Recipe: Redneck Caviar

This is one of Johnnie Bud's absolute favorite things for us to have in the refrigerator so he can snack on it anytime, add it as a relish to burgers, or enjoy as a side item.

The best part about this dish is that it's really easy to modify based on what you've got in the freezer/cabinet and based on your personal taste.



Redneck Caviar
I large can of black beans, drained
1 small can of Rotel diced tomatoes and diced green chilies
I bag of farmer's market fresh sweet corn
1 bag of farmer's market fresh black eyed peas or pink eyed peas
2 green peppers peppers, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 purple onion, chopped
Fresh cilantro, to taste
Red wine vinaigrette, to taste

Mix everything and refrigerate overnight to let it marinate well - although you can start eating anytime, the onions are raw though and have a lot of bite until they've marinated. Since the corn and pink eyed peas were fresh from the farmer's market, I boiled them until soft and then cold-rinsed them before mixing everything together. If you buy canned, just drain and mix in.
Keep an extra bag of tortilla chips handy, this stuff is popular! (And perfect for fall tailgates.)

PS: We had green peas with dinner tonight and had some leftover, so I threw them into the big bowl of Redneck Caviar for extra color and another tasty flavor.

Manfriend Meals: Mini-Meatloaf, Breakfast for Dinner Pizza

I had the chance to experiment with these two recipes the last few months and they are not just "Manfriend Approved", they are straight up "Manfriend Loved"!

Muffin Pan Mini-Meatloaf, Topped with Mashed Potatoes and/or Bacon
via Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/195625177533922229/
The original website, http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2012/04/pinterest-pin-of-the-day-meatloaf-in-a-muffin-tin/, lists lots of meatloaf recipes and I chose to go with the Paleo one this go around. It didn't disappoint and I felt like it was a moderately "healthy" switch to make on the manfriend... who didn't enjoyed it regardless of fad diet title. The only changes I made were removing the minis from the muffin pan and putting on a broiler pan for the last few minutes so all of the juices that had piled up would run off and to crisp the bacon. Manfriend even revisited these for leftovers on another day, so clearly that's a win.

The mini-meatloaf idea made serving, cleanup and storage a breeze!

Creamed Spinach & Egg Pizza
Another Pinterest hit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/195625177540005365/

I picked up raw pizza dough from our neighborhood pizza restaurant on the way home and even though the crust got a little away from me when transferring to the baking stone, this pizza tasted so good we didn't care what the squiggly edges looked like. This is rich, so serve it by the slice with a salad on the side... if you can resist eating the whole thing!

Enjoy, y'all!

Manfriend Meals: Texas Caviar

Texas Caviar. Redneck Caviar. Southern Caviar. Redneck Salsa.



I've seen recipes of this variety called a lot of different names. No matter what you call it, or what combination of flavors you include, it's probably going to be ridiculously addicting.

While not a "meal", my manfriend would gladly make a meal of this recipe: Texas Caviar

A few cans of beans, several cut peppers, herbs, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and boom. Delicious mixed up in a bowl and no cooking required. Put it in the 'fridge for an hour and it's ready to go or leave it overnight to really marinate. We snack on it for days and while it doesn't last more than two days due to constant enjoyment, I'm not sure it would really even go bad for a few days long as long as you keep it chilled.

This is a tailgate must and a quick mix for anytime in between football seasons. It's delicious with tortilla chips, as a salsa/relish, as a side dish... practically any way.

Cheers, y'all!

Manfriend Approved: Updated Shepherd's Pie

There was nothing meatless about Monday dinner last night, but it was the first time in many weeks that Johnnie Bud and I have been able to have a real dinner at home together, so I felt compelled to surprise him with something he had recently pointed out as looking tasty: Kraft's Updated Shepherd's Pie.


Image and recipe via KraftRecipes.com

I made very little modifications to this recipe - I left the skin on the potatoes and added a bit of the beef broth to the potatoes. (The ketchup probably could have been left out entirely as the broth provides a good deal of seasoning to the meat and vegetables.)

As a vegetarian, I obviously didn't indulge in this comfort food dish with the manfriend, but he enjoyed it so much he's planning on having leftovers tonight for dinner - and this is a man who rarely does leftovers.

One of the best parts about this recipe is the ease! While the potatoes were boiling, I browned the beef and the frozen vegetables went right from bag to the saute pan before baking - and then the whole thing went right in the oven alongside carrots I had quickly cut, tossed in EVOO, salt and pepper, and put in a roasting dish.

This dish could have easily served a whole family. Johnnie Bud's two servings at dinner last night barely made a dent in the casserole dish we baked it in.

Not too bad for a Monday, friends! Enjoy.

Meatless Monday: Fresh Spinach Tomato and Garlic Tortellini Soup

The Manfriend and I enjoyed this for dinner last week and it's going into our regular rotation, especially looking forward to chilly fall and winter evenings: Fresh Spinach Tomato and Garlic Tortellini Soup.

This was a super quick fix, but because the tortellini gets soft quick, I don't recommend it for an all day Crockpot dish.

(Image via CookingClassy.com)

I shared the recipe on Facebook a few days before actually making it and got a lot of great responses, including a recommendation to buy the smaller package of tortellini as the 20 oz. was enough to feed an army. Well placed, seeing as how we are a dinner for two. (I did forget to half the rest of the ingredients, including the water and stock, and everything still turned out wonderfully, so adjust as you see fit.)

I had the staples like EVOO, salt and pepper on hand and the grocery bill for this was less than $10. Save yourself some time and buy canned tomatoes that are already peeled. I really couldn't taste any difference and should have saved my self the effort in blanching and peeling.

Enjoy this tasty dish and toss in some mushrooms if you're feeling adventurous!

Manfriend Meals: Meatless Monday Recipes

The manfriend requested all of these recipes separately, but I thought they'd make a great meal together:

• Farfalle with Mushrooms and Spinach
• Balsamic Roasted Carrots

I made the farfalle dish as the main entree, with the balsamic carrots on the side, green beans, and wheat dinner rolls.

The verdict?

He loved it all!

Especially the carrots.

My manfriend is a great sport when it comes to occasionally dining vegetarian, but he did ask that sausage or another protein with a lot of flavor be added to the farfalle dish when we revisit it for dinner. While this vegetarian won't be adding sausage to her portion of the dish next time around, a small amount of a mushroom cream sauce or even roasted tomatoes would be tasty!

Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

Two of my favorite people welcomed their first child almost a month ago, so many of our friends have taken turns bringing over dinner to the new parents to help ease them into craziness of what I can only imagine parenthood to be.

It was my turn on Tuesday, so I cruised their Pinterest accounts a few weeks before to plan and found this gem: Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole



I'm pleased to say it was a hit. The feedback was, and I quote, "It was freaking wonderful, even good for breakfast."

Now, this is obviously not vegetarian approved, but I'm regularly surrounded by carnivores, so I made this one in hopes it could become a staple go to recipe. Winner, winner - literally a chicken dinner!

A few things to note:

• At its highest temp, my oven didn't get to 500 degrees - so the potatoes cooked between 400 and 450 and still turned out just fine.
• This took almost an hour and a half to prep and bake, so it's not a quick evening dinner. Plan ahead.
• The grocery bill for all ingredients (sans salt, pepper, EVOO, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce -- had all those on hand) was just over $20.

The recipe linked above made a full baking dish and a small side baking dish worth of food, so Johnnie Bud gets to try it as well tonight when he returns from business as usual in Charlotte. (He's pretty excited to come home to bacon... it's not often that happens in our house!)

If you have the ability to serve it hot, this will make a great fall tailgate dish that's sure to please. Enjoy!

Manfriend Meals: Stuffed Flank Steak

Although I'm a vegetarian, I do still cook meat dishes for others from time to time.

A few weeks ago, I treated my manfriend and Little Sister's manfriend to a home cooked dinner featuring these Stuffed Flank Steaks:


The grocery store I stopped at on the way home from work (Carlie C's) didn't have any "flank steaks" specifically, so I purchased two different types of steak in the thinnest cuts I could get. Here's where the vegetarian in me strikes: I don't remember what they were. Sorry!

The guys loved them, especially with the spinach and blue cheese stuffing.

Feel free to check out my latest Pinterest board, Manfriend Meals, for more ideas that are sure to please any hungry man.

Images and recipe via FamilyCircle.com

Roasted Cabbage

My mom presented a new item at Sunday Family Dinner a few weekends ago:

Roasted cabbage.
It was amazing! And she swears it was as simple as: slice cabbage, drizzle with infused olive oil (your savory flavor of choice), sprinkle with salt and papper, and roast in the over until light caramelization.
Little Sister and I were head over heels for it. That simple side will become a staple in the Jeffries household.
Enjoy!
(Image via http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/roasted-cabbage-wedges/ on Pinterest.)

And Tonight's Super Bowl Menu Includes....

The manfriend and I have been hard at work in the kitchen this morning. Here's what we'll be taking to tonight's ITB Super Bowl gathering. Drumroll please...

Four mildly healthy, but certainly better for you than the norm, appetizer-sized items, including:
Deviled Eggs
Mexican Roll-Ups
Spinach Balls
Dry Rub Grilled Wings

I'll be cheering for the advertisers tonight - the Super Bowl ads are my favorite part of one of America's most-watched sports programs all year. This pre-released spot already has my heart: #BestBuds - with nearly 33 million views in just four days, I'd say it has also captured the hearts of many, many others, as well.

What are you serving at or bringing to your Super Bowl gathering?

I'm Still Here...

...just doing a lot of working (and I do mean A LOT), social events and weddings, tailgating, and the like. It is that time of year, again. I've also been DVRing a lot of 5 Ingredient Fix with Claire Robinson on Food Network. (I promise I'll explain next why that's related.)

Back to the tailgating!
I served up these two recipes, courtesy of Claire, for the NCSU vs. S. Alabama tailgate last weekend:
Brie and Onion Puff
Memphis Banana Bites

They went so quickly, I didn't even get pics. One suggestion? On the Memphis Banana Bites, I cut down on time in a big way by spreading the banana chips out on wax paper in the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and poured the chocolate and peanut butter melt all over the top. I let it cool and then let my fellow tailgaters break off pieces (like a bark) to enjoy at their own pace. Perfection!

I think I'm going to take these next week fr the NCSU vs. GT tailgate (before I leave early for Brandon and Tiffany's wedding!): Spicy Baked Chickpeas.

What are your meatless tailgate favorites?

Put the Boys to Work... at Hardly Working

I realize Thanksgiving has just come and gone, but Christmas dinner is right around the corner. I love Andrea Weigl's suggestion of putting the boys to work!

Thursday when I serve Thanksgiving dinner to a small group of friends, everyone will contribute. I will bake a pecan pie and a pumpkin cheesecake. My husband will cook leg of lamb on the smoker. (One tip for holiday sanity is cooking the meat outside on the grill, in the smoker or in the deep-fryer. Luckily, many men who like to cook don't mind spending the day outside, drinking a beer and minding the meat.) A friend will make stuffed acorn squash and the homemade noodles that are his family's tradition. A third will clear the table.

She's right - it's not at all an up-hill battle to suggest that the man (and his buddies) hang around outside with beer, a fried turkey, and perhaps even a fire pit.

Local Raves: The Produce Box

Nick and I (and really mostly me in that equation) have a weekly CSA (community-sustained agriculture) service we can buy from and have delivered -- The Produce Box. I totally forgot to login before 9pm tonight and pick out which Produce Box I wanted for this upcoming week. This girl certainly lucked out, however! Check out this week's goodies:

Box A (Double share of sweet potatoes)
Lots of Sweet Potatoes
1/2 # Salted "ready to eat"peanuts
Tomatoes grape or cherry
Assorted apples (6-8 depending on size)
Cucumbers 4-5 (depending on size)

SO excited. Those are probably my most favorite NC produce items! (Although I'd certainly take big tomatoes, too.) I case you were wondering, here are the other offerings I could have picked from:

Box B (Fresh basil and cider!)
Large Onion
1.5 oz Fresh Basil leaves
Local Muscadine Grape cider
Tomatoes grape or cherry
Butternut squash
Sweet pototatoes
Cucumber

Box C (Oregano and Thyme)
Sweet Potatoes
One bunch Fresh Oregano
One bunch Fresh Thyme
Large Onion
Peaches 4-6
Cucumbers 4-5
Tomatoes cherry or grape

Add-ons
1 case (12 jars) $56
Tomato Salsa
Jalepeno Pepper Jelly
Spicy sweet dill pickles
Pickled okra
Pickled Habanero Pepper

Shitake Mushrooms (larger portion this time: 1/2 #):$6.50
John Toogood's Chocolate Chip Bread: $6.75
Garlic Ristra Wall Hanging: $11.00
.50 donation to help with shipping all our donated shoes to Haiti: .50

Mmmm... peaches would have been stellar, too. Wonder when the fall apple cider will show up?

Local Produce - YAY!

Ok, it is terrible that I might need to rely on a delivery service to provide me with local, fresh produce when I pass the NC Farmers Market multiple times a day.

That being said, this will still ensure I get to support local agriculture even with my "I don't have time to grocery shop" schedule - The Produce Box.

I would love to join any of the local CSAs, but I don't have a few hundred bucks to shell out right for all of my seasonal produce in advance. This is a great pay-by-week alternative for me! I was so excited to find out via the Lineberry Alliance mailing list tonight that someone from our neighborhood is coordinating this for us.


Image: The Produce Box

My Dear Boyfriend...

...and I say this in the nicest way possible: SUCKS WHEN IT COMES TO DINNERTIME.

Well, that's as nice as I could make it. It's downright frustrating. The man (boy in this situation, because it's quite illustrative of the attitude of a 5 year old) is picky when it comes to food. I don't even know if picky is quite the word, it's not strong enough.

He only eats meat (mostly red), potatoes, rice, bread, and sometimes fruit, but he's not adventurous in the fruit category, either. NOTHIN' green. Ever. (With the exception of his mom and aunt's "Brocolli Casserole", but that's all cheese, really.)

It's is SO frustrating because I get very bored, very easily, and I like to get crafty in the kitchen. Not to mention the fact that I could live off of vegetables, fruit, and artisan breads.

In discussing these frustrations yesterday, Lisa S. and I decided "Deceptively Delicious" is going to be my new tactic. I'm too busy (legimitately busy - although he'd tell you otherwise) to cater to his food whims and I refuse to have only a selection of 5 meals to choose from for 365 days out of the year.

(Deceptively Delicious - by Jessica Seinfeld ... also known as Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld, available on Amazon.com, etc.)I'm pretty excited about it, actually... assuming he doesn't decide to check up on my blog and foil this genius plan.

Anyone done this before? Any well-favored recipes to share?

Great Giveaway for You Southern Chefs

I received some delicious responses to yesterday's post about Natty Light Chicken and cooking with beer.

In honor of that, I'm posting a fantastic giveaway that everyone would be crazy not to enter themselves into!

My favorite local gift and decorative accessories boutique, Swagger Gifts, has been hosting a Facebook Friday of the Week (see former giveaway items here) for a few months now where each Friday something special in the store will be given away to one (sometimes even two) lucky commenters who are fans of Swagger Gifts' page on facebook. The winner is randomly selected and then posted to Swagger's blog (which also, is SO worth following).

This week's giveaway is a monogrammed "Big Wood Board" cutting board. They are PHENOMENAL.

All you have to do to be entered to win is leave a comment directly on the photo on facebook. It's THAT simple.

While you're on Swagger's page, you should obviously click on "Become a Fan" so that you get an update every week when Swagger offers up a new great giveaway.

Biased much? Sure. But when you win a kick butt gift, I bet you'll be thankful for my bias. :-)

PS - Regina and Randall, I'm formerly calling you girls out to enter to win because the sample photo has a "R" on it... how much more appropriate could it get?

Chef Todd Reaches 100th Episode - Contributes to Great Cause

From a fellow Chix:

100th Episode of "Cooking Coarse" Party to benefit Food Bank of NC

Good Afternoon Ladies and Happy New Year!

I wanted to let everyone know about a special event we are having this Thursday, January 8th at Savor Hospitality at 6:00 PM.

This week, we will release the 100th episode of "Cooking Coarse", the daily online video blog created by my husband, Chef Todd to provide free cooking instruction online.

This is a milestone for the project and we are inviting friends, clients and fans to celebrate with us at a cocktail reception and live taping of the 100th episode (which will be released the next
day).

A$10 donation is requested, which includes beer/wine and light hors d'oeuvres. All collected money will be donated to The Food Bank of NC. Our goal is to raise $1000 at this event so we need your help!

This is sure to be a fun, social event and I hope to see you all on Thursday!
Register online today www.SavorHospitality.com/cart

To view all 96 (and counting) episodes of "Cooking Coarse":
www.SavorHospitality.com/cookingcoarse

Please feel free to pass along to anyone who might have an interest.

Warmly,
Heather Mohr
Savor Hospitality
Heather@SavorHospitality.com
919.760.7599If you haven't checked out Chef Todd's videos... you are SO missing out!

I have 849481 things to do on Thursday, but this is on my "I have got to stop by for a bit" list to congratulate them on such a job well done!

Update: Hot Sauce Festival

Remember my surprise (and enjoyment) at how NC event boasts a Hot Sauce Festival?

Triangle Brewing Company has a cool video on their blog with pictures from the event... take a look!

Looks like it was a beautiful day in Oxford for it - would've been nice to check it out in person!

Local Round-Up

A collection of some good to know local info from yesterday's blogosphere...

From the retail business news goddess, Sue Stock:
North Carolina's Fresh Market stores have started stocking fresh shrimp that have been caught in NC waters.

Add this to the ridiculously long list of things to do this Saturday:
the Town of Cary's Lazy Daze festival!

Another from Sue Stock - the business news writer who keeps us on our retail toes:
Replacements will be selling more than 100,000 pieces of overstocked merchandise. Unlike previous years, shoppers will pay a $5 entrance fee and then $5 for a box that they can then fill with as much yard sale merchandise as it will hold. (Yes, you can buy multiple boxes.) Items in the separate sidewalk sale section of the event will still be priced per item.Love it all.

Hot Sauce Festival?!

No, not the Buckhead band (who still manage to amaze me with their on-stage shenanigans on Friday and Saturday evenings), but the real hot sauce!

From today's Boss' Planner, Jonny mentions September 13th as the date for the NC Hot Sauce Festival... further proof that we'll have a festival for anything! But hey, I'm not complaining.

While I probably won't be at that event (darn you, acid reflux), I still think it's a fun idea.

Clarification: apparently it's the "hot sauce contest" as Google search results would have it.