Author: Jill

Southern-Style Ham Fried Rice

I’m having the best time revisiting this 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, I have. I was pregnant with Creed that year and apparently from all of my notes in this book, I was cooking up a storm! So another of my favorites from it, is this ham fried rice recipe! My household loves fried rice and this is perfect to use up leftover rice or ham that you may have on hand. Using my rice cooker ahead of time, makes this dish easy to throw together. I just cook my rice in the morning or even the day before. Throw it in the fridge to get super cold so it will be perfectly ready for frying that evening for supper! Cold rice is the key to awesome fried rice, by the way. This is good served with sweet tea and Mrs. Shcuberts frozen individual rolls topped with honey butter before baking. A sweet southern meal with an asian twist!

3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled, reserve drippings
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 green onions, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
3 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce or stir fry sauce

In a hot skillet over medium-high heat with the bacon drippings, add chopped ham and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until ham is lightly browned. Add bell pepper and next 5 ingredients, and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add rice, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Push rice mixture to sides of skillet, forming a well in the center. Pour eggs into the well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are set. Stir rice mixture into eggs; stir in soy sauce or stir fry sauce and crumbled bacon. Spoon into individual serving bowls.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa

This dip is out of my 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, and it is a definite keeper! Super bowl is coming up and this would be perfect for snacking on during the big game. Fallon loves this. Creed is more quiet regarding this. I think 1 out of 2 kids is pretty good, don’t you? For green and healthy looking things… Serve with tortilla chips or fritos and watch it disappear!

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 oz.) cans sweet whole kernel corn, drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 T. minced fresh jalapeño, I used an entire large jalapeño and left the seeds (it wasn’t too spicy, but follow your gut on this depending on how much heat you like.)
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 avocado, chopped
Tortilla chips

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Add avocado just before serving. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Coconut Cream Pie

Cool, creamy, light and delicious, I love this easy pie! It would be excellent to make and take to a friend, perfect served after a heavy meal, or just because it’s National Pie Day. Ok. That was two days ago, but still! Why can’t National Pie Day be everyday? I might just declare it so!

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sugar, divided
3 cups milk
3 T. cornstarch
4 egg yolks, separated and divided
1/2 T. vanilla extract
1/8 t. salt
1 1/4 T. butter
9-inch pie crust, baked
Garnish: flaked coconut

In a large heavy saucepan, bring coconut, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, cornstarch, 3 egg yolks, vanilla, salt and butter to a boil. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Pour into cooled pie crust. Blend together 4 egg whites and remaining sugar. Cover pie with meringue. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until top is golden. Cool before serving.
Makes 6 servings or 1 if it’s National Pie Day.

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Instant Pot Carne Guisada

Carne guisada translates to stewed meat, and let me tell you, this meat is so tender and delicious! For a good, speedy meal, serve with warmed tortillas, canned refried beans doctored up with butter, salt and cheese, throw some spanish style ready rice in the microwave, add guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese …. you get the drift! I think I could go on and on! Black olives, shredded lettuce, diced onions, chopped tomatoes…… ok. ok. It’s so yummy!

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound beef stew meat
1 Serrano pepper, minced (leave some seeds if you like more heat.)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
Cornstarch to thicken, optional

Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.

Add the beef and stir for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Close the lid and press the Manual button. Adjust the cooking time to 30 minutes.

When it’s finished, do quick pressure release.

**I like to add a little cornstarch to thicken the liquid into a gravy like consistency, when it is finished cooking. Just press the saute button again after taking the lid off, add your cornstarch, 1 to 2 T., and stir to thicken. Adjust your seasonings and serve with all of your yummy add-alongs!

Oh, and I add a little Sazon Goya seasoning at the end, to taste, as well. Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Snowballs

I just finished a book called The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn. Every time I encounter a book, I’m always thinking of a menu to go along with it. Years ago, I used to belong in a book club and it was a really fun way for me to always be dreaming up things to cook. I’m no longer in one, but I still think up menus with every book I read! In this book, there is some snow. Yep, I’m feeling ultra creative. Ha. But these are ultra good, so any reason is a perfect reason, to bring up these little numbers!

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T. butter, softened
1 pound white candy melts or almond bark
Silver sugar sprinkles

Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, peanut butter, and butter until mixed well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Move dough balls to the fridge while you work on the next recipe step.

In another medium sized bowl, melt candy coating according to package directions. Dip balls gently in the candy coating, using a two-pronged fork to move the balls around and then lift them out. (I just use a regular fork. No two prongs in my drawer!) Place balls on prepared baking sheet. If desired, immediately sprinkle the tops with sprinkles. Refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 24 to 30 snowballs.

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Cucumber Sandwiches

I cannot express how delicious these little sandwiches are! They are the perfect comfort food after heartbreak, the perfect food to celebrate with, such as baby showers or wedding showers, and they are just the perfect light and tasty bite on any day of the week, and for any reason whatsoever! This is a recipe from Southern Living’s Comfort Food Cookbook.

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 T. mayonnaise
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1 (16 oz.) loaf sandwich bread
Garnish: cucumber slices

Drain cucumber well, pressing between layers of paper towels.

Stir together cucumber and next 4 ingredients. Spread mixture over half of bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices.

Trim crusts from sandwiches, and cut in half diagonally. Garnish, if desired. Store sandwiches in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Yield: 16 sandwiches

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Fresh Strawberry Cake

This strawberry cake is the birthday cake that Fallon requests on her special day. It is so hard for me to believe that yesterday, she turned 11! Pretty in pink, both Fallon and this cake, are layered with sweet surprises and sure to bring smiles. This is the Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake from Southern Living’s 2004 Annual Recipes Cookbook. It keeps best in the refrigerator.

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 milk
Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting, recipe below
Garnish: whole strawberries

Beat first 8 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, if needed. (Chopped strawberries should be well blended into batter.)

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. (I line the bottoms with parchment and spray with Baker’s Joy cooking spray.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Rotate your pans, halfway through cooking time.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Strawberry Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator. Garnish if desired. Makes 16 servings.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
2 (16 oz.) packages powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 20 seconds or until fluffy. Add sugar and strawberries; beat at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.) Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Turkey-White Bean Chili

It has been really cold and windy here the past couple of days and this turkey chili has been just what we’ve needed to warm up from the frost! My kiddos love this and it is a healthy recipe too that is thrown together easily in the crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping. This recipe is adapted from Amy C.’s out of Phyllis Good’s Stock the Crock cookbook.

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 3 teaspoons chili powder, depending on how much heat you like
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground oregano
2 (15 oz.) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I skip this step.)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth or turkey broth
salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish: 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, lime wedges, shredded mozzarella cheese
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Grease the interior of the slow cooker crock with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Brown the turkey in 1 to 2 T. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium, breaking up with a wooden spoon. I always think it is best to season the meat with a little salt and pepper before browning, to really make sure it has good flavor from the start. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the turkey to the prepared crock.

Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the garnishes, and stir well.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top individual servings with cilantro, sour cream, black pepper, cheese, and lime wedges. And don’t forget the chips!

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Club Sandwich

I was raised on Sunday night bacon and tomato sandwiches. Nothing beats fresh bread, good mayonnaise, salty bacon, and fresh sliced tomatoes with a nice sprinkling of salt and pepper in my mind! And I’m very much picky about it. But somehow this is one of my favorite sandwiches, toasted bread, deli meat and all! I’m thinking the secret’s in the sauce.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Italian flat leaf parsley minced, or dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. green onion, minced or onion powder
1 tsp. sweet pickle, minced (I use dill relish.)
2 tsp. vinegar
3 slices bread, toasted
4 thin slices cooked chicken (I use chicken sandwich meat.)
3 slices tomato
3 slices cooked bacon
salt and pepper to taste

Blend together mayonnaise, parsley, green onion, sweet pickle and vinegar until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until chilled. When ready to prepare sandwich, spread mayonnaise mixture to taste on one side of each slice of toast. Refrigerate remaining spread for additional sandwiches. Layer on chicken, a toasted bread slice, tomato slices and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with last toast slice, cut into quarters diagonally to serve. Makes 1 sandwich. Serve with chips, pickles, and fresh lemonade.

I have found that the sauce makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

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Maine Blueberry-Cream Cheese Pie

Cool and creamy, oh my goodness, this pie is so delicious! It has a dense cream cheese feel to it, that is absolutely addicting. The addition of fresh grated nutmeg (a must), in the sweet, but not too sweet cream cheese filling, is quite yummy! Plus, the crunch of the graham cracker crust and the fresh lemon juice in the pie filling, just send it over the edge to me. This is an awesome choice for RV cooking or any time you need a quick dessert that everyone will love!

2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, fresh grated
9-inch graham cracker curst
21 oz. can blueberry pie filling
1 tsp. lemon juice

Blend together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg. Spread evenly into crust; set aside. Combine pie filling and lemon juice; spoon over cream cheese mixture. Chill until serving time. I think this pie is best served after it has chilled at least 3 to 4 hours. Serves 6 to 8.

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