Mountain Lilies

I love mountain lilies, they are soo good and beat the heck out of mustard greens on any given day. They grow just about everywhere around Beaty's Creek, but you have to know what you are picking. You eat only the green leaves of the mountain lily and not the blooms. Again, don't go in the woods and pick something you have no idea what it is. The Tulsa World featured me in an article talking about mountain lilies a few years ago. My wonderful Grandmother in Law first fixed them for me. Can you believe it? Something growing in the wild that I did not know about???? I freeze quite a few bags of these each spring along with wild onions, makes for a great winter's dinner. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek tonight.

Needed:
1 Wal-mart bag of mountain lily greens-cleaned and cut into 3 inch pieces
oil
water
Salt to taste

Place enough oil in a large cast iron skillet to cover the bottom. Add your greens once the oil is hot. Saute until greens get a little tender, now add your salt to taste and enough water to cover greens. Cook uncovered until all of the water evaporates. Serve with cornbread made in a cast iron skillet and pinto beans.

Pecan Sandies

I love pecan sandie cookies! Not the dry store bought version but the buttery, sweet, crispy version that I make on occasion. I remember growing up and my mom buying the store bought kind for my dad, who loves pecan sandies, and being so grossed out by them that I could not believe anyone would eat them. That is until I made my own cookies. These are so good with a hot cup of mango green tea (my new favorite) or a cold cup of milk. The weather is supposed to be more spring like today, we’ll see. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek.

Needed:

2 sticks of room temperature butter
1-cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 t vanilla
1 t salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans

Cream in your Kitchen Aid mixer, butter, sugars, egg, salt, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, now add your flour. Mix until a nice dough is formed, now add your chopped pecans. Drop by tablespoons on a parchment lined cookie sheet and flatten cookie with the palm of your hand. Bake at 350’ 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Don’t bake until crisp; these cookies will crisp up as they cool.

Curry Chicken Thighs

Sean is not a big fan of curry but I am slowly getting him to try and actually like curry dishes. This was a winner at our dinner table, to the extent that I will have to double it next time so we will have leftovers. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek. Today it is very snowy on Beaty’s Creek, was I not just talking about spring?? Only in Oklahoma can you wait a day and the weather will be to your liking, no matter what that happens to be. I love the way our weather is here, never a dull moment.

Needed:

2 T grated fresh ginger
2 T pineapple juice
2 T curry powder
2 green onions-minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 bone in chicken thighs

Mix ginger, curry, pineapple juice, green onions, and 1 T salt in a bowl. Place thighs on a foil lined baking pan with sides, pull the skin away from thighs and place 1 T of curry mixture under skin, you may want a little more if the thighs are larger. Salt and pepper thighs to your taste and place skin side down and broil for 8minutes, turn over and broil for 8 more minutes or until meat reaches 165’. We eat ours with rice and salad.

Ranch Style Eggs Stacey's Way

I bet you have read ranchos huervos on many Mexican restaurant menus and maybe wondered what they were. Well.... This is my way of cooking them. Raven loves eggs almost any way and she really enjoys this for lunch. Give this recipe a try when you need a quick fix dinner or lunch and you won't be sorry. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today. By the way, it is supposed to snow this weekend on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
1 large jar of salsa
5 eggs
4 corn tortillas
shredded cheese
Refried beans

Warm your tortillas in a cast iron skillet. Pour salsa in a medium size pan and break your eggs into salsa, salt and pepper eggs and cover pan. Heat over medium heat until salsa begins a slow boil. Let boil until eggs are cooked to your liking. Now place 2 tortillas on a plate, add your refried beans, and eggs. Spoon some of the salsa on top of eggs and place shredded cheese on top. Serve with more corn tortillas on the side with butter.

Glazed Apple Pie Squares-From Taste of Home

You know it is crazy but I have never posted a recipe from the Taste of Home Magazine in which I am a field editor. Taste of Home has some really great recipes and great pictures. Don't you just love pictures to go along with recipes??? I sure do. This recipe comes from the Feb/March 2009 issue. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek on this rainy day.

Needed:

2-½ cups all-purpose flour
1 T salt
1 cup cold butter-cut into small pieces
1 egg-separated
4 T milk
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 cup plus 2 T sugar divided
2 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg (I did not use this)
9 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2 T milk

In a large bowl, I used my food processor, combine flour, salt, and butter. Mix together until it resembles cornmeal. In a measuring cup combine egg yolk and enough milk to measure 1/3 cup. Gradually add to flour mixture until dough forms.

Divide dough in half. Roll one portion into a thin 15x10 inch rectangle and place in baking pan. Place on your 15x10x1 inch baking pan and sprinkle with crushed cornflakes
In a large mixing bowl combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, stir until well coated. Spoon over crust.

Roll remaining dough into a 15x10 rectangle and top apples. Bake at 350’ for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

For glaze, combine the powder sugar, vanilla and milk until it achieves a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm pastry. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Greek Chicken

I really love Greek food. I swear I was living in Greece in another life. Never have been in this life but hope to one day. This recipe has a few steps but it is so worth it. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

6 chicken breasts with skin and bones
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup Kalamata olives-pitted
1 small jar capers-drained
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup basil leaves-chopped
5 garlic cloves-minced
10 canned artichoke hearts-drained
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken on both sides in olive oil. Remove from skillet and place in a large casserole dish and pour tomatoes with juice on top of chicken breasts. I placed my Kalamata olives over the chicken equally but you could just sprinkle them about. I also placed my artichoke hearts and capers on each chicken breast. I salted and peppered the heck out of mine but salt and pepper to your taste. Now place crumbled feta, basil, and garlic evenly over the entire dish and bake covered at 350' for 45 minutes. I serve ours with some really great homemade pita bread and a nice salad.

Rocky Road Cookies

Okay I know I have had one mean sweet tooth this week but these cookies are worth all the extra calories and cavities! Don't bake these cookies too long or they will become dry and not too tasty, I like them chewy. I kept taking them out of the oven because I was afraid I would over bake them. One pan did over bake but they are still good dipped in hot coffee. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 sup cocoa
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag 12 oz. white chocolate chips
1 cup roasted almonds cut in half

Cream butter and sugar together, once it is light and fluffy add your eggs, and vanilla, beat in. Now add your cocoa, flour, salt, and baking soda, mix just until incorporated well. If you over mix cookie dough the cookies will be tough. Now is the time to add your chips and almonds, I stir mine in by hand. Drop by the tablespoon on a parchment lined cookie sheets and bake at 350' for 9-11 minutes. Like I said keep an eye on them.

Red Potato and Green Bean Salad

This is a recipe that my father loves, he loves anything with vinegar in it. Sean on the other hand does not like vinegar, he calls it kryptonite. I like this recipe alone or with some broiled fish. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
1/2 pound green beans-cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 pounds small red potatoes-unpeeled and halved
3 T Paul Newman's Light Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
5 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
4 T Italian parsley

Blanch green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes and then place in ice water. Drain and place in large bowl. Boil potatoes for 12 minutes or until fork tender, drain water and place into bowl with green beans. Mix in a small bowl, Paul Newman's Light Honey Mustard Salad Dressing, oil and Dijon, once mixed pour over potatoes and green beans and add parsley with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. To me it tastes better the next day.

Sufferin' Succotash

Okay, I'm ready for summer, well maybe not 100 degree summer days, but some nice warm days. Today on Beaty’s Creek it is mighty cool, so I decided to bring summer back to Beaty’s Creek with this succotash recipe. This is a really good recipe to use your garden favorites in. Fresh is always best but right now frozen is a close second. Well this is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek today.

Needed:
¼ cup olive oil
1 small purple onion-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
3 garlic cloves-minced
1 bag frozen corn
2 small zucchini-diced
2 small yellow squash-diced
1 bag frozen baby lima beans
4 T Italian Parsley-chopped
2 T Marjoram
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat oil in a large skillet add the following, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, sauté until peppers are crisp tender, about 3 minutes add corn, zucchini, yellow squash, and lima beans, sauté them until just tender, about 5 minutes. Now add marjoram and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes a great side dish!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a no brainer recipe but it is one of my favorites. I admit it, I cannot have this cake in the house or I will eat it all! Bad Stacey.... Make this and you are sure to be a happy baker. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
1 white cake mix
3 eggs
2 cans sliced pineapples
20 maraschino cherries
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup oil

Melt butter and brown sugar in a 9x13 pan. Meanwhile mix cake mix with 3 eggs,juice from both cans pineapple juice, and 1/3 cup oil. In your brown sugar mixture place pineapple slices 3 across until pan is filled, place a cherry in the middle of each pineapple and in between pineapples. Pour cake mix over brown sugar, pineapple mixture. Bake at 350' for 35 minutes or until cake is golden brown, cake will be firm to the touch and a cake tester will come out clean when done cooking. Let cake cool completely and flip over onto serving platter.

Homemade Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

What is better than a homemade cake of any sorts?? This cake was made with Acemom in mind, I wish you lived closer I would bring you a piece or two. This cake is moist and tastes like the best bakery chocolate cake you have ever eaten. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek today.

Needed:
2 sticks butter-softened
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 ¼ t baking soda
1 t salt
¼ t baking powder
1 ½ cups water


Heat oven to 350’. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick spray. In your Kitchen Aid combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then beat on high until light and fluffy. Now add your flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and beat until mixed. Pour batter evenly into pans and bake for 30 minutes. Make sure cake does not over bake or it will be dry. Cool completely and then ice with the chocolate butter cream icing that I have listed below.



Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

Needed:
2 sticks of butter-softened
5 cups powder sugar
1-cup cocoa
1-cup milk
1 t vanilla

In your Kitchen Aid beat butter, add powder sugar and cocoa alternately with the milk until icing is a spread friendly consistency, and now blend in vanilla.

Salsa Roast

This recipe is super easy and super good. To me it seems when something is easy to make it is not always easy to eat. My MIL made this for dinner one night before Sean and I were married and I loved it. I make it a few times a year and each time there are no leftovers. Our family is growing so we have to find a pretty big roast to cook. The size of the roast is entirely up to you; the gravy the roast cooks in makes a lot so you won’t run short no matter how big your roast is. This is What’s Cookin tonight on Beaty’s Creek..

Needed:
1 beef roast-size depends on your family size
2 cans golden mushroom soup
1 large jar of Paul Newman's Medium Chunky Salsa

Place all of the ingredients in your crock-pot and cook on high all day. I start ours at 8am and we eat around 4:30. We eat ours with sour cream and chive scalloped potatoes and sweet cornbread muffins.

Baked Potato Soup

Another cold one here on Beaty's Creek, spring weather is predicted for the weekend and I am ready! This soup is yummy and it is worth all of the calories! We eat it with Gold Fish crackers but homemade bread would be yummy too! Well folks that is What's Cookin today.

Needed:
5 lbs. potatoes-peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Water to cover potatoes
2 lbs. bacon-cooked crisp
2 lbs. sharp cheddar-shredded
Sour Cream
Chives-chopped
2 pints 1/2 and 1/2
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 T cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup cold water

Boil potatoes in enough water to cover. Salt and pepper water to your taste. It takes quite a bit of salt to taste good, potatoes will really soak the salt up. Cook for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, not any longer or you will end up with mush. This is the time to add your 1/2 and 1/2, cheese, and cornstarch mixture. Stir very well and bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes but no longer or your 1/2 and 1/2 will spoil. Soup should be like a thick cream soup. We like to eat our soup with bacon, shredded cheese, chives and sour cream. Load it with whatever you like on baked potatoes and it will be good though. Regular saltines or Gold fish crackers are a must too! This is comfort food to me on a cold day.

Peach Pie

Sean really likes peach pie, I am not too crazy about it but this recipe is really good. I used my home canned Porter Peaches, which I think really make the difference but store bought canned peaches will do. It turned to Winter on Beaty's Creek today so I made peach pie to warm up the kitchen. Nice excuse to bake isn't it??? Give this one a try, you won't be sorry you did. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
For pie crust:
2 sticks COLD butter-cut into little pieces
1 t salt
1 T sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup COLD water

Place flour, salt, and sugar in food processor and whirl around a little. Now add your butter and pulse until it looks like cornmeal. Once this is achieved add 1/4 cup of your water and pulse, add the last 1/4 cup and pulse until dough comes together. Form in to 2 equal balls and flatten between plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour.

For the Pie Filling:
2 quarts of home canned peaches or 4 cans of store bought peaches-drained
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T cornstarch

Mix all of the above ingredients together and set aside while you roll out your pie crust. Roll out crust and place into pie pan, fill with peach filling and top with rolled out top crust, make sure you seal the sides very well. Sprinkle with sugar and poke several small holes in top crust. Bake at 400' for 1 hour. If crust browns too quickly cover with foil.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

My mother loves peanut butter, I mean she can and will eat anything with peanut butter in, on or near it. Thank goodness none of my children have a peanut allergy or they would never be able to see their grandmother. Anyway I was looking through Martha Stewart's Cookie Cookbook and came across the Peanut Butter and Jelly bars and knew my mother would love them. I changed the recipe a little here and there to fit our tastes better. I admit it, I like Martha Stewart and really like to play around with her recipes. I cannot follow a recipe to the T and I have to make it the way I know will be good. Make these bars and you will forget just how cold it is. Hey what happened to Spring??? This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
1 cup of softened butter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar-packed
2 eggs(I use free range)
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder(I use Rumford's)
1 t vanilla
2 cups preserves of your choice(I used Griffin's, an Oklahoma company that makes the BEST store bought Strawberry Preserves I have ever eaten.)


Preheat oven to 350'. Meanwhile beat in your Kitchen Aid mixer your butter, eggs, both sugars, and vanilla until they are light and fluffy. Now, sift flour, salt, and baking powder together add a cup at a time to butter mixture until mixed well. Now place 1/2 of the mixture on a parchment lined 9x13 pan, smooth evenly. I used a large metal spoon to achieve this and it worked very well. Now pour your preserves over the layer, spread the preserves evenly and crumb the rest of the peanut mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes. I covered mine at about 25 minutes due to fast browning. Martha says to bake for 45-60 minutes and to cover if it is getting too brown. My oven is right on temperature and the bars were starting to brown at 25 minutes, so be careful.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I bet you have heard of twice baked potatoes haven't you??? Well here is one more for your recipe books. This is a child friendly one too, all chowed down last night. We had these with homemade rotisserie chicken and a nice salad. Can't wait until our garden starts producing and I won't have to buy all of my salad items. I have some really good recipes for garden items that I will share, stay tuned. Well that's "What's Cookin" on Beaty's Creek, well last night anyway.

Needed:
7 large potatoes(They don't have to be bakers.)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sharp cheddar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 minced garlic clove
Chives(chopped)

Bake your potatoes in a 425' oven for 1 hour or until fork tender and let cool. Once cooled cut as you would to add butter for a baked potato and scoop out potato into a bowl. Don't scrape too much, you will want to leave 1/8 inch of potato against the skin. Make sense? Now add to your scooped out potatoes the butter, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic. I mash this mixture like I would for mashed potatoes. Once mixed add back to your potato skins and place on a parchment lined pan, make sure you use parchment or you will have a messy clean up. Bake at 425' for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with chives and serve.

Pasta Salad

Feels like Spring today so I made pasta salad and plan to grill tonight! I love pasta salad with grilled food. This recipe is pretty simple but very good. Give this a try and you will make it again and again. Well, that is "What's Cookin" on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
1 English Cucumber-diced
1 container Cherry Tomatoes-slice in half
1 can black olives-drained and sliced in half
1 bunch green onions-sliced
1 pound pasta shape of your choice-boiled,drained and cooled
3 cups Paul Newman's Ranch Dressing
Salt and Pepper- to taste
2 T Lemon Pepper

Place cooled pasta in a large bowl and add all of the veggies and stir. Now add your seasoning and 2 cups of dressing, stir until well coated. Place in fridge for a couple of hours. Right before serving add remaining 1 cup of dressing to moisten it up. We like crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos on top of ours.

Real Whole Wheat Bread

I LOVE homemade whole wheat bread. I can eat it all day long with butter of course, have to make it a little bad don't I?? This bread takes a little work but is so worth it. It will give your Kitchen Aid a workout or your hands if you go that route. You will be so happy smelling this bread bake and eating it fresh from the oven though. The lady that gave me this recipe is a great vegetarian chef! I just love her meals. Her son use to have his lunch sandwiches made with this bread when we were young and I was always so jealous. Now I can make it and eat all I want. My MIL is making dinner tonight and she asked me to make the bread. She thinks I am making these hot rolls, bet she will be surprised! Take some time and make some GREAT homemade bread today and surprise your family! Well, that is What's Cookin tonight on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

12 cups whole wheat flour
6 cups water
2 T yeast
1 cup of dates blended in food processor with 2 cups of the 6(above) cups of water
2 T Lecithin(available at most health food stores)
1/2 cup high gluten flour
2 t salt sifted in with flour

May need more or less flour depending on moisture of flour and humidity in your area. Mix date mixture, water, yeast, Lecithin, and salt in your Kitchen Aid, add flour cup by cup until all is added. I add the gluten a little at a time but you can add it all at once if you wish. Now, grease 3 loaf pans and break flour into 3 even pieces and form into loaves and place in loaf pans. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350' for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I know you probably have a million recipes for meatballs but here is one more. We have been using ground turkey for low fat cooking and NO ONE can tell the difference. Give turkey a try and you will see with a little TLC it is just as good as beef. I like to have pasta and sauce only when I eat spaghetti but everyone else wants meatballs so of course I make them. What else do I have to do? hee hee

Needed:
2 pounds ground turkey
2 eggs-beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs(use Panko, they do make a difference)
1/2 cup milk
1 T Italian Seasoning of your choice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Spaghetti-cooked
Paul Newman's Sockarooni Pasta Sauce

Place panko in a large bowl with milk, let the panko soak up the milk, once this happens add the rest of your ingredients and mix by HAND until mixed well. Form into balls, the size is up to you. We like ours about a 2 inch diameter, now place meatballs on a parchment lined baking pan with sides and bake at 450' for 30 minutes or until completely done and no longer appear pink in the middle. I always cut one and check when the 30 minutes are up. Serve with Paul Newman's Sockarooni Pasta Sauce and spaghetti. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek tonight.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

My MIL loves sheet cake, she says she can eat an entire cake by herself with some good coffee. This is something I think everyone likes, at least around here they do. I like to make this for potlucks because it is easy to transport. Give it a try and it will be one of your go to recipes.

Needed:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup warm water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs-beaten(I use free range)
1/2 cup milk
1 t vanilla


Place one of your oven racks in the middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350'. Place parchment paper on a 18x13 inch pan.

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat melt butter, shortening, and cocoa. Add the water, remove from heat and beat in the sugar.

In a large bowl or your Kitchen Aid mixing bowl beat your eggs until thick and light colored, now add the milk, and vanilla. Now add the cocoa mixture and stir gently. Now is the time to add the flour mixture(you will have sifted the flour, salt, and soda together). Mix until well incorporated and pour into your prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely. Now you will ice your sheet cake.

Icing

Needed:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla
1 box powder sugar

In a large saucepan over medium heat bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil, remove from heat add powder sugar and vanilla beat, in your Kitchen Aid until light and fluffy. Ice your sheet cake and EAT!!!