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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Smoke Pulled chicken



There are so many wonderful ways to serve this wonderful  pulled chicken. It is marvelous just piled warm and steaming on a plate with no sauce. Many people make the mistake of dumping a bottle of sauce over the meat smothering it to deaf. Please don't. The taste of hot flavor from the smoker is unmatched.


The best way to eat a pulled chicken is a great sandwich.

Use two forks to tear away the meat.


Use your favorite sauce

You can used chicken leg Quaters


You can smoke it on a grill for about 6-10 hours



This the best way to get that really good favor is to smoke it.


You can place in a oven on 350 about 3 hours or more you can add liquid smoke.



Last you can put it in a crock pot and leave it for 8 hours. no smoke taste just good and tender meat.



Always remember to add your favorite spices


Friday, May 30, 2014

Sweet Potatoe Pie




Sweet Potato Pie has to be my all time favorite dessert. I can make it any day of the week and absolutely love it. I like the regular pie crust not the graham cracker crust. Sometimes it’s hard to find a good sweet potato pie.


Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes or yams (I like yams better)

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 can of evaporated milk (use less if you what your pie thick)

1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon  nutmeg

dash salt

1 1/2 cup of white sugar

2 deep dish pie crusts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° F. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast (skin on). Bake until soft. Remove from oven. Allow to cool . Remove the skin carefully. Or boil potatoes with skin on in water until fork tender. Place sweet potatoes into large bowl. Sprinkle salt and butter. Mash with a potato masher until  smooth. Mix nutmeg and add sugar. Mix well. (you may use a  mixer, on low speed this will help make the pie smooth) Add the whole eggs first and mix, now add the egg yolks and mix well. Slowly add evaporated milk, vanilla, lemon extract.Mix until a smooth .cut the oven to 375° F. Place pie shells on a baking sheet. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie shells evenly making some peaks. Bake on center rack for 45 minutes or until peaks are dark brown. Allow to completely cool.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Beef Liver And Onions


My mom used to cook a wonderful beef liver. The liver was calf liver, it was tender and very tasty. I request the liver dinner for her to cook when she came down to my home in Mississippi. My mom passed away that year and went  home to be with the Lord. That meal will always be with me forever.I love you Mom.


8 tablespoons bacon dripping

2  Large onion, sliced

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 pound calves' livers

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste


Directions

In a medium skillet melt bacon over medium heat.


Stir in onion and saute until softened. Stir in sugar and continue to cook until onion caramelizes set a side.


Rinse liver and remove thin outer membrane and beat liver with a pounded until tender

I like to buy

Heat bacon dripping in a medium skillet over medium heat



Dredge liver slices in flour and salt and pepper to taste



and brown in melted bacon dripping for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side.



Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve liver smothered with caramelized onions.


Smothered Beef Liver Recipe -

Use the same direction as above when the onions is caramelized set aside in a pan

add mix beef gravy and pour gravy over the liver and onions.


add caramelized onions and simmer about 5 mins and serve with hot cooked rice.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

How to Pick A Watermelon

Watermelon is one of the best ways to cool off in the summer.


How to pick the perfect watermelon




When you walk up to a watermelon bin give the watermelon a good shake. If you hear water or juices running around, put that one down and go to the next one. This means it isn't as dense as it should be, and will not be as flavorful as a better specimen.

Give the watermelon a thump. The transfer of sound and vibration should be very satisfactory, the thump should be audible and less like a pulse. A "pulse" like tone means that there is more water in the melon than there is melon.

A lopsided watermelon will have underdeveloped seeds, which means less sugar and less flavor. Turn the watermelon over and look at its belly, the spot where it sat on the ground. If it's white, find another melon. You want yellow, the color of butter.


Now look at the stem, which should have a black ring around the base. That blackness is crystallized sugar. Sometimes you find beads of black crystallized sugar on the rind as well.


A Watermelon Treat...

Watermelon Sorbet Recipe


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup or light agave nectar (the syrup or nectar makes the resulting texture quite smooth)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
3 fresh mint leaves
3 pounds watermelon, rind and seeds removed, cut into chunks


DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup or agave nectar, lime or lemon juice, and mint to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool.
2. In a blender, puree half of the watermelon chunks. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining watermelon.
3. Add the slightly cooled syrup to the watermelon and mix well. Place in a 2-quart container, cover, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours.

Flake the mixture with a fork scoop it up and serve.


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Twice Baked Bacon Cheddar & Chive Potatoes


Twice Baked Bacon Cheddar & Chive Potatoes

Thanks to Tom Topham, cook for Shift 3 at the Natick Fire Department for the inspiration for this recipe.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves:

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed.
1 stick butter or margarine
1 pkg (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup reserved for topping
8 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped into 1/4” pieces
3 TB chopped scallions or chives
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Stab at the potatoes a few times with a fork to keep them from exploding in the oven and bake the potatoes for an hour. Potatoes are done when the fork sinks easily in through the skin.

Bring the spuds out of the oven (leave the oven on), and slice them in half lengthwise (cool for a few minutes if necessary, or use an oven mitt so you can handle them). Use a spoon to scoop the potato out of the skins (careful not to damage the skins). Put the scooped-out potato in a bowl. Add the butter and mash with your fork or masher until you get to the consistency you like (you can beat them if you like fluffy potatoes). Stir in the cheddar cheese (reserve 1 cup of the cheese), the bacon, the scallions/chives, and salt and pepper to taste; Spoon this mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins on the baking tray, top with the reserved cheddar, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

https://www.phantomgourmet.com/recipe/twice-baked-bacon-cheddar-and-chive-potatoes

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Hot Wings Flavor Chicken Breast


My family love when I serve these breast of chicken when we have an event. Sometime did not have chicken wings and plus chicken wings are good but not enough meat on them and they are costly. in other words I will get out a package of chicken breast and season them up and WOW!!! So meaty and full of hot Bar B Q flavor.

4 boneless chicken Breast


salt and black pepper and garlic powder to your liking




Flour coating

Or non flour coating add about 1/4 cup canola oil to a frying pan

Brown on both sides

pour in a bowl


 1/2 bar b q sauce and 1/2 Louisiana Supreme Chicken wing hot sauce. Dip chicken in sauce and coat very well. add to perheated oven and bake about 10 mins.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Soulfoodqueen.net...Turnip Greens And Turnip Bottoms

Turnip greens are most often prepared by cooking them in boiling water. You can flavor them in a variety of ways, but the simplest way to season turnip greens is with dry salt pork. Here's an easy way to fix these greens.( you can use meat of your choice).




Dry salt pork is a good taste for these Greens. add cut up pieces to a  pot and adding a 4 tablespoon bacon dripping cook until lightly brown.





 Add about 2 pounds of  clean and cut up Turnips Greens. Don't worry they will cook down.




(You can mix Mustard Greens with Turnips Greens) and 2 cups of water to salt pork and bacon dripping and cook about 30 mins on med heat.


Adding 2 cups cut up Turnip bottoms on top of cooked greens and cook for 10 mins or fork tender. adding salt to taste.


Serve with Cornbread







Monday, May 12, 2014

Okra...

Fried Okra, a Soul Food Classic! A great dish in the south. I love Okra you can prepare it so many ways.I got recipes for you to try yourself.



1 pound of okra cut 1 inch or lengthwise

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1/8 caynana pepper

1 egg

2 cups of yellow cornmeal

1 cups of self rising flour

1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

Deep fryer and  canola oil
Instructions


Preheat the fryer to 375 degrees F, or if using a skillet heat the oil.

Whisk together the buttermilk,egg. set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal with the flour, salt and Cajun seasoning.

Dip the okra into the buttermilk, let excess buttermilk drip off and then dredge in the flour mixture. Fry in batches for 3 or 4 minutes, or just until golden brown; don't overcrowd! Sprinkle with additional salt if desired; serve hot.



Fried Okra Patties




1 pound fresh okra, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large green tomato, diced

1 onion chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removes and sliced

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

Combine okra, tomato, onion, garlic & jalapeno.
In separate bowl combine eggs, salt, pepper, milk.
Pour egg mix over vegetable and toss to thoroughly coat.
Gradually add cornmeal until liquids are all soaked up and the mixture is evenly mixed. Mixture will be a gooey.
Heat oil in saucepan until very hot.
Spoon mixture evenly into pan.
Reduce heat.
Cover and fry till underside golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Invert onto plate, then carefully put back into pan with the un-browned side down.
Cook uncovered until golden brown.
Remove from skillet to paper towels to drain excess oil.
Serve hot.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

2 lbs. okra

3 tablespoons oil

1 tbls. all-purpose flour

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 med. stalks celerey, shopped

5 fresh or 1 large can tomatoes

1/2 corn whole corn

Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Instructions:

Wash okra, cut and fry in 2 tablespoons oil until it is not sticky (DO NOT USE CAST IRON POT).
In a skillet, make a medium dark roux with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon flour. Add chopped onion, bell, and celery and simmer until wilted.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins.
Add okra, season well with Tony Chachere’s and reduce heat. Cook for 1 hour.

Smother Okra

4 tablespoon bacon dripping

2 lbs fresh okra sliced thin

1 cup onion chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1/4 teaspoon chill

2 teaspoon creole mustard

Add bacon dripping to a pan and saute the cut up Okra and onions and add spices.cook until tender.

Boil Okra

 qt. tender okra with 1/2 inch stems

1 tbsp. cider vinegar

4 tbsp.butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the okra in a pan with cold water to just cover. Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. Do not stir okra while cooking. Boil until fork tender. Add butter and salt and pepper to taste. Lift okra from pan carefully to serve.

You can serve Boiled Okra stems on top Butter Beans....


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Chicken And Corn Bread Dressing



The Dressing is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving Dinner. Folks just love that good favor chicken or turkey broth mixture of bread turn into a delightful cooked and season stuffing prepared just right with that touch of sage.

My Grandmother Sweetie make the world best Cornbread Dressing for us and we just love that rich taste she put in to it...When she pass away. my mother all most got it just right...and when she pass away in 1992 that was the end of that era...

I came up with a dressing almost like my mother and my grandmother and I will like to share with you. It;s kountry and have that taste we loved as growing up in the south. Back then my folk just went in the kitchen and came up with some might good eats with a dash of this and a pitch of that.

So that what I did and came out just fine for the recipe of Thanksgiving Dressing...my mother and my grandmother would be so proud. Plus I remember watching them when it was time to prepared for the dressing....and that made it a plus for me!

Always use good tasting cornbread my mother will always say and my grandmother use day old bread nice and cold and the broth had to be cold too... this will keep the dressing from being sticky and packy.

Let's Start

4 to 6 chicken leg quarter trim fat but not all. Use about 6 chicken backs  to make the broth richer and you can add 6 pieces raw clean chicken livers make sure that green skin off ( leg quarters are rich with broth when cooked).

1 cup celery chopped

2 cups white onion chopped

 Salt and Pepper and 2 cup chicken broth and place in a roasting pot.


Cook in an oven at 350 until done and brothy


Take the chicken out and put to a side. Drain the broth and spoon out 1/4 cup of chicken fat.

Gather Bread like

4 cups Cornbread cubes


2 cups dry France bread in cubes ( hold up better than white sandwich bread)


Mix them together 2 cups onions 2 cups celery and 1/4 cup fat from the broth add to a pan.


Saute until lightly tender pour over bread add your season at your choice like we love lots of black pepper and a little sage to our taste. you may like saute mushrooms or roasted pecans.


 Pour in about 3 cup or 4 cold broth and two beaten eggs too much broth made it to thin too less make it too thick).


Pour into a cooking dish and bake at 350 until golden brown



Take the cooked Chicken Leg quarters place in a baking dish and pour cream chicken soup over them. you can add what every season or spicy you like and bake until hot...Serving the chicken over the dressing.