Coconut Cashew Brittle.

Coconut Cashew Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 each vanilla & coconut)
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups unsalted roasted cashews


Butter two 15x10x1 pans and set aside. Combine cashews & coconut and spread on another large pan and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350, toasting coconut, but taking care to not let the coconut burn. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Add the butter and stir until it is melted. Then cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat, and quickly stir in baking soda, extract(s), cashews, & coconut. Pour half of mixture into each pan and very quickly flatten with a buttered spatula until 1/4 inch thickness. Cool completely, then break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Cheesy Jalapeño Dip.

This will change your life.

Cheesy Jalapeño Dip

2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded & diced
1 4 oz. can chopped jalapeño peppers
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
4-6 diced green onions
1/2 cup mayo
6-8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 stick butter, melted


Stir together all dip ingredients. In a medium bowl, melt butter, then stir in panko & parmesan. Spread dip into a 2 quart casserole dish, then cover with topping. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, just until the topping starts to brown and the sides are bubbly. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, and baguette slices.

My Cole Slaw.

This is totally dependent on getting a very fine grate on the cabbage, preferably with a food processor. You want it really tiny.

Cole Slaw

1 large head of cabbage, first few leaves & stem core removed
8-12 ounces sweet pickle relish
2 medium carrots, grated
at least 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vinegar

Grate the cabbage & carrot with a food processor, then stir in all other ingredients. May have to adjust mayo & sugar to taste.

(If you don't have people who are opposed to raw onion, you can add 1/2 of one to the grating process. A whole one if you really like it, as I do. Also, this page shows exactly what it should like!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup.

I made this one yesterday for Cinco de Mayo, and it was delicious. It makes a LOT. Probably 20 servings. But it just gets better in the fridge!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Either one rotisserie chicken, deboned & shredded OR 5-6 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
Two 32-oz. boxes of good chicken stock (Kitchen Basics brand preferably)
2 medium onions, diced
1 cup rice, uncooked
Two 28-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes (I prefer the Mexican flavor)
1 12-oz. bag frozen white corn
1 7-oz. can diced green chilies
1-2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
Juice of two limes
4 TBSP cumin
1 cup heavy cream
Shredded cheese - cheddar, monterey jack, or any sort of blend

Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro
Salsa
Avocado pieces, or guacamole
Additional shredded cheese

In a very large pot, add two boxes chicken stock and two diced onions. Bring to a boil, then add uncooked rice. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes, until rice is done. Then add diced tomatoes, rotel, frozen corn, black beans, green chilies, lime juice, cumin, and chicken. Let all simmer together for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and about 1 cup shredded cheese. (If soup becomes too thick, you can add extra chicken stock.)

Serve over with tortilla chips, with a topping bar of optional ingredients.

(If all of your family enjoys cilantro, then add some fresh into the soup as it cooks. Otherwise, hold it out and use as a topping option, as some people really dislike it.)

Cheese Soup.

Over the years, I have looked for recipes that attempted to approximate the cheese soup found at Swensen's. Expecially now that Swensen's is a very small chain and very difficult to get to from coastal Alabama. I've never found one that was right. However, this one looks promising. I hope to make it soon, and will report back. Hopes are high!

Cheese Soup

3 TBSP unsalted butter
6 green onions, finely chopped (just the lower third or so)
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
6 cups very good chicken broth (Kitchen Basics is my favorite brand)
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pound Velveeta, cut into 1-inch chunks
Black pepper, to taste

Saute veggies in butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth & soup, whisking until well blended. Stir in Velveeta, and stir until melted. Add pepper, and reduce heat to simmer, or turn off completely. Do not let this ever approach boiling. Top with chopped green onion tops, if desired.

Plantation Pralines.

I bought a wonderful old Louisiana cookbook, and made this praline recipe within 2 hours of getting it home. It is divine, and not at all complicated.

Plantation Pralines

1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 large pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups pecan pieces

In a deep, heavy pot, stir together the sugar, baking soda, and salt; then add buttermilk and combine well. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until mahogany brown in color, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, or the soft-ball stage, about 10 minutes. (When mixture starts to boil, it will become foamy and double in size for about 3 minutes, then steadily decrease back to original size.) Remove from heat, stir in butter & vanilla, and beat until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the pecans and drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Allow to cool for a few minutes and harden.

Ruth's Pancakes.

It is exceedingly rare that I simply link back as an entry here, but I LOVE Ruth Reichl, and you need the full experience of reading her description of the world's best pancakes.

Easy Italian Beef.

This was a Pinterest find, and I tried it immediately. It is astoundingly delicious! It's going into regular rotation at our house.

Easy Italian Beef

5 lbs. rump roast or eye of round roast
1 packet italian seasoning mix
1 jar peperoncini peppers
1 bottle beer

Add all to crock pot and cook on high for about 5-6 hours. Shred the meat in the pot with two forks, then continue cooking for another hour. Serve on crusty bread with provolone cheese.

Notes:
The next time I make this, I'm doubling the peperoncinis, adding 6 whole cloves of garlic, and an onion or two cut into rings. Also, you can subtly shift the flavor with the style of beer that you use. This makes a lot, but the leftovers can be added to salads, omelets, and all sorts of things.

Pork Chili.

I got this one from a dear friend after falling in love with the finished product. It's delicious!

Pork Chili

6 pork chops, with bone 

2 large onions, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

3 big cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 can beef consommé

⅓ small jar of pickled jalapeños (about ½ cup of peppers and juice)

1 tsp sugar

1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

½ tsp Tony Chachere's seasoning 

Brown meat, then remove from pan. Sauté vegetables with generous amount of olive oil. Add tomatoes, jalapeños (juice and peppers out of jar) and consommé.  Put pork chops back in and let simmer about 2 hours.  Remove pork chops, debone, chop, and add back to chili. Serve with lots of french bread. Rice would also be a good option for serving over.

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.