*Rice Pilaf

• 2 c. uncooked white rice
• ½ stick unsalted butter 
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic from jar 
• 4 c Chicken broth 
• 2 Tbsp Dried Mixed Vegetables 
• 1 Tbsp parsley 
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp MSG, optional
• ⅛ tsp turmeric
• ⅛ tsp paprika 

Sauté onions and garlic in butter.  Add chicken broth and seasonings. 

Bring to a boil.  Add rice.  Return to boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer covered for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

*Southern Style Collards

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 30-40 min

• 14 oz frozen chopped collards
• 1 med yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic from jar
• 3 strips thick bacon 
• 4 c water + 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken 

(You may also use any chicken broth you like.  If you have low sodium, you will need to add more salt.)

• 1 tsp sugar 
• Dash Red Pepper Flakes 
• Dash extra sea salt

Chop bacon into small bite-size pieces.  Dice onion in small pieces.  If using fresh garlic instead of jarred, mince about 3 cloves very fine.  Place bacon, onion, and garlic in a nonstick pot, or more preferably, an enamel coated cast iron pot. 

Begin cooking on high heat.  When onions are almost translucent (about 4-5 minutes) add collards, chicken broth, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Return to a boil.  If using cast iron, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer until done.  If using a regular pan, leave on medium heat to maintain a good boil.  Probably 30-40 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook. 

You may want to taste them around 15 minutes to see if you need any more salt.  Check again at 30 minutes to see if they are almost done.  Once you have cooked them a couple times, you will know how long they take on your stove so you won't have to check as much.

Once done, serve with cornbread and pepper sauce (if you like them to have a bite!).  Enjoy!

*Shrimp and Crab Bisque

• 1 can Tomato Soup 
• 1 can Cream of Potato Soup 
• 1 can Cream of Shrimp Soup 
• 2 lrg Green Onions 
• 3 c. Half and Half 
• 2 lrg Red Potatoes, diced and boiled w/salt and Tony's 
• 12 oz Imitation Crab Meat 
• 3/4 tsp Tony Chachere's Seasoning 
• 1 tsp minced garlic, from jar 
• Dash of Black Pepper

Place all ingredients, except potatoes, in a crockpot and cook on high 1 hr and 30 minutes.  Add potatoes that have been pre-boiled and seasoned at the 1 hour mark.

Hemi's Shrimp & Crab Étouffée

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Potato Soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
2 c. Half and Half
8 oz. Velveeta
1 can Whole Kernel Corn
1/2 med. Yellow Onion
1/2 stick Unsalted Butter
1 lb shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
1/2 pkg Imitation Crab Meat, chopped
Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste
Tony Chachere's Seasoning, to taste (I used 3/4 tsp)
Extra potatoes, optional

Boil shrimp and set aside.  Lightly dust shrimp and crab with Tony's and let sit while the rest is cooking.

Sauté onions in butter.  Put in crockpot.

Pre-melt Velveeta in the microwave. Place in crockpot. Add soups, Rotel, and half and half.  Add 3/4 tsp Tony's.

Heat on high about 45 minutes stirring frequently.  Add cooked shrimp and crab. Heat another 15 minutes.  Turn heat down to warm. 

Serve over white rice.

Stuffed Cream Cheese & Garlic Mushrooms

• 1 serving cooking spray
• 16 oz whole fresh mushrooms, tough ends trimmed
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 Tbsp minced garlic, from jar
• 2 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break stems from mushrooms. Chop stems extremely fine.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chopped mushroom stems and garlic in hot oil until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn the garlic, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread mushroom mixture into a bowl to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Stir cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper with the mushroom stems and garlic until very thick and completely mixed. Use a small spoon fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange stuffed mushrooms onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until piping hot and liquid starts to form under the caps, about 20 minutes.

Bourbon Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Yield:  4 servings

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger or crystallized ginger
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend.

Salmon:

• 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put the salmon into a large plastic freezer bag and add half of the marinade. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting. Seal the bag and turn it several times to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large, shallow casserole with aluminum foil. Butter the foil and place the salmon in the casserole, skin side down. Pour the marinade in the bag over the salmon and season with pepper, to taste.

Bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven, and baste with marinade. Bake for 8 minutes more, then baste again. Bake, in total, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily. Spoon any remaining pan juices over the fish when it is served.

Variation: Glazed Salmon and Greens with Bourbon-Mustard Dressing 

Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon-style mustard to the reserved marinade and whisk to blend. Baste each baked fillet with 1 to 2 teaspoons of marinade. In a large bowl, make a salad of 1 ½ cups of thinly sliced green cabbage; 1 cup of grated carrot; 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced; and 4 to 5 ounces of baby salad greens mix.

Drizzle the remaining marinade on the salad and toss to coat.  Serve the salad and salmon together, garnished with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds and/or thinly sliced crystallized ginger.

Original recipe courtesy of The Old Farmer's Almanac 

Poppy Seed Chicken

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as Ritz, crushed)
• 1 ½ tsp poppy seeds, ½ tsp for filling and 1 tsp for topping
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1.     Place the chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then shred the chicken.

2.     Preheat oven to 350° F.  Combine the butter, crackers, and 1 tsp poppy seeds in a saucepan and lightly toast; set aside.

3.     Blend the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and ½ tsp poppy seeds in a bowl; pour half of the soup mixture into a 9x9-inch baking dish. Add the shredded chicken, then pour the remaining half of the soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese, then top with the cracker mixture.

4.     Bake in the preheated oven until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.