Family Recipes

Hoppin john

Serves: 8

Comments: Frozen peas work and save time. Crock pot works as well as oven; stove top is OK, too. Quick cook peas saves 2 hours or so. Instant rice does not need to cook as long as the other types. It will get mushy. Use only 1 cup of rice for a more soup like recipe. This one cooks up to a rice casserole. Or cook rice separately and spoon beans and ham over dish. Use barbecued turkey wings or turkey ham to save on fat calories.

New Year tradition to bring Good Luck. Eat Hoppin John.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups (1Pound) dried black eyed peas
2 Medium – large onions
1 Dried chilies, including seeds, crumble,
or to taste.
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 ham hocks (about 2 pounds)
(smoked turkey legs work, too) (a pound of salt pork works, too.) (Remove fat)
10 cups boiling water or chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups long grain white rice, preferably Jasmine or basmati
Chopped cilantro, Optional

Directions:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Rinse and pick over the beans. Soak over night and pre-boil for 30 minutes. (Use frozen peas and forget this first step) Turn them into a deep baking dish, crock pot, or big soup pot of at least 4 1/2 quarts. Chop the onion. Mix onions, chilies and 1 teaspoon salt into the beans. Push ham hocks into the beans and pour water over all. (Chicken or vegetable stock works too.) (More flavor)

Cover and bake in the center of the oven, in crock pot or stove top pan stirring once or twice, until the beans are barely tender. 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

If you are using jasmine or basmati rice, rinse it well.

Remove the dish from the oven and drain all the stock into a bowl. Pull out the ham hocks. Remove their rind and fat. Take the meat from the bones and chop it into small pieces. Mix the meat, rice (if using minute rice or instant add rice about an hour later) and most of the stock back into the beans..

Cover and return to the oven or pot. Bake until the rice is cooked 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. The dish can be refrigerated now for a day or two. Reserve the leftover stock. If you reheat the dish, you will need to stir it in for moisture. Top each serving with cilantro, if desired.

Chunky Gazpacho

This recipe calls for three types of vinegar; but any combination will work.

Ingredients:

6 cups coarsely chopped tomato (about 3 pounds)
1 (32-ounce) bottle low-sodium tomato juice
2 cups coarsely chopped peeled cucumber (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 1/4 cups finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon basil-flavored vinegar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Cover and chill.

Bev Coutchie’s Version

Here’s the recipe, such as it is:

1 large can V-8 juice (46 oz. approx)

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 or 2 cans beef broth

1 pkg prepared cabbage slaw (I throw away the big pieces) OR you can buy cabbage and

shred it yourself.

Chopped onions ) Chop till you drop or think you have enough. Probably 1/2 c. onions

Chopped celery ) and 1 c. celery (I like celery)

Vinegar

Brown Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Simmer all ingredients, except vinegar and brown sugar, until vegetables are soft. Add vinegar and brown sugar to taste. I suggest you start with 1/4 c. vinegar and 2 T. sugar and taste until satisfied. This has more flavor with 2 cans of beef broth.

Grandma’s Half Pecan Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks of butter
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups pecans broken

Preparation

Mix all ingredients except one cup of powdered sugar in bowl. Using spoon place large dollops of batter on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes or until done. Dust with remaining sugar when mostly cooled.

THE NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIE

(Recipe may be halved)
Ingredients:
2 cups butter
24 oz. chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey
Bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie
sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Apple and Pineapple Crisp

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced peeled apples
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (opt.)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (opt.)
½ cup chopped pecans (walnuts)
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Coat 9- inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
Arrange apples in baking dish. In a bowl mix the pineapple and lemon juice.
Spread over apples.
In another bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans and mix well. Stir in butter. Evenly sprinkle over prepared fruit in pan.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes; remove foil. Bake 10 to 12 minutes longer or until topping is crisp.
Serve crisp (warm or cold) with ice cream or whipped cream.

**I substitute pineapple with blueberries or cranberries for a different flavor.

Double recipe for 9 x 13 pan.

Remoulade with Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 cup green onions chopped
1 cup celery chopped fine
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
6 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¾ cup tarragon wine vinegar (make own by adding tarragon to wine vinegar)
2 tbs. paprika
¼ cup tomato catsup
1 large clove garlic
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ – 1 cups salad oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place horseradish, mustard, vinegar, catsup, paprika, cayenne, garlic and salad oil in food processor or blender and process until well blended. Check seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Combine in bowl with shrimp, green onion and celery. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (I usually refrigerate without shrimp and add shrimp later when serving)

Notes:

Serve over shrimp as hors d’oeuvres or as salad on lettuce with sliced avocados