Cooking with KP: January 2015

Easy and Delicious Corn Chowder

This is a recipe I found online many years ago when Amanda first went to college. I made it often for myself while she was away. It holds up nicely in the refrigerator for a few days so I could eat it for 3 days. This recipe makes about 6 one-cup servings.

6 bacon slices

1/2 cup refrigerated pre-chopped celery, onion, and bell pepper mix

1 T parsley flakes

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen baby gold and white corn, thawed and divided

2 cups milk, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel)

sour cream

diced green onions

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add celery mixture and 1 package corn to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Place remaining 1 package corn and 1 cup milk in a blender, and process until smooth. Add pureed mixture to vegetables in pan; stir in remaining 1 cup milk, salt, black pepper, most of the bacon crumbles and cheese. Cook over medium heat (do not boil), stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Ladle chowder into bowls. Top each serving evenly with reserved crumbled bacon, a dollop of sour cream and some diced green onions. Sprinkle with additional black pepper, if desired.

NOTE: You can use half and half instead of milk.

Cube Steak Casserole

My mother always called cube steaks minute steaks because they take just a few minutes to prepare, but they can be a bit tough. Here is a recipe that helps to tenderize this great tasting cut of beef. The first version of this is not my recipe. I found this recipe at www.theserendipitybistro.com. The second version is my adaption of the recipe. I have, however, made this both ways. Although I used beef cube steaks, I bet this recipe would be good with venison cube steak.

VERSION ONE:

4-6 cube steaks
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans water
1 c. Minute rice (brown or white), uncooked
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pepper and garlic powder

cooking oil for frying
Directions
Put flour on a plate or shallow container. Lightly season cube steaks with pepper and garlic powder. Dredge cube steaks through flour. Brown cube steaks on both sides in a skillet of hot oil. Do not cook through. Transfer cube steaks to a 9x13 baking dish. Mix soups and water together. Add rice; stir into soup mixture. Pour over cube steaks. Cover with foil; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and return to oven to brown (about 15 minutes)

VERSION TWO:

4-6 cube steaks
1 packet dry McCormick reduced sodium brown gravy
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 medium bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans water
1 c. Minute rice (brown or white), uncooked
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pepper and garlic powder to season meat

cooking oil for frying
Directions
Put flour on a plate or shallow container. Lightly season cube steaks with pepper and garlic powder. Dredge cube steaks through flour. Brown cube steaks on both sides in a skillet of hot oil. Do not cook through. Transfer cube steaks to a 9x13 baking dish. Mix soup, gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, diced onion, diced bell pepper, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder and water together. Add rice; stir into soup mixture. Pour over cube steaks. Cover with foil; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven to brown (about 15 minutes)

Sausage, Peppers and Potato Bake

I love smoked sausage, so naturally when I found this recipe online, I had to try it. It is awesome. Make it sometime soon. I know you will enjoy it.

1 pound sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces (I use beef sausage)

6-8 red new potatoes, quartered
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken or beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 T. parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Combine all of the ingredients except broth in a large bowl and toss with fingers. Line a shallow baking tray with foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour mixture on baking tray. Pour broth on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through, the vegetables are tender, and everything is beginning to brown.

Kay's BBQ Casserole

This is a recipe that I modified from one from Betty Crocker. It is a quick and easy dinner.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
black pepper and garlic powder to your taste
1-1.5 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce (I generally use Kraft Honey BBQ)
1.5 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground meat in a skillet for about 3 minutes. Add peppers, onions, garlic powder, and black pepper. Continue to cook until ground meat has no pink remaining. Drain any fat and return to skillet. Add barbecue sauce and simmer about 5 minutes. Mix cornbread mix, egg and milk in a bowl. Pour meat mixture into 9x9 casserole dish and top with 1 cup grated cheese. Pour cornbread mixture on top of cheese so that it covers the entire dish. Bake 18-20 minutes until cornbread is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with 1/2 cup cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes. You can also add 1 cup frozen corn kernels to the meat mixture when you add the barbecue sauce for a bit of variety.

Elvis Presley Pound Cake and Kay's Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Many people think that Elvis’s favorite cake is the one with pineapple and cool whip, but from everything I have read, his favorite cake was pound cake. Here is the recipe.

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups sugar

7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy cream

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake

Here is another pound cake recipe that I make on his birthday:

Kay’s Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. warm water
1/3 c. sugar (if you want a sweeter cake, use 1/2 cup; but I don't like a sweet pound cake)
1/2 c. canola oil
4 eggs
1 box yellow cake mix

Soften cream cheese and butter in warm water. Mix both until creamy, add sugar, oil and eggs. Blend well. Add cake mix and mix until smooth. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees. Use bundt pan or 2 loaf pans. Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit.

Lowcountry Steak

Round steak can be very tough, so it needs to be cooked low and slow. Here is a recipe that a friend of mine shared with me. It uses a crock pot and provides very tender and moist steak. You can even use frozen round steaks.

2 pounds of round steak (cut into individual portions)
1 14oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 garlic buds, finely minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 rib of celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 bay leaves
3 T Worcestershire sauce
pepper to taste
1 package of brown gravy mix

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add all ingredients except gravy mix. Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in gravy mix and cook one more hour. Serve on rice or potatoes or for something different serve but delicious on top of cheesy grits. (That's my favorite)

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.