Southern Living’s All Time Favorites, 2009 Stir-Fry Pork and Cashews will be delicious served over steamy, hot rice.
Chuckie’s Chuckwagon Stew from A Taste of Heaven by First Presbyterian Church, Punta Gorda, sounds interesting and flavorful. It sounds like Chuckie (from Punta Gorda) has a great time in the kitchen while he is cooking, and cooking should be an enjoyable adventure for us since we spend a lot of time doing it!
“R” months (September through April) are coming up week after next, and it will once again be safe to consume OYSTERS! In her book titled Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, Mrs. Emily Meggett says, “Frying Seafood can be a tricky thing. It’s a fast process, but the key is to add just enough oil, and make sure the oil is hot enough for the oysters to actually fry instead of just soaking up the cooking oil. If you have a deep-fry thermometer, clip it to the side of the skillet and heat the oil over medium heat until the thermometer registers 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, just drop one oyster in on its side and cook: It should be golden brown on that side within one minute.”
And to go along with her fried oysters, here are Miz Meggett’s hushpuppies. She says, “Most people recognize hushpuppies as the can’t-miss side for fried fish and other types of seafood. I’m one of those people. I enjoy eating hushpuppies with any fried seafood dish. These crisped balls of cornmeal are a lot like cornbread, but their perfectly soft interior and crispy exterior separates them from other cornmeal-based sides. Mine are similar to what you’d find in a southern restaurant.” This recipe serves 6 to 8.
Creamed Green Beans from Savannah Style is very good and will work well for special occasions or simple suppers for your loved ones.
From New Vision’s Feeding the Flock, we have cabbage slaw with crunchy Ramen noodles and browned sesame seeds and almonds, topped with a whip-up yourself dressing.
We can thank Pat Jania for this delicious slaw.
STIR-FRY PORK AND CASHEWS
SOUTHERN LIVING’S
ALL TIME FAVORITES, 2009
1/2 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons stir-fry sauce
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry-roasted or unsalted cashews
Hot cooked rice
Garnish: green onions
1) Stir together first 4 ingredients. 2) Stir-fry pork mixture in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet 4 to 6 minutes; stir in cashews. Serve immediately with rice. Garnish, if desired. Makes two servings. Note: For four servings, use 1/3-cup stir-fry sauce, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and double all other ingredients. Proceed as directed.
CHUCKIE’S CHUCKWAGON STEW
Recipe from
First Presbyterian Church,
Punta Gorda, Florida
A Taste of Heaven
2-1/2 pounds beef cubes (5 cups)
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lard (or any
shortening)
2 onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dry crushed
red pepper
2 cups potatoes, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
Coat beef in a mixture of flour, paprika, salt and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Mix well before coating meat. Brown in hot fat in a large Dutch-oven or roasting pan.
Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft.
Add tomatoes, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves and red pepper.
Cover and simmer for about two hours.
Add potatoes and carrots and cook until vegetables are done, about 45 minutes.
Feeds six cowboys or eight city slickers.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
FRIED OYSTERS
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1 pint shucked oysters
2 cups vegetable oil
1 lemon, quartered
Cocktail sauce for serving
1) In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion and flour, creating a batter. Set aside. 2) Drain the shucked oysters, and add them all at once to the batter. Mix the oysters and batter together, coating the oysters in the batter. 3) Pour the oil into a large cast-iron skillet. Heat the oil over high heat. There must be enough oil for the oysters to float, and the oil should be hot enough so the oysters don’t sit and soak up all the oil. Once you have enough hot oil, reduce the heat to medium. 4) In batches, spoon the oysters into the hot oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Remove the fried oysters to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain. Serve the oysters with the lemon quarters and cocktail sauce.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
HUSHPUPPIES
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, plus 2 cups
for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups milk, whole or 2-percent
1 cup grated onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1) In a large mixing bowl, use a spoon to beat together the egg, sugar, and 1 cup of the oil. 2) Add the flour, salt, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix well. 3) Add the milk and mix. Add the onion, bell pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix the ingredients together until well combined. 4) In a large skillet, heat 2 cups oil over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium. In batches, take heaping tablespoons of the cornmeal mixture and drop them in the oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. You’ll know they’re done when the hushpuppies float. Drain the hushpuppies on a plate covered with a paper towel, and serve.
CREAMED GREEN BEANS
Recipe from
Savannah Style, a Cookbook
by The Junior League
of Savannah, Inc.
1/2 cup onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 cup sour cream
5 cups green beans, cooked
and drained (should be
French-sliced)
1/2 cup mushrooms, sautéed
1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese,
grated
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cook onion and parsley in butter until tender, but not brown. Add flour, salt, pepper and lemon peel. Add sour cream and mix well. Stir in beans and mushrooms. Place in a 7 x 11-inch casserole. Top with grated cheese. Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle on top of green beans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
PAT JANIA’S
CABBAGE CRUNCH SLAW
Recipe from New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock
Slaw:
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup slivered almonds
1 head cabbage, grated
4 green onions, sliced
2 packages chicken Ramen
noodles, dry, without seasoning packets
In pan without oil, brown sesame seeds and almonds. Be careful not to burn. Toss salad ingredients together, add browned sesame seeds and almonds.
Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup oil
1 package chicken flavor Ramen noodles seasoning mix
Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Toss well. Serve.
