Ken Jackson's Rice Dressing

I recently went to stay with my cousin. We were attending a pot luck gathering in the evening.  The theme for the pot luck was Thanksgiving so my cousin's husband, Ken Jackson made his 'famous' rice dressing or dirty rice.  I was born in Louisiana but raised in Texas.  I grew up on cornbread dressing.  In Louisiana it is traditional to have rice dressing or dirty rice.  Ken showed me his recipe so I am going to share here on my blog.

RICE DRESSING

2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 12 oz. package PictSweet Seasoning Blend (onions, red and green peppers, celery)
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Slap Ya Mama seasoning to taste
2 16 oz. tubs Savoie's Rice Dressing Mix
1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth
2-1/2 cups Minute Rice

In a large dutch oven (he used the fabulous Magnalite brand which is also a Louisiana tradition), melt the butter and sweat the seasoning blend until translucent.  Add the ground beef and ground pork and cook until no longer pink.  Season with Slap Ya Mama seasoning to taste.  This adds a nice little kick.  Add the tubs of dressing mix and mix well.  Add dry Minute Rice and chicken broth and stir until all moisture is absorbed.  This is some good stuff!

Chicken and Rice

CREAMY CHICKEN AND RICE

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  I was to have someone come for lunch and thought I would try it out.  Unfortunately the lunch plans got cancelled so I made it for a weekend meal.  The recipe was posted Natasha's Kitchen.   It is an easy one-pot meal and goes together really quick.  I've listed the ingredients and steps that I used.  I would make this again.  Yummy.


1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 large onion, finely diced
About 1 cup shredded carrots
3 large boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces.
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 cup Chardonnay white wine
4 cups hot reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups Jasmine rice
1 head garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving
Parsley (I didn't have any so I just chopped a little cilantro)

Using a Dutch oven, saute the onion and carrots in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter until soft. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink.  Add the wine and turn up to high and cook off the wine.  Pour in the hot chicken broth and rice.  Bring to a boil.  Cut the ends off the head of garlic and place down in the center of the pot.  Place a lid on top and simmer for 20 minutes until rice is tender.  Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and stir.  You can squeeze the garlic out of the head and add if you like.  Sprinkle the parsley and more cheese on top and serve. 

S'Mores Cupcakes

I can't believe it has been 3 months since I posted to my blog.  Not much new baking going on in my kitchen.  I recently took a cupcake class and we made these S'Mores Cupcakes.  I took them to work for a breakfast and they went over well.

S'MORES CUPCAKES

Use your favorite recipe for chocolate cake, either from scratch or from a box.  Hollow out the middle of the cupcakes and fill with marshmallow cream.  Here in Texas we have a store named HEB that carries toasted marshmallow cream and I used that.  Make your favorite recipe for buttercream frosting.  Frost the cupcakes.  We learned how to use a piping bag, but my skills are still lacking there so just frosted with a spatula.  Sprinkle the frosting with graham cracker crumbs and put some marshmallows around.  You can toast the marshmallows if you have a torch, but it is hard not to burn them so I just put mini-marshmallows around.  Top with a Teddy Graham or a piece of graham cracker and there you go.

Cranberry/Orange Scones

On my recent trip to Washougal, WA we had a tea party.  Among the goodies we had were these scones.  I learned on this trip that the proper pronunciation of the word is "scahns" not scones that rhymes with bones.  It just doesn't sound right to me, so I'll probably still rhyme them with bones!

CRANBERRY/ORANGE SCONES

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 stick butter cut into pieces

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces.  Cut butter into flour until it resembles small peas.  Add the dried cranberries and stir.  Pour cream and mix together just until moistened.  Pour onto floured board and pat down to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter in a shape you like.  You can also form it into a circle and cut into wedges.  Place scones on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Brush cream over tops and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 425 degrees for 13-17 minutes until golden brown.

Trip to Washougal, WA

It has been quite a while since I posted to my little blog.  Most things I have baked have been things that are already on my blog, so need to post those.

I recently got to escape the heat here on the Texas Gulf Coast for a visit with one of my best friends and her husband who live in Washougal, WA, just across the river from Portland, OR.  Oh, what a beautiful spot on this earth it is.  If I lived in a perfect world with the ability to live there, I do believe I would choose this place.  It is so peaceful and beautiful.

From my friend's home on a clear day you can see Mt. Hood.  What a grand mountain that can be seen whenever you are out and about on the roads.

The day after I arrived we took a day trip to Timberline Lodge which is at the summit of the mountain.  What a beautiful, historic lodge.  We had a delicious lunch there and enjoyed looking out at the mountaintop.

My friend's aunt owns a cabin near the mountain.  Her back porch overlooks this beautiful stream.  The sound of this stream is so beautiful with the water rushing by.  I could listen to that sound all the time.  Just so peaceful and beautiful.  

My friend has a Tea Party business, Timeless Teacup where she rents all you would need for a beautiful tea party.  She invited her mom and a friend and we had a tea party.  Her things are so beautiful.  I will post some recipes of some things we had.  So fun.

On my friend's deck are two blueberry plants.  What a treat to be able to pick fresh berries right on your deck.  It doesn't get much easier than that!

Lacamas Lake is nearby.  I can never get enough of these beautiful trees. The lake is so peaceful and serene.

The beautiful Columbia River.  My friend's home overlooks this river.  Everywhere you go you see this river from different vantage points.  It is just the best.

Cottonwood Beach.  This beach beats the Gulf of Mexico on any given day!  Just beautiful and peaceful.  A bit colder than we have here though!

My last night there I saw a beautiful rainbow.  What a nice way to say goodbye!

French Toast Casserole

A breakfast for a coworker recently at work who is changing offices.  I got this recipe from a message board I have read for years.  The ladies on there share some really good recipes.  This is one of those overnight casseroles that is so easy for a morning when you have things to do while it bakes.  A friend of mine and his wife sent me some wonderful genuine New York Maple Syrup.  Although this is sweet enough without, it was a great addition for those who wanted a little something extra.

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

1 loaf cinnamon bread ( I used Sara Lee) with or without raisins
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)

Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.  Tear up the bread. Mix the eggs, milk, 1/2 and 1/2, vanilla and cinnamon together.  Pour over bread and press down to get break soaked. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, mix the topping ingredients until they crumb.  Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake 350 for 40 minutes until golden brown.

Key Lime Babycakes

I needed to make a dessert for a dinner party this past weekend.  I had searched for a key lime pie recipe and did some research and found recipes for not only key lime pie but key lime cheesecake.  My version is below.

KEY LIME BABYCAKES

Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 stick of butter, melted (6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped very fine

Filling:
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
7 egg yolks
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup key lime juice (this took about 12 key limes)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place a 9 x 13 pan on bottom rack of oven with boiling water half-way up.  Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

To prepare crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well combined and crumbly.  Put about a tablespoon of mixture in the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing down with fingertips.

In a mixing bowl mix cream cheese until creamy.  Add egg yolks one at a time, blending well.  Add sugar, condensed milk, and lime juice and mix until light and creamy.  Pour mixture into muffin cups just to the top.  Bake at 325 degrees for 24 minutes or until set.  Chill and serve with Cool Whip and graham cracker crumbs on top.

Auntie Crae's Plantation Chews

I've been absent from my blog for a few months.  I think I have been baking things I have already blogged about and not too many new things.  I'm not really sure how I happened upon this recipe from this site Rock Recipes.  It is an interesting recipe with the use of corn flakes instead of flour.  Believe me, the word chew in this cookie is an understatement.  These are almost as if there were caramel in them.  Interesting cookie for sure.  Below is my adaptation of the recipe listed in the link.

AUNTIE CRAE'S PLANTATION CHEWS

1 stick of butter, softened
2-1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups cornflakes (not crushed)
1-1/4 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until very fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Add dry ingredients and beat on high speed for 12-14 minutes, scraping bowl often.  Scoop
out cookies onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies with moistened fingertips.  Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool on pan until set.  They will be a little hard to take off the pan at first.