Ed: We have found that mustard greens are more popular than collards in many parts of Louisiana.
Mary: What I learned from interviewing people that some prefer one green over another. Many people like to cook two or three varieties of greens in the same pot. Such recipes are included in The Collard Patch.
Ed: Do you have any idea why collards are more popular in the Hill Country?
Mary: They look pretty in flower beds. Those big broad blue leaves look like expensive plants.
Ed: And here's another odd question, related to something written by a Louisiana writer: Have YOU ever heard anyone use the phrase "a bate of collards" (meaning a mess)?
Mary: No, and I couldn’t find ”bate of collards” on google.
Ed: I know from your writings that your faith is at the center of your life: so can you see any connection there with cooking collards? (I figure that is a tough one, so you can ignore it if you wish!)
Mary: This question is an easy one, Edward. We all know that the body is the temple of the soul and the Holy Spirit lives within the heart of every Christian. Add to this knowledge the fact (as documented by food analysis) that collard greens are one of the most nutritious vegetables available. What better way is there to take care of our bodies – and honor God – than to dig into a plate of collards?
Friday, June 17, 2011
Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 4
Ed: Which unusual recipe has really made a surprising splash?
Mary:Dr. Paul Elliott, the co-author of The Collard Patch , helped develop the following recipe. We prepared if for food demonstrations. Tasters kept coming back to our table and asking for another little cup of it. It’s a mixture of south Louisiana gumbo, red beans and rice, and a mess of collards all in one pot.
When we appeared on Chef John Folse’s radio program, he raved over this gumbo. We call it Texianne cooking because it is what happened when a Texas cook and a Louisiana cook poured ingredients into one pot.
Red River Gumbo
Ingredients
1 cup small red beans
⅓ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup olive oil
1 chopped onion (approximately 1 cup)
1 chopped green bell pepper (approximately 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups finely chopped fresh collards
6 ounces Richard’s tasso, finely chopped
1 can Ro*Tel® diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups cooked, diced pork or other meat of choice
2 tablespoons chili powder
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound crawfish tails
2 cups frozen mixture of okra, tomatoes, and onions
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
Preparation
•Soak the beans overnight, empty the water cover again with fresh water, and cook until they are tender:
•Make a roux in the Dutch oven by browning the flour in the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, collards, and tasso. Stir and continue to heat. Add enough warm water to cover the mixture as it continues to cook.
•Add the Ro*Tel®, pork, chili powder, lemon juice, and red beans; keep the pot simmering. Add water as needed.
•Sauté the crawfish tails in butter until they are warmed throughout.
•After the gumbo has cooked until the vegetables are slightly tender, add the tomato-okra mixture and crawfish.
•Adjust the seasonings by adding salt and red pepper as desired. Simmer until all the ingredients are warm throughout and the flavors are starting to smell so good you have to eat it.
Sprinkle on some gumbo filé. Serve it over rice.
Mary:Dr. Paul Elliott, the co-author of The Collard Patch , helped develop the following recipe. We prepared if for food demonstrations. Tasters kept coming back to our table and asking for another little cup of it. It’s a mixture of south Louisiana gumbo, red beans and rice, and a mess of collards all in one pot.
When we appeared on Chef John Folse’s radio program, he raved over this gumbo. We call it Texianne cooking because it is what happened when a Texas cook and a Louisiana cook poured ingredients into one pot.
Red River Gumbo
Ingredients
1 cup small red beans
⅓ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup olive oil
1 chopped onion (approximately 1 cup)
1 chopped green bell pepper (approximately 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups finely chopped fresh collards
6 ounces Richard’s tasso, finely chopped
1 can Ro*Tel® diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups cooked, diced pork or other meat of choice
2 tablespoons chili powder
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound crawfish tails
2 cups frozen mixture of okra, tomatoes, and onions
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
Preparation
•Soak the beans overnight, empty the water cover again with fresh water, and cook until they are tender:
•Make a roux in the Dutch oven by browning the flour in the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, collards, and tasso. Stir and continue to heat. Add enough warm water to cover the mixture as it continues to cook.
•Add the Ro*Tel®, pork, chili powder, lemon juice, and red beans; keep the pot simmering. Add water as needed.
•Sauté the crawfish tails in butter until they are warmed throughout.
•After the gumbo has cooked until the vegetables are slightly tender, add the tomato-okra mixture and crawfish.
•Adjust the seasonings by adding salt and red pepper as desired. Simmer until all the ingredients are warm throughout and the flavors are starting to smell so good you have to eat it.
Sprinkle on some gumbo filé. Serve it over rice.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 3
Ed: Which recipe from your book (it has so many! My wife and I like several) has gotten the most compliments from readers?
(Answer continued)
Mary: Many cooks don’t want to take the time to prepare fresh collards. Here’s a popular frozen collard recipe, which many health-conscious readers prefer:
Simply Delicious Collards
Ingredients
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups (1 pound) frozen chopped collards
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon basil leaves
2 tablespoons Splenda®
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Salt substitute to taste
Ground red pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
•In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat ½ cup water with the oil until it is very hot.
•Add the greens and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
•Add the remaining ingredients and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
Having said all this, I need to add that the first recipe in The Collard Patch is the world’s most famous. For years it was number one on google under the heading “collard greens.” Willie Crawford, famous Soul Food cook and internet marketer allowed me to feature this recipe – Awesome Collard Greens.
(Answer continued)
Mary: Many cooks don’t want to take the time to prepare fresh collards. Here’s a popular frozen collard recipe, which many health-conscious readers prefer:
Simply Delicious Collards
Ingredients
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups (1 pound) frozen chopped collards
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon basil leaves
2 tablespoons Splenda®
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Salt substitute to taste
Ground red pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
•In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat ½ cup water with the oil until it is very hot.
•Add the greens and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
•Add the remaining ingredients and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
Having said all this, I need to add that the first recipe in The Collard Patch is the world’s most famous. For years it was number one on google under the heading “collard greens.” Willie Crawford, famous Soul Food cook and internet marketer allowed me to feature this recipe – Awesome Collard Greens.
Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 2
Ed: Which recipe from your book (it has so many! My wife and I like several) has gotten the most compliments from readers?
Mary: The key word in that question is readers. Here’s the one tasters rave over most. It has a few collards and plenty of other yummy ingredients. This recipe is not traditional.
Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (1/4 cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
Preparation
•Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl
•Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.
•Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
•Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness. You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool,
•Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.
•Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.
•When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.
Mary: The key word in that question is readers. Here’s the one tasters rave over most. It has a few collards and plenty of other yummy ingredients. This recipe is not traditional.
Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (1/4 cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
Preparation
•Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl
•Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.
•Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
•Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness. You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool,
•Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.
•Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.
•When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Edward H. Davis Interviews Mary Lou Cheatham, Part 1
Edward, before you start asking me questions, I’d like to ask you a few.
Mary:Why did you write a book about collards?
Ed: My colleague John Morgan and I have been curious about several things: the decline of home gardening since WW2, and the unique history, botany and geography of collards as a leafy vegetable - none of the other vegetables have such an interesting background! No geographer has done a food study at this scale, since the South is such a large cultural region, so it made for a fascinating challenge.
Mary: What is the name of your book?
Ed: Collards and the American South
Mary: How did you go about writing the book?
Ed: This is academia so we were just doing research for small publications - journals you would never hear about, but then we learned more and more and a few years ago someone suggested we could have enough of a story for a book. We began in 2000 by interviewing farmers and gardeners, then as the project grew we ended up surveying agricultural extension agents, seed savers, grocery store produce managers, restaurant owners, seed store retailers, and even 11,000 college students! That last piece is part of a larger project about food in the South - not all of that goes in the collards book.
Mary: Did your wife help you?
Ed: Sandy is a big help in my life, even though she works also as a community college teacher. She did not work on the book, but I ws lucky to have her all along. For example, she allowed me to disappear on long expeditions for weeks at a time!
Mary: What is your book like? Please describe it.
Ed: You got a glimpse in the answer to the third question. It is going to be like a journey through ten Southern states, from Arkansas to Virginia, but with lots of history and agriculture and geography and economics and even literature thrown in, since collards show up not just at covered dish suppers but in novels, poems, songs, festivals, fashion shows, interior decorations, celebrity scandals, and even prison farms!
Mary: What is one of the recipes in The Collard Patch you and your wife like?
Ed: One of the casseroles - I don't have the book with me to remember the exact name of it - but it was a big hit at my family reunion!
Mary:Why did you write a book about collards?
Ed: My colleague John Morgan and I have been curious about several things: the decline of home gardening since WW2, and the unique history, botany and geography of collards as a leafy vegetable - none of the other vegetables have such an interesting background! No geographer has done a food study at this scale, since the South is such a large cultural region, so it made for a fascinating challenge.
Mary: What is the name of your book?
Ed: Collards and the American South
Mary: How did you go about writing the book?
Ed: This is academia so we were just doing research for small publications - journals you would never hear about, but then we learned more and more and a few years ago someone suggested we could have enough of a story for a book. We began in 2000 by interviewing farmers and gardeners, then as the project grew we ended up surveying agricultural extension agents, seed savers, grocery store produce managers, restaurant owners, seed store retailers, and even 11,000 college students! That last piece is part of a larger project about food in the South - not all of that goes in the collards book.
Mary: Did your wife help you?
Ed: Sandy is a big help in my life, even though she works also as a community college teacher. She did not work on the book, but I ws lucky to have her all along. For example, she allowed me to disappear on long expeditions for weeks at a time!
Mary: What is your book like? Please describe it.
Ed: You got a glimpse in the answer to the third question. It is going to be like a journey through ten Southern states, from Arkansas to Virginia, but with lots of history and agriculture and geography and economics and even literature thrown in, since collards show up not just at covered dish suppers but in novels, poems, songs, festivals, fashion shows, interior decorations, celebrity scandals, and even prison farms!
Mary: What is one of the recipes in The Collard Patch you and your wife like?
Ed: One of the casseroles - I don't have the book with me to remember the exact name of it - but it was a big hit at my family reunion!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Books by Mary Lou Cheatham
I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving:
"The process of grieving is like walking through a murky swamp. In this e-book I want to talk with you about the way it feels. There's no way I can know exactly what you are going through, not even if we could sit and talk and you could tell me. I will tell you though that I have experienced grief and known many other dear ones who have." Mary Lou Cheatham
The Collard Patch:
"I highly recommend The Collard Patch to anyone who loves cooking good, healthy, down-home food." Willie Crawford, The World's Leading Soul Food Expert
Do You Know How God Loves You?:
"If the question were actually asked of us 'Do You Know How God Loves You?' I'm afraid most of us would have to say 'I haven't got a clue!' It's easy to go through our normal daily routine without giving a thought to God's love. This book can help change that. Mary Cheatham has written a lovely devotional book that takes the reader deep into the heart of Scripture where, day by day, she examines the many facets of God's love for his people. I can't imagine anyone reading this without being informed, enriched and encouraged. I know I was!" Ann Tatlock, author one of the Top Ten Historical Novels of the year according to Booklist Magazine
Do You Know How God Loves You? [Kindle Edition]:
"I requested through Amazon that your publisher make your book available in an Amazon.com Kindle edition, so Kindle readers can find it and enjoy it 'on the go'. God bless you for such a wonderful book that reminds us of God's presence and love for each one of us." RBS Prods, one of the top 500 reviewers on Amazon
A Prayer of Nehemiah, The Birth of Leadership [Kindle Edition]:
Assuming a role of leadership can be challenging. We face all kinds of problems when we step out to lead. The struggles a leader faces are human problems that have not changed over the centuries of history. "Nehemiah, a cupbearer for a Persian king more than 400 years before Christ was born, led a company of his people from Babylon to Jerusalem, where he restored the walls and civil authority. Where his nation once existed, he found ruins. His challenge was for him a great one." Mary Lou Cheatham
Solomon's Porch:
"In this warm, personal story of a devoted marriage, a tragic illness, and incredible perseverance, Jane Riley presents us with the full spectrum of good and evil. But it is not done through high drama, or in complicated philosophic terms. Rather, with a constrained writing style she shows us how it appears in our ordinary, everyday, lives: good friends and devious friends; doctors guilty of deplorable malpractice and callousness, and doctors moved by unswerving concern for their patients; churchgoers who run the gamut from cruelty, hypocrisy and selfishness, to those kindhearted souls that harken back to the early Christians who met at Solomon's Temple and shared compassion and love for one another. All of this is dealt with, fought with, and savoured, in this story of a loving wife-mother-and-caregiver's story, which is gently and beautifully written (with a wonderful knack for dialogue), and -- as several reviewers have already noted - very hard to put down." Andrew Cort, author of "The Purpose of Religion: Enlightenment, Meaning and Love in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Symbology"
Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook:
"Jane Riley is a pen name for Mary Lou Cheatham. 'Jane' has garnered recipes from her lifetime of cooking, mostly from family members and friends, to compile this omnibus cookbook. 'Flavored with Love' is additionally punctuated with a nostalgic overview of the Louisiana and Mississippi regions, and its people, in particular." Patrick Crabtree, one of the top 500 reviewers on Amazon.
All quotations are from reviews and product pages on Amazon.com
Sunday, May 08, 2011
E-Book about Grief: I'm Choking . . . But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief (Insights about Grieving)
Months pass; nothing changes. We sleep in our beds, awake to the buzzing of our alarm clocks, go about our daily routines, enjoy our health, feed the dogs, and interact with our families. We start thinking that our lives will always be the same.
No matter what we think, life moves on. Someone close – a family member or a cherished friend – dies.
It's okay to cry. It's okay to grieve just as it's okay to eat. Problems arise from negative effects when we become stuck and continue to gratify our yearnings and uneasiness by luxuriating in abnormal amounts of normal behavior.
No matter what we think, life moves on. Someone close – a family member or a cherished friend – dies.
It's okay to cry. It's okay to grieve just as it's okay to eat. Problems arise from negative effects when we become stuck and continue to gratify our yearnings and uneasiness by luxuriating in abnormal amounts of normal behavior.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Have Yourself a Happy Little Mother's Day
What makes holidays sad?
It's Mother's Day and we're supposed to be happy, but it doesn't always work that way.
This realization became evident to me when I was a young girl. In our yard we had several varieties of roses in all colors. We always pinned them on our dresses for church. Those whose mothers were living were supposed to wear red ones. Those whose mothers were deceased wore white ones.
The year after my grandmother died, I remember going out and selecting the roses. Our red ones were small, but the white rose blooms we had were huge and impressive. The one we found for Mother that year was the most beautiful I had ever seen. I still remember the bittersweet expression on her face.
On holidays the memories of the times when we were all together can overwhelm us. The personnel at our gatherings changes. Some of us have no one. We tend to romanticize the past times -- to see them through rose-tinted lenses. Our minds tell us the good old days were better than they could have possibly been.
As much as possible, it's best to look for ways to make each holiday special within the context of the joys we have today. It's time to make some new happy memories.
I have published a new Kindle book entitled "I'm Choking But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief." It is under review and is scheduled to appear in Kindle today. The purpose of this book is to help us deal with grief.
It's Mother's Day and we're supposed to be happy, but it doesn't always work that way.
This realization became evident to me when I was a young girl. In our yard we had several varieties of roses in all colors. We always pinned them on our dresses for church. Those whose mothers were living were supposed to wear red ones. Those whose mothers were deceased wore white ones.
The year after my grandmother died, I remember going out and selecting the roses. Our red ones were small, but the white rose blooms we had were huge and impressive. The one we found for Mother that year was the most beautiful I had ever seen. I still remember the bittersweet expression on her face.
On holidays the memories of the times when we were all together can overwhelm us. The personnel at our gatherings changes. Some of us have no one. We tend to romanticize the past times -- to see them through rose-tinted lenses. Our minds tell us the good old days were better than they could have possibly been.
As much as possible, it's best to look for ways to make each holiday special within the context of the joys we have today. It's time to make some new happy memories.
I have published a new Kindle book entitled "I'm Choking But Life Moves On Along the Path of Grief." It is under review and is scheduled to appear in Kindle today. The purpose of this book is to help us deal with grief.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Light Chocolate Cake
Lightening Up Chocolate Cake
It is possible to have what you want, eat what you love, and lose weight. Small choices made daily will bring big results By thinking ahead about food, I’ve managed to lose weight slowly.
Last night I wanted chocolate cake. By making a few adjustments I was able to enjoy a great cake without going on an eating binge. In the recipe I substituted soy milk, which has only 70 calories per cup. Instead of making a layer cake with rich frosting or cooking a chocolate pound cake with an abundance of butter, I made a simple chocolate cake in a bundt pan. By the way, this cake was easy to prepare.
I took the cake while it was still warm to a meeting and enjoyed a slice with whipped topping. The others attending seemed to enjoy the rich chocolate taste as much as I did. When I left the meeting, I left the cake with my hostess.
I always use Hershey’s Cocoa. It happens to be the cocoa I like.
Here’s the recipe:
Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups self-rising flour
¾ cups Hershey’s cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (decaffeinated or regular)
Canned light whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to make sure the cake doesn’t stick.
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the eggs, soy milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes. Add the hot coffee.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. This should be about 45 minutes.
Turn onto a pan.
Slice while it is still warm and serve it with whipped cream. The cake has a rich chocolate taste.
I'd love to read your suggestions about ways to lighten up favorite foods. You can send me a message on Facebook.
It is possible to have what you want, eat what you love, and lose weight. Small choices made daily will bring big results By thinking ahead about food, I’ve managed to lose weight slowly.
Last night I wanted chocolate cake. By making a few adjustments I was able to enjoy a great cake without going on an eating binge. In the recipe I substituted soy milk, which has only 70 calories per cup. Instead of making a layer cake with rich frosting or cooking a chocolate pound cake with an abundance of butter, I made a simple chocolate cake in a bundt pan. By the way, this cake was easy to prepare.
I took the cake while it was still warm to a meeting and enjoyed a slice with whipped topping. The others attending seemed to enjoy the rich chocolate taste as much as I did. When I left the meeting, I left the cake with my hostess.
I always use Hershey’s Cocoa. It happens to be the cocoa I like.
Here’s the recipe:
Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups self-rising flour
¾ cups Hershey’s cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (decaffeinated or regular)
Canned light whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to make sure the cake doesn’t stick.
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the eggs, soy milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes. Add the hot coffee.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. This should be about 45 minutes.
Turn onto a pan.
Slice while it is still warm and serve it with whipped cream. The cake has a rich chocolate taste.
I'd love to read your suggestions about ways to lighten up favorite foods. You can send me a message on Facebook.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Quinoa
Recently I tried some NatureCrops Nutrition Bars
containing quinoa. (It's pronounced “keenwa.”) Delicious! I especially liked the way the quinoa seeds popped when I chewed them. I couldn't wait to try cooking quinoa.
We bought a cup of quinoa seeds in the bulk foods department at Central Market in Plano, Texas. This evening I cooked it for supper. Yum!
DIRECTIONS ON THE BAG: Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Yields 3 ½ cups. Serve as a side dish. Add sauteed onions and vegetables.
I don't like to run to the store. Usually there is something on hand that can make a tasty meal. While the quinoa seeds simmered in broth, I found enough vegetables to fill a huge skillet: frozen English peas, broccoli, green bell peppers, corn ; fresh onions, garlic, carrots. I stir fried the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil. After combining the vegetables and the quinoa, I added a generous amount (six tablespoons) powdered green chili dissolved in water, a big shake of black pepper, and a small amount of cumin. Then I stirred that together.
Topped with sour cream and a small amount of grated cheddar in bowls, it was a winner.
Quinoa was cultivated in the Andean region of South America by the Incas. It's been an important food for thousands of years. The greens can be eaten as a nutritious food.
Three and one half ounces of uncooked quinoa seeds contains 368 calories with 7 grams fiber. It's rich in vitamins, especially thiamine, riboflavin, B6, and folate.
The seeds can be toasted and served in salads or with toasted nuts. It is a good source of essential amino acids; therefore vegetarians find it a healthy choice.
containing quinoa. (It's pronounced “keenwa.”) Delicious! I especially liked the way the quinoa seeds popped when I chewed them. I couldn't wait to try cooking quinoa.
We bought a cup of quinoa seeds in the bulk foods department at Central Market in Plano, Texas. This evening I cooked it for supper. Yum!
DIRECTIONS ON THE BAG: Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Yields 3 ½ cups. Serve as a side dish. Add sauteed onions and vegetables.
I don't like to run to the store. Usually there is something on hand that can make a tasty meal. While the quinoa seeds simmered in broth, I found enough vegetables to fill a huge skillet: frozen English peas, broccoli, green bell peppers, corn ; fresh onions, garlic, carrots. I stir fried the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil. After combining the vegetables and the quinoa, I added a generous amount (six tablespoons) powdered green chili dissolved in water, a big shake of black pepper, and a small amount of cumin. Then I stirred that together.
Topped with sour cream and a small amount of grated cheddar in bowls, it was a winner.
Quinoa was cultivated in the Andean region of South America by the Incas. It's been an important food for thousands of years. The greens can be eaten as a nutritious food.
Three and one half ounces of uncooked quinoa seeds contains 368 calories with 7 grams fiber. It's rich in vitamins, especially thiamine, riboflavin, B6, and folate.
The seeds can be toasted and served in salads or with toasted nuts. It is a good source of essential amino acids; therefore vegetarians find it a healthy choice.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
As people throughout the United States are developing a love for Louisiana food, where do they get their recipes?
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a wave of desire for the Louisiana food experience swept across the country with the Louisianans. People began wanting to eat more Cajun food, to collect more Louisiana recipes, and to read more of the lore of Louisiana.
Using the pen name of Jane Riley, I wrote the story cookbook reader, entitled Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook
This book is full of heart-warming stories and yummy recipes about and by my relatives and friends who live mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
After Katrina and Rita hit the region, people buying and reading Flavored with Love, Second Edition, begged for more south Louisiana food and experiences.
To meet these requests I interviewed cooks with knowledge of authentic Cajun and Creole food in Louisiana towns such as Grammercy and Donaldsonville to add to the book. I persuaded some of the leading Louisiana restaurateurs to share their tastiest recipes in Flavored with Love. I interviewed south Louisiana people and captured their words the way they spoke them.
Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains New Orleans influenced cuisine, Mississippi comfort food, and spicy Texas dishes. It introduces a new style of intermingled cooking–La Cusine Texianne®.
Many of the recipes are for the best old stuff that is difficult to find these days. Other recipes explain methods of cooking light food with an accelerated sense of taste. With this book you can serve an authentic Louisiana meal that you prepared without difficulty and fill your house with the distinctive odors of Creole and Cajun food. There is no equal!
Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains over 300 recipes. There are 320 pages in the third edition with more than 60 new recipes not found in the previous versions. The recipes are in big easy-to-read print so it is possible to place the book on the counter and read it while cooking without smearing it with fingerprints. The book has a lay flat binding, which also helps the book stay open on the counter-top.
With its big 8½ x 11" pages and clever cover, it is pretty enough to place on the living room coffee table. Humorous and poignant stories mixed with the recipes are well loved by all who read them. The stories warm hearts while the food satisfies taste buds.
Using the pen name of Jane Riley, I wrote the story cookbook reader, entitled Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook
This book is full of heart-warming stories and yummy recipes about and by my relatives and friends who live mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
After Katrina and Rita hit the region, people buying and reading Flavored with Love, Second Edition, begged for more south Louisiana food and experiences.
To meet these requests I interviewed cooks with knowledge of authentic Cajun and Creole food in Louisiana towns such as Grammercy and Donaldsonville to add to the book. I persuaded some of the leading Louisiana restaurateurs to share their tastiest recipes in Flavored with Love. I interviewed south Louisiana people and captured their words the way they spoke them.
Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains New Orleans influenced cuisine, Mississippi comfort food, and spicy Texas dishes. It introduces a new style of intermingled cooking–La Cusine Texianne®.
Many of the recipes are for the best old stuff that is difficult to find these days. Other recipes explain methods of cooking light food with an accelerated sense of taste. With this book you can serve an authentic Louisiana meal that you prepared without difficulty and fill your house with the distinctive odors of Creole and Cajun food. There is no equal!
Flavored with Love, Third Edition, contains over 300 recipes. There are 320 pages in the third edition with more than 60 new recipes not found in the previous versions. The recipes are in big easy-to-read print so it is possible to place the book on the counter and read it while cooking without smearing it with fingerprints. The book has a lay flat binding, which also helps the book stay open on the counter-top.
With its big 8½ x 11" pages and clever cover, it is pretty enough to place on the living room coffee table. Humorous and poignant stories mixed with the recipes are well loved by all who read them. The stories warm hearts while the food satisfies taste buds.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Baked Coon
Soon it's going to be too warm to cook this recipe. We're reaching the end of the "R" months.
Raccoons love city life. A country coon weighs as much as fifteen pounds, but a city coon can weigh as much as sixty pounds. Louisiana country coons are content with acorns, fresh fruit, vegetables, and crawfish. Urban coons prefer the higher calorie diet they find in garbage cans. Country coons sleep in the woods, but city coons reside in outbuildings and abandoned houses.
People try to turn raccoons into pets. Although they are cute, I don't recommend them as pets. Their claws are dangerous. If people feed them pet food such as cat food, the raccoons develop gout, which can be painful for the little fellows.
They are not as clean as we have thought. They don't really wash their food; instead they like to play with it in the water when they can. Furthermore, some of them have rabies, leptospirosis, listeriosis, tetanus, or tularemia. Coon eaters, beware.
In earlier days, raccoons were considered a delicacy. They were popular food items, especially at Christmas in the United States. People in all social circles loved them. Today they remain a well-loved source of food. I know families who enjoy eating raccoons for Christmas dinner. They tell me it tastes scrumptious.
Here is a great recipe for baking a raccoon.
Terry Chrisman shared her mother’s recipe for baked raccoon with me. Since I can’t find any raccoons, I have not tried this recipe. Although it is my policy to try recipes whenever possible—my freezer door is propped closed because of all the food I’ve cooked and stored—I will make an exception in this case. Terry is a distinguished cook, and I trust her. She called her mother to verify the recipe. Because you may find a raccoon you need to cook, I’ll share the recipe with you.
It was one of the first entries at this blog, which now has 370 entries. Also the readers of the Bernice Banner (Louisiana) told me they enjoyed it when I shared it there as a suggestion for Christmas dinner.
Baked Coon by Ann Webb
Dress the coon.
Remove all the glands, especially from under the arms.
Quarter it.
Cover it with pepper sauce.
Lay thick slices of peeled sweet potatoes around the edges.
Pour a little bit of water in the pan.
Sprinkle a cup of dark brown sugar over the sweet potatoes and coon.
Cover the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until tender.
Terry told me that her mother cooks coon two or three times a year only in cold weather. Her father kills them when he goes squirrel hunting. She said, “He’s supposed to be squirrel hunting, but if he sees a coon, he kills it.”
Baked coon would be a gourmet meal with collards and cornbread on the side.
Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook
Raccoons love city life. A country coon weighs as much as fifteen pounds, but a city coon can weigh as much as sixty pounds. Louisiana country coons are content with acorns, fresh fruit, vegetables, and crawfish. Urban coons prefer the higher calorie diet they find in garbage cans. Country coons sleep in the woods, but city coons reside in outbuildings and abandoned houses.
People try to turn raccoons into pets. Although they are cute, I don't recommend them as pets. Their claws are dangerous. If people feed them pet food such as cat food, the raccoons develop gout, which can be painful for the little fellows.
They are not as clean as we have thought. They don't really wash their food; instead they like to play with it in the water when they can. Furthermore, some of them have rabies, leptospirosis, listeriosis, tetanus, or tularemia. Coon eaters, beware.
In earlier days, raccoons were considered a delicacy. They were popular food items, especially at Christmas in the United States. People in all social circles loved them. Today they remain a well-loved source of food. I know families who enjoy eating raccoons for Christmas dinner. They tell me it tastes scrumptious.
Here is a great recipe for baking a raccoon.
Terry Chrisman shared her mother’s recipe for baked raccoon with me. Since I can’t find any raccoons, I have not tried this recipe. Although it is my policy to try recipes whenever possible—my freezer door is propped closed because of all the food I’ve cooked and stored—I will make an exception in this case. Terry is a distinguished cook, and I trust her. She called her mother to verify the recipe. Because you may find a raccoon you need to cook, I’ll share the recipe with you.
It was one of the first entries at this blog, which now has 370 entries. Also the readers of the Bernice Banner (Louisiana) told me they enjoyed it when I shared it there as a suggestion for Christmas dinner.
Baked Coon by Ann Webb
Dress the coon.
Remove all the glands, especially from under the arms.
Quarter it.
Cover it with pepper sauce.
Lay thick slices of peeled sweet potatoes around the edges.
Pour a little bit of water in the pan.
Sprinkle a cup of dark brown sugar over the sweet potatoes and coon.
Cover the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until tender.
Terry told me that her mother cooks coon two or three times a year only in cold weather. Her father kills them when he goes squirrel hunting. She said, “He’s supposed to be squirrel hunting, but if he sees a coon, he kills it.”
Baked coon would be a gourmet meal with collards and cornbread on the side.
Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook
Aunt Etta's Turnip Greens
The little memoir of Uncle Dan's concern over eating turnip greens is a true story. It appears in Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook
It also appeared in the Bernice Banner (Bernice, Louisiana).
Feeling queasy a few months after being married, Etta decided she needed medical help. Uncle Dan took her to the doctor, who informed the young couple that she was pregnant. “Don’t hurt yourself lifting heavy loads and working too hard on the farm,” the doctor cautioned. “Eat a balanced diet.”
As they were walking into the waiting area on their way out the clinic, Dan, exposing his ignorance of the subject, turned around and went back to talk with the doctor another time. “Doctor, I’ve got a question.”
“What is that?”
“Is it all right if I eat turnip greens?” he asked.
My family laughed about this for years.
Etta's Turnip Greens
1. Pick some nice tender greens from the patch down in the damp hollow. The best ones are grown in cold weather with a kiss of frost on them.
2. Wash them thoroughly to rid them of grit and sand. Don’t skimp on the washing.
3. Be sure to pull off the stems and ladybugs.
4. You may want to peel and slice a few turnip roots and toss them into the pot with the greens.
5. Fill a big pot with greens.
6. Cover them with water.
7. Throw in a lump of bacon grease the size of a large egg.
8. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Shake in a tiny bit of red pepper.
9. Add a spoonful of sugar–the size depending on how bitter the greens are.
10. Throw in a douse of pepper sauce, or if you don’t have any, use vinegar.
11. Cook the greens over low heat for hours to make sure they are tender.
12. Cut them before serving.
Notes
1 .It’s easier to cut the greens before cooking, but that procedure is unorthodox.
2. Serve the greens with plenty of thin fresh cornbread to sop up the pot liquor. Try cracklin’ bread.
3. A sprinkle of hot pepper sauce would taste good on greens.
4. A ham hock or a small block of side meat could be substituted for the bacon grease.
5. If you want to make a pot of heart-healthy food, try omitting the grease altogether and add low sodium beef bouillon with a few drops of liquid smoke.
6. Greens have been enjoyed with slices of fresh raw onions.
7. You may want to dip some sliced green tomatoes in flour and fry them in a small amount of fat in a skillet to serve with your greens.
8. Sliced ripe tomatoes would be good too.
9. Some people serve peppers–sliced bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, hot peppers–with greens.
10. Linda R., a Louisiana friend, cooks garlic in green leafy vegetables.
11. Frozen greens taste good if they are cooked carefully.
12. Diane, my sister-in-law, cuts cooked fresh greens with a pizza cutter.
FLAVORED WITH LOVE has more stories about Aunt Etta and Uncle Dan. THE COLLARD PATCH is an entire book about cooking greens, primarily collards, and the cornbread to go with them.
It also appeared in the Bernice Banner (Bernice, Louisiana).
Feeling queasy a few months after being married, Etta decided she needed medical help. Uncle Dan took her to the doctor, who informed the young couple that she was pregnant. “Don’t hurt yourself lifting heavy loads and working too hard on the farm,” the doctor cautioned. “Eat a balanced diet.”
As they were walking into the waiting area on their way out the clinic, Dan, exposing his ignorance of the subject, turned around and went back to talk with the doctor another time. “Doctor, I’ve got a question.”
“What is that?”
“Is it all right if I eat turnip greens?” he asked.
My family laughed about this for years.
Etta's Turnip Greens
1. Pick some nice tender greens from the patch down in the damp hollow. The best ones are grown in cold weather with a kiss of frost on them.
2. Wash them thoroughly to rid them of grit and sand. Don’t skimp on the washing.
3. Be sure to pull off the stems and ladybugs.
4. You may want to peel and slice a few turnip roots and toss them into the pot with the greens.
5. Fill a big pot with greens.
6. Cover them with water.
7. Throw in a lump of bacon grease the size of a large egg.
8. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Shake in a tiny bit of red pepper.
9. Add a spoonful of sugar–the size depending on how bitter the greens are.
10. Throw in a douse of pepper sauce, or if you don’t have any, use vinegar.
11. Cook the greens over low heat for hours to make sure they are tender.
12. Cut them before serving.
Notes
1 .It’s easier to cut the greens before cooking, but that procedure is unorthodox.
2. Serve the greens with plenty of thin fresh cornbread to sop up the pot liquor. Try cracklin’ bread.
3. A sprinkle of hot pepper sauce would taste good on greens.
4. A ham hock or a small block of side meat could be substituted for the bacon grease.
5. If you want to make a pot of heart-healthy food, try omitting the grease altogether and add low sodium beef bouillon with a few drops of liquid smoke.
6. Greens have been enjoyed with slices of fresh raw onions.
7. You may want to dip some sliced green tomatoes in flour and fry them in a small amount of fat in a skillet to serve with your greens.
8. Sliced ripe tomatoes would be good too.
9. Some people serve peppers–sliced bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, hot peppers–with greens.
10. Linda R., a Louisiana friend, cooks garlic in green leafy vegetables.
11. Frozen greens taste good if they are cooked carefully.
12. Diane, my sister-in-law, cuts cooked fresh greens with a pizza cutter.
FLAVORED WITH LOVE has more stories about Aunt Etta and Uncle Dan. THE COLLARD PATCH is an entire book about cooking greens, primarily collards, and the cornbread to go with them.
Monday, March 29, 2010
My Home Town -- Those Funny Names of Mississippi Places in Our Neck of the Woods
Join this Facebook group if your heart is in Taylorsville, Mississippi (Smith County)
We natives of Taylorsville (Smith County, Mississippi) have our pride about our town's name. Even though our town is small, we at least have a better name than some of the surrounding communities can claim.
To the east of the town of our origin is Soso. This name was given to that community 125 years ago by Jim Eaton, a Taylorsville post office worker, who thought the community was so so. Those dear people have kept the name and made the best of it. It has become distinctive. The Soso residents received a lemon of a name from a Taylorsvillian and made lemonade out of it.
To the southeast is Sullivan's Hollow, named after Wild Bill Sullivan. The legendary rowdy ways of that community have become internationally famous. We Taylorsvillians cannot help adding the sin of envy over their name to the pride we feel for our own name.
South of us is Hot Coffee, Mississippi. This community supposedly had an inn there that sold hot coffee. Most people have never heard of Taylorsville, but they know about Hot Coffee. Taylorsville is much more significant than Hot Coffee. It's too bad! We have such a respectable name but people don't know about us.
Part of the problem is that there's nothing very original or unique about the name of our town. We share the name with places in Utah, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, and Iowa. In fact, there are two towns named Taylorsville, Mississippi.
We pronounce the word by accenting the first syllable with no emphasis on the "ville." We are very boastful of the name.
Recently I read that it is believed that the original town of Taylorsville was called "Bullace" back in 1898 when a road from Jackson to Laurel was built. How humiliating to have had such an undignified beginning name!
Sources:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3291/i s_2_23/ai_n29132353/
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?loc Index=285673
http://www.mize.town.ms.gov/history.html
http://www.mapquest.com/directions
We natives of Taylorsville (Smith County, Mississippi) have our pride about our town's name. Even though our town is small, we at least have a better name than some of the surrounding communities can claim.
To the east of the town of our origin is Soso. This name was given to that community 125 years ago by Jim Eaton, a Taylorsville post office worker, who thought the community was so so. Those dear people have kept the name and made the best of it. It has become distinctive. The Soso residents received a lemon of a name from a Taylorsvillian and made lemonade out of it.
To the southeast is Sullivan's Hollow, named after Wild Bill Sullivan. The legendary rowdy ways of that community have become internationally famous. We Taylorsvillians cannot help adding the sin of envy over their name to the pride we feel for our own name.
South of us is Hot Coffee, Mississippi. This community supposedly had an inn there that sold hot coffee. Most people have never heard of Taylorsville, but they know about Hot Coffee. Taylorsville is much more significant than Hot Coffee. It's too bad! We have such a respectable name but people don't know about us.
Part of the problem is that there's nothing very original or unique about the name of our town. We share the name with places in Utah, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, and Iowa. In fact, there are two towns named Taylorsville, Mississippi.
We pronounce the word by accenting the first syllable with no emphasis on the "ville." We are very boastful of the name.
Recently I read that it is believed that the original town of Taylorsville was called "Bullace" back in 1898 when a road from Jackson to Laurel was built. How humiliating to have had such an undignified beginning name!
Sources:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3291/i s_2_23/ai_n29132353/
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?loc Index=285673
http://www.mize.town.ms.gov/history.html
http://www.mapquest.com/directions
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Five Prizes
How do you make broccoli salad?
When I compiled and wrote FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which includes recipes from my friends and family, I published two broccoli salad recipes because I liked both of them.
I've been wondering whether some of you have other ideas about making broccoli salad. Send me your recipe at MaryLCheatham at gmail.com. The contributors of the five best broccoli salad recipes will receive free copies of FLAVORED WITH LOVE!
Please send me your recipe by March 30, 2010.
1. Broccoli Salad
1 bunch broccoli (Use only the flowerets.)
½ cup red onion
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup celery
Combine the above ingredients.
Dressing
1 cup Miracle Whip® (We use the low fat.)
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Combine the dressing ingredients and stir the dressing into the salad.
2. Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli
½ cup raisins
½ cup nuts
½ cup onion
½ cup celery
½ cup real bacon bits
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar (apple cider or white)
Mix the first 6 ingredients. Make a sauce out of the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Pour the sauce over the salad. Toss and chill.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
When I compiled and wrote FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which includes recipes from my friends and family, I published two broccoli salad recipes because I liked both of them.
I've been wondering whether some of you have other ideas about making broccoli salad. Send me your recipe at MaryLCheatham at gmail.com. The contributors of the five best broccoli salad recipes will receive free copies of FLAVORED WITH LOVE!
Please send me your recipe by March 30, 2010.
1. Broccoli Salad
1 bunch broccoli (Use only the flowerets.)
½ cup red onion
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup celery
Combine the above ingredients.
Dressing
1 cup Miracle Whip® (We use the low fat.)
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Combine the dressing ingredients and stir the dressing into the salad.
2. Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli
½ cup raisins
½ cup nuts
½ cup onion
½ cup celery
½ cup real bacon bits
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar (apple cider or white)
Mix the first 6 ingredients. Make a sauce out of the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Pour the sauce over the salad. Toss and chill.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Who said crawfish and collard greens don't mix? This salad from The Collard Patch
will prove otherwise. When we cooked this and featured it on KTVE news, the staff had trouble giving the news that day because they kept sneaking over to get a little more of this while they were trying to give the news, weather, and sports.
Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Creole seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (¼ cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
Preparation
Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl.
Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.
Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness.
You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool.
Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.
Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.
When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.
Cooking Tips
Instead of crawfish, substitute 1 of the following:
3 cups white chicken meat, cooked and chopped
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
If the feta cheese is a block, cube it.
Cubed ham would be tasty too.
will prove otherwise. When we cooked this and featured it on KTVE news, the staff had trouble giving the news that day because they kept sneaking over to get a little more of this while they were trying to give the news, weather, and sports.Crawfish Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup large pitted ripe olives
1 cup fresh red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-free Creole seasoning
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon Splenda®
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt substitute to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1 package (14 ounces) cheese tortellini
4 ounces (¼ cup) feta cheese
4 cups tender baby collard leaves, chopped
4 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces
Preparation
Place the first 6 ingredients in a big bowl.
Place ¾ cup olive oil in the blender. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all the remaining powdered seasonings. Blend until it is well mixed. Stir in the parsley and basil.
Pour the blended dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and marinate them covered at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Sauté the crawfish in ¼ cup olive oil and Cajun seasoning about 5-7 minutes. Even though there will be other seasoning mixed with the tortellini, each individual crawfish needs its own spiciness.
You don’t want those crawfish to get lonesome. After you sauté them long enough to catch the seasoning, set them aside to cool.
Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Cook it al dente. Drain it in the colander and allow it to cool.
Toss the crawfish, tortellini, and raisins with the vegetable mixture.
When you serve the salad, place it over the greens. Garnish it with feta cheese.
Cooking Tips
Instead of crawfish, substitute 1 of the following:
3 cups white chicken meat, cooked and chopped
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
If the feta cheese is a block, cube it.
Cubed ham would be tasty too.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
My New Job
Hello from the Collard Patch. I stopped by to tell you about my new job. It's exciting!
My official title is Examiner. To be more specific, I am the Shreveport Christian Books Examiner. I've been having fun with this new assignment. I write reviews of the books I'm enjoying reading, and I interview authors. Also I talk about the skill of writing.
Please go over to Shreveport Christian Books Examiner and take a look.
My official title is Examiner. To be more specific, I am the Shreveport Christian Books Examiner. I've been having fun with this new assignment. I write reviews of the books I'm enjoying reading, and I interview authors. Also I talk about the skill of writing.
Please go over to Shreveport Christian Books Examiner and take a look.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
How Not to Lose Your Mind Eating Venison
The following article appeared in THE BANNER of Bernice November 12, 2009:
My nephew, Jameson, gave me this recipe to include in FLAVORED WITH LOVE, a book of recipes by my family members and stories about and by the cooks. Y'all will love this:
Mustard Fried Venison
Venison (ham pieces or loin)
Plain mustard
Onion
Soy sauce
Garlic salt
Self-rising flour
Trim and slice venison into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. If using ham pieces it's a good idea to tenderize (beat) the venison. Also cubed venison works real well. Place meat in bowl.
Mix in mustard, large chopped onion, a couple splashes of soy sauce, a few dashes of garlic salt. Make sure all meat has some mustard on it. Let marinate as long as possible in fridge. Overnight or all day is fine.
Place flour in a paper sack, mixing in salt and pepper freely. Dredge venison pieces through flour mixture and drop into hot cooking oil.
Plain mustard is prepared yellow mustard. Heed the following warning.
Jameson's Note. At the bottom of the recipe he wrote: This is one of my favorites. You can tell it's a guy recipe as the minutia are missing–you just go by feel. It was given to me a long time ago by a friend, Eddie, of South Carolina. My copy is dog-eared. Eddie is one of the best deer hunters I've seen. He's one of those types that spend days in the woods prior to opening day scoping out a big buck. He is also a bit crazy.
Warning. He also wrote: :Do not put a piece of this on top of your head or your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get to it!
More about Jameson: As a youth, Jameson learned to hunt and fish on his grandparents' farms in Mississippi. As an adult, he has traveled extensively to hunt and has gathered game recipes and hunting stories along the way.
He claims: Once I was hunting elk in an aspen forest in Colorado and confronted a grizzly. I jumped up to catch a limb ten feet over my head. I missed, but luckily caught it on the way down.
For Louisiana Readers Only: Don't bother to read my observations about this recipe if you are from South Carolina or Georgia. Everybody in Louisiana knows that most recipes (including cakes, cookies , and brownies) need a little shake of cayenne pepper. An addition of our favorite spice could enhance this recipe. Cayenne pepper opens the palate so you can appreciate all the flavors. Sometimes when we put too much, it opens the eaters' whole heads up. Noses drip, eyes water, mouths drool, ears smoke, and scalps bead sweat. That way we know we've overdone it.
One more suggestion: If you cannot get a deer this year, try this recipe with pork chops. Y'all have a good time hunting!
Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com
My nephew, Jameson, gave me this recipe to include in FLAVORED WITH LOVE, a book of recipes by my family members and stories about and by the cooks. Y'all will love this:
Mustard Fried Venison
Venison (ham pieces or loin)
Plain mustard
Onion
Soy sauce
Garlic salt
Self-rising flour
Trim and slice venison into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. If using ham pieces it's a good idea to tenderize (beat) the venison. Also cubed venison works real well. Place meat in bowl.
Mix in mustard, large chopped onion, a couple splashes of soy sauce, a few dashes of garlic salt. Make sure all meat has some mustard on it. Let marinate as long as possible in fridge. Overnight or all day is fine.
Place flour in a paper sack, mixing in salt and pepper freely. Dredge venison pieces through flour mixture and drop into hot cooking oil.
Plain mustard is prepared yellow mustard. Heed the following warning.
Jameson's Note. At the bottom of the recipe he wrote: This is one of my favorites. You can tell it's a guy recipe as the minutia are missing–you just go by feel. It was given to me a long time ago by a friend, Eddie, of South Carolina. My copy is dog-eared. Eddie is one of the best deer hunters I've seen. He's one of those types that spend days in the woods prior to opening day scoping out a big buck. He is also a bit crazy.
Warning. He also wrote: :Do not put a piece of this on top of your head or your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get to it!
More about Jameson: As a youth, Jameson learned to hunt and fish on his grandparents' farms in Mississippi. As an adult, he has traveled extensively to hunt and has gathered game recipes and hunting stories along the way.
He claims: Once I was hunting elk in an aspen forest in Colorado and confronted a grizzly. I jumped up to catch a limb ten feet over my head. I missed, but luckily caught it on the way down.
For Louisiana Readers Only: Don't bother to read my observations about this recipe if you are from South Carolina or Georgia. Everybody in Louisiana knows that most recipes (including cakes, cookies , and brownies) need a little shake of cayenne pepper. An addition of our favorite spice could enhance this recipe. Cayenne pepper opens the palate so you can appreciate all the flavors. Sometimes when we put too much, it opens the eaters' whole heads up. Noses drip, eyes water, mouths drool, ears smoke, and scalps bead sweat. That way we know we've overdone it.
One more suggestion: If you cannot get a deer this year, try this recipe with pork chops. Y'all have a good time hunting!
Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Eating Venison During Poor Economic Times
The following article appeared in THE BANNER of Bernice, LA, November 5, 2009:
Eating venison is a solution to having a bountiful meat supply during this time of down-turned economy.
A friend of ours is preparing for a bumper crop of deer meat this year. He has planted his deer salad. The other day he went to the store and bought his supply of deer corn. He wanted the sacks to say, “Go, Razorbacks,” but all he could find was in yellow and purple bags honoring LSU. He had no choice but to buy it, and since it was fifty cents cheaper per bag if he bought a ton, he bought a ton.
Having purchased more corn than he could possibly use, he arrived the next morning at the local coffee club with a plan. Being a frugal man … okay a penny-pinching Scrooge … he offered to sell some of it to his deer-hunting, coffee-drinking, yarn-spinning buddies. Not above making a tidy profit off his friends, he proudly announced a special offer: fifty cents a bag more than he had paid at the ton rate. One of them told him, “_____, you can buy deer corn down the road at the convenience store at fifty cents per bag less than you are asking.”
It was particularly embarrassing when it came out that he had bought a ton to get the same price he could have gotten at the local convenience store while buying it one bag at a time. To put it mildly, he was perturbed! What came out of his mouth next cannot be reported here.
He decided to make good use of the corn. At his stand he has the fattest, best fed deer in north Louisiana and south Arkansas. The deer that eat at his place are so fat he doesn't need to use his gun. He can just go out and run them down. Is catching deer on foot included in the primitive weapon season? Any way, our friend could be considered a primitive weapon. Like us, he's definitely an antique.
His wife told me, “At $450 .00 a pound, this solution for stocking the deep freeze may not be so economical after all.”
A while back I was collecting recipes to place in my story cookbook, FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which is about my family and friends. Most of the people are real, and all the stories are. Bill, my deceased brother-in-law, gave me this easy recipe for venison:
Venison Hash
Cook 2 pounds venison in salted water until tender. Drain all but small amount of liquid. Add 1 chopped onion. Season to taste with seasoned salt. Cook until tender and liquid is absorbed.
Note: When I was a little girl, Bill cooked this hash dish with goat meat one time. Just in case y'all can't find a deer ….
.
Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com
Eating venison is a solution to having a bountiful meat supply during this time of down-turned economy.
A friend of ours is preparing for a bumper crop of deer meat this year. He has planted his deer salad. The other day he went to the store and bought his supply of deer corn. He wanted the sacks to say, “Go, Razorbacks,” but all he could find was in yellow and purple bags honoring LSU. He had no choice but to buy it, and since it was fifty cents cheaper per bag if he bought a ton, he bought a ton.
Having purchased more corn than he could possibly use, he arrived the next morning at the local coffee club with a plan. Being a frugal man … okay a penny-pinching Scrooge … he offered to sell some of it to his deer-hunting, coffee-drinking, yarn-spinning buddies. Not above making a tidy profit off his friends, he proudly announced a special offer: fifty cents a bag more than he had paid at the ton rate. One of them told him, “_____, you can buy deer corn down the road at the convenience store at fifty cents per bag less than you are asking.”
It was particularly embarrassing when it came out that he had bought a ton to get the same price he could have gotten at the local convenience store while buying it one bag at a time. To put it mildly, he was perturbed! What came out of his mouth next cannot be reported here.
He decided to make good use of the corn. At his stand he has the fattest, best fed deer in north Louisiana and south Arkansas. The deer that eat at his place are so fat he doesn't need to use his gun. He can just go out and run them down. Is catching deer on foot included in the primitive weapon season? Any way, our friend could be considered a primitive weapon. Like us, he's definitely an antique.
His wife told me, “At $450 .00 a pound, this solution for stocking the deep freeze may not be so economical after all.”
A while back I was collecting recipes to place in my story cookbook, FLAVORED WITH LOVE, which is about my family and friends. Most of the people are real, and all the stories are. Bill, my deceased brother-in-law, gave me this easy recipe for venison:
Venison Hash
Cook 2 pounds venison in salted water until tender. Drain all but small amount of liquid. Add 1 chopped onion. Season to taste with seasoned salt. Cook until tender and liquid is absorbed.
Note: When I was a little girl, Bill cooked this hash dish with goat meat one time. Just in case y'all can't find a deer ….
.
Mary Lou Cheatham
Email: MaryLCheatham@gmail.com
THE COLLARD PATCH
http://collardpatch.blogspot.com
http://www.collardlovers.com
FLAVORED WITH LOVE
http://www.flavoredwithlove.com
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD LOVES YOU?
http://www.DoYouKnowHowGodLovesYou.com
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
Poinsettias
Last year I bought a beautiful large red poinsettia at Sam's. For an entire year I have managed to keep it alive. Today in early November I decided I needed to repot it and rebloom it. I wish I had read earlier the article I found today. It may not be too late to try. I'm going to pay attention to this paragraph from "Poinsettia Care in the Home" by Paul Ecke:
"The poinsettia is a photoperiodic plant, meaning that it sets bud and produces flowers as the Autumn nights lengthen. Poinsettias will naturally come into bloom during November or December, depending on the flowering response time of the individual cultivar. Timing to produce blooms for the Christmas holiday can be difficult outside of the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Stray light of any kind, such as from a street light or household lamps, could delay or entirely halt the re-flowering process."
www.ecke.com
It is wise to use what we have to improve our lives.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
"The poinsettia is a photoperiodic plant, meaning that it sets bud and produces flowers as the Autumn nights lengthen. Poinsettias will naturally come into bloom during November or December, depending on the flowering response time of the individual cultivar. Timing to produce blooms for the Christmas holiday can be difficult outside of the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Stray light of any kind, such as from a street light or household lamps, could delay or entirely halt the re-flowering process."
www.ecke.com
It is wise to use what we have to improve our lives.
Get This Amazing Collard Story Cookbook, The Collard Patch, Now!
Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!
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