Simply Salsa

Every time  I return home from my sister’s, I bring back a recipe that becomes a regular in my home.  This trip brought two new favorites; chunky guac and Candy’s salsa.

Simple Ingredients:

• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• one whole onion – sliced
• 2 spoonfuls of sliced jalapenos and juice ( add a bit more for more bite)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon garlic salt (to taste)
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• handful of fresh cilantro

Dump all ingredients into your blender and blend away.  Take a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.  I like more lime and jalapenos in mine.

I make a double batch because this does not last long around my house.  Thanks Candy!  We love it!

Enjoy!  T

 

Chunky Guacamole

At a recent visit to my sister’s home in Ohio, my family was introduced to her “Guac”.  My family inhaled what she made and begged her to make it again before we left. Since we’ve been home, I have made it several times!  It is a winner!

Simple ingredients:

• 5 avocados
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 bunch of green onions – chopped
• 1 Cup+ feta cheese
• 1 bunch cilantro – chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Red Wine vinegar (I am known to add more!)
• Garlic Salt to your taste
• pepper

Slice and dice the avocados while in the skin and then just spoon them out into your bowl.

Squeeze out the lime juice.

Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and stir it up.  The more you stir, the more creamy it becomes.

There are no words.  Give me some tortilla chips and let me be!

Enjoy!   T

Chess Pie

This is a pie that my family loves and a recipe that I remember eating at my grandmama’s home.  She always called it Buttermilk Pie.  After some research I found that Chess Pie and Buttermilk Pie are similar in ingredients but Chess adds cornmeal while Buttermilk Pie adds flour.  I love the consistency of the cornmeal in this pie so I create mine that way.   It is a custard type pie and almost melts in your mouth with each bite.  These ingredients are easily on hand around here so it is a painless dessert for me to pull together.

Simple Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1 1/2 Cup sugar
• 3 eggs – well beaten
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup plain or self-rising cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Cup buttermilk
• optional:  flavored syrups for a drizzled topping

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, cornstarch, cornmeal and vanilla until well blended.

Add buttermilk and blend.

I make my own pie crusts but a store bought ready made one will do fine. If you want an easy homemade pie crust recipe visit thepioneerwoman.com for this one that I make.

Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell.  Place pie into a preheated 450 degree oven and as soon as  you close the oven door, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until filling is set and a caramel color.

I always cover my edges for the first half of cooking pies just so I know the edges won’t burn before the pie is cooked.

My sister introduced me to topping this pie with a drizzle of flavored syrups.  My husband likes his just cooled and without any adornments.

Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious

Enjoy! T

 

 

Mini Chocolate Pies

Another one from a friend’s grandmother.  This was a recipe that my mother-in-law asked me to make anytime we got together to eat.  Rich, creamy and so delicious.

Simple Ingredients:

• 2 T cocoa
• 3 eggs yolk
• 3 1/2 T cold water
• 3 1/2 T flour
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup hot water
• 1/2 stick butter – room temperature
• 1 T vanilla
• 8 tart shells
• Whipped Topping

With a fork, poke holes in tart shells.  Bake empty tart shells according to package directions.

(not pictured) Add ingredients, one at a time to a mixer, incorporating each one completely before adding the next ingredient.  Add the ingredients in the order given in the recipe.

Poor into a medium pot to cook on stove.

Stir continuously over medium heat until it thickens.  I look for mine to be the consistency of pudding.

Once it is the desired consistency, take the pot off the stove.

Spoon the chocolate filling into the baked tart shells.

Serve now or refrigerate and serve chilled later.

Enjoy!  T

Cornbread Dressing

I have been making this cornbread dressing for 20 years and it comes from a precious grandmother (a former boyfriend’s grandmother) who knew about Southern cooking.  I met this sweet woman back in college and have been making many of her recipes ever since.

Simple Ingredients:

• 1 (10in) pan of cornbread         
• 2 Cups self-rising cornmeal
• 1 1/2 Cups buttermilk
• 1/4 Cup Corn Oil
• 1 egg
•  10 refrigerated biscuits
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cans of chicken broth
• 3 eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• sage to taste ( I like a lot)

Make your pan of cornbread.  Click here for my Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe.

Flip your cornbread out into a large bowl and break it up and allow it to cool while baking the biscuits.

Bake the biscuits according to the package directions and allow them to cool. Crumble the biscuits and add to the crumbled cornbread.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir completely. Spray an 11×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the batter and spread it out.  Slip the dish into a preheated 400 degree oven for 1 hour  or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and top is a nice golden brown.

Serve with some gravy spooned on top and enjoy!

T