Beef Bourguignon

MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED to spend the afternoon in the kitchen making Beef Bourguignon,
He wanted to make it in honor of a beloved chef and I wanted to make it because I had never eaten it, much less cooked it, and felt that was a gaping hole in my culinary experience.

We wanted this to be authentic and were happy and willing to spend the time sourcing ingredients and cooking. I did a lot of reading about the history of this dish, and reviewing recipes. I also watched videos, including one of Julia Child herself making this.

Julia recommended serving the Beef Bourguignon with buttered and parslied new potatoes and French green beans (haricot vert). Ina recommended toasting slices of French bread and rubbing with a garlic clove to soak up the scrumptious gravy, so we did that too.

We were both very happy with the way this amazing dish turned out. It is easy to  see   taste why this has become a well loved classic. I can truly say this was the best meal I have ever eaten.

Beef Bourguinon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt
Pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced into chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 bottle medium bodied dry red wine (we used Pinot Noir)
2 cups beef broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
5 Tbsp. room temperature butter, divided
3 Tbsp. flour
1 pound fresh baby onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove bacon to a plate.

While the bacon is cooking, dry the beef chunks very well. Salt and pepper generously.

Cook the beef in the fat in the pan, in batches, until well-browned on all sides. Place on plate with the bacon.

Place the carrots and onions in the pan, adding a little olive oil if needed. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the meat back to the pan with the vegetables. Add the wine, the beef broth, tomato paste,  and the thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a tight fitting lid and place in oven for about 3 hours, until the meat and vegetables are very tender. Check after 2 hours.

Stir together 3 tablespoons butter with the flour, until smooth. When the stew comes out of the oven, stir in the mixture until smooth.

Saute mushroom, in remaining butter, for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add to the stew. Add the baby onions to the pan and cook until almost tender. Add them to the stew. Simmer, on top of the stove, for about 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Japanese Fruit Cake

I REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHER MAKING this lovely celebration cake each year for the holidays. As a girl I thought this was the most impressive and beautiful cake I had ever seen! After my grandmother passed away, the cake stopped appearing at our holiday gatherings.

For years, I asked family members, especially some of the older aunts, if they had the recipe. I searched through old southern cookbooks.

Last summer, because she knows my interest in heirloom recipes, Mama gave me a cookbooklet she had found in some of her aunt's belongings. The booklet was published in 1952 by a community group in Chambers County, Alabama. Imagine my delight when I turned to the cake chapter and there was the recipe for Japanese Fruit Cake!

 I have no idea why this cake has such a mysterious name. I don't believe it is remotely Japanese and it is not a fruit cake in the traditional sense. The fruits in the cake are coconut, lemon, and raisins. There are two moist and fluffy yellow layers and two spice layers with pecans, raisins, cinnamon and allspice. The cake is topped with a luscious lemony coconut glaze.

I loved making this cake!

Japanese Fruit Cake
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. allspice
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour four 8-inch cake pans.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine the chopped raisins, pecans, cinnamon, and allspice.

I mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar; beat with mixer to combine them well. Add eggs one and a time, beating after each addition, to make a smooth, fluffy mixture.

Stir the vanilla into the milk. Add about half the flour mixture, the half the milk, beating at low speed just until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk.

Divide half the batter between 2 of the pans. Stir the raisin and spice mixture into the remaining batter. Divide this mixture between the remaining 2 pans. Set all 4 pans in the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the layers are golden brown, pulling away from the sides of the pans, and spring back when touched lightly in the center. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto the wire racks to cool completely, top side up.

Lemon Coconut Icing
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 1/2 cups (approx.) frozen shredded coconut
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water

In heavy, medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and the coconut. Bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle boil, and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir cornstarch into the 1/2 cup water, stir well and add to the pan, mixing to dissolve. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and clear. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring from time to time.

To assemble the cake, place a plain layer, top side down, on a cake stand, or serving plate. Poke little holes all over and spread about one fourth of the icing over the layer, spreading all the way to the edges. Place a spice layer over the icing and spread another 1/4 of the icing. Continue layering with the remaining layers and icing. Place the last spice layer, right side up and pour all the remaining icing over the layer so that some of the icing cascades down the sides of the cake. Let stand for several hours, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cake from refrigerator about 1 hour before serving.

Celery Salad with Dates and Roasted Pecans

THIS SUPER SIMPLE SALAD MADE with only a few ingredients is surprisingly delicious. I got the recipe from my long-time blogging buddy, Rosie Hawthorne of Kitchens are Monkey Business. At her blog she speaks of her discovery of Medjool dates and shares some date history. Check it out!

I have found that most good produce departments have Medjool dates but sometimes you have to ask because they are not always obvious.   I have posted a few date recipes before, always using Medjool dates, though not specifying. Here is a lovely summer dessert, Stuffed Dates. Here is another stuffed date recipe; one of my favorites and one of my favorite photographs

Celery Salad with Dates and Roasted Pecans
4 stalks celery, sliced on a diagonal
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup roasted pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon joice
2 -3 Tbsp. good extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (approx.) shaved Parmesan cheese

Combine celery, dates, pecans, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Stir well. Garnish with Parmesan.

Vegetarian Gravy

                     
THERE IS NOTHING I LOVE MORE THAN A VEGETABLE PLATE.  I am not a vegetarian, I just love vegetables--all vegetables. I was this way even as a kid. I was the nerdy kid who liked rutabagas, beets, brussels sprouts. I especially love greens and beans of all kinds.   

For this vegetable plate, I cooked fresh turnips with turnip greens and fresh black eye peas, all of which I got at the Farmers Market. I know rice is technically not a vegetable, but it is a plant based food. Plus I was craving gravy (which I often do) and needed something to serve it over. Also, I think rice is lovely with beans.

Vegetarian Gravy
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 tsp thyme
generous salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet

Melt butter, in a medium skillet. Stir in flour until well blended, the add the finely minced onion. Cook over medium low heat until onion is tender. Slowly stir in milk. Add bay leaf, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thickened to desired consistency. Remove bay leaf and stir in Kitchen Bouquet. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Peach and Orzo Salad with Mango Viniagrette

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I HAVE made several pasta salads. Loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, they seem to be perfect for a light supper on a hot summer evening. The combinations are endless with the varieties of pasta shapes available as well as the abundance of summer produce.

This was one of our favorites. Our Southern peaches from South Carolina and Georgia have been outstanding this year--perfectly juicy with intense peach flavor. This salad uses those flavorful peaches along with small mozzarella balls and toasted pecans as well as other vegetables. The mango dressing really ties everything together.

Peach and Orzo Salad with Mango Viniagrette
8 ounces orzo, cooked according to package directions, drained
2 large peaches, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces small fresh mozzarella balls
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup mango chutney
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large serving bowl, combine cooled orzo, peaches, scallions, celery, bell pepper, cheese, pecans, and parsley.

Add mango chutney, olive oil, and red wine vinegar to a mason jar and shake vigorously to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and shake again.

Pour the dressing over the salad and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed.

Creamy High Protein Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

THIS DELICIOUS CHICKEN SALAD IS MADE WITH NO mayonnaise. It doesn't use yogurt either as I find it too unstable for a salad with planned leftovers. The dressing is made with low fat cottage cheese which is blended with lemon juice, honey, garlic, onion, salt and pepper, paprika, and cayenne. The salad consists of tender chunks of moist chicken, sliced celery, cubed granny smith apples, and pistachios.

I bought  a whole chicken, about 2 1/2 pounds, and poached it with aromatics. It is easy to do and results in the juiciest, most flavorful, and tender chicken. As an added bonus, you are making chicken broth, for later use, at the same time.

The delicious cottage cheese dressing is clearly superior nutrition-wise. One cup of 2% cottage cheese contains 194 calories, 5.5 g of fat and 26.7 g of protein (almost half your daily value). One cup of mayo (and yes people do put that much in salads) has 1500 calories, 160 g of fat, and only a trace of protein.

Everyone loved this chicken salad and no one missed the mayonnaise.

Creamy High Protein Chicken Salad
3 cups cooked chicken
1 cup sliced celery
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup roasted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 clove garlic
1/2 large sweet onion (I used Vidalia) roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine chicken, celery, apple, and nuts in a large bowl.

Add cottage cheese, garlic, onion, lemon juice, honey, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper to a blender or processor. Process until smooth and creamy. If you want it a little thinner, add some milk.

Stir into the chicken mixture until blended well. Best if chilled for at least an hour before serving. Even better the next day.

Hush Puppies

LITTLE SAVORY BALLS OF CORNMEAL BATTER, Hush Puppies are so delicious with so many meals. No Southern fish fry would be complete without them. All the barbecue joints around here serve them. I was once at a restaurant that had hush puppies with pimiento cheese as an appetizer and that was tasty!

I serve hush puppies with all sorts of foods. I especially love them with braised greens. I made these to serve with a vegetable soup. They are great with chili. Any time you think of cornbread, think hush puppies instead.

I have never posted the recipe for my hush puppies but you have probably seen them pepping around the corner in some of my photographs. My puppies are never perfect balls because I don't deep fry them, I pan fry them in my black iron skillet.

These hush puppies are fluffy and tender inside and crisp and crunchy outside. And they are delicious, even if they are misshapen.

Hush Puppies
1 cup self-rising corn meal
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1 Tbsp. hot melted shortening

Place corn meal in a mixing bowl. Stir in well beaten egg and buttermilk. Add hot shortening and minced onion just before cooking. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Cook until golden brown on each side. 

"Homemade" Pita Chips with Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

 "HOMEMADE" IS IN QUOTES because I question whether these pita chips are actually homemade. Would homemade pita chips require homemade pita bread? Is this even a recipe?

I had a partial package of whole wheat pita bread sitting around for a few days. I knew they wouldn't be fresh for sandwiches so I decided to turn them into pita chips. As I browsed ideas for doing this, I noticed a common theme. People cut the pita bread into wedges and spread onto a sheet pan. Then in a mixing bowl, combine olive oil with desired spices. Then brush the front and back of each chip with the oil mixture.

I nixed that idea. If I did want to brush each side with the oil mixture, I would do it before cutting into wedges. I couldn't see brushing each individual chip, on each side. . .we are not making fancy canapes here. 

These are crisp and delicious and so easy to make. Did I mention they are much more economical than bags of pita chips?

Taylor the spices to what the chips will be served with, garlic is always good, smoked paprika, chili powder, and more. I used sea salt and cracked black pepper.

"Homemade" Pita Chips

Stale pita bread
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Place in a bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss together (I do this with my hands) until all wedges are coated. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake 8 --10 minutes until golden brown.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

WE HAVE BEEN ON A BIG STIR-FRY KICK for a few weeks. The frigid weather seems to have cleared out, yet I am afraid to think we are having an early spring this year, It is only February.

Stir-fries are perfect to enjoy during changing seasons--times when it is not cold enough to want a heavy soup or stew, yet not hot enough to want to eat salads for meals. Stir-fry vegetables are light and fresh and the spices of ginger and red pepper are warming.

For this stir-fry, I used onion, red bell pepper, cremini mushrooms, broccoli, Napa cabbage, and bok choi. Other vegetables that work well are snow peas, carrots, green beans, mung bean sprouts, cabbage, scallions, asparagus, zucchini, and spinach. Use a variety of vegetables like I do or stick with one or two--your choice.

I served this stir-fry with Jasmine rice but I have also used brown rice, udon noodles, and soba noodles. One of these days I might try cellophane noodles.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry
14 ounces extra firm tofu
1/4 cup cornstarch
Oil for frying
8 - 10 cups vegetables of choice, washed and chopped

Rinse and dry the tofu. Wrap in a couple layers of paper towels, place on a plate with another plate on top. Put a couple of cans on the top plate to press the tofu. Set aside while making the sauce and preparing the vegetables.

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Unwrap the tofu and toss with the cornstarch.

Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the tofu in batches, until brown on all sides. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.

Remove all but 1 Tbsp. oil from the wok and turn the heat to medium high. Beginning with the sturdier vegetables, add them to the wok; stir and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the more delicate vegetables, stir and fry for a minute more. Add the tofu and the sauce, continuing to cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.

Remove wok from heat and serve immediately.

Braised Collard Greens

COLLARD GREENS ARE A STAPLE IN THE SOUTH.  All our barbecue restaurants offer them as a side choice. Diners with a meat-and-three type menu will have them. Our children start eating collard greens when they are still in the high chair.

Whenever we have family gatherings, I am volunteered to cook the collards. I am told mine are the best but I often wonder if it is really the fact that I am willing. They are a bit of work. It is work I enjoy; I love to cook, including washing and chopping vegetables with my good cutting board and my excellent sharp knife.

To prepare the collards for cooking, they must be washed and chopped. Some people prefer tearing them and that works just fine. I use a knife. First I cut out the tough inner stem, I stack a few leaves, roll them (a chiffonade if you  will) and slice into strips. I then put them into a sink fulll of cold water. Swish the leaves all around then let them sit for a few minutes. Feel the bottom of the sink. If you feel grit, remove the greens, drain the sink, and rinse away the sand. Refill the sink and rinse the collards again. Repeat until no more grit is detected.

I find the process to be mindful, contemplative, and relaxing.

We serve our collard greens with pepper sauce and by that I don't mean a hot sauce such as Tabasco. Pepper sauce is basically hot peppers and vinegar. If unavailable, just sit a cruet of apple cider vinegar on the table. 

Braised Collard Greens

1 1/2 pounds fresh collard greens, large stems removed, washed, and chopped

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups water

Salt and pepper - be generous

Using a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Start adding the wet collard greens until the pot is full. Add the water; cover pan and simmer for a few minutes until the greens start cooking down then add the remaining greens.

Simmer until tender but not mushy, about 30 - 50 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pineapple Puff Pastry Pinwheels With Cheese and Ham

PUFF PASTRY PINWHEELS ARE SUPER SIMPLE to make, yet look so fancy and fussy. They are perfect for parties and get togethers.

I usually buy frozen puff pastry which I find to be rather expensive, and the price kept me from using it as often as I would have liked.  Recently, I discovered a new item at my grocery store; a refrigerated puff pastry which was much more reasonably priced and didn't require thawing (aka planning ahead).

I made these pinwheels with pineapple, cheese, and ham. I have always loved the taste of pineapple and cheese together. I used to eat pineapple and cheese sandwiches as a girl. I love that glorious baked pineapple casserole.

Once I made these, I discovered the new puff pastry performed perfectly--many flaky layers and delicious taste. And oh so easy to use. It even comes with its own parchment paper for baking.

I will be making more of these pinwheels and have many ideas about how to fill them.

• sun dried tomato cream cheese and turkey
• cream cheese and pimiento stuffed olives
• spinach, artichoke, and Parmesan
• cheddar, pimiento, and pecan
• pizza sauce, basil, and mozzarella
• pesto, spinach, and feta
• mango chutney and aged English cheddar

Pineapple Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Cheese and Ham

1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup fresh pineapple, finely chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces your favorite deli sliced ham, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Unroll pastry sheet on a floured surface. Spread pineapple evenly over the pastry, followed by the shredded cheese, then the chopped ham. Roll into a log started from one of the long sides. Using a serrated knife, slice into 12 pieces. Place on parchment lined sheet pan, cut side up.

Bake 20 - 30 minutes until golden.

Baked Pork and Sauerkraut Egg Rolls

IT BEGAN WITH A PORK SHOULDER ROAST COOKED with sauerkraut in the crock pot, which couldn't have been easier. I unceremoniously dumped a can of sauerkraut into the crock, plopped the roast on top, added salt and pepper, then another can of sauerkraut over of the meat. I cranked the cooker and walked away to carry on with my day.

When it got near supper time, I made mashed potatoes to serve with the pork and sauerkraut. It was a hearty and delicious meal for a frigid winter evening.

The next day, I decided to make egg rolls with the leftover pork and sauerkraut. I love doing this. If you can put food between slices of bread and call it a sandwich, or wrap items into a tortilla and call it a burrito or quesadilla, you can also put it into an egg roll wrapper.

The egg roll wrappers you can buy at the grocery store, usually in the produce department, are very easy to work with. Baking, rather the frying, makes things easy and is much less messy. I did add some Napa cabbage to the pork and sauerkraut to introduce some freshness to the mix and I also added a generous amount of dried red pepper flakes.

Baked Pork and Sauerkraut Egg Rolls

1 1/2 cups leftover roasted pork (approximately)
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (approximately)
1/2 large head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 - 1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes, to taste
1 egg, beaten with a little water
Egg roll wrappers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a rimmed sheet pan.

Combine the pork, sauerkraut, cabbage, and red pepper.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface with a corner pointed down. Place a mound of the filling in the center. Turn up the bottom corner and then both sides. Now it looks like an envelope. Brush a little egg mixture along the top flaps, just like the part of an envelope you would moisten. Seal the rolls and place on the prepared pan. When all are rolled, brush with the egg mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve egg rolls with hot Chinese mustard.

Pink Champagne Cake

 

THE PINK CHAMPAGNE CAKE WAS ONE OF THREE I baked for my Mother's 90th birthday party. When I told her I was making three cakes and asked what kind would she like she said she liked pound cake with chocolate frosting. Check. She also suggested coconut cake. Check. For the third, she said, "surprise me".

I decided on the pink champagne cake because I thought it sounded feminine and celebratory. Also, Mama loves champagne!

I have talked about my amazing Mother before. She still lives in her own home, she still goes to the gym three times a week, plays bridge, and drives. She has always been very considerate of other people and has been active in her church; as a result she has developed many, many friends over the years. She is a fabulous cook and loves to entertain.

As the RSVP's poured in, I starting worrying three cakes would not be enough, so I asked Jasmine (the professional chef of the family) if she would bake some cupcakes just in case. Wouldn't it be sad to have a birthday party without enough birthday cake for everyone?

I thought the cutest thing was an interaction between Mama and her 5-year-old great grandson. He knew it was her birthday and asked how old she was. When she answered 90, his eyes got big in disbelief and he replied, "And you're not even dead!"

Pink Champagne Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (3) 8 inch cake pans

3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup pink champagne
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
pink food coloring (optional)

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a  bowl and set aside.

In another bowl whisk together egg whites, vegetable oil, pink champagne, and vanilla. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 4 minutes until creamy and light.

Add flour and sugar mixture and egg mixture  alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the pink coloring, if using.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth with offset spatula. Bake until cake just pulls back from sides of the pan, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges, shaking gently. invert once, then again. Cool completely, right side up.


Pink Champagne Buttercream

4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
12 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup pink champagne
pink food coloring (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth and lightened in color.Mix in salt and vanilla.

Gradually add the sugar, along with the pink champagne until sugar is incorporated. Beat at medium speed until very smooth, adding the color while mixing.

Notes:

Don't be discouraged if butter mixture starts curdling with the addition of the pink champagne. Just keep adding powdered sugar and mixing. It will come together.

Using a toothpick, I added tiny amounts of pink food coloring gel.

This recipe makes a lot of buttercream for piping.

I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to make the rosettes.

Acapulco Shrimp Cocktail

A MEXICAN STYLE SHRIMP COCKTAIL with crisp vegetables and creamy avocado to compliment the savory shrimp, served with tortilla chips or crackers, makes a perfect light supper.

Where the sauce for a traditional shrimp cocktail begins with ketchup, lemon, and horseradish, the Mexican sauce, which also starts with ketchup, uses lime and hot sauce.

Our frigid weather moved out and we are having a bit of a respite. I decided to make something fresh as a break from the stews and soups. Winter is far from over, I know that, but today, I see blue sky and I only had to wear a light jacket to the grocery store.

 


Acapulco Shrimp Cocktail

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup ketchup
1-2 Tablespoons vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (or your favorite)
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
2-3 scallions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
5-6 radishes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced

Bring 1 quart heavily salted water to a boil. Add shrimp. When the water comes to a bare simmer, lower heat and poach for a minute or two. Remove shrimp from water onto a platter in a single layer. Refrigerate to 30 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the ketchup, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcester sauce, and olive oil; stir until well combined. Add the onion, scallions, cucumber, and radish slices. Stir in shrimp. Finish with avocado slices.

Low Country Chicken Bog

CHICKEN BOG IS NOT A LOVELY DISH and it has an even less lovely name. Once you get past those factors, you will find a delicious and oh so comforting recipe for chicken and rice. It is rather like a pilaf or pilau but boggier and not fluffy at all. I really think the texture is reminiscent of a risotto. The rice is very creamy and the chicken is moist, tender, and flavorful.

Chicken bog is an old favorite in low country regions where rice is grown. It originates from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named for the Native American tribe that formerly occupied the area.   

This has been especially warming for us as we struggle with the arctic blast which has us in its grip. We are not used to cold temperatures like we are having, for such a length of time. Brrr!

Chicken Bog
1 (approximately 2 1/2 pounds) whole chicken
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

Place chicken, sausage, onion, celery, butter, salt, both peppers, and bay leaves into your large soup pan. Add water and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add rice and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Then cover and cook another 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Add chicken pieces back to the pot.