Hush Puppies

LITTLE SAVORY BALLS OF CORNMEAL BATTER, Hush Puppies are so delicious with so many meals. No Southern fish fry would be complete without them. All the barbecue joints around here serve them. I was once at a restaurant that had hush puppies with pimiento cheese as an appetizer and that was tasty!

I serve hush puppies with all sorts of foods. I especially love them with braised greens. I made these to serve with a vegetable soup. They are great with chili. Any time you think of cornbread, think hush puppies instead.

I have never posted the recipe for my hush puppies but you have probably seen them pepping around the corner in some of my photographs. My puppies are never perfect balls because I don't deep fry them, I pan fry them in my black iron skillet.

These hush puppies are fluffy and tender inside and crisp and crunchy outside. And they are delicious, even if they are misshapen.

Hush Puppies
1 cup self-rising corn meal
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1 Tbsp. hot melted shortening

Place corn meal in a mixing bowl. Stir in well beaten egg and buttermilk. Add hot shortening and minced onion just before cooking. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Cook until golden brown on each side. 

Roasted Vegetable Cobbler

AS THE SEASONS CHANGE, WE NATURALLY begin changing our diets. As our summer tomato harvest winds down, the weather gets cooler and the days shorter, I often feel myself at a loss. I will fumble along for a bit but then I will find my "sea legs" again. Meanwhile, I will prepare very simple meals to sustain us.

One thing I miss in the summer, is using my oven. I love baking and roasting--so delicious, fragrant, comforting, and warming.

Upon my return from a recent trip to the flat lands, I discovered it was quite chilly here in the mountains. I began planning a roasted dinner right away!

Using Brussels sprouts and root vegetables, seasoned with what I think of as the quintessential savory seasonings for fall--sage, rosemary, and thyme, I made this vegetable cobbler with a slightly sweet cornmeal biscuit topping.

I served it with fresh, warm, homemade applesauce. It was a perfect meal.

Roasted Vegetable Cobbler
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 large carrots
2 medium rutabagas
4 cups Brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. each sage, rosemary, thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Topping:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash potatoes, carrots and rutabagas, peel if desired, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Place all into a large black skillet. Toss with the olive oil and seasonings.

Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the topping, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, and brown sugar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.

Remove vegetables from the oven and drop spoonfuls of the batter over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 40 -45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and topping is golden brown.

Cornbread Casserole

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe, which came from her church's cookbook, quite a few years ago. I like to make it when the cornbread is co-starring in the meal rather than playing a background role. It is perfect with chili and I recently served it with Braised Greens with Apples for a simple supper. 

This recipe makes enough for a crowd and also freezes well to reheat later. 

Cornbread Casserole
2 large onions, chopper
6 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 (15 ounce) can cream style corn
1 (1 pound) package corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
2 cups (8 ounce) sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onions in butter until golden. In medium bowl, mix eggs and milk. Add corn and muffin mix. Spoon batter into buttered 13x9 inch casserole dish and spoon sauteed onions on top. Spread sour cream over onion and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Mom's Coleslaw, Richard's Baked Beans, and Mimi's Cornbread

 

 

I made these recipes for our Labor Day Picnic, but I also use these recipes throughout the year.

I love the coleslaw because it is creamy, yet has no mayo. The baked beans have lots of bacon and Richard says the secret ingredient is the Grandma's Molasses. Mimi has been experimenting with cornbread recipes and I really liked this version which uses corn flour (masa harina) rather than cornmeal. It also has quite a bit of sugar but doesn't taste overly sweet. It is excellent buttered and grilled the next day. 

Mom's Coleslaw
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 medium onion, cut into chunks

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, carrots, and celery seed. Place the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard, and onion in a blender. Cover and process until combined and creamy. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Chill before serving with a slotted spoon.

 

 

Richard's Baked Beans

1 package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 (15 oz.) cans baked beans

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup molasses

Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, fry bacon until crisp. Place on paper towels to drain and set aside. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat in pan.

Brown the onions and brown peppers in the bacon fat. (Richard says, "And I mean brown". Add the beans, mustard, ketchup, molasses, reserved bacon, and salt and pepper to the pan with onions and peppers. Stir well to combine.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, until the beans are bubbling and the top is caramelized.

Mimi's Cornbread
1 1/2 cups corn flour (masa harina)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine corn flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs.

Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.

Melt butter in an 8-inch iron skillet or baking pan. When the butter is hot and melted, pour all but 1 Tbsp. into the batter. Stir in quickly and immediately pour mixture back into the hot pan.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Hoe Cakes

Whether you call them hoe cakes, johnny cakes, corn cakes, or arepas, these corn pancakes are simply delicious. They are a fine accompaniment to a fresh vegetable plate, especially good with greens and beans. The leftovers are delightful, reheated the next morning with syrup or jam. Always serve them with plenty of butter.

Hoe Cakes
1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
Melted butter

Heat black iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, sugar, beaten egg, and milk. Stir together well but don't over mix; it's fine if the batter is slightly lumpy.

Melt about 3 tablespoons of butter in the heated skillet. If the butter melts too quickly and hisses, lower the heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into the batter and stir quickly to combine.

Pour about 1/8 cupful of batter for each cake into the heated pan. Once the hoe cake's surface is filled with bubbles and the bottom is brown, flip the pancakes. Continue until all batter is used, keeping the finished cakes warm in the oven.

Southern Corn Pudding

I'll tell you a little secret about Pritchard Parker: He loves to shop. I loathe it. I like to go to the grocery store, otherwise, count me out. Browsing in stores is not my idea of a good time, so he goes without me and avoids my complaining.  He loves to shop in thrift stores--please, don't even ask me to enter one of those. And pawing through someone else's discards at a yard sale? No thanks, I'll just sit in the car and listen to the voices in my head. Wal*Mart = HELL.

Lucky for me though. He buys almost all my clothes and is constantly bringing me little surprises in the form of gadgets for the kitchen, pretty dishes and linens, cookbooks. Just yesterday, he came home with a beautiful red silk blouse for me.

He recently brought home one of those fund-raiser cookbooks we all love. Even though he got it at a thrift store, it was "brand new" and still wrapped in cellophane. I decided to visit the Business and Professional Women of Alabama (my home state) in the year 1989 through their recipes.

Wait till you see the cake I made from this book. The one with a very catchy name.

Corn Pudding
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream corn
1 stick melted butter
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. red pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except the cheese. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish or pan. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with the cheese and continue baking, uncovered, for 15 more minutes, until done.

The irony here is that the only food my husband will not eat is corn. But don't worry, I made some of his favorites to enjoy while I ate my corn.

Cornbread Dressing with Fresh and Dried Fruit

I had to report for Jury Duty this morning but was dismissed early. I could have gone into work, but decided to blow it off. (Shh! Don't tell the boss!)  I had already prepared, workwise, to have the day off. I made sure my office was in order and that I was prepared for Monday. And besides,  I don't like to walk into an office that is already humming. I like being the first one in. 

Each morning, I arrive early, open the gate, unlock the doors, turn off the alarm, turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat, make the coffee.  I put my lunch in the fridge, turn on my computer, check my email, and prepare for my work day. All while it is still and quiet. By the time my co-workers begin to arrive, I am well into the day.

Today, I decided to come home and give my blog some love! I miss my blog and my blog friends. I never dreamed my job would take so much of my energy.  Three evenings, after work, I go to the gym. Every night I cook dinner so we can enjoy delicious and healthful meals each day. I take my lunch to work every day. All these things are very important to me.

After dinner, and after the kitchen is packed away for the night, I sit down in front of my computer, in my very comfortable office chair, with the intention of blogging . . . and promptly fall asleep. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

We had, for varying reasons, a very quiet Thanksgiving. I did not bake a turkey, but rather a ham. And I fashioned my menu much like a brunch. Among other things, I made a Cheese Grits Souffle, Angel Biscuits,
Tomato Gravy, and an old fashion Sweet Potato Pie. 

I did not make my usual Southern family favorite dressing. Instead I made this recipe from the November, 2006 edition of Bon Appetit. I have made this recipe a few times before, usually for New Year's.  It is very moist and flavorful and I think it goes especially well with ham.

Cornbread Dressing with Fresh and Dried Fruit
Buttery cornbread (recipe below)
1/2 cup butter
4 cups chopped onions
4 cups chopped, unpeeled apples
2 cups chopped celery with leaves
24 pitted prunes, diced
12 dried apricot halves, diced
1 Tbsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 cup chicken broth

Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake in a 250 degree oven, to dry out some, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Melt butter, in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and onions and saute about 10 minutes, until beginning to soften. Scrape the vegetables into a large bowl. Add prunes, apricots, sage, salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the cornbread cubes and toss until evenly combined.

Pour mixture into a well buttered 13x9 inch baking dish; pour broth evenly over. Place into a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake until heated through and the top begins to form a crust, about 40 minutes.

Buttery Cornbread
1 1/3 cups coarse-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
9 Tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs, beaten

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly, but don't over mix. Pour into a well buttered 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn bread out onto a rack until completely cooled. 

Delicious the next day topped with an egg.

Traditional Southern New Year Meal

Happy New Year!

 My first blog post was this meal--The first meal of the year 2009. I called the year, The Year of Hope. My camera was new and my blog was brand new.  I have learned a lot since then about how to better use my camera and so, so, much about blogging.

I declared the year 2010 The Year of Faith. For 2011, I hope and wish for The Year of Peace.  The current political rancor, fiscal atrocities, and general vitriol towards one another, is very disturbing to me. I really hope for more compassion, understanding, patience, and general kindness toward each other, especially those who are different from us.

But enough about that. This is a blog about food.  And we are having the same meal we always have on New Year's Day. 

Collard Greens

Black Skillet Cornbread

16-Hour Pulled Pork

We are also having, of course, Blackeye peas, which I will post more about tomorrow. 



Black Skillet Southern Cornbread

Southerners can get pretty worked up about their cornbread. I posted a very old Mexican Cornbread recipe last year, but this is just plain ole cornbread, which I served with my speckled butter beans. Some cooks, like myself, enjoy a slightly sweet cornbread so add a couple of tablespoons of sugar to the batter. Others will declare that blasphemy. Some cooks swear by using buttermilk, others say you should use regular whole milk ("sweet milk").

I have personally never had cornbread I did not like. All in all cornbread is very earthy, peasanty, and forgiving. You really can't go wrong and you don't even have to break out the appliances, a bowl and spoon work just fine. If you have saved some bacon drippings, use that for the shortening, though I have seen the old ladies of the family melt vegetable shortening and use that, with delicious results. I prefer using buttermilk, but in a pinch I have even used water. If you have a black iron skillet, use that for the best crust.

Add sugar, or honey if you please. I did not add it here because I was planning ahead for leftovers, which I wanted to use for a cornbread stuffing that didn't want to be sweetened. Almost all the cornmeal sold in the South is self-rising, so if yours is not, you will need to add 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt to each cup of cornmeal.

Black Skillet Southern Cornbread
1 3/4 cups self-rising cornmeal
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 - 3 Tbsp. sugar, optional
3 Tbsp. bacon drippings or other shortening

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the eggs and buttermilk. Stir in the cornmeal, and sugar if using, until well blended. Place the bacon drippings into a black iron skillet and heat in oven until very hot. Working quickly, pour the hot fat into the cornmeal mixture, stir, and pour the batter back into the skillet. It should sizzle and this is when the great crust starts forming.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until very brown. Serve with butter.

Potato Cakes

I have never understood why "leftovers" have such a bad reputation, unless what they are leftover from, was not very good to begin with. I love having leftovers and plan to have leftovers. We really enjoy taking our lunch, comprised of leftovers, to work and are thankful for homemade food as we watch coworkers eat frozen dinners and fast food. I often enjoy food I have cooked, more the next day after taking a step back from it. I have been bolstered through more than one bad day, knowing that a half pan of lasagna or some other home cooked goodness was waiting at home for my exhausted arrival. And, leftovers can be reinvented which is fun!

Potato Pancakes
2 cups cold, leftover mashed potatoes
2 eggs
6 scallions, sliced
1/4 - 1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal
Olive oil

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the cold potatoes and mix completely with the eggs, then the scallions. Stir in 1/4 cup cornmeal and depending on how thick your potatoes were to begin with, up to another 1/4 cup cornmeal, to make a thick batter. Drop by large spoonfuls into a hot skillet which has been lightly coated in olive oil. Cook until brown, then flip and cook the other side until brown and the cakes are heated through.

Stuffing or Dressing? How about Stuffed Dressing

The same questions arise every Thanksgiving. . .yams or sweet potatoes and stuffing or dressing. The answers are easy if you want to get technical, but let's not. When families come together for a bountiful meal, whether they call it stuffing and yams, or dressing and sweet potatoes, may they be blessed and enjoy. For the record, I am in the latter group.

I was surveying my kitchen inventory recently, after we'd had a weekend visit from out-of-town family, planning uses for all the leftovers. I saw leftover cornbread, extra sandwich bread, and a few biscuits left from breakfast. As I thought of the sliced turkey, bought for sandwiches, left in the fridge, I had an aha! moment. I would make simple turkey and dressing.

Not knowing exactly how this was going to come together, I starting crumbling the cornbread, biscuits, and a few slices of sandwich bread into a large bowl. I sliced a few stalks of celery and chopped a large, sweet onion, then sauteed them in about 6 tablespoons of butter. I was visualizing as I was crumbling and chopping and it came to me what I would do.

I added the sauteed vegetables to the crumbled bread mixture, added a couple of beaten eggs, a can of chicken broth, a couple of teaspoons of poultry seasoning, along with some salt and pepper, plus some chopped parsley. I wished it were moister, so I added some milk until it was the very moist consistency I was looking for.

I put half the mixture in the bottom of a baking pan and topped it with sliced turkey. Over the turkey, I added a layer of cranberry sauce. Then I added the remainder of the dressing mixture and baked it in in a 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes, until it was firm and nicely browned.

I served it with extra cranberry sauce but gravy (or both) would also be good. It was while I was eating it that I came up with the name for it--Stuffed Dressing. Pritchard Parker said, Mmmm!!

Cornbread Tuna Melt

Here's a quick and easy one, for those busy evenings. Make a batch of cornbread, even a box of Jiffy mix. While that is baking, make up your favorite tuna salad recipe. When the cornbread is done, cut into servings and top with a scoop of tuna salad. Top with a slice of tomato (avocado is delicious here) then cheese and melt under the broiler.

Southern Fried Salmon Patties

Salmon patties are a good answer for those, what can I make for dinner times, when you haven't been grocery shopping, or maybe it's the day before pay day. It is an old fashioned Southern favorite that I get a hankering for every once in a while, and I always have a can or two of salmon on hand.

One 15 oz. can salmon

1/4 cup chopped onions or scallions

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup, or more, self rising cornmeal mix

Salt and pepper, to taste

Drain salmon and place into a mixing bowl. Flake salmon with a fork, then mix in the onions and eggs. Add the cornmeal, using more if the mixture is too wet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Form into patties, a little smaller than a hamburger. Pan fry in olive oil, turning once, until very brown on each side. Drain on paper towels.

This is a very flexible recipe which is good with a variety of herbs and sauces. I enjoy adding dill and serving them with lemon. My husband likes a little added heat, cayenne or jalepano. Kids like them plain with ketchup.

Cornbread

Cornbread is the other beloved Southern bread. It is for dinner what biscuits are for breakfast. Traditionally, dinner was the main meal of the day, and was served at noon. Later in the day would come a lighter meal known as supper.

Nowadays, we have lunch, which is typically eaten away from home. Then we have dinner, the main meal, when we arrive back home at the end of the day.

Regardless of when you eat it, cornbread is an essential component of the vegetable plate, which is very Southern. I can't imagine eating a bowl of pinto beans without cornbread. Collard greens, without cornbread to soak up the pot likker? Unheard of.

Recipes and methods for cornbread are one of the passions among Southern cooks. White or yellow corn? Buttermilk or "sweet milk"? Sugar? You will hear one Southerner say, "I love a sweet cornbread", and another spat, "I cannot stand sweet cornbread!" There is the classic black skillet cornbread, corn pone, corn cake, hoe cake, fried cornbread, hushpuppies. I find the controversies nostalgic and endearing.

Myself? I like them all, including this recipe for Mexican Cornbread, which was scrawled on a scrap of paper, and given to me many, many years ago, with the request, "Please make some".

In this recipe, self-rising cornmeal mix, is assumed. Salad oil is vegetable oil. Sweet milk means, not buttermilk (although I have made it with buttermilk). The small can of niblet corn, at the time, was 8 ounces, and I have used fresh, grilled, cream-style, and frozen corn. The recipe is very forgiving - and delicious.

Mexican Cornbread

3 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 onion, grated
1 cup corn
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Mix ingredients in the order given, then pour into a greased and floured pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, until brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

By the way, in my neck of the woods, in Alabama, we never said, "sweet tea", sweet was a given. We called it, "Ice Tea".

First Meal of the Year

2009 - The Year of Hope

My first meal of the year was a Southern Traditional one: Pulled Pork, Collard
Greens, Hoppin' John, Jalapeno Hushpuppies.

For the pork, I started with a 7 pound Boston Butt, which my husband, Pritchard Parker bought for only $7.42 It served us meals all week. I trimmed off the excess fat, rubbed it on all sides with Spice Rub for Pork, let it sit on the counter for about an hour, then placed into the Crock Pot, with nothing else. I let it cook overnight, on low, about 16 hours in all. It smelled divine and drove our Jack Russell, Jill, nuts. It was falling apart tender, juicy, and delicious.

Spice Rub for Pork

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

Hoppin' John

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas (soaking not necessary)

1 large onion, chopped

3 (at least) large garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

3 cups cooked white rice

1 can tomatoes with green chilis (Rotel)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

Sort through the black-eyed peas. You will be looking for stones, clumps of dirt, peas you don't like the looks of, or any other foreign matter. Rinse thoroughly. In a large Dutch oven, combine black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently until beans are tender but not mushy, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary. Add rice, tomatoes, salt and cumin. Simmer about 15 minutes until heated through. Serve with hot sauce, such as Texas Pete.

Jalapeno Hushpuppies

1 1/2 cups cornmeal mix

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers seeded and minced

1 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, mix and stir until well blended. Let the mixture stand while you heat about 1/4 cup oil in your big black skillet, over medium high heat. Drop batter by heaping tablespoon into the hot oil, working in batches. Brown on first side, flip and brown the other side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in oven while you cook the remaining hushpuppies.

Collard Greens are a subject in and of themselves and will be covered in detail at another time. Stay tuned if you are a Collard fan like we are.