Thursday, November 28, 2013

Cornbread Dressing


Dressing or Stuffing? Cornbread or Bread? Everyone has a different recipe or style and nothing will divide cooks quicker! We never stuffed our turkey and always had Cornbread Dressing. Mom would also make a pan of plain Bread Dressing for Daddy because it was his Mother's recipe. Daddy never knew that Mom snuck a little cornbread into that pan of bread dressing. And, of course, a little white bread went into her cornbread dressing.
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We measured everything by the bowl size but the below measurements are pretty accurate.  If your dressing is too dry, add some more broth and if it's too moist, add some more cornbread or white bread. I always add the eggs last - after I've tasted the dressing for proper seasoning. I'm giving you a minimum measurement on the seasonings. Add them to your dressing, taste it, and add a little more of this and that. Some people like a little more sage. Mom and I would add a little of everything until the dressing was 'just right'. Keep in mind that you don't want to 'over season'. Once the dressing is cooked, the flavors will be come richer, so keep this in mind. Happy Cooking!

Cornbread Dressing

8 to 10 cups of cornbread, crumbled
2 to 4 cups of white bread, slightly stale and broken into small pieces
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons rubbed sage (use less if ground sage)
2 to 4 cups broth (ideally a mixture of chicken broth and turkey broth)
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
2 beaten eggs

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth, turkey neck (or use chicken thighs), enough water to cover, and butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and bread together. Add celery, onion, and seasonings. Mix well. Remove turkey/chicken from the broth and set aside. Add broth a cup or two at a time until you reach the desired consistency, mixing well after each addition. Keep in mind the dressing will 'set' as it cooks. Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Then add eggs and stir well. Pour into 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown on top. This recipe actually makes a little more than will fit into a 9x13 pan, so you can also bake a smaller dish along side the bigger one. I like to take the chicken cooked for the broth, remove the skin and bones, and add it to the leftover dressing. Then bake it in a casserole dish along side your cornbread dressing. This will make a great leftover casserole that can quickly be re-heated the next day.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Indian Rice

INDIAN RICE
Ingredients
Three cups of cooked rice
One cup of chicken stock,
One medium onion, grated fine,
1 teaspoon olive oil
One-half teaspoons of salt, (or to taste)
One-half teaspoon of paprika,
One-half teaspoon of curry powder.
In saucepan, cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until onion is tender.  Add all other ingredients, mix well.  Cook fifteen minutes over medium heat, and serve very hot, garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Baked Baby Lima Beans

BAKED BABY LIMA BEANS
These tiny limas are most delicious when baked like the ordinary navy bean. 
Two 16 oz. cans of Lima beans (can also use frozen, but add 1 cup of water)
One cup of stewed tomatoes,
One onion, minced fine,
One green pepper, minced fine,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
One tablespoon of paprika,
One-half cup of olive oil,
Four tablespoons of molasses.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix well  and pour into shallow baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour.  

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Cranberry Sherbet

Cranberry Sherbet

  • 2¾ cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon gelatin (1 envelope)
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • Juice and grated rind 1 lemon
  • Juice and grated rind 1 orange
Combine cranberries, water and sugar in saucepan. Cook until cranberries are soft. Put through sieve or food mill. Soften gelatin in cold water and dissolve in hot cranberry puree. Stir in fruit juice and rind. Cool. Pour into refrigerator tray and freeze until firm. Makes 1 quart.