Shrimp or Chicken Okra Gumbo

Hello, this is the other half of Will's Kitchen and I cook when he lets me in the kitchen. In fact, we both enjoy cooking together now that we have a large enough kitchen for us both to be in there. This is one of my family recipes I am attempting to create. Of course it will never taste as good as Maw Maw’s or my mothers but I have to keep the tradition alive as long as I can. Since we have, no children to pass this on to I hope some one out there in the Internet world will find this and enjoy it and maybe add it to their family favorites on Sunday.
Potato salad and fresh farmers market tomatoes go great with this.
E


Chicken or Shrimp Okra Gumbo

Cook chicken in skillet until it changes from raw
(Now my mom left out that she uses a whole chicken cut up and one with the bones does add a little more flavor than one with out bones. I tried it both ways and like the chicken cut up with the bones. For just me and my hubby we only used ½ of the chicken use the whole if feeding 4 or more)

Brown 1 large onion chopped (I use the oil I browned chicken in.)
Add ¾ cup celery (also add the tops or leaves)
¼ to ½ bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
then add 1/8 to ¼ cup of water
1 Tablespoon of vinegar ( I think this is the secret ingredient they used. In fact it is to keep the okra from becoming slimy.)
Now add about 1 to 1 ½ cup cut okra.
Let cook on low fire uncovered until okra stars to break up some.
Add a peeled chopped red or green tomatoes or a can of chopped tomatoes. ( I have used both can and a green one and prefer a green one if you can find it)
Add 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon basil
2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Chicken (If using shrimp add last 10 min to gumbo)
Hot sauce to taste or Zatarans. (I used hot sauce my Maw Maw did not have Zatarans when she made it.)
Let simmer with lid on about 1 to 1 1/2 hour or till chicken is cooked. Serve over rice. (Should be served like a soup lots of juice)
Even better the next day.
Featured at Deep South

Bacon and Rotel Quiche

This turned out real good.. We had some bacon in the freezer we need to use up so this fit the bill. Even though we used a deep dish there was still a little spillage.


by ~Nimz~ 1¼ hours 15 min prep 1 pie
1 prepared 9 inch pie shell deep dish
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel, drained)
1-2 green onion, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, graded (I used 4 Cheese Mexican blend)
1 cup milk or half-and-half
6 eggs
kosher salt
white pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake pie crust for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Sprinkle crumbled bacon, onions, Rotel and cheese over crust.
Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour egg mixture into crust.
Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Seafood, Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce

Seafood feast
We ate at a restaurant in Vicksburg that is known for their fried green tomatoes with a crab remoulade sauce. We thought they were good but of course, we thought we could do better. We like ours food a little more spicy than some so we did add a little more red pepper. In fact, we could have used more. We found another recipe that we may try later. But for now, this was very good. We used more corn meal with our tomatoes than the restaurant because that is the way we like it. We had a few spicy steamed shrimp and crawfish with corn and new potatoes.

Remoulade sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1-teaspoon spicy brown or Creole mustard
2 green onions
1/8 ground red pepper.
Mix altogether cover and refrigerate.

Steaks in Mushroom-Brandy Cream Sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 1 inch thick beef tenderloin
Salt and pepper
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions cut in 1 inch pieces
1 cup brndy
1 cup whipping cream

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper and athen add to hot skillet.
Cook for 2 min. on each side or till brown.
Place in baking dish. Bake uncovered in 400 degree oven for 10 to 13 minutes for medium rare.
For sauce cook mushrooms and green onions in same skillet over medium heat till just tender.
Remove from heat: add brandy. Return to heat simmer uncovered for 4 minutes or till most of the liquid is evaporated. Add whipping cream: bring to just boiling. Boil gently 8 minutes or till reduced to one cup; stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Place steaks on warm plate and add sauce over meat.

This was very good with a baked potatoe and salad we did half the recipe.

Pork Loin Roast with Blackberry_Gorgonzola Sauce

Yum Yum! We even belive it or not had a few wild blackberrys growing on our back fence that were ripe that we added. Spouse thought that the cheese was a little strong but I liked it and did add when served.
We had a smaller roast about 2 1/2 lb aso we cut back on the cheese and blackberry preserves by about 1/2.
4 lb pork loin roast
1 12 oz. jar rasberry (we used blackberry preserves)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 lb gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pecans
salt
pepper

preheat oven to 325
season pork with salt and pepper
cook on roasting rack in shallow baken pan uncovered for approximately 2 hours.
toast pecans in a skillet till they began to darken then set aside.
In same skillet mix blackberry preserves with honey and black pepper to taste.
Stiring often, heat till it reaches a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a couple minutes.
Add 1/2 pecans chopped and 1/2 cheese to sauce.
After two hours remove roast and spoon half of the blackberry sauce over the roast.
Return to oven and cook approximately 30 more minutes.
When done remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes befor slicing.
Garnish each portion with more of the blackberry sauce and crumbled cheese and toasted pecans.

Chicken Lime and Curry

6 chicken thighs
3 tablespoons flour
1 tabelspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 small red onion or 1/2 large
2 cloves garlic
1/2 to cup chicken stock
1 to 2 taplespoons curry or to your tast
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1 lime (juice and zest)
1/4 cup frest cilantro
1/3 cup sour cream
dash of cayenne or pepper flakes

combine flour and pepper and dredge thighs in mixture(can add cayenne or ppper flakes)
Brown chicken in oil and remove to plate
Add onion, garlic and rest of flour and saute
Add broth, curry and pepper sauce and stir to blend, simmer for 2 minutes then bring to boil.
Add chicken, lime juice and zest. Cook till chicken is done.
Add sour cream and cilantro just befor serving.

This was very good and we served over rice.

Apple dumpling

Warning!! for those watching your weight do not attempt this it is dangerous to your health. Because it is sooooooooooo good. Of course everything goes better with ice cream. Honey did you say we were going to start a diet next week????? We would like to thank Pioneer Woman http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ for this one.

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew -I used half of a 20 oz bottle

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Pork Chops with apples and Cabbage

Baked Pork Chops and Apples
SERVES 6
2 Tablespoons butter
6 Pork chops
4 Apples
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice the apples.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a skillet.
Brown the pork chops on both sides in the butter.
Grease (or spray) a large baking dish.
Put the apple slices in the bottom of the dish.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the apples.
Place the pork chops on top of the apples.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Cabbage and Brown Sugar
SERVES 6 -8
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon canola oil
8 Cups shredded green cabbage (about 1 normal-sized head)
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
3-4 Garlic cloves, minced (I use 4)
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat; add cabbage, garlic and brown sugar to pan.
Sauté until the cabbage is limp, about 5 minutes or so.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in vinegar.
Cook, stirring very often, for approximately 20 minutes; taste and if cabbage is too crunchy for you, continue to cook for a few more minutes.
Add salt, pepper to taste, and serve.

This was very yummy the apples we used were granny smith and we served over rice. With half of a Cabbage we cut this in half and tried it. It may have been a little much with both dishes made with brown sugar but both were good. Both found on recipe zaar.

Apricot_Rosemary Glazed Pork

The recipe is courtesy of Betty Crocker.

2¼ hours 10 min prep SERVES 10
3 lbs pork loin roast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup dry sherry or cooking sherry or apple juice
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove any excess fat from the roast.
Place roast in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spary.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small saucepan, heat the preserves, sherry, rosemary and garlic over medium heat, stirring frequently.
When thickened, spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto pork reserving remainder.
Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of pork.
Bake uncovered 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the therometer reads 155 degrees.
Cover pork with foil and allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
Cut roast into slices.
Heat the reserved apricot mixture and serve with roast.

This was very good so good in fact; that we forgot to take a picture after we took it out the oven, the smell while cooking was to die for. We were a little leery as we are not great fans of apricots but thought we would give it a try and boy are we glad we did. We used apple juice instead of the cooking sherry. This was a great way to cook a pork loin roast, we will make again, and next time take a picture. Try this one it was very tasty.

Blackberry-Glazed Pork chops

Well the weather is a little cool again but it makes for being in the kitchen a lot better. Saturday we had a pear salad, roasted potatoes and a blackberry-glazed pork chop. The glaze made a good bit and we did not want it to go to waste so the next night we got some country ribs and cooked them out on the grill. We were surprised that the flavor was not as strong on the ribs as on the chops the night before.We are not sure what we did wrong but they still tasted good. We may try this again on the grill with chicken or something else.
Blackberry Glaze
1 tsp butter
4 boneless pork chops ¾ to 1 ¼ thick
½ cup blackberry jam
1/3 cup blackberry or balsamic vinegar (we used the vinegar)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves(we did not have fresh so we used dry)

Heat butter in large skillet on med high heat. Cook chops on both sides about 5 to 7 minutes or till browned.
Mix remaining ingredients; add to skillet, simmer uncovered, until sauce is reduced to a glaze consistency and chops are tender about 5 to 8 min. Turn chops frequently.

Baked Apples and Cream

The last few days have been unseasonably warm here, we feel for every one up north with all the cold weather and snow. Nevertheless, we have been thinking of ice cream already, with temps in the 80’s its hard not to. We had some granny smith apples we needed to cook so I found this one-called apples and cream of course at the zarr. Of course my hubby wanted some ice cream to go with it.
This was very easy to make.
3-4 granny smith (we might try with Fuji next time) cut and peeled in 1/8 slices
About ¼ to ½ cup sugar(depends on size of apples)
Generous amount of cinnamon
Place in baking dish and dot with butter.
Bake in microwave on high for around 10 min till a fork inserts easily
Set aside
In sauce pan add
1 ½ tablespoon flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup milk
Bring to a boil stirring constantly over a medium heat
The sauce will thicken, remove from heat and add
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour over apples and sprinkle with cinnamon and you can add nutmeg if you like
We add it to ice cream.

Cabbage Beef Soup

This a a good one from Family Oven
We did kick it up with some ped pepper flakes.

/2 large onion, chopped
4 beef bouillon cubes
24 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 cups water 2 cups water
1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chopped cabbage

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion, and cook until beef is well browned and crumbled. Drain fat, and transfer beef to a slow cooker. Add cabbage, kidney beans, water, tomato sauce, bouillon, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve bouillon, and cover.
Cook on high setting for 4 hours, or on low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

New Years Black eyed Peas

We placeed this over rice and did add some red pepper flakes and garlic and a little Zaterans as we like it spicy.

from All recipes by dicentra
2¼ hours 10 min prep

#1 lb dried black-eyed peas
2 cups chopped cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder
2 onions, diced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole tomatoes


Place black-eyed peas in 8 quart pot. Add enough water to fill pot 3/4 full.
Stir in ham and diced onions, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor, and blend until the tomatoes are liquefied.
Add tomatoes to pot. Bring all ingredients to boil.
Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the peas are tender.

Thai Shrimp Chili Soup

This is a dish we fixed just before New Years. We will fix this one again.




35 min 15 min prep

#14 ounces light coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2-3 teaspoons chili paste with garlic
1 1/2-2 lbs uncooked shrimp, peeled (medium-size)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained (I use ones with green chilies)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I use a mix of crimini and oyster)
chopped cilantro (for garnish, optional)


Combine coconut milk, ginger and chili paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon.
Combine flour and soy sauce in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk, then add to coconut milk in saucepan.
Add tomatoes, green onion, lime juice and sugar, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Stir in mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
Return the shrimp to the pan and cook until thoroughly heated.
Serve sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.


We did not change anything and the first bite was wow but our taste buds adjusted and it must have some drug in as we could not stop and the heat and fire seemed to get better or our buds were burnt.LOL

Baked Havarti

This was very good and so easy.
by dojemi
10 servings
35 min 20 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric
#20
slices havarti cheese
1 (8
ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2
granny smith apples
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Place 1/2 the rolls on a cookie sheet and forming a rectangle shape.
Place 2 layers of cheese on top of the rectangle.
Make a rectangle out of the remaining rolls and layer on top of the cheese.
Seal the edges together.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with sliced granny smith apples.