Marci's Down Home Cooking

Chicken Dish

2011-08-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

I made a new concoction this weekend. I don't really have a name for it... It just sounded good together so I tried it and it was a hit...

2 lbs of bonless skinless chicken (dark or white meat your choice.)
1 (14 oz) can black beans (rinsed)
1 (12 oz) can shoepeg corn (drained)
1 jar of your favorite picante sauce ( i used mild, but should of gone a litte spicer.)

Cut chicken up into bite size pieces. Place all ingredients into your slow cooker, turn on low, and let cook for 6 to 8 hours.

I served this over brown rice, and it was wonderful!

Marci's Cheesecake

2011-07-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablesppons of melted butter

Mix together and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool while making the filling. (Note: I double the crust because I like a thicker crust.)

Filling
4 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix together cream cheese, sugar and flour until nice and fluffy. Blend in eggs 1 at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Pour into pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce temp to 250 and bake for 1 hour.

Beef with Peppers

2011-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is the most amazing asain dish EVER...
It's got a slight kick to it, but it's wonderful...

1 box of rice noodles
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of Flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain.
1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons beef broth
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red chile paste or a few dashes of red chile oil
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 whole medium yellow onion, sliced
2 whole red bell peppers, cored and sliced into rings
1 Tablespoon diced fresh Jalapeno (or 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce)
Red pepper flakes, for sprinkling

Mix together soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute. Remove to a separate plate. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using.) Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove to a plate.
Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown.
Reduce heat to low. Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine. Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in) and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes. Sauce will slowly thicken.

Cook rice noodles according to package directions, then toss together, with meat and vegetables. Add very hot water if needed to thin.

Pimento Cheese Spread

2011-04-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups shredded processed American cheese ( I use Velveeta Cheese)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1 - 2 ounce jar chopped pimentos
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions: Mix all together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chicken Spaghetti

2011-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups dry spaghetti
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 medium bell pepper chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 jar (4 ounce) diced Pimentos, drained.
2 cups of reserved chicken broth from pot.
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cook chicken and debone to make 2 cups. ( I add the whole chicken, no sense in wasting meat.) Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup of sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining cheddar. Cover and freeze up to 6 months, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. Uncover the last 15 minutes of baking time so the cheese on top starts to brown.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2010-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

1 bag (32oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed. or 4 cups of diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 carton (32oz) chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup water
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 bag (8 oz) cheddar cheese, i used shredded Velveeta cheese for this.
1/4 cup real bacon bits
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Directions:
In a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to high. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Balsamic pork scallopine

2010-09-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

3 lbs. pork sirloin cutlets
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup minced fresh basil or 2 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper

Noodles:
1 pkg (16 oz) egg noodles
1/2 cup half and half cream
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Dredge pork cutlets in flour. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and brown in batches. Set aside.

Add onion and red peppers to the pan; sauté until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth, basil, vinegar and pepper. Return pork to the pan, layering if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; stir in the cream, cheese, butter, pepper and garlic powder. Serve with pork.

Pepper Steak

2010-05-12T12:12:00.001-07:00

2 lbs of round steak, cut into bite size pieces.
Plenty of fresh ground black pepper
2 medium size bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces.
1 quart of crushed tomatoes.
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons of cornstarch

I use an electric skillet, turn it on to 350 degrees, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Once heated throw you meat in it, and brown it on both sides. Season it with plenty of fresh cracked black pepper. Add bell peppers, and cook until almost tender. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to about 300 degrees, and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water, and to Pepper Steak, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Serve over hot white rice, and enjoy.

Ethan's Rib Rub recipe

2010-03-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do commentary on this blog, I just post recipes for my family and friends to enjoy. But I am making a exception this time.
I went Tuesday and bought myself and early Mother's Day present. An Electric smoker. Then I thought about all the meats I would smoke this weekend. The first thing was a ham last night, so we woke up to a fresh smoked ham still hot out of the smoker, and had ham and biscuits this morning. All I can say is amazing that ham was WONDERFUL... Then this morning I put some ribs and a brisket on to smoke, that was for dinner... Again WONDERFUL... I love this smoker. Anyway back to the recipe, I ran out of my normal rib rub, so my husband and I tried and new one, and this is it... I am calling it Ethan's rib rub (because he measured the spices and mixed it all together for me.) , and I made a few small changes to... Now this rub has a little kick to it, but it's not to spicy...

4 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Now we used this on the brisket, and I will try it on the ribs next.
I hope you enjoy!!!

Apple Bread

2009-09-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups diced apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In mixing bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla together, mixing well. Stir in flour mixture until just mixed. Fold in apples and pecans and spoon in to prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tested done when wooden pick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans before removing to cool on wire racks. Wrap tightly to store.

Makes two loaves.

Note: I make a powdered sugar glaze to go over the tops of the loaves. 1 cup of powdered sugar to about 1 tablespoon and a half of water. Drizzle over top of loaves while still hot and let bread cool completely.

Zucchini Bread

2009-08-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup water

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Blueberry / Lemon Jam

2009-06-30T17:37:00.001-07:00

5 cups blueberries

6 1/2 cups sugar
Zest of two lemons
Juice of two lemons
2 (3 ounce) envelops liquid fruit pectin (Ball Fruit Jell)

7 (8 oz.) Canning Jars with lids

Prepare jars and lids according to manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large saucepan over high heat add blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir frequently while bringing to a rolling boil. Stir in pectin and continue boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim any foam if necessary and ladle into the hot prepared jars. Be sure to leave at least a 1/4” space at the top of the jar. Place the cap on the jars and process for another 15 minutes in a canner with boiling water.

Whiskey Sauce

2009-06-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg yolk

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup bourbon

IN a small saucepan melt butter. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk, and water. Cook and constantly stir the mixtureover medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes or till sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon. Serve warm over bread pudding. (Cover and chill leftovers.)

Bread Pudding

2009-06-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

4 beaten eggs

2 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups dry French bread cubes or regular bread cubes

1/3 cup dried tart red cherries, dried cranberries or raisins

1 recipe Whiskey Sauce

1. In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peel (if desired), and cinnamon. In an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish toss together bread cubes and dried fruit; pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture.

2. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 mnutes or till a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve warm with Whiskey Sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Orange Cake

2009-02-26T18:37:00.001-08:00

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 orange, minced
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

SYRUP:
1 orange
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, then dust with sugar and flour.

Beat the eggs with the sugar to pale yellow ribbons. Beat in the milk, oil and orange zest. In a small bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture a tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove cake from oven, let cool slightly on a rack, then invert and cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: Use a sharp paring knife to cut the orange rind off the orange used for zest and the remaining orange, leaving the bitter white pith on the orange. Cut the skin into very thin strips and reserve. Cut away and discard the white pith, remove the orange supremes, and reserve.

In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, sugar, and thin orange strips. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until a thick syrup. Strain the syrup and reserve the orange strips, along with 1/2 cup of the syrup. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake, then pour the warm strained syrup all over the cake so that it soaks through.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup syrup in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and reduce to a few tablespoons. Use a spatula to spread the thick glaze over the top of the cake. Place cake on a serving platter, and arrange the reserved orange strips and orange supremes on top of the cake.

Hash Brown Casserole

2009-02-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

2 lbs. frozen hash browns

½ cup melted butter

1 can cream chicken soup

1 pint sour cream

½ cup chopped onion

2 cups grated cheddar

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 cups crushed cornflakes

¼ cup butter

Defrost Hash browns

Combine next 7 ingredients and mix with has browns.

Put all in a 3 quart casserole.

Sauté cornflakes in butter and sprinkle on top.

Cover and Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Italian S'mores

2009-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

3 bars semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups best quality chocolate sauce

1 cup cabernet sauvignon

1 bag large marshmallows, roasted

15 to 20 biscotti

In a sauté pan over medium heat, mix solid chocolate, chocolate sauce and cabernet. Mix well. Place 1 roasted marshmallow on a piece of biscotti. Top with as much chocolate cabernet sauce as desired (1 or 2 tablespoons), or just dip into sauce.

Viennese Crescents

2009-02-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

1 cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup ground pecans

Confectioners’ sugar

Cream the butter and add the sugar and vanilla and beat to fluffy. Add the flour and nuts and mix in. Chill the dough for at least an hour. The more it’s chilled the less it spreads during baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Shape dough into tiny crescents using 1 teaspoon of the dough for each cookie. Place them on an ungreased sheet pan in rows, leaving 1 inch in between for spreading and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes. Dredge them in confectioners’ sugar.

Rum Balls

2009-02-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup dark rum

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 ½ cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans

Into large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and pecans, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes. (The mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is O.K.)

Place remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1 inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating evenly.

Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.

Southern Fried Catfish

2009-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Vegetable Oil

6 catfish fillets, 4 ounces each

¾ cup cornmeal

¼ cup All-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oven to 275 degree F. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in 4-quart dutch oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix cornmeal, flour salt in large bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until well blended. Coat fish with cornmeal batter, shaking off excess.

Fry 2 fish fillets at a time in oil for 5 to 8 minutes turning over half way through the cooking time cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm on cookie sheet in oven while frying remaining fish

Pizza Dough

2009-02-26T18:17:00.000-08:00

1 package active dry yeast or fresh yeast

1 teaspoon of honey

1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and hone in ¼ cup warm water

In a food processor, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining ¾ cup of water and process until the mixture forms a ball. (The pizza dough can also be made in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and starts to climb up the dough hook.)

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes loners. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled).

Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 oz. each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 1 hour. At this point, the balls can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Doughnuts

2009-02-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 pound of prepared pizza dough

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 375 degree F.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ½ - inch thickness. Using a floured 2 inch cookie cutter, cut out doughnut rounds, using a floured 1-inch cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of each doughnut. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll to cut out more doughnuts.

Whish the cinnamon and sugar in a medium bowl to blend. Set the cinnamon-sugar aside.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the doughnuts until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. While the other doughnuts are still warm, add to the bowl of cinnamon-sugar and generously coat each 2 times with the cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Rum Cake

2009-02-26T17:21:00.001-08:00

Cake: 1 cup chopped nuts
1 – 181/2 oz. package yellow cake mix
1 – 3 ¾ oz package vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
½ cup cold water
½ cup Wesson oil
½ cup rum

Glaze: ¼ lb butter
¼ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt cake. Sprinkle bottom with nuts. Then mix rest of cake ingredients together and pour over nuts. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Prepare glaze in sauce pan by adding butter, water and sugar, bring to roiling boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat add rum.

Prick cake after removing cake from pan and spoon glaze over cake.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

2008-12-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

Cake:

1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Lemon Ice Box Pie

2008-11-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

1 - 9 inch prepared graham cracker crust

2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

1 - 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

2 lemons juiced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

In medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add milk, lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth, pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

I also put this in a regular pie crust like you would for cream pies, and garnish with whip topping.