We are getting a jump on our Independence Day recipes with this column in order to give our readers a little extra time to plan their fare for that very special occasion.
We have a Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe from reader Amanda Henke who lives north of Atlanta. She gets rave reviews on this wonderful spicy dip that is based on recipes she has adapted from Allrecipes.com and Franksredhot.com. It is wonderful served with crackers, tortilla chips and veggies: carrots, celery, pepper strips, and lettuce cups. She doesn’t waste the carcass either. She makes chicken broth, adding carrots, onions, and potatoes to 2-3 quarts of water, cooking it until the meat falls off the bones, and lots of herbs and spices. Then she strains out the liquid and stores it in plastic containers for the next time she needs broth.
Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites Overnight Marinated Shrimp looks like a great appetizer for shrimp-lovers. The contributor says, “I take these to parties, dinners with friends, and family reunions all the time because I can make them ahead; plus they easily feed a crowd. Rarely do I leave without someone asking for the recipe.”
From Apopka Citizen Police Alumni Association’s Sharing Our Finest Cookbook, Eloise Surrette’s Steaks on Sticks is deliciously grilled for our celebration of Independence Day.
We can thank New Vision Community Church’s Feeding the Flock for sharing Toni LaPierre’s recipe for Old Virginia Macaroni and Cheese. It is a little different from the traditional and looks wonderful.
From Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites, here is a new take on an old favorite, Fried Green Tomatoes. Crispy tomatoes provide a crunchy texture that pairs well with many different types of foods. It looks wonderful. Tips: When purchasing tomatoes, make sure they are indeed unripe tomatoes instead of a ripe green heirloom tomato. Select tomatoes that are firm. Don’t slice the tomatoes too thin, otherwise they will fall apart before frying.
Charleston Receipts, a wonderful book of recipes, has a recipe (or “receipt”) for Custard Ice Cream. This is Mrs. John Laurens’ ice cream recipe. I am sure you could use a “modern-day” ice cream freezer for this recipe if you prefer.
From our friends in Plains, Georgia, we have Mrs. Teressa Smith’s Homemade Ice Cream. You can use any fruit you like, just mash it up.
AMANDA HENKE’S
BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
Recipe from Reader of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers
1 rotisserie chicken
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup minced sautéed onion
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot (original or whatever you like; adjust to your desire for spiciness)
16 oz cream cheese or neufchatel
1 jar Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese dressing
1-1/2 cups fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Pick and shred the rotisserie chicken. I generally stick with the white meat and make stock with the rest, but you can use the whole thing. 2. Heat chicken, pepper, garlic, onion and hot sauce in a pot over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. 3. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer to a slow cooker. 4. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on low until hot and bubbly. You can also bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or till golden and bubbly.
OVERNIGHT MARINATED SHRIMP
Recipe from Southern Living’s
All-Time Favorites
3 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp
2 small red onions, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1. Bring 7-1/2 cups water to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain and rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp, and, if desired, devein. 2. Layer shrimp, red onion slices, and bell pepper slices in an airtight container. 3. Whisk together vegetable oil and next 9 ingredients; pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 24 hours, stirring occasionally. 4. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped basil one hour before serving.
Makes 12 to 15 appetizer servings.
ELOISE SURRETTE’S
STEAKS ON STICKS (Grill)
Recipe from Apopka Citizen Police Alumni Association,
Sharing Our Finest Cookbook
3-1/2 pounds boneless steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, cut
2 tablespoons olive oil
20 small white onions
salt and pepper to taste
Rub steak cubes with garlic and brush with olive oil. Arrange cubes on green wooden sticks or skewers, alternating each with an onion. Grill over hot bed of charcoal. Brush, if desired, with your favorite barbecue sauce.
TONI LAPIERRE’S OLE VIRGINIA
MACARONI AND CHEESE
Recipe from Feeding the Flock,
New Vision Community Church
1 16-ounce package macaroni
1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter
1 small can stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 small carton sour cream
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3/4 cup milk (preferably evaporated, mixed half and half with water)
1-1/2 pounds grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to directions on package. Drain. Place butter in casserole dish and melt in oven; remove. Puree stewed tomatoes in blender. Stir tomatoes, onion, macaroni, sour cream, salt, pepper, melted butter, milk and cheese together and pour in 9 x 13 casserole dish. If desired, top with grated cheese, as well. Cover with buttered foil to keep cheese from sticking and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The amount of milk may be adjusted because it should not be too dry or have too much liquid when done.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Recipe from Southern Living’s
All-Time Favorites
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
1. Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside. 2. Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
3. Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip into egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture. 4. Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375 degrees. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt to taste. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
MRS. JOHN LAURENS
CUSTARD ICE CREAM
Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League
Cookbook in Print,
a Cookbook by The Junior League
of Charleston, Inc.
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Scald 1 cup milk and 1 cup light cream. Add gradually to the slightly beaten egg yolks, mixed with the sugar and salt. Cook in double-boiler, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats a spoon. Pour into a bowl and flavor with the vanilla. Cool. Beat the heavy cream until thick but not stiff. Fold into the custard. Pour into freezing tray, set the refrigerator to coldest point, and freeze until firm. Remove from refrigerator, beat and mash mixture in tray until smooth. Freeze again until firm. Remove and beat and mash again. Freeze until firm. Set control back to normal position. Serve with hot fudge sauce or fruit sauce. Serves 8 to 10.
MRS. TERESSA SMITH’S
HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
Recipe from Plains PotPourri,
Food Favorites of Plains, GA
4 to 6 eggs, depending on size
1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon flavoring, almond or vanilla
1 can condensed milk
2-1/2 cups mashed fruit
Milk, enough to fill ice cream freezer
Beat eggs, add sugar and enough milk to mix thoroughly. Cook until steamy, stirring to prevent sticking. Add condensed milk, fruit, flavoring and enough milk to fill freezer. Freeze with hand crank or electric freezer.
