Baked Cheese Grits

 

Recipe from Lakeside Yellow Grits (serves 8)

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 cup grits 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (= 4 oz. stick of butter)

8 oz. Cracker Barrel Sharp White Cheddar Cheese 

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

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You'll need:

8 inch square Pyrex baking pan

Utensils needed:  Large pot (about 4 quarts), small mixing bowl, box grater, whisk, spoon, spatula

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Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, adjusting the oven rack to the center of the oven.

2.  On a large plate or in a large bowl, using the largest shredding size of the box grater, grate the cheese.  Set aside.

3.  In the small mixing bowl, beat the eggs.  Set aside.

4.  In the large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.

5.  Slowly pour the grits in the boiling water while whisking continously to avoid clumping.  

6.  Reduce heat to a very low simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes, whisking and stirring around the bottom edges to avoid sticking.

7.  Turn off the burner when done cooking and place the stick of butter in the cooked grits.  When the butter is melted, stir/whisk until thoroughly mixed.

8.  Slowly mix in the grated cheddar cheese with the whisk until fully combined and evenly mixed in.

9.  Add one cup of the hot cheese grits to the beaten eggs in the small mixing bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.

10.  With the spatula, add the egg/grits mixture from the small bowl into the rest of the large pot of hot grits mixture and whisk until blended thoroughly.  Use the spoon around the bottom edges of the pot to make sure all is blended in.

11.  Spray the bottom and sides of the 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

12.  Pour the cooked grits from the large pot into the baking pan using the spatula to scrape the pot.

13.  Put the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

14.  When done, remove from the oven and place on a pot holder to set for at least 10 minutes.  Then it is ready to serve!

Elta Zahn's Ginger Cookies

Notes:
 
(1) Grandma used Brer Rabbit molasses (yellow or green label) which I can't find, so use Grandma's Molasses (yellow).  

(2) Think the cookies roll out easier if 9 cups flour is used instead of 8.

(3)  Recipe can be cut in half as full recipe makes a huge batch (1/2 batch makes about 27 -    3" round cookies -- or less if you make gingerbread boys/girls)

(4) Don't even think about making these without an electric mixer, although apparently Grandma did.)


Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups New Orleans molasses (see Note above)
2 large eggs, well beaten
8-9 cups all-purpose flour (directions said sift before measuring)
1 Tbsp. ground ginger (mix into the flour)
3 tsp. baking soda (mix into the flour)
2/3 cup buttermilk
Additional 1 tsp baking soda (stir into the buttermilk)
Additional granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the cookies (think this helps keep them soft, plus this is how I remember Grandma used to do it)

Directions: 

(1)   In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening.
(2)  Add in the sugar and continue beating at med-high speed.
(3)  Add molasses, blending at low speed.
(4)  Add in eggs to mix well.
(5)  To the mixing bowl, slowly, and alternately, add in and mix dry ingredients (flour/ginger/baking soda mixture) and wet ingredients (buttermilk/ baking soda mixture).  Do this in about 4-5 additions, mixing and scraping bowl thoroughly between dry and wet ingredients until all is mixed in.  Dough should be stiff.
(6)  Chill at least several hours, or overnight.
(7)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
(8)  On a well-floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out portions of dough to about 1/4" thick.  Cut with cookie cutter.  Gently transfer to a cookie sheet (I usually brush off extra flour on top and bottom of cookie in the process).  
(9) If round cookies, I sprinkle granulated sugar on top before baking.  If other shapes, like gingerbread boys/girls/house where they might be frosted or iced, I do not.
 (10) Bake for 8 minutes, check, then add an extra minute, if needed -- 9 minutes is usually good for round cookies.
(11)  Cool and enjoy!  Cookies can be frozen and thawed later -- remember Grandma used to keep these in the freezer and take them out when we visited!




 

Beef Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. sirloin, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cups (32 oz.) beef broth, plus
2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups (32 oz.) boiling water  
1 cup dry pearl barley 
 salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large 6 -8 quart pot, on med-low heat, melt olive oil and butter.  Brown the beef. Then add the chopped onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until onions are soft.  Add chopped celery, carrots and mushrooms; cook for a few more minutes.  Add beef broth and beef bouillon mixture (should have 8 cups total, broth and bouillon).  Add bay leaf and stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour.  Add a bit more water if liquid level goes down.  Add barley, stir, bring to boil again, then reduce to simmer -- cover and cook for another 1/2 hour, until barley is tender.  Adjust for salt and pepper, to taste.  Remove bay leaf and serve.

Macaroni and Cheese

Note:  Use good extra-sharp white cheddar cheese for this recipe and hand grate -- easiest straight from refrigerator (I like using a 4-sided grater for this).


Ingredients:

1-16 oz. package elbow macaroni (like Barilla)
 4Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt 
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. Coleman's dry English mustard
4 level Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 -1 Tbsp. dry sherry, to taste
2 cups hand grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, plus 1 extra Tbsp. for topping below


Bread topping:

1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted, cooled, and made into crumbs.  Then add the extra 1 Tbsp. grated white cheddar cheese to the bread crumbs to mix/crumb further.   


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large (5-6 quart) pot of boiling salted (1 tsp.) water, add package of elbow macaroni and cook for 6 minutes.  Drain and set aside when done.

In small/medium (2-1/2 quart) pot, melt butter on low heat.  When melted, add salt, black and white peppers and dry mustard.  Stir to mix.  Add flour, stirring to make roux. Cook for about 1/2 -1 minute stirring.  Add milk, turning up heat to med-low/med, and stir with a whisk until mixture thickens and boils.  Add sherry and stir.  Turn off heat, then add the grated cheddar cheese, mixing to blend thoroughly.  Taste to adjust for salt.

Spray a casserole dish with baking spray.  Place cooked macaroni in the casserole, then slowly pour the creamy cheese sauce over the top, stirring to mix it into the macaroni thoroughly.  Smooth, then sprinkle the bread topping evenly over the top.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly.  Serves 6-8.

Buckeye Balls

(Recipe from Connie Gaspar of Malone, NY)

Blueberry Almond Flaxseed Muffins

Ingredients:


1/2 cup whole unblanched almonds
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup blueberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup vegetable oil, preferably sunflower (or peanut oil)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed meal, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water (set aside until ready to use)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Using spray vegetable oil, coat a 6-muffin Texas size muffin pan (or a standard size muffin pan) and set aside. 

In bowl of food processor, coarsely chop the almonds; transfer to mixing bowl.  Add flour, wheat germ, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and blueberries to the same bowl; stir to blend thoroughly.  In bowl of food processor, add oil, brown sugar, egg, flaxseed/water mixture and vanilla.  Process until blended.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry; stir with wooden spoon or spatula until just blended.  Spoon batter into greased muffin cups; batter will fill each cup. Bake until muffins feel firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes in pan.  Carefully turn out of pan. Let the muffins cool on a rack a few minutes before serving.  Serves 6 to 12 (depending on size).

Irish Soda Bread

From the original Good Housekeeping cookbook with a few small changes -- very good and easy. 

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup currants
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ½ cups buttermilk

 

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart round casserole. In large bowl with fork, mix flour and the next 4 ingredients. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in currants. 

In small bowl with fork, beat eggs and yolk slightly; remove 1 tablespoon and reserve. Stir buttermilk into remaining egg; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened (dough will be sticky). 

Turn dough onto well-floured surface; knead about 10 strokes to mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball; place in casserole. In center of ball, cut 4-inch cross ¼ inch deep. Brush dough with reserved egg. 

Bake about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool in casserole on wire rack 10 minutes; removed from casserole and cool completely on rack. 

Makes 1 loaf.