Corn Bread

You might be thinking, why is she posting a recipe for cornbread. I can just pop open a box of Jiffy and have the best cornbread ever. Well, I was on the same page with you until I tasted THIS cornbread! This melts in your mouth like butter. It is seriously the best tasting cornbread you’ll ever put in your mouth. It probably helps that it all starts with a box of Jiffy and you enhance the Jiffy deliciousness. To quote a friend of mine, “this is crack cornbread!” Thanks Brian Beam! It really is so moist, it’s almost like a corn pudding. Just trust me, it is so delicious. Promise me you’ll make it at least once to find out what is so great about it. And I’ll promise you, that it won’t be the last time you make this cornbread!

 

I can't take credit for creating this gold mine, I got this recipe from my Hampton Park Women’s Club cookbook. Our old neighborhood in Virginia women’s club collected recipes from neighbors and we made a cookbook. I have found some great recipes in that cookbook. I miss those neighbors too. You know what helps me forget though?? Cornbread! ;-) Let’s get to it.

 

Ingredients:

3 eggs

½ cup corn oil (I've even used vegetable oil and it turned out fine)

1 can creamed corn

8 ounces sour cream

¼ teaspoon salt

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

 

Directions:

It couldn’t get easier than this….Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9x9 inch greased pan.

 

 

 

Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees and wait for it to turn into a golden delicious pan of heaven....isn't that beautiful? If you knew how yummy it was, you'd be running to the store now to stock up on the ingredients!



See, don't you want to just take a bite out of it right now? I needed to sample it before I took it to a party. I must say, I was quite pleased with how it turned out. You really need to try this recipe! Super easy, super moist, and soooooo delicious!


 

Note: These pictures are of the recipe doubled, which is why I used a bigger pan.

Spaghetti Squash

Trying to eat a little healthier? Well, aren’t we all. I like to eat healthier, but I don’t like to really know I’m eating healthy. Surprise me! I want the food to still taste delicious and feel like I haven’t missed a thing. That’s probably what we all want. Well look no further, this little hidden gem, spaghetti squash is just the trick. We’ve been using it for years instead of pasta. It’s great as your main dish covered with a meat sauce, or great as a side tossed with some olive oil, parmesan cheese or even pesto. So many great things you can do with spaghetti squash. Since I was very excited when I discovered this little treasure, I hope you will be too. I’m just going to help you cook it correctly, and then you can get crazy with your toppings. All you need is a spaghetti squash to get started. Below is a picture of one in case you have no idea what to look for in the grocery store.

 

Can you tell how I knew this was a spaghetti squash???

Now the easy method for cooking spaghetti squash is to steam it, which is my preferred method. You can also bake it for about 45 minutes, but I prefer to microwave it for about 7 minutes. Take your spaghetti squash and cut it down the middle. They are thick, so get a big knife and be careful!

 

 

Now that you have it cut open, let’s clean the seeds out. The easies way is to just get a spoon and scoop out all the seeds and guts that are in the center. If you have a grapefruit spoon, that’s the perfect tool for this.

 

Voila!

 

Okay, it’s all clean and we are ready to steam it. My microwave steamer isn’t large enough to accommodate a squash this size so I just used a corning ware dish and covered with the glass lid. You don’t need an actual steamer to get this done. So many easy work arounds. Now, put about 1/2 inch of water in the pot you are using as a steamer, place the squash cut side down, cover and microwave for about 7 minutes. A squash this size is about 7 minutes, adjust the cook time for one larger or smaller. When you take the squash out, flip it over and test with a fork to see if it is soft. If it still feels hard, put it back in for another minute.

 

Once you are certain it’s done, let’s start making spaghetti! It’s magical! You just need a fork and your best scraping skills. The squash will be hot so you might want to use a hot pad to hold it. Grip the squash and start scraping with the fork. Little strands will come loose and you’ll be making spaghetti. Wasn’t the fun and easy?

 

I served mine with a little marinara sauce topped with basil. Like I said, there are so many ways to serve this. Next time, I’m serving with a little pesto. Let me know your creative ways of serving spaghetti squash.  Enjoy!

Roasted Squash

Boy have I enjoyed having all the fresh veggies from my Daddy’s garden. I’ve been trying to cook them a few new ways for us so we don’t get bored with them. But seriously, who can get bored of fresh deliciousness?? Squash is one of my favorite vegetables, I love it cooked anyway you can possibly think of. I’ve been roasting a lot of veggies lately, but haven’t ever tried it with squash. Well guess what.....it’s time to roast some squash. Tonight was my lucky night because I found a new favorite way to eat squash. I think roasting is my new favorite way to eat every veggie. I headed to Pinterest to find the perfect recipe. I ended on one of Martha Stewart’s recipes, appropriate right? Of course, I changed it up, but it was a nice start. Thanks Martha, but my version is just a touch better.  Ha! I’m sure she’s never heard that before. Don’t tell her I dissed her on my blog. Let me tell you the best way to eat squash....but first, take a moment to admire my Daddy's garden. A beautiful site!

Now that you've admired let’s get those ingredients together:

 

2 pounds squash – mix yellow with zucchini if you have it

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

crushed red pepper flakes, just a sprinkle

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice squash, about an inch thick. Throw the squash in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, toss to combine. Once thoroughly coated, add parmesan cheese and mix until evenly coated.

 

Spread squash evenly on baking sheet that has already been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Place on middle rack in oven and roast until caramelized, about 12 minutes. Half way through, stir squash and rotate pan. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Transfer squash to platter, drizzle with 2 T olive oil, season with sea salt and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

This was such a great way to prepare squash! I don’t know why I’ve never tried this before, but it certainly won’t be the last! Try it and let me know if you liked it. Enjoy!

Fried Okra

We went down to see my parents last week and everything in Daddy’s garden was in season! I was in hog heaven!  I love fresh vegetables. It’s very ironic because growing up I was a very picky eater…..allegedly.   Corn and tomatoes and squash…oh my! I love going down to their house in the country. So beautiful and peaceful there. Here’s just a little shot of the few things we brought home.

 

Look at all that goodness! Beautiful!

I have experimented with fried okra and fried green tomatoes with this batch of freshness and was very pleased with the outcome of each. I am most excited about the fried okra though. I always order fried okra if I’m at a restaurant that serves it,  but I’ve never made it at home. Well, I’ve bought it frozen, already battered and fried it, but never from fresh okra, picked from the garden the day before! That’s just crazy talk……well not anymore my friend! Also, when I order and it comes out sliced lengthwise, that’s just another special treat for me. So I had to cut my okra that way in my first attempt at frying okra. Let’s see how I made this picture of beauty come to be…..

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup Buttermilk

Desired about of fresh okra, sliced

1 cup corn meal

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

Vegetable oil

 

Directions:

 

First of all wash and slice the okra and prepare it for frying. I get so excited by the concept of frying. I rarely fry foods, but I will make an exception any day for okra! I’m so excited! Doesn’t it look pretty sliced this way? Of course you can slice it in rings as well. My Daddy prefers it sliced in rings. You get a better batter to okra ratio that way. I'm not against that idea at all!

 

Turn on pan to medium high to heat oil. I used an iron skillet because they just make everything better. Pour about 1 inch of oil in the pan to make sure you have it deep enough to fry, but not too deep. Now, prepare two shallow bowls. One with the buttermilk and one with the corn meal mixed with the self-rising flour. Add a touch of salt and pepper as well.

 

Dredge the okra in the buttermilk, then coat in the corn meal mixture and place in the hot oil.

 

Let the okra brown on one side, then flip it and get the other side brown. It does not take long. Then  take  out and place on paper towels to soak up some of the excess oil. Keep on going until it is all fried up and looks good enough to eat. While you are busy cooking, be sure to keep an eye on your okra because some people (David) might sneak up and keep sampling.

 

Look at that bubbling pan of heaven!

I was very pleased with my first stab at fresh fried okra! It was delicious. Crispy and full of flavor. Be sure to give this method a try!

Next up......squash blossoms and fried green tomatoes! Stay tuned!

Baked Parmesan Asparagus



This picture makes me crave steak, but the asparagus is pretty too!



I’ve noticed since the holidays that my blog lacks any nutritional value. It’s all about Nutella, cookies and cake. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I could blog about and eat that ALL day. That actually might be my problem though. Hmmmmm.....wonder why I can’t lose weight??? Oh well, that’s a topic for another day. I doubt it’s my food choices, must be a slow metabolism. Today I am going to share an asparagus recipe! Yes, a vegetable. I know, I hope those following my blog for desserts won’t run screaming now. I need to keep mixing it up. Don’t worry, I made an awesome chocolate cake a few days ago that I’ll be blogging about soon. You will really like this method to cook asparagus. I usually steam asparagus, but this method is WAY better. It seems to make the asparagus taste like a totally different veggie than when I steam it, of course the parmesan cheese doesn’t hurt either. Okay, let’s get some nutrients in our body and start cooking:

Ingredients:

Bunch of asparagus

salt and pepper to taste

drizzle of olive oil

about 1 Tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese

Directions (this is super simple):

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I lined my baking sheet with parchment paper the first time I made it, just in case things got messy, but you don’t have to. I’ve cook this since and didn’t like the pan and it was fine. The olive oil drizzle helps it not to stick to the pan. Arrange asparagus on cookie sheet, drizzle olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese and bake!

How easy is that? Cook about 10-15 minutes. If it’s the fatter asparagus you’ll need a few more minutes, but the skinny ones should be ready after 15 minutes. Ta-da! A delicious vegetable that is super simple to make and super delicious! This is the only way I cook asparagus now. I think once you try it, you'll feel the same way. Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes and Onions

 

Who doesn’t love a good potato recipe? If you don’t, you’re not normal! Potatoes are delicious, an all American food, right? Well, I’ve roasted them with rosemary, parmesan, herbs and just salt and pepper so I thought I’d throw in some onions, lots of garlic, more herbs and make roasted potatoes seem new with a roasted potato AND onion dish. Throw in the onions and it’s a totally different dish. It’s like it’s brand new and you’ve never seen it before. Okay, if you don’t think it’s creative and fresh, don’t tell me! Either way, this was really tasty and the onions caramelized a bit and made it even better. And oh, don’t forget the punch from the garlic. De-lish! Give this one a try. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds red skinned potatoes, cut in 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, cut in large chunks
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or whatever herbs you choose, I added rosemary too)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Spray a large shallow baking dish with cooking spray or lightly grease. Heat oven to 400°.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or food storage bag; toss to coat thoroughly.

Arrange in the baking pan or cookie sheet

 

and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender and nicely browned.
Serves 4 to 6. Enjoy!

 

Roasted Broccoli

I wouldn’t normally get excited about broccoli, but let me tell you, I’ll never go back to the old way I cooked broccoli! This way was delicious and now there is no turning back! I found this on Pinterest a few months ago and have been meaning to try it, but always forget. Well, tonight was the night and boy am I pleased about it! It couldn’t have been easier and roasting it in the oven gave it such great flavor.....the garlic didn’t hurt either! I mean, it is broccoli and how excited could we all get about broccoli, right? Well, now I’m not going to eat broccoli because my body needs a green vegetable in it, now I’m going to eat it because it’s delicious and I love it! How about that?? My dad my be fainting right now because I was a very picky child. Not anymore, I’m all grown up!

 

The pinner who pinned this said she’d never cook broccoli any other way and I was like....”yeah right. What’s so great about roasting some broccoli??” Boy was I wrong. This was crunchy and flavorful and just delicious. I highly recommend giving this a try! It’s so easy, you can’t mess it up.

 

Ingredients:

 

Fresh broccoli crowns (whatever quantity you need)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

 
Chop up the into edible size pieces and place in a bowl or large zip lock bag. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and add minced garlic. Toss so that broccoli is well coated with all ingredients.   Then spread on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. 

Roast at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! Trust me, you’ll love it!

Easy One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

 

Okay, everyone has been posting this easy one pot recipe on Facebook and pinning it on Pinterest so I HAD to try it. I had to do it for my readers. We needed to see what was so great about this and if it was as easy as it looked. Well, I’m here to tell you....it was all those things! Super easy and pretty darn tasty too. It’s awesome that everything goes in one pot, even the uncooked pasta. What an genius idea! It’s so awesome,  I have to share it with you guys. This is perfect for a quick meal after a long day at work. Throw in some chicken or shrimp and you really have a great meal. Here’s what you need to make this yummy dish.

 

Ingredients:

12	ounces pasta (I used thin spaghetti because I like it best)
1	can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used Italian style)
1	large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4	cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½	teaspoon red pepper flakes
2	teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2	large sprigs basil (about 10 leaves), chopped
4½	cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used about 1 cup of white wine and the rest homemade chicken broth for better flavor). Can also use water.
2	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
	Parmesan or feta cheese for garnish (or whatever cheese tickles your fancy) Directions: Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable or chicken broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil. Cover pot and bring to a boil. How easy is that? Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper , stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Feta or Parmesan cheese and maybe a fresh sprig of basil. Everything is better with feta, right??

Brussel Sprouts

Who would have thunk it?? I'm writing a blog about brussel sprouts! People will be shocked and amazed, but it's true....I like brussel sprouts! I'm not going to get crazy and say I love them, but I do like them. I've made them at home a couple of times and I've even ordered them at restaurants. My parents will be most surprised since I pretty much only ate corn on the cobb and french style green beans growing up. I was a picky child, but I'm all grown up now and can make brussel sprouts! Are you impressed? You should be.

My hubby prefers the brussel sprouts a little soft so I found this recipe from a friend of mine, Rachel Ray. Thanks Rach!


Ingredients:

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 shallot, chopped (I used a small onion because I never have shallots)
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small sprouts left whole, larger sprouts halved
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Trim brussel sprouts and cut in half. Aren't they just a cute little veggie??

Add EVOO to the pan, about one turn of the pan. Add shallots to the pan and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in EVOO.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.

Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

 This was a quick and easy and most delicious dish. The hubby was very pleased!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Who doesn’t love a good potato recipe?? Potatoes go well with every dish and everyone loves them. If they don’t, they might have a screw lose. Don’t trust them. We love our meat and potatoes around here. I was making a beef dish for dinner the other night for dinner and I wanted a quick and flavorful potato recipe and luckily Ina came to the rescue. I referred to my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and voila, there was just what I was looking for. Thanks Ina! Not only do we love potatoes, we love rosemary too. Especially fresh rosemary. You really can't beat the flavor it adds to a dish. Luckily I’m growing a lot of fresh rosemary this year so I just clipped some, tossed in olive oil and had a yummy dish in time for dinner. If you don't have your own rosemary plant, of course you can use dried, but you can also pick up a little bunch for about $1 in the grocery store. Now let's get started on a new quick, go-to, recipe for your box as well:

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated.

 

Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve and enjoy! It doesn't get easier than that, does it??

 

Squash Casserole

Being a  nice southern girl, like I am, you must know how to make a good squash casserole. I love me some squash.  Make it into a casserole, throw some cheese on it, and it’s one of the best thing you’ve ever tasted. My Daddy grows squash in his garden and I miss living close by and getting a regular supply. His just seem to taste better. But until I can make a trip to collect some fresh veggies, I’ll have to keep frequenting the local produce stand.

 

Now I found this squash casserole many years ago, before I found the Food Network or there were a million food blogs out there. This is Art Smith’s recipe (slightly enhanced), Oprah’s chef, from his cookbook Back to the Table. He used to come on her show and make some delicious recipes. I’ve had his cookbook for some time now, but had forgotten about it. I pulled it out the other day and found my squash casserole recipe waiting on me. I was so happy! Art didn’t add cheese, but everyone knows you’ve got to have cheese in a squash casserole! See if you like my enhanced version of Art’s squash casserole:

 

Ingredients:

3 medium yellow squash , cut into 1/2-inch half-moons

1 medium onion , chopped

2 cloves garlic , minced

1/2 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (make in the blender or food processor)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (+) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

 

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Slice squash and dice onion.

Bring the squash, onion, garlic and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.

 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth evaporates and the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Stir in the sour cream and oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese and spread in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little more cheese, then breadcrumbs and drizzle with the oil.

 

I usually have breadcrumbs on hand, but this time I didn’t so I made my own. I was pretty excited! I toasted a couple of slices of bread, threw them in the blender and viola! Bread crumbs! Pretty cool. I’ll definitely make them again.

Bake until the juices are simmering and the top is crusty, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot. I served with some yummy grilled chicken and rice with kale. What a delicious and healthy meal, right?? Have I mentioned.....I love food?? I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!