices in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse once.  Add the Crisco (now you're cooking), and pulse 6 times.  Add the milk and process until the dough comes together (about 30 seconds to a minute).

Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured counter top. Use a floured rolling pin, (or a glass, or a wine bottle if you don't have a rolling pin), and roll to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips 1 by 3 inches.  Drop the strips into the boiling broth a couple at a time.  They will look waterlogged and gooey (that detail comes straight from he cookbook, and is one of the reasons why Mrs. Lang is an excellent cookbook authoress).  Stir very gently just once, and reduce heat to medium.

Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

That's it!  The leftovers were even better the next day.  Serve with biscuits (this is a great quick recipe for biscuits, although Crisco-free), and green beans.  Your family will begin to tap their feet in excitement when you reach for the Crisco!

Just ask Minnie!

Snowy Day

I'm enjoying a big bowl of delicious homemade mushroom soup on this blustery day.  I'm thankful for strong stone walls, which keep out the wind, and a little girl who got into the snow day spirit and slept late.  Glorious!

 She is currently in baby-walking boot camp.  I am DYING for this 13 month old to walk in time for Easter egg hunts.  I mean, she says it's fine, and that she will just push her little stroller around and use it to carry eggs.  I walk around holding her little hand constantly.  Then she decides it's too slow, and zooms off crawling at top speed.

So back to the mushroom soup- recipe is adapted from Taste of the South Comfort Food.  Are y'all sick of me talking about this magazine yet?  Have you bought it?  Anyway, this creamy portobello bisque ain't no Campbells.  It is seriously tasty- rich and earthy.

Creamy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup butter
2 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 (heaping) cup chopped celery
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
3 8 oz packages of sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon slat
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream

1.  In a dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking until smooth.

2.  Bring to a simmer, cook for 20 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add cream and cook for 15 minutes.

Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!


Mmmm.  Well, I am off to revise some documents.  For those who have asked, I am wholeheartedly enjoying my new gig.  I have been inundated with work, so balancing everything is a bit bonkers at times, but I love the flexibility and everything I am doing.  Especially all the time I get to spend with this little boss-

That smile just melts my heart!

Chardonnay Beyonce Love Chicken

Well, apparently all my hints and this Valentine's day meal worked, because Morgan informed me that we will be attending the Beyonce concert in Nashville this summer- sqquueeee!  Ha, he also informed me that if any of my friends want to escort me instead of himself, he all be quite pleased to sit in the hotel bar and wait for the concert to be through.  Seriously.  Let me know if you want to shake it with me. Club level shaking.

Anyway,  this simple to prepare meal was  a very popular dinner for my overworked husband last Thursday.  He was working on a huge project last week culminating in a 23 hour day, so I wanted to cater to his taste for a relaxed dinner.  He had seconds/possibly thirds, and demanded this dish into the rotation.

Next time, I will make it with an actual cream sauce/some sort of substitute for the cream of chicken soup- I had no time for experimentation nor room for failure last week.

(I believe this recipe is similar to "Swiss Chicken", which I have never prepared so I cannot say for sure.  Mine is adapted from a recipe in "Taste of the South's Comfort Food".  I know I go on about these magazines, but if you see any Taste of the South Collector's Edition, snatch it up!)

Chardonnay Beyonce Love Chicken

4 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

6-8 slices prosciutto or thinly sliced Italian ham

4-6 slices Provolone cheese

1 can cream of chicken

1/4 generous cup white wine

paprika

1.  Put the oven on to 350 degrees, Spray a 13x9 baking dish with PAM, and place the chicken in the dish.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  Lay the ham on top of the chicken- cutting the pieces if needed to fully cover the chicken, then top with the provolone.

2.  In a small bowl whisk together the soup and the wine until combined.  pour over the chicken, and sprinkle with paprika.

3.  Bake uncovered about 40 minutes.

Serve with wild rice (perfect for sopping up that winey sauce), and a steamed green vegetable.  Broccoli is an excellent foil to that rich sauce, ham and cheese.

Prepare, serve, let the compliments flow, and practice that booty shaking.

I fear for those behind me in Jazzercise the next few months as I work on my shaking.

Dell Harper's Green Beans

Well, Baby Led Weaning is going swimmingly around these parts.  At Dell Harper's nine month appointment, her doctor was very pleased that she eats solely table food.  Ironic, since he was skeptical about baby led weaning at 6 months, yet wants her to be feeding herself by nine.  Hmmpph.

Anyway, based on her HUGE growth spurt, table food is treating her quite nicely.  She eats everything! 

A typical day is:

Breakfast:
Toast fingers with jam (no sugar added), or Greek yogurt spread on top (1-2 pieces of whole wheat bread)
banana or blueberries

Lunch:
whole wheat penne with cheese and carrot or butternut squash or
baby mum mums spread with hummus, no salt added roasted turkey, and steamed broccoli and carrots

Dinner:
turkey meatballs
avocado
sweet potato wedges
green beans

Now, when I first tried steamed green beans with Dell Harper, she was unimpressed.  Then I doctored up those green beans with the following recipe, from that wonder Taste of the South Southern Suppers magazine that I keep telling y'all about.  The girl went crazy over the new green beans! She ate the whole darn batch.  I was proud as punch over my garlic loving green bean eating little chunk.

1 bag frozen green beans (thawed)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the thawed green beans in a tablespoon of olive oil for about fifteen minutes until they are browned.
add the garlic, lemon juice, sugar and butter, and cook on medium heat stirring often until the garlic is browned and the butter is melted- about 5-6 minutes.

This is a great recipe for these winter months, when you have had it to here with broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, and root vegetables.  Frozen green beans to the rescue!

Buddy is enjoying BLW as well.  Although yogurt is not his favorite.

A House Divided Game Day Chili Pie

This weekend is a big one in our household.  Between the hours of 3:30-7:30 very little words will be spoken regarding the matter at hand.

Football.  The University of Georgia Bulldogs versus the University of Tennessee Volunteers.  As an East Tennesse girl, born and raised, I cheer on the Big Orange with spirit and enthusiasm.  Except for one weekend a year.  A weekend filled with torn loyalties and love for my alma mater.  I tend to go neutral for the game, and enjoy friends and food.  But thinking of Athens and the wild weekend about to begin there . . .sigh.  I just love UGA with all my heart.

However, since I also love my husband with all my heart, I will keep sentiments praising the glory of the University of Georgia to myself this weekend.  I mean, I don't want to rub salt in his wounds, right? (hunker down you hairy dawgs).

Okay, back to the food.

So, if your household is anything like mine, between Labor Day weekend and the first weekend of December, there is a good possibility that unexpected guests will appear and remain for 4-6 hours. They will come armed with bourbon and beer.  Lots of it.  But people got to eat.

So have this in your freezer.  Stick it in the oven in the first quarter, and you will have a happy crew come halftime.  Tamale pie- basically a spicy beef chili topped with a cornbread crust.  Whether you are a Dawg or a Vol, we all can agree that this is a perfect game watching meal.

From the always reliable Cooks Illustrated, Freezer Friendly Beef Tamale Pie

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (don't thaw)
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro  leaves
4 teaspoon juice from 2 limes
cornbread topping (2 6.5-8.5 ounce packages of cornbread mix- get Southern style with no sugar- sweet cornbread, blech) Mix according to package directions

1.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add the beef and cook, until it is no longer pink, about five minutes.  Break up the meat as you cook it.  Stir in the onion, 1 teaspoon slat and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the spices, and garlic, and tomato paste and cook about a minute.

2.  Stir in the diced tomatoes with their jounces, scraping up any browned bits.  Off the heat, stir in the beans, corn, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13 dish or 2 8x8 dishes.  Spread the cornmeal topping evenly over the beef mixture, pushing it to the edges of the baking dish.

To store:
Wrap the tightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and then foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze.

To serve:
Adjust an oven rack to a middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Unwrap the dish.  If refrigerated, bake, uncovered, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is baked through and golden, 50-60 minutes.  If frozen, unwrap the dish and let the casserole sit at room temp for 30 minutes while the oven heats, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes,  Remove the foil and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is baked through and golden- 50-60 minutes.

And by the way- Go Dawgs! Sic 'em, woof woof woof!

My Little Butter Bean

Now, I told y'all that I was going to share my fall freezer favorites this week, and that was my intention.  However, I am using my prerogative to change my mind, because I remembered this meal that was just too good.  You need to make it now, with the last gasp of summer produce floating through the market.

A perfect late summer supper, this meal was adopted from one in that Taste of the South Southern Suppers magazine I was telling y'all about yesterday.  It is also husband approved.

First up, the Butter Bean Salad:

2 cups fresh butter beans
2 cups fresh lady peas or other field peas
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears of corn)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 avocado, cut in small pieces
pinch of pepper

Makes about 8 servings.

1.  In a large pot of boiling water combine your butter beans and field peas (I used butter beans and speckled butter beans), and a teaspoon of salt.  Cook about 12-15 minutes until they are just tender (but not mushy).  Drain, rinse and cool.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, tossing gently to coat with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Now, I am just about to drool all over the keyboard thinking about this salad.  It was even better the next day, and served as my lunch about three days in a row.  The beauty of it is that you can make it any time.  Of course, frozen corn and butter beans aren't going to be the same, but in the dreary gloom of November, you won't care a bit.  For those uninitiated with butter beans, they're basically baby lima beans.  Please don't be frightened.  I didn't like lima beans (bad experience with them at Wednesday Night Supper as a child).  Then I became a believer.  All due to the baby of the family.

Okay, moving on to this Grilled Flank Steak.

1/2 cup marinade such as Allegro Marinade

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic minced

2-3 pounds flank steak

1.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a big freezer Ziploc, or a shallow dish.  Add the steak, and turn to coat it well.  Stick in in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.

2.  Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray, and preheat to medium high heat

3.  Grill the flank steak (ditch the marinade), with the grill lid closed over direct hear about 7 minutes preside

4.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

And finally, the perfect accompaniment.

Feta Stuffed French Bread

1 softened 3 oz package of cream chase

4 oz crumbled feta

1/4 cups diced kalamata olives

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

sprinkle of black pepper

1 loaf of french bread cut in half horizontally

Combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing them well.  Scoop out some of the inside of the bread, and spread the cream cheese mixture on both side.  Place the bread halves together and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place on a grill over direct heat until the bread is hot and the cheese has melted- about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

And now a gratutious picture of my favorite little butterbean.  She's just scrumptious, no?

How to Make a Man Happy

Last week I did not have a lick of food in the house. Every grocery store run I managed to pick up items for Miss Priss, but neglected to get myself anything to eat for supper.  Don't you hate when you spend a bazillion bones at the grocery store and come back with nothing to eat?  Hubs was gone for work all week,  leaving me absolutely zero motivation to even make an omelet.  Then I remembered my freezer!

In a fit of anxiety at the tail end of my maternity leave during the first breath of spring, I stocked my freezer with stews, soup, and casseroles.  Then it got hot.  Real hot, real fast, leaving us with little appetite for beef stew or tamale pie.

But now, with the crisp mornings and cloudless skies of game-days upon us? Those freezer favorites are coming out!

Even more exciting?  I am going to sit my fanny down at the computer, and write these recipes down for y'all (and myself!).  Sitting down has not been a facet of my life as of late, and I need to incorporate a little restful activity into my routine.

So first up, a recipe which was a huge hit with Hubs (which unlike my easy-to-please father and brother, is no small feat).  It's also a wonderful choice to bring to a family with a new baby, which is exactly what I did Sunday.  Now, a casserole chock full of cream of whatever soup always has a place in my heart (poppyseed chicken, I'm talking to you, Missy).  However, I prefer my concoctions to be cream of sodium and preservative soup free.  This wonderful Chicken Tetrazinni is my favorite incarnation of the dish ever.  I am like a Chicken Tetrazinni detective, always looking for the perfect one which doesn't rely on too many processed items, yet isn't overly complicated.  This one is a winner.  And like I said, Hubs wholeheartedly approved.  I swear, this is near impossible.  Yet he eats McDonald's and Asian buffets.  You just never can tell.

Adapted from Taste of the South's Southern Suppers recipe mag- this is on shelves now.  BUY IT!  I have made about 6 of the recipes so far, and they have all been divine!

Man (and woman) Pleasing Chicken Tetrazzini:

1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted- if you use salted, I would reduce the amount of salt you add in later)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons curry powder (now, I love curry- especially in this dish, to add depth.  However, the original recipe called for just a teaspoon, so if you aren't a fan, reduce it to that amount)
3-4 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used 2 small rotisserie and shredded the meat with my fingers)
1 box angel hair pasta, cooked to package directions
1 carton of sliced white mushrooms
1 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray either one 9x13 baking dish, or 2 8x8's with cooking spray.  Sauté the mushrooms in a little butter or olive oil until they're cooked.
2.  Ina  large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Slowly whisk in the flour, salt and pepper.  Stir constantly until it's smooth and bubbly- about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3.  Stir in broth, cream, milk, sour cream parsley and curry.  Simmer of medium heat for a couple minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken, pasta, cheese and mushrooms and mix well.    Pour into the prepared baking dish(es).
4.  Bake uncovered, until bubbly, about thirty minutes.

Serve with a simple green vegetable or salad and rolls.

I brought this up the street to my neighbor and friend, Anne, and got to see her precious boys who are 2 and a half and brand new.  Everyone enjoyed the dish (besides the newborn, obviously).  Hubs was thrilled because I made some for us as well- perfect birthday dinner!

(Also, if you make 2 8x8's stick one in the freezer.  It's a perfect thing to pull out in the coming months- serve with warm French bread and some roasted brussell sprouts for a delightful winter supper.)

Roasted Vegetable Tart

Let's talk squash. Summer means lots of cheap and delicious zucchini and summer squash.  And red and yellow and orange bell peppers that are actually affordable.  So you have sautéed squash and squash casserole, which are delicious, but not, well. . .fancy.

Sometimes you feel the need to be impressive.  This rich tart will serve that purpose admirably, with the added bonus of seeming far more complicated than it actually is- hurrah!  You also get to flip things over with Julia Child-like aplomb. (I'm reading her new bio, Dearie, right now- is anyone else?)
It's pulled out of a recipe magazine named "One Pan Recipes" purchased long ago.

3 cups cut up squash and zucchini
2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large Vidalia or fennel bulb, cut  into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 2 oz block of Parmesan
1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
1 cup purchased creamy Parmesan dressing

Preheat oven to 450, coat sides and bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread veggies in pan, toss with the oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, grate the Parmesan and set aside.  On  lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry in a 13x9 rectangle.  Add tomatoes to the mixture in the pan.  Toss the veggies with balsamic vinegar and half the Parm, spread evenly in the pan.  Lay the pastry over the veggies, tucking in the edges. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for fifteen minutes until the pastry is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes.

 Now, it's time for the flip!  Lay a cookie sheet upside down over the pastry pan.  Carefully flip the pans over together, take off the 13x9 pan.  Transfer any veggies that stick to the tart.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and 2 teaspoons of the thyme.

In a small bowl, stir together the dressing, chopped onion, and remaining thyme.  Cut the tarts into squares and serving with the dressing- I drizzled the dressing on top.  It makes 12 servings.

Now, being fancy and all, this side-dish becomes the main event.  It's really rich. Like Bill Gates rich.  I would serve it with a light green salad, and some grilled fish or chicken to balance out the puff pastry, and Parmesan and creamy dressing.  So get flipping those pans, and dressing up that squash!  Bon appetit!

Successes and Failures

 So, I made that "No Peek Chicken" that is circulating around Pinterest.  It was decent- good comfort food for a rainy night, and helpful since I could put in the oven before I left to interview a potential new nanny for Dell Harper (her current one is moving to DC, sob).

You take a box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice mix (original recipe), a can of cream of mushroom, can of cream of celery, a can of waters, and mix in a greased 9 by 13 baking dish.  I added a pound of sliced mushrooms and a bunch of chopped celery which I sautéed, for a little fresh vegetables and flavor.  Put chicken breasts on top of the rice (I could fit four big chicken breasts).  Cover tightly, and bake at 350 for 2 and a half hours.  Serve with steamed broccoli.

I had really high hopes for this dish, because of how delicious the baked etoufee was.  Now, it was no baked etoufee, but will do in a pinch.

Source: wherefloursbloom.wordpress.com via Samma on Pinterest

In other Pinterest recipe experimentation, I made that Chocolate Cobbler/Brownie Pudding stuff the other night.  I used the recipe off of Southern Plate.  It got thrown out.  Not to be ugly about it, but if something chocolate gets thrown out in this house?  Well, it's really not worth the effort.  It was bland yet overly sweet, and really lacked something.  I can't quite put my finger on it- a certain richness was just not there.  So make some brownies with hot fudge sauce instead.

In other news, have I told y'all about my cleaning strategy?  I put a guilty pleasure book on my iPod, and only allow myself a listen if I am cleaning, cooking, blowdrying my hair or exercising.  Right now, I'm about to finish up Mary Kay Andrews' latest, and I am enjoying it immensely! Pure escapist pleasure, and if I miss a line or two due to  interruptions, it's not like I have completely lost the plot.

So that's it for me!  I hope y'all have lovely weekends full of sunshine and trashy novels!  I'll be back with some Miss Priss product updates on Monday.

I Think I Have a Problem

It began to downpour yesterday afternoon, right as I was leaving work (yay for my flowers, boo for my walk).  After a quick mental evaluation of my fridge and the gloom and doom outside, I decided that grilled cheeses and tomato soup were in order.  Our next door neighbor has a fabulous garden, and is generous with his gorgeous tomatoes (note- retired agriculture professors make excellent neighbors).

Remembering having made some good tomato soup before, I checked the blog. 2 different recipes came up.  Both delicious, but neither was quite what I wanted- one used canned tomatoes, and the other took too long.  Google and Ina Garten to the rescue!  This recipe is perfect because it took about 45 minutes (including cook time), uses fresh tomatoes and basil, and is delicious.  Oh, and you don't have to peel the tomatoes.  Victory!

From the Back to Basics cookbook:

Ingredients


3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)

2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream


Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

With either an immersion blender, or by pouring it into a regular blender puree the soup.  Add the cream to the soup and reheat the soup over low heat just until hot.

YUM!

Of course by the time I loaded up Miss Priss, ran to the grocery store to pick up some cream, chopped the veggies, and set it to boil it was pretty outside.

I let Hubs at home while the soup simmered, and took the baby for a humid and sweaty walk.

The grilled cheese and soup were still mighty fine, sunny weather notwithstanding.  Now, it's raining again, so I will have a rainy day soup leftover lunch.
 
So now I have three tomato soup recipes on the blog.  It's a bit of an issue, especially since Hubs prefers Campbells above all.  Sigh.

Sandy's Squash Casserole

Now, squash casserole is a summer staple.  We used to get heaping bowls of it for lunch in the cafeteria at school- replete with bread crumbs and cheddar cheese.  I'm not sure of the actual squash content.  This recipe comes from Sam Beall's daddy, Sandy.  I have posted it before, but with the bumper crop of squash on hand, it's time for y'all to make it again.

Another favorite from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook (seriously, go buy that cookbook- it's photographs are gorgeous, and the Bealls know their way around the kitchen), you will never want a bread-crumb laden, can of cream of whatever, squash casserole again.  Unless you are my husband, but that is another tale all together.

So the recipe-

Ingredients:

•  1/2 stick of unsalted butter, plus two tablespoons
• 1 large vidalia onion finely chopped
• 4 medium yellow summer squash (about 2 pounds total- sometimes I add a bit more, since I love, love, love summer squash), cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan (this doubles the original recipe)
• 1 and 1/2- 2 cups grated manchego (ditto, and I just can't get enough cheese)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I had to use panko, as Buddy had decided to carbo-load and eat my loaf of bread)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten,
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
2.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onion to the butter, and cook, stirring often until the onion is softened (about 5 minutes).
3.  Add the squash and stir well.  Cover and cook, stirring often until the squash is tender but not browned.  (The recipe says 7-8 minutes, it normally takes me about 15)
4.  Transfer the squash to a large bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes.
5.  Stir in the cheese, but reserve 1/4 cup of the manchego.
6.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs.
7.  Stir in the eggs and salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
8.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining manchego, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons of melted utter.  Scatter the crumb mixture over the casserole.
9.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Serve hot.

Another perfect example of nap time cookery.  I put this together without baking early in the day, while Miss Priss deigned to nap longer than 20 minutes.  Then I just had to pop it in the oven along with my pork tenderloin when my company came over.  While they enjoyed a pre-dinner drink, I bathed and fed Miss Priss, paraded her around in all her pre-bed pj-ed adorableness while my dinner cooked.

Plus, the manchego cheese just takes it above and beyond.  What is your favorite squash casserole recipe?  Morgan's involves cream of chicken, sour cream, and pepperidge farm bread crumbs in large quantities.  It's tasty, I must admit,  and more importantly, it's how his mama made it, which always taste best of all!

A Blackberry Farm Supper

Sunday night I made a glorious dinner of skillet okra, pork tenderloin, squash casserole and blackberry dump cake.  I'm sure that I have featured all these recipes on the blog before, but they are tried and true favorites of mine.  In this summer heat, make them early in the day, then get out of that sauna of the kitchen.  Pretend you are in the East Tennessee hills relaxing at Blackberry and enjoy!

First, from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook, is Skillet Okra.

Ingredients:

• 5 strips of good quality bacon
• 1 large vidalia onion
• 1 pound okra cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a large oven proof skillet cook the bacon over medium heat.  Leave the drippings in the pan, and using tongs, place the bacon on paper towel lined plate.  Crumble when cool.

Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the skillet and cook stirring often until soft (about five minutes), the remove and set aside along with the bacon

Add the okra to the pan along with the salt and pepper.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once until the okra is tender.

Add the bacon, onions, and tomatoes, toss gently and bake another 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

Sam notes in the recipe that this can be prepared "well in advance of dinner, covered, and kept in a warm place without losing a bit of its appeal".  Damn straight!

My love for okra knows no bounds.  Recipes for the rest to follow!