Cookin' Country Style

[Sharikee]

[Sharikee]

Chicken Soup and Drop Dumplings

Ingredients
Chicken Soup:
Two 3-pound chickens, each cut into 6 pieces and backbones reserved
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 large leeks, white part only, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces and soaked in cold water to remove grit
2 medium yellow onions, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Dumplings:
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup milk, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the soup: Place the chicken pieces and the backbones in a large pot and cover with 16 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and poach the chicken until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool; discard the backbones. Once the chicken cools enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones, shred and roughly chop; set aside. Strain the chicken broth and keep warm.

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and stir in the carrots, garlic, celery, leeks, onions and poultry seasoning. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the flour.

Add the reserved chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the soup thickens slightly and vegetables soften, about 25 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and bring the soup back to a low simmer.

For the dumplings: In a medium bowl, add the flour. Use two butter knives to cut in the milk, butter, baking powder, salt and eggs. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. The dough should be moist but not too wet.

Pull the dough into 1/4-cup pieces and place directly in the simmering soup; cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

[Sharikee]

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Coarsely chop two onions into wedges and quarter 6 to 8 larger red potatoes. Peel 5 or 6 carrots and cut them into large chunks. Place vegetable in bottom of a large crock pot. Salt and pepper vegetables.
Pour 3 cups of water over vegetable and place 4 pound corned beef brisket in pot, reserving spice packet.
Add 12 ounces of beer and sprinkle spice packet over all.
Cover and cook on high 8 hours. It takes this long for the meat to get really tender, therefore keep those vegetables in large pieces.
Add one whole cabbage cut in wedges for last hour of cooking.

[Sharikee]

Peaches and Cream Freezer Pie

Ingredients

Pie

2 cups gingersnap crumbs
⅓ cup butter, melted
4 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon almond extract
Almond Brittle

¼ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 ½ cup slivered almonds
Instructions

Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap. Press crumb mixture into pan.
Combine ice cream, peaches and extract until well mixed. Spoon over crumb mixture. Freeze for several hours.
In a heavy saucepan, combine all brittle ingredients. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture is bubbly and almonds are lightly browned. Spoon onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
When pie is fully frozen, turn out and slice onto serving plates. Sprinkle with almond brittle.

[Sharikee]

Quick Shrimp Chowder

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled*
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Oyster crackers (optional)
Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.
*1 1/2 pounds frozen shrimp, thawed; 1 1/2 pounds peeled crawfish tails; or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken may be substituted.

[Sharikee]

Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste
3/4 ounce package brown gravy mix
2 cans (10 3/4-ounce) cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots, thawed
10 ounces package frozen peas, thawed
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 to 3 cups potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
paprika to taste
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown beef and onion in a skillet; season to taste with garlic powder and seasoning salt. Drain; pour into a large bowl.

Stir in gravy mix, soup, water, carrots and peas; mix well.

Spoon into a greased 9 inch deep-dish pie plate; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spread mashed potatoes over top; bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Serves 4

[Sharikee]

Spaghetti With Homemade Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1/2 poundground beef
1/2 poundground pork
2 clovesof garlic, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley)
1/8 teaspoonsalt
Black pepper to taste
Splash of milk
1/4 cupolive oil
For the sauce:

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 clovesof garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/8 teaspoonsalt
1/2 teaspoonsugar
Black pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley)
4 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
Plus, 1 pound of spaghetti, cooked al dente

Directions:

Mix the meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk together in a large bowl. Combine well with your hands, then chill the meatball mixture for 15-30 minutes so itfirms up.
Get out a cookie sheet and dab your fingers into some water or milk (so the mixture wonít stick to your hands). Then, roll the mixture into 12-13 meatballs that are about 1 1/2 inches and place them on the cookie sheet.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and add half the meatballs to the skillet. Turn the meatballs regularly until they are browned, then remove them and let them drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the second half of meatballs.
Use the same pot and add the onion, letting it cook for a few minutes until it is translucent. Then, add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley and stir and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add the meatballs to the pot and carefully stir them in. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook them for 30 minutes, making sure to give the sauce a few gentle stirs in the process. Stir in the basil before serving.
Serve the meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.

[Sharikee]

Stuffed Cheesy Garlic Bread

1 Italian loaf, about 12 inches long
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tsp minced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3 tsp chopped parsley (add more if you wish)
12 oz grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, dijon mustard, poppy seeds and parsley in a bowl.

Cut the bread into cubes with X slices without cutting all the way through the bottom crust.

Pour the butter-onion garlic mixture carefully into those X cracks using a small spoon and over the top of the bread. Fill those delicious cracks with the grated cheese.

Wrap the entire loaf with foil, sealing the sides properly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.

[Sharikee]

Vanilla Cheesecake
Serves: 12
Vanilla Crust:
50 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (2 cups)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon McCormick® Extra Rich Pure Vanilla Extract
Cheesecake Filling:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon McCormick® Extra Rich Pure Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 325°F. For the Vanilla Wafer Crust, mix vanilla wafer crumbs, butter, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Press evenly into bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
For the Filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off oven. Leave cheesecake in oven 2 hours or until cooled. Remove from oven.
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen crust; remove sides of pan. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

[Sharikee]

Cranberry Glazed Ham

Ingredients
Glaze:
1/2 of a 14-ounce can of jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 strips of orange zest
2 to 3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
Ham:
1/2 spiral-cut ham (about 9 pounds, plus or minus), bone-in, natural juices or no added water
1 Let ham sit at room temp: Let the ham sit at room temp for a couple of hours before cooking. This will help the ham heat more evenly in the oven with less risk of the outside edges drying out.
2 Heat the ham: Wrap the ham tightly in aluminum foil, place in a roasting pan, and heat in a 275°F oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours (depending on the size of the ham, could be less or more time), until the internal temperature is 100°F. (It's already cooked, you're just heating it.)
3 Make the glaze: Place the jellied cranberry sauce in a small saucepan on low heat. Whisk in the orange juice and brown sugar until the brown sugar is dissolved. Add the strips of orange zest. Heat until bubbly and whisk until smooth. Then remove from heat, take out the orange strips, and stir in the mustard.
4 Glaze the ham: When the ham is ready, remove from oven. Open up the foil and paint the ham with half of the glaze. Keep the ham uncovered and return to the oven, bake at 425°F for 10 minutes.
5 Glaze again and broil: Remove from oven and baste with the remaining glaze. Return to the oven on the lowest rack, and broil for 5 to 10 minutes (at least 6 inches away from the heating element) until the glaze is lightly browned and caramelized.
6 Cut around the bone: Transfer ham to a serving dish. Use a paring knife to cut around the bone to separate the spiral cut slices from the bone. If you want pour some of the remaining pan juices over the ham. (Great flavor!)
Make sure to save the bone for ham soup!

[Sharikee]

Bean and Bacon Soup
Ingredients
1 pound dry Great Northern white beans, covered with a couple inches of water and soaked overnight
5 ounces of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
2 cups chopped onion (1 large onion)
3/4 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs of celery)
3/4 cup chopped carrots (1 large carrot)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 ounce bacon (1 to 2 slices), cooked and crumbled for garnish (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
1 Drain the beans: Drain the beans that have been soaking in water. (If you haven't already soaked the beans, and you don't have time to do so overnight, you can put them in a large pot of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for an hour, then drain.)
2 Cook the bacon and vegetables: Put the bacon into a large (5 to 6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven on medium high heat. Let the bacon cook for a minute or two to start rendering out some of its fat, then add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are completely cooked through and softened. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
3 Add beans, stock, seasonings, simmer: Add the drained beans to the pot. Add the stock, the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Increase heat to high to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour or until the beans are very soft.
4 Add tomato paste and paprika: Stir in the tomato paste and the paprika. Cook for 5 more minutes.
5 Purée half the soup: Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée most of the soup. You don't want the soup to be perfectly smooth, but you want to purée enough of it so that the beans create a creamy base.
Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with crumbled cooked bacon and chopped parsley to serve.

[Sharikee]

Butternut Squash Pie
Ingredients

1½ cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Instructions

Place squash in saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, combine squash, brown sugar, cornstarch, egg, milk, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Process until smooth. Pour into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a table knife comes out clean when inserted in center.

[Sharikee]

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped until they resemble a coarse flour
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.
In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
In a separate, large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in the ground almonds and beat well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the batter. [The batter will be extremely stiff and loosen as the egg whites mix in]. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour into the Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Turn out on a wire rack and cool. Sprinkle with sifted confectioner’s sugar or drizzle with glaze .
Glaze:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or rum
2 tablespoons water

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, immediately lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon evenly over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top of the cake with slivered almonds.