Kitchen Kapers with Nancy

We have a recipe from Country Cookin’ by Joyce LaFray Young. You may remember that this is the book that has “Famous Recipes from Famous Places” in Florida! This one is Chicken Jambalaya from Beignets in Jacksonville. It takes about an hour and 10 minutes to cook. A comment says, “The red pepper adds a delightful color to a most enchanting dish!” 

Here is a recipe for collard greens from Southern Living which I’ve used and loved for years. These greens are not only delicious, but according to WebMD they are packed with nutrition and are a good source of Vitamin K which helps you to absorb calcium, strengthening your bones and lowering your risk of osteoporosis. Its soluble fiber helps to absorb cholesterol before it makes its way into your bloodstream, and the insoluble fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut helping you to digest food more efficiently. Collard greens are native to North America and have been a part of the Southern American diet for hundreds of years! 

“Red-Eye Gravy,” says Mark Sohn, “is as Southern as Andrew Jackson, who some say gave the gravy its unusual name. It is a broth or strong bouillon, made with country ham* and water. If you know a French dip or beef au jus, you know something about red-eye gravy. Did our seventh president name this gravy? Perhaps. Some say he taught a drunken red-eyed cook to prepare the gravy! Others say that during the Jackson presidency, red-eye gravy was a favorite at the White House.” *Country ham is not the same as regular ham with which you may be familiar. It is salt-cured, usually hardwood smoked. 

From thePioneerWoman.com website, we have a wonderful recipe for your holiday or any-time doings: sausage balls along with a complementary honey mustard dipping sauce. Sausage balls are delicious and easy to prepare and bake ahead for occasions where you want to serve finger foods. They can be stored in your freezer for up to two months and heated in your microwave for one to two minutes. If you heat them in your oven at 350 degrees, they will be sizzling in 10 to 15 minutes. Just watch them so they don’t dry out. Making a big batch of sausage balls is a great way to meal-prep snacks and breakfasts. This recipe comes with a simple honey mustard dipping sauce, but there are many other dips and sauces that would also be great, ranch dressing being one. 

Mrs. C. M. Bell shared her Pumpkin Cake in Stew-Pot Favorites of Zellwood. This dandy little book of recipes was given to us by Claire Ellington. Since Mrs. Bell doesn’t indicate what kind of frosting to use, we will use a recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting from allrecipes.com. Reviews say this is “the best cream cheese frosting.” It should work very well with this pumpkin cake. 

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA FROM BEIGNETS IN JACKSONVILLE 
Recipe from Country Cookin’ by Joyce LaFray Young 

3 tablespoons butter 
3 tablespoons flour 
2 large onions (chopped) 
1 bunch scallions (chopped) 
1 red pepper (chopped) 
2 tablespoons parsley (fresh is best) 
1/4 teaspoon basil 
Salt and pepper 
Several dashes hot sauce 
3 cups water 
3 chicken bouillon cubes 
2 pounds cooked white chicken (cubed, about 3-4 cups) 

1) Brown butter in large skillet. Stir in flour and blend to make paste. 2) Add vegetables and brown. Add spices, seasonings, water, and bouillon cubes. Simmer for one hour. 3) Add chicken and thicken with equal amounts of butter and flour if necessary. Heat through. 4) Serve over white rice, dirty rice, or mixed white and wild rice. Serves 4. 

SOUTHERN LIVING’S COLLARD GREENS 
Recipe from Southern Living 

12 hickory-smoked bacon slices, finely chopped 
2 medium-size sweet onions, finely chopped 
3/4 pound smoked ham, chopped 
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
3 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth 
3 pounds fresh collard greens, washed and trimmed 
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
3/4 teaspoon pepper 

Cook bacon in a 10-quart stockpot over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until almost crisp. Add onion, and saute 8 minutes; add ham and garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in broth and remaining ingredients. Cook 2 hours or to desired degree of tenderness. 

RED-EYE GRAVY (Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy) 
From Mark F. Sohn’s Hearty Country Cooking 

1/2 to 3/4 pound country ham slices 
3/4 cup black coffee (or Pepsi or water) 

Yield: 2/3 cup gravy and enough ham for 4 servings. 

Steps: 

In a skillet over medium to high heat, brown the ham on both sides, allowing 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place the ham on a serving plate. Add the liquid to the frying pan, and bring to a boil. Using a spatula, loosen particles from the pan and scrape until clean. Stir. Boil3 minutes and serve. If there is a lot of fat, pour it off and discard. 

For a classic country breakfast, serve with Country Breakfast Grits, Buttermilk Biscuits, scrambled eggs, and Fried Apples. For a special treat, offer Angel Biscuits and a mountain honey: honey locust, sourwood, or linn (bass-wood) honey. 

PIONEER WOMAN’S SAUSAGE BALLS 
From ThePioneerWoman.com website 

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning  
1 pound ground pork sausage 
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened 
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
2 green onions, finely chopped 

Honey Mustard Sauce: 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 
2 tablespoons honey 
2 tablespoons yellow mustard 
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 
2 teaspoons white vinegar 

1) For the sausage balls: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and Creole seasoning until well combined. 3) In a large bowl, crumble the raw sausage. Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onion, and flour mixture. Use clean hands to knead the ingredients together. 4) Scoop and roll the sausage mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. 5) Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. 6) Meanwhile, for the honey mustard dipping sauce: in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey, yellow mustard, whole grain mustard, and vinegar until well combined. 7) Serve the sausage balls warm or at room temperature with the honey mustard dipping sauce. Tip: Feel free to switch up the flavors! Use other raw sausages such as hot Italian or maple. Switch up the shredded cheese with pepper jack or Swiss. 

MRS. C. M. BELL’S PUMPKIN CAKE 
Recipe from Stew-Pot Favorites of Zellwood 

2-1/4 cups flour 
3 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1-1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 
1/2 tablespoon ginger 
1/2 tablespoon allspice 
1/2 cup butter or shortening 
1 cup brown sugar 
1/2 cup white sugar 
1 egg and 2 yolks 
3/4 cup buttermilk 
3/4 cup pumpkin 
1/2 cup nuts 
2 teaspoons lemon extract 

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices three times. Cream butter and sugar gradually; add egg and yolks, one at a time. Beat until light. Add flour, alternately with buttermilk. Add pumpkin, nuts and extract. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, and frost. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 
Recipe from allrecipes.com 

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar 

1) Beat cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. 2) Mix in vanilla. 3) Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until incorporated. Continue to beat until frosting is very smooth. 4) Store in the refrigerator after use.