Kidney Beans with Salt Pork

This is another recipe that calls for the “Secret Sauce”. This is from an old cookbook and was originally written using Kidney beans. This recipe, I think, can be adapted for any dried bean such as Kidney, Navy, Pinto, Lima, Cranberry, Black-eyed Peas,  etc.  I prefer the Pinto and Cranberry beans over the Kidney beans.

I realize that people used to make their own moonshine and “happy juice”, but I am kinda wondering if maybe the parents and grandparents used this to cook everything with! Maybe those Family Recipes were passed down....minus the “Secret sauce ingredients”. What do you think?

3 oz. salt pork
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 tbs. flour
No. 2 can red kidney bean (or beans of choice)
2 tbs. cooking cherry

 

Cut salt pork into ½ inch dice; turn into skillet and pan broil slowly until crisp. Add finely chopped onion and cook slowly until onion is soft and yellow, stirring to prevent scorching. Blend in the flour to a smooth paste, then stir in beans and sherry thoroughly, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.

If you prefer the homemade beans, then cook them to your preference and then add this to beans and let simmer to blend flavors.

I love cooking with cast iron. Not only do you Not have the flakes sometimes associated with no-stick cookware, but the cast iron retains heat for better cooking temperature and as an added bonus you implement some iron into your dish. If you have a cast iron pot this would taste awesome!

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes and Apples

I like the traditional dishes for my Holiday family meals.  Every once in a while I will throw in a different dish. If you want the traditional dish with a different twist, this recipe will surely be a hit.

6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups sliced apples
4 tbsp. butter
Salt to taste
1 tsp. mace

Boil potatoes until tender.  Slice in 1/4 inch pieces.  Butter baking dish and place a layer of sweet potatoes in bottom, then a layer of apples.  Sprinkle with sugar, salt and mace.  Dot with butter.  Repeat until dish is filled, having on top layer apples.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.

My Version:

I like to be subtle with my changes in a recipe.  Instead of layering my sweet potatoes alternately with apples, I make mine the traditional way and then add a little bit of diced apples throughout the dish.  I also add bourbon or rum in my sweet potatoes for that extra punch!

Old Timey Raisin Spice Cake

This recipe does not have any eggs in it. This is like those delicious spice loaves that my grandfather would buy a the local A & ? store. This recipe calls for layers with the icing between and on top. The loaves grandaddy bought just had the icing on top. This bakes well as loaves or layers. Enjoy!

2 cups brown sugar
½ lb raisins
½ cup butter
2 tsp. Soda
2 cps buttermilk
2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 cps flour
1 tsp. (each) cloves; allspice

Cream sugar and butter. Dissolve soda in milk, add to sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients and raisins, and mix well. Bake in layers* for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing:

Mix 2 cups Brown sugar and 1 cup sour cream and cook until soft ball is formed in cold water test. Cool and beat until creamy. Spread between layers and on top.

*I like mine in loaves.  This can make 2 of the regular sized loaves.  If you add the icing, you can split the loaves and spread between.  This is also great to make in mini loaves and give as gifts for Holidays or a housewarming.  This will freeze well for about 3 months, but I don't put the icing on it if I freeze.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This is the old-fashioned cake recipe made from scratch for Pineapple Upside-Down cake. If your want the homemade taste of cake, like mom and grandma made this is it.

My easier quicker version is on the bottom of the page.

I think the trick to this recipe is the vessel that is used for cooking this in. For me, this cake has to be cooked in a Cast Iron Frying pan. This will give it the right texture crust and a pretty, appealing color.

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
No. 303 crushed pineapple (sic original recipe) I like to use sliced pineapple
2 tbsp melted butter
½ cup maraschino cherries
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp vanilla
½ cp milk

Mix 1/3 cup of sugar with the corn starch, add juice drained from the pineapple and cook in a heavy 10-in skillet over direct heat stirring constantly until sauce boils and becomes clear. Add pineapple and butter. Drain cherries and arrange in a pattern on the pineapple mixture. Sift flour, measure and resift 3 times with salt and baking powder. Cream the 1/3 cup shortening until soft, add the remaining 2/3 cups sugar and the eggs, and beat vigorously until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour and beating well after each addition. Turn batter into skillet over pineapple. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 F, for 35 to 40 minutes or until center of cake is springy when lightly pressed with finger tip. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate.

My Easy Version:

Use either Pineapple, Yellow or White boxed cake mix.

Can of sliced pineapple (drained)
Maraschino Cherries (drained)
Brown sugar
2-3 tbsp butter

Mix cake mix of choice and set aside.

Melt butter in cast iron frying pan. Add brown sugar and just a little of the pineapple syrup and stir until well blended and evenly distributed in pan (not as thick as a paste and not as thin as gravy). Arrange pineapple slices with cherries placed in the center of each pineapple slice. Pour batter over this. Bake 350F 30-40 minutes until center of cake is springy when pressed. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto a pretty plate.

Homemade Vanilla Wafers

The quality of what you use really does make a difference in the dish that you make.  Made from scratch is always better.  Make a statement with your homemade banana pudding.  If either your vanilla wafers or your pudding mix is made from scratch, then you have made a statement.  If both are made from scratch, then you Own the recipe!!!!

1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick) softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl with mixer at low speed, beat all ingredient until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes until edges of cookies are browned.  With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire rack to cool.  Store cookies in a tightly covered container to use within 1 week.  Makes 4 dozen.

Red Eye Gravy

This is an old Southern favorite. There was a time when people had to be creative in their cooking and had to make the meal both filling and enough of it to go around the table. This recipe only calls for 2-3 pieces of ham drippings. The other ingredients are what most people already had on hand, and more than likely were left over ingredients. This was most likely served on good old stone ground grits or left over biscuits from last nights dinner.

Sometimes this was served with a side of eggs, but more often than not it was served by itself. A filling meal meant to keep the hungaries (is that a word) away until lunch. Enjoy!

Country ham drippings (after frying 2-3 pieces)
1 cup water
1 tsp instant coffee or
2 tbs strong perked coffee

After frying country ham, remove from skillet, leaving drippings. With heat still on, add water and stir a few minutes. Add coffee and boil a little longer. Serve hot. For more gravy, add more water and cook longer.

Beef-Wine Casserole

Another recipe with “The Secret Sauce”, that is easy to make, has a gourmet taste and perfect for the Fall-Winter season. This is one of those dishes that you make a double batch, and freeze one for later.

1 lb lean stewing beef
½ cup red wine
1 can beef bouillon
1 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced

¼ cup flour
¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs

 

Combine beef, wine, bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic and onion in a small greased casserole. Mix the flour and bread crumbs and stir into the beef mixture. Bake covered for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Makes 4 servings.