Ingredients

• 1 batch cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes, recipe follows
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle ranch dressing
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Cornbread:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 1/4 cup for greasing pan
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup cream-style corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

 

 

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

3/4 cup plus ½ cup sugar
2 cups cream
2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks and one whole egg 
½ teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for serving.

Place 3/4 cup sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar. Deglaze with the cream; then slowly add the milk. The caramel will harden. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring, just until the caramel has dissolved.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, yolks and a few grains of the fleur de sel. Whisk a little caramel cream into the egg mixture to temper, pour the egg mixture into the remaining caramel cream and mix, then simmer to bring to a custard . Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. Cool completely, preferably overnight, then freeze in an ice-cream maker. While it's freezing, sprinkle in the rest of the fleur de sel.

After freezing the churned ice cream, serve, sprinkled with the rest of the fleur de sel.

 

Adapted from a recipe from New York Times

 

This recipe for stuffed cabbage is from Tony Packo's Cafe in Toledo, which Jamie Farr made famous on the television series M*A*S*H.

1 cup uncooked rice
1 head cabbage, about 3 pounds
2 pounds ground beef or 1 pound ground pork and 1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
2 medium onions, chopped, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper and paprika to taste
1 pound sauerkraut, canned or bulk
1 can (1 pound) whole tomatoes with juice, mashed
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Sour Cream Sauce--

1 tablespoon butter
2 small onions, chopped
3 ounces sour cream
1 can (1 pound) whole tomatoes with juice, mashed

In a small bowl, soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the core from the cabbage and immerse the head in boiling water long enough to wilt the leaves, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water and drain. Remove the large leaves and cut out the large vein from the center of each with a triangular cut. In a large bowl, combine the meat, eggs, 1 chopped onion, the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper and paprika.

Rinse the soaked rice well with cold water; drain and add it to the meat mixture. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Place about 1/2-cup meat mixture onto each cabbage leaf and roll it up, tucking the sides in like an egg roll. Secure the rolls with a toothpick. Repeat until all the meat mixture is used. Set the rolls aside.

Removing any remaining core, chop the remaining cabbage. Place it in a large bowl with the sauerkraut, mashed tomatoes and juice, tomato soup, remaining chopped onion, the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and additional pepper and paprika to taste. Put some of the sauerkraut mixture on the bottom of a large heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Place the cabbage rolls upright around the edge and center of the kettle. Put the remaining sauerkraut mixture on top. Fill the kettle with enough water to cover the tops of the rolls.

Cover and cook over low heat about 2 hours, adding water as needed to keep the rolls completely covered.

Meanwhile, prepare the Sour Cream Sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter; add the onions and cook until soft. Stir in the sour cream, tomatoes and juice. Mix well and keep warm until serving time. 

Yields about 8 servings

I'm such a sucker for kitchen gadgets, and this watermelon knife from WS looks pretty sweet, pricey though at $24.99.

Here's the link if you like it, too. ;o)

My neighbor, a German lady who is ninety-three years young, and the most wonderful cook, gave me, with a twinkle in her eye, I might add, her recipe for German Potato Salad.  She’s made it for the past seventy years, always to rave reviews, and is very different in others I’ve tried in the past, as she uses equal proportions of sugar, water, and vinegar.  Most recipes just use a few tablespoons of sugar at the most, she uses a whole cup, but trust me, it isn’t too much.  I also made this using Splenda instead of sugar with great results, but I would suggest the first time, you make it fully leaded.

I know, we all tweak our recipes, but please, don’t change a thing, make this exactly like the recipe and your family will love you forever!  It’s good warm, but better if you make it ahead and let it set at room temperature for a couple of hours.  It’s also great cold.  Oh, what an amazing recipe this is.

~ jan

LeeAnn’s Amazing Potato Salad
4-6 red skinned potatoes, leave the peeling on
1 large onion, diced
1/2 red or orange pepper diced
1/2 green pepper diced
4 hardboiled eggs
6 slices of bacon, diced (cut into small dice, then cut in half vertically so that you have really small pieces)
salt and pepper to taste

1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Steam potatoes until tender.  Cook hardboiled eggs.

Saute diced bacon until crisp and remove with slotted spoon.  Saute onion, red and green pepper in bacon drippings until limp and tender.  Add heaping tablespoon of flour and stir until incorporated into the drippings.  Add water, sugar and vinegar and cook for several minutes until it thickens slightly. (Mixture won’t be thick, it will be slightly runny).  Taste and correct with salt and pepper to taste, I use probably an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.

Slice potatoes thinly, then cut in half so they are smaller bites (I don’t remove the skin) and chop eggs.
In 9x13 pan or large casserole dish, spread out potatoes, then sprinkle eggs on top of the potatoes, then sprinkle the reserved bacon on top and pour the bacon drippings, peppers, onions, water sugar and vinegar over the potato mixture.  Let it sit for a bit for the flavors to marry.  This is great warm, at room temperature, or cold.

8    eggs

1/4  cup  evaporated milk

1  teaspoon  vanilla

1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg

1/4  teaspoon  salt

6 thick slices of french bread, slit in the center to make a pocket

1  8-ounce package  cream cheese, softened

1  21-ounce can  cherry pie filling

2  tablespoons  butter, margarine or cooking oil

    Granulated or powdered sugar (optional)

    Maple-flavored syrup (optional)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

2. Spread each slice of the bread with some cream cheese. Top six of the slices with cherry pie filling, spreading almost to the edges.

3. Cover each with the remaining bread slices, cream cheese side down. Dip in the egg mixture.

4. In a skillet or on a griddle, cook the sandwiches in hot butter over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

5. Cut filled French toast into halves or quarters and dip in or sprinkle with sugar, if you like. Serve with hot maple syrup, if you like. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Adapted from a recipe from Midwest Living

 

 

Source:  Epicurious

These beef burgers are filled with piquant pepper jack cheese, then cooked and topped with guacamole and crispy bacon.

Ingredients:

2 large avocados, preferably Haas, peeled and pitted
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 oz. pepper jack cheese, grated
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 hamburger buns
8 bacon slices, cooked until crispy

Directions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Place a cast-iron griddle on the grill to preheat. 

In a bowl, combine the avocados and lime juice and mash them together with a fork. Season with salt and stir in the cilantro. Set the guacamole aside. 

Divide the ground beef into eight 3-oz. portions and shape each into a ball. 

Using a stuffed burger press according to the manufacturer’s instructions, make 4 burgers, stuffing each with 1/2 oz. cheese. Season the burgers with salt and pepper. 

Place the burgers on the griddle and cook, turning once, about 4 minutes per side. Place the burgers on the buns and top each with 1/4 cup guacamole and 2 bacon slices.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 3 cups cooked macaroni, chilled
• 6 oz. ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas, blanched if frozen
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:

 

 

Note: Adapted from Clementine Bakery in Los Angeles

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3.5 ounces) flour

11/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9.25 ounces) dark brown sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 extra-large egg

1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir the brown sugar into the melted butter. Stir in the egg, then the vanilla.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the nuts.

5. Place the batter in a greased 8-inch square baking pan and bake until set (a toothpick inserted will have moist crumbs), 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving.

Each of 16 servings: 152 calories; 2 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 7 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 23 mg cholesterol; 16 grams sugar; 194 mg sodium.

Source:  Culinary S.O.S. L. A. Food Times