Perfection Pound Cake.

I have finally located the perfect pound cake. It is in the marvelous book All Cakes Considered. I got the book this past Christmas, and finally got around to taking it for a spin today. This is the first recipe in the book, and it alone is worth the cost of the book. Fortunately, someone else has already put it online. It's so good that I may make another tomorrow! The smell of it cooking is surely the closest that we can get to the perfume of Heaven. Now, if I can find my grandmother's recipe for lemon glaze, I might actually lose consciousness after the first bit......

Big Bob Gibson's White BBQ Sauce.

There is another recipe for the classic "white BBQ" sauce (a regional concoction that hails from northern Alabama) already on this site, but I saw this one today and knew that it had to this collection. This one is from Big Big Gibson BBQ in Decatur, AL, and they have been making this version for decades.

Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q White Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup apple juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Makes 4 cups. Use as a marinade, baste or dipping sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chile Verde

After a very cold parade this Mardi Gras, we discovered this dish at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. We've been trying to duplicate it ever since. This is the recipe I used yesterday, and it was a unanimous hit. I will broil the tomatillos and peppers again in the future, but if I am in a hurry, I will not hesitate to use canned salsa verde.

4 pound pork shoulder/butt
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced (I used frozen)
1 small onion diced (again, frozen)
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
10 tomatillos (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles (optional)
5 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

Remove the outer (papery) husks from the tomatillos. Rinse well, slice in half, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet with the cut side down. Place unpeeled garlic cloves and rinsed chiles on sheet also. Broil 5-7 minutes to blacken the skin. Let cool enough to handle. (If doing peppers, place them in a plastic bag to sweat, then, when cooled, remove skin, seeds, and stems.)

Place tomatillos (including blackeded skins) into blender. Remove garlic cloves from skins and add to blender. Add any other chiles (after removing skins, seeds, stems). Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. (You could also add cilantro to the blender, but we add it as we serve as some of our crowd HATES it.)

In a large (5-6 quart) slow cooker, place the pork (after removing any visible fat). Add all other ingredients, making sure spices are well incorporated. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 6 hours - until the meat shreds easily with a fork.

Serve with cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheesed, etc over cornbread, tortillas, rice, etc

Spanish Rice

In search of the perfect rice to serve with our favorite Mexican entrees, I tried this recipe. I didn't have tomato paste, but I plan to use that next time to get the traditional color in this dish. The rice was delicious, and well worth the extra step of browning before cooking.

Amazing Cake!

A friend sent me a link to this one a while back, and I've been meaning to post is since.... One of these days, I'm going to have to make it!

Tennessee Jam Cake.

Tennessee Jam Cake

1 cup butter 

2 cups sugar 

1 cup buttermilk 

4 eggs beaten 

2 tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. allspice 

1 tsp. cloves 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

2 cups blackberry jam—seedless 

1 cup canned pears –chopped 

1 cup chopped nuts 

1 cup raisins 

Cream butter and sugar. Add nuts, pears, eggs, and jam. Mix well. Add flour with buttermilk. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees in 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Ice with favorite frosting! 

Blend of the Bayou.

Blend of the Bayou

1 8 ounce cream cheese 

1 stick butter 

1 lb. shrimp 

1 lb. scallops 

1 large chopped onion 

1 large red and green pepper chopped 

1/2 cup celery 

1 tsp. margarine 

1/2 can mushrooms 

2 cans mushroom soup 

2 Tbl. Garlic salt or fresh garlic 

2 cups uncooked rice (cook before using) 

1 or 2 Tbl. Tabasco sauce 

1/2 tsp. red pepper 

2 cans crab meat 

Grated cheddar cheese 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt cream cheese and butter. Sauté onion, bell pepper, celery and shrimp in maragine. Add to first mixture. Add soup, mushrooms, seasonings, crab meat, and rice, mix well. Pour into a glass casserole dish. Top with sharp grated cheese. Bake at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes (or until bubbly). 

Tortilla Soup.

Tortilla Soup

5 bone in chicken breasts

5 quarts water

8 stalks celery, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces

8 carrots, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch pieces

2-3 medium onions, chopped

3 teaspoons minced garlic

6 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper (can use more)

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (can use more)

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can use more)

1 teaspoon cumin (can use more)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies,

original (Rotel)

2 (8 ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies, mild (Rotel)

1 pint heavy whipping cream (can use more)

3 (15 ounce) cans corn, drained

30 corn tortillas

monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, fancy shred (for topping)

peanut oil or canola oil or vegetable oil, for frying tortilla strips

3-4 tablespoons chicken base (Better than Bullion, can use more)

In a large stockpot, over med hi heat, boil chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and peppers in water for 1 to 2 hours, or until chicken is very tender, and easy to de-bone.

Remove chicken and let cool. Reduce heat to simmer.

Add Rotel, cilantro, corn, and cumin to the pot, stir well.

Remove chicken from the bone, and chunk. Add to the pot. Simmer 30 minutes.

Add cream. Stir in bullion paste to taste.

Cut tortillas in thin strips, and fry in heated oil (med hi heat) until golden brown, drain on paper towels.

Place tortilla strips in bottom of bowl, ladle soup over top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Mexican Meatball Soup

I wish I could claim full credit for something this easy and delicious, but the inspiration for this recipe came from Real Simple Magazine, April 2010. Our entire family found this soup to be more delicious than Taco Soup, which has long been one of our favorites.

1 pound ground sausage
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed (plus more for serving)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups mild salsa (about 1 1/2  16-ounce jars)

1 avocado, cut into pieces
tortilla chips
cilantro
Mexican crumbling/melting cheese
sour cream

Combine sausage, tortilla chips, cumin, salt, and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls (about 24). These can be cooked on a broiler pan in the oven on broil for 5-6 minutes OR on a foil-lined baking pan in the toaster oven on 350 for about 10 minutes. I like to turn the meatballs once and bake them until they are nicely browned.

In a blender (or in the large saucepan with an immersion blender), puree the salsa and one cup water. In a large saucepan, add two cups water to salsa puree and bring to a boil. Add the cooked meatballs, reduce the heat, ad simmer until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve with avocado, cilantro, chips, cheese, and sour cream, if desired.

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

Campbell's Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded monterey Jack cheese
6 6" tortillas (warmed)
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

1. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante, and chili powder in a medium bowl.
2. Stir one cup mixture, chicken, and cheese in a large bowl.
3. Divide chicken mixture among tortillas. Roll up the tortillas  and place seam side up in 2 qt shallow baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture over filled tortillas. Cover.
4. Bake at 350 for 40 mins or until hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion

Gizrum.

I was recently bequeathed a vintage Alabama cookbook from the 60s. In it, I ran across this recipe, and since I had never heard the word before, I Googled it. I only saw two references, and one was for this same recipe in another cookbook, archived for perpetuity at Google Books. But just in case something happens and that book is taken down from Google (it IS still in production and available from Amazon), I'm adding it here as well. It is definitely a member of the relish family.

Gizrum

16 large ripe tomatoes
6 large white onions
6 green peppers
1 red hot pepper
2 cups sugar
6 TBSP salt (can be reduced to four, to taste)
1 pint vinegar
spices, to taste

Scald & skin tomatoes. Chop onions and green peppers coarsely. Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy kettle and cook slowly for one hour or longer, until thick. Stir often to prevent scorching. Pour into small jars and seal while hot. Serve with black eyed peas and turnip greens.

Best Macaroni & Cheese.

Ruth Reichl had delcared this to be the world's BEST Macaroni & Cheese.....

Macaroni and Cheese

Topping:
¼ stick (two tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 4 ounces)

Mac & Cheese:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 ¾ cups whole milk
¾ cups heavy cream
4 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
Stir together butter, panko, and cheese in a bowl until well combined.
Melt butter in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat. Whisk in flour and red pepper flakes and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes to make a roux. Whisk in milk in a slow stream, then bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. Simmer, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in cream, Cheddar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Remove pot from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming.
Cook macaroni in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt per every 4 quarts of water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain macaroni.
Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce in a large bowl, then transfer to baking dish (mixture will be loose).
Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni. Bake until top is golden and bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes.

Smoked Tuna Dip

2 small cans tuna, drained well
1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened slightly
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon worcestershire
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
dash (or two) of pepper sauce (like Tabasco or Sriracha)
Juice of half a lime
paprika or smoked paprika

Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with crackers.

Sprinkle with paprika for decoration.

Energy Bars

These is the recipe our kids begged their Uncle Matt to share with us after they tried his Energy Bars.

1 c. uncooked oats (Matt uses old fashioned oats)
1/2 c. wheat bran
1/2 c. oat bran
1 c. crunchy peanut butter
2 T. Margarine
1/2 c. protein powder
1 c. raisins (Matt prefers only 1/4 cup)
1 c. coconut
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. light Karo syrup

Here is the original link.

Coconut-Lime Cheesecake.

I ran across a recipe last week on another blog that I enjoy and made it immediately. It was truly delicious, but I want to modify it into a traditional cheesecake form. While I have not tested this version, I believe that it will work very well.

Coconut-Lime Cheesecake

Graham Cracker crust:

1 stick butter, melted
2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

In a bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, & graham cracker crumbs. Press the mixture onto the bottom and two-thirds of the way up the sides of a 9" round springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, leaving oven temp at 350.


Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages softened cream cheese
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 (16-ounce) can cream of coconut
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 TBSP vanilla
2 eggs

In a very large bowl (preferably a stand mixer), put one package of cream cheese and the cornstarch and beat on low until creamy, scraping the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the cream of coconut, vanilla, and eggs. Beat in the lime juice until just completely blended, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the crust.

Wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil, to prevent water intrusion into the bottom of the pan. Place the cake into a large shallow pan, and add hot water into the pan until it comes about 1 inch up the side of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 60-75 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for two hours (walk away from it, and do not move it!) Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, at least four hours and preferably overnight.

Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 1/4 cup toasted coconut
2 teaspoons lime zest

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy and smooth. Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream and lime zest. Carefully spread frosting over cooled cheesecake. Sprinkle with coconut.

Almond Tart.

The Fresh Market used to have the most amazing "almond creme torte" in their bakery. Sadly, it was discontinued a year or so ago, and it was a dark & depressing day when I went in for my usual indulgence only to find that it was a memory. But, last week Isabelle had a sample of this creation at a school function and came home to report that it tasted just like the one that we both loved. She brought home the recipe, and I was amused to find that I already owned the cookbook that it came from. I would have probably never found the recipe though if she hadn't brought it to my attention. I plan to make this in the very near future.

Almond Tart

3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
sugar to taste

Beat melted butter and measured sugar in a bowl until well mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour, salt, and almond extract and beat well. Pour into a foil-lined 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar to taste. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until light golden brown.

While not part of this recipe, I would consider making an almond cream filling, split the tart, and make a center layer of filling.

Almond Cream

1/4 c Butter

1 c Almond paste

1 c Rich milk or light cream

1/2 c Sugar

1/2 c Toasted almonds, ground

6 Egg yolks

1 ts Vanilla

Cream butter until it is soft. Add almond paste a little at a time, alternating with milk. Stir in sugar and ground nuts. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until cream thickens. Stir a few tablespoons of hot, thickened cream into egg yolks. Then pour egg-yolk mixture into remaining cream, stirring briskly.

Return to low heat. Continue to cook and stir until cream thickens a little more, being careful not to let it boil. When mixture is cool, add vanilla.

30-Minute Chili.

30-Minute Chili

2 pounds lean ground beef
1/3 cup Chili Seasoning Mix
2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green pepper, celery, and onion
2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (16-oz.) can black beans, undrained
1 (15.5-oz.) can small red beans, undrained
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 bell peppers, chopped

Brown beef in a Dutch oven, then drain well. Return beef to Dutch oven; sprinkle evenly with seasoning mix, and sauté 1 minute over medium-high heat.

Stir in diced tomatoes and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Chili Seasoning Mix.

Chili Seasoning Mix

3/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

Yield: Makes about 1 1/3 cups

Stir together all ingredients. Store seasoning mix in an airtight container up to 4 months at room temperature. Shake or stir well before using.

Rosemary Chicken Salad

from Cooking Light


3 cups chopped cooked chicken (about  3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped smoked almonds
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup light mayo
1 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Coffee Daiquiri

from Carnival Cocktails

1 fl oz Kahlua
1/4 fl oz Dark Creme de Cacao
1/4 fl oz Triple Sec
2 fl ozs cream - half & half

Mix together, pour over ice.