Monday, January 23, 2023

Crepes


 Hey folks, This simple crepe recipe yields crepes that are as thin and supple as those you’ll find in France, with the added bonus of crispier edges. Undoubtedly, the easiest crepe recipe to make is one that calls for few ingredients.

 For the French, crepes are a meal best shared with many people, whether it’s for afternoon tea, a birthday, or brunch. 

Whenever they have a crepes party, they have to include their friends. The social aspect of eating crepes is very important to the French. Some French families own a crepe-party maker that seats six people at the table and lets each person prepare their crepes at the same time. It is a simple but enjoyable meal that encourages people to gather around the table and promotes creativity by allowing them to fill crepes with the ingredients of their choice. 

Making batter for crepes is a pretty simple process. There are just six ingredients required, along with a bowl for mixing, a whisk, and a crepe pan that does not stick. Let’s get started and see how we can prepare the finest crepes recipe!!!

So check out the recipe-

INGREDIENTS:


1¾ Cup.Of White Flour. 

 3 large-sized Eggs. 

 ¼ small spoon.Of Salt 

 1 large spoon.Of Vanilla Extract. 

 1 small spoon.Of White Sugar. 

 420 ml.Of your favorite Milk; 

I used the regular one, but you can use almond, soy or coconut milk. 

 2 large spoons.Of Unsalted Butter – melted.


DIRECTIONS:


First Step: Put the sifted flour with the beaten eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and mix well until you have an incorporated mixture. 

 Second Step: With a whisk or an electric mixer, beat in the milk in portions until a smooth batter is formed that is completely devoid of lumps. 

 Third Step: At this point, you need to warm up a crepe pan that has been lightly greased and placed over medium to high heat. 

 Fourth Step: After pouring or scooping the batter into the pan, you should next rotate and tilt the pan so that the batter is distributed as thinly as possible. 


 Fifth Step: Cook on both sides until they have a light brown color, which should take about one to two minutes on each side, then serve them hot with the fillings of your choice.

ENJOY!

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Texas Sheetcake


 

TEXAS SHEET CAKE,      HOW TO MAKE TEXAS SHEET CAKE 

If you’re looking for a Texas Sheet Cake recipe, look no further. That is the one and only one that you will ever need. This chocolate sheet cake will go into the record books as the BEST chocolate cake you’ve ever had thanks to the sour cream that’s both in the cake and in the icing, as well as the brown sugar and additional cocoa.

INGREDIENTS:


Salted butter – I used 2 sticks at room temp. 

 1 Cup.Of water. 

 1/2 Cup.Of unsweetened cocoa powder. 

 1 Cup.Of brown sugar. 

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

 2 Cups.Of all-purpose flour. 

 1 Cup.Of granulated sugar. 

 1/2 Tsp.Of salt. 

 1 Tsp.Of baking soda. 

2 whole eggs – large sized



AND TO MAKE THE GLAZE; YOU’LL NEED: 

 1/2 Cup.Of salted butter. 

 1/4 Cup.Of unsweetened cocoa powder.

 6 Tbsp.Of sour cream. 

 1 Tsp.Of vanilla extract. 

3 1/2 Cups.Of powdered sugar.


DIRECTIONS:


Step 1 Prepare the temperature in the oven to be 350 degrees F. You may use parchment paper to line a jelly roll pan, or you can spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray.

 Step 2 Blend together the butter, a cup of water, and cocoa in a medium or large pot. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Take it off the heat when it starts to boil. 

 Step 3 After allowing it to cool for a minute or two, whisk in the brown sugar along with the two tablespoons of vanilla extract. 

 Step 4 In the meantime, mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Then add all of the dry ingredients into the pot. 

 Step 5 After giving it a good stir, add the eggs and 1/2 cup of sour cream, and mix well until there are no more lumps. Pour the batter into the pan that has been prepared and spread it out evenly to the sides. 

 Step 6 Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry. It should feel like the edges of the cake are just beginning to peel away from the edge of the pan. Do not overcook! 

 Step 7 Make the frosting in the meantime. Clean out the pan you used to make the batter and add 1 stick of butter and 1/4 cup cocoa. Mix everything together over medium heat until it boils, then take it off the heat. 

 Step 8 Add the sour cream and vanilla essence in the proportions of 6 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon respectively. 

 Step 9 Mix in the powdered sugar with a whisk. If your cake isn’t done baking when you finish the glaze, stir it every so often to break up the hardened shell on top. 

 Step 10 Take the cake out of the oven when it’s done and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Spread the glaze on the cake. 

 Step 11 Serve this with a glass of milk, and enjoy it!!!

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Fried Potatoes and Onions


 Nothing tastes better anytime of day than fried potatoes and onions...Heres's a recipe-It's really quite simple.


INGREDIENTS:

Onions 

 Peppers 

 Red potatoes 

 Creole and garlic seasoning 

 Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté onions and peppers in a tad of oil,

 Add diced potatoes (we prefer red) and a bit more oil, 

season (we use creole and garlic seasoning), cook until tender. 

Stirring regularly. I remove from pan to drain excess oil. 

 I do both  in oven and the electric skillet. 

 Enjoy.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Home Made Funnel Cake


 Of Course it's Yay...Who doesn't like Funnel Cake?   Here is a homemade recipe...


INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs 

 1 cup milk 

 1 cup water 

 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 

3 cups of self rising flour


DIRECTIONS:

Whisked till smooth and took a funnel holding my finger over the hole and ladled mixture into it then holding it several inches above the oil made circular motions until funnel was empty. 

 It only took around a minute of cooking and I used tongs to flip it. 

 Removed and placed on paper towels then sprinkled powdered sugar over it.

ENJOY!

Sunday, January 1, 2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR (Get Your Hoppin Johnny On) (Repost from 2016)

 

Happy New Year everybody.....I posted this recipe before...but it's the ultimate New Years Recipe..So I'm posting it again...

I hope you all are starting your New Year off right with a nice platter of Hoppin John...

What is Hoppin John you say? Well for those of you who aren't African-American, here is a brief history lesson...

Hoppin' John is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States. It is made with black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, chopped onion, sliced bacon, and seasoned with a bit of salt. Some people substitute ham hock, fatback, or country sausage for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere.

In the southern United States, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money.

Another traditional food, cornbread, can also be served to represent wealth, being the color of gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

INGREDIENTS:

  • pound dried black-eyed peas
  • 2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
  • 2 medium onions, divided
  • 3 large cloves garlic, halved
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 green onions, sliced
DIRECTIONS-

 In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

 Enjoy...Have A Happy and Prosperous New Year !  Eat Well My friends.

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household