Creamy Spinach & Sausage pasta

 


When the cheese is melted and gooey, sprinkle the sliced green onion on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. smoked sausage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz. pasta
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded monterrey jack
• 1 whole green onion

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the smoked sausage and add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess fat.
2. Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Continue to saute until the onion has softened (about 5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes with chiles and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet.
3. Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is all submerged under the liquid. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.
4. Stir in the fresh spinach, one cup at a time, until wilted. If you add it all at once, the skillet will be too full to stir. Keep the heat on while adding the spinach, so the liquid will continue to simmer and thicken.
5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Slice the green onions and sprinkle them over top. Serve hot!

Step By Step Photos

 

I like to use these chicken sausage sparingly they have lots of favor, like past and vegetables. So, I only used half of this 13 oz. link and froze the rest. There was still plenty of meat in each serving! 

 

Slice the sausage thinly (so you get more medallions and more in every bite), then cook in the skillet with olive oil over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat after it has browned.
 


Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Continue to saute.


Cook until the onion has softened. As you can see, the moisture from the onion has dissolved most of the browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet. That’s a good thing. If not all of it comes off, that’s okay because it will dissolve in after we add the liquids.
 


Add the can of diced tomatoes with chiles (this is the same as Rotel tomatoes). If you can’t find these in the grocery store, you can use regular diced tomatoes and a separate 4 oz. can of diced green chiles.


 


Also add the two cups of chicken broth. That is the chicken “base” that I use to make broth for recipes. It’s usually between $4-$5 for one of those little jars, which makes 32 cups and stays good in the refrigerator for a LONG time. It also comes in many different flavors (beef, mushroom, vegetable, low sodium, organic, etc.).


 


Once you’ve added the tomatoes and liquid, add the dry pasta.


 


Make sure the pasta is mostly under the liquid so that it will cook. Put a lid on top and let the skillet come up to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir it once or twice while it’s cooking to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick.


 


And then like magic it looks like this!


 


I bought this HUGE bag of spinach, which, believe it or not, was only 50 cents more than one of those small bags of salad spinach. It’s the exact same thing, just marketed as “spinach for cooking”. Psh. They can’t fool me.


 

Stir in one cup at a time until it is wilted. Let the skillet keep simmering away as you do this so that the liquid will thicken up a bit.

 


Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top, put the lid on the skillet, and let it melt. Monterrey jack cheese is especially creamy and helps make the whole dish creamy despite not having any cream in it. Mozzarella will not have this same effect.


 


When the cheese is melted and gooey, sprinkle the sliced green onion on top. Enjoy!
So creeeeaaaamy.

Classic Southern Caramel Cake

Caramel Cake: Adapted from Cook’s Country's Illustrated....Good People!

I have no recipe for this cake. I tried this recipe and it is one tasty cake. The caramel frosting has a crystallized, almost maple candy-like outer shell and a creamy, caramel-flavored interior. The yellow cake is moist and delicious. The combination is a perfect bite. 

 This is a hard cake to make. Caramel frosting is tricky stuff and you need to make a sturdy cake to handle such a heavy frosting.

 I suggest that if you make this cake you stick with the recipe (at least the first time you bake it).

We adapted the recipe (barely) from a Cook’s Country recipe. Cook’s Country is Cook’s 

The key technique is to beat extra butter into the frosting just before you apply it to the cake. Butter does make everything better, and if it makes the frosting easier to work with, then we are all for it. The bigger challenge will be keeping your fingers out of the frosting. It tastes so good, you can lose quite a bit as it makes its way to the cake. But we do encourage a little patience. When you combine the frosting with the cake, it is even better.

Caramel Cake:
(Adapted from Cook’s Country)

Ingredients:
(Makes 1, 2-layer cake)
Cake:

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened

Frosting:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Assemble:

1. For the cake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2, 9-inch cake pans and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl or measuring cup.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then, with you mixer on slow speed, beat in the butter one piece at a time until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Pour in half of the liquid mixture an and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about a minute. Then slowly add the rest of the liquid to the bowl and beat until incorporated, about 15-20 seconds.
4. Scrape the batter into the pans, smooth the tops and lightly tap to release any air bubbles. Place the cakes into the oven and cook until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutres. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out the cakes onto a wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 2 hours, before frosting.
5. For the frosting, heat 8 tablespoons of the butter, brown sugar and salt together in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, 4-8 minutes. Whisk in the cream and cook until the bubbles reappear, 1-2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
6. Transfer the hot frosting mixture to the bowl of your mixer. Then, at low speed, slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is pale brown and just warm, 4-5 minutes. Then add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, one piece at a time, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
7. Line the edges of a cake stand (if you have one, otherwise use a plate) with strips of parchment. Place one of the cake layers on the stand. Spread 3/4 cup of the frosting on top of the cake and spread to the edges. Place the second cake on top and press lightly. Then frost the sides and top of the cake. Remove the parchment paper from under the cake. Slice and serve.

I Have Another Classic Southern Caramel Cake That Maybe A Little Easy

 1 cup butter 2 sticks
 2 cups sugar
 4 eggs
 3 cups flour, self-rising
1 cup buttermilk
 2 teaspoons vanilla

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by greasing them and adding optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy and then add sugar and beat for about 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour and mix well after each. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Prepare Southern Caramel Icing as cakes are cooling then frost the cake.

 Southern Caramel Frosting
 2 cups sugar
 1 cup buttermilk
 ½ cup Crisco
 ½ cup butter
 1 teaspoon baking soda

 Mix all ingredients in a 3-4 quart cast iron dutch oven. Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage 235º – 245º on a candy thermometer or when tested in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread. No thermometer? Do the cold water test: Take a some of the caramel and drop it into a bowl or cup of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool. Fish around in the bowl or cup of cold water and try to retrieve the caramel and make a little ball with it. If you stick your fingers into the bowl, pull out a gooey mess and you can't do anything but smear the caramel, you need to boil the caramel some more. There is still too much water in your caramel and the concentration of sugar is too low. The caramel may even form little threads in the water, but if you cannot get the threads to form into a ball, you have some more boiling to do.

Pumpkin Pudding

Why wait on Thanksgiving season if you love the taste of Pumpkin? I love this pudding it is light and very easy to get ready for those hot summer days.It's cool and not the same old pudding. This pudding is spicy and rich and you serve it cold in the summer and hot in the winter.

15-oz. can pumpkin
1 cup condensed milk
4 t.light brown sugar
1/2 c. biscuit baking mix
2 eggs, beaten
4 T. butter, melted
2-1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon extract

Garnish: whipped cream and chopped pecans

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients whipped cream and pecans . Transfer to a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Cover and cook on low setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Pudding will start to pull away from sides of slow cooker; test for doneness with a toothpick inserted in center. Serve cold or warm.Garnish with whipped cream and chopped pecans Makes 4 to 6 serving

Italian Creme Cake

I had my first piece Italian Creme Cake bought at a supermarket. When a co-worker had it at work for potluck.I did not like it at first so I never try it again for many years... until a friend of my made the cake  homemade. WOW!!! The fresh taste and the moist of it all just made me fell in love. It's that taste! the creamy buttermilk and walnuts >>> should I go on?

Being the person that I am...I got my own recipe for this Wonderful Cake." I like a tall cake so" I like using two 10 inch by 3' tall cake pans.

INGREDIENTS:
2 stick Butter (real Butter) no margarine
3 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cup buttermilk
2 small can flaked coconut one can for frosting
10 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup butter crisco
10 egg yolks
2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup chopped  walnuts (only) 1/2 cup for frosting
.
Frosting:
1 package (8oz) cream cheese softened
1 box confectioners sugar
1/2 stick butter softened 
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 small can coconut
Mix butter and cream cheese together add coconuts and vanilla blend together until smooth. start adding
powder sugar blending until very smooth. Than add chop walnuts.


Cake:
Cream butter and shortening; add sugar. Add egg yolks and beat well. Combine soda and flour; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and nuts. Fold in egg whites.

Pour into 2 greased 10 inch and floured cake pans; bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Frosting: Beat cream cheese until smooth; stir in sugar. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread on cake layers; sprinkle top with chopped nuts.

Turkey Necks And Dumpling Gravy

Turkey neck stew or Turkey neck gumbo is often served at large gatherings such as Mardi Gras parties in Louisiana and serve with a lot hot sauce. One Good reason turkey necks are serve because the meat is inexpensive and very flavorful and  guess what???,there’s a lot of meat on those turkey necks, not like > "chicken necks" Not knocking chicken neck because the chicken necks make a rich broth for chicken and dumplings.

I came up with this recipe Turkey Necks and Dumpling Gravy....because sometime you don't want to get too full on dumplings < > just the taste of those season meaty turkey necks with a little flour season gravy.

When buying turkey necks they normally available in packs of 6 in the poultry section of your supermarket. The necks are usually cut into 2 (6-inch) sections but if they are packaged whole, cut them in half for easier handling.

Recipe

8 or 12 turkey necks

2 cups onions, sliced

1 cup diced

1/4 cup garlic, minced

Place turkey necks in pot filling all way with water covering the turkey necks.

Adding onion, celery ,garlic and black pepper and salt to your taste.and other ingredients you like.

Cover and cook on low med heat for 2 hours or until water is half gone

Adding ¼ cup parsley, chopped

and 1 cup green onion

salt and black pepper to taste cover and cook until green onions are tender

Then mix ¼ cup flour

1 cup chicken stock mix well add salt and pepper to taste.

 Pour over Turkey Necks and stirring lightly and in two seconds it will look like this.simmer for few mins.

Mac And Chesse From Paul Deen's Recipe Video

 Now some cooks love to cook mac and cheese out of the box or buy the frozen kind and call it a dish of mac and cheese. I am here to tell ya... Please don't do that magic trick again. It take time and a great recipe to get that great mac and cheese on the family table.

" Us Southern Gurls" like Paula Deen will show you the correct way in her video making that creamy rich mac and cheese. So get ready and start leaning how to make the best mac and cheese...Go Paula! You Go Gurl!

Hook's World Champion Colby is a washed curd cheese. This is the traditional way of making Colby and gives the cheese little tiny openings and a sweeter flavor than a cheddar. Washing the curd washes the lactose or milk sugar off of the curd. In traditional cheddar the lactose is not washed off and the starter bacteria that we add feed on the milk sugars changing the cheese to give it a more acidic flavor.

If you can not find the Brand Hook Cheese in your store...ask for hook cheddar cheese at the fine cheese or meat market.


Paula's Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Try These Products

 

Salmon Croquettes

I grew up eating salmon croquettes for breakfast and dinner. My mother with serve them with hot buttermilk biscuits and syrup and sometime with butter rice. she will always serve them when she wanted something quick and easy.

This recipe of Salmon Croquettes are packed with fresh flavors from lemon juice, green onions, and red bell pepper. Easy to prepare... if the question around your house is centered on what’s for dinner, then the answer is Salmon Croquettes.

Saute all veggies and mix all ingredient together in a bowl... if mix little too dry add some of the save liquid.

Let this set for an hour in refrigerator, so all the flavors can soak in.

Pat them into the sizes you like and dusting them in flour on both sizes.

Place them in a per- heated fry pan with the oil on medium low heat... cook them well done about 5 mins on each sides.

Ingredient:
   
   1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
    2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
    2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 teaspoon minced garlic
    1/4 teaspoon old bay season
    1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
    2 can 12oz pink salmon with bone removed and save liquid
    2 large egg, lightly beaten
    2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
    salt and pepper to taste
    flour for dusting

soulfoodqueen.net
   

 

Buttermilk Pie

When, I was growing up around my grandmother in East Texas in 1960..."Folks", She will cook morning, noon and supper. No fast food here! She was one of the best cook around. I could sit and watch  her cook in her country kitchen all day long.


My grandmother could turn a dish into a master piece ........ One day she bake a Buttermilk pie for dinner, A Buttermilk pie is a custard-like pie. Traditional of the United Kingdom, it almost unknown today but is now a traditional pie of the southern States.

When I taste the Buttermilk Pie for the first time it was so creamy, sweet and tangy... Good job Grandma!

Recipe for Buttermilk Pie....Remember a Change sometime don't hurt.

Weekend cowgirl has the same recipe my grandma...You go gurl!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes go back a long way in my family history.When we had too many tomatoes turning ripe red we will start picking the green ones and place them in the refrigerator until we got ready to fried them up. Keeping green tomatoes in the refrigerator will help keep them from turning red fast.

I like my Fried Green tomatoes half green and half red with a little batter on them. The batter gives the tomatoes a little more body. So when I eat them with other food on my plate, the fried green tomatoes can hold up and want tear a part.

  A great tip: season the tomatoes and set a side. this will bring out a great taste!!

 Recipe

1 c flour
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t curry powder
1/4 t thyme
3 medium green tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 c oil
Dip in dry ingredients

Add tomato 1 or 2 at a time place a little water in a bowl and dip the coated tomatoes once both sizes

Dip back in dry bowl ingredients and place in heated oil in a large skillet on medium heat. brown lightly on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings

Cheese Grits

It's funny, I was raise in Texas and my mother never cook grits. When I married, my husband folks who lived in New Orleans ate them just with butter.So when I started cooking them I had to add a little some some to them "some taste".

Grits has been a part of the life of every Southern of whatever race, background, gender, and income; and whereas, grits could very well play a vital role in the future of not only in the south , but also the world,  
Grits are usually either yellow or white, depending on the color of corn. The most commonly version found in supermarkets is "quick" grits in which the germ and hull have been removed, so grits can cook fast and quick.if not if will take 30 minute to cook.

My Cheese Grits Recipes

4 cup chicken Broth
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/2 t seasoning salt, optional
6 Tablespoon butter
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


2 drop sunny yellow food color

Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan;
stir in grits, seasoning salt and butter.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until grits are done, about 10 mins add in food color and blend well.The Grits need to be (Thick) Not (Thin).

Pour half cook grits in serving bowls
  

Top with cheese to your liking ( Do not stir the cheese in the grits this will make them too creamy and wet)

Add more cook grits on top of cheese

Add more cheese on top much as you wish

 Melt cheese in oven ....serve make 6 serving

Add sour cream and crispy bacon if you like on top...Please enjoy your Grits!

Cheese cake

cheese cake is the best almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany, the Netherlands and Poland use quark. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a leak-proof springform pan, often paired with a water bath to more evenly distribute the heat. Because of the high density of most cheesecakes, they continue baking for some time after removal from an oven. cheesecake should be classified as a cake, a custard, a torte, or something else is a matter of debate. The early Greeks considered it a cake. Some modern authors point to the presence of many eggs, the sole source of leavening, as proof that it is a torte. Still others claim that the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour prove that it is a custard pie.