Pimiento Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Folks have their ways of cooking things, and there are often dishes they dare not vary. From cornbread recipes and secret formulas for comeback sauce, change can be difficult for the home cook.

The husband and I decided to join one of those meal kit delivery services. After the introductory price wears off, the sticker shock can become daunting, but there were many great positives about the experience.

Really, having a batch of ingredients, some out of the ordinary, or not what is typically available to us in a rural Mississippi town, was a pleasant experience, but the best thing was stepping away from my ordinary Southern fare and learning to make some simple sauces.

It made me a better cook.

So, when we got the ingredients and the recipe for pimiento mashed potatoes, I had a “duh” moment of “why have I never thought of that before?”

Two favorite dishes begging for a fusion.

When it comes to mashed potatoes, I did learn long ago not to overdo the dairy – whether butter, milk, cream, cheese, or sour cream. There can be too much of a good thing. Adding too much dairy fat to all that boiled starch makes the dish seize up, become less appealing texturally, and drowns out the natural, earthy taste of the potatoes.

The cure? Save at least a cup of the salted potato water, and you can mash and thin the potatoes into a beautiful, silky texture, or with some remaining lumps, but easily to your exact liking.

Trust me. This dish doesn’t even need butter. The flavors are that great.

A note about pimientos – if they do not sell them wherever you live (and they can be hell to find in Wally World), you may substitute jarred, roasted red bell peppers. They aren’t exactly the same thing as pimientos, but they are close enough in flavor and texture to be interchangeable.

And grate your cheese, please! It makes all the difference in the world. As Maggie has pointed out on this blog, whatever they use to keep shredded cheese shredded is kind of creepy and also keeps it from being less melty.

Enjoy …

Pimiento Cheese Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs. small golden potatoes, medium dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Olive oil, drizzle
4 oz. jar pimientos or roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 oz. white cheddar cheese (grated from an 8 oz. block)
4 scallions, sliced, green parts only (optional for garnish)
Butter (optional topping)

Directions

1. Salt enough water to cover the potatoes in a deep pot. Add smashed garlic. Boil for 16-18 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

2. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water then drain potatoes and return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the pimentos, onion powder, and a half cup of the reserved water. Stir well.

4. Add the cheese and stir to incorporate. Add additional reserved water, as needed, and stir to your desired texture. 

5. Salt and pepper to taste. Top potatoes with scallions and/or butter, though the potatoes are fine without either.

Christmas Cookies: Baking Ordinary Into Extraordinary

We love this time of year when, for a few weeks at least, we get to relax our dietary standards and enjoy a little extra sweetness in our lives.

Whether it’s baking with the kids to fill their time off from school, for a cookie exchange to surprise your friends and family with individualized presents, or to impress Santa on Christmas Eve while he struggles to assemble little George’s bike – cookies become common around many houses during the holidays.

But just because they are ordinary doesn’t mean that they can’t be extraordinary.

We here at GTC love to collaborate during this time, as well. We celebrate our diversity as cooks, each with her own approach and strengths. This year, we set out to find and share some delicious cookie recipes with you.

From all of our houses to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy holiday.

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 FROM DIXIE

Miss Vetra’s Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies

My grandmother made Christmas cookies and candies beginning the week after Thanksgiving and continuing all the way through December until Christmas Eve. As much as I remember my own joy as the house began to fill with the warm smells of cinnamon and chocolate, I remember the joy of our friends, family, and neighbors as she handed out small tins filled with divinity, gingerbread, frosted sugar cookies, and fruitcake cookies to name a few. The mix would vary from year to year, but these four were always included.

So much of my modern-day adult Christmas celebration is filled with nostalgia and memories from my childhood. Nothing screams nostalgia like Miss Vetra’s Fruitcake cookies filled with those delightful neon-colored candied fruits, winter nuts, and a little booze.

Fruitcake, in general, gets a really bad rap—most people have never had a really good, old-fashioned liquor-soaked fruitcake made by a delightful Methodist grandma.

My grandmother’s cookies embody all of the best things about fruitcake but in cookie form.

Miss Vetra’s Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup Crisco
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, beaten, room temperature
1 TB orange marmalade
1 TB brandy or dark rum
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups candied fruit cake mix
½ cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
24 pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves and baking soda. Set aside.

In large bowl or bowl of stand mixer* bowl cream together butter, Crisco and brown sugar until light and fluffy, roughly 5-7 minutes. 

Add in egg, orange marmalade, brandy and vanilla; mix on low until just combined.

Slowly add in flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, one cup at a time on lowest speed until completely incorporated.

Stir in candied fruit mixture and chopped walnuts by hand, using a wooden spoon.

On cookie sheets,  drop tablespoons of cookie dough mix in 3 by 4 pattern. Press one pecan half in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 15-17 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your oven.  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack using a spatula, let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

*I prefer a handheld mixer, but a stand mixer works just fine.

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FROM MAGGIE

Chocolate Cookies with Crushed Peppermint

We have arrived at the season of nostalgia, and I am happy to swim in it—especially if it’s filled with sugar and chocolate! The sea salt chocolate cookies at Lucia’s in Linden Hills, where I did my externship in Minneapolis, were one of my favorite things from the bakery. The triple chocolate cake and pumpkin bars were nothing to turn your nose up at either, but we can talk about those another time.

Now that Lucia’s has closed, I have to make the cookies myself. It’s cool, though; they’re easy enough, even for non-bakers like myself! Since it’s the holiday season, I thought I’d mix it up and replace the flaky sea salt topping with crushed peppermint. Just put a few hard peppermint candies or mini candy canes in a freezer-weight zip-top bag and hit ’em a few times with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy rolling pin. Don’t over-crush, though – you wanna see that red and white stripe in the bits of candy topping.

Here’s to reveling in all that nostalgia and eating sweets with abandon! Happy holidays!

Chocolate Cookies with Crushed Peppermint

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Cookies

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 TB unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon brand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Topping

1/4 cup water
3 TB sugar
2 TB crushed hard peppermint candy

Into medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  

Place butter in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed 2 to 4 minutes, until very soft. Add brown sugar, the 1/4 cup sugar, the 1/2 tsp salt and vanilla. Beat 2 to 4 minutes longer on medium speed, until creamy.

Add flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until incorporated. Dn not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in chopped chocolate.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Divide dough in half; place one half of dough on another piece of parchment paper. Using paper to keep dough from sticking, roll each half of the dough into a 12-inch log. Roll up each log and place in freezer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 325°F. Line two half sheet pans (18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets) with parchment paper. In small saucepan, make the simple syrup: combine water and 3 remaining TB sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 2 to 4 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Working with a sharp chef knife or bench scraper, slice each log into 24 rounds, reshaping dough as necessary. Place cookies in 4 by 6 pattern on pans, leaving 1 inch between each. 

Bake 12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to cooling racks and let cool at least 5 minutes.

Use pastry brush to "paint" cookies with the simple syrup, then sprinkle with crushed hard peppermint candy*.

* You can top the cookies with 2 TB flaky sea salt instead of the peppermint candy.

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FROM MARY MARGARET 

Santa’s Favorite Cookies

My husband’s greatest weakness is chocolate chip cookies, so I’m always sure to have these around on Christmas Eve for “Santa.” Here, I’ve tweaked the classic Toll House cookie recipe to include a few of his favorite things, including dark chocolate, craisins, and rolled oats.

Santa’s Favorite Cookies

Makes 8 dozen cookies

½ cup craisins
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs 
1 TB vanilla 
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp hot water 
2 cups rolled oats
1 package dark chocolate chips or chunks (12oz)
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cover craisins in hot water to plump. 

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. 

Sift flour into medium bowl; add salt. In small bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add flour mixture and dissolved baking soda to the mixture in stand mixer; mix on low speed until just combined. Add rolled oats, chocolate chips, drained craisins and pecans. Mix on low speed until incorporated

Place tablespoons of dough on prepared cookie sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Bake in batches for 12 minutes. Remove while warm and cool on racks.

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FROM DEE

Nut-Free Linzer Cookies

As a person with nut allergies, I bake tons of cookies and treats that I never get to eat! Back in our active-duty days, the holidays were always an exciting blend of cultures and traditions. European friends introduced me to Linzer cookies. They were absolutely beautiful, and I was so sad that I couldn’t taste them because they were made with ground almonds or almond flour. 

So, I went looking for an alternative and found this recipe from Cathy Roma at whatshouldimakefor.com. Problem solved! The lemon zest can be doubled, and the raspberry and lemon are a match made in Heaven, and the two acids complement the rich buttery flavor of these cookies perfectly. I have also used apricot preserves just for another color on a cookie tray. Raspberry is traditional, but making your own traditions can be wonderful, too. This is a low-yield cookie (2 dozen completed cookies), but they are worth every minute of effort. Happy Holidays!

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FROM CAM

Gingersnaps

I am not much of a baker of sweet things. I can churn out rolls and loaves of bread, but my Kitchenaid must think it queer when I attach the flat beater and crank it up to make a batch of cookies. I love a good commercial gingersnap, so for this Christmas baking project, I chose the beloved, crispy and spicy cookie that so many people love. I found a great recipe from King Arthur flour.

I love the flavors here. The balance of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves is spot on. The ginger range is from 1 - 2 teaspoons, and I chose the more conservative 1 teaspoon, and it was plenty. I used solid vegetable shortening, as the recipe did not specify, and while the cookies came together, the batter was crumbly. I was worried it would impact the final product, but alas, they turned out perfectly moist. And I don't have any real baking tools - like a cookie scoop - but getting them to the 1-inch ball size wasn't difficult. You roll the balls in cinnamon sugar, and they flatten out when you cook them. I love, too, that you can choose between a softer cookie with a crispy exterior or the more common crisp-throughout version just by adding 2 minutes to the bake time.  

So, for some great flavor bang from what seems to be almost a no-fail recipe, give this one a try. And Merry Christmas!

Defy Your Kin: Spoonbread, Not Dressing

Spoonbread commands a spotlight and defies its kin – cornbread, dressing, cheese grits, corn pudding – in categorization.

Is it a bread? A casserole? Labels, schmabels. It is a lovely, fluffy, and creamy side dish, yet it’s hard not to view it as the star in any meal in which it’s served.

If you are planning on having turkey for Thanksgiving, do you really need a big pan of dressing, too? Not necessarily. Substitute spoonbread for the dressing, especially if you are pressed for time.

Though your mother-in-law may get miffed, tell her you are going to start a new tradition. Pour a strong one then sit back and wait for the fireworks.

Spoonbread is easier to make than cornbread dressing. It takes much less time to prepare, as dressing requires more time to make a bold and savory chicken broth. Simply, spoonbread is a big bang for the bite, easy to stir up and bake for a Sunday dinner or a special occasion.

You could argue that spoonbread is more closely related to cheese grits, but it is bready like cornbread and so moist that it requires a spoon to eat, thus, its name, though the origin of the name has been the subject of at least one debate.

While many point to the need to eat spoonbread with a spoon as giving rise to its name, according to Kelly Brant, writing in the Arkansas Gazette, Native Americans prepared a dish called “supawn” or “suppone,” a porridge made with ground corn, which could be the genesis of the dish and its name. Kelly gives a great all-around history and some recipes. Check her article out, if you have time. 

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/22/spoonbread-splendid-20141022/

The main note I would give about spoonbread is to keep it simple. I found many great variations, and I got lost in recipes that add heavy ingredients that make it weighty with flavor distractions. It’s much better appreciated for its airy texture, and often onions, peppers, and garlic frame the standard Southern flavor profile just right.

If you are willing to sacrifice a little fluffiness for extra flavor, bacon, chives, and shoepeg corn could be great additions. One version I tried included chorizo, and it came out flat. So, be careful if adding meat and watch the total amount of fat going into the recipe. You don’t want the leavening agents to fight too hard for lift.

I used baking powder even though I was also using self-rising cornmeal. It worked out just fine. If you want some extra fluffiness, you can separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the whites until they peak then fold them last into the batter. Also, you can use either whole milk or buttermilk, the latter adding a layer of background flavor that many will find appealing, but buttermilk does have less fat, so that substitution can impact the texture. 

The recipe that I tried that had a great balance of flavor and the perfect texture is one I found in Texas Monthly Magazine.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/jalapeno-jack-spoon-bread/

So, when you are planning out your Thanksgiving menu, embrace change! Be brave! Defy your kin …

Jalapeño Jack Spoonbread

4 TB butter, divided
1 large onion, diced
2 medium or 1 large shallot, diced
2 fresh medium jalapeños, diced (seeds and ribs removed if desired)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups whole milk
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add onions, shallots, and jalapeños and cook, stirring often, 7 to 9 minutes, or until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer, until softened. Remove from heat.

In a heavy saucepan, slowly bring milk to a boil over medium heat stirring often to avoid curdling. Slowly stir in cornmeal until mixture is the consistency of a heavy paste. If it’s too thick to stir, add a splash of milk and continue stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir butter and baking powder into cornmeal mixture. Add eggs 1 at a time to cornmeal mixture and stir until completely mixed. Fold onion mixture into cornmeal mixture, along with cheese and salt.

Pour into greased 2-quart baking or casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm and golden.

Fiddle Around, Find Out: Green Chili Chicken Spaghetti

Some navel gazing: food writing has its place. Like any genre, there are fans, and then there are critics. 

“Just give me the recipe!” the haters sometimes scream. 

Well, we don’t need a jump-to button here at GTC. Our writers may share a memory or two, descriptions of their cooking techniques or their dining experience, and variations they find that make a recipe flexible. But we are never too long-winded. And we are self-funded, so when we recommend or identify a brand, it’s because we appreciate the quality of that product.

I and the others here at GTC enjoy reading food blogs and books about cooking, dancing around the kitchen, or heading out to wine and dine, finding and sharing those wonderful experiences. If you have read this far then you probably count yourself as a member of our tribe and even still look upon the word “foodie” with affection and not as a pejorative. 

And we appreciate you. Pay no attention to the haters. We get you. We got you. 

For me, there seem to be so many approaches, but I have started to recognize my own pattern. I mine cookbooks and the internet for classic recipes then I fiddle with them: make them a little healthier, a little peppier per mine and Bud’s tastes, and adapt them using ingredients that I can find at our local grocery or Wally World in our small Mississippi Delta town. 

Pedestrian? Perhaps. But that’s me.

Thus, this green chili chicken spaghetti. I was looking to make a version with a cheese sauce that’s not so heavy (read: gummy) as those relying purely on processed cheese and/or canned soup. And I wanted to punch up the heat from the standard can of diced tomatoes and green chilis.

So, I pulled out that great sour cream cheese sauce recipe that Ree Drummond uses to make enchiladas and adapted it as a pasta sauce, added a few more seasonings to layer in the heat, et voila.  

Bud went back for thirds. Enjoy … 

Green Chili Chicken Spaghetti

1 ½ pounds chicken breast tenders
5 TB butter, divided
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 oz. pimentos, drained
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
14 oz. spaghetti
4 TB flour
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 4 oz. can green chilis
8 oz. sour cream
3 cups pepper jack cheese or Mexican blend, shredded, divided 
3 tsp+ taco seasoning
2 TB diced jalapeños (optional)

Directions

1. Bring about 6 cups of water (or additional chicken broth) to a boil, add chicken tenders; reduce heat and simmer until cooked through. I usually let them simmer for about 10 minutes then take it off the heat and let it sit for another 10. Do not discard this broth as you can use it to boil the spaghetti. Cool the chicken. Shred it.

2. Melt 2 TB butter in a small skillet. Add in bell pepper and onion and cook until soft.

3. Put your chicken and the softened onion and bell pepper in a large mixing bowl.  Add pimentos and tomatoes to the mixing bowl and give it a good stir.

4. Using the broth, get your spaghetti started so it can boil while you are making your cheese sauce. Break the spaghetti in half and cook it 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain. 

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Melt 3 TB butter in a saucepan over medium heat until frothy. Add flour and make a nice roux, whisking 1 – 2 minutes until golden. If it starts to seize up, go ahead and start adding your chicken broth. Pour broth in, a little at a time, and whisk for a couple of minutes until broth is incorporated. Remove from heat. Add the can of green chiles and whisk. Add in the sour cream and whisk. Add 2 cups of the Mexican blend cheese and stir until smooth, putting it back on the heat if you need to get it to blend. Add 1 tsp of taco seasoning and salt to taste.

7. Add the pasta into the large mixing bowl with chicken and vegetables. Stir well. Add in the cheese sauce to the mixing bowl. Add in the jalapenos, if using, and add additional 2 tsp of taco seasoning, or more, with salt and pepper, to taste.

8. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour everything into the dish and spread remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and cook 5 more minutes until it’s all cheesy and bubbly. Serve with garlic bread and a nice salad. Enjoy!

Shrimp Creole’s Devilish Brother: Fra Diavolo

I got a gumbo spoon for Christmas and wanted to give it an inaugural stir, so I pulled my trusted source for Louisiana fare: my family cookbook.

I turned to the section with the gumbo recipes and went down a rabbit hole when I noticed a recipe from a cousin for shrimp fra diavolo. Though it’s a general Italian-American dish – the name translates as the “Devil’s brother” – it includes nice heat and a seafood feature that makes it a dish popular in New Orleans restaurants.

So, here’s a fascinating read: pull some gumbo recipes, then shrimp etouffee, then on to shrimp creole, then fra diavolo, and finish with arrabbiata (the latter translating as “angry” in Italian).

From the soothing and delightful gumbo over rice on one end to pasta dish names that translate as the “Devil’s brother” and “angry” on the other, you get a nice progression from comfort food to stimulating dishes that have a nice, spicy kick.

It’s an interesting spectrum with gumbo as a purely roux-based dish to arrabbiata with a purely tomato gravy-based dish, with the ingredients from the five dishes generally meeting in the middle at shrimp creole. Of course there are vegetable and flavor changes, as well, but you can easily see the overlap.

I decided that, instead of gumbo, I would give the fiery shrimp fra diavolo recipe a try. I looked at more recipes online and found their common elements – lots of garlic, white wine, basil, and red pepper. Sometimes onion. Sometimes Parmesan.

I leaned heavily on Ina Garten’s version. She opts for ready-made Rao’s prepared arrabbiata for a quicker meal with great flavor, and since Rao’s is available at Wally World, I was on board with that. And since I couldn’t find any fresh basil, I opted for prepared pesto.

The result is a beautiful pasta dish with strong flavors. And I will have to break in that new gumbo spoon another day.

Enjoy …

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Appx. 6 - 8 servings

3 TB olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 TB garlic, minced
1 – 2 tsp red pepper flakes (see note about heat)
1/2 cup white wine
24 oz. Rao’s arrabbiata or 3 cups homemade spicy marinara
3 TB basil pesto
16 oz. linguine
1 – 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Parmesan, shaved 

Directions 

1. Put heavily-salted pasta water on to boil.

2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium/high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until it’s soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for an additional 2 minutes stirring constantly and making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

3. Add white wine and reduce heat. Simmer for about 3 minutes until wine reduces by about half.

4. Get your linguine boiling in your pasta pot. It will probably take 10 or so minutes.

5. Add 3 cups of arrabbiata and basil pesto to your saucepan and bring to a simmer. Salt to taste. Add a little more wine and/or a little more pesto, to taste.

6. When the pasta still has about 5 minutes to go, add your shrimp to your tomato sauce making sure all the shrimp are submerged. If the tomato sauce is not bubbling, bring the heat back up.

7. Reserve about a half cup of pasta water. Drain your pasta and return to the pasta pot.

8. Make sure that your shrimp are pink and cooked through and pour sauce into pasta pot and mix well with the linguine. If the sauce needs thinning, add pasta water little by little and continue to stir. Make sure all pasta is coated.

9. Top with Parmesan and serve with Italian bread and a nice salad.

A note about the heat: 1 tsp of red pepper flakes is subjectively mild to me. Go for 2 tsp if you want to make sure you get some nice heat. My cousin adds up to 3 TB, but I'm not sure she has any taste buds left. 

A Few of Our Favorite Things

As 2021 draws to a close, we here at Grab The Corkscrew are looking back over the year and counting our blessings. 

We are certainly thankful for our group of writers, our blog turning two last month, and all of the wonderful readers! 

In the spirit of giving, we present to you some of our favorite things and pray that 2022 brings us all a renewed enthusiasm for cooking, dining, and sharing, and for love, the core of it all.

Cheers … 

Wine & Spirits

Franco Serra Barolo – It is no secret I love wine (red, white, rose, you name it!), but I have definitely refined my tastes over the years, and dry Italian reds are definitely some of my favorites.  Our wine rack is always stacked with several bottles of this Barolo.  Reasonably priced at around $35 per bottle, it will not break the bank and yet is a quality full-bodied red, which pairs excellently with meats and cheeses. (Amanda)

Campo Viejo Rioja - Buddy and I found this inexpensive Spanish red wine that we love. It’s fruity and perfectly smooth, but not sweet. Prices range from $10 - $20. If you try any of the older reserves, let it breathe for just a few minutes before pouring. If you cannot find the Campo Viejo, look for any Spanish red that is made with a tempranillo grape (key ingredient), in particular those from the Rioja region, though the blends are delicious, too. (Cam)

Broadbent Vinho Verde - I always keep an extra bottle of this light, refreshing white in my refrigerator. This Portuguese table wine is a blend of green grapes that’s perfectly spritzy and dry at the same time. At around $10, it’s the perfect price point for serving to friends over brunch or a fish dinner. I jokingly call this my “mama wine.” Because of its low alcohol content, you can enjoy a few glasses without feeling worse for the wear. (Mary Margaret)

Segura Viudas Brut Heredad Reserva Cava - This is the ultimate “bring a bottle of wine” choice for the holidays. If you haven’t seen this thing … you have to check it out. It’s a standard 750mL bottle of Spanish sparkling, but the actual bottle is decidedly fat, with an embossed metal base that’s super sexy and looks like it costs way more than $21. It also just happens to taste great, too! (Maggie)

Moet and Chandon Champagne – I confess.  I’m fancy.  Cannot deny it.  There is always something sparkly and chilling in our refrigerator (no matter the time of year), and 9 times out of 10 it is going to include a bottle of this champagne.  Everyone should have a good bottle of champagne on hand; for special occasions, if nothing else. Sometimes after an especially long day, though, it is nice to pop a cork on this fruity (and much too easy going down) bubbly spirit. (Amanda)

Cooking & Food

Better Than Bouillon bases - I grew up cooking with those cute, square cubes of bouillon for soups, stews and the like, but the Better Than Bouillon bases are far and above a better solution for home cooks who like to tweak recipes. These bases are a paste, allowing you to dictate the flavor intensity as you see fit. The brand offers a number of flavor profiles (some Vegan, too) but I always keep beef, chicken and vegetable on hand. (Mary Margaret)

Langres Super Stinky Cheese - I’m officially obsessed with this cheese from Champagne. It’s so stinky I’m required to warn my husband before I open it. No one else in my house wants to share it with me, and I am so fine with that. Traditionally served with Champagne (another classic example of that whole what-grows-together-goes-together adage), Langres is delightful on a thin wafer cracker or toasted baguette, with a couple of Picholine olives to help cut through the intense, luscious creaminess. Oh, and it’s beautiful too. (Maggie) 

Yucatan Guacamole in a squeeze bottle - We keep this in the fridge to use as a condiment on sandwiches and as an addition to salads/dressings. You can find it in the refrigerator section at Wal-Mart next to the sour cream. Because it’s a squeeze bottle, you can squirt some out without air getting to the rest and turning it brown. The avocado content makes it pretty healthy and can raise HDL levels. And it’s delicious. (Cam)

McCormick Gourmet Organic Za'atar Seasoning - My favorite go-to ingredient in my home kitchen these days: The Lawry`s of the Middle East. This interesting little spice blend has earthy notes of thyme, oregano, and sumac. Sumac has a subtle, lemony flavor that brightens this savory spice mix. It’s great for use on roasted turkey, chicken, or fresh vegetables. Mix it with a healthy dose of kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and you have a bold steak rub. Or add into your favorite vinaigrette for salads. Readily available on any spice aisle of any grocery. (Dixie)

Frontera Green Chili Enchilada Sauce - This mild enchilada sauce is my favorite pantry ingredient for stretching leftovers. I can’t stand to waste good protein, but I’m usually tired of it after two meals. With this enchilada sauce, I simply chop any leftover pork/chicken/beef and fold it into a tortilla with cheese, black olives, red onion, and whatever else is in the fridge that needs to be eaten. This 8 oz. package works perfectly for 6-8 enchiladas and freezes beautifully. (Mary Margaret)

Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Very rarely do I cook with anything except extra virgin olive oil.  It is more expensive than regular olive oil, but it is much healthier for you and does not leave food heavy and oily tasting.  This brand is about $20 per bottle, and I defer to it because it is available in most supermarkets no matter where you live.  Made 100% from Italian olives, it automatically elevates most things I cook. (Amanda)

La Costena Diced Chipotle Peppers - Keep a jar in the fridge to add a little heat and smokiness to any soup or sauce. Add to your heat preference, but about a teaspoon per cup of liquid will perk your tastebuds up. (Cam)

French’s Crispy Jalapeños - Everyone knows about French’s Crispy Fried Onions, but there is a jalapeños version that makes a fantastic topping for your casseroles, soups, chili, and salads. Add them to a charcuterie board, and your guests will love the little spicy accent. The heat is perfect. The crunch is great. (Cam)

Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Yes, this is a very Basic B*#%! item, but it is never NOT in my refrigerator. Having guests over last minute? Throwing a holiday party? Going someplace and need to bring a dish? I defy you not to find hundreds of easy recipes, which use this ingredient, and, let me tell you if there are people in the world who do not like cream cheese I have not met them yet. If I did, I am not entirely sure we could be friends. The loveliest thing about cream cheese, though, is that it almost stands on its own as a dish. Quite often, appetizers requiring this ingredient do not require a dozen other items as well, and it helps take the stress out of cooking.  Am I right, or am I right? (Amanda) 

Bella Sun Luci Sundried Tomatoes - Wal-Mart sells a julienne cut that’s not packed in oil, and they are fantastic in sauces and salads. The flavor is so concentrated, and the texture so meaty, I keep a bag in my pantry at all times. (Cam)

Tools

Half Sheet Pans - The workhorse of my kitchen, half sheet pans are great for baking cookies, making nachos, cooking off a whole pound of bacon, roasting vegetables, and more. Big enough to fit a small spatchcocked turkey, the half sheet size is perfect for home cooks, but also a standard size for when you want to steal recipes from your favorite restaurant which uses whole sheet pans. You just halve the recipe and you’re in business. And you can get 2 of these guys for $12 at Sam’s Club, so you won’t feel bad about putting them through the wringer. Sam’s also sells the quarter-sized sheet pans for smaller tasks so I have a bunch of those as well. (Maggie)

Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Sheets - To keep those half sheet pans looking great longer but more importantly, to be able to rinse them instead of scrub them, find a place to keep some of these pre-cut parchment sheets. They’re 16 x 12 inches, meaning they fit nicely in those 18 x 13-inch half sheet pans. And with the precut sheets, of course, you don’t have to cut them, but also, they don’t roll up on you like cut parchment from a roll does. I have a dedicated drawer in my kitchen that perfectly fits a 1000-sheet box that I buy every couple of years from a restaurant supply store, but for a smaller level of commitment, here’s a 200-sheet pack from Amazon that comes in at a reasonable $14. (Maggie)

Plastic Quart Containers - Ubiquitous in restaurant kitchens, these players should have their own dedicated place in your home too. They’re dishwasher safe, microwave safe, freezer safe, and reusable. And the best thing about these is they come in quart, pint, and cup sizes, but each size uses the same size lid. They stack easily and are easier to dry and store than their Ziploc or Glad counterparts. (Maggie)

De'Longhi Livenza Deep Fryer with Easy Clean System - I just purchased my second deep fryer. After 10 years, the handle for my original Fry Daddy broke, and I couldn’t find a replacement. I decided to upgrade to this baby and I’m very happy with the results. It holds more oil than my last one (it says it holds 1 gallon but it actually holds slightly more) and it has a little spigot that lets you drain off the oil instead of pouring it out of the top. I usually drain off cooled oil into the container it came from, so the spigot makes swift work of that, without the need for a funnel. Plus, almost all of it fits in the dishwasher. It’s the best. If you don’t ever fry, you probably don’t need a countertop deep fryer. On the other hand, if you had your own, you might end up frying a lot more. Also, perhaps off-topic: let’s talk about air fryers. If you’re thinking an air fryer is in any way similar to a deep fryer, get ready for school: an air fryer is a tiny countertop convection oven. It is excellent for heating and re-crisping pre-cooked frozen food (pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, tater tots) and it reheats many leftovers very well, but it will not provide you with yummy fresh Pommes Frites or old-fashioned fried chicken. You can’t use it for things that are battered, like tempura. And fat provides flavor. There I said it. Sorry to proselytize for regularly bathing your food in artery-clogging peanut oil, but holy crap does it make it delicious! (Maggie)

The Ninja Foodi - We have a rule about not bringing new items into the house and kitchen unless something goes out the door at the same time, so I have resisted the Instapot and Ninja cooking trends over the last few years. Well, I got married and a dear friend gave us a Ninja Foodi as a wedding present. It has changed so much about cooking for me. The ability to air fry and pressure cook easily has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I will admit that, at first, I was intimidated by the number of functions. It evenly sautes, slow cooks, pressure cooks, air fries, broils, steams, and much more. Favorite dishes: Morning Star black bean burgers, carnitas, HamBeens soup, and any dried bean dishes. I’ll never go back. (Cam)

Techniques

Homemade Garlic Oil - Something that has been a handy-dandy thing for me, and that I’ve done for the last 30-something years, is to keep a small pan on the stove, preferably a pretty one, full of garlic oil. Simmer fresh, peeled garlic in your favorite oil until it’s soft. Both the roasted garlic and the oil have tons of different uses. Replenish as needed; no need to refrigerate. (Trish) 

Homegrown Dried Sage - ‘Tis the Season! During the holidays there are a few things I MUST have! I want it to “smell” like Christmas! I want it to “look” like Christmas. And above all, I need it to “taste” like Christmas. Once I have all of those things in place, it begins to “feel” like Christmas! The #1 item for me is homegrown dried sage. My husband grows sage in the summer in our tiny garden. We dry tons of it and put them in pretty jars for family and friends. It’s a must-have for me as I prepare the Christmas Dressing. The amazing thing about sage is the aroma will fill the house and is a perfect pairing with Christmas music! (Sylvia)

From Our Ancestry Cookbook: Pumpkin Crisp

Not all Southern mothers are known for their culinary skills.

My mother, God rest her soul, lacked a basic understanding of kitchen science. If a green bean casserole called for two tablespoons of sour cream, Mom would add a cup – “I love sour cream!” – and we would stab at the floating beans on our plate, trying to capture and corral them.

My Big Mama wasn’t much of a cook, either. Her biscuits were flat and extra crispy (read: burned). She would heat up a can of roast beef with gravy and spoon it over the cracked-open pucks for an easy Sunday supper. Those same biscuits would then be split and eaten with maple syrup for dessert.

Dining with The Parnell’s

Mom and Big Mama had other talents, the latter a well-known seamstress from Holly Springs whose pleats and ruffles were exquisite. And I wouldn’t trade those food memories for anything. I loved them both deeply, but cooking wasn’t their thing, and their recipes aren’t the culinary dragons that I chase.

Still, we have many great cooks in my larger family from my maternal great-great grandfather’s line, having immigrated from Devon, England, and I count myself lucky that the family compiled and published a cookbook "Dining With The Parnells" years ago. Each chapter starts with genealogy and stories about our forebears, and collectively, it says so much about us. Reading back through it not long ago, I realized that it includes the following:

• 13 cornbread recipes

• 7 recipes for chicken spaghetti

• 6 recipes for taco soup and 2 for tortilla soup

• 6 recipes for chocolate pie

The Tex-Mex doesn’t surprise me. Most of the family is from northern Louisiana near Ruston. And the Cajun and Creole influences are there, though less so (one recipe for jambalaya; three for etouffee; and two for shrimp creole). And I have been pleased with the cousins throwing in some surprises, especially Cousin Becky, for submitting a recipe for pad thai.

There are many great publishers out there who will work with a family to produce such cookbooks, and if your family hasn’t thought to do so, you might consider it. Ours is a treasure, and it includes this great dessert, a pumpkin crisp in the same vein as a dump cake, from Cousin Cynthia Boyd Harper.

Enjoy …

Pumpkin Crisp

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 box butter-flavored yellow cake mix
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup butter, melted
Ground nutmeg
Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the first five ingredients then pour and spread evenly into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin mixture then sprinkle the top evenly with the pecans. Press pecans lightly into the cake mix. Drizzle the butter over the top.

Bake for 60 minutes or longer until the crust is golden brown. THE PECANS WILL START TO LOOK BURNED. Do not worry. The butter makes them turn darker, but the taste and texture should be just fine.

Allow to cool for about 20 minutes then sprinkle lightly with nutmeg and top with whipped cream.

An Asian Twist on Comeback Sauce

Funny how these ideas start.

It was a conversation about gochujang, the Korean chili sauce. I fell in love with it several years ago when I discovered it at Wally World in the Asian foods section.

I started keeping it in my regular pantry rotation to use in sauces and marinades, in particular for making Korean bulgogi, a flavorful beef dish that you will return to time and again.

Alas, I have lamented gochujang’s disappearance from Wally’s shelves for quite some time now. Like those cotton candy grapes they have for about five days once per year, I walk slowly past the section, confirm its absence, then continue on with less spring in my step. Oh, how thou hast forsaken me, Wally World!

Our friend LeAnne recently posted a food pic with a cabbage slaw and gochujang-mayo sauce. She used a recipe from Bon Appetit. Chili sauce and mayo. I immediately made the connection between the gochujang-mayo and Comeback’s chili sauce-mayo recipe requirement and wondered aloud: “What if?”

LeAnne’s reply: “Like an effing umami bomb!”  

I sought that answer, and LeAnne was right. I flipped several of Comeback’s required ingredients to their Asian counterparts, and the result is fantastic.

If you are not from Mississippi or the South, Comeback Sauce has a variety of uses: delightful on salads as a dressing, as a dipping sauce for chicken or anything fried, and as a condiment for sandwiches and such. Essentially, it is Mississippi’s version of a remoulade, or it’s akin to Thousand Island dressing without the pickles, but with more heat and a garlicky and oniony bite.

Here, like LeAnne, I used it in a slaw.

If you haven’t made Comeback before, note that you will find many versions out there. There is an historic version with a curry bent, which is fine with me as a novelty, but I would much rather encourage the heat and bite innate to the non-curry styles.

Oxford chef and restauranteur John Currence makes the standard Comeback version that I like the most – raw onion and garlic instead of their powdered counterparts, though I do reduce his ketchup requirement and up the chili sauce in its place. That’s one great thing about Comeback – it’s flexible.

You can find Mr. Currence’s recipe by Googling “John Currence Comeback Sauce” and selecting the James Beard Foundation blog link. 

So, ultimately, here is a recipe twist on an old Mississippi standard. Note that the sesame oil and fish sauce are optional. They are there to replace the traditional paprika and add a nice, albeit subtle, background flavor, but they are not required, especially if you would have to buy those ingredients just to use for this.

Watch that pocketbook. And enjoy …

Asian Twist Comeback Sauce

1 ¼ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup gochujang chili sauce
2 TB shallot, minced
1 TB minced garlic
1 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp soy sauce (see note about salt)
1 tsp prepared spicy mustard
2 TB olive oil
½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
¼ tsp sesame oil (optional) 

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl if you want the shallot and garlic bits to really pop. Or you can add all ingredients except oil to a blender and blend for about 20 seconds, then stream the oil in and blend until thoroughly combined. Pour into a Mason jar or other container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. If it can sit overnight, even better.

For the Asian slaw, I mixed one 16 oz. bag of pre-shredded, tricolor slaw with 1 cup of the Asian Comeback. If you like a less saucy slaw, start by adding ¾ cup then judge to your liking. Allow prepared slaw to cool and soften in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

The recipe yields a little more than 12 oz. of sauce/dressing so you will have some left over if you are using it to make slaw as I described, or you can use 24 oz. of pre-shredded tricolor slaw from two bags to use the entire recipe of sauce/dressing.

In talking to Maggie about the recipe, she mentioned some great other pairings for the sauce: drizzle on top of an Asian rice bowl with fried chicken and kimchi, as a sauce for tempura-fried green tomatoes and shrimp, and on pulled pork nachos with mozzarella and cilantro. Yum! She had me at fried green tomatoes. Make a fried green tomato po'boy with bacon and cool, crisp lettuce, drizzle some sauce on, and you will never look at a BLT the same way again.

NOTE ABOUT SALT: I used regular soy sauce (not low sodium) and did not need to add salt. If you use a lower sodium soy sauce, you may add more soy sauce to taste or you may want to add salt at the end. Taste along the way, and you can’t go wrong.

Hot Stuff: Pepper Cheese Squares

I found this great recipe called “Hot Stuff” in the “Vintage Vicksburg” cookbook, sourced to Kathleen Hand Carter of Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

It has 10 eggs but is not eggy and a half cup of flour but not bready. With loads of cheese and your personal degree of heat, this is a pretty light dish that is perfect as party food, a side, or a breakfast delight.

Let’s talk about the heat: the original recipe only uses a 4 oz. can of green chiles, and any heat those chiles may provide kind of gets lost. If you want to start kicking it up, use a 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos instead; add 1-3 TB of your favorite hot sauce; and dot the top with pickled jalapenos.

And about that cheese: it calls for 16 oz. shredded pepper Jack. I recommend that you buy the block and shred it yourself. This makes it a little more time-consuming but bagged shredded cheese may include potato starch or other ingredients to keep the shreds separated, which can, in turn, make it less melty when added to a dish.

Enjoy …

Pepper Cheese Squares

1 stick butter or margarine
10 eggs
½ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 4 oz. can diced chiles or jalapenos
1 – 3 TB of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
1 pound pepper Jack cheese, shredded
15 – 20 sliced, pickled jalapenos (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the stick of butter in a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish and put in the oven to let the butter melt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the eggs. Don’t worry – you will get some clumps, but they will disappear when you add the butter.

Add the can of peppers and the hot sauce, if using, to the egg mixture and stir.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven, swirl the butter across the bottom of the dish, then pour remaining butter into a measuring cup or small bowl. Then, pour butter into the egg mixture while stirring. I’ve been worried about curdling the egg with the hot butter at this stage, but it hasn’t happened so far.

Add cottage cheese and shredded pepper jack cheese while stirring.

Pour the mixture into casserole dish. If you are going to add jalapeno slices, place them in rows across the top. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake from 30 – 40 minutes until top is golden brown.

Allow to cool then slice and serve! These reheat beautifully the next day. 

5th Sunday Blasphemy: Reconstructing Chicken Spectacular

If you aren’t familiar with Chicken Spectacular, perhaps some of the casserole’s ingredients will spark a memory: French cut green beans, wild rice, pimientos, water chestnuts, and cream of celery soup.

It’s one of those classics that’s a cinch to throw together for any gathering.

The casserole had fallen off my radar for a couple of decades, but when I skimmed the recipe in an old cookbook not long ago, I remembered it as popular 5th Sunday potluck fare that we had at church when I was growing up.

For the uninitiated, any month that had five Sundays, instead of four, was cause for celebration at our church, and we would have a post-service potluck lunch. The church would provide fried chicken, then the congregants would fill table after table with casseroles and desserts. At least one family would always bring a big pan of Chicken Spectacular, it seemed.  

Having recently rediscovered this lost dish, what did I do? Cooked it the classic way a couple of times. I fell in love with it all over again. Then, like the blasphemer that I am, I wondered: can this be improved?

Well, it depends on how you define “improvement.”

The beauty of the classic dish is how easy it is to throw together. The only bother to the original recipe is getting your chicken together, cooking some wild rice, and softening some onion in butter. Mix all the ingredients up with some canned cream of celery soup and mayonnaise, bake it off, and you are good to go. Easy enough.

If you don’t have any extra time, then Google the thousand versions out there and make it just like that. It’s delicious.

But, if you have about 15 extra minutes, make your own celery cream sauce: add some diced celery into the pan with the onion and cook until it softens, make a quick roux, then add some chicken broth and evaporated milk, simmer for a few minutes to thicken it up, and voila!

Classic or reconstructed? Your choice.

Enjoy …

Reconstructed Chicken Spectacular

1 6 oz. box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice, prepared
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
4 oz. pimientos, drained and diced
2 cans French style green beans, drained
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 sweet onion, medium, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 TB butter, divided
2 TB flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions

First, get your chicken and your wild rice prepared. Note that you can use 2 packages of the Uncle Ben’s ready rice and get the same results. (I was skeptical of ready rice until I found an Elizabeth Heiskell recipe that used it; it works particularly well in casseroles.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, make the cream of celery sauce. Melt 2 TB butter in a pan and throw in the celery. Let it cook a couple of minutes then throw in the onion. Cook them both about 5 minutes then add your garlic in. Cook another 2 minutes, careful that the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the additional 2 TB butter. Once the additional butter has melted, add the 2 TB flour and whisk about a minute. The mixture will begin to seize up. When it does, add in your chicken stock, stirring to make a thick sauce. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and add the evaporated milk. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the chicken, rice, sauce, and all remaining ingredients except cheddar cheese. Check to see if it needs additional salt.

Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. If you want, add cheddar to the top and cook an additional 5 minutes or so until melted.

Honeymoon Chicken: Pesto, Lemon, Olive, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Have you heard of Marry Me Chicken?

Well, I’ve got a riff on the famous and delicious dish, and, considering the nice zing that you get when eating it, we can just skip the ceremony and go straight to the honeymoon.

Background: I have joined a wonderful group on Facebook called “Cooking and Coping: Gathering Around The Virtual Table” which has been a nice source of food ideas, tips, and entertainment during the last year. Its membership is open to the public, and I highly recommend joining.

Those who participate in “Cooking and Coping” will often seize on a dish, and, for a while, its members will feature their versions.

One of the recent popular dishes being featured by different cooks was Marry Me Chicken. I’d never heard of such, but the flavor profile was instantly attractive: standard Mediterranean ingredients in a cream sauce.

As often happens when I find a new recipe, I look for variations online to note ingredient adjustments or variations of technique.

What I found with the Marry Me Chicken recipe was its kinship in flavor to a linguine recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.

So, as I often do, I joined the two recipes in matrimony. I said “I will” and “I do” and jumped to the good part.

Missing from the original chicken dish were green olives and lemon, and as both recipes feature olive oil, Parmesan, and basil, I figured that prepared basil pesto could serve as a partial substitute. I also used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts to avoid any issues of uneven cooking and dryness.

The results were outstanding.

Serve, as I did here, with roasted potatoes and onion, or rice, or pasta, as you like.

I made the Lipton Onion Soup roasted potatoes recipe off the back of the box (added a large-dice sweet onion for giggles) to go along with the chicken, and its flavors blend with the chicken’s sauce beautifully.

Enjoy …

Honeymoon Chicken

4-5 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
1 tsp Tony Chachere’s or another spicy seasoning blend
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ large lemon, zested and juiced
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not packed in oil, like Bella Sun Luci)
½ cup pitted green olives, sliced
2-3 TB prepared basil pesto
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Season chicken thighs with Tony’s or another equivalent spicy seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in an oven-proof pan. Brown chicken thighs for 4 minutes on each side and remove to a plate.

3. Quickly soften minced garlic in a hot pan, stirring quickly for about 30 seconds, and do not allow the garlic to burn.

4. Add in chicken broth and cream and stir to get the brown bits off the bottom. Bring liquid to a simmer.

5. Add red pepper flakes, lemon juice, zest, sundried tomatoes, green olives, basil pesto, and Parmesan and simmer for about 5 minutes.

6. Add chicken back into oven-proof pan and spoon sauce over each piece. Move pan to the hot oven and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

7. Be careful removing the pan from the oven, and warn anyone who comes near not to touch the handle.  

8. Allow chicken to cool and sauce to thicken for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil leaves and additional Parmesan, if desired.

Green Bean Salad with Major Grey’s Vinaigrette

Damn those New Year’s resolutions. Miles to go before we sleep and pounds to lose before I eat.

Salads can correct our wayward course of over-sweeting during the holidays. We eat a lot of greens, so a vegetable salad is a nice change. As well, it tends to be more filling. So, I thought that I’d share this green bean salad and dressing. It’s pretty special.

The genesis of the Major Grey’s dressing is a brown rice salad that we have been enjoying for years. Our friend Erin brought a rice salad to a get-together. Everyone raved. She pointed to a simple recipe called “Mum’s Bombay Rice Salad” on the Internet. Google that one and give it a shot. The key flavors in the dressing are yellow curry and Major Grey’s Chutney. 

I started playing with that dressing and discovered that changing the curry to prepared mustard with a dash of apple cider vinegar yielded a wonderfully sweet and tart concoction that is perfect for vegetable salads. 

The chutney’s predominant flavors are mango and lime, along with a wonderful mix of spices, and the sweetness is subtle once blended with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. I had trouble finding Major Grey’s chutney at Wally World recently, but they’ve been rearranging everything, so perhaps it will reappear at some point. Our locally owned grocery carries a version in the sauces section, so I bet you can find it at your local store, too. 

Of course, this dressing and the salad ingredients are flexible to your tastes! I need to try it on a broccoli salad. I am sure that would be delicious, too. But you do you.

Enjoy …

Green Bean Salad with Major Grey’s Vinaigrette

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
3 TB Major Grey’s Chutney
1 TB prepared mustard (I use sweet and hot)
1 TB apple cider vinegar
½ lemon, juiced

Salad

1 ½ - 2 lbs. green beans, washed and snapped
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil like Bella Sun Luci)
OR dried cranberries
½ cup onion, diced (sweet or red)
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup almonds, slivered or sliced
½ cup feta cheese (optional)
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
Salt, to taste

Directions

Prep your green beans – rinse and snap off the ends and then snap into 2-3 inch pieces. Boil for about 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and run under very cold or ice water to stop the cooking process.

Whisk olive oil, chutney, vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt.

In a large bowl, toss all remaining ingredients except bacon and feta cheese with the dressing. Salt to taste (it will take more than you think). Refrigerate for at least two hours, then sprinkle with cheese and bacon before serving. 

A More Perfect Union: Potato and White Bean Soup

I set out to make a hybrid of classic potato and white bean soups, but I needed that one thing to make them meld. 

And I found it: Boursin herb and garlic cheese.

I’ve been buying the three-pack of Boursin at Costco. It includes two boxes of herb and garlic and one box of shallot and chive. It is great to keep in stock for multiple reasons, chief among them that it is a great, quick snack with crackers, but it is also a versatile cheese that can elevate many of your dishes. 

Use a block with your mashed potatoes and you can forego milk, butter, and sour cream. Just add a little reserved potato water to thin it out, and you have a rich and flavorful side dish with no risk of a gummy disaster.

And Boursin herb and garlic is perfect for grits. Since we lost the Kraft garlic cheese roll so many years ago, I have floundered and lamented cooking grits without it. I went from yellow Velveeta to white Velveeta before finally discovering that Boursin is the perfect addition: the flavor is spot-on and it gives grits a light, fluffy texture.

The potato and white bean soup is easy to make though you do have to tend it at first. But you don’t have to get the blender out and can just give the potatoes a light mash near the beginning. The only complaint I got was that I should have doubled the recipe because there was none left. This batch makes 5-6 servings so adjust the amounts as needed.

Enjoy …

Potato White Bean Soup

2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
3 Russet potatoes, medium sized, peeled, large dice
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled, diced
1 quart chicken stock
8 oz. packaged diced ham (like Hormel, optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini or white kidney beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can great Northern beans (rinsed, drained)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
5.2 oz. block of Boursin garlic and fine herb cheese, softened
Salt, to taste  

Instructions

Melt butter and heat oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and adding ¼ cup of chicken stock to help them steam off. You will add stock 2 – 3 times as it reduces. Once the potatoes soften a little, give them a light mash to release some of the starch and thicken the stock. 

Add the carrots and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring. Add a little more stock if you need to keep the potatoes and carrots from sticking.

Add the onion and celery and cook for another 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add a little more stock if you need and stir as needed. 

Add the garlic, ham, black pepper, and Italian seasoning and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring.

Add the remaining chicken stock and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water, if you want to thin it out, but you probably won’t need it.

Add Boursin cheese, dollop by dollop, and stir until melted and blended. Add beans and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes until beans are heated through. Salt to taste.

Serve with cornbread, of course!

Twice as Nice: Baked Rice

Rice gets a bum rap these days with keto and low-carb dieting in fashion.

Unless you have a health issue like diabetes that requires lower carb meals, weight loss still results when you lower your total caloric intake appropriately. Lower and count your calories, and the weight will come off. It took me over a year to drop 14 pounds that way, but I accomplished my goal and feel good about it.

Avoiding rice altogether is difficult – it’s a filling, cheap staple. If you eat brown, unprocessed varieties, it’s pretty nutritious as well. We finally adapted to eating brown rice after a friend suggested that we get the boil-in-bag version. It does turn out perfectly every time.

There’s a recipe going around The Wood called “Parker’s Rice” that my friend Lauren shared with me. It is similar to a recipe that’s been going around the Internet for years called “Stick of Butter Rice.” It only takes four ingredients and some salt and turns out beautifully – perfectly cooked and great flavor.

But that basic recipe screams for variations, and I made it again attempting to put together a version more akin to Dirty Rice – that Louisiana favorite that makes my heart sing.

So, I will give you both recipes. Adapt as you might!

French Onion Rice

1 can French onion soup
1 can beef broth
1 cup rice
½ stick unsalted butter
1 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice butter and place in the bottom of 9 x 9 dish or small casserole dish. Stir together rice, soup, salt and broth and pour into dish. Cover dish (aluminum foil or otherwise) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 – 10 more minutes until all moisture is absorbed. Stir and serve!

Easy Louisiana Dirty Rice

16 oz. roll of sausage
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can French onion soup
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
¾ cup water
½ stick unsalted butter
1 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown sausage in a pan with bell peppers. Drain fat. Place meat in the bottom of 9 x 9 or small casserole dish. Slice butter and place on top of sausage and peppers. Stir together rice, soups, water and salt and pour into dish. Cover dish (aluminum foil or otherwise) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 – 10 more minutes until all moisture is absorbed. Serve with your favorite hot sauce!

Merigold Tomatoes: A Unique Delta Dish

It was a recipe hunt. I found myself craving a dish that Deltans typically call “Merigold Tomatoes,” a simple tomato dressing with cheddar cheese. Alas, no recipe. Or so I thought.

The dish was originally served at the McCarty family's Gallery Restaurant in Merigold. I asked the Google Machine if it had a recipe, and I could not find one from anyone claiming to have the original recipe sourced to the McCarty family, as the McCartys and their progeny, as far as we know, have never shared publicly the exact recipe with anyone.

I did find a recipe from Chef and Restauranteur Robert St. John. It looks like Mr. St. John has three versions, one of them published in the Desoto Times back in 2003.

I made Mr. St. John’s public version of the recipe a couple of Sundays ago, and we enjoyed it immensely, but the balsamic vinegar and extra sugar did not result in the food memory that Buddy and I have of the dish. And, unfortunately, I don’t have Mr. St. John’s cookbook available to see the other two versions that he has come up with.

Then, I remembered: Buddy’s old recipe box. Buddy had a recipe collection back in 1994 when we first met. Hand-written recipes on notecards, many from his mother. And there it was.

Buddy’s recipe was a copycat version that came from the late 80’s or early 90’s and would have been sourced out of Sunflower or Leflore Counties, so there’s a good chance it’s close to the original recipe that many Deltans are familiar with. And there’s a good chance that the recipe that we have came from Trish Berry, as when I called her, she confirmed that it “sounds about right.”

I will note that I added the herb profile and the chicken broth and broke down the steps beyond Buddy's "stir together and cook until bubbly." But, that's what I do? Yeah, that's a question.

So, whether the food memory is from the dish at the restaurant or from the recipe that we have had for decades, I don’t know. Sweetened or added vinegar? Not sure. But this dish is delicious. Enjoy …

MERIGOLD TOMATOES

1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 package cornbread, cooked to directions (or a small skillet from scratch)
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained (good quality like Red Gold)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 TB basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook the cornbread and let it cool. If you are making it from scratch, you want a small skillet amount. Once cooled, crumble cornbread in a large mixing bowl.

Melt butter in skillet and add onion and bell pepper. Cook about 7 minutes until both start to soften. Add garlic and cook a couple of minutes making sure the garlic doesn’t brown too much. Add chicken broth, basil, Italian seasoning, and pepper and cook until broth is reduced by about half. Salt the mixture to taste. Dump mixture in mixing bowl with cornbread and stir.

Stir in undrained diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Add more salt, if needed. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly – about 30 – 35 minutes.   

Hoecake Waffles + Tomato Garlic Schmear: Savor The Sweet

I have been taking a deep dive on cornbread lately – from recipes by Brenda Gantt and others, from hot water cornbread to the wonderful fried hoecake or Johnnycake.

The one thing that I have learned: cornbread is very forgiving and hard to mess up, and don’t over-preheat your skillet.

If you ever see Brenda Gantt (my most recent food crush and Alabama Facebook star) actually measure her cornbread ingredients, I will give you a nickel. Or something. I haven’t seen her do it yet. She just eyeballs and bases the measurements on the consistency of the batter until it’s thick like buttermilk.

What got me into the cornbread search was twofold: my love for hoecakes at Southern soul restaurant Mama Hamil’s in Madison and the thought of finding the best cornbread waffle recipe. What easier way to fry a hoecake than in a waffle iron? I wondered.

Cornbread waffles are nothing new, but trying to determine the amount of fat to go in there seemed to be the key, and the recipes for hoecakes have the most fat – the more to help keep its shape while being skillet fried.

Plus, we expect our waffles to be a little sweet, right? And don’t come at me with the sugar-in-cornbread debate. To each her own, especially when it comes to the variety of Southern tastes.

And what better pairing with the waffle than a nice, savory schmear? Roast some garlic in the oven and mix that up with some cream cheese and sundried tomatoes a few hours in advance.

The resulting brunch food will dazzle your tongue, and if you just want it to push some peas around the plate – well, that’s fine, too.

Enjoy …

Hoecake Waffles

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, whisked

3 TB sugar (optional, to taste)

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

3/4 cup self-rising flour

Cooking spray

Directions 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Check your batter’s thickness. It should be runny and as thick as buttermilk, so add a little more water, if needed. Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil, and cook waffles according to your iron’s manufacturer’s directions, being sure to spray the iron with oil between batches. The amount of batter will depend on the size of the iron. Place waffles in the oven to stay warm. Broil off if you want them extra crispy once you have completed the entire batch.

Tomato Garlic Schmear

6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil, like Bella Sun Luci)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 TB mayonnaise
Juice and zest of half-lemon or 1 tsp lemon pepper
2 jalapeños (optional – they aren’t too hot once roasted)
Salt, to taste

Directions 

Wrap garlic cloves and jalapeños, if using, in aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes. Mash the roasted garlic, and split and de-seed the peppers. Mix all ingredients together a few hours in advance of serving to give the tomatoes time to absorb some moisture and for the flavors to meld. 

Picky People Quick Pickle Their Peppers and Cukes

That bag of small cucumbers at the farmers’ market was screaming: “pickle me!”

And so, it came to be.

I have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to eating. That is, I can be picky. I want my pickled cucumbers to be small, more flesh, less pulp. I love a standard pickling spice and garlic for flavoring, and I want them to be sweet, but not too much so.

That’s the beauty of refrigerator pickles. Little labor. Great flavor bang - tailored to your and your family’s tastes. And while they can only be kept a few weeks in the refrigerator – unlike their canned cousins – they never make it that long anyway. That jar I made from the cukes at the farmers’ market were gone in five days.

You can choose any variety of vegetables – squash, zucchini, carrots, green beans - okra! Chop them up, stuff them in a jar with your seasonings, boil some vinegar and water, and pour it in. A good 30-minute soak and they are good, but two days later – voila!

Choose from any number of flavor profiles – standard pickling spice, dill, mustard seed, garlic or any mixture thereof. Choose from different vinegars like white, red wine, apple cider or rice (though you should probably avoid the concentrated flavor of balsamic).

Do some research, though, if you venture out and away from cucumbers and peppers. If it’s a vegetable that can’t be eaten raw, it may need some additional blanching prior to packing. Easy enough.

And take great care when working with jalapeños and other hot peppers – wear gloves and avoid contact with your skin and face. (You will only make that mistake once.) Adjust the heat by leaving or removing the amount of seeds and the ribs, where the pepper’s sting resides. Add in red bell and onion for a lovely balance between sweet, tart, and hot!

So, if you’ve always wondered, now’s the time. Oh, and support your local farmers’ market! 

Basic Pickle Brine for Cucumbers

2 16 oz. Mason jars
8-12 small cucumbers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar
1 TB salt
1-2 TB pickling spice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

Wash and slice your cucumbers and pack them in a Mason jar with the pickling spice and garlic. Leave enough room at the top for the pickling liquid to cover.

Bring the vinegar and water to a boil with the sugar and salt and boil a few minutes to completely dissolve. Be careful not to inhale the steam – it’ll make you cough.

Being very careful not to scald yourself, pour the pickling brine in the jar to cover the cucumbers. Place lid loosely on top for any pressure to escape if necessary. Once the jar cools to room temperature, screw on the lid and put in the refrigerator. The longer they sit, the more the flavor develops! 

Tex-Mex Elegy: Chicken Enchiladas and Mason Jar Margaritas

I miss Taco Tuesday. A lot. I am used to eating Mexican at least twice per week. A large order of asada and chorizo street tacos with onion and cilantro with a big bowl of salsa verde would really hit the spot right now.

Once we start to move out of isolation – whenever that may be, and however safely we can do it – our local tienda and taqueria will be one of my first stops.

In the meantime, we will just have to do for ourselves. Thus, a Mason jar margarita and a big pan of chicken enchiladas are on the home menu.

Margaritas

The margarita is such a simple cocktail to make yourself. It’s as easy as 3:2:1. That’s the ratio. Tequila. Lime juice. Simple syrup.

Grab a Mason jar. Measure out three parts tequila, to two parts freshly-squeezed lime juice, to one part simple syrup. Throw in a few cubes of ice, put the lid on the jar, and shake the hell out of it. Pop the top and enjoy your drink straight out of the jar. Use a cocktail shaker and pour into a salted cocktail glass, if you fancy. We have several nice shakers that we have collected over the years, but they have become more decorative than useful to us at this point.

Making your own simple syrup is, well, simple. Boil one cup of white sugar with one cup of water until sugar dissolves and you get the slightest bit of color. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into a Mason jar and put it in the fridge. It’s ready to go when you are, and it keeps for weeks.

Tequila is a beautiful and smooth alcohol, and adding a liqueur just gives it an alcohol wince that it does not deserve. So, if you crave that underlying flavor of an orange liqueur in your margarita, then flavor your simple syrup. Bring to boil 1 ½ cups of commercial, pulp-free orange juice with a 1/3 cup sugar. Stir and simmer until sugar dissolves and liquid reduces by about a ¼ cup. Cool. Pour in a Mason jar and refrigerate.

And a third option that’s the easiest of all – use agave syrup instead of simple syrup. My friend Lauren introduced me to this, and it’s brilliant, as tequila is fermented agave. Its sweetness is about the same as the simple syrup, so the ratio of 3:2:1 holds true.

Chicken Enchiladas

We play contract rummy or dominos (Mexican train!) with a couple of friends every Sunday afternoon. I usually make a big batch of something, and friends will bring a couple of dishes for a nice afternoon potluck. I recently asked them what their favorite dish that I make is.

Those chicken enchiladas, they said.

This Tex-Mex recipe is adapted from Ree Drummond’s recipe with just a couple of minor additions and changes, and I give the Pioneer Woman all the credit here. I love watching her on Saturday mornings, and I have a big food crush on her. She likes that little extra kick in her dishes, and she uses familiar and available ingredients. And she seems so kind and self-deprecating in her humor. 

So, if you are missing out on your Mexican/Tex-Mex food, make a big pan of enchiladas and a batch of margaritas. Until the world gets back to normal, you can satisfy some of those cravings at home.

INGREDIENTS

2 – 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
1 package 6-8 inch flour tortillas
1 medium sweet onion
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeños, seeded, small dice
1 TSP paprika plus
1 TSP garlic powder plus
2 TB diced chipotles in adobo, divided
2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
5 TB butter, divided
2 TB flour
8 oz. sour cream
3 cups pepper jack or Mexican blend cheese, shredded 

Boil the chicken breasts in the broth and enough water to cover until cooked all the way through, then cool to the point you can shred the chicken with two forks. Be sure to reserve the broth for the filling and the sauce.

Melt 2 TB butter in a skillet and add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and cook until softened. Add one can green chiles, 1 TB diced chipotles, paprika and garlic powder. Mix in the chicken and 1 ½ cups of the broth. Stir well to moisten the chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Melt 3 TB butter in a saucepan over medium heat until frothy. Add 2 TB flour and make a nice roux, whisking 1 – 2 minutes until golden. Pour 1 ½ cups broth in, a little at a time, and whisk for a couple of minutes. Add the other can of green chiles, a TB of chipotles and whisk. Add in the sour cream and two cups of the Mexican blend cheese and stir until smooth. Sprinkle in a little paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the tortillas according to package directions – usually about 20 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Assemble the enchiladas: take a tortilla and spoon in the chicken mixture and add a few tablespoons of the shredded cheese on top. Fold over and place in your casserole dish seam-side down with the ends open. I like my enchiladas kind of fat with chicken filling so I usually get between 6 – 8 in a pan.

Once the pan is filled with enchiladas, pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle on any remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 25 – 30 minutes until sauce and cheese are bubbly.    

NOTE

I use La Costena diced chipotles. They come in a jar that you can find in the Mexican food section of the grocery. Adding a spoon to any sauce gives a nice background heat and smokiness.

It's (Almost) All Greek and Asian to Me: Healthy Dining in Jackson

I have been working in and around Jackson, so I have become accustomed to seeking out relatively inexpensive, healthy meals at restaurants for lunch and supper.

The criteria that I use to judge a restaurant is based on whether they offer low-calorie, plant/vegetable-centered options with some healthy cholesterol thrown in. The cholesterol issue means that I am typically looking for meals with olives/oil, soy, fish, or avocados and the like.

As well, I will avoid restaurants that offer unhealthy menu options that I cannot resist ordering. I know. My weaknesses are not fair in judging them. For example, I love some Keifer’s. But I find it difficult to eat there without ordering the cottage potato as a side. I mean, a sliced whole potato that has been fried? If I can get in and out of Keifer’s and stick to the tuna melt with a side of kalamatas, it’s a great day. But those days are rare. 

These are the restaurants that I return to the most:

ATHENOS: this is actually a Greek and Lebanese franchise. I first ate there at their restaurant in Hammond, LA, and was pleasantly surprised to find one in Madison next to the Kroger west of I-55. They offer a vegetable plate with a pick five from a long list: dolmas, baba ghanouj, eggplant moussaka, squash moussaka, falafel, hummus, mujadarah (lentils and rice), rice pilaf, spinach pie, and tabbouleh. That squash is light and billowy, the dolmas are tight and perfect, the mujadarah flavorful and filling, and the falafel that are perfectly spiced and crispy.

JUTAMAS: this Thai restaurant just opened in Ridgeland about six months ago. It’s in a strip mall near Southern Breeze Gallery on Highway 51. It’s an elegant little place that has extremely flavorful food. The coconut milk soup with tofu and lime is my favorite. Pick any entrée! Everything that I have ordered, I have enjoyed. Just be careful with the heat level. They ain’t playing. I like a nice kick in my food and started at a level 3 out of 5. Mercy on my soul. The next time I backed up to a 2. And now, a 1 is just fine with me.

Jutamas

MAMA HAMIL’S: It shocks me to find people who live in Jackson who have never heard of Mama Hamil’s. Yes, it’s an all-you-can-eat soul food buffet, and they do have desserts and hoe cakes (fried cornbread!) that are the Devil tempting you. But I have made a habit: first round fill my plate with vegetables – all the peas and beans that I can eat with a nice premixed kale salad with blueberries, and a baked chicken thigh. If I am still hungry, I may return for a little serving of mac and cheese with a rib tip, but most of the time I make it out feeling good about what I have consumed.

ALADDIN: They offer multiple vegetarian options including a mixed vegetables dish over rice with feta sprinkled on top. Order the lebna and spinach pie appetizers if you want to get really full. And there’s a meat option that’s pretty healthy, too. Recommended by a server, the Chicken Lula is ground chicken patties cooked in olive oil, beautifully seasoned with a nice citrus marinade. Iced mint tea, too? I love this place.   

PHO HUONG: Don’t go for the atmosphere. It’s in an unassuming building off Old Canton Road that’s easy to miss. It’s all about the food. Order the pho, and get the small serving. It’s plenty. The broth is really rich and every bite includes a multitude of flavors.

Pho Huong

BROAD STREET: ‘T’is such a joyful place with plenty of healthy options. Avocado toast. Wraps. It’s the salads that keep me coming back, though. Sol’s Salad with spinach, pears, grapes, and blue cheese? Yes, ma’am. The chopped salad is my favorite - maybe the remoulade dressing and the huge slice of fresh bread would disqualify it as being healthy, but the fresh pickles and grilled chicken are perfection.

PRIMOS: Pick a location! Any location! There’s three! Pete’s (egg white) omelet with mushrooms and spinach is available all day, and I enjoy it for lunch with a side of grits and some toast. The tiger wrap with grilled chicken is a winner, and they usually have fish available – a red fish special or the tilapia from the menu. You can always get a vegetable plate. Just don’t wander over into the baked goods, or you’ll walk out with a dozen lemon squares.  

SURIN OF THAILAND: Order the chicken larb appetizer as your meal with the spicy coconut soup with tofu. It’s plenty. The larb is well-seasoned, diced chicken with red onion and lime served with cabbage leaves to construct as a wrap. (Most larb dishes I have been served were in salad form.) The cabbage is cool and crispy and complements the spicy chicken beautifully.

ICHIBAN BUFFET (Flowood, not Pearl): Yes. It’s another all-you-can-eat food trough. But it’s quite good. One bar includes all you can eat sushi. Try the tuna rolls and California rolls. Instead of the fried rice, look next to it for the pot with the steamed brown rice, then layer on the vegetables from any number of dishes down the line. Don’t skip the fresh sautéed green beans and carrots – my favorite. Find the baked chicken teriyaki sliced into small servings to get some good protein. The hot and sour soup is freshly made – it tastes different from visit to visit, but always delicious – and includes big slivers of silky tofu. And instead of going for the ice cream, opt for the freshly cut fruit at the inner bar. 

LUBY'S: Honorable mention. Yes, it's a chain. Yes, it's a cafeteria. Yes, there's a fried pork chop that I'd step on your face to get to. But the food is consistently good, and the healthy options are plenty. If you're in a hurry, try it. 

Cheers to healthy eating and a longer life ... 

Have Your V8 and Eat It, Too: Chipotle Vegetable Soup

I was the fourth child in a litter of five, so large-batch meals were par for the main course, and as I grew up on a cattle farm, we always had a significant vegetable garden featuring every kind of pea and bean locally available for cultivation. Thus, vegetable soup was an Abel mainstay during the winter.

The garden was a family project, and many a summer night were spent in front of the television snapping fresh beans and shelling peas that would be cooked, frozen and stocked away in the deep freeze for year-round meals.  

Those hot summer days hoeing and picking were a torturous chore to a kid. Calluses, in simple terms, suck, and the goal of filling a pea bucket over the course of a day was not high on a kid’s priority list when swimming pools and baseball were calling. But still, I look back on the experience fondly, in particular because of the meals that were produced as a result.

This is a recipe that I have put together over the last few years. It’s the base that is important as the mixture of beans, peas and other vegetables can vary to your tastes, and I have certainly been inclined to cook a pound of beef or ground turkey and throw it off in there for a little extra protein, as well.

The only problem? Trying to fit all the vegetables that you want in your soup pot. The bigger the pot? The better.

Though the ingredients lean toward a Southwestern flavor profile, none are so pronounced to label it as such. The chipotle adds a subtle background heat and smokiness. It’s a meal low in calories, nutritious and high in fiber, and with a hot pan of buttered cornbread, it’s childhood to my taste buds.

Oh, and it freezes beautifully, as Annelle would say. Enjoy …

Chipotle Vegetable Soup

One 64 oz. bottle of Spicy V8 Vegetable Juice
4 – 6 TB of diced chipotle peppers in adobo (such as La Costena)
One 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled, diced
2 TB butter
One 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes
One 15.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans
One 14.5 oz. can blackeye peas
One 14.5 oz. can purple hull peas
One 15.5 oz. can lima/butter beans
One 15.5 oz. can cut green beans
One 11 oz. can white shoepeg corn
One 15.5 oz. can sweet/English peas
2 TB chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste

In a large soup pot, melt the butter then add the carrots, onion and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes until soft, but still a little toothy.

Add the can of stewed tomatoes. Drain and rinse all the cans of peas, beans, and corn, and add them in except for the can of sweet/English peas. Add it the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Depending on the size of your soup pot, add 6 or more cups of the V8 and stir. Heat to a simmer.

Add tomato paste and diced chipotles. Start with 4 TB each and stir until incorporated. Add more if needed - the paste will thicken the soup and the chipotle heat it up. It will depend on the amount of vegetable juice you can get in your pot. 

Add seasonings and salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes and add the English peas during the last 5 minutes, just to heat them up. 

Ladle into bowls and enjoy.