27 Aug 2015

Housemade Tarter Sauce & Other Fishing Stories

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Housemade Tarter Sauce

Today, as I sit in our home in the middle of the state of Georgia, I am sorely missing the Atlantic Ocean.  Ok, I really miss any body of water.  Water is very therapeutic for me – listening to the waves, the water at it knocks against itself, the glare of the sun off the stillness of the top of the water, walking along a beach while my feet get wet, then sandy, then wet again.  Being on any body of water is the best place I can be at any given moment.  Today, I will take you back and share some memories with you and a fabulous new recipe we had yesterday.

My love for the water started before I could walk.  We lived in central Florida and had a pool.  My brother was a little older than me and was taking swim lessons.  My parents thought I should go ahead and learn – so I did.  I loved swimming and jumping off the diving board.

My love for the Suwanee River came from my Papa.  I remember learning how to drive a boat about the age of 7.  It was just me and Papa and the sparkling water of North Florida.  A john boat brought some sweet memories.  He taught me to fish, to not be afraid of gators (ha!), and how to cook homemade french fries.  He also taught me how to clean fish – which we would eat immediately after catching them.

Papa and SRC

I remember quiet summer evenings at our trailer near Munden Creek (near the sleepy fishing community of Suwanee, FL).  Mosquitos and radios and country tapes that included Kenny Rogers, Alabama, George Straight, and Barbara Mandrell.  We would play rummy because we had no television.  We would walk down to the little pond with worms and cane poles.

I moved to a beach town for college and quickly knew that I was born to live by the beach.  You’d never be able to tell because I’m as white as they come, but everyday my junior and senior year I would walk down the beach in the morning and the evening.  Some college friends and I would get a group together and have some worship jam sessions at night by the water.

My mister and I in our courting days took a few trips to the waterside of Carolina.  The first time we held hands it was sprinkling and we were walking along the beach.  Romantic yes.

On our honeymoon we woke up in Prince Edward Island overlooking the bright shiny water.

I love bridges, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, oceans, and the gulf.

One thing that goes well with water: seafood.  And with seafood you need good dipping sauce and good friends to share it with.

Sailfish Alley Outfitters

Yesterday, I made a tarter sauce that I could easily eat with a spoon.  Yes, the entire bowl, no seafood necessary.  Thought I would share it with yall.  But, first, let me introduce you to a company in South Florida run by a young friend of mine.  His family is so important to me and I value their friendship.  Tyler started Sailfish Alley Outfitters and runs a quality fishing gear.  We all know you need fishing gear and here is the place to get some of the best.  And you might as well look good while doing it.  With custom tees and hats and more, this is your place to find it.  And while you are catching fish, looking great while doing it, building relationships while you are fishing, you can be dreaming of the tarter sauce that you’ll have back in your fridge for your catch of the day.

Sailfish Alley Outfitters

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Housemade Tarter Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Dip
Cuisine: Seafood
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: ½ cup
 
A great partner to seafood is a tarter sauce. Never buy bottled again!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp country dijon mustard
  • 2 T chopped green onions (only the green part)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 splashes worcestershire sauce
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 6 bread and butter pickle slices, chopped
  • a few dashes Datil pepper hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix it all together. Enjoy.
 

12 Aug 2015

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Comfort food is the name of the game in the south.  There is high class comfort food – then there is just down home casserole type comfort food.  This is it.  My mister has a great church cookbook from the church he attended when he was growing up.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

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Chicken and Dressing Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Casserole
Cuisine: Southern
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Easy casserole comfort food for dinner any night of the week
Ingredients
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups reserved chicken stock (from cooking chicken)
  • 1½ cup frozen corn
  • 1 5 oz box of chicken herb stuffing mix
  • 1 stick butter
Instructions
  1. Boil chicken until done. You will want to have well-seasoned water because you will be using the water for the rest of the recipe.
  2. Shred or cut up chicken in bite size pieces.
  3. Pour in the bottom of a 2-3 qt casserole dish.
  4. Mix together 1 cup chicken water, and both cans of soup, and corn.
  5. Pour over chicken.
  6. Mix together stuffing mix, melted butter, and 1 cup chicken water.
  7. Pour over chicken mixture.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes at 375.
  9. Enjoy!
 

To make this a complete meal, just add something green and maybe some bread.  You can always have dessert too – and sweet tea!

29 Apr 2015

Low-Carb Ham and Cheese Quiche

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Low Carb Ham and Cheese Quiche

I always feel better when I eat low-carb, but it is such a difficult lifestyle to maintain.  When I eat too many carbs I always feel bloated and gain weight (mainly because I eat too much of the yummy bread of baked cheesy noodles – or cookies, cakes, brownies, etc).

These low-carb quiche are perfect for this lifestyle, but also are really quick to cook up one day and have for the rest of the week.  My kids were downing the ham as I was assembling them so they would most likely be kid friendly too.  And you can just pop them in the microwave as you head to school, work, or to the gym.

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Low Carb Ham and Cheese Quiche
Author: 
Recipe type: Brunch
Cuisine: Eggs
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 11 Quiches
 
Ham is your quiche crust and a veggie filled scrambled egg center. These are low carb and very tasty.
Ingredients
  • 22 thin style deli ham (get a saltier ham, not a sweeter ham)
  • 5 eggs
  • ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar (jack cheese would be good too)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup finely diced veggies (I used carrots and orange bell pepper)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spray muffin pans (I made 11 muffins)
  3. Lay out your ham slices as a "cupcake liner" in your muffin tins. I put two per tin.
  4. Mix up your egg filling mixture.
  5. Pour in each muffin tin about ¾ of the way full.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until egg mixture is set.
  7. Enjoy!
 

10 Apr 2015

Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen, Uncategorized | 0

Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese

My husband would quickly tell you that my favorite meal would either consist entirely of macaroni and cheese or maybe just throw a good medium steak topped with onion and mushrooms on the side for some more protein.

So, since my younger son is teething and longs for soft foods, I decided today would be the day to make some homemade cheesy goodness for their dinner – and to have as a side to some leftover bbq sliders for my husbands dinner.

 

 

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Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Pasta
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Southern, baked, double the cheese, heavy cream - how delicious!
Ingredients
  • 1 box elbow pasta, cooked to al dente according to directions
  • ½ stick unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • 1½ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cup whole milk
  • 7 oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup italian bread crumbs
  • 2 T cold unsalted butter
  • 2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook with oil and salted water - so your pasta doesn't clump together.
  2. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together until no clumps remain.
  3. Add in milk and cream and spices.
  4. Add in sharp cheddar.
  5. When all is blended together, fold in pasta.
  6. When pasta is all coated, sprinkle on Italian bread crumbs.
  7. Cut the butter in tiny pieces and place on top of the pasta.
  8. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until cheese on top is melted and browned.
8 Nov 2014

Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen, Uncategorized | 0

Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas

Some moms ask me how in the world I make dinner and bake and cook the way I do with two littles two and under.  Well, its not always easy and you have to do what works for your family (like mine is really easy or fast food healthy-ish lunches) and leftovers so I’m not cooking everyday.  My mister also gets home at the boys’ bedtime, so I can cook our dinner as they are eating theirs.

So, I whipped this together in a couple of steps.  I relied on Publix with a Mojo Rotisserie Chicken.  Pulled it apart a few days ago and made stock.  Froze the stock for later.  Kept the chicken in a bowl in the fridge.  Then as the boys were eating their dinner, I was working in the kitchen right beside them (to make sure they didn’t toss things on the floor, which did happen) – I was talking with them, playing with them, showing them what I was doing (I do want my boys to love to cook if that is the Lord’s plan).  These were in the oven in less than 20 minutes.  Then as they baked, I had time to put my younger to bed and read to my older one, then come back, put some cheese on top while my older was watching some Thomas the Train waiting on Daddy to arrive.  Easy!

 

 

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Pepper Jack Chicken Enchiladas
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
Spicy creamy healthy chicken enchiladas
Ingredients
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • evoo
  • small can green chilies, diced
  • ¾ cup black beans, rinsed
  • ¾ cup corn
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • ¼ tsp each cumin, pepper, salt
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 8-10 soft taco size whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 can green chili enchilada sauce
  • 1½ cup grated pepper jack cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Spray 9x13 pan with pam
  3. In a cast iron skillet, heat oil and saute onions for about 3 minutes.
  4. Add garlic and chilis, saute another 2 minutes.
  5. Add beans, corn, spices, and soup. Stir until heated through.
  6. Add chicken and stir until combined and warm.
  7. Scoop filling into tortillas and roll
  8. Place seam side down in 9x13 pan.
  9. Top with enchilada sauce.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes.
  11. Top with cheese and bake another 10 or until cheese is melted.
  12. Serve with avocado, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.
5 Nov 2014

Pumpkin Oats White Chocolate Chip Muffins

by | posted in: chocolate, food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin overload – right?  Pumpkins are everywhere, even now that Halloween is past and we are moving headlong into the Thanksgiving season.

Do you know what my favorite Thanksgiving commercials are – ever – the Publix pilgrim little figurines – that get so full from all the Publix food that was served on Thanksgiving that their outfits tend to pop buttons.  So fun.  Growing up in Lakeland, FL – the home of Publix – I saw my share of Publix commercials – and am so glad to be living again with a Publix on every corner.

Anyway, back to pumpkins.  As a Mom, sometimes I stress about my kids’ nutrition.  I mean my older son could down all the fruit he could ever eat if I let him.  My younger son loves those little pouches that are fruit-filled.  We have instituted a donut morning one day every week, and I usually bake something sweet, and we eat out just to make life easier.  So, I’m not the healthiest Mom out there – but that isn’t the end all either. They love their fruits and veggies so that is great!  And neither of them really dig french fries – so that’s a plus!

These muffins – both of them are gobbling up.  I feel good about giving them one because there is no added fat in it from butter or oil – so that makes them healthier, right?  And, they are very yummy!  You can change up the add-ins for the muffins, and this time I had a small amount of white chocolate chips left – they are a very nice addition.

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Pumpkin Oats White Chocolate Chip Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffins
Cuisine: Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
A healthy hearty filling pumpkin muffin with a touch of sweetness
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1¼ cup Pumpkin Pie Mix in a can
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T applesauce
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together.
  2. Spray muffin tin (makes 12 muffins) and set oven on 375
  3. Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full with muffin batter.
  4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done, don't overbake
 

3 Nov 2014

Creamy Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 1

Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas

My days in seminary were days that were hard pressed for cash. I was very thankful for work, scholarships, and help from the parents, but still, I didn’t eat out that often, especially the first couple semesters.  But, when I did, I would venture around the corner to my favorite Mexican place, Las Margaritas. It was a small chain, but I liked this location the best.  And then I tried their spinach and mushroom quesadillas.  I fell in love.  Gooey, cheesy, healthy (?), and warm, especially good for cold, NC winters.

And this is how life is funny: one of the friends I went to this restaurant with back then, is now my neighbor.  She got me started on making my own enchiladas with this recipe.  And tonight, she is getting these for dinner as she babysits my boys so my mister and I can go to a concert.  Life is grand.

And that taste, is what I’ve recreated in this enchilada recipe.  I’ve fallen in love with enchiladas.  I love making them.  By far, my favorite homemade mexican food to make.  So, I always try to come up with different ones.  So, today, I used what was in my fridge.

Fresh spinach.  Lean Turkey.  Cheese.

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Creamy Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Creamy and warm enchiladas packed with vegetables.
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pkg ground turkey
  • evoo
  • 1 6 oz bag fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
  • ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 8 soft tacos (or 10 depending on the size of your pan, and how much filling you put in each one)
  • 1 can mild green enchilada sauce
  • 1½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Saute onion in evoo. Add ground turkey and cook until almost done.
  2. Add garlic and cook until turkey is no longer pink.
  3. Drain.
  4. Cook spinach in same pan.
  5. Add back in the turkey mixture.
  6. Cook until all spinach is wilted and incorporated into turkey mixture.
  7. Add soup, cheese, and spices.
  8. Fill each tortilla and roll.
  9. Put seam side down in a 9x13 pan.
  10. Pour enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.
  11. Top with cheese.
  12. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 375.
  13. Enjoy with sour cream, cilantro, and black beans on the side.
 

15 Sep 2014

Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Mexican Food.  Easily my favorite comfort food.  Give me a big bowl of fresh guacamole and some tortilla chips and I’m a happy camper.  You can’t go wrong with anything Mexican.  I do like making it at home, but don’t usually – I guess I would rather go out and get it.

We had a date the other night – and I love cooking for our babysitters.  I decided to make homemade enchiladas and hoped the recipe turned out well since I didn’t even try it before we left the house. Half the pan was gone by the time we arrived home – great amount for a meal’s worth of leftovers for us the next day.

Rotisserie chickens are good and all from grocery stores, but I also like making my own roasted chicken.  Especially for recipes like that – because I usually can’t find a tex-mex flavor rotisserie chicken in the deli.  This one was so easy and I did it the night before while the mister and I were watching one of the our favorite summer shows.

You can serve this with red or green enchilada sauce and whatever side dish you want – we chose black beans (which I doctored up with lime juice and some avocado)

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Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Casserole
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Mexican comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken
  • taco seasoning
  • 6 whole wheat tortillas (medium size)
  • 1½ cans red enchilada sauce)
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 onion
  • ½ cup canned corn, drained
  • ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small can chopped green chilis, drained
  • 3 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. Rinse and pat dry a whole chicken. Remove inner parts of chicken if any. Put in a pan and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle (ok, a lot) of taco seasoning on top.
  3. Cook for about an hour or until done. (depends on the size of your chicken)
  4. Let rest and cool then shred the chicken.
  5. In a pan on stove, heat more oil.
  6. Cook onion for about 3 minutes, then add corn, chilis, and beans to heat through - about 3 more minutes.
  7. In a 2 quart casserole, start layering with enchilada sauce, then tortillas (I tore mine to fit the pan I used),
  8. Then refried beans, chicken, onion mixture, cheese.
  9. Repeat layer one more time for a total of two layers.
  10. Top with tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
  11. Bake for about 35 minutes on 350 until all the cheese is melted.
  12. Enjoy!
 

9 Sep 2014

Apple Scone Cake ala mode with Red Hot Drizzle

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Apple Scone Cake

One of the true joys about living near the mountains is picking apples.  We actually picked apples in Canada on our honeymoon.  So fun to do something you enjoy with the man you enjoy most in the world.

Apple Picking in Canada

Picking apples is great exercise and you get healthy food out of it – just don’t get most of your exercise from doing squats to pick up the ones from the ground.  Worm eaten apples aren’t worth it.

I also remember crab apples.  My grandparent’s dirt road used to be lined with apple trees and we would run up and down the roads, getting dirty and eating sour apples.  Ah, the joys of childhood.

I can’t wait to take my boys apple picking – to see their joy when they can hold what they pick in their little bitty hands and hold it up as if to say This is my apple!  They love wandering around with anything in their hands, so apples will be just the treat for them!

Eating Apples

 

This recipe is topped with some delicious additions to make it even better.  First, I most give a shout out to the Mister.  He said he would like this cake better with a caramel sauce.  I’ll work on that babe.  Talenti Gelato is amazing and their containers make great desk accessories – and its made right here in Marietta where we live. Their Tahitian Vanilla Bean is rich and deep.  (Side note to any Talenti people reading this: can my boys and I come do a tour and taste testing?)  Then I tried my hand at melting down red hots in apple juice – and it worked as a chewy magic shell.  It basically made the dish pretty.

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Apple Scone Cake ala mode with Red Hot Drizzle
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted chilled butter (cut into pieces)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (minus 2 tbsp) milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • cinnamon to taste
Instructions
  1. Mix the dry with the butter and run it in your food processor till you get coarse crumbs.
  2. Add in the liquid and combine.
  3. Put half of the mixture on the bottom and side of a deep dish pie pan (that's been sprayed). Dough will be sticky.
  4. Thinly slice two apples and arrange on top of the dough.
  5. Then drop the rest of the dough on top like drop biscuits. Top with cinnamon and sugar.
  6. Bake for about 45 minutes on 350.
  7. Top with ice cream and red hot drizzle.
 

8 Sep 2014

Roasted Mexican Street Corn & Chicken Frittata

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Corn and Chicken Frittata

I wish every week we could go on a honeymoon.  My husband and I love to travel and I can’t wait to show our boys the world (as much as our budget will allow).  Early on in our courtship, my husband and I knew we had a mutual love of food and roads.  So, naturally when we got married, he was a master at planning our “secret” honeymoon.  I could never have planned a better trip.

Corn on the Cob

After a brief stay at our favorite place in Durham we ventured up to Washington DC for a few days as the first leg on a two week road trip.  He had bought us tickets to the Taste of DC – a huge foodie tasting tour in front of the Capital Building.  Even though I was sick, I still enjoyed it – in spirit at least.

Oh and a brief, unpaid plug.  My husband loves Duke’s.  Yes, the mayonnaise.  I’d tried it once before and I stuck to my regular brand, but now have tried it again – and it really has made me fall in love with mayonnaise again.

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Roasted Mexican Street Corn & Chicken Frittata
Author: 
Recipe type: Frittata
Cuisine: Eggs
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Corn chicken and eggs with a kick
Ingredients
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 2 T mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • chili powder to taste
  • 2 c shredded chicken
  • ½ cup sauteed onion
  • 7 eggs
  • 1½ cup half and half
  • 1½ cup mont jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450. On two pieces of foil, squirt equal amounts of mayonnaise, lay the shucked corn on top, roll around, and sprinkle cayenne and chili powder.
  2. Close up the foil.
  3. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  4. Remove and cool.
  5. Cut the corn off the cob.
  6. Lower temperature to 350.
  7. Spray a deep dish 9 inch pie plate with Pam.
  8. Mix the eggs, half and half, and cheese (and more seasonings if you want).
  9. Mix the corn, chicken, onion
  10. Combine the two and pour into pan.
  11. Bake for about an hour or until set.
  12. Let cool and enjoy!
One of the favorite things I tasted was Mexican Street Corn: mayo, cheese, cayenne, corn – what’s not to love?  So, I wanted to recreate the corn and turn it in to a frittata.  It turned out great!  Here you go.  If you like corn casserole and quiche – you will love this.  Its like a cross between a spicy corn casserole and a quiche.  And if you have little ones eating it, just lay off the cayenne.