Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

To contact us Click HERE

Cornbread salads are a true favorite here in the South.  This variation has sort of evolved through the years in my kitchen because of our love of spicy foods, Southwestern and Tex-Mex flavors. The fresh pico de gallo, is a must and takes my salad over the top. It also stays true to the type of food that inspired my take on this classic.  This salad needs to be made ahead to allow the flavors to fully develop.  If you plan on serving this salad for dinner, it can be made during early morning for the best same day results.   Otherwise, overnight is ideal for the full impact and flavor combination to shine.

For the salad you'll need:
1 7.5 oz. box of cornbread mix plus ingredients to prepare
2 12 oz. packages frozen Southwestern Corn [like Steamfresh] OR 2 11 oz. cans of Mexi-Corn
1 15 oz. can of black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend
8 oz. shredded iceberg lettuce
12 oz. bacon cooked, crumbled and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream [for the top]
For the spicy ranch dressing:
1 1.0 oz package of Spicy Ranch dressing mix
1 1/3 cups milk/buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
For the pico de gallo you'll need:
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1 medium purple onion
1 medium jalapeno pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. lime juice
garlic salt and black pepper to taste


Prepare the cornbread per the instructions on the package and cool.  Divide into thirds.  Prepare the dressing using 1 1/3 cup of milk/buttermilk and 1 cup of mayo, then chill until assembling the salad.  This is slightly more milk than called for on the package, but, I prefer the dressing a little thinner for this salad.


To prepare the pico de gallo, dice the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno pepper.  If you like your salsa super spicy, leave the seeds in the jalapeno, otherwise, use a teaspoon and remove them.  Always wash your hands well after handling hot peppers.  Add to a bowl, and toss with the chopped cilantro, lime juice and seasonings.  If making ahead, place into the fridge and chill until you assemble.  If you're using canned corn, drain the Mexican corn and black beans, and rinse  the beans thoroughly.  Mix together.  If you're using frozen corn, cook according to the package directions and cool before tossing with the black beans.


To assemble the salad, I use a trifle bowl, simply because the colors are so pretty, it adds to the presentation.  Gather all of your ingredients to help the layering process move along smoothly.


Divide the ingredients in thirds.  Layer in this order...shredded lettuce, crumbled cornbread,  bacon,  Mexican corn and black beans, pico de gallo, dressing and shredded cheese.  Repeat until all of the ingredients are used. 


For the top, I reserve some of the pico de gallo, bacon crumbles, and cheese to garnish.  So, theoretically, there are four layers of pico, bacon and cheese in my salad, but, whose counting? ☺ I'm pretty generous with the dressing when assembling my salad, so I use plain sour cream dolloped on top as a garnish.  When serving a salad that includes spicy or hot peppers, I always try to place a few visible as a garnish, letting people know what's inside of the dish.  So, a few rounds of jalapeno are placed on top of the sour cream for the finishing touch. 



Refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to come together before serving.  Yield:  12-14 servings

Cook's note:
In the Summer months when fresh corn is abundant, I always use fresh corn in this salad.  I roast a batch of Roasted Mexican Corn, and toss it with the black beans for the corn and bean layer.   
http://melissassouthernstylekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/08/roasted-mexican-corn.html

Peach & Black Cherry Crisp

To contact us Click HERE

A couple of weeks ago, my Mom asked me if I could come up with a couple of desserts for her using lower sugar ingredients.  You know, when Momma asks, it's "Yes ma'am!"  I know many people have dietary restrictions that limit intake of certain ingredients, like dairy, gluten and sugar, and I was sort of  excited to face the challenge.  Fall is right around the corner, so, I decided to make a fruit crisp, even though I knew it would be tricky.  I wanted to make sure my peaches were super ripe, and soft to the touch without being mushy, knowing they would be naturally sweeter that way.  I wanted to pair them with another fruit, and decided on sweet dark cherries.  I used frozen dark cherries because, they're already pitted, and we love 'em.


To sweeten the fruit I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of dry sugar free peach flavored gelatin dissolved in orange juice for a dual purpose. Firstly, to replace the sugar.  Secondly, to serve as the thickener for the sauce.   Of course,  the best part of any crisp is the topping, so, I used the Splenda Brown Sugar blend to cut the amount of sugar for the crisp topping in half.   I'm not implying that this is a diet dish, by any means, but, it's a very tasty lower sugar option. My family didn't notice the difference and happily polished it off.  Serve it warm with or without vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. ☺

For the filling you'll need:
3 1/2 cups of sliced peaches [about 5 large]
1 12 oz. bag of frozen dark sweet cherries [pitted]
1 1/4 tsp. of dry sugar free peach flavored gelatin mix
1/4 cup of fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1/2 tsp. orange zest [or more to taste]
For the crisp:
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of brown sugar blend [like Splenda]
1/3 cup cold butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.  In a small mixing bowl, mix together the topping ingredients.  Cube the butter.  This will make it easier to cut it into the dry ingredients.  When working with oats such as in this topping, I think it's better to cut the butter in by hand using a pastry blender.  A food processor can pulverise the oats.  Cut in the butter until the topping resembles coarse crumbs.


In a separate bowl, mix together the peach slices and cherries.  I let my cherries sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to thaw, and then drained any excess juice before adding them to the peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Dissolve the gelatin in the orange juice and mix with the almond extract.  Pour over the fruit. and stir gently, until the fruit is evenly coated.  I zested the orange right over the bowl.  I'm guessing it was probably around 1/2 a teaspoon more or less.


Spread the fruit into the bottom of the baking dish.


Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.


Place into the oven and bake for 45-47 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Let the crisp sit on the counter for 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to thicken.  Serve warm.  Yield: 6 servings


Cook's note:
The gelatin will dissolve more easily if the orange juice is warm.

Logan's Brown Butter Baby Lima Beans & Ham

To contact us Click HERE
 I'd like to introduce you to my foodie sister and friend, Sherri.   Sherri and I met when I won the National Flour Power Competition sponsored by The popular online recipe club called, "Just A Pinch Recipe Club" [JAP] of which Sherri and I are both members.  Part of my winnings was to attend a  live Showcase event held in Franklin Tennessee where I recreated my winning cake in front of a large audience of JAP members.   Sherri was the emcee and previous winner with her "Smokin' Baby Got Back Ribs."  We met for dinner the night before the Showcase, and we bonded instantly over our love of cooking and sharing. What a fun and unforgettable day we had on the day of the Showcase!   She is an award winning cook, and I'm delighted she's joined me in my kitchen.  Sherri, welcome and thank you for stopping by to share a recipe in my Southern Kitchen! 
  I'm originally from VA and we Southerners love our lima beans, butter beans, pinto beans, heck we just love our beans!  I wanted to share this recipe with y'all. I love sharing, swapping, creating recipes. I hope that you enjoy my recipe. It's really quick, easy and delicious. Enjoy. I ♥ U twin. sw☺


Brown Butter Baby Lima Beans & Ham

1/2 stick butter, unsalted-more if you prefer
1 medium shallot, sliced thin
1/3 lb. ham on bone sliced, cooked and cut
16 oz. baby lima beans, frozen
1 tsp. beau monde seasoning or to taste *seasoning salt"
1/2 tsp course black pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes-optional
chives to garnish

Add butter to a medium high heat skillet. Whisk butter frequently to prevent burning. Butter will be ready when it's golden brown and nutty. Reduce heat.

Add shallots to skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add ham and continue to saute for another minute.

Add lima beans and remaining seasoning to pan. Simmer for 15 minutes or until lima beans are fork tender. Garnish with chives

Y'all ain't gonna believe this, but I even made a lima bean sammie with my leftovers....Yes, I indeed went there! LOL it was so, so good. sw
Here's a link to Sherri's Ribs :  http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/pork/smokin-baby-got-back-ribs-3.html?p=1

Wendy's Autumn Pumpkin Cupcakes

To contact us Click HERE
                                                                           
 These delightful Autumn inspired pumpkin cupcakes were created by my friend Wendy. Wendy is a fabulous pastry chef and I invited her to share this recipe on my Facebook wall. The response was so overwhelmingly positive, I decided to add it to my blog archives so it could be referenced again and again. Thanks for sharing, Wendy!
For the cupcakes you'll need
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
¾ c vegetable oil
1 – 15 oz can 100% pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pans with liners. Makes about 20.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spice and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin and mix well.
Add wet ingredients to dry, mix well, being careful not to over mix.
Fill liners ¾ full, bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes. Or until, top springs back when touched. 
Cool in pans 10 minutes, and then remove to racks to cool completely.
When cooled completely, you can frost with whipped cream or cream cheese icing…I personally like to drape them in the cream cheese icing! Then drizzle with caramel sauce.  
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz butter
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice
3 c powdered sugar

 In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Scraping bowl as necessary, add vanilla and lemon juice, mixing well. Add powdered sugar and beat until very smooth, creamy and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

Caramel Sauce
½ c butter
1 c brown sugar
¾ c heavy cream
¼ t salt
1 t vanilla

 Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar stir until blended, whisk in cream and salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook 5 minutes, boiling gently and whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool then store in air tight container in refrigerator. I use a squirt bottle (like the type ketchup or BBQ sauce comes in at a restaurant) This can be made a couples days in advance, just pop in microwave to warm just enough to drizzle. Microwave at 15 second intervals.

Must Remember This Mushroom Pilaf Recipe

To contact us Click HERE
It will only take 30 minutes to cook this beauty.
Ingredients:
a couple of cups of quinoa
olive oil
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
200g of different sorts of mushrooms
1 large finely chopped onion
juice of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon dried basil
a bunch of fresh oregano finely chopped

Firstly make the quinoa. Usually 15 minutes boiling time is enough but check with packet. While the quinoa cooks, chop the vegetables.
When the quinoa is done set aside but keep warm. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the chopped onion and stir over medium heat until slightly softened. Add in the mushrooms. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cook till the mushrooms feel tender. In a cup mix the lemon juice with the herbs and set aside. When the mushrooms are ready scoop the quinoa in the mixture and then pour over the lemon and herbs mix. Toss well. Goodnight.

Skillet Apple Pie Biscuits

To contact us Click HERE

These "easy as pie" apple pie biscuits are a weekend breakfast treat for my family.  The preparation is so quick and simple, and although I've never made these with canned biscuits, they'd probably work in a pinch, too.  Good enough for company, or even as a dessert, for those who may not be inclined to bake from scratch. 



You'll need:
8 frozen buttermilk biscuits thawed
1 21 oz. can of premium apple pie filling
1 stick of melted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs. cream/milk


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Melt the butter, and brush on all sides of the skillet.  I used my 10 inch cast iron skillet for these biscuits, but, you can use any comparable baking dish.  In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until blended.


Dip each biscuit in the butter, and sprinkle all sides with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Arrange side by side in the skillet.


Cut the apples in the pie filling into smaller pieces, and  mix in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla.  Arrange over the biscuits. 


Pour the remaining butter over all.   
.

Sprinkle the last of the cinnamon sugar on top.  Place the skillet into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden.


Stir together the powdered sugar and cream/milk, and drizzle on top.  Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings



Cook's note:
If you'd like to add nuts to these biscuits, sprinkle chopped nuts on top along with the brown sugar just before baking.

9/13/12 Featured on www. recipelion.com blog post celebrating National Biscuit Month
http://blog.recipelion.com/national-biscuit-month/

Sweet Potato Biscuits

To contact us Click HERE

September has been declared "National Biscuit Month."  God bless those who came up with such a celebration!  Biscuits to us in the Southern US are, what scones are to the English.  Hardly a day goes by that someone in my home declares their need for a fresh, hot, biscuit.  I have to confess, I don't always have time to make homemade hot biscuits everyday.  Especially, on busy weekday mornings  before my husband heads into the office and I'm preparing to shuffle my little boys off to school.


Most mornings I find myself rushing to the car with my travel cup of hot tea in one hand, juggling my purse, keys and cell phone, and helping my little boy put his backpack on, with the other hand. My third hand closes the door to the house, while my fourth hand reaches into my purse to grab a tissue to wipe a runny nose, and my fifth hand opens the car door for his grand entrance. So, needless to say, I'm usually minus the dusting of flour that always comes along with making biscuits. ☺

I usually make homemade biscuits on the weekends, when I can enjoy the creative process of baking something from scratch. Sometimes we'll have biscuits for breakfast, and sometimes for dinner. They're almost always more than just flour, buttermilk, and shortening, although, there's not a thing wrong with that combination. When the crisp, cool mornings remind you that Fall is well on the way, these sweet potato biscuits will hit the proverbial "spot." 


For the biscuits you'll need:
2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 stick of cold butter
1/2 cup cooked and pureed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream plus add'l to brush the tops
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your food processor until it resembles cornmeal.


Mix together the pureed sweet potatoes and cream in a separate bowl.


  Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.


Turn onto a floured board and roll or pat about 1/2-3/4 inches thick. Use a floured cutter and cut into the desired size.  I used a 3 inch biscuit cutter. 


Place onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and brush the tops with additional cream.


Place into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.  Serve hot with a slice of country ham or honey butter. Yield: 8 3 inch biscuits



Cook's note:
For the sweet potato puree, I baked two sweet potatoes at 375 degrees for 50 minutes, then cooled and peeled.  I pureed the pulp, and froze the extra, for a future batch of sweet potato biscuits.