Rachel Pfaender’s Cuban Chicken is from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda in their own publication, A Taste of Heaven. This is a one-dish meal, and it is a far cry from “the same old chicken!” You probably don’t have to wash the rice anymore, though!
According to Robert, the contributor to AllRecipes.com, “This crab cake recipe is the true crab cake with no fillers and no heavy spices, all crab meat. It has been in my family for generations.” A reviewer observed, “I used Old Bay seasoning instead of parsley and didn’t use mayo and it still came out great!”
Here is a recipe titled Fried Raw Potatoes as well as Allegheny Home Fries (Country-Fried Potatoes) which is a larger recipe. The recipes comes from Hearty Country Cooking by Mark Sohn. He says, “To make Fried Raw Potatoes, we use peeled, diced potatoes. I like to fry them in a little oil over low heat. You can make fried raw potatoes with finely diced (1/4-inch cubes), medium-diced (1/2-inch cubes, or coarsely diced (3/4-inch cubes) potatoes. With larger cubes, more potatoes will fit in a single layer in the skillet, but they will need to cook longer. Allow 1/3-teaspoon salt and 1/3-cup diced onions for each cup of diced potatoes, but do not crowd the pan – these are not hashed browns.
Miz Emily Meggett’s Collard Greens looks like a winner. She says collard greens have a special place in African American culture. I have some news for that fine lady: they have a special place in MY OWN culture, as well! I love collard greens and fix a potful for myself just about every couple of weeks. But if I don’t have collards, I use turnip greens. I season my greens with smoked ham, onion, garlic, salt, and a little bit of cayenne pepper. I use a tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar at the end of cooking. I don’t use any sugar or sweetener. I must confess, though, I cheat: I usually use frozen collards. But I do like fresh if I can find them.
Verlina’s Calamondin Pie recipe came from one of our readers a while back. Our contributor, Verlina Keener said, “This is in response to your encouraging Apopkans to send in their traditional family recipes.” She adds, “The Calamondin is a small citrus fruit that is a cross between a lime and mandarin orange. It is grown in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. They were imported from China and have been grown throughout Florida since the early 1900s. Growing season is in the early spring and summer months. I get mine from my father’s tree or the Asian supermarket (Dong Ah Supermarket on Mills Avenue). I am part Filipino and make this traditional pie for my family.”
RACHEL PFAENDER’S
CUBAN CHICKEN
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda, A Taste of Heaven
1 cup Uncle Ben’s converted rice,
uncooked
1/4 cup salad oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons minced onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 chicken, boiled, cut from bones
1 cup cooked ham, slivered
1/2 cup stuffed olives, sliced
Asparagus tips & peas, cooked
Pimento strips
Wash rice; heat salad oil and pepper in large fry pan; add onion, garlic and rice. Cook over low heat until yellow. Add stock, salt and paprika. Cook tightly over low heat until rice is cooked. Add chicken, ham and olives. Heat thoroughly and place in center of large platter. Surround with cooked asparagus tips and peas and garnish with strips of pimento.
TRUE MARYLAND CRAB CAKES
By Robert on AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons pancake mix
1 tablespoon prepared yellow
mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise,
or to taste
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pound cooked crabmeat, flaked
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, stir together the pancake mix, mustard, mayonnaise, egg and parsley until well blended. Fold in the crabmeat. Form into 3-inch patties. 2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. There should be enough oil to reach halfway up the sides of the crab cakes.When the oil is hot, carefully place the patties in the pan. Fry until golden brown on each side, about 8 minutes per side. If patties are browning too fast, reduce the heat. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately. Yield 8 crab cakes, about 4 servings.
MARK SOHN’S
FRIED RAW POTATOES
Hearty Country Cooking
1 tablespoon butter, olive oil, or
bacon grease (just enough to
barely cover the bottom of the
pan)
3 cups medium-diced firm
new potatoes
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 cup diced onions (optional)
1) Wash the potatoes and remove any brown spots. If you dice the potatoes ahead, store them in the refrigerator in a bowl of water. 2) In a heavy-bottomed frying pan over low-medium heat, melt the butter and add the potatoes. Cover and fry 10 to 15 minutes. 3) Turn the potatoes, and if they are cooked through to the center, remove the lid, add the onions, and increase the heat to medium. 4) Cook another 10 to 15 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes, or until they have browned on all sides. Serve. Yield: 3 servings.
Note: Healthy choice alternative: You can fry potatoes in little or even no oil. In this recipe, I have already reduced the butter to one quarter tablespoon per serving, but you can further reduce it by using nonstick cooking spray. Omit the salt and offer it at the table. Serve these potatoes with green beans, corn bread, and pork chops, or for breakfast with fresh fruit, Buttermilk Biscuits, Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy, White Sausage Gravy, or Potato Gravy.
MARK SOHN’S
ALLEGHENY HOME FRIES
(COUNTRY-FRIED POTATOES)
Hearty Country Cooking
Home Fries are not fried potatoes. To make home fries, double the above recipe. The onions are NOT optional. Cut the potatoes in half and then slice them. Slice the onions. Layer the sliced potatoes and onions in a frying pan. Cook, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Cook uncovered an additional 15 minutes. With low heat and so many potatoes in the pan, these fries will be steamed and soft, but tasty. Yield 6 servings.
EMILY MEGGETT’S
COLLARD GREENS
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
1 bunch collard greens (1/2 pound)
1 (14-ounce) smoked ham hock
2-1/2 to 3 quarts water
Crushed red pepper
1-1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar, or 2 packages sweetener
Nature’s Seasons, to taste
1) Wash the collard greens in cold water three or four times to remove any sand or dirt. Pat dry using a paper towel. 2) Strip the collard greens, removing the center stem. Cut the collard greens lengthwise into small, bite-sized pieces. 3) Wash the ham hock. In a large pot, combine the ham hock and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the greens, covering them in the water. 4) Add crushed red pepper to taste, the vinegar, sugar, and Nature’s Seasons to taste. Increase the heat and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the greens for at least 2-1/2 hours. After 2-1/2 hours, taste the greens to test flavor and tenderness. Add more Nature’s Seasons and cook longer if necessary.
VERLINA’S
CALAMONDIN PIE
Recipe from Reader of
The Apopka Chief and The Planter
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 can of condensed milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed
Calamondin juice
1 pre-made graham cracker crust
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first three ingredients together. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled.
Our contributor, Verlina Keener says, “This is in response to your issue encouraging Apopkans to send in their traditional family recipes.”
