Easter 2009

Ahh the first big holiday of 2009. You know me and menu planning, well here is the first of the year. Hope you like it. Recipes will follow along with pictures. This is What's Cookin for Easter this year.

Ham
Lamb-either a leg or rack have not decided yet.
Hashbrown Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Pineapple Casserole-so good with ham
Asparagus-roasted
Pea Salad
5 Cup Salad
Deviled Eggs
Salad-have not decided which one yet
Hot rolls
Strawberry Pie
Fruit Cocktail Cake
Bunny Cake

There maybe more but this a start. I like to really plan my meals, so the menu may change this weekend once my family reads this post. I like to make people happy starting with their stomachs. Til then.

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.