A Southern Supper of Trout, with Butter-Lime-Caper Sauce, Sweet Potato Wedges, Coleslaw and Hushpuppies!



Trout with butter-lime-caper sauce, cinnamon dusted sweet potato wedges, coleslaw, hushpuppies

This supper is on the heels of going through the week of Christmas thinking that I am just tired of the same old food! We'd just had a similar menu for Thanksgiving and the thought of cooking that tired menu, although I do love traditional foods during the holidays, just gave me fits. So, I started to make menu changes then, and to our traditional foods like ham, dressing and gravy, pear and cheese salad, I added Country Captain over white rice, butterbeans, roasted asparagus with Parmesan and Romano cheese and corn fritters with red pepper jelly.  If you would like to see the menu and recipes for Christmas Day, just check out this site; www.southernsundaydinner.com. We are still talking about how much we enjoyed the old and the new.

Now, here I am in the next week trying to think of something different for supper. What will it be? I really enjoy a good fish dinner, or should I say that I enjoy a dinner with good fish. So, it was time that I bought some fresh fish. The store had pretty trout, and I could lightly dust it with flour and fry it in butter. Finishing the fish would be easy, all I have to do is add more butter, a couple of tablespoons of capers and a splash of lime juice. The ideas started to fly though my head. Coleslaw would be good with that too, so would home-made hushpuppies, which I have not made in a long time. Oh, and I already have sweet potatoes in the pantry.

Oh yummy, I said, a plan. The lime juice from the sauce on the trout would be a good complement to the cinnamon dusted sweet potatoes. And, the hushpuppies would be a  nice complement to the coleslaw. And, it was! I made it all, and it was a good supper all the way around. Would you like the recipes?


Hushpuppies!

The Trout

2 servings

 

2 trout filets

1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

 

 

Mix flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dust the trout.

Add butter to a skillet large enough to hold both pieces of trout.

Heat the butter until sizzling. Add the trout, skin side down and making sure the thickest part of the fish is toward the center of the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Turn to the other side, again, making sure that the thickest part of the filet is toward the center of the skillet, and finish cooking. Time for cooking depends on size and thickness of the fish. You should be able to touch the fish and feel the firmness. Remove the fish to a plate and keep warm.

 

Sauce

 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons lime juice

 

Add the butter to the skillet set on medium high. Add the capers. The butter will start to brown. Add the lime juice and let the sauce thicken. Divide the sauce between the two servings of fish.

 

Sweet Potato Wedges

 

 

2 sweet potatoes

cinnamon

 

Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the sweet potatoes on the sheet. Bake sweet potatoes in a 350 degree oven until almost done. Remove from the oven, and slice the potatoes into wedges. Remove skin. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place potato wedges back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put back in the oven to finish baking until tender.

 

 

Coleslaw

 

There really is not a recipe for this, but I make it like my mother made it. I use a bag of angel hair coleslaw mix which has 6-7 cups finely grated cabbage. About 3/4 cup chopped bread and butter pickles, plus a couple tablespoons pickle juice, a teaspoon sugar, and enough mayonnaise to make it creamy. Mix it all together and chill until ready to serve.

 

 

 

Hushpuppies, Hush!

 

 

1 cup self-rising corn meal mix (I use Martha White Hot Rize, white cornmeal)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

3 green onions, including the stems, thinly sliced (you could also use chopped jalapenos)

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk*

 

Mix all together. Batter will be thick, but if you can see dry cornmeal, add more buttermilk, a little at a time.

Prepare a small, deep heavy saucepan for frying the hushpuppies by adding about 2-3 inches of oil, and place over medium or medium high heat. When the oil starts to move, scoop out hushpuppy batter a tablespoon at a time and add to the hot oil. A one tablespoon ice cream scoop works great for this. Your saucepan should be deep, but large enough to hold 3-4 hushpuppies at a time. Brown hushpuppies on each side, and remove to paper towels to drain. Serve hot. Makes 13 hushpuppies. These are great with a little red pepper jelly on the side.*You want a thick batter, so add the extra two tablespoons sparingly. It would be better to add one at a time as needed.

 



 

 

 

MAMA IRENE'S MINCEMEAT FRUITCAKE

 

 

 

From the time that I was a little girl, at Christmas, I would walk down the long hallway and by the dark dining room table filled with cakes and pies, to get to my grandmother's kitchen. There, in that old farm kitchen were produced some of the best Lane Cakes, fruitcakes, and pecan pies in the South.

 



My grandmother, Lillian Irene Murray Rogers, in front of her home.



 

Mama Irene's desserts were the epitome of what traditions were made of, and she was the perfect grandmother. Very much a lady, very much involved in her church, Eastern Star and her community, and very loved. So every chance I get, I like to honor her.

 

This fruitcake, along with a white fruitcake that my mother made, are two of my favorite fruitcakes during Christmas. Now, I must admit to you that this is not a moist fruitcake, but it's great for dipping in tea, and it has a crust that is absolutely fabulous to eat! This cake has the perfect amount of spice from the mincemeat. Divine, is what I should say about this cake. Then again, that's how I feel about it, because I'm not just eating cake, I'm eating a memory.

 

Mama Irene's Mincemeat Fruitcake

 

 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (1-pound) jar mincemeat

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pecans (I toast whole pecans in the microwave for about a minute and then chop them before adding to the mixture)

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla (or Grand Marnier)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

 

Add the first 4 ingredients to a sifter and sift into a small bowl. Set aside. To a large bowl, add the mincemeat, raisins, pecans, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Fold in the flour mixture. Line the bottom of a tube pan with parchment. or waxed paper. Grease the pan. Pour in the fruitcake mixture, evening off the top. Bake in a low, 325 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2hours, depending on pan size, or convection oven (my cakes take about an hour). When the cake is done, let it rest for 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan. I use an instant read thermometer and my cake was done at about 192 degrees.

 

I put an icing of confectioners sugar, butter and orange juice on each slice. You can also make a hard sauce that would be perfect with this cake. If using the icing, use 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar, mixed with a half stick of very soft butter, and enough orange juice or Grand Marnier to make it spreadable.

 

                                                           Merry Christmas!



 



GET OUT THE LADLE & THE BOWL FOR BEEF-VEGETABLE SOUPER FLAVORFUL SOUP

Beef-Vegetable Soup

 

(For Sarah's Vegetable Soup, go to post for October 15, 2015 and find it there.)

 

This is a little different than Sarah's Beef Vegetable Soup because this soup is a little lighter and creamier, and uses vegetables that have the seasoning in the package.

 

It's a wonderful soup, so get out those soup bowls and enjoy this with a salad, and some fresh bread. You can start the soup 30 to 40  minutes before you are ready to eat, so it's great for a quick lunch.

 

 

The recipe:

 

8 ounces of ground sirloin, lean ground beef or chopped, leftover steak (if using leftover steak, make sure you add the bone)
1/4 cup diced onion
32 ounces beef broth
2 teaspoons beef base (for extra flavor)
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite tomatoes
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 ounces (1/2 package)Trader Joe's Vegetable Melange with seasoned butter sauce
1 1/2-2 cups green peas
1 (15.25 ounce) can cream style corn

Cook ground beef and onion until beef is cooked through. (If using cooked steak, add all ingredients except corn, with the steak). Add beef broth, beef base, tomatoes, and vegetables. Cook on medium heat until all vegetables are tender. Add creamed corn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve.



Savory Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia Bread Pudding with Tomato Cream Sauce

Savory Bread Pudding

Stale Focaccia? Make a Savory Pudding

I went to a local market to buy the fresh daily bread, which was a Rosemary French bread. While I was there, I picked up a sun-dried tomato focaccia. Oh gracious, it sure  looked good, but disappointment would set in soon after cutting two slices for tasting. It was stale!


An Italian cook, I am not, but also Not wanting to throw this beautiful bread away, I decided to make a savory bread pudding.  It was so good. The inside was nice and moist and the top was golden and crispy. But, it needed something. A tomato sauce with cream was the ticket, and as easy as opening a can of tomatoes. Here's hoping you enjoy this savory bread anew, as much as I did. The recipe is below.

 I cut the bread into small wedges, and fitted the wedges into an 8 1/2 x 12 x 2 inch oval dish.

I poured half the custard in, and then put half the cheese over the custard. Now, pour the remaining custard in and top with the other half of the cheese.

Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia Bread Pudding with Tomato Cream Sauce

1 sun-dried tomato focaccia

3 eggs

2 cups milk

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon Herbes of Provence

1 cup Romano cheese, divided

In a bowl, beat the eggs, mix in the remaining ingredients except the cheese.

Arrange the bread wedges (shown above) in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in half of the egg mixture. Sprinkle half of the cheese down between the bread wedges. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread. Then add the remaining  cheese on top of the bread. The egg mixture will not come all the way up. Cover with plastic wrap. Take your hand and press the bread down softly. This will help the bread absorb some of the liquid. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more.

When ready to bake, cover with foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then continue baking until the custard has set, but it is still creamy in the bread (see photo below). (The baking time will vary depending on the oven and the baking dish. I use convection. So, you may want to check this after 25 minutes or even before, to see if the custard has set.) Serve with Tomato Cream Sauce.





The inside is creamy and the outside is crispy.

Serve with Tomato Cream Sauce.

Tomato Cream Sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

dash of garlic salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Puree the tomatoes and add to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add the garlic salt, sugar, heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Taste for seasoning, and add salt, pepper and additional sugar, to taste. Serve over the bread pudding.

VANILLA SPICE EGGNOG DOUGHNUT MUFFINS, NEED I SAY MORE?

 

 

 

Happy Holidays with Vanilla Spice Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

 

 

During the Christmas season last year, I bought eggnog for my visiting children. The brand was Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice. There was leftover eggnog, and I felt like I ought to do something with it, so I took a basic doughnut muffin recipe and I changed it, a lot. I made it better by adding a cup of the eggnog to make the batter. So glad I decided to use it because the muffins were delicious. They were especially enjoyed with a cup of Lady Grey tea.

 

The recipe makes a very pretty cinnamon sugar adorned muffin. The muffins, a breakfast casserole, and the fruit compote that I previously posted, would be wonderful for a holiday brunch. Add some yogurt, and some jam and butter. Heaven on a plate and all can be made ahead.

 

Below the recipe is a photo of  small muffins in a basket, just to show that you can make them any size you like, including jumbo. Just change the cooking time. The muffins have a doughnut consistency. Add some raspberry jelly, or lemon curd for "jelly doughnuts".  Mmm, delish.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

6 tablespoons softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup vanilla spice eggnog, or flavor of your choice

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

 

Preheat the oven to 350. Add paper cupcake liners to a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg.

To a small bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, soda and nutmeg. To the butter, sugar mixture, add half the flour mixture, and half the eggnog and mix well, repeat with the remaining flour and eggnog, mixing well. Scoop the mixture into the muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until muffins are lightly browned. Remove from tins and follow directions for the topping.

For the topping, mix the sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place the butter in a small container and microwave until the butter is melted. Dip and swirl the top of each hot muffin into the butter and then dip into the sugar mixture. Ready to eat? Well, let's get to the table.

 

 

 



        Happy Holidays!

 

 



Baked Fruit Compote, Something I Love

Baked Fruit Compote, Something I Love

 

I decided yesterday, to make a baked fruit compote. The supermarket that I use is a bicycle ride away, but unfortunately it has cut back to only seasonal produce, and I can't buy fresh plums, or many other fresh fruits right now. So, I used a little of this and a little of that. You'll see. But in the end, it tasted so good! It will taste even better to you, if you use the fruits that you like.

This compote was so delicious over French vanilla ice cream last night. Wouldn't it be pretty to serve it during the holidays in crystal stems? Or, serve it for breakfast over cereal, or yogurt? My answer is yes, because I intend to make it again, and do all of the above.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 large pears, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 (15-ounce) can apricots, drained

10 ounces of dried prunes

1 (20 ounce) package frozen mixed fruits (Publix brand)

1 naval orange, divided

2 stips of lemon peel

1 cinnamon stick

2/3 cup brown sugar
 

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the fruits in a shallow casserole dish. Slice half the orange and cut the slices in half, and add to the fruit, along with the lemon peel. Squeeze the juice of the remaining half of the orange over the fruit. Add the cinnamon stick. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir. Check for sweetness, and add more sugar is needed. Continue baking until the fruit is tender. The total baking time depends on the fruits and the sizes, but it usually takes 35-40 minutes, so just keep checking until it is cooked to your preference. This is the good part. You can add a touch of any of these flavorings: vanilla, almond extract, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, or a little taste of sherry. Just add it at the beginning of cooking. 

 

 

Enjoyed it over French vanilla ice cream for dessert, but you can have it over cereal or yogurt. Just a bowl of fruit would taste good too!

 

 

 

 





 

Good Bread, Hearty Soups & Pear Cobbler, to Warm You in the Fall Chill

 

Sarah's Beef Vegetable Soup

 

Sarah was our cook, friend, and part of our family. We loved her cooking and especially her beef-vegetable soup. Even though we were in the Deep South, Sarah would cook this soup in summer using garden vegetables and in winter, using canned vegetables. I make it just like this all year round. This is real comfort food.

 

This recipe is as close to Sarah's soup as I could get, without her standing over my shoulder and telling me what she puts in it. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have for over 60 years. Now, just go make your pot of soup and some good cornbread to put in the middle of the bowl. Sit down at the table and eat until contented.

I like to use 6 cups of College Inn Beef Broth, and if I don't have that available, I use 2 1/2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Beef with 6 cups of water.
Publix and most major grocery stores carry the frozen bags of soup mix and gumbo mix.

 

 

Sarah's Beef Vegetable Soup

 

2 pounds ground sirloin 

¼ cup butter 

¼ cup flour 

6 cups beef broth, OR 2 1/2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Beef with 6 cups water

1 (15 ounce) package frozen soup vegetables with okra

1 (15 ounce) package frozen vegetable gumbo mix 

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes 

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 

1 to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste 

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown the beef in a large stockpot or soup pot. Add the butter and let it melt, and then add the flour. Cook for several minutes to cook the flour. Add the beef broth OR Better than Bouillon Beef with six cups of water. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Freezes Well. 

 

 

Broccoli-Potato Soup

 

This soup is so good. Both broccoli and potatoes in a creamy chicken broth makes this fall and winter worthy for sure. You can use frozen broccoli florets, but just weigh them to insure 20 ounces. In fact, I use a brand called Today's Harvest. It comes in a two pound clear package and it's packaged in Birmingham, Al.

The recipe makes a lot of soup, but you can keep if for several days in the fridge.

 

 

Broccoli-Potato Soup

 

20 ounces of frozen broccoli florets

1 onion, finely chopped 

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

7 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube

 Salt and pepper to taste

Roux:

4 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

 

Cook broccoli, onion, and potatoes in the broth (plus cube), uncovered until the potatoes are soft, (fork tender). Make the roux while the soup is simmering.

To make the roux, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk and cream slowly while whisking, and continue to cook until thickened. Add milk mixture to the broccoli. Cook the soup until thick and creamy. This may take up to 10 minutes, depending on amount of liquid. Serve with grated cheddar. 

 

English Tea Bread
 

What can I tell you? I love everything English. This bread is made from a recipe in Avner Laskin's book, The Easy Way to Artisan Breads & Pastries. And, believe me, this could not be easier if you have a mixer that has a dough hook. In fact, almost every recipe in this book is made in a mixer. Every recipe I've tried has worked perfectly. If you do not have his book, please think about getting it. It's wonderful.

 



English Tea Bread

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup cold milk 

3 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups bread flour*

2 teaspoons salt 

1 egg, beaten, for brushing

Additional flour for assorted task
 

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer with the dough hook attached, mix the water, milk, sugar, yeast, egg yolk, butter, and flour at low speed for 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the salt and continue kneading for 12 minutes. (Linda note: Measure your flour carefully. If you find that the dough is dry, sprinkle it with a little water).

Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 2 hours.

Place the dough on a floured work surface and flatten it out with the palm of the hand to remove air pockets. (In the front of Mr. Laskin's book, there are extra details that you can use for any bread or pastry making.) Form a ball of dough and place the palms of the hands on top of it. Roll the dough backward and forward, keeping hands in the same position, easing the ball onto an oval shape about 12 inches long. Place in a greased 12-inch loaf pan, brush with beaten egg, and let rise for 1 hour, or until the dough rises above the edge of the pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until deep brown and shiny.(Linda note: I remove the bread from the oven about 10 minutes before the cooking time ends and check it for doneness. Bread is done if you use an instant read thermometer down into the center of the bread and it reads 200 degrees.) Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

(Linda note: I use a smaller bread pan such as an inside measured 10 x 5 x 3 inches deep. It works fine. * I also use King Arthur Flour. Using an electric knife makes slicing so easy.)

 

 

 

Pear Cobbler

 

This is my cousin, Sandra's recipe. I've used it for years for peach cobbler, but one day I had pears and used those instead. It was even better. It will not have the juiciness that fresh peaches have, but this cobbler has the most delicious flavor, and you'll really love it with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream on top.

 

Pear Cobbler 

 

4 tablespoons butter 

2-3 small, peeled and thinly sliced ripe pears (one layer) 

1 cup self-rising flour 

3/4 cup sugar 

3/4 cup buttermilk

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in an 8 x 11-inch baking dish. Add the pears to the bottom of the dish in one layer. Mix the flour, sugar and buttermilk together into a batter. Pour over the pear slices, and bake until the batter is cooked through in the center. Test with a cake tester or toothpick. Serve warm. 

 

More Recipe available in Seasoned in the Kitchen by Linda Rogers Weiss
(e-book) $2.99 at Amazon.com