Holidays are Coming: Festive Cauliflower with Swiss cheese sauce

Festive and cauliflower are not two words usually put together. In this recipe, though, the words work together beautifully. White cauliflower, swiss cheese sauce, and bits of red and green peppers…lovely, yummy, festive and easy.

Good dish for  company, good for a family meal, good all through the year. Fresh or frozen cauliflower works well. Simply adjust the cooking times of the vegetable so your cauliflower doesn’t turn to mush. If it does, then just mash it all together and serve it anyway. Make up a name for it that sounds special and fun. I think you will like this. My aunt served this years ago during a Christmas when we moved the family Christmas to Colorado during her first year of marriage.  It has since become one of our family favorites and is a regular on the holiday menu.

NOTE: Reduced fat milk and cheese can be used. It is not recommended for margarine with a high water content to be substituted for butter. Regular margarine can be used.  Large bag of frozen, defrosted cauliflower can be used.

Festive Cauliflower
1 large cauliflower
1 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. diced green bell peppers
2 tbs. diced, drained pimiento
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1 c. grated swiss cheese
1/2 tsp. salt

Break cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Cook 10 minutes and drain. Saute mushrooms and pepper in butter until tender. Blend in flour (make a roux). Slowly add cold milk and blend and cook until thickened. Add pimiento, 2/4 cup of cheese, and salt and stir until cheese is melted. Place one-half of cauliflower into a 2 quart casserole and cover with half of sauce. Add rest of cauliflower and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake in 325 oven for 20 – 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Six to eight servings.

Holidays are coming: Old fashioned cheese wafers

public domain clip art

I got, as we say in these parts, a hankerin’ for these. Cheese wafers? Never had them? Well, I think you have met your new favorite snack addiction. Buttery, savory, cheesey, crunchy…perfect served with champagne, cocktails, beer, whatever punch, as an accompaniment to soups and salads, to munch on while sitting and watching the glow of the fireplace and relaxing. I love these things. It is one of those things you try to hide from yourself but, dang it, you remember and haul them out and finish up the tin of them. My Grandma Ninny made steady batches of these from Thanksgiving through Lent. She kept them stored in cake tins. I always keep mine stored in wide mouth, tightly latching glass cannisters.

Some people cut into strips, make without the pecans, make without the pecans but press a pecan half into the top for a festive garnish. it doesn’t matter – it’s all good. A few of these tucked into a spiffy mug or bowl or put on a plate and covered in plastic wrap with a bow on top just drawls, Howdy! Happy Holidays to a neighbor or hostess, coworker, teacher, bus driver, whatever. I like it best to keep for myself, to be perfectly honest. And here in the South, cheese wafers or cheese straws are ubiquitous and show up every where for every occasion. Even in this day and age, every Southern woman has at least two recipes for these. And in this day and age, so do many Southern men.

About the cheese: You can use pre=grated bagged cheese. I don’t recommend it. That stuff is dry and doesn’t have the same flavor or texture as freshly grated cheese. I like to use a good brand of extra sharp cheddar cheese. I hope you try these and enjoy them. I think you will be surprised at how good they are and I think, you will also be surprised at how much you like them.

Cheese Wafers
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter cut into slices
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese – 8 oz. block
2 cups flour
several dashes of hot sauce
Optional: 1 cup crushed Rice Krispies or finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put into a large bowl, the sliced butter. Add on top, the grated cheese. Let sit and soften then mix butter and cheese with hands until blended completely. Add flour and hot sauce (and optional Rice Krispies or chopped pecans) and continue to mix with hands until dough is formed. Roll mixed dough into balls about the size of large marbles and place on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten balls with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just lightly brown around edges. Cool and remove from baking sheet. Store in airtight container. Can be frozen in airtight container for later use. Great served with cocktails, champagne or to accompany soups and salads. Makes 5 dozen.
NOTE: on waxed paper, press out dough and cut into strips using one of those fancy fluted pie crust trimmers, if you absolutely must have cheese straws instead of cheese wafers.

public domain clip art

Holiday Sweet Potato (no, not yam) Recipes

photo from NC Sweet Potato Commission

Okey dokey. Let’s clear this up before we go any further: What is called “yam” in the US is not a yam – it is a sweet potato. Sweet potatoes and yams are not even related or even part of the same family. Yes, both are tubers, yes, both are sweet, both are flowering vines. But…

YAM: grown in Africa, Asia and the Carbbean. It has a thicker skin and some of those pups can grow to be seven feet in length! Yams are starchier, drier, paler interior, darker exterior, must be cooked to be eaten safely, firmer textured, lower in beta carotene and Vitamin C. The yam is part of the lily family.

Sweet Potato: Grown in the Southern US, has tapered ends, flesh can range from white to deep orange, moister, thin skinned, and is a member of the morning glory family. There is a purple variety grown in Okinawa, however. What is called “yam” in the US is actually – Sweet Potato!!! So, no more candied yams, baked yams, fried yams. Unless of course you have been to a specialty grocery and specifically bought a yam imported from the Caribbean, Asia, or Africa.

The Recipes: Cornwallis Yams, er, Sweet Potatoes. I don’t think General Cornwallis ever had this dish or a yam and haven’t a clue as to why this ridiculous name was given to this recipe. But, it is one delicious and rich casserole. It could be considered dessert but it is a side dish typically served during the Holidays. Both of these are standard recipes and came from handwritten recipe cards from my Grandma Ninny’s recipe box and have been part of our family celebrations since Ninny was a baby.  Sweet Potato Pie is a Southern Classic. You folk can have all the pumpkin pie you want, most of us in the South will take Sweet Potato Pie, thank y’all very much.

I did a Christmas post a couple of seasons ago about sweet potato pie, family, and honoring those who have passed before. Here is the link:  kanzensakura.com/2012/12/24/the-smell-of-home a true Christmas-story   I am link challenged and it probably won’t work but the name of the post is The Smell of Home – a True Christmas Story.  You can also search under sweet potato.  I hope y’all enjoy.

Cornwallis Sweet Potato Casserole
6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut, plus some for garnish (I use the frozen, unsweetened grated rather than the sweetened coconut in a bag or can)
1 1/2 cups milk
½ c. chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes until softened. Peel and mash. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter.  Beat eggs and add to cooled potatoes. Combine with remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch or 3-quart casserole. Bake in a 350 oven until light brown, about 1 hour. Top with a sprinkle of coconut.

Sweet Potato Pie
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves or mace
2 tbs. orange juice
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel
1 – 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) package frozen deep-dish piecrusts, thawed
Garnishes: whipped cream, grated nutmeg

Directions
Cook sweet potato in boiling water to cover 30 minutes or until tender; drain .Beat sweet potato and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, orange juice, peel, and spices, beating well. Pour mixture evenly into each piecrust. Bake at 350° on lower oven rack for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Garnish, if desired.

 

Pecan Praline Bread Pudd’n – Holiday cooking with love

English: Freshly hand-scooped pralines from Southern Candymakers and cooling on the marble slab. These are the original creamy pralines, scooped daily in Southern Candymakers French Quarter kitchen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is in response to Hunt Mode’s post about food we fix for love, on special occasions. This is one of the regulars.  Here’s her link – go visit!!!!  http://wp.me/2YmRm

First of all, we say: Pray-leen.  Okey dokey, that’s out of the way.  Pralines, or rather, deep South N’awlins pralines are decadent morsels of butter, brown sugar, pecans, and cream or evaporated milk.  They are not caramel, they are not brittle.  Rather, they are in the middle being a little creamy, a little crumbly, dissolving on the tongue and setting your mouth aglow with flavor.  And feel free to add rum, bourbon or vanilla for flavoring.  Use nice fresh plump pecans – cut in large chunks or use whole.  “Hit don’t matter none” as a friend of mine says.  Don’t use a soft bread – use one with texture.  A sourdough works fine or a Tuscan broule is good.  You need a bread that stands up to the custard – absorbing it but not turning to mush under the custard.  Fix the bread pudding, let it cook about 20 minutes then add the coarsely chopped pecan pralines on top.  Toast the pecans to add a depth of browniness to the flavor mix.  I use a rich very bad for you recipe for the bread pudding and add a few of the pecan pralines to take it to a different level of WOW.  Enjoy this with a nice strong cup of coffee, cold glass of milk or, a couple of shots of bourbon.  The darkness/lightness of the brown sugar will determine the color of the pralines.  Ho! Ho! Ho!

どうぞめしあがれ douzo meshiagare y’all!

Pecan Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups firmly-packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk/heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups pecan halves – whole or chunked
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or bourbon (optional)

Directions:
Butter a large sheet of wax paper or parchment paper; set aside.   In a large heavy pan over medium heat, combine sugar, brown sugar, and evaporated milk/cream; cook, stirring constantly until the thermometer reaches 235 degrees F. or when a small amount of sugar mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard but not brittle threads. If you don’t know how to tell softball stage this way, use a candy thermometer.

As soon as the temperature reaches 235 degrees F, add the butter and vanilla; stir until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is well combined (about 1 minute). Immediately remove the mixture from heat; set saucepan in a large pan of cold water to cool.

When sugar mixture has almost cooled, beat with a wooden spoon 1 minute or until it begins to lose it gloss. Immediately stir in pecans and drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared buttered wax paper, leaving about 3 inches between each ball for the pralines to spread. NOTE: Work quickly before mixture sets. If it thickens up, just place pan back on low heat to re-soften.

When pralines have cooled and have become firm, wrap individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in a covered container. Makes 36 small or 20 large pralines

Rich Bread Pudding
6 cups day-old bread ( take dense bread, cube, and leave out about 8 hours)
2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup cream
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1- 2 tsp. vanilla, bourbon, or rum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease well a 9×13-inch pan.

In a large bowl combine half and half, butter, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Add bread and press bread down to make sure it is thoroughly soaked with liquid mixture. Let soak about 15 minutes. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

 

Holiday Cooking: Papa’s Deadly Pecan Pie

My Papa was an incredible cook.  At church suppers, the folks most often asked, “What did Miss Josie (my grandma Ninny) or Robert make?  Often, they could just give a scan of the food table and know: fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, fried okra, corn pudding, peach cobbler, crab cakes, coconut cake, and…pecan pie.

Unlike most of the recipes, Papa cooked his corn syrups and sugar together before stirring in the eggs. It made for a richer flavor and texture. He also used pecans from our own trees and lots of vanilla extract. He made his own flaky crust but you can use a pre-made one in your own fancy pie plate – deep dish.  Try to use the freshest pecans you can find and a good vanilla extract.  Put lots of love and quality in your cooking and you will never go wrong.

This is one of the dishes that always show up at one of my holiday meals. I hope it will become part of your holiday traditions. With love, from me to you.

Ho! Ho! Ho! どうぞめしあがれ Douzo meshiagare, y’all!

Papa’s Deadly Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely broken
1 unbaked deep dish pie shell

Directions:
In saucepan boil sugar and corn syrup together for 2 to 3 minutes; set aside to cool slightly. In large bowl beat eggs lightly and very slowly pour the syrup mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.  At this point Papa would strain the mixture to make sure it’s smooth and lump free.   Stir in butter, vanilla, and pecans and pour into crust. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 to 60 minutes or until set.  Let cool before slicing.  I will place the pie on a cookie sheet in case of boiling over.

Holiday Cooking: Yorkshire Pudding

Since I have managed to toss off my holiday blues (thank you for all your kind words, prayers, hugs. and positive vibes!) I am beginning to plan our Christmas dinner. I’ve not decided on turkey or a lovely beef roast. But I have already decided on the side dishes and as usual, this includes Yorkshire or, Batter Pudding.

When visiting England several times and years ago, I fell in love with this deceptively simple dish. Made with beef drippings and served hot alongside the meat with gravy ladled on, it is a savory dish that makes the meal, just in its humble simplicity. I’m happy just with the pudding and the gravy! If I serve with poultry or pork, I add a nice pinch of either rosemary, thyme, or sage. Not a lot, just a tad to enhance the compatibility to the meat. I rarely eat meat but will do a few times of year. This is a good dish with roasted vegetables as well as meat/poultry/pork.

Leftover puddings with melted butter and a tart orange marmalade is an excellent breakfast or, a smear of butter for a good out of hand gaming snack. This is not a snobbish dish. It is friendly and a combination of “hey y’all, Ay up, and hello love”. If you haven’t tried Yorkshire pudding, do give it a go. You may find it as easy and useful as a potato dish and may even end up using it as often.

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef (or duck fat, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil)

NOTE: If I get a roast from the butcher that has a lot of external fat, I trim that off, render and clarify and use with this recipe. If I don’t have quite enough, I add some melted vegetable shortening. This can cook while your meat is resting. I let my batter rest about 15 minutes, but you really don’t have to.  DO NOT USE a glass baking dish – the batter going into smoking hot grease can cause the baking dish to explode.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or square baking dish or into muffin tin holes. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Serves 6 (or more puddings if you use a muffin tin)

from Nigella’s How to Eat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Contrast this pudding with those cooked in bakeware of tin and glass. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Confession of a Secret Guilty Pleasure

Do I have your attention???? Yeppers, I thought so. We all have secrets tucked down in our souls – Things we blush for anyone else to know. Well…..one of my most secret pleasures is…….Rice Krispie Treats. Oh yeah – sticky, sweet, crispy Rice Krispie Treats. Among the guides in the past for this is:  Best if consumed within two days. Don’t keep longer than two days in an airtight container.

Really????? They actually last for two days?!?!? Wow. Two hours is a record. And this time of year, I am reminded of them when I see boxes of red, green, and regular mixed colored cereal. Ho, Ho, Ho….Merry Rice Krispie Treats to you and yours. If you don’t have colored cereal in your area, please please please use sprinkles or something to give them that Holiday Season joie de vivre.

Below is the recipe. Cut into squares, star or tree shapes, pour a big glass of cold milk and enjoy a guilty pleasure.

And…..please tell me, what is your guilty pleasure?

Rice Krispie Treats

3 tbs. butter or margarine (not diet or light spread)
1 10 oz. pkg., about 40, regular marshmallows or…
4 c. miniature marshmallmows
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal

In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add dry cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into squares. Best if served the same day. (!!!)