Tomato Pie

Nothing screams summer in the south quite like warm tomato pie made with tomatoes fresh from the garden.  We had our friends Shannon and Brian over for dinner this past weekend, and Jared (yes, my husband is quite the chef) whipped up this delightful dish while I took care of little Parker's needs.  We don't indulge in this pie often, but when we do, we use the real stuff.  No Greek yogurt here!  Bring on the Duke's!

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust (I like these better than pre-baked crusts)
4 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup green onion
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup Duke's mayonnaise (no substitutes allowed!)
salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  Roll out crust in a pie dish and crimp the edges.  Bake according to directions on the package.
2.  While the crust is baking, place the tomato slices in a colander in the sink in one layer.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.  If you omit this step, your pie can be too runny.
3.  Once the crust has cooked, layer the tomato slices, basil, and green onions in the pie crust.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4.  Combine the grated cheese and mayonnaise.  Spread mixture on top. Cook for 30 minutes or until lightly browned in a 350 degree oven.

P.S.  I need to work on my photography skills of food...trust me, this is a recipe to make when you have company!  They'll love it!

Balsamic Glazed Chicken over Spinach

Here's another quick meal that is prepared in two pans!  Woohoo, easy cleanup!

Balsamic Glazed Chicken over Spinach

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons of fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
1 bag of spinach
1/3 cup water

1.  Mix thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Pat both sides of chicken breasts with the spice mixture.  Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken; cook for 2-3 minutes (or until browned).  Turn chicken and cook the other side until browned.  Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.

2.  Add water, vinegar, and honey to the skillet.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 2 minutes or until slightly syrupy and reduced by half.  Add the butter and stir until melted.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan.  Cook for about 3 minutes in the glaze.  Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

3.  If you'd like to serve the chicken over spinach, heat 1/3 cup of water in a large skillet.  Add a bag of spinach (Aldi sells it!  :)) and cover.  Let it cook until it's wilted.  Add salt and pepper.

4.  Serve chicken over spinach.  Drizzle with glaze.

Ok, I might have doused mine instead of drizzling, but you get the idea!  

Lemon Herb Chicken

I'll admit that I'm not one for baked chicken; I'd much prefer it on the grill.  There's something about its texture that bothers me (Yes, Hamilton gets his picky eating from me!).  This is one recipe that I love!  It's moist, it's fresh, and, to top it all off, it's healthy!

Lemon Herb Chicken

4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used fresh)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 lemon, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat chicken with olive oil and place in baking dish.  Sprinkle with teriyaki sauce.  Combine oregano, rosemary, ginger, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over chicken.  Top with lemon slices.  Bake for about an hour.

I served it up with garlic and herb couscous and a salad.  Another easy peasy meal!

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta and Sauteed Shrimp

This is a go to meal when you are short on time.  It's so simple; it's so delicious.

Cook the pasta for 8 minutes in boiling water.

While the pasta is cooking, sautee the shrimp in 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, the juice of one lemon, and salt and pepper.  

Mix the shrimp with the pasta and serve.  It's really that simple!

Trawler Crab Dip

There is nothing better than crab dip made from fresh crabs from the Folly River. My dad is the master, having grown up in Charleston he's had much practice!  One afternoon, he pulled in 17 in less than an hour off the Folly Park Pier. If you think that's good, you should see what be can do at his "Honey Hole" crabbing off the boat.

 Hamilton caught his first crab (too bad it was too little), and he found a little girl with whom to flirt.  He's just like his father!

This recipe is the perfect summer appetizer!

Trawler Crab Dip

2 cups mayonaise
1 cup American cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup French dressing
1 tablespoon horseradish
3 cups crab meat

Mix ingredients and chill until firm.

Enjoy,

Warm Banana Puddin'

I love traditional banana pudding, chocolate banana pudding (yes, I said chocolate!), but this recipe takes the puddin', y'all!  It's so good that the hubby requests it every year instead of a cake!

Banana Pudding

3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
Dash of salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package of vanilla wafers
6 medium overripe bananas
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Beat egg yolks; combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Layer 1/3 of wafers in a 3-quart baking dish. Slice 2 bananas, and later over wafers. Pour 1/3 of custard over bananas. Repeat layers twice.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. My grandmother's tip is to add a dash of sugar before adding any sugar. It helps the meringue stiffen better. Gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat until blended.

Spread meringue over custard, sealing to the edge of the dish. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

 

Indulge for life's too short!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Ham's Refried Beans

I love Mexican food!  And inherently, so does my son, Hamilton.  I guess he "ate" it so much in utero that it's his favorite now!  He's always demanding to "see Juannie" at Rey Azteca.  He's established his reasonable and customary.  He plays with Juanita's pen while she brings out his usual grub of queso and chips, cheese quesadilla, and double the beans.  He would eat a whole plate of beans if he could!  I've tried to recreate the refried beans dish at home for my bean lover.  This is one of my favorite dishes to make at home, and the leftovers are even better!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flower
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
1.  Add vegetable oil and flour to a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk together to combine.  Whisk in remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust spices based on preferences.
2.  Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

*This sauce can be made ahead of time and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 of this sauce to be used.  I like this recipe better using all of the sauce in the dish.

Enchilada Casserole Recipe

olive oil

6 medium tortillas

3 chicken breasts

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

enchilada sauce (recipe above)

1-2 cups sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

2 cups Mexican blend cheese (or plain cheddar cheese if that's what you have on hand)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

2.  Chop chicken that you have already baked.  I use my Pampered Chef chopper.  I LOVE this nifty gadget!

Don't you love my Patriotic plate!  We celebrate America year-round over here!  

2.  Drizzle olive oil into bottom of 12-inch skillet over medium heat.

3.  Add diced onion and garlic to skillet.  Cook until just tender. Add chopped chicken to this mixture.  Remove from heat.

4.  Spoon about a cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole dish.

5.  Place 3 tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce, overlapping them slightly at the edges to make them fit into the dish. 

6.  Ladle on additional enchilada sauce, again about a cup.

7.  Layer on half of the chicken, onion, and garlic mixture, making sure to spread the mixture evenly over the tortillas and enchilada sauce.

8.  Top with large dollops of sour cream and spread slightly.  Sprinkle on the cheese.

9.  Repeat layering with 3 more tortillas, enchilada sauce, chicken mixture, sour cream, and end with the cheese.

10.   Bake in the oven until cheese has melted, about 20 minutes if preparing right before baking.  Cook 25-30 minutes if it's been refrigerated.

11.  Serve warm.

I usually will prepare this meal in the morning and place it in the refrigerator all day.  Letting it sit allows all of the flavors to marinate together, and it makes my job easier during the witching hour of the day!  I always make the recipe with chicken that I bake with olive oil, salt, and pepper, but you can make it with pork or beef as well.  It's a great dish to use up leftover meat!

Ham's Special Refried Beans

1 can of refried beans

1/3 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

1 tablespoon of Frank's hot sauce

3/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese or a cheddar/jack blend

Instructions:

1.  In a small sauce pan combine the refried beans, sour cream, and hot sauce over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly. 

2.  When the beans are heated through (don't let them boil), remove from heat and pour into a small casserole dish.

3.  Top with grated cheese and heat in the oven until cheese is melted.  I leave the oven on from cooking the casserole and just pop the beans in for a few minutes.  It doesn't take long.

Espero que disfrutes,

Mock Crab Cakes

In the south, our squash comes in by the bushels in the hot summer heat.  In order to use it all, I remember having squash prepared a million different ways.  We eat it sauteed, boiled, fried, casseroled; you name it, we've probably tried it!  My family loves crab cakes, especially when they're freshly pulled from the creek. Combine our love for squash and crab cakes, and voila, the mock crab cake is born!

Mock Crab Cakes

2 cups grated squash or zucchini (about 2 large squash)
2 eggs
1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
3 green onions, chopped
2-3 teaspoons Old Bay
1 teaspoon mayonnaise (Duke's, of course!)
vegetable oil

Grate squash.  If you do not have a food processor, it's worth the money!  I find myself using it more and more these days.  I love how it turns a tedious task like grating into a quick step.

Drain well, pressing between paper towels.  It's going to take a few papers towels!  Squash are filled with water.

Combine squash and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Divide mixture into 8 portions, shaping each into a patty.  Pour oil to the depth of 1/2 inch into skillet.  Fry patties in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels after cooking to remove excess oil.

And this is where I got slack with my picture taking.  Sorry guys, just form the patties and fry them.  It's really simple; I promise!  There is one trick to frying them and keeping them together.  Place the patties in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Lemon Remoulade

2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup creole mustard
2 garlic cloves, pressed (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
2 teaspoons chopped parsley (fresh is best)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Whisk cover, and chill for 30 minutes.

I hope y'all enjoy this new take on squash.  Even my big boy loves it!

Tasty Tuesday

I am a creature of habit, so the motive behind my Tuesday posts is to become more adventurous in the kitchen.  I know what I like (and what the hubs likes), so those are my go to dishes.  The first dish is super easy and fast.  It takes 5 minutes to prep it and 35 minutes to cook it.  I doesn't get much better than that!

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

1/2 pound bacon; cooked and crumbled
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 rolled pie crust

Combine ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake at 400F for 35 minutes.

Eat up, y'all!