Southern Buttermilk Pie

If you have a sweet tooth and a craving for pie, this is the one for you. Don't let the buttermilk fool you, this pie will give you sugar rush! It's a Southern staple that every Southern girl should know how to make. It takes no time at all to mix the ingredients but a little time to bake. And believe me, it's well worth the wait! Top slices with a little bit of whipped cream and fresh blueberries and you have a pretty presentation.

3 eggs at room temperature

1 stick butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tbs flour

1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 tbs vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350°

With a mixer, beat eggs until foamy. Add butter, sugar,and flour and beat until smooth. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla and nutmeg. Sprinkle coconut over crust and pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until center is firm. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or chilled.

Collard Greens

Greens are inexpensive, filling and full of vitamins and fiber. While most people prepare them with smoked meat and seasonings, I prepare mine on the sweeter side with a minimal amount of bacon, onion and butter. This recipe is fairly quick compared to others that include ham hocks and require longer cooking times. I'm sure there will be people who say I don't prepare them right, but my family enjoys them and that's what matters.

2 bunches collard greens

2 -3 cups white sugar

1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

3 slices bacon in 1" pieces

1/4 yellow onion, sliced

2 tbs butter

water 

Rinse greens under cool water and let drain. Remove tender leaves from hard stalk and tear into large pieces. Place torn leaves into a stockpot and fill with enough water to cover leaves. Add sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until leaves are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and drain in a mesh strainer. While greens drain, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, when almost done add onion and butter. Add greens and saute for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Gorditas

Gorditas are most delicious when you get them from a street vendor at San Antonio's Market Square or during Fiesta. They are basically a really thick corn tortilla filled with shredded chicken or refried beans and topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese, etc. Served with rice on the side, one or two is more than enough for a meal.

3 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

1/2 onion

3-4 whole garlic cloves

1 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp comino

1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

1 8ounce can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 cups Maseca instant masa

2 cups warm water

1 tsp bacon drippings

1 tsp salt

Lard for frying

Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado or guacamole, sour cream and salsa for toppings

Place all ingredients from chicken to water in a large saucepan with lid. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until chicken is done and can easily be shredded. Remove chicken from pan, let cool,  remove skin, shred and set aside.

In a bowl mix masa, water, bacon drippings and salt. Mix well and form into a ball (dough will be somewhat sticky.) Divide into even size balls, somewhat bigger than a golf ball. Place each ball between two sheets of wax paper and flatten with a tortilla press or rolling pin until about 1/2" thick. Heat a skillet til almost smoking, add a teaspoon of lard and cook each flattened round until brown on both sides. If they brown too quickly, adjust heat level. 

When finished, slice each gordita about halfway through to form a pocket of sort. Stuff with reserved shredded chicken and toppings.

Mini Fried Tacos with Bean & Cheese Filling

I was coming up with a menu for Fiesta, San Antonio's week long party, and wanted a simple appetizer. I had some leftover wonton wrappers so decided to use them as taco shells and made a filling of both bean & cheese and picadillo. I served them with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.

The recipe below is for the bean & cheese version. You could fill these with other ingredients as well, maybe seasoned chicken, sausage, etc. Try to drain the finished product on a wire wrack so they don't get soggy. However, I have found that the wonton wrappers keep their crunch quite well. Also, before frying them up pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to help seal the edges.

1 package wonton wrappers
1 can refried beans with tomatoes and green chilies
1/2 cup finely shredded cheese
oil for frying
water for sealing edges

Heat a fry pan and add oil when hot. Empty beans in hot pan and cook until bubbly. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Take one wrapper at a time and place one teaspoon of beans in center and top with a little cheese. With fingertips wet wonton edges with water, fold into a triangle shape and set aside. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Heat about 2" of oil in fry pan til a piece of wonton dropped in floats to top. carefully place 2-3 filled wrappers in hot oil, cook til golden on both sides. Repeat with remaining wrappers. REMEMBER: When removed from oil they will continue cooking for a few seconds longer. Drain on paper towels or wire rack. Arrange on platter with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
 

Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Mayonnaise

I was doing an event a couple years back with some friends and had to come up with a meal that represented the United States. I didn't want to do hamburgers and hot dogs so instead, came up with these sliders. After all, is there anything more American than Thanksgiving Dinner?  I served them with sweet potato fries, cranberry margaritas and layered pumpkin pie shots. It was basically a condensed alcohol filled version of the tradition!

Because you are making sliders, you want to make sure to dice the vegetables up small. The mixture will be a bit sticky, but don't worry because they will come out fine and should be moist, unlike a lot of the turkey burgers I have come across in the past. I use name brand stuffing in this but use what you like. I just prefer Pepperidge Farm over the store brand or Stove Top. This recipe should generate 12-18 sliders.

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned stuffing

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 of a sweet apple, small chop 

1/4 cup onion, small chop

1 tbs poultry seasoning

1 cup water

2 tbs butter

Olive oil as needed for pan

1/4 cup good mayo

1 can cranberry sauce, 14 oz

King Hawaiian dinner rolls 

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and cranberry sauce. Let chill in refrigerator til ready to use. 

In a measuring cup, heat water and butter til butter is melted, set aside, In a large bowl mix stuffing, parsley, apple,onion and poultry seasoning together. Add heated water and butter, mix and let sit about 10 minutes. Note: If dressing seems too watery, add more stuffing, a little at a time. Add ground turkey to stuffing mixture and form into equal size patties. Cook patties over medium high heat in a non stick pan until no longer pink, adding oil as needed to prevent from sticking. Slice dinner rolls to make buns, place one patty in each and top with prepared mayonnaise.

Asian Wonton Tacos with Broccoli Slaw

I got the idea to use wonton wrappers as a taco shell from a popular chain restaurant and the filling is one that I use for lettuce wrap. I thought the combining of the two would be a good recipe, and I was right. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can shortcut things by using frozen vegetables and packaged slaw that you can find in most stores. Also, if you cook Asian food on a regular basis, you might have most of the ingredients on hand.

1 package wonton wrappers

oil for frying

1 lb ground turkey

1 16 ounce package frozen stir fry vegetable blend, thawed and roughly chopped

2 tbs minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp onion flakes

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

3 tbs creamy peanut butter

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup packaged broccoli slaw

Sriracha sauce for garnish

In a fry pan, heat about an inch of oil til a piece of wonton floats to top when dropped in. Begin frying one wonton wrapper at a time. Place the wonton into the oil flat and using tongs, carefully pick up one corner and begin folding over to opposite corner. Be careful not to let the corners touch, you want at least an inch or two of space between the corners. Remember, you are making taco shells!! When the side in oil begins to brown, turn over and brown other side, being careful that sides do not touch. NOTE: Cook until light brown on both sides, when you remove from oil they will continue to cook for a few seconds. Drain upside down over a paper towel. Repeat with remaining wrappers and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook turkey into no longer pink. Add vegetables, ginger, garlic and onion flakes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add teriyaki sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, oil and pepper flakes, Stir until combined and cook on low until heated through. 

Stuff each wonton shell with filling, top with slaw and Sriracha hot sauce, if desired.