1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bulk sausage
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs
1/3 C catsup
1 egg
For a pound of ground beef, mix in a half pound of bulk sausage. Stretch it with a half-cup of Italian breadcrumbs, and about a third of a cup of ketchup. One or two raw eggs to seal it together.
Note: With the bread and the sugar in the ketchup and the protein of the egg, these can burn easily.
Mary Ann Pennington, Emerald Beach
4 cups julienne green pepper
2 cups ringed onion
fresh minced garlic to taste
20 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained
10 oz frozen black-eye peas, partially thawed
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 lb polish sausage
2 1/4 cups hot water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauté green pepper and onion, in olive oil, until tender-crisp. Remove from pan. Add rice and stir to absorb oil. Add water, garlic, salt, pepper and black eye peas. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add garbanzo beans. Slash polish sausage at one inch intervals around outside edge. Place atop pilaf and continue cooking an additional 10-15 minutes.
Variation: I like slicing the sausage into rounds and sautéing to brown. Then removing from the pan to continue with the recipe as above. Then add the sausage back to the pan with the rice. A chopped red pepper can be added for color enhancement.
1 cup port wine
1/2 cup honey
2 12 oz bags fresh cranberries (approximately 6 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
Bring the wine and honey to a boil in a large saucepan. Add cranberries and cook for six full minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in sugar and the remaining ingredients; cook until sugar is dissolved.
Cover and chill.
Notes:
You can substitute orange juice for some or all of the wine, should you desire.
The compote should be made at least a day in advance if possible. You will find the flavors meld and mellow nicely upon sitting.
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Cooking school taught me that you have to have a balance of tastes in your dishes. Bitter, salty, sour and sweet all must be in harmony; things taste better that way.
It’s why southern cornbread (and biscuits … and pancakes! Ohhh pancakes!) has buttermilk. It’s also why – even though I’m in the South – there is a touch of sugar in this cornbread.
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup self rising flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 T sugar
fresh ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
4 T butter
4 T olive oil
Preheat oven and [easyazon-link keywords=”12-inch cast iron skillet” locale=”us”]No. 10 cast iron skillet[/easyazon-link] (a Number 10 is a 12 inch pan) to 425 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together. Beat in eggs and milk.
Remove skillet from oven. Add oil and butter, allowing butter to melt. Pour most of the oil & butter mixture into batter and stir well.
Sprinkle skillet lightly with salt and add batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Don’t have buttermilk? You can substitute one cup milk + 1 T apple cider vinegar.
Aunt Etta was actually the aunt of one of my favorite people. While I never met her, I am convinced the woman was a culinary genius to come up with this particular recipe. For a big crowd, you better double it!
16 oz. LeSeur Peas, drained
16 oz. white shoepeg corn, drained
16 oz. French style green beans, drained
1 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 small jar chopped pimento
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 T water
¾ c. white vinegar
½ c. Wesson oil
1 cup sugar
Combine marinade ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil to fully dissolve sugar. Cool.
Prepare vegetables and combine. When dressing is cooled, combine with vegetables, mixing well.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Allowing the salad to marinate for a day or two will allow for a deepening of flavors.