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Slow Cooker Barbequed Brisket!





 A beef brisket is usually a pretty good deal cost wise, because it's a lean cut of meat with little waste and feeds a lot of folks.   However, because it is a lean cut of meat and because of the cut, if it's not cooked and carved properly, it can be less than great!  It requires long, slow cooking and being marinated and then basted in something tenderizing.   This slow cooker method of cooking a brisket results in absolutely one of the most melt in your mouth pieces of beef I have achieved with brisket.   It's also extremely easy to do.


 Here is what you will need:

2 medium sweet onions, sliced and separated in rings  (I like to use Vidalia if available)
5-6 lb. beef brisket
1/3 cup Dale's steak seasoning (If you can't find the Dale's in your area, you can use soy sauce)

Dry Rub
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Liquid Smoke
1 cup barbeque sauce (whatever you like or have on hand)


Spray a large slow cooker (5-6 quarts) with nonstick spray.  Layer the onion rings in the bottom of the crock. 
Wash the brisket and place, fat side up on top of the onions.   Most good briskets have a thin layer of fat on one side.  Leave that on for cooking to keep the meat juicy and moist.  We will trim it off when we carve it.
Pour the Dale's seasoning over the top of the brisket.  If you cannot buy Dale's in your area, just use a good soy sauce.  You do not need to marinate this ahead of time, because the Dale's sauce is very concentrated and it will be cooking for so long.


This is what Dale's Steak Seasoning looks like.


In a bowl, mix all of the dry rub ingredients together.

Sprinkle the dry rub over the brisket and pat it down to keep it in place.

Sprinkle with the Worcestershire and the Liquid Smoke.  Pour the 1 cup barbeque sauce on top of the meat. 

Cook on low for 9-10 hours.  

When finished cooking turn off and allow to cool down to just warm.




Remove from cooker onto a cutting board.  With a sharp knife trim the fat off of the top and discard, then slice in thin slices across the grain.  Be sure to cut across the grain and not with it or it will be stringy.   The meat will cut really easily.

Place on a platter and ladle some of the drippings from the slow cooker over top.  This is good for sandwiches or with vegetables.  You can serve with additional barbeque sauce if you like more sauce.





Southern Hushpuppies!




No fish fry in the South is complete without homemade hushpuppies.  You just have to have them.  There are several stories or theories about where the hushpuppy came from and got it's name.  One that makes sense is that when folks would be frying fish in a big old pot outside over a fire, the dogs would sit and beg and whine for a bite, so they would drop some of the batter and fry it and then feed it to the dogs and say 'now hush puppy'.  

 I guess they soon discovered that the dropped and fried batter was really good and probably stretched that fish out to feed more people.  Although hushpuppies are served all over the United States  in some seafood restaurants, they originated the southern states. In  some regions, they are also served with barbeque.  


 Here is what you will need:


1/2 cup self rising flour
1 1/2 cup self rising corn meal
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1 Tbs. grated sweet onion
1 egg


Mix all together and drop by teaspoon full into the same oil you cooked your fish or other seafood in . When they are brown on one side, carefully roll them over and brown on the other side.  Remove to the paper towel lined platter around the fish or whatever seafood you are serving.






Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes!


 These 'Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes' are real favorite in our family.  I especially like to serve them for company and bigger gatherings, because you can prepare them the morning of your dinner or even the night before and then bake them right before dinner.

They are also really versatile and you can add ingredients to them to make them even more of a meal.  I sometimes add chopped, cooked ham and serve them as a main course for lunch or a quick supper.

 Here is what you need for these:

5 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and baked
2 Tbs. butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup real bacon bits or the same about of crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Bake the potatoes however you like, either wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees or bake them in the microwave, which is what I usually do.

 Remove them and split each one evenly down the middle. Allow them to cool enough to handle, but not too much.


When they are cool enough to handle remove the potato pulp with a spoon or melon scoop.  Leave some in the skin to form a shell.  If you take out too much, right down to the potato skin they will fall apart.  I always use the insides of one of the potatoes I cooked for the filling and don't stuff one of them.  This way you have enough filling to really mound it up in each shell.  For example, we cooked 5 potatoes, but we will only fill 8 halves.   There is always one skin that tears up or doesn't look good so that is the one I toss.  One filled half, is usually plenty for each person, because they are very full.  

Place the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and as you scoop out the potatoes place the warm potatoes in the bowl.  The warmth from the potatoes will soften the butter and cream cheese and make it easier to smash the potatoes and mix.  Once all of the potatoes are scooped out, with a potato masher or mixer, mash the potatoes with the butter and cream cheese.   I like to leave some texture and not over do this.  You are not making whipped potatoes, just smashed.  Add all of the other ingredients, except the shredded cheddar cheese. 


Fill each potato shell with the mixture.  Place in a baking dish big enough to hold all of them that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.


Sprinkle each one generously with shredded cheese and place in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is just browning.









Easy Peasy Peach Cobbler!



We are getting into peach season here in southern Kentucky and there is nothing better in the fruit category, to me, than a juicy ripe peach right off of the tree.  I am actually not much of a fruit lover, mainly because so many fruits don't love me back or the acid in them doesn't, but peaches are just one of my favorites if they are in season.  Also, there are so many delicious things you make with peaches.  Peach cobbler is a huge favorite in our house and I actually have several different ways I make it depending on how much time I have when I make it.   This is one of the easiest ways to make any type of cobbler.  Here is what you need:


***4 cups of fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
1  1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

***You can substitute 2 (15 oz.) cans of sliced peaches, undrained for the fresh peaches

Place the peeled and diced peaches in bowl with 1/2 cup of sugar.  Peaches are sweet naturally and don't require much sweetening. 


In a 9"x13" baking pan, melt the butter.


Mix together the milk, self rising flour,  1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. cinnamon until smooth.  Pour over the melted butter in the baking pan.  DO NOT STIR.



Lay the peaches over the batter and DO NOT STIR.   Sprinkle the top with the other 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.  Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top is brown.



This is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! 









Grilled Roast and Veggies!



 
In the summer, it gets extremely hot in Kentucky, especially in southern Kentucky and it is one of the most humid places on earth.  I thought it was so funny that when Paula Deen was here one summer filming the movie "Elizabethtown", she was interviewed and said this was the hottest dang place she had ever been in her life and she is from Georgia.  
 
 Needless to say, when those temperatures and humidity start to climb, I like to find ways to eliminate excess heat from the house.  I probably use my slow cooker as much or more in the summer than I do in the winter.  I also use my gas grill for as many things as possible and for things that I can do with indirect heat that don't require me standing outside over the grill.   This is one of those meals.   You cook just about your entire meal in one pan outside on the grill and then throw the pan away.  Does it get much better than that?   There is a key to grilling a roast that is edible and not dry and tough... indirect heat, marinade and using a good chuck roast.  Here is what you will need:
 
3-5 lb. beef chuck roast
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 cup water
seasoned salt or Cajun seasoning
black pepper
5-6 red skin or Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut and large chunks, skin left on)
2-3 sweet onions, peeled and cut in large chunks (I like to use Vidalia onions)
1 bag baby carrots
2 cups white mushrooms, halved (optional)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
 
***You can get creative with the veggies.  I also like to add zucchini, yellow squash and even fresh asparagus sometimes.  If you use these vegetables, place them on top of the potatoes and carrots, because they take less time to get tender.  If you are only cooking things like squash and zucchini or asparagus, you can add them later for just about 30 minutes. 
 
Place the roast in a gallon size Ziploc bag with the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and the minced garlic.  Seal the bag and mix it around.  Place in the refrigerator and marinade for a couple of hours...at least 1 hour if you are short on time, turning the bag over a couple of times to distribute the marinade. 
 
Spray the grill racks with nonstick spray and then light all of the burners.  Place the roast right on the racks and grill on each side for about 15 minutes or until it's got good grill marks and is nice a browned.  Watch the roast during this time, because of the fat content, it can flare up. 
 
 
 When the roast is nice and browned, place in a disposable aluminum roasting pan.  You need one of the bit heavier types used for meats, not one of the flimsy thin ones used for cakes.   I like to splash just a little more soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce on the roast and then sprinkle it with either seasoned salt or sometimes I use some Cajun seasoning and some black pepper. Pour about 1 cup water around the roast in the pan and cover tightly with foil. 
 
 
We will cook this with indirect heat, so the pan with the roast will not be over the burners that are on.  I have four burners, so I turned the two the roast is over OFF and left the other two on low.  Close the grill and if it has a temperature gauge, it should get to around 400 degrees.  If it gets a lot higher than that, turn another burner off.   Cook for 1 hour at this temperature with the grill lid closed.  As long as the pan is not directly over the burners that are on, it will be fine. 
 
 
After the roast has cooked for an hour, mix the onion soup and the olive oil in a gallon Ziploc bag and add the veggies to it.  Close it and mix the veggies around really good to coat. 
 
 
Spread the veggies with the onion soup and oil mixture around the roast in the pan.  Sprinkle the veggies with a little more seasoned salt and back pepper.  If the pan is dry, add another cup of water just to the bottom of the pan.   Recover with the foil and seal.   Close the grill lid and let the temp rise to between 350 and 400.  Cook for about 1 more hour. All gas grills do not cook the same, so you have to use your own judgment on how long to cook this total.  Some grills may need a little longer, some less time.  It just depends on how even and hot your grill cooks.
 
 
  Carefully remove the pan from the grill and allow it to sit, covered for about 15 to 20 minutes, then uncover and move the roast to a  large platter to slice.  Place the veggies around it.  Add a salad and bread and dinner is done! 
 



Kicked Up Caramel Pie!

 

 
One of my favorite desserts is caramel pie.  O'Charley's, which is a restaurant chain primarily in the southeast...I think, is the creator of the caramel pie.  At least, that is where I discovered it.  This is the homemade version which I have kicked up a bit and even if I do say so myself, I think I improved on it a little.  Like it wasn't fattening and rich enough, I add extra chocolate chips and nuts for additional flavor and crunch.  This is really a simple dessert to make and you will get so many oohs and aahs when you serve this! 

Here is what you will need:

A large graham cracker crust (the 2 extra serving one), walnuts, mini chocolate chips, whipped cream, and sweetened condensed milk (2 cans).



Remember this step from the 'White Chocolate Caramel Banana Pudding' post?  If you missed it's under Best Dishes.  Take the labels off of 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and place them in a pan of water that just covers the top.  Bring this to a low boil and boil for 3 hours. 

 DO NOT let the pan boil dry, keep adding water to keep it over the top of the cans.  This can be dangerous and it might explode if you do not keep an eye on it.  I always set the oven timer for this.   Once the 3 hours are up, carefully pour off the hot water and run cool water over them.  Once they are cool to touch open them carefully (in case the caramel is hot). 
 
An alternative method for turning the milk to caramel is putting the cans in your slow cooker, cover with water just to above the tops, and set on low for about 10 hours.  The water doesn't evaporate in the slow cooker with the top on it, so you don't have to worry about adding water.  It's best if you lay some foil on the bottom of the slow cooker because the cans might stain the crock.   Remove the cans with tongs when the time is up to cool.



Sprinkle 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans in the bottom of your pie crust.  This is the difference in the O'Charley's version.


Now spread the caramel over the nuts and chocolate chips. This doesn't have to be smooth.

Cover the caramel with whipped cream and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts!  Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. 

 
Ingredients:
1 large graham cracker crust
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or you can use walnuts
12 oz. whipped cream
 


Fresh Asparagus and Bacon Pasta!



This is a recipe that makes a great side dish or you can even serve it for lunch or a light supper.  Asparagus is a vegetable that I think a lot more people would like it they gave it a chance and if they tried the fresh asparagus instead of canned.  There is a world of difference.   I love asparagus and I am always trying to find new ways to serve it.  This is such a simple dish, here is all you need:


5-6 strips of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (reserve drippings)
8 oz. bow tie pasta (could use penne or rotini also)
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces on the diagonal
3 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1  1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (fresh is best)
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped


Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp.   Remove to a plate. 


Cook the pasta and the asparagus boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes.  Drain. 

 
Place the butter in the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings and sauté the onion and garlic just until crisp tender.


Add the pasta and asparagus and toss.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Add 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese and the half and half and toss until coated.  Remove from heat and plate.  Sprinkle the top with the bacon you have crumbled, the remaining Parmesan cheese and the parsley. 


I served this with Loretta Lynn's Creamy Lemon Chicken and it was a complete meal!




Chocolate Chess Pie!


If you are familiar with the Chess Pie, you know that it is a simple, but rich pie that has been made and served in the South since before the Civil War.  The exact history of the Chess Pie not completely clear, but it was a pie that could be made with pretty much what they would have  on hand back then...eggs, sugar, cream, butter.   It is also a pie that will keep for a day or two, if it lasts that long, without refrigeration, which was important back in that time.    This "Chocolate Chess Pie" is just a Chess Pie with cocoa powder added to it and it is delicious.   It tastes like a brownie pie with a much lighter and less dense texture. 

 Here is what you need for this pie:

1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie shell or a 10" pie shell
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. cornmeal
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup half and half
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

Place the unbaked pie shell on a cookie sheet.  Pour the mixture in the shell and carefully place in the oven on the center rack.   Your pie shell will be full so transfer it carefully.  The cookie sheet not only helps the pie bake evenly, but aids in moving it in and out of the oven. 


Bake for 50 - 55 minutes.  If you use the 9" deep dish pie crust, it will probably take the full minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.  See how it just starts to crack a little on top, it's done, when that just starts.  As it cools, it will settle some.



When it has cooled, serve with whipped cream! 





Southern Fried Cabbage!


  
Fried cabbage is a whole lot like so many other things we 'fry' in the South...fried apples, fried corn.  We call it fried, but it's not really what someone not from the South would probably consider fried.   It is cooked a whole lot like fried corn though.  My recipe is sort of my own version and not completely traditional, but it is so good and it's really simple.


  Here is what you will need:
4-5 strips of bacon
2 Tbs. butter
1 sweet onion, diced (I like to use Vidalia onions if available)
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 large head of cabbage, rough chopped
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup water



In  large skillet with a lid, fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon to a plate and add the butter to the bacon drippings.  Add the diced onion and bell pepper.  The bell pepper is my addition and is completely optional, but I think it adds some really good flavor and color to this dish.   Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes.


Add the chopped cabbage and toss to coat with the butter and bacon drippings.  Stir fry until the cabbage starts to get tender.  Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to your taste.  Pour 1/2 cup water in the pan around the cabbage and cover to steam it until just tender for about 20-25 minutes.  I don't like my cabbage cooked to death.  I like for it to still have a little body to it.  If you like yours cooked down more than this, just cook it a little longer.


 When it's done, place in a bowl and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.   I actually like mine with a little soy sauce or some hot sauce on it and some like vinegar, but it's good just like this.

Loretta Lynn's Creamy Lemon Chicken!

 
 
Loretta Lynn is one of Kentucky's most famous ladies and I have always admired her.  My admiration is not just because she is from the hills of Kentucky, but because of her strength and really just common sense way of approaching things in life.  If you have read much about her life, you know that it has been full of heartbreak as well as wonderful success.  I am going to feature more of Loretta Lynn's recipes in the future and I will tell you more about her, including the story about the time I met her, sort of.
 
 Loretta Lynn is known as a fabulous southern cook and I have a cookbook with her recipes and the stories about how she learned to cook and who taught her different things about certain dishes.   Her recipes are very familiar to me, because a lot of them are just like what my mother taught me to cook.   This one is a favorite of mine, because it's really basic and very easy and most everyone really likes it.  Here is what you will need for this lemon chicken:
 
 
4 Tbs. butter (1/2 stick)
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
1 cup mayonnaise
1  1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
 
Melt the butter in an oven proof skillet.   Brown the chicken breasts you have sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder on each side.  
 
 
  Mix the lemon juice with the mayonnaise and sour cream and pour over all.  If you don't have an oven proof skillet, you will need to transfer the browned chicken to a casserole dish and then pour the creamy mixture over all.  I like to use the oven proof skillet because it just saves time and it's one less dish.   Cover the skillet or dish and place in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.   Uncover and sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.  Return to the oven for about 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is just starting to bubble and brown.
 
I like to serve this with pasta or rice, but it's also really good with mashed potatoes.
 
 
 
 
* This recipe was adapted from "Your're Cookin' It Country" by Loretta Lynn, Copyright 2004. 
 
 
 
 
 



Bo's Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Chicken!



This recipe is one that my son and his girlfriend made and suggested that I try.  They got the basic idea from a recipe on Pinterest, but they modified it some and came up with their own version. My son is like me in that he likes to improvise when cooking.   I must say, I think it's one of the best chicken recipes I have tried lately.   It doesn't involve all that many ingredients and I think most people would surely like it.  It's chicken, bacon and brown sugar, what 's not to like?  


  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in three strips each (15 pieces)
8 slices of bacon cut in half to make a piece for each chicken strip
2 cups brown sugar (might need more if you coat the pieces heavily)
Teriyaki sauce  (I used Kikkoman)
chili powder
Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
mozzarella cheese (optional)



Cut each chicken breast in thirds.  I used my kitchen shears  which made it very easy, but you can use a knife if you don't have kitchen shears.  Sprinkle each piece with salt, pepper, creole seasoning or chili powder ( I used a little of both), and garlic powder.  If you don't like too much heat, just use either the chili powder or the creole seasoning and use it very sparingly.



Wrap each piece of chicken in a piece of the bacon.  Sprinkle lightly with Teriyaki sauce.  Place the brown sugar in a pie plate or shallow dish and roll each piece of bacon wrapped chicken in it. You have to sort of press and pack it on the chicken.



Line a cookie sheet with foil (I used nonstick Reynolds wrap) and spray it with cooking spray.  The foil really saves your pan and makes cleanup much easier with this recipe. The brown sugar does stick and will be hard to clean off if you don't use it.   Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.  Be careful removing it, because the brown sugar gets very hot and there will be some juices.  At the very end of the cooking time, pull it out and spoon some of the juices over each piece to sort of re baste it. You can sprinkle each piece with Mozzarella cheese at this point and place back in oven for a few minutes until it melts. The cheese is optional.


The chicken will be browned and the bacon crisp when it is finished cooking. This makes a great main dish or could even be used for an appetizer.

I served it with twice baked potato casserole, green beans, salad and garlic bread and of course...sweet tea!




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