Fresh Herb Salt

1/2 cup packed fresh herb leaves (I used basil)
1/2 cup course sea salt
1 cup regular sea salt, or a flaky kosher salt

Wash and dry your fresh herbs. Remove stems and place in a processor. No need for chopping. Add a 1/2 cup of very course sea salt. This will help to chopped the basil very fine. Chop until it all is the size of regular sea salt or kosher salt. Add the cup of kosher salt and continue to process for a few seconds, until it is all incorporated. Spread the mixture out on a flat dish or pan and left dry out of a couple of hours. If you live out in the country like I do... It might be a good idea to sit the pan in a cooled oven (Do not turn the oven on!) so it doesn't attrack any bugs (flies, gnats, "no-see-ems" as my Dad calls them, etc).

Ingredients makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

You can use pretty much any herb you like for this dressing. I love basil and am looking forward to having more fresh herbs in my garden this year. Try your favorite herb or try my favorite... basil! :-)

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

a few basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

In a blender or food processor combine vinegar, basil, garlic, sugar, and salt. Process until the basil and garlic are minced well. Continue to process while adding oil in a slow steady steam. Process until dressing is emulsified. 

Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Bar-B-Que Sauce

Cooking Spray
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper

garlic powder
1/2 cup Blackberries
3 tablespoons prepared thick bar-b-que sauce
2 T Texas Pete

In a small bowl, mix blackberries with a sprinkle of sugar and let sit until they release some of their juices. Then mash them with a fork to break apart. 

Spray grill grates with no-stick cooking spray. Heat grill to 350 degrees F to 375 degrees F. Generously season tenderloin with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

In a sauce pan, add blackberries, barbecue sauce and Texas Pete. Heat until warm; stir to blend. 

Grill pork, turning occasionally, 16 to 20 minutes (or until thermometer reads 160 degrees F). Baste liberally with 1/4 cup blackberry barbecue sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer tenderloin to platter, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve pork over brown rice, drizzled with additional sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley, if desired.

Blackberry Spinach Salad with Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

3 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1 pint fresh blackberries
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds (optional)
1/2 cup edible flowers (optional)

In a large bowl, toss together baby spinach, blackberries, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, green onion, and walnuts. Serve with fresh basil vinaigrette on the side and for a fancy touch, garnish with edible flowers.

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

a few basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

In a blender or food processor combine vinegar, basil, garlic, sugar, and salt. Process until the basil and garlic are minced well. Continue to process while adding oil in a slow steady steam. Process until dressing is emulsified. 

Blackberry - Lemon Muffins

These are easy muffins to make with the delicious flavors of blackberry and lemon with a crunchy topping.

•  
• MUFFINS:
• 1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c milk
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 1/2 c fresh blackberries
• 
  
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c butter, room temp
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 8 muffin cups or line with muffin liners and set aside.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and baking powder in a medium bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine vegetable oil, egg and milk, and mix with a fork. Add lemon juice. Pour into the flour mixture and mix well. Fold in blackberries. Mixture will be quite sticky, so use caution not to mash the berries when folding in. Fill muffin cups to the top.
4. To make crumb topping, mix together sugar, flour and butter. Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Ranch Pickle Chip Crackers

I tried making the Ranch Pickle Chip Crackers from Zestuous today... I ran into a few problems. I had no ranch mix (which I always keep on hand). I ran out of butter (no margarine either), and my son ate all the pickles (which I buy by the gallon, because he eats so many...every day!). Oh! I also had no bread crumbs or parm cheese... the kids ate the rest on pizza today! Sooooooooo! I used ranch bottled dressing, dill, a little shortening and pickle juice (I have plenty of that!)... I used crushed Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins and kosher salt to sprinkle on the top. End result: Ok! Not enough flavor, but pretty! I'm going to the store tomorrow and try them again!!! Sorry I screwed them up Zestuous! All those who know me will probably say... "That's why she doesn't bake!!!" LOL

Pretty little things...

not bad for what I had to work with!

*** For the REAL recipe click on the link to Zestuous at the top of the page!***

Blackberry Cobbler or Dump Cake

Elliott went out back beside the field and picked me blackberries. He came back saying, "Mama it's blackberry heaven back there. There's blackberries all down the side of the field... They are just all red!" Looks like lots of blackberry recipes in my future! :-)

Filling:
4 cups Fresh Blackberries
sugar, to taste


Topping:
Yellow cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X9 pan with vegetable oil. Combine the blackberries and sugar in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour in greased pan.
Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the blackberries… get it nice and level. Melt the butter and pour over the cake mix, making sure to cover the entire cake mix. (You made need a little more butter. Cover it, but don’t drowned it.) Sprinkle it with a little sugar.
Bake 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Best served warm with a big scoop

of vanilla ice cream!

Sunday Pot Roast

A good pot roast with vegetables, green bean casserole, rice and gravy, sliced tomatoes and Mama's biscuits is the typical Sunday Dinner that I remember growing up. The smell takes me back to Mama's kitchen. If you add a lot more pepper to the pot roast or some fried chicken, that smell takes me to Grandmama Bradham's. The smell of cooking cabbage always takes me to Grandmama Elliott's kitchen. 

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” 
― Laurie Colwin

 

Sunday Pot Roast

4 pound chuck roast

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

flour

2 tbsp oil

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 cup beef broth or water

3 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

8 ozs button mushrooms, wiped clean with a paper towel

Season the chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste, on all sides. Dust with flour and brown in oil on all sides in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Place in the roasting pan and add the soup mix, water, carrots, onion, potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 2 or 3 hours. (The longer it cooks the more tender it becomes, but don’t let all the liquid burn off.)

Remove the meat and vegetables. Make gravy by adding a cornstarch slurry to the juices… 1 tbsp cornstarch to ¼ cup cold water… add to the juices and bring to a boil. 

Mama's Short Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put 2 cups self-rising flour in a medium sized bowl. Take 2/3 cup vegetable shortening, and cut in with fingertips until dough looks like small peas.

Make a well in the center and add 2/3 cup milk slowly, mixing with floured fingertips until it gets sticky. Keeping hands floured, shape biscuits with hands and place them on an ungreased pan. Mama always placed the biscuit down and pressed three fingers into each one leaving ridges… Bake 10-12 minutes.

This is a very sticky dough. Don’t be tempted to keep adding flour. The more you mix, the tougher the biscuit. Just keep flouring your hands and it will coat the biscuit so that you can handle them.

Watermelon Cooler (Grown-up's Version)

3 pounds watermelon, cut into pieces

1/2 cup vodka

1/4 cup Triple Sec

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

thin slices of watermelon for garnish**

In a blender purée the watermelon pieces and strain the purée through a very fine sieve set over a pitcher, discarding the solids. (There should be about 2-1/3 cups juice). Stir in the vodka, the Triple Sec, and the lime juice, pour the cooler into long-stemmed glasses filled with ice cubes, and garnish each drink with a watermelon slice. Add a splash of lemon/lime soda for fizz!

** Forget the thin slice. It may be pretty, but in the south, I use a big ole chunk! The kids want seeds,  so no seedless here... they want to see who can spit the seeds the farthest.

Southwest Wrap, Tomato Salsa and Watermelon Cooler

I've been looking for things to make that won't heat up the kitchen. It's already too hot as it is... Here are a few refreshing recipes that WON'T make you break a sweat!

Southwest Wrap

3/4 cup corn

1/4 cup chopped red onions

3 Tbsp. Chipotle Flavored Mayonnaise
4 tortillas (8 inch)
4 lettuce leaves
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
16 slices Ham
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Combine first 3 ingredients. Top tortillas with lettuce, cheese, ham, corn mixture and tomatoes. Fold up bottom edge of each tortilla, then roll up starting at 1 side.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

3 tomatoes (1 lb.), chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Combine ingredients. Serve salsa with tortilla chips, crackers or assorted fresh vegetables.

Watermelon Cooler

4 cups chopped watermelon
1/3 cup Strawberry Sugar-Sweetened Drink Mix

Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve over ice.
Add a splash of 7up or Sprite, if it needs more liquid.
It will depend on how juicy the watermelon is...

Blueberry Cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

The hubby made this cake last night! He has a sweet tooth. If you've been here before, you know that already! LOL This cake looks really good, and it tastes delicious! Enjoy!

For cake:

2 cups fresh blueberries, frozen
1 package vanilla or yellow cake mix with pudding
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

For icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup blueberries, mashed

Rinse the blueberries and drain them on paper towels. 

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

Measure out 1 tablespoon of the cake mix and set it aside in a small mixing bowl. Place the remaining cake mix and the sour cream, water, oil, eggs, in a large mixing bowl. Beat until the ingredients are mixed, 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed.

Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss them with the reserved 1 tablespoon of cake mix. (This will keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter.) Fold the blueberries into the cake batter until just evenly combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Place the cake pans in the oven side by side. 

Bake the cake layers until they are golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack and allow to completely cool. 

For the icing, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well blended. Add blueberries and blend again. If the icing is too stiff add more confectioners' sugar.

To assemble the cake, transfer one layer to a serving platter. Spread with icing. Place the second layer on top of the first and spread on icing, completely covering the cake. Garnish the top of the cake with a few blueberries. 

Elliott's Pizza

Tonight my son, Elliott, who is 14 asked me about making a pizza. "Where's the stuff for my pizza Mama?" I used the crust on the Garlic-Onion Mini Rolls the other night, so I told him I'd make him a crust. I couldn't reach the little box that holds all the baking stuff, like yeast. So I called out to him for help... He says, "In a minute, Mama!" So... I wait. I go back to the computer and poke around my recipes. He finally comes in and says, "What are you doing? I want to make my pizza!" I got him to help get all the stuff for the pizza together and he walks out, again! I made the crust for him and hollered for him again...

I activated the yeast in 110 degree water and 1/4 tsp sugar for 8 minutes, then combined with the 1 3/4 cups a/p flour and 1/2 tsp salt... following my thin pizza crust recipe.









... my hands covered in dough! He yells, "WHAT?"
Hmm! hmm! hmm! (That's me humming to keep from killing him!) I finally get him back in the kitchen to help... I was holding a clump of dough that was now stuck to my hand, in between my fingers and trying to oose out of my hand due to the heat. I got him to spray the pan so I could put the dough ball down and work with it (after washing my hands). As I was working with it, I told him how to do it and he says, "My hands aren't clean."
Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! "Wash your hands Elliott!" He does and then he turns to me and says, "Stop it. You're messing up my pizza dough!"

I had to snap this quick...

He kept putting him hands in front of the camera!

Teenagers! LOL

Earlier this month, I had some pizza sauce left over. Here's handy little tip... I froze what was left in popsicle molds. I removed them from the molds, into plastic bags and back in the freezer. I told Elliott to get two of the frozen pizza sauce blocks and pop them in the microwave. He says, "What sauce? That's not sauce!"
"Yes, it is Elliott... just put it in the bowl and melt it in the microwave!"
He put the sauce on the dough. I said, "Next the pepperoni..."
"No Mama! Cheese is next!" He reaches over, then looks at the pizza, back at the cheese. He grabs the pepperoni and says, "Next pepperoni! Bahahaha!"
"Funny Elliott!"

I had forgotten to preheat the oven... I know, bad mama! So, I turned it on to 450 degrees.

He adds the cheese... and says,

"How about add some basil or something... otherwise it will just taste like cheese!" I agree and ask "What else do you want? Maybe some oregano also?" "I don't know Mama! You're the chef!" as he's gesturing rabbit ears in the air! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! (Humming, remember?)

So... I add basil, a little oregano and some kosher salt aaaaaand he's walked out again! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Well, I'll wait on the oven to come to temp... I go back to the computer to go through some more recipes. He comes back in about 5 minutes or so and says, "Um Mother!?! I don't mean to criticize your cooking skills, but my pizza won't cook unless you put it in the oven!" I'm thinking 'my pizza... unless you'... what?!?! AND WHAT DID I DO???!!!??? I got up and put the stupid thing in the oven!!!

He did slice it when I called him and told him that it was done... and he ate every last piece! :-)

Well... I will say that it looked and smelled good!

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

I actually got to bring home a little dessert last night... Something I rarely get to do. The desserts are the first to go :-) This is a favorite of my Wednesday Night Supper Crowd...

2 boxes instant chocolate pudding
1/2 c whipping cream
3 c milk

Combine above ingredients beat until thickened. Chill until set.

1 c confectioners' sugar
2 -8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1/2 c whipping cream, whipped

Cream sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Combine pudding and cream cheese mixture beat until smooth, scarping sides as needed. FOLD in whipped cream. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish. Voila! :-)

Dirty Bananas and Waikiki Muffins

I'm helping my friend Michele at La Belle Cuisine celebrate a milestone on her website and Facebook page breaking 2000+ fans! We foodies are whipping up some treats and taking them over for the all day party bash! Come visit Michele on her website or 'like' La Belle Cuisine on Facebook and...

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"!!!

Dirty Banana

1 cup chocolate ice cream

2 small, ripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup crushed ice

2 oz vodka or rum

1 oz kahlua

Combine ice cream, bananas, ice, vodka and liqueur in blender or food processor.

Cover; blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Garnish with banana slice and a pinch of nutmeg.

Waikiki Muffins

1 cup crushed Pineapple
1 (14oz) Orange Muffin Mix
2/3 cup milk
1 beaten egg
~ ~ ~
4 T butter, melted
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup coconut, toasted
1 (3oz) cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain pineapple, thoroughly and reserve liquid. Combine muffin mix, drained pineapple milk and egg. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Combine pecans and coconut in a small dish. Dip tops of warm  muffins in melted butter and then in pecan and coconut mixture. Beat cream cheese with 1 T of reserve pineapple juice until fluffy. Serve with warm muffins.

Raw Fries

In the South, raw fries are kind of like homemade potato chips. However, they are not always served crunchy... Raw fries are potatoes that have been very, very thinly sliced with a mandolin or a very sharp knife. They are fried in oil... sometimes double fried. Some people know them as 'home fries'. At my house, the hubby likes them golden brown and crunchy, served with two sides... ranch and ketsup. My son and I like them a little more soft... medium or limp served with vinegar. If we eat them with wings, I like to dip them in the wing sauce.

1 or 2 potatoes per person

Wash the potatoes and slice them very, very thin, leaving the peeling on the potatoes. Place them in ice water until ready to fry. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Carefully drop a handful of potatoes at the time in the oil. Do not overcrowd or they will boil and not fry. Fry until potatoes are at the desired texture.

If you want, medium raw fries or a little soft,

take potatoes out as soon as they being to turn brown.

For crunchy raw fries,

leave the potatoes in the oil until they are golden brown.

 Medium on the left...

Crunchy!

South Carolina Hash and Rice

When I was growning up we had hog head hash. It is made with the head, heart, and the liver... no part of the hog was wasted. Now, I use Boston Butts. (which is a cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg and may contain the blade bone)

In pre-revolutionary New England and into the American Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or "high on the hog," like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as "butts") for storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as "Boston butt".

3lbs pork butt*

1/2lb liver, cooked (optional)

1lb peeled potatoes

1 onion

juice from cooking the pork

and a great BBQ sauce (like "Daddy's Bar-B-Que Sauce)

Bake pork (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder), covered until it falls apart. (about 3-4 hours at 350 degrees) Save the renderings/broth. In a pot, boil your potatoes and a finely minced onion seasoned with salt. Run meat (fat and all), liver, potato and onion mixture through a meat grinder. (Or grind in food chopper or processor) Place ground mixture back in the broth, add BBQ sauce to consistence of a very thick gravy. Let simmer at a low temp for another hour or two. Serve over white rice.

* Reserve or cook an extra couple of pounds of meat to shred and add sauce to for the BBQ plate or for sandwiches.

If you don't have the sauce or don't know how much seasoning, try this recipe for making it in the crockpot... what can be easier? I still prefer to grind the meat and not chop to get a smoother texture, but that's just me!

CrockPot Hash

5 to 6 lbs Boston butt roasts
1lb. liver*
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium onions, peeled and diced

Step 1: Set a 5 quart crock pot on high. Rub both roasts and Liver with salt and cracked pepper, then place in the crock pot. Add the diced potatoes and onions, and then fill the pot with hot water or stock and cover. Let it cook 6 to 7 hours until the meat falls apart. Keep check on the water level.

Step 2: Remove the meat from the pot and pull apart to let cool. Next remove the bone, fat, and connective tissue. Pull the meat apart in small pieces and then give it a light chop. Break up the potatoes and onions in the pot with a potato masher. Return the meat to the pot. Add the butter and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it cook another hour or until it is the consistency you like.

Step 3: Add your seasonings one at a time and taste as you go. Add a little BBQ sauce for a kick or extra hot sauce.

Step 4: Serve over your choice of white rice pour sauce over the rice and hash.

*Substitute chicken liver if you need to. Pork can be hard to find.

 Pull (or shred) the rest of the pork...

... and add Daddy's Bar-B-Que Sauce!

Garlic - Onion Mini Rolls

This recipe came about today basically by mistake, accident, expiration dates... you name it. Everything I tried to cook today threw me a curve in some way or another. Do you check the expiration date on all your groceries? I don't mean just the milk, eggs and meat... I mean everything! It seems like every time I come home from the grocery store for the last few months, something is close or past its sell date. The hubby brought home a bottle of Caesar salad dressing last month that expired in May of 2011! Today it was a 4 pk of canned biscuits that I bought to make monkey bread. Luckily, I had just bought a pizza dough to make a Chicken Caesar Pizza, and now that the dressing was expired, I could use it in place of the biscuits. It just wasn't enough dough to make monkey bread, so I came up with these little clouds of yumminess!!!

 I started with

pizza dough, raw and rounded into 1/2" balls

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

 Place the dough balls into the butter mixture

about 5 or 6 at the time.

Scoop them out with you fingers so some of the

onion and garlic bits

transfer to the greased baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Buttery little clouds of yumminess! 

Must have been pretty good... This is all that was left for me :-)

Here is the recipe as I intended it to be... But I like it better the way it turned out today! :-)

Garlic-Onion Monkey Bread Recipe

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough or 24 frozen unbaked white dinner rolls, thawed

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Herb-seasoned olive oil, optional

Divide dough into 24 pieces. In a small bowl, combine the onion, butter, garlic, parsley and salt. Dip each piece of dough into butter mixture; place in a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with olive oil if desired. Yield: 1 loaf (24 pieces).