Kale Chips

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

One bunch of fresh kale
olive oil spray (or Pam spray)
salt, garlic, pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300F. Wash kale and make sure there are no worms on it. Dry it COMPLETELY. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and place dry kale on top, in a shallow layer. Spray olive oil on evenly (but not generously) until a slight shine is on the kale. Lightly season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Place on middle rack of oven and set timer for intervals of 3 minutes, checking each time. When the kale turns brown and crispy, it is ready. If there are any softer pieces of kale, leave it in the oven and wait for them to finish. Any soft/wet kale will ruin the rest of the batch if they are taken out too early.

Sage Sausage and Gravy

This is a Southern staple; without sausage and gravy, farms would not be plowed, homes would not be built, and sermons would not be given. It is the heartiest of all breakfasts that fueled the South.


Sage Sausage and Gravy

Ingredients:
1 lb. sage sausage (bulk)
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper
Biscuits, prepared and warm

Preparation:

Brown the sausage in a large skillet, making sure to crumble the sausage as it is cooking. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in about half of the flour and allow the sausage grease to soak it up. Continue to gradually add flour until all is gone. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk, and stir constantly.

Allow the gravy to thicken by keeping it on medium-low heat and stirring it. Expect this to take several minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (more pepper than salt), and continue to cook and stir until the gravy is thick. Add more milk if gravy becomes too thick.

Cut biscuits in half and spread open on a plate. Spoon gravy (generously!) onto biscuits, and serve hot.

 

 

Andouille Spaghetti Squash

I tried this sauce recipe for the first time last night and LOVED IT! The sausage, tomato sauce, and squash went together perfectly and created a slightly spicy, tangy, low-carb dish!

Andouille Spaghetti Squash


Ingredients:
1 lb. Andouille sausage, thawed
1 extra large spaghetti squash
1 jar of favorite pasta sauce
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F. Wash and cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and thoroughly coat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the squash open-side down on the sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender on the inside. The outside may still be a little hard.

While the squash is baking, cook sausage in a large skillet on medium heat until it is brown. Dice onions and garlic and add to skillet. Saute for 5 minutes. Add pasta sauce and turn heat to simmer. Allow flavors to marry until the spaghetti squash has finished cooking.

When the squash is done, take a fork and carefully "string" the fibers of the squash into a dish.

Spoon sauce onto individual servings of squash. An extra large spaghetti squash will make 2 entree servings, or 4 side-dish servings.

Grilled Okra

Grilled Okra

Ingredients:

Okra, 2 pints
3 tbsp. olive oil
garilc powder, salt, and pepper to taste


Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium heat. Wash and dry okra. Toss with olive oil in a large bowl. Add seasonings and toss again. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over grill, and evenly distribute okra on top. Grill for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. The okra will have light brown caramel colored spots on it when done.  Be careful, it burns easily.

Southern Ratatouille

This recipe is perfect for summertime harvests: fresh squash, zucchini, eggplant, and more combine to make this easy dish.



Ingredients:

2 eggplant
3 yellow squash or zucchini
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 onion
1 can of diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil


Preparation:

Saute garlic, onion and squash in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Once it starts to cook, add eggplant. Continue to saute for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, cook until water evaporates. If canned, cook for 5 mintues. Serve over rice or noodles. I like quinoa, as the hearty flavor of the grain complements the ratatouille.

Indian Inspired Eggplant

This dish was quite surprising. Usually, I am not a fan of Indian food or sauteed eggplant, but the two went hand-in-hand. Over a bed of basmati rice (this also tasted fabulous with quinoa), this was the perfect combination with a grilled chicken breast.


Indian Inspired Eggplant

Ingredients:

3 large eggplant
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt


Preparation:

Saute onion in oil until tender. Mix garlic paste, curry powder, and tomatoes into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Cube eggplant and cook in a separate skillet along with red pepper flakes and salt. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Combine both pans. Cover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Paleo Granola

So, recently, I have attempted the Paleo Diet. I stuck with it for a week, but fell off the bandwagon. Now, I am ready to start again! It's tough to find paleo recipes that are delicious. However, I stumbled across a recipe for paleo granola (without oats!) that is to die for. I know what you're thinking. Granola? Without oats? This chick is nuts! Now, I may be crazy, but I promise you that once you try this stuff, you won't believe how delicious it is! This recipe can also be easily altered by adding different nuts, dried fruits, or spices.


Paleo Granola

Ingredients:
2 cups raw almonds, sliced, if available
1 cup raw pumpkin kernels (pepitas)
1 cup raw pine nuts, pecans, macadamias, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels, or any other raw nut that you like (Note: as long as you have 4 cups of nuts, you will be fine. The almonds make a great base for the granola, however)
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/4 cup virgin, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil
4 ounces pure honey (I likeHoneycomb Heroes!)
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Dark chocolate chips, if desired


Preparation

Preheat oven to 275F. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Microwave for 45 seconds. Add all nuts and dried coconut to honey mixture, and coat evenly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread granola mixture evenly onto sheet, about 1/4" thick.
Bake for 20 minutes, then turn oven to 350F and bake for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Cool until hardened. Break granola into pieces and place in individual containers.
*Store in a safe place, because once people figure out how good this stuff is, there won't be any left for you ;)

Smoked Pork Ribs

Word. That's about all that I can say about these ribs. Word! If you have a smoker, I'm sure that you know just how well it makes everything taste. If you don't have a smoker at home, I HIGHLY suggest that you look into getting one (or borrowing one from your neighbor...). If you can get your ribs from your local farmer at the farmers' market, DO IT!! The flavor and tenderness of the meat will be of a much higher quality than that you find in the grocery store. This is because the hogs are usually grass-fed, free-range, don't consume a diet based on grain/corn, and aren't caged up against other pigs 24/7. Happy pigs make happy ribs! Haha. Anyways, these ribs can very well be made in the oven.  You can find that recipe here: Oven Ribs.

Smoked Pork Ribs


Ingredients:

1 rack pork ribs
salt, pepper, garlic powder


Preparation:

Coat ribs thoroughly with seasonings. Add any other seasonings or rubs, if you like (usually, the salt, pepper, and garlic make the meat simple yet delicious).

Prepare the smoker by filling the water reservoir with water and placing your PRE-SOAKED wood chips in. Spray racks of smoker and preheat to 325F. Maintain this temperature throughout smoking. Place ribs in preheated smoker and cook for about 3 hours.

Oven Ribs

Here is the simple yet delicious recipe for oven ribs. If you have a smoker, then I highly suggest that you use that. Here is the recipe for smoking your ribs: Smoked Pork Ribs.

If you don't have a smoker at home, I HIGHLY suggest that you look into getting one (or borrowing one from your neighbor...). If you can get your ribs from your local farmer at the farmers' market, DO IT!! The flavor and tenderness of the meat will be of a much higher quality than that you find in the grocery store. This is because the hogs are usually grass-fed, free-range, don't consume a diet based on grain/corn, and aren't caged up against other pigs 24/7. Happy pigs make happy ribs!


Oven Ribs

Ingredients:

1 rack ribs
salt, pepper, garlic powder
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1 large oven bag


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300F. Coat ribs thoroughly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in oven bag and place them on a baking sheet. Poke 4 1" holes in the bag. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
Turn oven to 400F.
Remove from bag and place on a cooking sheet. Baste ribs with your favorite sauce. Return to 400F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce somewhat dries up.

"Dessert" Acorn Squash

Once again, here I am making something that reminds me of fall. Seriously, I just can't wait. Here is the recipe for turning an ordinarily so-so acorn squash into something sweet and delicious.

"Dessert" Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash (serves 2)
2 tbsp. honey (wildflower honey is best! check out Honeycomb Heroes!)
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup (it is important not to use the fake stuff from the grocery store!)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter
small handful pecans


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds. Combine honey, syrup, sugar, and butter together in a small bowl and microwave for 15 seconds, or until butter has melted and all ingredients are combined. Stir well. Add pecans and coat with mixture. Coat acorn squash (the inside flesh) with butter mixture and then evenly distribute pecans. It is okay if the squash have a puddle of the butter mixture inside of them. Bake for 1 hour until squash is tender with a fork. Add extra brown sugar on top and broil until crispy, if you'd like to add a surprising and sweet crunch to the squash!

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Garlic Tomato Sauce

Fall is upon us! This cooler than average weather has gotten me in the mood for sweet potatoes, fall squash, and everything pumpkin. Mmmmm! Tonight, I made this delicious spaghetti squash with a fresh garlic and tomato sauce. Try this for a low-carb, ultra healthy side or main dish with meat!


Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Garlic Tomato Sauce
serves 4 side dishes, 2 main dishes

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash
1 quart canned/stewed tomatoes
6 cloves fresh garlic (the fresh garlic is important, as it adds more flavor)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F. Wash and cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and thoroughly coat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the squash open-side down on the sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender on the inside. The outside may still be a little hard.

While the squash is baking, pour the stewed tomatoes in a pot on medium heat. Mince and add garlic (this dish is relatively garlic-y, so if you don't like it that much, add less). Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, and then turn to low until squash has finished baking.

When the squash is done, take a fork and carefully "string" the fibers of the squash into a dish.

Spoon tomato sauce onto individual servings of squash.

I didn't even remember to take the final picture before I began digging in!! ;)

Garden Fresh Bruschetta

Hey, everyone! This week I bring you bruschetta straight from the farm. It really can't get any better than this.

Garden Fresh Bruschetta

Ingredients:

8-10 Roma tomatoes (about 3 cups chopped)
2 tbsp. roasted garlic (recipe can be found here)
2 tbps. minced onions, if desired
1 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
6-8 leaves of finely chopped basil
Baguette toast for eating

Preparation:
Finely chop the tomatoes and salt. Add onions if desired. Stir. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain well. Add roasted garlic and basil leaves. Stir. Let sit for 15 more minutes for flavors to blend. Add more salt if necessary. Serve on top of toasted baguette slices.

Oven Roasted Garlic (aka Crack)

This stuff is amazing. And so simple. And so quick. If you haven't tried this, then you don't know what you're missing.

Oven Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

Garlic cloves left in paper, any amount desired
Olive oil


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Take the cloves of garlic out of the garlic bulb and leave the outer paper on them. Coat with olive oil until glistening. Place in a glass or ceramic pie pan in the oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes until garlic is starting to brown and is very aromatic. Remove from oven, let sit until cool enough to handle. When cooled, the paper on the garlic will come off very easily.

Summer Fruit Mini Cheesecakes

These are the perfect little dessert to add to your arsenal to impress all of your friends at your next BBQ or cookout.

Thanks to my good friend Katrina Z. for the recipe and photo!!


Summer Fruit Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

16 oz. cream cheese, softened (not the low-fat kind, sorry!!)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
12 Oreo cookies (or other cookies that you like! You can also use brownies here)
Summer fruit of your choice: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, fresh pitted cherries, melon, kiwi fruit, etc.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer until it is blended. Add eggs and mix.
Line a muffin tin with paper cups. Place a cookie (or brownie or cake, etc.) at the bottom. Top with cream cheese mixture.
Bake 20 minutes or until cream cheese has set. Cool and then refrigerate until cold. top the mini cheesecakes with berries and fruit.

The South's Best Coconut Pecan Pie

Mmmmmm, coconut pecan pie. This is a southern favorite with a twist and a taste of the tropics!


Thanks to Kathy M. for the recipe!


Coconut Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 stick of real butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup sweetened coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked deep-dish pie crust

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F.
Beat first 6 ingredients together. Add pecans and pour into pie crust.
Bake for 45-55 minutes. Use a pie guard if pie browns too quickly.

Low Fat Eggplant Parmigiana/Eggplant Pizzas

This is so yummy, and it stems off of my other recipe, Oven Fried Eggplant. With a little extra work, you can make an easy, low carb, low fat entree.


Low Fat Eggplant Parmigiana/Eggplant Pizzas

Ingredients

Eggplant, any amount desired
Italian bread crumbs (choose a larger can if you have a lot of eggplant)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Cooking spray
Pasta sauce of your choice
Cheese (I really like fresh mozzarella)
Basil, if desired


Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.
Mix eggs and milk together, adding salt.
Dip the slices of eggplant in the wash and then thoroughly coat them with the bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Do this until all of the eggplant slices are coated. Spray the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray. Place in oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy looking.
Top cooked eggplant slices with tomato sauce, cheese, herbs, or other desired toppings. Return to 400F oven for about 5-8 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*To make eggplant parmigiana, layer eggplant, then sauce, and then cheese in a casserole dish (this may take several layers of each, depending on how much eggplant you made). Continue to bake at 400F for about 15 minutes until the inside is very hot and the cheese on top is bubbly.

It's that simple!!

Oven Fried Eggplant

In a world where everything can be deep fried, from a stick up butter to a beer, it's hard to achieve that perfect texture and taste of fried eggplant without all of the grease and calories. This recipe does just that; it is crunchy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside!

Oven Fried Eggplant

Ingredients

Eggplant, any amount desired
Italian bread crumbs (choose a larger can if you have a lot of eggplant)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
cooking spray


Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.
Mix eggs and milk together, adding salt.
Dip the slices of eggplant in the wash and then thoroughly coat them with the bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Do this until all of the eggplant slices are coated. Spray the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray. Place in oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy looking.

It's practically gone!!

Throw it Together Cheesy Macaroni

What can I say about this? I had it for the first time at a family get-together and fell in love. It's easy to make, and there are no formal instructions on how to make it. Thanks to my cousin Sandra for the "recipe!"

Throw it Together Cheesy Macaroni

Take 1 box of elbow macaroni and boil and then drain. Toss with 2 tbsp. of butter. Spray a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray, dump 1/2 of the noodles in and then later with a nice layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Cut up blocks of Colby jack cheese and place evenly on the layer of cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in whole milk until you can see it around the sides. Layer the rest of the cheeses and then both cheeses again. Cover and cook at 350F for about 35-40 minutes. Cook until all milk has cooked down and cheese is bubbly. 

Crock Pot Lasagna

This may not be an entirely Southern dish, but throwing it in the crock pot around lunchtime and coming home to a house smells like food sure does remind me of the South!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box regular lasagna pasta, uncooked

2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce

1 1/5 pounds ground meat (Italian sausage, hamburger meat, ground turkey all work great!)

1 medium onion

2 pounds ricotta cheese

4 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 bag baby spinach

Preparation:

Fry and drain the hamburger meat and onions. Add sauce.

Mix ricotta, Parmesan, and 3 cups of mozzarella together. Add two eggs and Italian seasoning.

In a large Crock Pot, spray with cooking spray or line with a slow-cooker bag. Place 1/2 cup of meat sauce mixture in the bottom and spread evenly. Break noodles down to size to fit in the pot. Some pieces can be almost whole, some halves; the size does not matter. As long as you make a complete layer of noodles, it will turn out fine.

Add 1/3 of your cheese mixture in small dollops to cover the noodles. 

Add 1/2 bag of baby spinach.

Cover with another layer of sauce. Repeat the layers until you have run out of ingredients: sauce, noodles, cheese, spinach.

When you have finished, top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Turn Crock Pot on low for 3-4 hours, until the lasagna is bubbly hot throughout. The noodles will cook themselves.

Swiss Chard

A lot of people aren't familiar with this green. It's got a funny taste; a lot of people say that it's somewhere between a spinach and a beet leaf taste. Either way, it makes a very pretty dish packed with nutrients and vitamins.

Swiss Chard

Ingredients
1-2 bunches of swiss chard
several cloves of garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
Wash the greens. Cut the pink stems up the leaves into small pieces. Saute over medium-high heat in garlic and olive oil until tender. Reduce heat. Add Swiss chard leaves. Cover and steam until the leaves reach desired tenderness.

Goes well with a balsamic vinaigrette

Fried Corn

Really, there is not a simpler way to make corn more delicious. This recipe is so easy because it only calls for  2 ingredients and a large skillet.

Fried Corn
(makes a mess)

Ingredients:
1 dozen fresh, sweet corn, husked and cut off the cob
1 stick sweet cream butter


Preparation:
Melt butter in a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Put corn in with butter. Stir until corn is hot, tender, and has a few char marks on the kernels.

And that's it!

Caramelized Baby Roaster Potatoes

This recipe calls for 3 things: baby roasting potatoes, olive oil, and onion soup mix. It's so mind-blowingly delicious that you will wonder where this recipe has been all of your life. The onion soup mix caramelizes on the outside of the potatoes and provides immense flavor. Don't be surprised if your neighbors show up at your door for dinner because they can smell them cooking!

Caramelized Baby Roaster Potatoes

Ingredients:
1-2 quarts baby roaster potatoes (1 quart will feed a small family or a couple who REALLY likes to eat :) )
Olive oil
1-2 packages of onion soup mix (Lipton is a nice brand, but the store brand works just as well!)


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Clean potatoes with water, making sure that all dirt is removed. Leave the skins on the potatoes.
If the potatoes have a diameter larger than a quarter, halve them or quarter them.
Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes until they are slightly covered.
Pour the onion soup mix over the potatoes. They should be coated, but not completely covered with the soup mix. Since the mix is very salty, this will over-salt the potatoes. My general rule of thumb is about 1 package of soup mix per 1 1/2 quarts of potatoes.
Place on a foil-lined, cooking-sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Creamy Alfredo

My goodness. How many recipes must we sift through to find the best Alfredo sauce recipe? A lot. I have tried and tried and tried again--until I came across the perfect recipe for the often sought-after sauce. Here is the recipe for the whole dish that includes fresh spinach and plump cherry tomatoes!

Fresco Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and cut up

1 box pasta, cooked

1/2 pound baby spinach

1 pint ripe baby tomatoes, halved

Sauce:

8 ounces cream cheese (NOT reduced fat)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preparation for sauce:

Melt cream cheese in a large skillet. This will take several minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Gradually whisk in milk. Add Parmesan cheese and stir. Add spices and stir. Let sauce summer until it has thickened to desired texture. Add cooked pasta and coat evenly. Add spinach, tomatoes, and chicken. 

Goes great with garlic bread!!

The pasta can easily be converted to pasta primavera by adding al dente squash, carrots, and broccoli.

Squash Au Gratin

Using that plentiful harvest of summer squash, you can make a lower-carb, healthier version of potatoes au gratin. This dish is cheesy and oniony with a surprise tomato and squash taste. YUM!!


Squash Au Gratin

Ingredients:

1 yellow zucchini
1 green zucchini
1 bonita squash
2 ripe tomatoes
1 sweet onion
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup cheese of your choice (swiss pairs nicely with the tomatoes and squash)


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Dice the onion and saute in 1 tbsp. of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent.
Slice squash and tomatoes as thin as possible. Use a mandoline, if you have one.
Spray an 8" square casserole dish with cooking spray.
Holding the casserole dish on its side, as shown in the picture, stand up your squash in rows, alternating every third row with tomatoes (2 rows squash : 1 row tomatoes).
Set the casserole dish down when full. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Sprinkle with sauteed onions over the top. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove foil, top with cheese, bake for 10-20 more minutes until the squash is as tender as you desire.

Baked Hash Brown Potatoes

This recipe comes from our family friend, Sue, who also works with us.

Who doesn't like potatoes??

Baked Hash Brown Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 package hashed brown potatoes, frozen (you could also use 1 lb. of shredded fresh potatoes, and then freeze them)

1 can Campbell's Potato Soup

1 package cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Place in a greased 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes.

Zucchini Casserole

Since there is SO much squash this season, I figured, why not try another squash or zucchini dish. (And, by the way, zucchini is a squash, but squash is not a zucchini). This is a recipe from a friend of mine. Please enjoy!

Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup pancake mix
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasonings
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9"x13" pan. Mix all ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Pecan Pralines

Nothing says anything more "South" than pecan pralines, right? Right!

Pecan Pralines


Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Karo (light)
1/2 stick butter
2 tsp.vanilla
2 cup. pecans, chopped


Preparation:

Cook sugars, milk, salt, and Karo syrup until mixture forms a soft ball in water. Add butter, vanilla, 2 cups of chopped pecans. Heat until glossy, drop quickly by spoonfulls on waxed paper while still glossy and hot. Cool before serving.

The South's Best Lemon Pound Cake

I simply cannot get enough of this cake. Even though it doesn't include any fresh fruits or vegetables, it is just too good not to share. The crust is perfectly crispy while the inside is soft and delicious.

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 sticks margarine
1/2 c. butter (solid)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest


Preparation:

Cream sugar, eggs, and margarine with the butter. Add flour and baking powder alternately with milk. Add lemon and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Put in cold oven. Turn to 325F and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open oven for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check with a broom straw.

Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake

Boy, do I love coffee cake. Even though I don't drink coffee, it always goes great with a tall glass of cold milk, especially when the cake is made with fresh fruit.

Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
2 cups plus 1 tbsp. flour, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp. flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside. Cream butter, gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Combine remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Spoon half of batter into a heavily greased 10 inch tube pan. Spoon half of blueberry mixture over batter. Repeat procedure with remaining batter and blueberry mixture. Swirl through batter with a knife. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant. It's sometimes bitter, but it is completely versatile. Deep fried, oven-baked, or grilled, it's the perfect summertime side dish. But, as a main dish, it's even better!

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplant, white if available

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 pound crumbled and fried breakfast sausage (or hamburger) (try sage sausage!!)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, reserve 1/3 cup

Garlic powder

Salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Slice eggplant (do not peel), then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Broil or grill until warm, turn over and broil or grill for 3-4 more minutes. 

In a large cake pan (9"x13"), spoon 1/2 cup of sauce. Layerceggplant, mozzarella, ricotta, sauce, eggplant, and meat. Top with Parmesan and remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella. Bake one hour until hot and bubbly hot. 

Sausage Cheese Balls

Oh my lord, are these things delicious. They're so simple and everyone likes them. They're perfect for breakfast, appetizers, a side dish, or heating up on-the-go.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound C & T Produce bulk sage sausage
2 cups Bisquick (I like the heart smart kind)
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a foil-lined roasting pan or baking sheet.
Mix all ingredients. form into 1.5" balls. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

This is a very surprising and very savory dish. It combines the healthiness of the vegetable, but also gives it a crunchy (and unexpected) kick.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:
Fresh broccoli, cut into florets
Basting oil

If you don't have basting oil, you can definitely substitute it with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I actually prefer using your own spices and herbs compared to the basting oil on this dish.


Preparation.

Preheat oven to 450°F. If you have a convection oven, this would be the best time to use it!
After washing and drying your broccoli florets, place them into a large bowl. Generously coat them with basting oil (or the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper). Toss to coat. Place on a foil-lined roasting pan. Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 7 or 8 minutes. The broccoli should be slightly crisp (but not burnt) on the outside. The stalks of the florets should be tender.

Hasselback Potatoes

These are the best dish to prepare if you are trying to impress somebody. Seriously. They take time and effort, but in the end, they turn out delicious. The work that you may have to put into these is definitely worth it when you sit down to dinner to eat them.

Hasselback Potatoes


Ingredients:
Small to medium potatoes, any number of your choice
Basting oil (oil with dried herbs and garlic infused in it)
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder


If you don't have basting oil, you can use use olive oil, any herbs that you may like, salt, garlic, and pepper.


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Begin by washing the potatoes until all of the dirt is removed from them. Do not peel them. The skin is very important to the next step.
Carefully slice the potatoes so they look like this. This is where a lot of the effort comes into this dish. It is important to THINLY slice the potatoes, but do not slice them all the way through. To make the potatoes stay together, they need a base to hold on to.

 

Spray the bottom of a foil-lined baking sheet with the cooking spray

Next, take your basting oil (or just your olive oil), and generously coat the insides and outsides of the potatoes. Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the herbs in this step, if desired.

 

Making sure that all potatoes are thoroughly covered with oil and seasonings, bake them in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. You want the insides of the potatoes to be tender, but the outsides should be pretty crisp. If your potatoes are getting tender without the crispiness, increase the oven temperature and bake until you notice the slices become golden.

 

 

 

The South's Best Zucchini Bread

Okay, so who doesn't remember having deliciously moist zucchini bread in the heart of the summer growing up? It's sweet, goes with anything, and can be eaten as a breakfast or a dessert. Here is a classic recipe that has been passed down for a couple of generations. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread


Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1 cup butter)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups freshly grated zucchini
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple (drained, reserve juice)
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/5 cups chopped walnuts


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat sugar, oil, pineapple juice, vanilla, and eggs together. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.
Sift dry ingrdients and stir into zucchini mixture until blended. Stir in nuts.
Bake in greased and floured loaf pans for 1 hour.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, and then turn out on rack to finish cooling. Makes 2 large loaves.