Tag: two glasses in

Chicken Stock

There is nothing better than homemade stock. There is no measuring in this recipe, and because of that it never turns out the same-and that is okay. A few months ago, for some reason, I had an over abundance of celery scraps. I threw them all in the pot and was worried it would overwhelm the stock but what transpired was one of the best batches I ever made. Don’t be afraid to throw any vegetable you can imagine into this concoction. The results will be amazing.

I keep a bag inside my freezer and throw chicken bones and vegetable scraps into it for a few weeks (rotisserie chicken scraps work well). Then on a cloudy or rainy day, I throw it all in a pot, cover with water and let it simmer all day. Bonus: It makes the house smell wonderful. Strain out the solids and toss and fill containers with the wonderful liquid gold. You can freeze or pressure can.

These days, I find myself pressure canning due to limited freezer space and also because it’s more convenient- no thaw time. Because I’m pressure canning, I now opt to simmer the broth in a large turkey roaster and I cook for 24-36 hours so the bones can release more nutrients into the broth, hence bone broth. I can get 17 quarts of chicken bone broth out of 1 batch in my turkey roaster.

I love a broth heavy on celery and thyme. I also squeeze a fresh lemon or two into each batch. It just brightens it up.

Chicken Stock


Ingredients


chicken (carcass/bones/scraps)
onion (onion peels)
celery (end pieces and leaves)
carrots (peels)
garlic (peels)
tomatoes (end pieces)
thyme (fresh or dried)
lemon
black peppercorns
salt

Directions


Toss all the ingredients into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for several hours. Strain.

For bone broth, simmer for 24-36 hours, adding water as needed. Strain.


Make this recipe your own. Use any vegetables you like, add different spices, turn up the heat with different peppers.

Asian Slaw

The dressing on this slaw is the bomb. I know, what does a Tennessee country girl know about asian slaw? The truth is, last year I was eating with friends at Madame Butterfly in Savannah, Georgia. It was spectacular with a great wine list. On the menu they had a cucumber and carrot salad that was so memorable, it was the inspiration for this slaw.

Be careful with the sesame oil. It can ruin a dish in a heartbeat- I have been down this road. Just a little goes a long, long way.

Typically, I am guessing you would pair this with sake, and I wish I could recommend one! Instead, we choose 19 Crimes Martha’s Chard. I know, you are rolling your eyes, the label made me laugh out loud and I had to buy it. I was pleasantly surprised and for the money it was a great deal. Try it!

Asian Slaw


Ingredients


1 bag broccoli slaw
4 scallions, chopped
1 large cucumber, diced
Dressing:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions


Prepare the dressing and toss in the rest.


Make this recipe your own. Omit the broccoli slaw and add cabbage or bagged slaw. I have used the dressing on a simple bowl of shaved carrots and diced cucumbers with wonderful results.

Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

This morning at the local farmer’s market, I found a mixture of peppers and some small, tender squash. I also purchased some boneless, skinless chicken breasts with full intentions of grilling. However, by the time I returned home, black clouds began swirling and the rain came. So, I looked through my cabinets and drummed up enough things to make chicken taco soup. I know the mixed peppers I bought today will be perfect for it.

I absolutely love soups and I have only one soup rule – never use water. You can use broth, coconut milk, wine, tomato sauce, tomato juice, anything, just do not add water. Water dilutes the flavor and with a soup you are trying to build flavor.

I know my soup pot has years of food stains, and I do know I could probably spend sometime and make it look new again. But I love the stains and the reminders of the good meals that have come out of this deep, heavy pot. I covet the french soup pots that I cannot pronounce and also cannot afford. This pot is cast iron and was a bargain at Sam’s Club many, many years ago and is still going strong.

You can could add this soup to a slow cooker and let it simmer all day. This is a very forgiving, anything goes, kind of soup. If you don’t like your soup creamy, omit the cream cheese.

I use a cornstarch slurry anytime I want to thicken something. It is flavorless. Do not make the mistake of throwing the cornstarch directly into the soup. You must mix it with cold or room temp water or liquid and dissolve it before putting it into the the soup or you will have a lumpy, cornstarch mess- yes I have done this.

The creamy taco soup pictured had two extra ingredients: 1 cup of diced squash and a handful of chopped kale. If you need to thin out the soup, add more chicken stock.

Creamy Chicken Taco Soup

This is a great cabinet or freezer cleanout soup. There are no rules, anything goes!


Ingredients


4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion diced
1 cup diced peppers- any kind will do. Poblano, jalapeno, bell, or a mixture of what you have on hand.
4 garlic cloves minced
4 tbsp taco seasoning
2 cans beans- use chili beans, black beans, pintos, etc.
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis
4 cups chicken broth
1 24 ounce jar of salsa
12 ounce bag frozen carrot slices
12 ounce bag frozen corn
1 block of cream cheese (room temperature)
cornstarch slurry if needed(1 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp water)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions


In a large pot on medium heat, add olive oil, onions and peppers. Saute for 1-2 minutes and add the garlic and the taco seasoning. Cook for 1-2 minutes while the spices bloom. Toss in all the remaining ingredients except the cream cheese and corn starch slurry. Bring to a boil, cover and bring the heat down to low or low medium to a simmer for 1-2 hours. Remove the chicken and shred or cube. Add the cream cheese and if you want it thicker, add the slurry.

Make this recipe your own. Throw in some rice. Turn up the heat and add hot peppers. Toss in vegetables you have on hand such as squash, zucchini, butternut squash, potatoes, green beans, kale, etc. I have even used a bag of frozen soup vegetables. If you use cooked chicken, such as rotisserie or canned, put it in toward the end of the cook.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

In the south, we wait patiently for “tomato season”. It is always the high point of summer and usually begins in early July. I hunt tirelessly for the best farmer with the best tomatoes and then I always buy way more than I can actually use. I pair them with every single meal until I have sores in my mouth from all the acid or I am swollen from the excess salt I douse them with.

I use to grow my own tomatoes, because that is what southern women do. As Ouiser Boudreaux eloquently put it in Steel Magnolias, “I am an old southern woman, I am suppose to wear funny clothes, ugly hats and dig in the dirt. I did not make the rules.” I have grown enough tomatoes to know their true value and respect the hard work that goes into process. However these days, I dig in herbs and flowers and leave the tomatoes to the farmers. There is a local farmers’ market just down the street and I rush there every Saturday morning to buy German Queens. They are only available for approximately 3-4 weeks in a good growing season. I grew up on these tomatoes and I can promise you they touch my soul every time I eat one.

This week, I have a good friend that brought me bags of squash and tomatoes. I put the squash in the freezer and the tomatoes have been staring at me from the kitchen counter for a few days. We are leaving for vacation this week, and I knew these tomatoes will ruin if I don’t do something with them. So I basically threw all the things on my counter- tomatoes, garlic, onions and threw them in a roasting pan. I went out to the patio and clipped fresh basil, thyme and oregano and added them as well.

What transpired was a wonderful sauce. My husband loves angel hair pasta- he calls them skinny noodles, so I served it on his favorite and topped with fresh parmesan cheese. Please don’t buy the already grated, powdery stuff with the green shaker top, save that for the pizza delivery-if you insist on using it. I purchase wedges of parmesan and throw chunks in a tiny, food processor I keep on my counter.

This sauces freezes very well. I always throw leftover sauce in a freezer bag. It has saved my life many times!

Wine- For a very nice dinner, I would pair this with Twomey Pinot Noir or Merlot. This is one of our favorite wines. It is difficult to find and we always vow to drink every bottle we can get our hands on. Twomey is from the Silver Oak Family and this vineyard was one of the highlights of our trip to Napa a few years ago. It is on the higher end of price, so we save these bottles for “nice dinners”. For a weeknight, simple dinner, you cannot go wrong with Kirkland Pinot Noir, I know, this is a shocker. I have recently tried several of the Kirkland labels and I have been pleasantly surprised. For the price, they cannot be beat. So if you are on a budget, pay a visit to Costco and try their store brand wine- especially the Malbec.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

This is a simple sauce with amazing depth of flavor. Perfect for when you have an abundance of tomatoes on hand or are just looking for a burst of flavor to pair with pasta.


Ingredients


tomatoes
garlic cloves
onion
olive oil
salt and crushed black pepper

Directions


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Notice I did not list amounts of any of the ingredients. You are on your own for this one. You cannot mess this up! Cut tomatoes into wedges, slice the onion, be generous with the olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes at least.

Make this recipe your own. I added fresh basil, thyme and oregano from my patio. If you like a sweeter sauce, add a carrot or two. For heat, add red pepper flakes. Experiment with different herbs and spices.

Baked Salmon

This is one of my favorite recipes when we have dinner parties. It is quick, simple and everyone is always impressed. No need to move it to a pretty dish, serve it right on the baking sheet.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the salmon. Fish is easy. There is only one rule with salmon- do not over cook it. That dry, hard stuff you get in many restaurants is not even comparable to this recipe. Salmon should be moist, flakey and almost buttery.

I was not raised on salmon- unless you count canned salmon. I am not going to dis canned salmon as I believe almost everything has its place. Canned salmon is for salmon patties, at least the down home southern version that my Mom and Memaw cooked for me.

Sometimes it is difficult to find a whole side of salmon, I usually have good luck at Aldi’s, Costco and Sam’s Club. I know, they are chain stores… I always try to purchase things locally when I can.

Serve with a light sauvignon blanc, Emmolo is a great one, or a buttery chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer.

Sides are easy with this dish. The last time I served it, I threw asparagus on the same baking sheet and it worked like a charm. You can pair it with angel hair pasta in a butter/wine sauce or alfredo sauce, or you can pair it with a potato and a salad.

If you are lucky you will have some leftovers. For breakfast take the leftover salmon and serve with a fried egg, or for lunch toss it on a salad or stuff in a taco.

Baked Salmon

This is an easy show stopper for a dinner party or just a normal weeknight dinner. A simple dish that looks amazing and takes only 20 minutes.


Ingredients


1 whole side of salmon
3 garlic cloves minced
2 lemons
3 tbsp of fresh, chopped dill
salt and crushed black pepper

Directions


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray or drizzle with olive oil and spread with a paper towel. Place salmon on the baking sheet, skin side down- if skin is intact. Sprinkle with minced garlic and dill. Thinly slice one lemon and place on the top of the salmon. Cut the remaining lemon in half and lay on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Before serving, take the baked lemon halves and squeeze over the salmon.

Make this recipe your own. If you are not fan of dill, you can omit it. If you don’t have fresh dill, replace it with a much smaller amount of dried dill. Experiment with different herbs and spices.

Hot Slaw

If you aren’t from East Tennessee, chances are you have no idea about hot slaw. It is a household staple in my area and once you have it, you can never go back. It hits all the marks- savory, sweet, salty, tangy. Star-vue Drive In had a famous hot slaw recipe back in the day and our entire town tries to replicate it.

Try it on a hamburger, hot dog, bbq sandwich or as a side dish.

My version is simple- cabbage, mayo, mustard, hot pepper, sugar. And it gets even better after it has set in the fridge overnight. Even though this version is simple, there are some controversial ingredients. Mayonnaise conversations in the south can turn into a fight in a heartbeat. Just use your favorite. Pepper conversations usually end in “watch this”, again- use your favorite.

If you find you have cleaned up the entire kitchen and the slaw still isn’t hot enough, I have been known to throw in ground cayenne. It always works in a pinch.

I also like to make 2 or 3 batches and give some away to friends.

Hot Slaw

Simple, easy, spicy, sweet- hits all the right notes. The hardest task is shredding the cabbage.


Ingredients


1 head of cabbage, shredded
1-2 cups mayo
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (splenda works well also)
5-7 jarred hot peppers- Mezzetta’s Pickled Hot Chili Peppers works well or you could use 1-2 fresh jalapenos.

Directions


1. Shred the cabbage. You can use a use a food processor or a hand grater.
2. If using a food processor, after you remove the shredded cabbage, throw in your peppers and the remaining ingredients and let it spin for a minute or two. If not, dice the peppers and add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.


Make this recipe your own- use as many peppers as you like. Remember as it sits, it does draw additional heat from the peppers. If you like your slaw sweeter, add more sugar. Experiment!

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