Pumpkin Cake Roll

Ingredients:

3 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Line a 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch baking pan with waxed paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored. Beat in pumpkin and extract.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt; fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched (do not overbake). Cool for 5 minutes.

Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and remaining confectioners' sugar until fluffy.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within ½ inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.      

Yield: 12 servings.

Southern Stewed Potatoes

Ingredients:


6-8 large potatoes (peeled and cubed, about 1-inch cubes)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons bacon grease (optional)
1 pinch onion flakes
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup water
½ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Peel and cube the potatoes, put in a medium pot and fill with water until it's about 2 inches above potatoes.

Bring to a boil (you want the potatoes cooked until they are just fork tender, not falling apart.

After the potatoes are done, keep them in the same water you cooked them in and reduce to a low heat.

Put the flour and half cup of water in a bowl and blend with a whisk until the flour is dissolved.

Stirring constantly, but carefully, add the dissolved flour and water into the pot with the potatoes and water. Allow a few minutes to cook on simmer so that it can thicken.

Add more flour if you want it thicker, or more water if you want it thinner.

Add milk, salt, pepper, onion flakes and butter or bacon grease (if desired - it's fine without the bacon grease).

Season to taste.

MamaPeggy.com

South Louisiana Cornbread Dressing

The Cornbread:

3 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Put the bacon drippings/butter in a 9x13-inch baking dish and put it in the oven while it is preheating. It will melt while you're mixing up the batter.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the corn meal, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and stir to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir well. Remove the hot dish from the oven. Swirl the dish to coat it with melted bacon drippings/butter then pour it into the batter and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake 20 to 25 minutes. The cornbread will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Make the cornbread a day before you intend to make your dressing.

Leave it out, uncovered, overnight.

The Dressing:

1 9x13-inch pan of cornbread, crumbled
10 pieces white or whole wheat bread, heels are good (left out overnight)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped (2-1/2 to 3 cups)
1 large green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
4 cups chicken broth, canned or homemade
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Crumble the cornbread and white bread into a very large baking dish or pan (This is the pan you will cook your dressing in, and you need room to stir it while it's cooking). Combine the vegetables with the bread crumbs and mix well. Melt the butter and add it and the beaten eggs, chicken broth and stir. (You may need a little more chicken broth – its better if it's too moist than too dry; the uncooked dressing should be a little on the slushy side.) Add poultry seasoning, rubbed sage, black pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Bake 15 minutes then stir dressing from the sides of the pan into the rest so that it cooks uniformly. Recheck the seasonings, adding more if necessary. Bake until browning on sides and top and center has set.

South Louisiana Cuisine

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

INGREDIENTS:


2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3⁄4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons chili sauce (like Heinz)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all of the ingredients.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

www.food.com

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:


1 (16 oz) package macaroni noodles
2 cans (10 1/4 oz each) cream of mushroom soup
2 cans (6 oz each) tuna, drained and flaked
1 tablespoon dried minced onions (less for a blander taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 stick margarine or butter, melted
1 cup dry bread crumbs

Cook macaroni noodles as directed on package and drain.

Mix noodles with soup, tuna and seasonings. Pour into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish.

Stir together melted margarine and bread crumbs till the crumbs are evenly coated. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or microwave for 20 mins at medium-high.

VARIATIONS:
- For a creamier casserole add half a soup can of milk.
- You can also use egg noodles instead of macaroni noodles.
- You can also add a small can of drained baby peas to the casserole.

Recipe Link

Down-Home Green Beans and Potatoes

1-1/2 lbs. fresh green beans
8 slices bacon, quartered
1 sm. onion, chopped
5 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 c. cubed red potatoes

Wash beans. Trim ends and remove strings. Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices; set aside.      

Fry bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven. Remove bacon and set aside.                  

Saute onion in drippings until tender. Add water to cover.

Bring to a boil; add bacon, beans, salt, pepper and return to a boil.                            

Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nancy's Kitchen