Nanni's Biscuits Recipe

Note:  After several years of making these, I just discovered that Nanni had been holding out on me.  She had never told be about the sugar.   Every southern cook mus master biscuit making as an essential skill.  Nanni swears that the secret is White Lily flour.   Living is Alaska, I don't have access to White Lily.  I have managed to get close, but not the nice light crispiness that Carolyn achieves.  I think the oven has something to do with it as well.  Ingredients

1/3 cup shortening

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400

Cut flour and sugar into the shortening.  Start with a fork, then use your hand rubbing the mixture between thumb and fingers until it has the consistency of cornmeal. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough is moistened throughout. 

Turn onto a floured pastry cloth and knead lightly just until the dough is no longer sticky.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1 inch thickness.  Place on a lightly greased pan and bake until golden brown.

Deviled eggs

Ingredients 6 eggs hard boiled (see procedure below)

1/4 cup mayonaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (I actually use about 2)

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

paprika

Directions

Place the eggs in a pan with about 1/2 inch of water over the top of the eggs.  Turn heat to medium-high.  Bring the water to a boil (with the eggs in it).  Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes.  Pour off the hot water and run under cold water until the pan and eggs are cool.  Peel the shell off the eggs.

With a sharp knife cut each egg in half lengthwise.  Remove the yolk halves to a bowl and place the white halves on a platter.  Using a fork, mash the yolks until they are a uniform mixture.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the paprika.  Stir until the mixture is smooth.  Taste the mixture and adjust salt, pepper, and relish to taste.  Using a spatula, place the yolk mixture into a ziplock sandwich bag.  Snip one corner.  Pipe the mixture through the open corner filling each egg white half on the platter.

Sprinkle paprika on the top.  Chill for about an hour.  Serve.

Scallops and fettucine with lemon caper sauce

Note: We made this while we were in Baton Rouge with Todd and Nick for Christmas.  We were able to get some very nice bay scallops about the size of the end of my thumb at the high end market close to their apartment.  I think we had a bottle of Nora.  I have done versions of this over the years, slowly perfecting the techniques and working within the variability of trial and error and approximate measures.  Maybe it was more about the company and season, but we got it JUST RIGHT this evening.  I will make this recipe for two. It can be adjusted up or down. I would not increase the flour mixture proportionately but, maybe, by half with each doubling of the number of servings.

Be sure to prepare the sauce before you start the scallops. Be warming the pasta water while you are preparing the sauce. It will take about 10 minutes to come to a boil and that is about the right amount of time to get the sauce ready. Get the oil and butter ready for the scallops, then start to cook them at about the same time you put the pasta in the water.

Scallops

1/2 pound bay scallops 1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or ground chipotle powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup butter

Combine flour, salt, peper, and cayenne in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Heat olive oil and butter to medium high heat in a 12 inch skillet. Be careful not to burn the butter. If it starts to turn brown, reduce the heat. It will likely brown as the scallops cook, but you don't want to burn it early. Time the cooking of the scallops to be right after you put the pasta in the boiling water.

Just before cooking, toss the scallops in the sealed zip lock bag with the flour until they are lightly coated. Transfer the scallops to the heated oil/butter, scattering them evenly across the pan. Allow to cook 3-4 minutes. Toss or gently stir the scallops such that most are turned. Cook another 2 minutes. Stir again and cook 2 more minutes until the scallops are uniformly browned. Transfer to a paper towel and keep warm until serving. Retain the mixture of browned butter and flour in the frying pan.

Fettucine sauce

1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon capers juice of one lemon (2 tablespoons) 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 hand full fettucine 1 tablespoon salt

Heat oil and red and black pepper over a medium heat 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice stirring quickly to cool the oil and avoid splattering. Return the mixture to heat and reduce to low-medium heat. Juice should begin to bubble slightly but not spatter. (If you want and have it, you can add a couple of tablespoons of white wine here two.  I keep some of those small bottles of mediocre wine around for this purpose.)  Add capers and stir. Add butter and stir when it is melted. The goal is to blend the liquid and oil such that they are not separated. Reduce the heat to low and add 1/2 of the parsley. Keep warm.

Final preparation

When the pasta is cooked remove 1/2 cup of the water and set aside. Drain the pasta then add it to the reserved butter/flour mixture with the pasta water in the fry pan. Stir until the pasta is coated. Give the sauce a quick stir, then drizzle over the pasta mixture. You may not need all of the sauce. The pasta should be lightly coated. Add the remaining parsley and toss all one last time.

Serving

Place pasta on plate and top with a portion of the scallops.

Enjoy

Nanni's Vegetable Soup

Ingredients 3 pounds stew meat 3 quarts water 2.5 tablespoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Celery leaves 1 large onion chopped 2 bay leaves chopped 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1.5 cups diced potato 1 cup diced carrot 1/2 pound green beans 4 cups shredded cabbage 1 large onion chopped 2 cans of dicedtomato 1 teaspoon sugar 1 can whole kernel corn 1 package frozen green peas 1 package frozen lima beans

Directions

Place the beef in a soup kettle with 2.5 quarts water. A 1 tbsp of salt, pepper, celery leaves and one chopped onion. Combine bay leaves, oregano, and thyme; tie in a cheese cloth bag and drop into kettle with meat. Cover and simmer for at least three hours. Remove celery leaves. Then add potatoes, carrots, green beans, cabbage and one chopped onion and 1 tbsp salt. Simmer for an hour. Add two cups of water, tomatoes, corn, sugar, peas and lima beans and 1/2 tbsp salt. Cook for an hour longer. Remove cheesecloth sack of spices.

Nanni's / Michael's rolls

One of those recipes that should not get lost is this great family standard.  Just remember, in Alabama these are officially Nanni's rolls.  In TX, AK, etc. they are Michael's rolls.  I will give the real recipe.  For most family occasions, I usually do a double recipe. This is easiest done with a stand mixer, but many rolls have been made with a bowl, a spoon, and elbow grease

Ingredients

1 package yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour  (this is approximate.  use enough flour to bring the dough together)

Butter or margarine

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for a couple of minutes.   Add sugar and oil.  Let stand another couple of minutes, so that the yeast can start working on the sugar.  Add the buttermilk and sitr until well blended.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and forms a ball away from the bowl.  Turn the dough onto a floured pastry cloth and knead until it is not sticky.

Roll out to a thickness of 3/4 - 1 inch.  Cut into rolls about 2 inches across.   Using a knife, cut each roll through partially, place a small pat of butter in the middle and fold over.  Place each roll on a greased baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour.

Bake at 400 until browned on the top.

Nanni's Baked Mac 'n Cheese

Nothing says the holiday like a bunch of infidels telling you you're making your @Y%&^%! macaroni and cheese wrong. Well, people, round these parts, we bake it.

Nani's Baked Mac n' Cheese

Set oven at 350 Bake time 40 min.

Ingredients 8 oz Cheddar Cheese cubed 1 cup whole milk 1/4 cup butter 1 package of elbow pasta 1/2 tbsp of flour for dusting 1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers

K, Macranders, if you do it differently, fine. This is how I do it.

Set your oven to 350. Boil you entire package of pasta. Go ahead and butter that bitch..I mean 9 x 13 pan. Cube up your cheddar. Drain pasta and pour into pan.Using an extended forefinger, push the cubed cheese into the noodles throughout the casserole.Spare a few cubes to put on top of the crackers. Dot the casserole with slivers of butter. Pour milk into casserole. Dust casserole with flour. Top with crushed crackers. Top again with remaining cheese. Dust with flour again. Put her in the oven for 40 or so minutes. In the last 5 min, put the oven up to 500 degrees and broil for a nice browned finish. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Puppy Chow

For Jarrod's graduation, I knew that there would be a lot of family in town. Where there is family, there is a lot of snacking. It's not a stress related response or anything... But whatever. When snacking, it might as well be something tasty, right? I offer: Cookies and Cream Puppy Chow.

Recipe Reference: MommyOnDemand

Jarrod's Graduation Puppy Chow

Ingredients

"Cream " Puppy Chow
1/2 box of rice chex cereal
1 C. white chocolate chips
8 Oreos finely crushed
1/2 C. powdered sugar

"Cookies" Puppy Chow

1/2 box rice chex cereal
1 C. milk chocolate chips
8 Oreos finely crushed
1/2 C. powdered sugar

Extra Oreo cookies to break in half to add to the chex mix

Instructions

In a big bowl measure 5 cups of chex. In a small bowl add the crushed Oreos and powdered sugar. I crushed my Oreos by using my food processor. In a microwave safe bowl add the white chocolate until melted. Pour chocolate over chex until covered, add the crushed Oreos and stir until coated completely. Lay chex out on a cookie sheet until cooled and dried.

Repeat steps using the milk chocolate

When "cream" and "cookies" is completely cooled add the two flavors in a big bowl, breaking extra Oreos into chunks and add to the chex. Store in sealed container and enjoy!

Beer Macaroni and Cheese and Dr Pepper Chicken

Emily here. Over Thanksgiving weekend, Jarrod was in town and I wanted to make his dream meal. Also, I wanted to use up the leftover shredded cheddar cheese in the fridge from the last farm trip.

So after a little thought I came up with beer mac and cheese. Then, I thought, what would make Jarrod sing? Well, he loves all things Dr Pepper. I googled. The results were a hit. Best part? I didn't have to go to the grocery because I had everything in my pantry.

Forgive my food photography. It needs some work.

Dr Pepper Chicken

Original recipe comes from 30 Days of Homemade. I have modified for my tastes.

Ingredients

• 4 -6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ c. Dr. Pepper
• ½ c. barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays Chipotle BBQ)
• ½ c. ketchup
• A few squirts of Siracha
• ½ Onion sauted till translucent
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Salt and pepper chicken and arrange in a 13 x 9 baking dish.
2. Mix together wet ingredients and onion into a marinade.
3. Pour it over the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 1 hour.

Beer Mac and Cheese

1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, minced (I used dehydrated garlic flakes)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

2-1/2 cups 2% milk

3/4 cup Shiner (duh)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I cut this, but might be nice for a creamier sauce)

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

About 2 cups Bread crumbs (I used an herb blend mixed with parmesan I had in the freezer)

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the flour, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually whisk in the milk, beer and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Reduce heat. Stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese.
4. Drain macaroni; stir into sauce. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Top with bread crumbs.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. End with a good broil.

Easy Southwestern Rice Casserole

Ingredients 

4 cups white (or brown) rice cooked

1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom

1 can diced tomatoes and green chillis

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 large chicken breast (or two small); cooked

1/2 cup Garlic and hearb bread crumbs

Easy Southwestern Rice Casserole Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients except bread crumbs, using ½ the cheddar cheese. Put in greased 9 x 9 pan.

2. Use the rest of the cheddar cheese to top the dish. Top the cheese with the bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes. Let cool and serve.