Cooking with KP: September 2024

Kay's Corn Chip Salad

I am sure if you are on social media, you have seen several TikTok videos of people sharing their versions of Corn Chip Salad. Well, they all looked so inviting that I combined 3 of them to make my version. We loved it!

2 cans (15.4 ounces each) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (15.4 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can sliced black olives

2 cups shredded Mexican/Fiesta cheese blend

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Juice of one lime

1 package (9.25 ounces) chili cheese-flavored corn chips

In a large mixing bowl, add black beans and cover them with the lime juice. Then add all other ingredients except chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 20-30 minutes prior to serving remove from refrigerator and fold in chips. You can leave the chips whole or crush them. I prefer whole.

Paprika Chicken Florentine

My husband and I happened upon this recipe when we had most of the ingredients and needed to cook something. It turned out delicious and will be back on our table soon. Try it and let me know if you like it.

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 buds/toes of garlic, finely diced

1 16 ounce jar of Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup whole milk or half and half

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tablespoon diced parsley

2 Tablespoons sweet paprika or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika and 1 tablespoon smoky paprika

salt and pepper and garlic powder

pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

Your favorite pasta

Unfold the thighs and season both sides with paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Rub the chicken so that the pieces are fully covered. The paprika will give it a dark orange red color. In a large skillet with lid, melt butter in olive oil. Add chicken. You will brown the chicken on both sides--about 3-4 minutes. Remove for pan. Use the remaining butter and olive oil to saute the onions, parsley, mushrooms and garlic. The onions and mushrooms may darken due to any paprika from the chicken remaining in the skillet. The paprika is going to make things dark (and flavorful). When onions have softened, return chicken to skillet and spoon the onions and mushrooms on the top. Continue to cook on low temperature for about 10 minutes, turning frequently. Pour in alfredo sauce, put 1/2 cup milk in jar and shake to get out the remaining alfredo sauce and then pour into skillet. Add red pepper flakes. Make sure to cover the chicken completely with sauce. Reduce to low heat, put lid on skillet, and cook 4-7 minutes, until you chicken is fork tender. Stir in your spinach and parmesan cheese. Cook for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and spinach has wilted. Spoon over cooked pasta of your choice. ENJOY!

Peach and Pecan Upside Down Cake

My mother made delicious homemade from scratch pineapple upside down cakes. They were so delicious that my older sister Paulette always requested one on her birthday. I wish I had written down my mother's recipe for the cake, but I didn't. Instead, I have used a cake mix with additions and we love it.

You will need a 10.5 inch cast iron skillet that has at least 2 inch high sides.

Ingredients

1 yellow cake (not the type that calls for butter) ( I use Pillsbury)

1 20 ounce can of sliced peaches in heavy juice

3 large eggs

1 cup of peach juice reserved from can

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup pecan halves

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided into 1/2 and 1

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of skillet.

Drain syrup from canned peaches, reserving it for the cake mix.

Place sliced peaches in the bottom of the skillet.

Add pecan halves along the edge and between peach slices.

In a small bowl, put brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Melt stick of butter and pour into sugar and cinnamon. Mix well until smooth and pourable. Set aside while making the cake.

Mix cake mix using 3 eggs, oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and reserved peach juice from can. If you don't have a full cup of juice, you can add some milk to make 1 cup. Using a mixer, blend until smooth.

Pour brown sugar and butter mixture over peaches and pecans.

Top with cake batter and level it without disturbing peaches on the bottom.

Place in center of oven and bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.

Let cake cool for 20-25 minutes. Leaving it in the skillet any longer may cause the bottom to stick to the skillet. Place cake plate on top of skillet and flip in one quick motion. Let cake finish cooling. Slice and enjoy!

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.