My Favorite Recipes

Lauras' Barbecued Beans

Ingredients:
8-16 oz. bacon
1 red bell pepper
1 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Worcester sauce
2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 C. corn syrup
2/3 C. dark beer
1 sweet onion
1 green bell pepper
1 C. BBQ sauce
1/3 C. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
3- 28oz. cans pork & beans

Drain beans.
In skillet, fry bacon until brown, remove fat, discard.
Stir onion and peppers into skillet, saute until veggies are tender.
In large casserole, stir together bacon, veggies, and remaining ingredients.

Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 45-60 min. until heated through.

May be cooked on the stove top on large pot.

serves 12-16






Sticky Chicken


Ingredients:

6-8 chicken thighs/with skin
salt & pepper
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic/ crushed
2 sprigs thyme
splash of sherry about 1 Cup
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. honey
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley

Brown chicken on both sides in olive oil with garlic and thyme. Remove chicken and set aside. Add sherry, reduce to half. Add soy sauce and honey. Return chicken to skillet, turning to cover.

Place lemon slices on top of chicken and add about 1/2 cup hot water over lemons. Let bubble about 10 minutes until syrupy. Add chopped parsley to garnish.










Poulet a la Fermiere

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 tablespoon salted butter
6 fresh parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1lb. baby carrots
2 cups onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 pound small (1 1/2-inch) red potatoes, skin on and halved
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat butter in a 12-inch ovenproof deep heavy casserole (cast iron works great) over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

Tie parsley, thyme, then add to pan with carrots and onions, stirring to coat with fat, add bay leaf. Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Discard parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Stir in heavy cream, peas, and salt and pepper to taste, then turn chicken in sauce to coat. Sprinkle dish all over with Gruyère and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned and sauce is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve with your favorite bread and enjoy.
Garnish with fresh parsley.

FYI-this recipe is NOT low fat, a friend of mine tried to make it low fat, but it really loses its appeal. Leave the skin on the chicken and use the butter and heavy cream and indulge you taste buds!

Garden Broccoli Puree'

What a great way to utilize the broccoli stems from all those delicious heads from the garden!

Ingredients:

4 Cups tender broccoli stems (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion (minced)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Tbsp. red pepper flacks
6 Cups chicken broth
1/2 pint heavy cream
green onions chopped
cheddar cheese shredded
sour cream

Saute' broccoli, butter, oil, onions garlic and red pepper flakes in large skillet for about 10 minutes or until onions are tender.  Add chicken broth and boil until 1 cup liquid remains, about 30 minutes.

Add mixture to blender and puree until smooth, add cream and blend. Return to pan and heat until hot.

Serve in bowls garnished with a dab of sour cream, green onions and cheese. May also garnish with broccoli florets.

Note: When reheating, put a lid on it! Otherwise, it will boil and be like a volcano of green goo all over your stove top!

Laura's Quick Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
1 Lbs. Crab meat
1 egg
1 Cup Mayo (homemade or store bought)
1 Cup green onions ( chopped)
2 Cups crumbs (I used a saltine type cracker infused with rosemary, however, any saltine or butter cracker will work!)
1 tsp. dried mustard
Butter and olive oil

Mix mayo, egg, green onions, mustard and 1/2 C crumbs. Add crab meat, mix well. Shape into 8 patties, place on cookie sheet with waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours. When your ready to cook, dredge patties in remaining crumbs and fry  (using butter and olive oil) over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side.

Not the greatest picture, but was served with broccoli puree' and toasted garlic bread. Also, if you are using canned crab meat, be sure to take some paper towels and really soak the water out, otherwise your cakes will not hold together very well! I learned the hard way!!!



Cabbage Creole


Ingrdients:
1 lbs. hot sausage cooked and crumbled
1 head cabbage chopped

Finely Chopped:
2 C onions
1 1/4 C celery
1/2 C green bell pepper
1/4 C red bell pepper
1/4 C yellow bell pepper

Coursely Chopped:
1/2 C onion
1/4 C celery
1/4 C green bell pepper
1/4 C red bell pepper
1/4 C yellow bell pepper

Seasonings:
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1-2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3-6 Tbsp crushed red peppers
1 Tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried basil

Other Ingredients:
5 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 C white wine
1 1/2 C chicken broth
3 C finely chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 C tomato sauce
1/2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Cook and crumble sausage in large dutch oven. Remove and set aside. Put 1/2 C finely chopped onions in a bowl and combine the remaining finely chopped vegies in another bowl. Combine coursely chopped vegies in a bowl. Combine seasonings in a bowl.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in your dutch oven over high heat. Add 1/2 C finely chopped onions and cook unitl brown, stirring occasionaly, 4-5 minutes.
Add remaining butter and finely chopped vegies. Cook over high heat approx. 5-6 minutes stirring occassionaly.
Add seasonings and 1/2 C wine and 1/2 C chicken broth. Cook over medium heat about 6 minutes.
Add tomatoes, heat on med-low and simmer 12 minutes, stirring occassionaly.
Add tomato sauce and simmer for 6 minutes.
Add remaining wine and chicken broth and sugar(optional). Cover and simmer over med-low for 12 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
Add coursely chopped vegies simmer on low about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Add cooked sausage and chopped cabbage. Cook about 20 minutes or unitl cabbage is cooked down and tender.
Serve in a bowl with crusty bread, or over rice. Whichever you prefer!

BBQ Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 large shallot

2 garlic cloves

2 oz. dark beer

1 Cup Thai hot chili sauce

1 Cup BBQ sauce

1 1/2 tsp. Ancho pepper

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup honey

4 oz. cayenne pepper sauce

50 chicken wings

Chop and saute':

Butter, shallot, and garlic

Until tender

Add:

beer, chili sauce, and BBQ sauce

Stir 1 minute

Add:

Ancho pepper, brown sugar, honey, and pepper sauce

Stir 2 minutes

Fry wings in skillet or deep fryer until done. Drain wings, add sauce and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with celery and Blue Cheese dressing...and lots of napkins!

Peach Preserves

16 skinned and chopped peaches
3 Cups sugar
1 pack no sugar pectin
1/2 Cup lemon juice

Cook peaches, sugar, and lemon in a large stock pot for about 20 minutes until peaches are tender. Mash peaches with a potato masher and cook an additional 20 minutes. Add pectin and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer in to hot sterile jars and water bath for 20 minutes. Cool and store in a cool dark place for up to a year! Makes 10, 1/2 pint jars.