Cooking with KP: February 2011

Pot of Gold

If you don't feel like cooking the traditional corned beef brisket or huge pot of Irish stew this St. Patrick's Day, here is an excellent substitute. It has great flavor and requires little work on your part.

5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunks.
6 carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise, then crosswise or 15 baby carrots.
1 medium cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 T. minced garlic
2-2.5 lbs smoked ham, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
2 T. prepared horseradish

Put vegetables, garlic, and pepper into a crock pot cooker.
Blend brown sugar, mustard, and horseradish in a large bowl. Toss in ham chunks and cover with mixture.
Add meat to cooker.
Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Great served with cornbread.

Hummingbird Cake

The Hummingbird Cake is a truly Southern tradition. I have not made this cake in several years, but I plan to have it tomorrow for Valentine's Day, which would have been my mothers 88th birthday. She really liked this cake because of its rich flavors.
Ingredients for cake
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple,
juice reserved
2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
(about 5 bananas)
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients for icing:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes,
chilled
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese,
cut into 1" cubes, chilled
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of three 9" round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease each pan with 1 tbsp. butter and dust with a little flour; shake pans so that flour evenly coats them. Invert pans and tap out excess flour; set pans aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; stir in the pecans and set aside. Using a handheld mixer set on high speed, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl until smooth, 1 minute. Add the crushed pineapples and their juice, bananas, oil, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the pecan mixture and mix on low speed until evenly combined.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake cakes, rotating occasionally, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and let sit for 15 minutes; invert pans and unmold each cake; discard parchment paper. Let cakes cool.
4. Make the frosting: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until creamy, 1–2 minutes more. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and continue mixing until the frosting is light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Remove any dust from the pecans by shaking them in a wide-mesh sieve over the sink; using a rubber spatula, fold the pecans into the frosting.
5. Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand. Using a butter knife, spread 2/3 cup frosting evenly over the top. Place second cake layer atop first one and frost top of it with another 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over the sides of the assembled cake. Serve immediately or wrap loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Cecil's Traditional Pound Cake

When Cecil and I were married, one of the first things he made for me was his traditional pound cake. Traditionally/historically, a pound cake has a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. This recipe has just that in it. Sometimes, he would had a cup of chopped pecans because I love nuts so much. This cake is dense and delicious, and great with coffee. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound cake flour (3-1/2 cups)
1 pound butter (2 cups) Do not use margarine.
1 pound sugar (2-1/4 cups)
1 pound eggs (9 large)
2.5 tablespoons vanilla or brandy

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C), a slow oven. Prepare 3 loaf pan or one bundt pan with butter and light flour.
Cream butter well, add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, two at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add flavoring.
Add flour gradually and beat until smooth.
Pour mixture into pans and bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Allow cake to rest 15 minutes prior to turning out of pan.

Coon Sausage Balls

For those of you who have never seen Coon brand Cheese, Coon cheese is a sharp cheddar cheese made in Australia. A different process in cheese making is used to make Coon cheeses. You can find Coon cheeses in some Winn Dixie stores, but it is very hard to find. The closest product we have around here is Black Label Kraft cheeses. If you can't find Coon or Black Label Kraft cheeses and want to make this recipe, buy the sharpest cheddar cheese you can find.

3 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
1 pound ground pork sausage (uncooked)
2 cups Sharp coon cheese, shredded.
( I have made these before adding 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans and/or 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions. Both are delicious additions)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. You will have to knead the mixture with your hands until thoroughly mixed. If you want a spicy coon ball, use hot pork sausage or add 2 T. hot sauce. Roll mixture into balls about the size of a walnut. Place about 24 balls on baking sheet and bake 350 degree preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe will make around 36-48 balls. You can make the balls ahead of time and freeze them on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes and place in zip lock bags. When ready to use, put frozen balls on baking sheet and allow to thaw for 30 minutes before baking.
Serve with dipping sauces, such as sweet and sour, bbq, or hot mustard and honey. The men will come running for more.

Hot Cheese Dip

1 large sourdough bread bowl or rectangle loaf, hollowed out

Save middle bread and tear into bites to toast and dip into dip

1 16 oz. can artichoke hearts,finely chopped (not the marinated kind)

1 c. Monterrey jack cheese, finely shredded

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 c. grated cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1 small onion, finely chopped or grated

1 small can green chilies, drained

1 c. mayonnaise or 1/2 c. mayo and 1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1T minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Hollow out middle of sourdough loaf. Place loaf on baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lightly covered with olive oil.

Cut middle bread pieces into bite size pieces for dipping

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl. Pour into bread bowl. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and toss middle bites of bread in 1 T. olive oil and place around bowl. Bake for 10 minutes to toast bites of bread. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese or chopped green onions. Serve hot and with some vegetables for dipping or some pita chips.

This is so good, you will fight over who gets to eat the empty bowl.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is a recipe that I have changed slightly from one that Paula Deen presented on her show. A viewer shared the original recipe with her.

2.5 pounds cooked and frozen meatballs, thawed
2 (8-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 diced red or white onion
1/2 cup chopped green onion
6 cloves chopped garlic
Sweet and Sour Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In deep non-greased baking pan, add the thawed meatballs. Top the meatballs with the pineapple chunks. In a medium bowl add the mustard, red and green onion, and garlic. Mix well. Top the meatballs and pineapple with the mustard sauce. Cover with Sweet and Sour Sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir and place back in the oven for the remaining 30 minutes. Serve while hot.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.