Scalloped Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
  
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray five ramekins with oil.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly for 3 to 6 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs to a bowl and set aside.
   
3. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onions, garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano. Cook for 10 minutes or until onions become tender. Add the onion mixture to the reserved breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
   
4. To assemble the scalloped tomatoes, place half of the breadcrumb mixture in the bottom of each ramekin. Next, spoon in the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. To finish, top each ramekin with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and the tops are rich, golden brown. Serves 5.
   

 

Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking

Low Country Boil

Ingredients

• 1 box crab boil
  
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt
  
• 14 new potatoes
  
• 4 ears corn, halved
  
• 1 pound link sausage, cut into 4-inch links
  
• 2 pounds shrimp
  

Directions

1. Fill a large dutch oven half-way full of water. Add the crab boil and kosher salt; bring to a boil.
   
2. Add the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 20 minutes.
   
3. Add the corn and sausage. Cook for 15 minutes.
   
4. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and serve. Serves 4.
   

*Note – I purchased Zatarain's Crab boil, which comes in a bag you can toss in the pot. Do not open this bag like I did. We spent a lot of time picking spices off of our food – however, it did make for an interesting dinner.

Apple Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups apples, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  
• ¾ cup raisins
  
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  
• ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  
• ¼ cup raspberry white wine vinegar
  

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours. Use a potato masher to lightly break apart the apples. Simmer for an additional hour until thickened. Yields 1 ½ pints. Serve over chicken or pork.
   

 

Recipe very loosely adapted from Joy of Cooking

Carrot Kugel

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of carrots, chopped
  
• ¼ cup honey
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
  
• 3 eggs
  
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
  

Directions

1. Cook carrots in a steamer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
   
2. Meanwhile, combine honey, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, orange juice, eggs, and flour in a food processor. Add cooked carrots and puree until well blended.
   
3. Spoon into 6 pre-greased ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Yields 6 servings. 

 

Recipe adapted from elanaspantry.com

Sweet & Sour Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut (about 4 cups)
  
• 1 small onion, minced
  
• 1/3 cup tarragon vinegar
  
• 1/3 cup honey
  
• 4 fresh basil leaves, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/3 cup canola oil
  

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans, leave uncovered, and cook 10 minutes, or until water returns to a boil.
   
2. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, honey, basil, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in oil and whisk continuously until well blended. Stir in minced onion.
   
3. Drain green beans and rinse with cold water briefly to halt cooking process. Toss green beans with vinaigrette. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours. Serves 4 to 6.
   

 

Recipe very loosely adapted from Joy of Cooking

 

Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Red Wine Vinegar revisited

My first attempt at this recipe was almost a year ago – back in the day when I didn't have a Dutch oven or know how to properly cut up a whole chicken. The first time I made this I followed the recipe variation, using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, the second time around I stuck with the original version, using a whole chicken. I highly recommend always using a whole chicken. The meat practically falls of the bone. 

Ingredients

• 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
  
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed, with liquid
  
• 1 cup chicken stock or reduced-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
  
• 2 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
  
• 2 sprigs of thyme
  

Directions

1. To cook the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and canola oil over medium heat in a large, straight-sided skillet or saucepan (not cast iron, as it will interact with the acidic tomatoes and vinegar). Add the chicken, skin side down, without crowding the pan. Cook without crowding until a rich, golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
   
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the vinegar and scrape with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stand back when adding the vinegar, because when it hits the hot pan it will produce strong vinegar fumes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the tomatoes with their liquid, chicken stock, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear, an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
3. To make the sauce, remove the chicken pieces to a warm serving dish. Increase the heat to high, and cook the sauce until reduced and lightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the herbs. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
   
4. Variation: You can make this recipe with boneless, skinless breasts instead of bone-in pieces. Simmer the breasts as directed on top of the stove along with the other ingredients, but just until the juices run clear, only 8 to 10 additional minutes. Remove the breasts to a warm plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let the sauce continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Return the breasts to the sauce and finish as directed.
   

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit, Y'all