Cat Cora's Southern Cornbread

I have a couple of Cat Cora's cookbooks and this is one my favorite recipes of hers.  I love cornbread, plain, with butter, in chili, you name it. 

5 tbsp. unsalted butter plus more for the pan
3/4 C. all purpose flour
3/4 C. cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. buttermilk (shake before measuring)
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and position rack in the middle.  Butter an 8 inch square baking pan..

Melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave safe dish in 3 15 second intervals on high or in a small pan on the stove.  Set it aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs.  Add the melted butter.  Add the flour, cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined.  Pour the batter into the pan.  Bake until the cornbread just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; 18 to 23 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Yes, the title says brussels sprouts.  I am not usually a fan but I tried this at one of the booths at our farmer's market and really liked it.  It's true that everything is better with bacon!

1lb. brussels sprouts
4oz. diced pancetta
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small onion or 2 small shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. chicken stock
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Rinse brussel sprouts.  Pull off any limp outer leaves.  Trim tough ends off brussels sprouts, cut them in half lengthwise.  Thinly slice brussels sprouts into 1/8" threads.

Heat a large skillet over medium low flame.  Add pancetta and saute until crispy--8-10 minutes.  Add butter  to saute pan and stir until melted.  Add onion and garlic to pan.  Saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes.  Add brussels sprouts and stir to coat in fat.  Saute till partially softened--3 to 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and vinegar; deglaze pan; scraping the bits off the bottom. 

Stir in mustard to coat brussels sprouts.  Saute until bright green and al dente; 2 to 3 more minutes.  Do not overcook, they will be bitter and limp.

Season brussels sprouts with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  Serve immediately.

Sunday Morning Breakfast Sandwiches

Most Sunday mornings I get up and immediately go to Caputo's.  This is usually between 7am and 8am.  Anyone who lives near me and who has shopped at Caputo's knows why.  Caputo's is a scary, scary place midday on a weekend.  Anyway, I enjoy the seasons between October and April when Chris doesn't have softball because he is home for breakfast.  Your Sunday morning breakfast sandwich is basically a fresh (hopefully warm) roll of your choice, meat of your choice, cheese of your choice, and an egg made the way you like it.  Slice the roll in half, place a slice of cheese on each half, followed by the meat after you have cooked it, then your egg.  Then eat!  Below are some photos of today's sandwiches.

Today's sandwich consisted of warm Portuguese rolls, Gouda cheese, Canadian bacon and sunny side up eggs.  We've also done provolone, and pancetta on pretzel rolls.  Try your own!

Pork Ribs Pizzaiola

The October/November issue of Cooking Club of America magazine has a section on crockpot dishes.  Every one of them looked appealing to me.  I only wish I had pork ribs here in the house so I could make and eat this right now.  I guess I am also going to need to try and make polenta because this recipe suggests that the ribs get served over it.

4lb. pork spareribs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 C. dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
1 28oz. can tomato puree
3 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano

Pat pork dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Cook pork in batches 6 to 8 minutes until browned, turning once.  Place pork in a crockpot, discard excess drippings from skillet.

Bring wine or broth to a simmer in the same skillet over medium high heat.  Simmer 1 minute, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Add to crockpot, along with tomato puree, peppers and oregano.

Cook covered, on low for 7 to 9 hours or until pork is fork tender and pulls away from bones.  Remove pork.  Skim fat from sauce.  Stir to blend sauce.

Beer Braised Beef Brisket

We love brisket and I am always looking for different ways to prepare it.  This recipe steps away from the BBQ and smoked varieties.  It makes a hearty meal for a cold fall/winter night.

3 large carrots, cut on the bias
3 medium turnips, quartered  (Let's be honest, I probably won't use these)
2 large onions, quartered
1 3 1/2-4 1/2lb beef brisket
1 1/2 tsp. salt divided
1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
12oz. dark beer
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Place carrots, turnips, and onions in the crockpot.  Sprinkle beef with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Cook beef 6 to 9 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Place over vegetables in crockpot.

Bring beer, brown sugar and cinnamon to a simmer in same skillet over medium high heat, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the pan.  Stir in remaining salt and pepper.  Pour over beef.

Cook covered, on low 7 to 9 hours or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

I love black bean soup.  Maria's Mexican Restaurant makes some of the best I have had.  I have been looking for an easy recipe to try and this one is the winner.  I plan to try it this weekend.  I will report back with a review!

1lb. dried black beans, rinsed
6 C. hot water
2 onions, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced jalepeno
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 C. finely chopped cilantro
1 C. sour cream

Add beans to a large saucepan of boiling water; return to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low; simmer 10 minutes.  Drain; rinse.  Place in slow cooker.  Stir in hot water, onions, bell pepper, garlic, chile, cumin, oregano, 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt and pepper.

Cook, covered on low 8-10 hours; or until beans are very tender.  Stir in tomatoes, cook 30 minutes.

To thicken soup, mash some of the beans with a potato masher or puree in a blender or use an immersion blender.  Stir in cilantro and remaining salt.  Serve topped with sour cream and chihuahua cheese.

Chipotle Chicken Stew

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (Rachael used 8 bone in chicken thighs)
Smoked sweet paprika or paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 pound chunk Spanish chorizo, casing removed and crumbled or chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, seeded and finely chopped, plus a tablespoon adobo sauce
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 C. chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, cubed
tortilla for filling

The instuctions below are written for a Dutch oven but when I made this, I used my crockpot.  I did cook the chicken and chorizo in a skillet before adding them and the rest of the ingredients to the crock.  I cooked it on low for 6.5 hours.

Season chicken with paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan, in a Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet with a lid. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and spoon off the excess fat. Add the chorizo and brown a couple of minutes, then remove it to a plate. Stir in the carrots, onions, garlic, thyme and chipotle, and cover the pot. Reduce heat a bit, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and bring to a bubble, then add the chicken and the chorizo back to the pot and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes more to cook through. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal.


To reheat, add 1 cup of stock to the chicken in a Dutch oven and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat, until the sauce bubbles, then gently stir and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.



Heat the tortillas or bread and set aside.

Chipotle Chorizo Lasagna

I found this in my Cooking Club of America magazine and I am going to make it for dinner on Halloween.  I figured it will be something easy to eat while we are answering the door for trick or treaters.  I think this is going to be a fun spin on one of my all time favorites.


1lb. bulk chorizo sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15oz. container ricotta cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan or hard Jack cheese
1 egg
1/2 C. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes in puree or chunky tomato sauce
2 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 tsp. chopped chipotle in adobo
12 oven ready lasagna noodles
1lb. shredded Mexican 3 cheese blend
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot.  Crumble chorizo into skillet, cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned, adding the onion halfway through and stirring occasionally.

Whisk ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg in a medium bowl.  Stir in  1/2 C. cilantro and salt.

Combine all tomatoes and chipotles in a medium bowl.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread 1 C. sauce in the bottom of  a 13X9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.  Place 3 of the lasagna noodles (they won't touch).  Spread with 1/3  of the ricotta mixture, sprinkle with 1/3 of the chorizo mixture.  Sprinkle with 1 C. of the cheese blend.  Alternate layers and top with remaining sauce.

Tightly cover the pan with foil.  Bake 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 C. of cheese blend.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until  cheese is melted and bubbly and noodles are tender.

Let stand 15 minutes, garnish with cilantro.

Crockpot "Rotisserie" Chicken

This is a recipe I saw on the WW message board I participate in.  It sounds ridiculous but it works and the chicken is out of this world.  Be creative with the herbs and spices you use.  You'll be amazed at how good it is. 

1 whole chicken (4-6lbs)
1 lemon
Fresh herbs or spices of your choice
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

I used fresh sage, tarragon and rosemary on mine

Line bottom of crockpot with tin foil balls about the size of golf balls.  Place some herbs and the sliced lemon inside the chicken cavity.  Rub butter over the outside of the chicken and sprinkle chopped herbs over the bird.  Place on the tinfoil balls and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  The meat will fall off the bones.  You can also use the drippings to make gravy.  Be sure to remove the tinfoil balls first. ;-P

Chicken Salad

This is another recipe I found at Penzey's.  It reminds me of the delicious chicken salad that you can get at Egg Harbor Restaurant.  You can either buy a rotisserie chicken at the store or make your own.  I have a crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe I need to add here too.

3 C. cooked, cubed chicken
1/2 C. sharp cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 C. prepared creamy salad dressing
1/3 C. dill pickles
3 tbsp. capers
3 tbsp. spicy coarse brown mustard
1/2-1 tsp. pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. dill pickle juice

In a bowl, combine the chicken and cheese.  Add some of the dressing to moisten the mixture; it should be on the dry side.  Add the pickles and capers and mix well.  Add the mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar and mix well.  Add the pickle juice to loosen the mixture.  Add additional salad dressing until desired consistency is reached.  Chill before serving.  This is delicious on hearty whole wheat bread.

Apple Cake

This is a Penzey's recipe.  A trip to Penzey's is always a great field trip for me.  Eventually I will most likely have to build an addition on my house to store my spices and herbs.  I am sure my sister would agree.    I remember one time when she came over to help me pack for a move; she couldn't get over that I had enough spices to fill more than one packing box.  We still laugh about that and if anything, my collection has exponentially expanded.

4 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2lb. shortening
2 large egg yolks beaten
30 crushed vanilla wafers
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3lbs. apples, peeled, cored and sliced (each apple is sliced into 12 slices)
3 C. powdered sugar
enough water to make a thick glaze

Put beaten egg yolks in a 1 C. measuring cup and fill with water to the 1 C. line.  In a roomy bowl, combine flour and salt.  Cut in shortening.  Add the egg yolk/water mixture and stir until just incorporated.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Divide the dough in half.  Roll half out to fit on a 16.5 X 12.5 inch  cookie sheet.  Place rolled out dough on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with half of the vanilla wafer crumbs.  Spread half of the apple slcies on top of the crumbs.  Sprinkle the rest of the vanilla wafer crumbs on top of the first layer of apple slices.  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg on top of second layer of apple slices.  Roll out second half of dough large enough to cover bottom layer of dough and apple filling.  Lightly moisten perimeter of bottom layer of dough with water.  Place second lauer of dough on top of bottom layer of dough and apples.  Seal the two layers of dough and crimp.  Make a few small slits in the top crust to let steam escape.  Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  The apples will still be slightly firm.  Combine the powdered sugar and water to make a glaze.  Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake is still warm.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

I love pumpkin and have since I was a kid.  I especially like spicy pumpkin.  I can almost smell this bread baking as I am typing.  There is nothing like the smell of pumpkin bread baking on a cool fall afternoon.

1 3/4 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened and cut up
1 C. canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. orange peel

Glaze
1 C. powdered sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. orange peel

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Beat sugar and butter at medium high speed 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add pumpkin, eggs, ginger and 2 tsp. orange peel; beat at medium speed until well blended.  (Batter may look curdled)  Slowly beat in flour mixture at low speed just until well blended.  Spoon batter into pan.

Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until edges pull away slightly from sides of pan and center springs back when lightly touched.  Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely

Whisk all glaze ingredients in small bowl.  Pour into small resealable plastic bag; cut of small corner of bag.  Drizzle glaze over bread; let stand until set.

This bread can be frozen; it's best to do it before it is glazed.

Pizza Gallery

Now that we are heading into cooler weather, the thought of having a 450 degree oven going for about an hour is more appealing than it was all summer.  Needless to say, I am back to perfecting my pizza recipe.  Did you know that you can put thinly sliced pork roast and goat cheese on a pizza and it tastes like heaven?  Pancetta on a pizza is delicious too.  Oh yeah, my summer tomato sauce recipe...it makes a great pizza sauce as well.

I am also getting better at making round-ish pizzas as opposed to paralleograms, octagons and rhombuses (rhombi?)...not really sure what the correct plural is there.  Here are some photos of my latest creations.

As you can see, Flat Charlie likes my pizza too!  I think his favorite is pepperoni.

The pictures above are of the pork roast and goat cheese pizza.

The pictures below are from tonight's dinner; cheese and pancetta and cheese and meatball. 

We also discovered a cheese combo tonight that is sensational; a mixture of grated mozzarella and grated provolone.  I still may be miles away from my own pizza place but progress is definitely being made!

Peppermint Crisscross Cookies

This is a recipe I found in the latest WW magazine.  Here's hoping this will become a new holiday favoite. 

2 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.  With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute.  Add sugar and beat until well blended, about 4 minutes.  Reduce speed to low.  Beat in egg and vanilla until blended.  Add flour mixture, beating until well blended.  Stir in crushed candies.

Form dough by tablespoonfuls into 1 inch bowls.  Place balls on 2 large ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart.  Firmly press the top of each cookie with tines of fork to form crisscross pattern.

Bake until cookies are golden on bottom and firm in the center, 14-15 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time.  Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheets,a bout 3 minutes.  Transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.  If making ahead, transfer to airtight containers with wax paper between layers.  Cover and store at room temperature up to 1 week or 1 month in the freezer.

Pork Roast, it's the Other White Meat!

I think I have mentioned before that Chris is the meat man.  Any given day, he can stop at the grocery store for a gallon of milk and will come home with a roast.  At one point in time since we got married, I think we had 9 roasts in the house and the kids weren't even in town.  Case in point last Saturday, Chris was kind enough to brave Caputos at about 1:30 in the afternoon.  I had given him a list of some produce, canned goods and yogurt.  Wouldn't you know it, he came home with a GINORMOUS pork roast.  I cut it into 3 manageable roasts, vac-packed them and froze them for future use.

I came across this recipe in an ad in the new WW magazine.  I still have rosemary in the yard.  I'll pick up garlic at the farmer's market Saturday.  I see this in my near future.

2.5lbs boneless top loin pork roast
1 1/2 C. fresh rosemary leaves
12 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 1/2lbs small red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor, combine rosemary, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; pulse to a coarse, wet paste.  Spread 3/4 of the paste on all sides of the roast.  Place roast, fat side up in shallow roasting pan.  Roast 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix potatoes and remaining paste.  Reduce oven to 350 degrees.  Place coated potatoes around roast; cook 50 to 60 minutes, tossing potatoes about halfway.  Cook roast until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.  If potatoes are not done, transfer roast to cutting board and continue cooking potatoes.

Remove roast from oven, let rest 10 minutes.  Slice and arrange on platter with potatoes.

That's a lot of rosemary!

 That's a lot of garlic!

The house smelled fantastic when this was cooking!

Lemon Grilled Chicken

This is a new spin on grilled chicken.  I love the flavor a lemon lends to chicken and you can never go wrong with garlic.

1 lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh parsley, plus extra sprigs for garnish
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Use a peeler to remove strips of zest from half of the lemon then trim the fine strips with a small knife and reserve.  Grate the other side of the lemon to make 1 tbsp. zest.  Finally, squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper.  Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and spoon the marinade over the chicken until well coated.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Chill for 30 minutes or overnight if you have time.

Preheat the grill.  Cook chicken breasts until cooked through; 10 minutes or less on each side; depending on the how hot the grill is.  I have found over the years that your grilled chicken is done when it isn't wobbly to the touch anymore.  Sprinkle with reserved lemon strips and serve immediately garnished with parsley.

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

Sometimes I look at recipes and think, hmm, I can make this lowfat, or lower in calories.  Fettuccine is one of my favorite dishes and sometimes you have to go big or go home.  I am not going to mess with this.  I'll just workout for 10 days straight after serving.  LOL  Feel free to add grilled chicken or veggies to this if you wish.

1 C. butter
2 C. whipping cream
2 C. grated Parmasan cheese
1lb. fettuccine
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Fresh basil leaves

Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl.  Usig a wooden spoon or electric mixer set on low speed, beat until smooth.  Add the cream and Parmasan cheese; set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain well and immediately add the hot pasta to the butter mixture in the large bowl.  Using two forks, toss the fettuccine in the butter mixture to coat well.  Add the salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta between 4 serving bowls.  Quickly ribbon the basil and sprinkle over pasta.  Serve immediately.

Fudgy Chocolate Cake

Those who know me know that chocolate cake is not my favorite.  I know, weird, huh??  I think part of my issue is I prefer chocolate icing on white or yellow cake and I often think that chocolate cake and chocolate icing is "too much".  We'll see about that.

6oz. white chocolate for garnish
1 C. unsalted butter
1 C. plus 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. plus 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
3/4 C. very hot water
1/2 pint heavy cream
10.5oz. semisweet chocolate

Finely grate white chocolate onto a plate using a vegetable peeler.  Chill until needed.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the base of 2 8-inch round cake pans; line with parchment paper.  Combine butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and eggs in a large bowl.  Using an electric mixer set on medium, beat until smooth.  Continue beating until increased in volume, about 2 minutes longer.  Add the hot water and beat to incorporate, about 1 minute longer.  Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.  Leave cakes in pans to cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.  Peel off the parchment paper; let cool.

Meanwhile, heat heavy cream just to a boil.  Break chocolate into pieces; add to cream and stir until melted.  Let cool; chill for 30 mnutes, then whisk until thickened to a speadable consistency.

Use a third of chocolate frosting to sandwich cakes.  Spread the remainder over the whole cake.  Sprinkle with reserved white chocolate.