Kitchen Kapers with Nancy

From Paths of Sunshine Cookbook, we found Royal Wild Rice Casserole. You can use canned mushrooms if you don’t have any fresh. They add a tip that “A lettuce leaf added to canned vegetables when heating will add fresh vegetable taste.” 

We bet your family has never had a pizza like this one before. It will take around 15 minutes to bake in a 450-degree oven. I think I’ll have my pizza for breakfast, but then again, I love breakfast at any time of the day! 

Emily Meggett, author of Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island, has instructions for cooking oven bacon for us that are so very simple. She wrote these instructions in her book, and here they are for you! 

I have a small paperback cookbook titled The Original Country Cookbook published in 1976 by Paragon Products, Inc., in Pompano Beach. A friend gave me this little gem wherein I found a recipe for making Scrapple, which may have some interest among our readers. I can remember my mother cooking Scrapple for breakfast when I was a child. I’ve heard people on the radio sneering at Scrapple, but the ingredients for this breakfast item are made from the finest pork cuts and seasonings. 

Emily Meggett says, “Apple Brown Betty was one of many desserts I learned how to make at the Dodge House. Layers of sugary crunch are in each and every bite, and the sweet and woody cinnamon flavor shines throughout the dish. The flavors of this dish represent fall and winter to me, so I bake this dish when I want a little spoonful of comfort during the cooler months. Serve this dish with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a real treat.”

ROYAL WILD RICE CASSEROLE 
Recipe from Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ Paths of Sunshine Cookbook 

1/2 cup butter 
1 pint fresh mushrooms* 
1 onion, chopped 
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper 
1 cup chopped pecans 
1 cup wild rice 
3 cups chicken broth 
Salt 
Pepper 

Heat butter; add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add pecans and cook 1 minute. Wash rice well and drain. Mix with other ingredients, add broth and seasonings to taste. Turn into a well greased 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Holds well in a warm oven. May be frozen. Delicious! 

*If fresh mushrooms are not available, use two 4-ounce cans of mushrooms sliced in butter sauce. 

SUNNY-SIDE-UP PIZZA 
By the Prevention Test Kitchen online 

INGREDIENTS: 

Cornmeal, for baking sheet 
Flour, for surface during shaping pizza 
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen 
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 1/2 cup), divided 
2 ounces thinly sliced deli ham 
1 bunch spinach, thick stems discarded 
4 large eggs 
Green salad, for serving 

DIRECTIONS: 

1) Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly dust baking sheet with cornmeal. On floured surface, shape dough into 16-inch circle. Place on prepared sheet. 2) Spread mustard over dough, then sprinkle with three-fourths of the Gruyère. Top with ham, spinach, and remaining Gruyère. 3) Working with 1 egg at a time, crack eggs into small bowl, then slide onto pizza. Bake until egg whites are set and crust is golden brown, approximately 15 to 17 minutes. Serve with salad if desired. 

EMILY MEGGETT’S OVEN BACON 
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett 

12 slices thick-cut bacon 

1) Preheat your oven’s broiler to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, or its highest setting. 2) Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a rimmed baking pan and place it on the highest rack in your oven. Broil until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. 3) Turn the bacon and brown the other side. Watch the bacon closely. It will cook quickly, about 5 minutes total. 4) Remove from the oven and place the bacon on a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. 

SCRAPPLE 
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook 

1/4 lb pork liver 
1-1/2 pounds pork shoulder 
1 qt water for cooking 
2 teaspoons salt 
1 cup water 
2 cups broth from cooking 
1 cup corn meal 
1/4 cup chopped onion 
Dash ground cloves 
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
1 teaspoon dried sage 
1 teaspoon dried marjoram 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 

Combine liver and pork shoulder in a saucepan with 1 quart water and cook slowly for 1 hour. Drain, reserving broth. Discard bones and chop meat fine. Blend salt, 1 cup water, 2 cups broth, and corn meal in pan. Cook, stirring constantly until thick. Stir in finely chopped meat, onions, along with spices and herbs. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Pour into loaf pan and cool until firm. Cut into slices, dust with flour, and fry in a small bit of fat until crisp. 

EMILY MEGGETT’S APPLE BROWN BETTY 
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett 

6 slices white or whole-wheat bread 
7 apples (2-1/2 pounds) preferably Granny Smith 
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
3/4 cup raisins 
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, plus more to taste 
1 tablespoon cornstarch 
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange) 

1) Preheat your oven’s broiler to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, or its highest setting. On your oven’s highest rack, broil the bread on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove the bread from the oven and let it dry out until crunchy. 2) Cut the bread into squares, and place one half of the bread squares in the bottom of a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. 3) Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 4) Wash, peel, core, and slice the apples. 5) In a large mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon, raisins, butter, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Add the apple slices and toss to coat. Spread half of the apple mixture over the bread in the baking dish and repeat the layering until the dish is full. Sprinkle the orange juice over the entire dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are cooked. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes until brown.