Country Ham Hot-Water Cornbread

What You'll Need:

2 cups white cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 to 1-1/4 cups boiling water (see Note)
1 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked country ham
Vegetable oil
Softened butter

What To Do:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir in half-and-half and 1 tablespoon oil.

Gradually add boiling water, stirring until batter is consistency of oatmeal. After adding boiling water, stir in 1-1/2 cups finely chopped cooked country ham.


Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2-inch; place over medium-high heat. Scoop batter into a 1/4-cup measure; drop into hot oil, and fry in batches 3 minutes on each side or until golden.

Drain on paper towels. Serve with softened butter.


Notes:

The amount of boiling water needed varies depending on the type of cornmeal used. Stone-ground (coarsely ground) cornmeal requires more liquid.

Mr. Food

Chipped Beef Cheese Ball

INGREDIENTS:


8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces Buddig beef, chopped into small pieces
1 1⁄2 chopped green onions
1⁄4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
chopped pecans (optional) or chopped walnuts (optional) or dried parsley, to cover (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients except parsley or nuts.

Form into a ball.

(I usually put it in plastic wrap, roll into a ball and refrigerate until more solid).

Roll in nuts or parsley, if desired.

Food.com

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:


4 cups sliced fresh peaches
3/4 cup butter {1 1/2 sticks}
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a 13×9 baking dish as the oven preheats.

Mix 1 1/4 cups sugar with 1/2 cup flour. Add peaches and toss. Let it sit so the sugar dissolves.

In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk and whisk until smooth.

Remove dish with melted butter from oven. Pour batter over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon peach mixture on top of batter. Again, do not stir.

Bake for one hour until cobbler is golden brown and bubbly.

Serve warm.

My Blessed Life

Easy Fried Apple Pies

Ingredients:


Apple Filling:

5 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4  tsp. salt,  {add more if needed}
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.  Drain and reserve liquid.

Mash apples with a potato masher or fork.  Add back liquid a little bit at a time.  If the apple mixture gets too runny, mix 2-3 tablespoons of flour in 3/4 c. of reserved liquid or water, mix well, then add it back into the mashed apples.

Set aside and allow to cool.

Fried Apple Pie Dough:

2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. Crisco
1 c. milk
Extra flour

Mix dry ingredients, then cut in Crisco with a pastry cutter.  Add milk and stir.  The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough onto a {very} well floured surface – a pastry cloth or wax paper work great! Be generous with the flour!

Knead the dough for 6 minutes then pat down until 1/2″ thick or so.

Cut out biscuits until all the dough is used.



To make a pie…take a cut out biscuit and pat it out.



Then roll it out in a circle until it’s about 1/8 inch thick.



Add 2 tablespoons of filling to the pie.  Trust me on this, if you add much more the filling will come leaking out.



1. Dampen one side of the dough with a bit of water. I like to have a little cup of water nearby.

2. Fold the pie in half and press edges together.

3. Crimp the edges with a floured fork.



Carefully place a pie in a skillet of hot oil.  Use tongs to gently turn when the pie is browned.

My Blessed Life

Marine Corps Creamed Ground Beef (SOS)

Ingredients:

1 - 1/2 Lb. (24 oz) of lean ground beef (80/20)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown meat, drain. Back to the pan, add butter and stir.

Add chopped onions and cook until they are translucent.                        

Add flour, stir and cook for two to three minutes. Add garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and mix thoroughly. Add milk and stir until it thickens.

Serve over toast, biscuits, eggs and have some Tabasco handy!

Submitted by: GySgt Joe Shirghio, USMC (Ret)

www.cooks.com

SOS

INGREDIENTS:


3 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chicken base paste
1 tablespoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 gallon 2-percent milk
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf white bread, sliced
Home Fries, recipe follows
Fruit, for serving

Home Fries:

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 tablespoon cooking oil
3 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 white onions, diced

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, being careful not to burn it. Slowly whisk in the flour to make a roux. You are looking for a thick consistency. Add the chicken base, seasoned salt and garlic. Slowly whisk in the milk. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes and then lower the heat to medium, whisking periodically until the mixture gets thick. Whisk in the black pepper and browned beef.

Toast the white bread and put the slices on serving plates. Ladle the SOS over the top of the toast. Serve with home fries and a piece of fruit.

Home Fries:

Put the potatoes in a large skillet with cooking oil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and onions, and continue cooking until golden brown. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Food Network

#2 Recipe


Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 c all purpose flour
4 c cold liquids (milk & water) see note in step #3.
Some salt & pepper, optional

SERVE OVER TOAST AND/OR MASHED POTATOES.

Directions Step-By-Step:

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet, stirring often. Do NOT drain.

2. Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef and stir for about 5 minutes, which will lightly brown the flour and soak up the grease.

3. Now, it's time to add the cold liquids. I personally use about 3 cups of milk & 1 cup of cold water, but this is a personal decision. If I'm low on milk, I just make up the difference in cold water.
So add the liquids and stir well.

4. Add salt & pepper, if desired. Continue cooking the gravy for a few more minutes until it thickens to your desired consistency.

If it's too thin, cook it longer.
If it's too thick, add a little more cold liquid.

5. Serve over slices of toast (the "shingles" of SOS fame; see note above) and/or mashed potatoes.

Or skip the knife and tear up the toast pieces before adding the gravy.

Just A Pinch

Balloon Wine

INGREDIENTS:


1 (2 1/2 ounce) package active dry yeast
4 cups sugar
1 (12 ounce) can frozen juice concentrate, without sweeteners
3 1⁄2 quarts cold water

DIRECTIONS:

You will also need: 1 gallon glass jug (I guess you can use plastic, but I never did); 1 extra large latex balloon and a sturdy rubber band; 1-2 empty wine bottles or bottles of choice.

Combine the yeast, sugar and juice in a gallon jug.

Fill the jug the rest of the way with cold water.

Rinse out the balloon, and fit it over the opening of the jug.
Secure the balloon with a rubber band.

Place jug in a cool dark place.

Within a day you will notice the balloon starting to expand.

As the sugar turns to alcohol, the released gas will fill up the balloon.

When the balloon is deflated, the wine is ready to drink.
It takes about 6-weeks total.

Carefully pour wine into empty bottles without disturbing the sediment.

Discard the sediment.
Cork and tape the bottles closed.

The wine can be drunk now or aged, bottles on their side, for a year if you like.

But the younger it is, the yeastier it'll taste.

Food.com

Moist Faux Champagne

Ingredients:


2 liter ginger ale
1 can pineapple juice (46 ounces)
1 bottle white grape juice (64 ounces)

Directions:

Keep ingredients chilled until ready to use. Mix together and serve.                              

For an added twist, add 750 ml of raspberry-flavored vodka.

Source:Nathaniel Colson

Taste Book

Split Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions

SPLIT-PEA SOUP WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND CUMINSEED

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried split peas
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon cuminseed
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

In a large heavy saucepan simmer peas, basil, and bay leaf in water and
broth, covered partially, until peas are tender, about 35 minutes, and
discard bay leaf.

While peas are cooking, in a heavy skillet sauté onion and cuminseed in
oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden brown.

In a blender puree soup in batches until just smooth and transfer to a
bowl. Stir in onion mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 4 cups.

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:


1 large onion
4 stalks celery
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups bread cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups mashed potatoes (leftovers are fine)
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Finely chop the onion and celery.

Saute onion and celery in butter.

Add bread cubes, beaten eggs, chicken broth, salt and pepper.

Add mashed potatoes.

Bake in a casserole dish for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Food.com

Poor Man's "Shrimp" Cocktail

Ingredients:

SERVINGS: 8

1 cup dry crab boil seasoning (such as Zatarain's or Old Bay)
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 yellow onions, quartered
6 garlic cloves
3 lemons, halved crosswise
2 1-pound heads of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
Cocktail sauce

Preparation:

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 6 quarts water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard.

Return liquid to a rolling boil.

Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 5–10 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely.                  

DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

Recipe by The Black Sheep in Richmond VA