Readers' Recipes
Hi folks! I was lazy this week and I'd heard y'all had some great ideas out there - so this time this page was written by folks who sent in their recipes. Any of these dishes will do just fine for a fam'ly reunion picnic, church homecomin', or Wednesday nite quiltin' bee and pot-luck supper! These are good'uns y'all - enjoy!
Susan's Grandfather's
Chocolate Milk Biscuits
First, a note on my family and cooking - my Father, in an effort to get his garden planted without interference from me, once sent me off on my bike to find succotash seeds. I spent the entire day pedaling from one place to another, asking for the darned things.
My Grandfather was famous for his buttermilk biscuits. This is a variation that can be done with any buttermilk biscuit recipe.
Grandfather liked an audience, so often cooked for church breakfasts. One year, he ran out of buttermilk and still more people were wanting his biscuits. He sent me out on my bicycle for buttermilk. It was Easter morning in a small southern Delaware town, there was NO place open, however I did manage to score a gallon of chocolate milk.
Ingredients:
- Any homemade buttermilk biscuit recipe
BUT Substitute for the buttermilk:
- Vinegar - enough to curdle milk
- Chocolate milk
(same amount as would be buttermilk minus amount of vinegar you use)
Stir the vinegar into the chocolate milk until it curdles. Use this mixture in place of the buttermilk in your recipe. The biscuits will be a slightly dusky color, but the taste is just fine.
Gayle's Apple Cinnamon Crisp
Well here it is y'all, this here is real simple but deeelish when yer havin company fer dinner or whutever.
Ingredients:
- 5 to 6 cups diced or sliced pared apples
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup melted and cooled butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups cream
- Topping (below)
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 cup sifted flour
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 unbeaten egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (moderate oven).
Lightly coat a glass baking dish with butter. Place apples in the baking dish, evenly arranged.
Using a fork, mix together the Topping ingredients in a separate bowl until crumbly and then sprinkle over the apples.
Pour butter over the entire mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes. When done, and while still warm, spoon mixture into serving dishes and pour about 1/4 cup cream over each serving. Enjoy!
Cheryls Pot Pie
Three things to keep in mind before reading the recipe:
- I usually make this the day after I've cooked an oven-stuffer roaster meal. This way I'm just using the leftovers from the night before.
- I know this will sound like an unusual blend of veggies, but if you like the three individually, try them together, you'll be amazed at how well they blend.
- Or, be adventurous, change the veggies for variety.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked chicken
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
(you can use two cups hot water mixed with two chicken bullion cubes, still tastes wonderful) - 1 cup heavy cream
(I use 2% milk, if you substitute this make sure it is room temp or a tad warmer) - 1/2 can (about 7-8 ounces) peas (drained)
- 3/4 cup cooked carrots (diced or sliced round)
- 3/4 cup frozen broccoli (thawed and drained but not cooked)
- Uncooked pie crust, rolled and ready to put in pie pan
(ready made "store bought" crust is a good alternate - you can find it in the dairy section usually, and all you have to do is unfold the dough and bake it)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once all flour is mixed in, continue to cook and stir on medium heat for 2 additional minutes. You have to do this or it won't thicken properly.
Slowly and alternately add some broth, then cream; broth, then cream; etc., stirring all the while. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened and smooth.
Put bottom crust in a pie pan. Put chicken, peas, carrots, and broccoli in. Pour some sauce in on top. Mix everything gently with a fork, taking care not to tear the bottom crust. Keep adding sauce to taste. (I usually end up with some sauce left over.)
Cover with top crust. Flute edges and make top slits. Cook 25 - 30 minutes or until top crust has browned.
Alternate Ideas With Same Recipe
Chicken and Dumplings
Skip the pie crust. Just dump all the ingredients into a casserole dish (use all the sauce) and place ready made or home made biscuits (raw) all over top, edges touching. Cook at 450 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes or until browned.
Chicken Ala King
Skip the pie crust and make sure to cook the broccoli first. Use all the sauce, mix everything together, dump over mashed potatoes.
Colleen's Eggplant and Tomato Bake
Ingredients:
- 1 medium (1 pound) eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 large (7 ounce) tomato, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, shredded
- 1 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
Baking instructions are bolded in this recipe to help you through the various temperature changes.
Preheat the oven at broil setting.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the eggplant slices on the baking sheet in a single layer.
In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
Spoon half the broth mixture over the eggplant slices.
Place in oven and broil for about 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Change the oven to bake, at 350 degrees F.
Transfer the eggplant slices to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (be sure it is a "flameproof" dish that can be put under broil heat), overlapping the slices slightly, if necessary.
Pour the remaining broth mixture evenly over the eggplant.
Place the tomato slices on top of the eggplant and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil.
Return to oven and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Switch the oven back over to broil.
Sprinkle the eggplant and tomato evenly with the Parmesan.
Return to oven and broil until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Serves four.
Well, enjoy these great recipes from our buds - we've tried em all and gotta admit - y'all are some great cooks out there! I think Reb and her son might be addicted to that there Apple Crisp! Made a pan of it and before I could turn my haid it was gawn and Reb and the boy had guilty looks on their faces and cinnamon syrup 'round their mouths! YUM!
An' for those of ya'll hopin' for my biscuit recipe . . . I've only gotten ONE good grovelin' beg so far . . . ya'll gotta beg more a'fore I post that recipe.
An' if you're REALLY hungry, check out my previous weeks recipes Down Home, Hillbilly, Veggie, Chicken BWWAAKK! and Hoe Down BBQ!
See ya!
JADE