Baked Beans

Growing up, my paternal grandmother, Polly, was known for her baked beans. We usually had them at our Easter meal at their house, accompanied by white bread sandwiches with homemade baked ham, potato salad, assorted "col'drinks" and lemon icebox pie. After stuffing ourselves, my sister and I impatiently awaited permission to go out in the front yard and hunt the eggs our parents had hidden in the creeping phlox that swept across the front of the property. More than once, we also found some "spring peepers" - the summer's singing frogs. (Always picked them up gently and put them right back - mom would've had a fit to find one in our pockets!)

Polly's beans are probably the best baked beans I've ever had. They're sweet, not overly smoky or onion-y like some homemade baked beans, and *should* retain the shape of the spoon when cooked correctly. (Thanks Joe B. for coining that reference last night - so, so true!) Mix up a batch and try them for yourselves!

2 regular-sized cans of pork and beans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
2 T. yellow mustard
1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces.

Mix all together in a big bowl, turn out into an oblong baking dish (9x13 works great), and cook at 350 for an hour.

Summer Slaw

My maternal grandmother used to have a big fish fry at least once a summer, complete with homemade slaw, baked beans, sliced homegrown tomatoes, deviled eggs, sweet tea, banana pudding and crappie fried light as air. We'd sit outside on weathered, barn-red picnic tables, chase each other around the yard with sparklers and catch lightning bugs after dinner. It was one of those memorable experiences you don't really think about until you're older, and hope to someday recreate.

I've never been a good fish-fryer, but could manage the rest well enough, save the homemade coleslaw. One day, a hankering for my MeMe's coleslaw snuck up on me, and I called her for the recipe - thinking all this time that making homemade slaw was a difficult and time-consuming endeavor. Pshaw! With only 4 ingredients, her peppery vinegar-based slaw is simply awesome with pulled pork barbecue, fried fish, burgers, or country vegetables. It takes less than 5 minutes to put together, unless you shred your own cabbage, and will instantly transport you to a back yard glittering with lightning bugs, real metal sparklers and the 4th of July.

1 head cabbage, finely shredded
OR
2 small or 1 large bag pre-shredded angelhair coleslaw mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white vinegar
dash of salt
pepper to taste

Put the coleslaw greens in a deep bowl. Measure out the vinegar in a measuring cup, add the sugar, and mix with a fork until slurry. Pour vinegar/sugar mixture over the coleslaw, add a little salt, and pepper to taste. I usually use at least 1T. of pepper but keep tasting to see how much works for you. Mix it all up, set it in the fridge overnight, and mix again about an hour before serving. Make sure to use a slotted spoon! Should serve 6, but don't count on it.

Check out Gollum's blog for other Foodie Friday recipes!

"Healthy" Roasted Potatoes

I made these for Thanksgiving this year and they were a big hit. I was so honored when my grandmother asked for the recipe! Anyway, it’s a healthier way of cooking potatoes because there’s not cheese, sour cream or butter involved and it’s just as good. We also cook vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and summer squash like this and they’re awesome! Feel free to adjust the seasoning amounts to your liking – this is just a starting point.

1-5 lb. bag of red potatoes, cubed
1 c. olive oil
2 T garlic salt
1 T. pepper
1 T. paprika
1 tsp. ground red pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Mix all ingredients except potatoes together until slurry. Dump cubed potatoes out onto a rimmed baking sheet and baste with 1/3 of the olive oil mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take the potatoes out and mix them up with a spatula. Some will probably stick to the bottom of the pan; that’s okay, just scrape them up and mix them all around. Baste again and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Repeat the spatula mixing and basting process again and cook for a final 15 minutes.

Drunk Mushrooms

This is so, SO good over pork chops, chicken breasts, and especially steaks or other red meat. It’s very easy to fix, doesn’t take a lot of time, and looks (and tastes) much fancier than it is. We like ours with LOTS of dill, so be sure to taste along the way to make sure you’ve got the seasonings like you like ‘em!

2 8 oz. pkgs. whole or sliced white mushrooms
1 cup red wine
1 beef bullion cube
1 and a half sticks of butter
1 T. dill or more, to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
Sprinkling of dried sage
A few tablespoons of soy protein powder or flour (optional)

Cook all together over medium heat until mushrooms are softened and have absorbed some of the cooking liquid, turning them a darker brown color. If you prefer, thicken the gravy by sprinkling in 1 T. soy protein powder or flour at a time, combining thoroughly and letting the flour taste cook out before adding more.

Laura's Green Game Day Dip

What a great dip for game days! When you don’t have tickets and it’s just TOO dang hot to tailgate, have a tailgate party in your own living room with yummy dip, hot wings, and a big screen TV. After all, it counts as a veggie, right?

1 small box frozen chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts, packed in water – NOT OIL
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened - reduced fat is fine
1-2 c. shredded Italian-style cheese blend
½ c. mayonnaise
1 T. minced garlic
¼ to ½ lb. crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

Cook spinach according to package directions and drain. Wrap several thicknesses of paper towels around the spinach and squeeze or press out as much moisture as you can. Put the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Drain the artichokes and add them in. Add the cream cheese, Italian cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic. Mix thoroughly, making sure to break up the artichoke hearts as you mix. Turn into a 9 x 9 casserole pan or pie plate. Bake until cheese melts and mixture is hot & bubbly, and then top with crumbled bacon. These are excellent with white corn tortilla chips.

* If you wanted to be really fancy, you spoon the mixture into hollowed-out peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or mushroom caps, top with toasted breadcrumbs and serve as an appetizer or side dish.

Thai Meat with Crispy Beans

This is truly a strange-sounding recipe, but it’s really good no matter what meat you choose to use.

1 lb. pork, chicken or shrimp, cut into bite-sized pieces
3-4 T. olive oil
1/4 c. Equal or Splenda
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (the kind you find at pizza restaurants)

Coat meat with olive oil. Mix sugar substitute with red pepper flakes and coat meat in this mixture. Add a few swirls of olive oil to a nonstick skillet or wok and cook meat over medium until done. Really good with Crispy Beans (below):

Crispy Beans
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1-2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
Olive oil

After you cook Terrific Thai Meat, wipe out your stir fry pan and add olive oil, soy sauce and minced garlic, stirring to combine. Add trimmed beans and swish them around a little to coat them with the sauce. You can cook them 2 ways – stir fry until crisp-tender over medium high heat, resulting in a very crisp cooked bean that retains more of its vitamins and innate “green bean-iness” OR cook over medium, covered with wax paper and finish over high heat, resulting in a mushier, more flavorful green bean. Either way, they remind me of the green beans at the Chinese buffet – one of my faves!

Hot Rhonda's Hot Vegetable Casserole

I got this recipe from mom several years ago (I won’t say how many!) and it’s always been a hit! It’s another recipe from Aunt Tene - a GREAT casserole and has never failed to impress both kids and adults. I like to serve it with ham, and it’s even good cold and leftover the next day. . . seriously! TJ’s Uncle Johnny ate about half the pan by himself at the Joseph family Christmas party one year.

1 8 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, etc.)
1 c. mayonnaise (you can use light, but NOT fat free – yuck!)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. finely chopped celery
Salt to taste
1T. or more black pepper
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350. While oven is heating up, microwave the vegetables according to package directions and drain. Place into the bottom of a 9 x 9 casserole pan. In a bowl, combine, mayonnaise, cheese, celery, salt and pepper. Spread mayo/cheese mixture over the vegetables. Now for the “tastes really good, bad for you” part – mix the melted butter with the crushed crackers and spread evenly over the top. Yep, add more butter to buttery crackers! Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or so until the top of the casserole is browned and the innards are bubbly. Even confirmed vegetable haters will ask for seconds – I’ve seen it in real life.

Aunt Tene's Mac N Cheese

TJ surprised me one night by calling to ask for my mom’s mac and cheese recipe. Seems he’d told his co-workers he made the best mac n cheese ever, so Kraft in the blue box simply wouldn’t do. Mom said she got this recipe from her Aunt Tene (Mac’s sister), who is well known for being an AWESOME cook. By the way, TJ said he had NO leftovers the next day, and I can promise that you won’t either!

1 box macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
1 block Colby cheese, shredded OR 2 c. shredded Colby Jack in a pinch
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste (we use LOTS of pepper)
coupla good shakes of red pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar
¼ stick of butter, cut into very small pieces (dots)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cooked noodles, shredded Colby or Colby Jack, egg, milk, and seasonings in a bowl and turn into a greased 9 x 13 casserole pan. Top with shredded cheddar and butter dots and bake until bubbly around the edges. If you really want to get MaMaw with it, throw a good handful of buttered breadcrumbs on top before you pop it in the oven.

Fake Mashed Potatoes

1 c. chicken stock (check carb count) or 1 cup water w/ a bullion cube dissolved
1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets
¼ stick butter, softened
Garlic salt
Pepper

Cook the cauliflower in the bullion until you’ve cooked it into submission! It should be VERY mushy. Drain off the bullion and put the cauliflower in a bowl. Mash together with the butter, or process cauliflower and butter in a food processor until smooth. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. It’s also good with a little shredded cheese and crisp, crumbled bacon stirred in.

Pinto Beans and Chile-Cheese Cornbread

Every so often, especially when good “football weather” hits, I feel an overwhelming urge for a big pot of pintos and cornbread. TJ makes the most fabulous chile-cheese cornbread, and I have to say the pintos aren’t half bad either! It’s easy to make even on weeknights if you plan ahead, and will leave 2 people with leftovers for at least a day or two.

Get out a sack of pinto beans and discard the ugly, broken ones. Pour the beans in a big bowl, cover with water, and let it sit overnight. Cut up a big onion and cut the meat off a ham hock. Put this in a bowl or zip bag to use in the morning.

In the morning before you go to work, drain the beans and pour them in the crock-pot. Add the onion, ham, and the following seasonings:
1T minced garlic
1-2 T. chili powder (use smoky-style flavor, if you can find it)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Add enough water to cover the beans (about 3 cups), turn the crock-pot on low, and leave for work. When you get home, the kitchen should smell awesome, beans will be ready, and all you need to do is mix up some chile-cheese cornbread and you’re done!

Chile-Cheese Cornbread
¼ c. solid shortening
Self-rising cornmeal
Milk
1 egg
Shredded cheddar cheese
Small tin of chopped jalapenos

Preheat the oven to 450. Put about ¼ cup of solid shortening (Crisco) in the bottom of an iron skillet and put it in the oven to heat. Follow the directions for regular cornbread (not buttermilk) on the back of the self-rising cornmeal box, and add 1 good handful of shredded cheddar cheese and ½ of a small tin of chopped jalapenos. Pour the batter in the hot skillet (the shortening should’ve melted, leaving a lovely pool of liquid in the bottom of the pan) and bake until the top is slightly browned. When it’s ready, put a dinner plate over the top of the skillet and turn it over – the cornbread should slide right out. Serve hot with lots of butter.

Mike's Chicken Veggie Casserole

Our friend Mike comes to visit and work on TJ’s various vehicles every so often, and knows first-hand my love for a good southern casserole. One day, he’s sent me a text message requesting a casserole with “chicken, vegetables and bread”. This was the result – a cross between chicken divan and Hot Rhonda’s Hot Vegetable Casserole!

1-2 lbs. chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts, cut into 1” pieces
2 bags frozen vegetables (I used Roma variety mixed veggies from Publix)
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. sour cream
1 tsp. red pepper and/or 1T. Black pepper
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¾ c. Italian breadcrumbs, Italian style Pando breadcrumbs, or combination of both

Preheat oven to 350. While oven is preheating, boil chicken pieces until thoroughly cooked, drain, and place in the bottom of a 9” x 13” casserole pan. Cook vegetables according to package directions, drain, and layer on top of the chicken. Mix mayo, sour cream, pepper and cheese in a bowl and add a layer on top of the veggies. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted, sauce is bubbly, and the kitchen smells good!