Cooking with KP

Simple Buttermilk Biscuits

I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law Sue Lovelace. She could make some of the best biscuits in the world, and this recipe she called--SIMPLE. Yes, they are simple, but they are delicious.

1/2 cup COLD butter, cut into thin pieces
2 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
a little melted butter for brushing on tops

Preheat over to 425 degrees. Lightly greased baking pan with butter or use a sheet of parchment paper lightly greased. Use butter to grease no cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl sift flour and then using your hands cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3-4 times. Pat or lightly roll to 3/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter.
Place biscuits on pan and bake 11-14 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Enjoy!

Kay's Zesty Croutons

Although it doesn't happen often here, if you have a leftover loaf of French bread or other thick bread you can make some delicious homemade croutons. You can store in zip-top bags or in airtight food storage containers at room temperature for up to three days or in the freezer for several weeks. They also keep in the fridge for several days with only a small loss of crunchiness.

1 loaf French bread (a few days old)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ -2 teaspoons kosher salt (we don’t use a lot of salt so I only used ½ teaspoon on ours, but I think most people would want more salt.)

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cooking sheet/baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the bread into small cubes and place in a large bowl.

In a small skillet, melt butter and gently saute garlic for 2-3 minutes. Remove skillet from burner and let cool about 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and stir well

Pour mixture over bread cubes and using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils, butters and seasonings. Pour onto baking sheet and a single layer.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Check often so they don’t burn or get overly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Blonde Brownies

Sometimes Blonde Brownies are called Butterscotch Brownies because of their rich brown sugar and butter flavor. Call them what you want, they are delicious! Many, many years ago, I dated a guy whose loved blonde brownies, and this recipe was told to me by his grandmother.

1 ½ sticks of butter (12 Tablespoons), melted USE BUTTER NOT MARGARINE.

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ Tablespoons vanilla

1 ½ cups self-rising flour

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extras for overhang, and lightly butter the top and sides of the parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour. Mixture will be thick. Try not to overmix. Fold in nuts. Spread batter in baking pan.

Bake for 23-25 minutes. Insert toothpick in center to check for doneness. Toothpick will come out clean when done.

Cool for 15-20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan. Place on cutting board, and cut into rectangles. Enjoy

Spanish Rice and Eggs Skillet Dinner

This recipe was inspired by one at

https://www.incredibleegg.org/recipe/one-skillet-mexican-rice-bean-baked-eggs/, which is awesome, but since I had leftover cooked Spanish Rice, in the fridge, I did this

2 cups cooked Spanish Rice

1 can black or red beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup corn kernels

½ stick butter

4 eggs

¼ cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cooked rice, beans, and corn in a bowl. In oven safe skillet, melt butter. Pour most of melted butter in the rice mixtures and blend. Press rice mixture in skillet. Make four divots in rice mixture. In a small bowl, crack one egg at a time and pour into one of the divots. Bake for 10-12 minutes until eggs whites are firm/set and yolks are at your desired doneness. Remove from oven and sprinkle tops of eggs with salt and pepper. Remove servings of rice and egg to plates. Mix sour cream and lime juice. Drizzle on top of eggs.

(Picture from site listed above)

Crock Pot Spicy Pineapple Orange BBQ Chicken

I found two recipes online that were somewhat like this. I made a few adjustments and I must tell you that this is so amazing that your family will ask for it often. It is a great way to cook skinless drumsticks and wings! I like to serve it with potato salad or pasta salad. So good!

4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed

For the Pineapple Orange Barbecue Sauce:

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 large cloves/buds/toes garlic, minced

½ cup ketchup

½ cup spicy chili sauce (in jar)

½ cup orange marmalade

½ cup crushed pineapple

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ Tablespoons brown mustard

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To Thicken the Sauce:

1/3 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water

Sprinkle with chopped green onions prior to serving.

Place the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

When chicken is done, but not falling off bones, remove from crockpot and pour sauce up into a saucepan. Place chicken in a covered pan to stay warm while you thicken the sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat on stove top. Whisk together in a large measuring cup the 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to make a slurry. Pour in the cornstarch slurry into simmering sauce, whisking continually until the sauce is thickened. Pour the sauce back over the chicken.

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

I discovered this recipe online at Six Sisters. It is easy to make and very tasty. It is perfect for family
gatherings, pot luck dinners, church socials, baby showers, and more.

For the base:

1 package strawberry cake mix

½ cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 egg, slightly beaten

For the center/frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

Lemon juice from fresh lemons (don’t use the kind in bottle or plastic squeeze containers!)

3-5 drops yellow food coloring

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer blend cake mix, butter and egg until well combined , press in the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use mixer to combine powdered sugar and butter. Add lemon juice 1 Tablespoon at a time to form the consistency of thick frosting. (I use 2-3 tablespoons)

Mix in cream cheese and yellow food coloring until smooth and creamy.

Set aside 1 cup of mixture to use later as frosting.

Add eggs to the remaining frosting mixture and beat until fluffy. Pour on top of cake mix in the pan, spreading to reach sides, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Let cool completely, then spread remaining frosting mixture on top.

Easy Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Here is a dump and bake casserole that makes for a perfect dinner. This recipes serves 4-6, but can easily be doubled. It is delicious with or without the topping.

1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup (NOT diluted)

¾ cup water

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 lb. uncooked chicken breast or tenders diced

1 12.6 ounce bag frozen baby broccoli florets (or cuts) or 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots blend

½ Tablespoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon creole mustard

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Optional Topping:

½ cup melted butter

½ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add cream of chicken soup, mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and water to the prepared dish. Whisk together until completely combined.

Stir in uncooked rice, uncooked chicken, Parmesan cheese, frozen vegetables. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour or until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. Once casserole is done, remove from oven. Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl, and sprinkle on top of casserole, return to oven uncovered. Bake 8 more minutes.

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.