Texas Caviar

Happy New Year!

If you are not from the South, you may not know about the New Year's tradition of eating black-eyed peas.  As a matter of fact, you may not even know what black-eyed peas are.  I can hear Annette gasp as she reads that one!

I could go into some kind of explanation about WHY we eat black-eyed peas on New Year's, but in all honesty it would be information I got by way of "Google," because quite frankly I never have been worried about "why."  I just know we do it for good luck, and it is taken seriously!  When I "Googled" the subject, there were plenty of explanations, so Google to your heart's desire.

On to the food ~ black-eyed peas are a pretty fun subject to Annette and I.  We remember picking them as children/teens at various gardens.  For whatever reason, you apparently cannot plant a "few" pea plants - you must plant a million or so - rows and rows and rows...  So then of course you have to invite your friends over, because you have too many peas.  It was the friendly/neighborly thing to do.  I guess our parents had lots of friends. :)
They are of course ready to pick in the heat of the summer, so picking them was so much fun - NOT!  Now shelling them - that was FUN!  I would say that Annette and I feel we were "professional" pea shellers.  Daddy taught us how to do it efficiently, and it is a sweet memory of family time - everyone sitting in the living room, shelling bushel after bushel of peas.  I can still see Daddy smile and laugh as Annette tried to compete for who could shell more.

It is well-known in our family that Annette LOVES black-eyed peas.  Black-eyed peas and cornbread have always been a favorite for her.  You can see her previous post about how to cook them here:
Black-Eyed Peas!!

I, on the other hand, eat peas on New Year's, because that is what I am "supposed" to do.  So, I am sharing a recipe for a different way to enjoy them, called Texas Caviar.  If you can make something that goes with a chip, I am there!

Texas Caviar

Ingredients:
2 cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
OR 1 bag of frozen black-eyed peas, cooked according to package, cooled and drained1 small can yellow corn, drained and rinsed 
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup purple/red onion, diced
1/8 cup chopped cilantro 
6-10 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
1 garlic pod, finely minced
4 to 8 oz. Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Cook and/or drain your black-eyed peas and set aside.
Chop your veggies:

CAUTION:  when chopping jalapenos, remember to avoid contact with eyes by taking every precaution possible (not that I have had a bad experience with this).  I use my handy-dandy chopper that I love oh, so much.

 TIP:  I like to use my kitchen shears to snip cilantro.  Seems easier than chopping.

Toss all ingredients until well mixed and chill for several hours or overnight.

VOILA!
Look how pretty :)

Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or even as a salad.

May your New Year be prosperous, and filled with health, love, peace, and joy!

Homage to the Potato (Oh So Simple Microwave Ranch Potatoes)

Hello from some of your favorite Texas cooking sisters!

In keeping with our "Homage to the Potato," I am sharing an original recipe I have been making for my family for several years.  The best part?  (Besides it's potatoes...)  There are only 4 ingredients!!
Who can resist a yummy potato recipe with only 4 ingredients??

 Oh So Simple Microwave Ranch Potatoes

8-10 medium Red Potatoes
Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix packet
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

First, you need to wash/scrub down those potatoes.  I mean, they do come right out of the ground!

Now, please forgive me, but I just keep thinking of having young cooks in my home and how they have to be taught everything step-by-step.  If you are a pro and know how to cut up potatoes, skip down a bit, but for some reason I felt the need to show how I cut them up.

First, I slice them in half:

Then, cut those in fourths:

Finally, I cut THOSE in half:

One potato:

10 potatoes in a 2.5 quart casserole dish:

Not gonna lie - I used to get VERY worked up about them all being almost EXACTLY the same size, but then I realized I am no Gordon Ramsey!!  You do want all of your potato pieces to be close the same size so they will cook evenly, but please don't let your OCD overtake you here!

Next comes the hard part - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - I crack myself up sometimes :)
You slice 1/4 cup (half a stick) of butter and just place the "pats" of butter around on top
Sprinkle that packet of Ranch Dressing mix over it all (or let your kids).

Then, pour the 1/3 cup of milk over all of it.

DON'T STIR IT - REALLY.  Just cover it and pop it in the microwave.

Depending on how many potatoes you have and how powerful your microwave is, you will cook them for 20-25 minutes on high.  Stir them every 5 minutes.

The potatoes are done when you are able to easily pierce them with a knife or fork, but don't cook them so long that they get "mushy."  Oh, what the heck, TRY THEM - check for doneness the way Gordon Ramsey would tell us to :)  The beauty of the microwave is that you can always pop them in for a few more minutes if you want.

You should have a yummy sauce covering your potatoes.  We have decided in our house that these do not need any extra salt, but of course you may want to add salt or other seasonings to taste.

VOILA!

Yes - part of a balanced diet!  Because you know each of us only ate that small portion - NOT!  We can never get enough of these.  EVERYONE goes back for more!  They also heat up well the next day!

There you have it ~ a Beth Original.
Annette and I hope you enjoy your POTATOES!!
As the Irish would say, May God Be With You.

Homage to the Potato ~ Not Just Another Scalloped Potato

Top O' The Day To Ya!

Hellooo Everybody!  As you can already see, we're keeping with our homage to the potato.  To not have full appreciation for potatoes seems, let's say...almost sinful! ;) Beth and I (Annette) want to make sure to stay true to our Irish heritage.  I'm sure there are quite a few Irish foods we could focus on, but, for some reason the potato just seemed to stand out. ;)
The recipe we will be sharing today is a typical potato favorite, but, I like to think I kick these Scalloped Potatoes up a bit. It's definitely one of my brother, Allen's favorite foods I make. (In all fairness, he's pretty easy to please food-wise). 
WARNING!! This is not the side dish you want to make if you're starting a diet. Just sayin'.
So, let's get this party started!

 Not Just Another Scalloped Potato

Ingredients

4-5 medium to large potatoes
1/2 cup medium onion thinly sliced
4-5 thinly sliced garlic pods (gotta have our garlic)
1/2 Red Bell Pepper-diced small (adds color and a little crunch)
3 Tablespoons butter-cut into small cubes
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Half and Half milk
4 Velvetta slices (the kind you make grilled cheese sandwiches with)
1 cup Colby Longhorn Cheese-grated
1  1/2 cups of Italian style Panko bread crumbs with 3 Tablespoons of melted butter mixed together well
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Here comes the story!

First peel your potatoes and cut into medium sized slices.  Place your potatoes into a medium saucepan with cold water and bring to a slight boil.  I like to add a small chunk of onion to the water to infuse the flavor into the potatoes while cooking.  Continue cooking until the potatoes are still a little firm.  Drain the water off the potatoes and discard the onion you used in the cooking process.  Set the potatoes aside for later.

In a separate non-stick skillet get your Olive Oil to a simmer.  Add your Bell Pepper, Sliced Onion and garlic and saute until vegetables are translucent. 

Then add your Cream of Mushroom Soup and Half and Half Milk until slightly warmed.

In a 2 quart baking dish spray with Pam.  Put just a little of your liquid mixture in the bottom.  Place half of your potatoes in your baking dish (be sure and be gentle so you don't break up your potatoes).  Tuck in your small cubes of butter in between the potatoes. Take your 4 Velvetta slices and break them up and place them on top of the potatoes. 

Pour Half of the liquid mixture with the sauted vegetables on top.  Put the remaining potatoes on with the rest of your liquid sauce.  Cover with the cup of Colby Longhorn cheese.

Now for my favorite part! :)

Take your Panko bread crumbs, Paprika, Lawry's Seasoning Salt and 3 Tablespoons of melted butter and mix them together well.  Sprinkle this crumble on top of the dish and distribute evenly.  This gives the whole thing that little somethin' somethin'!

Voila!

As I told you previously this is not a dish you make when you are watching your waistline.  This is the dish you make when you are having special company over or just want to make a home run with your family and friends. It's wonderful! It also will feed quite a few people and is great to warm up for another dinner. This is definitely one of those recipes you put a lot of your love into.

Well, Beth and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!  We want to thank you for sharing this time with us!  Until next time...

Homage to the POTATO (Baked Potato)

Top O' The Mornin' To Ya!

Annette and I are going to take this week to pay homage to the mighty potato, as a small way to honor our Irish heritage.  You don't have to be Irish to love the potato, but we seem to love them an extreme amount! :)  We love them every single way you can cook them, so we are going to pick some of our favorite ways (maybe this will turn into more than a week...) and share them with you.

We are going to start with the most basic - the Baked Potato!  There are several ways to make them:

Baked Potatoes

Beth and I know that showing how to make a baked potato seems a little...let's just say easy, but, let me explain.  Many times over the years different people have asked me, "How do you make such awesome-perfect baked potatoes?"  I have to admit it did make me scratch my head a bit. ;) But here goes and don't dare let me hear (key word-hear) you laugh over this.  Let's say this is for the new cook.

First, you have to be choosy when picking your "perfect" potato.  I try to look them over really well to make sure there are no bad spots on them.  Note:  I usually make 1 extra potato in case there's a spud that has that hidden imperfection. I scrub them really well as some love to eat the skin and I'm kind of, let's say a "clean freak".  Then I put a little softened butter in my hands and coat the entire potato with it. (Makes the skin soft).

Next, I cover the potato with aluminum foil.  I cook this beauty at 450 degrees for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I know that sounds like a long time, but, I forgot to say we typically choose LARGE potatoes  - might as well go all the way if you're gonna do it. ;)  To make sure it's cooked to perfection take a thin towel and squeeze it lightly on both sides to make sure it's soft to touch.  That's it!  Perfect Baked Potato!  Finally, load that baby with all your favorites! I love butter, sour cream, and cheese at the very least.

Voila!

BTW ~ for all of those healthy peeps out there who have sworn off white potatoes, Baked Sweet Potatoes are just as easy! (Not so Irish, but wanted to give a healthy(ish) option)
Wash them and poke some holes in them.  Pop them in the middle of a 375 degree oven.  Place them directly on the rack with a piece of foil on the rack below.  Bake until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife or until "squishy."  It should take about 60 - 70 minutes.
Annette/Beth special note here:  Notice the lower temp and shorter cook time = never as big on the sweet potato as the white potato - did we mention we're IRISH? 

I mashed mine with butter and sprinkled a little kosher salt on top - OH YUM!!! (Of course you can add brown sugar if that is your thing, but it was as sweet as candy without any added sweetener.

Best Ever Mexican Salad

Hello and Howdy Everyone!

Today I'm (Annette) sharing a true family favorite recipe! You will find this at any of our family gatherings, dinner parties, church or office luncheons, and about any other special occasion you want to make a hit.  I personally have never taken this recipe to any place it wasn't the "favorite" dish and the first to go. BEST EVER MEXICAN SALAD"!  Just makes you want some, right? ;)

I made my family my famous sloppy joe's last night (can sloppy joe's really be famous?) and my little girl specifically asked for Mexican Salad.  Bailey is typically a big meat eater, but, LOVES salads of any kind.  I thought to myself...sloppy joes with Mexican salad? Hum...well why not? It is vegetables.  Right folks?  We want our kids to eat vegetables! So here goes!

Best Ever Mexican Salad

Ingredients

1 large head of lettuce chopped bite size
3 tomatoes chopped
1 medium sweet onion chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 cups longhorn cheddar cheese grated
1 15 oz can Ranch Style Beans drained
1 16 oz bottle Catalina Dressing
1 10 1/2 oz bag Fritos (the original kind) crush up into small pieces

In a large bowl put your chopped lettuce in then add the tomatoes and onions. Spread your cheese generously on top of the salad mixture. Add the ranch style beans and Fritos.

Pour your salad dressing over your salad and fold gently as you don't want to mash up your beans. If you are taking this recipe to a function be sure to bag each ingredient separately and mix together right before you eat it. This will keep your salad from wilting and the chips crunchy. This is definitely a simple recipe, but, I personally have never had anyone else make it for me or bring it to a get together except my family. I promise you will get many compliments on this dish.  It's not just a salad...it can be a meal! :)

Voila!

Well I hope you all enjoy our Mexican Salad as much as we do!  The pictures don't do the salad justice.  I guess I'll have to invest in a better camera like my sissy, Beth.  However, let's face it...Beth is the picture taking queen!  That's a story for another day. ;)
We hope you all have a wonderful week-end with your families and friends! It's such a blessing to have the opportunity to share our food and times with all of you!

Always in Our PJs,
Annette & Beth

Black-eyed Peas!!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I had to take this day and give highlight to something that is very near and dear to my heart!  BLACK-EYED PEAS!!! Any family member or close friend knows I have a "special" love, lol, for them. So many precious memories come flooding through me as I give homage to this food item.  In particular my favorite memory is of my sweet sissy (Beth) when we were little.  As we told you previously, we were raised on a ranch in West Texas.  Each summer our Daddy grew a huge magnificent garden.  We have such love and appreciation for good, fresh vegetables as he was not only known as "A Real Cowboy", but, an incredible farmer.

Beth and I picked peas together from the time she was about 3 years old.  When we picked peas we're not talking about a small amount of peas, but, bushels and bushels of those incredible legumes I hold so dear. ;)  I remember one day in particular when Beth was about three and we were sitting in the den at our house with our parents.  We all had our big, shiny metal bowls in front of us ready to start the shelling process.  Beth was so excited! She got to be a big girl and have one of those big bowls all to herself.  After diligently working on our pea shelling for many hours I looked over into Beth's bowl.  Big big smile on her face!  Looking so proud of herself.  She had...I don't know...maybe 20-30 peas in that big bowl.  Really special memory! I still get a glimpse of that little girl smile on my grown sissy's face from time to time.  Always takes me back to those memories.  Love it!! By the way...she learned how to be a masterful pea sheller. :)

As I don't live in the country any longer I don't get the opportunity to have fresh shelled peas very often.  This recipe as many to come is a fast, but, flavorful variation.  Typically you cook your peas with some kind of pork product for extra flavor.  This is a new way that is a little more healthy, but, still has great taste.

Today I'm using:

2 small bags of frozen black-eyed peas
4 cubes of  Beef Bouillon
Salt and Pepper

Place your black-eyed peas and bouillon cubes into a saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat then cover.  Cook for 40-45 minutes.  Add additional water if you need more liquid.  Season with the salt and pepper to your own taste. Be sure not to over season as the beef bouillon is a little salty.

Voila!!

Perfect with cornbread!

Beth and I pray each and every one of you have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve.  Be sure and spend some fun time with the one's you love and hold dear. We hope you'll try at least a few peas tomorrow, as in the South tradition says it gives us good luck for the up-coming year.  I'm not a very superstitious type person, but, choose to not tempt fate. I guess I'll make myself try a bowl of those precious legumes with a hot piece of cornbread.  :)  God bless one and all!

Always in Our PJ's
Annette & Beth

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Good Morning Everyone!

Today let's start with an easy, healthy side dish. You know...like when you don't want to go to a lot of trouble, but, need something quick and easy.

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Let's start with...

2   pounds fresh green beans, that have been cleaned with the ends snapped off
3-4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (because we LOVE garlic) ;)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (much more flavorful/the only kind we use)
2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

First, blanch your green beans in boiling water...

Beth insists that I describe what "blanch" means lol
So... she made me go to dictionary.com :) I thought "REALLY"?????
So here goes...Too many so's?

Blanch is a verb which means:  to scald or parboil (meat or vegetables) so as to whiten, remove the odor, prepare for cooking by other means, etc.

I think it means to make the vegetable colorful and crisp. I know your thinking too much explanation, but, you will understand as time goes on. :)

Anyway...cook your green beans (Why didn't I just say cook or boil, and we could have avoided all that blanch business?  Well, we did learn some new vocabulary, which always makes Beth happy.) for 4-5 minutes (or until beans turn vibrant green). 

Drain green beans in colander.

VIBRANT!

Then, heat your olive oil on a medium setting until hot.  
Saute your sliced garlic and drained green beans in pan together (Hopefully, Beth won't ask me to explain saute to you. Eternally a teacher!) ;)

Check out Annette's new Christmas PJs!

 
Add your Kosher salt and stir.

Transfer green beans into an attractive dish. (This is where Annette comes into the game.) ;) 

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve. 

Yes, we realize that steak is twice the size of a healthy serving - YUM!

Voila!!!

Always in our PJs,
Annette & Beth 

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