White Chili with Hominy.

I've never heard a good thing about hominy, and had never eaten it before last night when I had this delicious chicken chili at friend's house!

White Chili with Hominy

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cooked & cubed (or a deboned rotisserie chicken)
1 onion, chopped
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 can white hominy (15.5 oz, drained)
1 can white kidney of canellini beans (15 oz., drained & rinsed)
15 oz. organic chicken broth (preferably Kitchen Basics brand)
2 cans chopped green chilies (4 oz. each)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 TBSP ground cumin (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup half & half

Toppings:
Fresh cilantro, minced
Shredded cheddar cheese
Diced jalapeños

In a large sauce pan, saute onion in oil for about 3 minutes. Add chicken, hominy, beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and half & half. Serve with toppings.

Quick Chicken Divan.

I ran across a version of this on the internet recently, made a few modifications, and cooked it last night. It's easy and delicious!

Quick Chicken Divan Casserole

2 pound package frozen broccoli florets, steamed just until tender
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned & shredded
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips

Mix the steamed broccoli, chicken, and all other ingredients except potato chips in a large mixing bowl and combine well. Pour into a 3-quart casserole dish, top with potato chips, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Easy Potato Soup.

Lorraine ran across this recipe recently, and since we love a good potato soup, we gave it a try. It's very easy, and quite good!


Easy Potato Soup

30 oz bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (or the refrigerated Simply Potatoes)

32 oz container of chicken or vegetable broth.

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

8 oz. regular cream cheese

Place all ingredients except the cream cheese into a crook pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  About 1 hour before serving, add in the cream cheese and heat until thoroughly melted. 

Top with cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream. (You can also make this in about an hour using a regular large soup pot, but cook slowly on low, and stir regularly, as it is easy to stick & scorch.)

Macaroni Salad.

Macaroni Salad

Another from the grand dame, Paula Deen. And it is delicious! Pretty much the perfect southern version of macaroni salad.

• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni, cooked to package directions
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimento
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and put into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

We made these yesterday and they are DELICIOUS!

Lime Chicken Enchiladas

1 rotisserie chicken, deboned & chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TBSP chili powder
8-10 flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cheese
1 15 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup cream or half & half
1 15 oz. can black beans

Mix honey, lime juice, and chili powder together, reserving 2-3 tablespoons, then toss with chicken. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Spray 9x13 & 8x8 pans with non-stick spray. Pour thin layer of enchilada sauce in bottom of each pan. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese, saving 1 cup cheese to spread on top while also reserving honey marinade. Mix remaining enchilada sauce with cream and reserved marinade. Pour sauce on top of both pans of enchilada and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with warmed black beans.

Mustard Chicken.

I haven't tried this yet, but my MIL reports that it is excellent.

Mustard Chicken

2 cups fresh English muffin bread crumbs (or I might just use Panko)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup butter
1-2 cloves garlic finely diced
1 1/2 TBSP Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
5 boneless chicken breasts

Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, & parsley in a paper bag. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the garlic, mustard, & worcestershire sauce. Keep warm.
Dip the chicken in the warm butter and coat with bread crumbs in the bag. Place in a greased baking dish, then pour over any remaining butter & bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Tex-Mex Dip.

Tex-Mex Dip

In a medium bowl, mash together:

3 Medium ripe avacados

2 TBSP Lemon Juice

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Then mix together the following three ingredients in a small bowl.

1 C. sour cream

½ C. mayonnaise

1 pkg taco mix

Get the following ingredients ready to layer:

2 cans bean dip (plain or jalapeno)

1 bunch green onion chopped fine with tops

2 tomatoes chopped

1  6 oz can ripe olives sliced

8 oz cheddar cheese grated

Large round tortilla chips

Then layer as follows:

Spread beans on large cake plate size dish

The avocado mixture

The taco seasoning mixture

Green onions

Tomatoes

Olives

Cheese

Enjoy the dip with tortilla chips!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake.

The most popular dessert on Carnival Cruise ships!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

6 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate
6 oz. unsalted butter
4 eggs
6 oz. sugar
2 oz. flour

Melt the chocolate & butter together. Mix the eggs & sugar and whisk for a few minutes; then add flour. Add the egg mix to the chocolate mix, stir together well, and pour into 4 greased ramekins. Bake directly on the oven rack for 14 minutes at 390 degrees.

Caramel French Toast.

My dear friend, Jennifer, brought this recipe along on a recent visit. We made it one morning, and it is delicious. Very sweet. But delicious.

Caramel French Toast

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
6 TBSP corn syrup
Ten 1 1/4 inch thick slices French bread
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for five minutes or until bubbly. Pour syrup evenly into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Place bread slices over syrup. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir well and pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar & cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over top. Bake, uncovered, 45-50 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Cheese Souffle.

I saw this one recently on Ruth Reichl's blog. I love Ruth, and if you haven't read her books, you have cheated yourself.

Cheese Soufflé

 Melt a half stick of butter over low heat and whisk in two tablespoons of flour until it’s turned into a smooth roux. Slowly pour in a cup of scalded milk and and whisk for a couple of minutes until you have something that’s smooth as melted ice cream.  Toss in a dash of salt, a pinch of pepper and a good handful (about a cup) of grated cheddar cheese, stir well and remove from the heat.  

Separate 4 eggs, stirring the yolks into the cheese mixture.  Whip the whites in a clean bowl with clean beaters until stiff.  Stir about a third of the egg whites into the cooled cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.  Pour into a greased 8 by 8 inch square pan, and bake at 350 until it’s puffy and golden (about half an hour).

Easy BBQ Shrimp.

Quick New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

2 pounds peeled uncooked shrimp
2 sticks butter
Drizzle olive oil
1 package Cajun King BBQ Shrimp seasoning mix
4 cloves garlic, minced


In a large skillet, melt butter and then add oil, seasoning mix, & garlic. Heat mixture until bubbling. Stir in shrimp and cook until shrimp are done, 3-5 minutes.

Easy Jambalaya.

We made this on Mardi Gras, and it was really good. It's not a typical soupy kind of jambalaya, or one that is too tomato-y. It's also good with some shrimp added at the end, or substituting the shrimp for the chicken.

Easy Jambalaya

2 tsp olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

8-12 oz. smoked baby-link sausage (we use Conecuh here in southern Alabama)

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup diced celery

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

16 oz. can diced tomatoes

salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 cups uncooked white rice

4 cups chicken stock

3 bay leaves

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent. Add rice, then stir in chicken stock, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Remove bay leaves and serve with French bread.

Orgasmic Bars.

I didn't name these, nor did the friend who gave me the recipe. But I've been assured that the name is accurate. I plan to make them later this week.

Orgasmic Bars


1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can condensed milk
2 TBSP butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Press mixture into a 9X13 pan, reserving 1 1/2 cups to crumble on top later. In a small boiler, melt together chocolate chips, condensed milk, and 2 TBSP butter. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Spread chocolate mixture over cake mix mixture and crumble remaining dough over chocolate evenly. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool COMPLETELY before cutting into bars.

Delta Cheese Ball.

This concoction is a famous export of the Mississippi Delta. There are subtle variations, but this is a fairly standard version.

Delta Cheese Ball

3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 jar dried beef, finely chopped
1 small can mushrooms, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (4-5 onions)
1/2 cup chopped black olives, drained
3 tsp Accent seasoning (MSG)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix together well. Chill. Roll into a ball. Cover with chopped pecans. Seal tightly in plastic wrap and let refrigerate for 2-3 days for the flavors to blend.

Optional additions:
*1/2 tsp. onion salt
*2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
*Delete the Accent if you don't want the MSG and sub in a couple teaspoons Tony Chachere's seasoning for a spicier kick

Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Sauce


2-3 pounds  pork tenderloin
Olive oil
1 TBSP fresh minced ginger
1/4 cup hoisin sauce 
1/2 cup orange juice 
1/2 cup chicken broth 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil 
2 green onions, sliced 

Rub tenderloin with olive oil. In a large baking pan, roast at 350 degrees for about an hour (until internal temp is about 140). Remove and cover with foil and let stand for about 10 minutes before carving.

In a little olive oil, saute ginger until fragrant, then add remaining sauce ingredients (except green onions). Simmer until thickened, then add green onions. Cut pork into slices and top with sauce and additional green onion slices for garnish.

Heirloom Pralines.

This is a long-treasured recipe in the family that I have only recently accessed. They are perfection!

Heirloom Pecan Pralines

3 cups sugar
l stick butter
3 TBSP white Karo (corn syrup)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (whole milk such as Bulgarian or Bavarian, NOT low-fat or non-fat)
4 cups pecan halves (or walnuts)
2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

In a large (4 quart or larger, the bigger the better) heavy saucepan with straight sides, stir together sugar, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, & buttermilk. Place on medium-high heat and stir continuously until mixture boils. Stop stirring, reduce heat to medium, use a candy thermometer (preferably digital for accuracy), and cook until 240 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat, quickly add the nuts, salt, and vanilla, and stir until mixed. Briefly beat mixture as it cools & thickens, until the glossy appearance starts to turn cloudy. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Work quickly, as the candy hardens rapidly as it cools. Makes about 60. Store in tightly covered container.

Orange Date Nut Cake.

I was going through my grandmother's hand-written recipes recently, and ran across this one THREE TIMES. It was obviously important, and a favorite of hers. I don't remember ever eating it, probably because dates were in it. I don't care for dates. Or raisins. Or prunes. Or really any of the dried fruits.

Orange Date Nut Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 small package (unsure of size) dates (or raisins)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 TBSP grated orange zest

Cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Coat pecans & dates in 1/4 cup flour. Sift remaining flour with baking soda and add to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla, pecans & date mixture, and orange zest and combine well. Bake in a greased & floured tube pan at 350 for 1 hour.

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups sugar
1 TBSP grated orange zest

Mix together and heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake while still in baking pan, poking holes in the cake with a toothpick. Let sit overnight before turning cake out of pan.

Custard Pie.

My grandmother never failed to have one of these custard pies for Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Custard Pie

4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups  whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Add sugar to beaten eggs, then combine well. Add milk and vanilla, combining completely. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cook for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce to 300 degrees for an additional 25 minutes, or until firm.