Southern Pecan Pie

In the words of Zac Brown Band, "and that's home you know, sweet tea, pecan pie and homemade wine, where the peaches grow, and my house it's not much to talk about, but it's filled with love that's grown in southern ground". 

I can close my eyes and imagine myself 10 years from now. I want my kids to always want to come home for dinner, because their momma's cooking is just that good. The kitchen counter and dining room table will always be a place to revisit the day, or memories of a special time. But also to keep it real. And how real can you get when you can't cook a pecan pie and you live in the south? So...I took it upon myself to make my dear friend Tami's favorite pecan pie recipe. Oh, and Tami? I did good, girl! Come on over and share a piece with me, we can sit on my deck. 

Tami's Favorite Pecan Pie

(courtesy of Southern Living magazine)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

4 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1-1 1/4 cup pecan halves

Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly.

Beat eggs in a mixer, add to mixture.

Put pie shell into pie pan, be sure to press a fork into the shell, all around, so it cooks through and doesn't become mushy!

Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell, top with pecan halves.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. My trick is to wrap the pie crust with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn.

Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Cedar-Plank Salmon with Brown Sugar and Cracked Pepper

My family and friends know how much I love to cook, so it was quite fitting when they gave me their favorite recipes at each one of my bridal showers. I absolutely loved this idea, and I immediately dived into them once I got home from our honeymoon.

Cedar-Plank Salmon with Brown Sugar and Cracked Pepper

(dinner for two)

Ingredients:

2 salmon portions (about 6 oz each, after all, it is heart healthy!)

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp cracked black pepper

You'll need one large cedar plank which you must soak in water for at least two hours before grilling.

Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes and clean with a grill brush.

Arrange salmon on plank. Rub brown sugar and cracked pepper mixture evenly over fish.

Place plank directly on the grill, close the cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook fish for 12-15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 130 degrees. 

Remove from grill, let fish rest at least 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Braised Short Ribs with Herb Gremolata and Melted Gouda Polenta

Wow! It's been forever since the last time I've blogged, this feels great! The best part is, I just got married on June 15, 2013 and my husband LOVES my cooking:o) You know what they say, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". So true! Since we've just returned from our honeymoon and I no longer have any tedious wedding planning to do, I can now return to what I love to do most, and that is to cook. Tonight I made Nick a special recipe out of a cookbook given to me by my grandparents at our wedding shower. It's appropriately called "The Newlywed Cookbook" by Sarah Copeland.

Braised Short Ribs with Herb Gremolata and Melted Gouda Polenta

(dinner for two)

Short Ribs

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

1 garlic clove

5 whole black peppercorns

1 lb beef short ribs (about 4 pieces)

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped into 2 in chunks

2 stalks celery, chopped into 2 in chunks

cheesecloth

kitchen twine

Herb Gremolata

1 lemon

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 tbsp evoo

kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Polenta

3 cups water

1 cup polenta

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup whole milk

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup smoked gouda cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap the bay leaf, thyme, garlic and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to make an herb sachet. 

Place short ribs on a piece of parchment and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper, rub into the meat.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven with lid over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs and cook about 2 minutes on each side until they have a deep brown crust. Transfer the short ribs to a plate. 

Add the white wine to the Dutch oven and scrape the brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the broth and return the short ribs to the pan with the carrots, celery, onion and herb sachet. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When it reaches a constant simmer, put the Dutch oven in the oven and cook about 2.5 hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. During the cooking process, be sure to flip the short ribs so they are constantly immersed in liquid. This keeps them moist and tender.

Remove the ribs and large veggies to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. Skim off any excess fat on the surface. Simmer the liquid over medium heat until it has thickened slightly and reduced to about 1 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, make the herb gremolata. Use a veggie peeler to strip two or three long pieces of lemon zest. Slice the zest as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife and stir together with parsley and olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

To make the polenta, boil water in a medium saucepan. Chop polenta into large sized cubes and add to boiling water. 

Season with salt. Over medium heat, cook while stirring occasionally about 20 minutes or until polenta is soft and melted. Add milk, butter and cheese, stir together.

Serve short ribs, two per person, on top of melted polenta in a shallow bowl. Top with cooked veggies and herb gremolata. Serve with cooking liquid to spoon over.

Enjoy!

Mom-Mom's Famous Sticky Buns

I had a very big meeting Monday morning that served as my interview for a store manager position. I wanted this promotion so badly, I knew I had to step it up and make something reallyyyyyy good for my coffee tasting. At 9 am, what's better to choose than my Mom-Mom's famous sticky buns, which by the way, are VERY easy to make.

Mom-Mom's Famous Sticky Buns

(makes 24)

Ingredients:

one bag of frozen ready to rise dinner rolls (I prefer Rich's brand)

whole pecans, raisins (you can use golden raisins if you want but I prefer regular)

1 stick of butter

1 cup brown sugar 

1 large box of cooked vanilla pudding (if you buy the small box you won't have enough)

2 tbsp whole milk

1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Generously spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. 

In the BOTTOM of the pan, put down the pecans and raisins. Make sure the rounded side of the pecan is facing DOWN. On top of the nuts and raisins, line up your rolls: 6 across and 4 down, 24 total. 

In a saucepan, melt the stick of butter, add brown sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla pudding, stir well.

Pour the mixture over the rolls, and let it sit in your oven overnight so the rolls can rise. 

In the morning, take the pan out of the oven, then preheat the oven to 350. 

When the oven is at its temperature, put the pan in and set your timer to 25 minutes.

In the meantime, line a baking sheet with NON-STICK aluminum foil. If you don't have non-stick foil, lightly spray it with cooking spray to coat.

When your sticky buns are done, take them out and put the baking sheet on top of the pan (obviously foil side down). Flip the pan over, your sticky buns will now be on the baking sheet and right side up! You will see the yummy mixture kind of ooze all over the buns and glaze them with all of their goodness.

Enjoy!!

Pan-seared Porkchops with Blackberry Reduction Sauce

Surprise! A healthier recipe from Paula Deen! Hooray! This dish melts in your mouth, enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork chops, however I used boneless (just a personal preference)
garlic powder,salt and pepper (to season pork chops)
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups blackberries
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions:

Sprinkle the porkchops with a generous amount of seasoning (garlic powder, salt and pepper).

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the butter and oil and swirl until the butter is melted. Sear the chops, in two batches if necessary, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a paper towel-lined plate.

Remove the skillet from the heat, add the wine, and return it to the heat. Simmer, scraping up the brown bits, until the wine has mostly evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes. Whisk in the blackberries and honey and cook until the berries are soft and falling apart, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and adjust the seasoning.

Reduce the heat to low and add the pork chops, overlapping them in the pan. Baste the chops well with the sauce, cover and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Super Fast and Easy Chicken Fajitas

In a pinch for time? Here's a healthy, easy recipe to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast for each person

McCormick's brand Perfect Pinch Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper (to taste)

2 8-inch flour tortillas per person

Shredded lettuce

Light sour cream

Finely shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

Ortega brand taco sauce

1 red onion, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper and a sprig of cilantro roughly chopped


Instructions:

Heat oven to 350. Lay tortillas on a baking sheet, heat until warm.

In a small pan, drizzle some olive oil and cook up the chicken breasts. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning on meat, enough to coat, about 2 teaspoons. After cooking, cut each piece of meat into slices (remember the one piece of chicken will go into 2 tortillas for each person).

In the same pan, add the veggies, drizzle some olive oil over top, salt and pepper. Sauté until tender.

For EACH tortilla:
Add chicken, top with veggies, shredded lettuce, 1 tbsp taco sauce, 1 tbsp light sour cream, 1 tbsp shredded cheese. Serving size: 2 tortillas per person.

To add even more flavor: slice an avocado on top or some guacamole!

Enjoy!

Asian Flat Iron Steak

Another recipe from the Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Sherry
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger
2 Tablespoons (3-5 cloves) Minced Garlic
teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Flat Iron Steaks (or London Broil), whatever size you prefer
Garnish: 2 Tablespoons Roasted Sesame Seeds and 2 Green Onions, slivered, optional.


Instructions:
Gather all ingredients together – soy sauce, sherry, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and flat iron steak.

Whisk the ingredients in a bowl. Place the steaks and marinade in a ziplock bag and chill in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours.

Grill steaks on high heat for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare steaks. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and green onion slivers on top to garnish.