Creamed Corn

I've mentioned that we have some incredible cooks that live on our Cul de Sac.
We have a Dinner Club on the block every month.
Each month a different family hosts the dinner club.
In addition to the dinner club, we have  an October Block Party where everyone contributes to the meal.
That's where the best recipes show up. Occasionally recipes are shared.

We all host parties through out the year and we eat well!
I've posted several recipes that have been shared by the neighbors and here's another one of my favorites.
This one has become a Thanksgiving tradition in our house since 2007.

Thank you Jane for sharing this great corn recipe.

Creamed Corn:

10" cast iron skillet
1/2 pint whipping cream or heavy cream
1 stick butter
3 TBS flour
3 cans ( 11 oz. each) Shoe Peg Corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in the skillet
Stir in flour and cook well ( cooking the roux well, removes the flour taste, cook until pale golden brown)
Whisk in the cream
Add the corn
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Mix well

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until edges are browned and bubbling

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Artichoke Ball hors d'oeuvres

 A few years ago we hosted a party for our Cul-de-Sac, one of our neighbors brought these amazing Artichoke Ball hors d'oeuvres. She shared the recipe with me and I wanted to pass it on to my readers.

I don't post full names of individuals that contribute recipes to the blog, but thank you Gretchen for all of the incredible recipes that you have brought to our parties and shared with the neighbors.

We have great neighbors and they're all incredible cooks!
Our parties are graced with tables of tasty treats.

I've previously posted some great recipes that our neighbor Jane has shared. Jane's corn casserole is one of the best I have ever tasted and it's become a staple , served at Thanksgiving at our house.
I'll re-post it here later.
 I have to mention our neighbor Becky that makes her famous Buckeye Candy every Christmas.
They're part of her Ohio heritage and we all look forward to them every Holiday!

Artichoke Ball hors d'oeuvres:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 - 8oz. cans of artichoke hearts ( drained and mashed)
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese + additional to coat the balls
2 eggs, beaten
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 C Italian Bread Crumbs

Saute garlic in oil
Add mashed artichokes
Add eggs and mix well
Remove from heat
Add bread crumbs
Add 1/2 C parmesan cheese
Mix well and cool completely

Roll into walnut sized balls and roll in additional parmesan cheese to coat well
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Horchata

According to the history of Horchata, it was an old world drink enjoyed by the Spaniards and brought to the new world and enjoyed by the Aztecs.
It's a well known drink through out Mexico.
I've had this recipe since the 80's and I used to make it frequently during the hot Texas Summer months.
It's a refreshing drink when it's served ice cold.
It can be made dairy free , however, I add evaporated milk to mine.

I recently posted a story about Rum Chata and that liqueur is based on the ancient Horchata drink.

Horchata:

This recipe makes approximately 2 quarts.
Store it in jars in the refrigerator to keep it chilled. Serve it over ice.

Rum can be added to a glass of Horchata to make a refreshing cocktail.

2 C white rice
6 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 C evaporated milk

Soak rice overnight in 3 C of the water
Add rice, soaking water and cinnamon to a blender and puree until smooth, at least 3 minutes.
Strain into a pitcher through a fine mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth.
There should not be any grit or large particles of rice in the liquid.

Stir in the remaining ingredients:
3 C of water
sugar
vanilla
milk
Adjust sweetness to taste with additional sugar

Refrigerate until well chilled
Serve over ice

Horchata can be tinted pink by adding a dollop of Prickly Pear fruit puree.

Here are some variations of Horchata:

Substitute 3 C of milk for the 3 C of water.
Or : use 3 C of evaporated milk in place of the 3C of water for a richer creamier drink.
Add 1/4 C to 1/2 C blanched, skinless, chopped Almonds to the blender while pureeing the soaked rice.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Rum Chata

Our son in California has been tweeting about drinks made with Rum Chata Liqueur.
I decided to do some research about the Liqueur and here's what I discovered.
The Liqueur has been out about 4 years. It's considered a Cream Liqueur. It's a blend of Caribbean Rum and Wisconsin Dairy Cream flavored with Cinnamon, Vanilla and other "secret" Spices.
It was inspired by Horchata, a popular drink in Mexico and Spain. I actually have a recipe for homemade Horchata that I've had for many years.  I'll post it later on the blog.
Rum Chata contains homogenized cream and doesn't need refrigeration. It has a shelf life of at least 6 months without refrigeration.


In addition to cocktails made with the liqueur, there are many recipes available.
I've chosen to post 3 Cocktails, Hot Chocolate and 2 recipes. One Savory recipe and one Sweet recipe.
When the cocktail recipe refers to a "part", that refers to 1 ounce for an individual serving.

French Cream Cocktail:
1 oz. Rum Chata
2 oz. Cognac or Brandy
Combine  and serve over 3 ice cubes.

Bananachata:

2 parts Rum Chata
1 part Banana Liqueur
1 part Caramel Vodka
Banana slices for garnish

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a Cocktail Shaker over Ice, strain and serve on the rocks, garnish with Banana slices.


Pumpkin Pie Martini:

2 parts Rum Chata
1 part Vanilla Vodka
1 part Pumpkin Liqueur
Cinnamon for garnish

Shake over ice, strain, serve straight up, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Gingerbread Martini:

3 parts Rum Chata
1 part Gingerbread Syrup or Gingerbread Liqueur
2 parts Vanilla Rum
1 Gingerbread Cookie, crumbled for garnish

Shake over ice, strain, serve straight up, sprinkle with crumbled Gingerbread Cookie

Rum Chata Martini:
2 parts Rum Chata
1 part Vanilla Vodka
Add to a cocktail shaker over ice, shake, strain and serve straight up or on the rocks.



Rum Chata Pumpkin Pie:

6 oz. Rum Chata
1/2 C brown sugar
1 ( 15 oz.) can of Pumpkin
1 C sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 - 9" unbaked pie shell

Whisk together, in a medium bowl:
Rum Chata
brown sugar
pumpkin
milk
eggs
spices
salt
Mix well

Pour into crust
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes
Reduce oven temperature to 350
Continue baking for 35 - 40 minutes.
A knife inserted into the pie should come out clean when finished baking.

Cool completely before serving.


Rum Chata Sweet Potato Casserole:

1/3 C Rum Chata
4 large Sweet Potatoes
3 TBS Butter, melted + more for greasing the casserole
1 TBS Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
Pepper
1/4 chopped Pecans

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
Pierce the potatoes with a fork in several places
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes, until tender in the center, remove and set aside
Reduce the oven  temperature to 350 degrees

Scoop out the Potatoes and discard the skins
Place the potatoes in a bowl and mash until smooth
Add:
Rum Chata
melted Butter
Dark Brown Sugar
Salt
Pepper to taste
Whisk until smooth

Grease an 8"X 8" baking dish with additional Butter
Pour the mixture into the pan
Sprinkle with Pecans
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes
Serve hot!


Rum Chata Hot Chocolate:

2 boxes of Andes Mints, roughly chopped
1 bottle of Rum Chata
2 - (14oz.) cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C Heavy Cream
4 C Whole Milk


Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2 parts Rum Chata
1/2 part Whipped Vodka

A Splash of Pineapple Juice
A Splash of Grenadine.
In a Shaker with Ice and strained into a Shot Glass.




Place all ingredients in a saucepan, heat on low until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated. Stir continuously.
You can also pour all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and heat on high for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to incorporate the chocolate as it melts.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Parmesan Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic and ..........

These potatoes are cut in half and baked with the cut side down in a baking dish.
The recipe can be altered depending on how many people you need to serve.
It's not a specific recipe, but a concept for an alternative to the traditional Baked Potato.

It can definitely be adapted to your personal taste.
For example:
Add fresh chopped herbs like, parsley, dill, tarragon.
Add minced garlic or garlic powder with the parmesan cheese.

You can make them your own.
Here's the basic concept:

4 TBS butter melted
4 - 6 potatoes, cut in half, lengthwise
2 TBS grated parmesan cheese
see additional ingredients above to be creative.

Simply coat the bottom of a casserole dish with the melted butter.
In this recipe for 4 - 6 potatoes, it takes a 9"X13" casserole dish.
Adjust the size pan and the amount of the other ingredients for the amount of potatoes used.

Sprinkle cheese over the melted butter
Place the potatoes, cut side down in the pan
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes or until tender.

I like to add herbs and fresh garlic or garlic powder on top of the melted butter and then add the potatoes.
Salt and pepper to taste when the potatoes are done baking.

Today, I made them with Butter, Fresh cut Dill from the garden, dried Dill Weed and French Gray Sel de Mer. I'm looking forward to trying a variety of herbs and seasonings.
Experiment and create your own!


Serve with Sour Cream, Chives, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Bacon Bits, additional Butter.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Black Pepper and Sage Biscuits with Sausage Gravy! Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

I posted Ree Drummond's recipe for  The Best Ever Breakfast Potatoes, on the same episode she made these biscuits.
Texans love biscuits and these look amazing. You can't have a breakfast biscuit without gravy! 
She also made Sausage Gravy to go with these biscuits, recipe to follow.
I make the Sausage Gravy with Gimme Lean Vegetarian fresh Ground Sausage.

Black Pepper and Sage Biscuits:

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup powdered milk
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon ground sage, finely chopped
1/2 cup or 1 stick cold butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup shortening, cold
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 stick melted butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Stir together the flour, powered milk, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, cream of tartar and sage in a medium bowl.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening into the dry mixture until blended thoroughly.

Stir in the buttermilk so the dough comes together.

On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and use hands to press into a circle 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.

Cut out the circles with a biscuit cutter or glass. Place the biscuits in cast-iron skillets, then brush the tops with melted butter.

Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

This recipe is doubled to make 32 biscuits.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!





1 pound breakfast sausage, hot or mild ( I use Gimme Lean Vegetarian fresh Ground Sausage and add some cayenne pepper or Adobo Seasoning to kick up the flavor) , add it in when you brown the sausage. Brown in 2 TBS of vegetable oil when using vegetarian sausage. Otherwise omit oil with meat sausage.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups whole milk, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

Directions:
With your finger, tear small pieces of sausage and add them in a single layer to a large, heavy cast iron, skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add more little by little. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.

Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take a good 10 to 12 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in another 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits and serve immediately!

This recipe can be easily doubled to serve 24.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Best Breakfast Potatoes Ever! Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

In Texas, we make a lot of breakfast potatoes. We also have a place in the mountains of Colorado and breakfast is one of the best meals of the day. Breakfast outdoors always includes potatoes made in cast iron. 
I never thought about posting a recipe, we just get out a large cast iron skillet and make them. There was never a recipe. I'm not sure they are never made the same two times in a row. They're always based on available ingredients.
I recently saw an episode of The Pioneer Woman and Ree Drummond was doing a segment on Breakfast.
There were several recipes that were appealing to me, especially this one!
For those who aren't comfortable cooking without a recipe, this one's for you.
These are baked on sheet pans, I bake them in cast iron skillets in a single layer.


5 pounds red potatoes, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, hand minced
2 onions,  roughly chopped, large chop
2 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
2 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, garlic, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, olive oil, butter, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and some kosher salt and pepper.

Begin baking at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes on 2 sheet pans, shaking the pan twice to get them in a single layer.

After 25 minutes increase the heat to 500 degrees and bake until crisp and brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper before serving.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!