Wild Onions and Eggs

Ladies and gentlemen..... Spring has arrived on Beaty's Creek!! You know spring is really here when you cook up a bunch of wild onions and eggs. Nothing could be better, well maybe a few morels(more on that later). The Tulsa World featured me a few years ago in an article about spring greens in Oklahoma. I am not telling all of you to go in the woods and try to figure out what onions are so read this and enjoy the thought of a wild onion and egg dinner. If you live in NW Arkansas or NE Oklahoma I am sure you know where to dig onions, but if not leave me a comment and I will try to help you out.

Needed:

2 hand fulls of wild onions cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces
Salt to taste
Oil
3 cups of water
5 eggs-beaten

Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and saute your wild onions until softened a bit, now add your water and cook over a slow boil for 20 minutes, let some of the water evaporate. Now add your beaten eggs and stir like crazy until eggs come together and are done. We love the broth that you get from the onions, so good with crispy cornbread. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Fat Tuesday is soon Ya' All!! Time to eat some good ole Cajun Food!!! Raven loves this with lots of cayenne pepper on top, she loves spicy food. I really like it with crispy cornbread sticks. This is What's Cookin today on Beaty's Creek where winter is still knocking on the door.

Needed:
4 boneless chicken breasts
5 stalks of celery-stripped and chopped into bite size pieces
1 green pepper-seeded-and chopped into bite size pieces
1 large yellow onion-peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
oil
2 pounds of Andouille or smoked sausage-cut into bite size pieces
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can whole tomatoes-chopped and mashed
2 cartons chicken broth
3 garlic cloves-minced
1 T cayenne pepper (we like 2)
Salt and pepper to taste
White Rice

Oil the bottom of a soup pot with a 1/4 of oil add the following, sausage, celery, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute all until the sausage is slightly brown, now add tomatoes. tomato sauce, chicken, and broth. Cook over medium heat for at least 4 hours, now you will add the rice, I add about 3 cups of rice but it is really up to you. (Just remember that 1 cup of rice turns into 2 cups of rice.) Continue to cook until rice is done. Serve with cornbread sticks.





Pin It

Barbecued Meatballs

I served these with my Crack Potatoes and the combo was well received. These are really moist and if you cut your onions small enough, something the whole family will eat. Raven, on the other hand, will not touch anything that she even "thinks" may have onions. I know, silly isn't she??? This is What's Cookin on this beautiful Spring Day on Beaty's Creek!!!


Needed:
3 pounds ground round
2 t salt
3 t black pepper
1 cup of milk
1 cup of oatmeal
1 small onion-grated
1 bottle ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves-smashed
2 T molasses
1 T hot sauce

 In a saucepan add ketchup, brown sugar, 2 smashed garlic cloves, molasses and hot sauce. Cook over low heat for 2 hours. While that is cooking, start your meatballs. Mix together the oatmeal and milk and set aside. Now mix together ground round, onion, salt and pepper. When completely mixed, then add in the oatmeal. Make into to 1 inch balls and now place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.  Bake at 350' for 30 minutes.  Once done add to your sauce. Continue to cook for 20 minutes.  I served these with my Crack Potatoes and homemade bread.

Sausage Burgers

I had never eaten a sausage burger until I started dating my husband. His family had always fixed them and I was ready to start the tradition for my family. I remember the first time I fixed them for my parents while still living at home. They were surprised that something so simple could taste so good. Give this a try the next time you grill burgers for something a little different. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

3 pounds ground chuck
1 pound mild breakfast sausage
1 T salt
1 T pepper


Mix all of the ingredients together and form into patties. Grill until completely done. We top ours with cheese but that is up to you.

Tater Tot Casserole

This was a HUGE hit last night. Ransome said it was better than chili cheese fries hee hee. Coming from him that is big! This recipe is super easy and super tasty. You can put it all together and place in the fridge until ready to bake. This will warm you up on a cool Fall evening. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!


Needed:

2 lbs. ground beef cooked and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
1 2lb bag tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Optional-Great with jalapenos or green chilies added in too


Brown and season you ground beef. Once browned place in a deep casserole dish. Now top with your tator tots. Now mix your two soups together with your evaporated milk. Once mixed pour over the top of the tator tots. Now sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350'.

Cajun Boiling Pot

Many moons ago there was a restaurant in Tulsa Oklahoma called the Cajun Boiling Pot. It was so good and different from the ordinary that it quickly became a favorite. Every time we had friends or family in town, we would just have to take them there. What made this place so different was that they did not serve on plates. When your low country boil was ready, they would bring it to your paper lined table and dump it in the center. This was before the Food Channel or Emeril and anyone in the great state of Oklahoma cooked like this, much less served like this. Many of my high school friends were shocked, in a good way, when their food was brought to them. Well a few years ago the Cajun Boiling Pot closed and we had to fend for ourselves, so this is our Cajun Boiling Pot. Give it a try and you will be having this again and again on those special family get togethers. One of the best things about this...there are no dishes to wash afterwards! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this first day of Summer and Raven's 17th birthday!


15 ears corn-cut in half
7 pounds red potatoes
3 pounds yellow onions-cut in quarters with the skin left on
5 pounds shrimp
5 pounds Cajun and or hot links-cut into 2 inch slices
5 pounds crab legs
1/4 cup salt
cayenne to taste
2 heads garlic-sliced in half
(you can add crawdads but we prefer them prepared other ways)


Boil water in a huge pot seasoned with Old Bay Crab Boil, salt, and cayenne. Add in potatoes and cook for 12 minutes on a steady boil. Now add in corn, onions, and hot links. Boil these for an additional 8 minutes and then remove everything from the pot. Now add shrimp and crab and boil for 8 minutes and now remove all of these from the pot. Now dump everything on top of a table covered with newspapers and serve with melted butter, cocktail sauce and french bread.

Cowboy Beans

I have made this dish since Sean and I were first married. It is a family pleaser for sure! The weather on Beaty's Creek has been down right COLD! We've had record breaking cold temps of -15 and try 16+ inches of snow in 2 days! The need for hot comfort foods are a must! This recipe is not too sweet but just sweet enough, but you can make it as sweet as you like. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 cans canned corn
2 cans tomato sauce
6 cups pinto beans-cooked
3 pound ground beef
1 large onion-chopped
1 t cumin
2 t salt
8 T chili powder
1 cup brown sugar

Brown ground beef with onion. When cooked drain any fat and then add in chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir until combined. Now add in your tomato sauce, beans, corn, and brown sugar. Stir well and let simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Serve with cornbread and shredded cheese.
*I always make Cowboy Beans the day after we have beans for dinner, good way to use up your leftovers.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

On this cold day I am drinking iced coffee. What is wrong with me? I should be enjoying some hot coffee but I was craving some iced Java Dave's. Without one in my neighborhood I had to do for myself. My kiddos and husband bought me a king's share of coffee from said coffee place for Christmas. I've been a brewing, steaming, and a pressing fool, what a coffee hound. I thought I better sit down and type out some healthful recipes for the 2011. But you know me, they can be made bad too, hee hee. Ransome is always wanting pizza but would lose it if he thought whole wheat was involved. What he does not know will not hurt him. I love this dough and I am sure you will too. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 1/2 cups warm water-sometimes I need 1 3/4 cups

2 T yeast or 2 packages

1/2 cup oil of your choice-I used White Truffle oil that I received from Marx Food and it was to die for! But I usually use whatever I have on hand

2 T sugar

1 T kosher salt

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

I do all of my mixing and kneading in a Kitchen Aid. It's just easier for me to do it this way. Pour water and yeast into your bowl and let sit for about 3 minutes. Now add your flour, sugar, and salt. Turn on mixer and mix, remember to use the dough hook attachment. Once everything is mixed, the dough appears a little wet, then add oil and continue kneading. Now cover and let dough double in size. Depending how warm your kitchen is, this should take about an hour. When doubled, flip out onto a well floured rolling board and knead for about a minute. Now divide dough into 2 equal sized balls. I now let mine rest for 20 minutes before I divide each ball into 4 pizza doughs. I use a rolling pin but you can just as easily use your hands since these are rustic hand made pizzas. I place mine on a pizza pan or bread stone and bake for 10 minutes at 425'. We like a crisp crust and this seems like the only way for us to get this at home. Now take them out of the oven and top with your favorite toppings. Return them to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Give this a try the next time you are wanting pizza.

I topped this one with chicken, kalamata olives, capers, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and instead of tomato sauce I used Paul Newman's Alfredo Pasta Sauce. It was so good that we will be making it again and again!

(www.maketimeforchange.com)


Pin It

Cornbread Salad

When I first heard about this I thought what in the world? How could that be good??? But boy was I wrong! This is one of our favorites. Pretty easy to do and even easier if you have left over cornbread. You can use a sweet cornbread recipe or a plain ole cornbread recipe. Which ever you choose the salad will be great! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
1 pan of cornbread-cut into bite size pieces
2 cans pinto beans-drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes-diced
2 cups of shredded cheese
4 cups of leaf lettuce-shredded
2 cans of corn-drained
1 bottle of ranch dressing
1 cup salsa

Layer in a large punch bowl, yes that is what I use, in this order,
cornbread
pinto beans
tomatoes
lettuce
corn
and cheese.

I make mine in the morning and then right before serving I toss the salad. I let people add their own dressing.

To make the dressing, take your favorite ranch bottled dressing and your favorite bottled salsa and mix. Easy peasy. :)

Corned Beef Hash

Raven loves corned beef hash, I guess she is my little Yankee ;~) I decided to make her some out of our leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day and it turned out scrumptious. We ate this with buttered rye bread and it makes it even better. This is What's Cookin on this rainy Spring Day on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
7 russet potatoes-peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 carrots-peeled and a sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 pounds corned beef-cut into 1/2 cubes
4 T canola oil

Coat bottom of a heavy bottom skillet with canola oil and heat over medium heat. When heated add your carrots and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and then add in your corned beef. Continue to cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft and corned beef if crispy.

Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts

I am always looking for something different to do with boneless, skinless chicken breast. We always have Paul Newman's Light Honey Mustard Salad Dressing in the fridge, makes a great dip for grilled chicken strips or nuggets. I decided to try it on some chicken breast that I was getting ready to put in the oven. After all of the little sample takers made a pass, I barely had any left for the salad. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.



Needed:



4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-thawed

1 T salt

1 T black pepper

1 bottle Paul Newman's Light Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

2 T Lemon Pepper Seasoning



Coat chicken rather heavy with the salad dressing and season with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. Bake on parchment paper at 435' for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. Slice and serve on top of salad. We used Paul Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing to top off the salad, a good combo.

Baked Chicken and Dumplings

This is my fast version of chicken and dumplings. Meaning this one does not have rolled out dumplings. We like these every once in a while and that time was the other day. I like these dumplings when they get a little crusty from being under the broiler for a few minutes. This is an all in one dish too, makes for an easy clean-up. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
1 whole chicken
1 bag baby carrots
2 T ground sage
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Bisquick
Water

First make your "dumplings". I take 3 cups of Bisquick to 1 1/2 cups milk and stir until a sticky dough forms. This is what you will drop into your broth.

Cover chicken with water and add salt, pepper, sage and carrots. Boil until chicken falls off the bone. Remove chicken and bone, add chicken back to pot and return to a boil. Drop "dumplings" by the spoon full and cover with a lid for 10 minutes, now preheat oven to 450' and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, after done baking broil for 5 minutes or until "dumplings" brown slightly.

Easy Chicken and Dressing

Raven loves chicken and dressing and often orders it when we go out to eat. I decided to surprise her and make it at home. Chicken and dressing does not have to be time consuming and saved for Sunday dinner, as it was at my grandmother's home. This is a family pleaser and a budget pleaser. We serve it covered with gravy, but that is up to you. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
1 boiled chicken-boned and chopped up
4 stalks celery-chopped
2 carrots-chopped
1/2 white onion-chopped
2 T sage
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chicken broth(from boiling your chicken)
1 pan cornbread-crumbled( I keep odd and end pieces in the freezer for dressing.)
6 slices white bread-toasted and cubed
2 sticks butter

Mix together cornbread, white bread, chicken, and sage. Saute carrots, celery, and onion in 2 sticks of butter until fork tender, now add them to the bread mixture and stir very well while salting and peppering to your taste. Add broth a cup at a time until you have a soft mixture that will hold shape when pressed together. Place dressing in a deep casserole pan and bake at 425' for 35 minutes or until a crust forms on top. Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

This is an easy dinner for me and it can be for you too. Fire up the crock-pot, this is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

1 pork roast with fat
1 jar of your favorite bar-b-que sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup water

Salt and pepper pork roast really well and place in your crock-pot, now pour bar-b-que sauce and water over roast. Cover and cook on high all day. When roast is done, shred meat. We serve ours on a large hamburger bun with cole-slaw on the meat and bun on top. We eat this with a fork of course....

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.

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.

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.

Veggie Lasagna

I really don't care for red sauce lasagna, but of course I will eat it along with any other Italian food I make or can get my hands on. This vegetable lasagna recipe I have tried several different ways and think this is the best over all. We are having this with Caesar salad and homemade cheese bread. Soo good on a cold winter's day, did I tell you winter is back on Beaty's Creek? Yep, showed up last night for a few days. I would love to have snow but I hate cold with no snow, it is the kid in me I guess. Nothing says winter fun like doing donuts in the snow in a Ford pick-up truck. Good times I tell you. Now on to the recipe.

Needed:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups of whole milk

Melt butter and add flour. Stir constantly until golden brown, now add 6 cups of milk slowly all while stirring. When it thickens up a little remove from heat.

2 packages frozen of spinach-thawed and squeeze all the moisture out
1 package frozen green peas-thawed
5 carrots-peeled and sliced into thin coins
salt and pepper to taste
6 cloves garlic-minced
1 large container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 pounds mozzarella cheese-shredded
1 pound Parmesan cheese-shredded
2 eggs
1 package lasagna noodles-boiled

Mix together all of the veggies with garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese together until creamy.

Mix ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese together. Mix well.

Pour enough milk sauce to coat bottom of a very deep 9x13 pan. You will layer in this order;
Noodles
Sauce
Veggies
Cheese Mixture
Mozzarella cheese
Noodles
Sauce
Veggies
Mozzarella Cheese
Noodles
Sauce

Bake at 400' covered for 45 minutes, remove cover and bake for 20 more minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Shrimp Fajitas

I decided that since I just made salsa and guacamole, we should have shrimp fajitas tonight. Glad I have shrimp in the freezer and lucky me they are already deveined. I loath deveining shrimp. This is really an easy but impressive meal to make. All of my brood really like fajitas too. Raine even chowed down on the shrimp tonight. Well that is "what's cookin" tonight on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
4 pounds of deveined, peeled shrimp
3 large yellow onions-peeled and quartered
5 bell peppers-seeded and cut into inch strips
1 cup oil
2 cups of water-for marinade
4 fajita seasoning packs(I know this is ready made but I really like the already made packs.)
2 pounds of sharp cheddar-shredded
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream
Flour tortillas

Place onions, peppers, and shrimp in a large bowl and mix seasoning packets with 1 cup of oil, I use canola, and 2 cups of water. Let marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours or a little longer is fine. You will have to cook your fajitas in batches. Don't over crowd your pan. I use a caste iron fajita pan that is not real large so I must cook in smaller batches. I also use part of the marinade to cook my fajitas in. I really like the marinade with my fajitas but this is up to you. Cook your fajitas until the veggies are the tenderness you want and the shrimp is no longer transparent. This happens in about 10 minutes over medium high heat. Serve them with salsa, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. I need to make my own tortillas though. I think maybe that will be my new project, we will see.

Indian Tacos

Okay I will be the first to tell you I hate the name "Indian Taco". First Native Americans are not Indians because they do not come from India and second I really don't think Natives ate "tacos" per se, but I do love them. I am going to call them Native Tacos, so if you do make them, call them Native Tacos and maybe we can start a good thing. Once you master the fry bread you are ready to make Native Tacos. Practice makes perfect fry bread, just as with any good bread. It is very icy on Beaty's Creek today and this just sounds like a good dinner.

Needed:
2 lbs ground beef or turkey-browned with salt and pepper only
2 lbs Colby cheese-shredded
Pinto beans-cooked with salt and pepper only
1 head lettuce-cut finely
1 purple onion-chopped
3 tomatoes-chopped
Salsa- Paul Newman's Meduim Chunky Salsa is so good!
Sour Cream

Fry Bread

6 cups of all purpose flour
3 T baking powder
1 cup powdered milk
2-3 cups water
Oil for frying


Sift flour and baking powder together, make a bowl in the middle of flour, this is where you will add milk and water. I mix with my hands, I think you get a better feel for the dough this way. I mix until the dough feels like loose biscuit dough. Does that make sense? If not use the comment section to ask me questions. Believe you me it took me making fry bread 10 times before I reached my goal. So don't be disappointed, keep trying! Once mixed together form into disks about 1/4 inch thick and 4 inches across. Heat up oil over medium heat. I place my hand over the oil and can tell if it is ready to add the bread but you can always drop a piece of bread in and see if it sizzles, if it does you are ready to cook your bread. When frying your bread you don't want to turn your bread more than once. I check mine to make sure it is brown enough before turning. This usually happens between 5-6 minutes. Dough should be cooked through and not doughy. I place a couple of paper towels in the bottom of a brown paper bag to soak up any excess oil, and that is where I put my hot fry bread. The bag keeps the bread hot while you finish cooking all the bread.

Now is the time to make your taco. I will list in the order we build our tacos. You can make them anyway you want but this is how we do it on Beaty's Creek.

Bread
Beans
Meat
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Salsa-Paul Newman's Medium Chunky Salsa takes like fresh made!
Sour Cream