Recipe of the Month

Jul 10, 2013

Summer Brunswick Stew

A light, summery broth lets the flavors of fresh-picked corn and lady peas shine. Stir in whatever barbecue sauce you have on hand–some are bolder or sweeter than others,  so start with the minimum amount and adjust according to taste.

Ingredients

• 1 Large sweet onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups fresh lady peas or butter peas
• 1 pound pulled barbecued pork (without sauce)
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
• 2 cups peeled and diced tomatoes

 Preparation

1. Sauté onion in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add broth and peas; bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until peas are tender. Stir in pork and next 3 ingredients; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Note: We tested with Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce.

Southern Living Magazine-June 2013

Recipe of the Month

Apr 22, 2013

Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (1-lb.) package mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 medium-size green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium-size red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking sausage into pieces while cooking. Remove sausage and drippings from Dutch oven, and drain well on paper towels.
3. Sauté onion and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in sausage, pasta, and cheese. Transfer mixture to serving platter, and serve immediately.

To freeze: Prepare recipe as directed. Cool 30 minutes. Place pasta mixture in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove and discard plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Turkey Spaghetti With Sausage and Peppers: Substitute 1 (1-lb.) package Italian turkey sausage for mild Italian sausage. Remove and discard casings from sausage. Increase olive oil to 2 Tbsp. Cook sausage in 1 Tbsp. hot oil as directed in Step 2. Discard any drippings in Dutch oven. Proceed with recipe as directed, sautéing onion and next 3 ingredients in remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

Southern Living Magazine

Recipe of the Month

Mar 12, 2013

Grilled Chicken and New Potatoes

Use a foil packet as a fuss-free cooking vessel
for the leeks and potatoes (or any vegetable).

Ingredients

• 1 medium leek
• 1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper-and-garlic seasoning (such as McCormick), divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 bunches green onions

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Remove and discard root end and dark green top of leek. Cut in half lengthwise, and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove grit and sand. Cut into thin slices.
2. Toss together leek, potatoes, 1 Tbsp. garlic seasoning, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. salt.
3. Divide leek mixture among 2 large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bring foil sides up over mixture; double fold top and sides to seal, making packets.
4. Grill foil packets, covered with grill lid, 12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, toss together chicken, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp. garlic seasoning, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
6. Shake foil packets, using tongs, and return to grill. At the same time, grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes; turn chicken. Place green onions on grill, and grill chicken, onions, and foil packets 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
7. Open foil packets carefully, using tongs. Arrange grilled vegetables, chicken, and green onions on a serving plate. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.

Southern Living-March 2013

Recipe of the Month

Jan 28, 2013

Gumbo Gravy over Stone-Ground Grits

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Toss shrimp in Cajun seasoning in a medium bowl.
2. Cook sausage in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add oil, onion, and next 2 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle Browned Flour over sausage mixture; stir until blended. Stir in chicken broth, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and boil, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until thickened. Add shrimp, okra, and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Serve over grits.

Browned Flour

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Spread flour in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until flour is the color of pecan shells, stirring with a wooden spoon every 7 minutes. Remove from skillet, and cool completely (about 30 minutes). Refrigerate flour in an airtight container up to 2 months.

Slow-Cooker Stone-ground grits

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked stone-ground yellow grits
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Stir together grits and water in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Let stand 2 minutes, allowing grits to settle to bottom; tilt slow cooker slightly, and skim off solids using a fine wire-mesh strainer. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until grits are creamy and tender, stirring every 45 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Southern Living-January 2013

Recipe of the Month

Dec 17, 2012

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Total: 10 Hours, 45 Minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.
3. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.
4. Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living Magazine

Recipe of the Month

Nov 13, 2012

Turkey-and-Spinach Wraps with Cranberry-Walnut-Cream Cheese Spread

If you have left over Turkey…..

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 (4-oz.) packages goat cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Salt to taste
• 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 pound thinly sliced turkey
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach

Preparation

Stir together cream cheese, goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts, honey, minced garlic, rosemary, and pepper. Season with salt. Cover and chill up to 3 days. Spread 2 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide turkey and spinach among tortillas. Roll up, and cut in half or into slices.

Southern Living-November 2012