Hummingbird Cake

I've just come here looking for my hummingbird cake recipe, and was alarmed to discover that I don't have it on here. After some quick discussion, I am relieved to be reminded that the Southern Living version is the ONLY recipe that should ever be used!

Birdseed Bars

I saw this homemade granola bar on an episode of Annabel Langbein's PBS show, and it has instantly become the daily breakfast for my wife. They are delicious by themselves, but are elevated by a spread of peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella!

BIRDSEED BARS:

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup hemp seeds (or whole cup of sesame)

1/2 cup unsalted cashews

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup of flax seed

2 tbsp chia

*1-2 cups rice krispy cereal, optional at the very end of mixing

TOAST TOGETHER at 350 for 15 minutes

(1 cup COCONUT and/or Dried fruit of choice, optional!)

1 stick butter

8 tbsp raw sugar

4 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp agave

3 tbsp honey

1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Add everything except peanut butter to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add peanut butter, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour over toasted mix, dump back onto baking sheet, press out to homogenous thickness, and cool for an hour or two. Cut into bars, and keep in airtight container.

Sweet Potato Curry Coconut Stew

This is a favorite from the old ABC cooking show, The Chew. 

FRESH-FROM-THE-FARM COCONUT CARROT STEW

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cup carrots (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces) (I use a bag of matchstick for simplicity.)

1 1/2 cup sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces) (or more!)

1 1/2 pounds raw chicken (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces) (I often leave this out entirely.)

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

2 cans (13.5oz) coconut milk

1 quart chicken stock (Or vegetable stock to make vegan, if leaving out chicken.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt & pepper, to taste

toasted coconut flakes (to garnish)

Place oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté until lightly browned and cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Sauté for a couple minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Add coconut milk and chicken stock, bring to a boil. Let simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes. Serve warm.

Asian Pork Tacos

Asian Pork Tacos



*Meat:
about 3 pounds lean pork - tenderloin, center cut chops, country style ribs, etc.
1/4 cup fresh grated ginger, or 1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup good teriyaki sauce, preferably Island brand

*Slaw:
1 or 2 bags tricolor cole slaw mix
sprinkle of salt & pepper
shake of celery seed
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
generous shake of 5 spice seasoning
optional: fresh cilantro

*Homemade Yum Yum (or use store-bought):
1 cup good mayo
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 TPSP rice vinegar
1/8 cup sriracha
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP fresh ginger

Flour tortillas
Extra cilantro

Mix up the slaw and let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Trim meat of extra fat or silver skin and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Add rest of ingredients and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Then cook over medium heat in a large pan or wok until the liquid reduces to a nice sauce. Lightly fry tortillas in a little butter or coconut oil. Layer meat, slaw, yum yum, and cilantro.

Perfect Black-eyed Peas.

Perfect Black-Eyed Peas

1 pound dried peas
2 tsp salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 diced onions

Soak peas overnight in plenty of water. Strain & rinse, then cover with one inch of water. Add salt, bouillon cube, and onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes. Adding a ham bone during cooking adds extra flavor!

Cherry Pecan Cookies #3.

Pecan Cherry Dunkers
These are so easy to make – mix all the ingredients and then roll into logs and refrigerate. When chilled, all that is left to do is slice and bake. Cut them about 1⁄4” thick - perfect for dunking into a cold glass of milk or hot coffee or tea.

1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups candied cherries
2 cups sanding sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, mix well. Stir in nuts and cherries. Divide dough into thirds. Roll each third into a 10-inch long log. Roll each one in wax paper. Chill for 3 hours. Cut into 1⁄4-inch thick slices. Roll edges or entire cookies into sanding sugar. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

Watermelon Splash.

Watermelon Splash

1 ounce vodka
1 ounce white rum
2.5 ounces DeKuyper Watermelon Pucker
Splash pineapple juice
Club Soda, to taste

Quick Corned Beef & Cabbage

Quick Corned Beef & Cabbage

1/2 lb. deli corned beef, sliced on #2 setting, then chopped
3/4 small cabbage, chopped
1 onion, chopped
10 yellow new potatoes, cubed
2 strips bacon, cooked
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
Butter, salt, pepper

Saute onion & potatoes in butter with salt and pepper for about 10 minutes. Add corned beef and continue cooking on low for another 10 minutes. Add cabbage and 3/4 cup water, then cook on medium until cabbage is tender. Mix together well, then finish with 2 strips of cooked & crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese.

Jeffrey's Grilled Portobellos

Jeffrey’s Grilled Portobellos

4 large portobello mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers

1 oz Romano or other firm cheese, finely slivered

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stem

2 TBSP pine nuts

1/2 cup plus TBSP balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 & 1/3 cup EVOO, more as needed

12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Trim the stems off the mushrooms. Wipe the caps clean. Make a series of deep slices in the caps, and insert pieces of garlic, cheese, rosemary, and pine nuts.

Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and the salt & pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil and basil. Pour some of the mixture into the bottom of a non-reactive baking dish and arrange the portobellos in it, gill-side up. Swish the mushrooms around to coat the bottoms. Spoon the remaining marinade over the mushrooms. Marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Heat grill to high.

When read to cook, remove the mushrooms from marinade. Which the remaining 2 TBSP vinegar into the marinade. Arrange the mushrooms onto the grill, directly on the grate, gill-side down. Grill for 3 minutes, then invert and spoon on remaining marinade into gills. Continue grilling until the caps are browned and very tender, 4-6 minutes, rotating them 45 degrees after two minutes to give crosshatch marks. Serve at once.

Jeffrey's Pesto

Jeffrey’s Pesto

40 fresh basil leaves

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cups finely grated parmesan cheese

2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Rinse basil and pat dry with a paper towel. Put basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan into a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth. Pulse while adding EVOO. Season with salt & pepper. Toss with freshly cooked pasta!

French Camp Chili

French Camp Chili

1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground hamburger meat, browned & drained
1 can tomato soup & 1/2 can water
1 can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 can kidney beans
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
2 whole cloves

Mix all ingredients together and heat through. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serves 5.

French Camp Honey Mustard

French Camp Honey Mustard

1 cup mustard
1/2 cup pure honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 squirt Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Mix well and add a little more honey if too sour or a little more mustard if too sweet!

French Camp Bread

French Camp Bread

Somewhere around the turn of the millennium, I bought a packet of recipes at the Council House Cafe in French Camp, MS. We would drive down from Starkville occasionally just to eat lunch there. So, when they made the recipes available, I instantly bought them. But along the way, the original packet was lost and I had only added about half of them to my electronic files. Those four or five have been on this blog for ages. Today, many years later, that missing packet has turned up. And this recipe for the magical bread, that I KNEW existed but could not locate, is now available to me again!

2 to 2.5 cups flour

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP butter

Mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast. Heat milk, water & butter to lukewarm. Slowly add dry ingredients and beat for two minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and beat two more minutes. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Pour out onto a floured board and knead two or three minutes. Put in a bread pan and let rise for about an hour. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

14 Layer Chocolate Cinnamon Torte

14 Layer Chocolate Cinnamon Torte

This was passed on from a friend in 1991. It was the groom's cake at our wedding in 1992, made by the bride!

Filling*
3 squares semisweet chocolate
4 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup baking cocoa

Cookie Layers*
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups butter, softened
2 eggs
2 TBSP ground cinnamon
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

*Make extra of both

1. Cut 14 sheets of parchment paper into 9 inch rounds
2. Into large bowl, measure sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, & 2 cups flour
With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
Increase speed to medium and beat mixture three minutes or until VERY light and fluffy (occasionally scraping bowl).
With spoon, stir in remaining flour to make soft dough.
3. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Speckle pan with water.
Put parchment paper circles on pan. Spread 1/3 cup of dough with metal spatula into very thin layer onto each circle (spread as close to edge as possible).
Bake layers 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
(BETTER TO UNDERCOOK THAN TO BAKE PAPER ONTO COOKIE.)

4. Remove pan to wire rack.
Cool five minutes.
With pancake turner, carefully remove cookie (still on parchment paper) to wire rack to cool completely. (allow pan to cool before putting on new parchment paper circles)
Repeat until all dough is baked.

Carefully stack cookies, cover, cool, dry.

5. Early in day, or day ahead, melt chocolate (buy LOTS), and make curls, and chocolate  dipped strawberries. Pour melted chocolate in pan, refrigerate until hardened, curl with spoon. DO NOT touch curls at all, used a toothpick or tool to handle. In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream and cocoa until soft peaks form (add sugar to taste).

6. CAREFULLY peel paper off one cookie.
Place on flat cake pan.
Spread with about 1/2 cup whipped mixture.
Continue with all cookies.

7. Decorate and refrigerate for at least three hours (cookies soften).
DO NOT FREEZE ANTYHING.
Make it pretty!


(After miraculously finding the hand-written copy from 1991, and reconstructing the recipe from the moisture-smeared text, I found this version already online, which I'm linking for reference.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Isabelle got this one from a friend at the Piggly Wiggly and it is pretty much perfect for a basic delicious pound cake!

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each. Alternate adding cream with flour until well mixed. Add vanilla. Pour into a bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least 85 minutes. Test with a skewer, and cook until it comes out clean. This will often require an additional 10-20 minutes of baking.

Three-Week Cole Slaw

Three-Week Cole Slaw

3 pounds cabbage, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
2 medium chopped fine
2 cups sugar (but can be reduced to taste!)

Mix together and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white vinegar
1-2 TBSP celery seeds
1 TBSP salt

Bring these ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and while hot, pour over cabbage mixture and stir well. Serves 36, keeps for 3 weeks in the refrigerator

Bushwhacker!

1 part light rum

1 part dark rum

1 part amaretto

2 parts Kahlua

2 parts Creme de Cacao

2 parts Bailey's

2 parts half & half (or milk;)

Blend with lots of ice, serve with whipped cream & a cherry!

Quick Pimento Cheese.

Spicy Pimento Cheese

3 cups extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimento, drained

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Place the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, minced jalapeno, and pimento into the large bowl of a mixer.

Beat at medium speed, with paddle if possible, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Crumbled bacon and toasted pecan pieces are optional additions.

Makes about 4 cups.

Vegetable Beef Soup.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1-1.5 pounds lean stew meat or roast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion (or 1 one bag frozen diced)
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine

Brown onion, then add beef and sear for about 3 minutes. Add wine & broth to cover, then bake at 350 for about 90 minutes.

1 bag frozen veggie soup mix (1 pound bag)
1 bag frozen veggie soup mix with tomatoes (1 pound bag)
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 28. oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
Ground pepper
Water to cover, about a quart

Add all to cooked meat, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour.

Lemon Bars.

Lemon Bars

1 box lemon cake mix
1 stick butter
1 egg

Combine and press into oiled pan.

8 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs
1 lb. powdered sugar

Cream the cheese until smooth, with no lumps, scraping the sides of the bowl. Alternate adding eggs & powdered sugar until combined. Don't over mix then pour evenly over cake mixture. 

If possible, refrigerate overnight. Bake at 250 degrees fro 50-60 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely before slicing. I like an 8x11 pan for this, as it keeps the crust at a good thickness.