My Mom's Comfort Food

 

My mother was an amazing woman. I didn't appreciate that as much as I should have until she was no longer here on earth for me to tell her. She worked tirelessly to help mainstream handicapped children into schools and society and find their place in the world. That was her never-ending goal in life.

When she was 75 years old, she was driving across the state from her home in Dandridge, to work in her office in Nashville. She would spend a few days there staying at the Hermitage and then find her way back home, hoping that she had accomplished her goal of helping one more person.

Mother seemed to have tireless energy. More than I have, and I am younger now than she was then. Until she died in 2005, she was still trying to make a difference in the world. How many times have I said that I don't want to be like my mother. Well, these days, I say, if only I could.

In her home life, mother was the same as she was in her public life. Giving. When she cooked, her dinners were meant to feed not only your hunger, but your soul. And, that is exactly how you felt after eating up the warmth on the table.

After mother died, my son Richard who called her "mom", asked me if I would put some of his favorites from mother's recipes into book form. It is because of my mother that Richard has accomplished so much in his life. And, believe me, he has accomplished more than most. She gave him a drive, a focus in life, and something to reach for. He has sought to honor my mother for giving him so much in so many ways, and this book is one way for him to share those memories.

 

So, here we go, a sample of the forthcoming book, My Mom's Comfort Food. I hope you will enjoy the recipes for Charleston Red Rice, Squash Casserole, Chicken and Dressing, Chicken Tortilla Casserole and Cream Cheese Pie. There are so many more, but this blog only has so much room.

When you get down to the Chicken Enchilada Casserole, don't let those flour tortillas scare you. Just buy them if you want to, but if you have a few minutes, the tortillas are very easy to make.

Our cousin, Sandra Dodd, so graciously sent us some of mother's recipes that we didn't have, and we'd never have found them otherwise. We were grateful to receive them.

Enjoy!

Richard with his Charleston Red Rice

 



Richard was here visiting during the summer and we started cooking and photographing at that time. So, we can't write this blog without a photo of Richard and his Charleston Red Rice from the recipe that his "mom" used. As you can see from his face, he is very happy with his finished product. I was happy with it too. It was delicious.

Richard's Charleston Red Rice with Smoked Sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1 (14-ounce) package beef smoked sausage, sliced thin

1 cup rice

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes plus a tiny pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are acidic

 

Richard makes his red rice in a heavy Dutch oven.  He melts the butter, adds the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper and cooks them until tender. Then he adds the rice, sausage, tomatoes, water, salt, and pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to low, cover tightly and cook until the rice is done, about 20-25 minutes. Don't be tempted to add the sausage with the onion, celery and pepper because the sausage renders the flavor in the rice and it's better that way.

You will want to keep this recipe handy.



Mother's Cheesy Squash Casserole
 

1 pound yellow squash, cleaned and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup buttery crackers crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh parsley or basil

 

Combine squash, onion and butter; cook. You can add about a 1/4 cup water if you need to, and cover tightly. Drain and mash the squash. Add remaining ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup cheese to sprinkle on top. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees until firm. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Put chopped parsley or basil on top of the finished casserole for garnish and flavor.

  

 

This Chicken and Dressing recipe makes really good Southern Sunday 'Dinnah".

 

Chicken & Dressing Casserole with Herb Stuffing

Chicken & Dressing Casserole with Cornbread Classic Stuffing

 

Chicken and Dressing

I love this recipe. It's so easy that I would consider making it for a holiday meal. We had it for dinner the night that I recipe tested. With the chicken and dressing we had English peas and an old fashioned pear salad. Southern all the way

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast 
2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1 (8-ounce) package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubes stuffing mix (or, if you prefer cornbread stuffing, use an *8 ounce package of Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Classic Stuffing Mix (*my personal favorite)

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 3/4 ounce) cream of celery soup

1 egg

1 stick butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet large enough to hold the chicken breast. Salt and pepper the chicken and add it to the skillet. Bake the chicken until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or chop the meat and set aside.
Mix herb seasoned stuffing with the 1 stick of butter, and one egg.
Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup with 3/4 cup chicken broth, and two tablespoons melted butter.
Mix 1 can of cream of celery soup with 3/4 cup chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Place one layer of stuffing in a baking dish (a small casserole dish works fine), add one layer of chicken, and cover with the cream of celery soup mixture.
Add another layer of stuffing, and another layer of chicken and cover with the cream of chicken soup mixture, add any remaining stuffing on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour (depending on the depth of the baking dish), or until completely cooked in the center.



Want to go South of the border?

 

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Home-made Tortillas

I went to visit Richard in October of last year and that's when he started getting the recipes together for me. The recipe for this casserole was the first recipe that he pulled out for me to copy. It was hand written on the inside of the back of a cook book.

 

I asked Richard if he liked this dish and he answered, "oh yes" in his soft, gentlemanly tone. After making it, I surely knew why. It has so much flavor.

 

Prepare the flour tortillas in advance:

(May also use purchased tortillas)

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup warm water

 

Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixer bowl, and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until the flour and shortening are well blended. Add water in a steady stream, beating on low until the dough comes together. Let dough stand for 15 minutes.

 

Divide the dough into 10 equal portions. Coat hands with shortening and roll each portion into a ball, coating ball completely with the shortening.

 

Place each dough ball between two sheets of wax or parchment paper, and roll dough into a thin circle, about 8-9 inches in diameter.

 

Heat an un-greased cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time, about a minute on each side, or until lightly brown and bubbled. Place tortillas between sheets of wax paper, and store in fridge if not using right away.

Makes 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas for the casserole.

 

Casserole:
 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 small can green chilies, drained

1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1 teaspoon salt, divided

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided

10 home-made flour tortillas

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until onions are slightly caramelized. Add the green chilies, tomatoes, taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sour cream, 1 cup cheese and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well.

Warm the flour tortillas by placing the stack on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until tortillas are warm and pliable.

Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture and roll.

Place each tortilla roll seam side down in the prepared baking dish.

Cover with the sauce and sprinkle the extra one cup of cheese on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly in the center. Serves 6-8.

 Get ready for something good and sweet.

 

 

Mother's Cream Cheese Pie with Strawberries & Blueberries 

1 pie shell, pre-baked,  graham cracker crumb crust, or crust of choice

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat cream cheese works fine)
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
dash of salt

 

Place the strawberries, salt, sugar and cornstarch into a saucepan over medium-low heat, cook, stirring often until the sugar has dissolved. Add the blueberries and cook one minute more. Set aside to cool.

 

Place the cream cheese and confectioners sugar into a mixer bowl and beat with the whisk attachment until blended. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pie crust. Chill for at least an hour.

Serve the cooked berries over slices of pie, then top with a dollop of whipped cream.

 Whipped cream: Beat 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoon sugar. Serve over pie and berries.

 

 

We will let you know when the book is out in an Amazon e-book. Any profit from the book will go to Richard.