Put It In Writing
I enjoy seeing family recipe books full of special recipes and pictures from each member. It makes such a precious keepsake. I would like to suggest to anyone who puts together such a collection to make sure you include as many hand-written recipes as possible. It has meant so much to me to find cards and notes in cookbooks that were written by my mother and grandmother.
I have many of my mom's standard recipes, but there are a few I don't have. There were some dishes that she just made for which she never had a written recipe. We all have recipes like that, but it's worth the time to write them down.
Here a couple of my simple recipes that are standards at our family's table.
Pot Roast
I like to use a London Broil cut or a small chuck roast.
Cut slits throughout the roast, top and bottom and stuff with either: garlic slices or a stuffing mixture made of finely chopped (food processor is best) onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery, salt, pepper, dash of cayenne pepper.
Season all sides of the roast liberally with coarse ground salt, garlic salt, black pepper). Brown all sides in a hot pan with about 2 Tbsp. oil, more if needed. Remove roast and place on a bed of sliced onions in a roasting pan. Use about 2 Tbsp. of worcestershire sauce to de-glaze the pan. Poor sauce and yummy bits over the roast. Cover and bake 1 1/2 - 2 hours at 325 degrees, depending on the size of the roast. Slice in thin slices, against the grain, with an electric knife for tender, never stringy pot roast.
My husband prefers the pan drippings from the cooked roast be eaten without being thickened into a gravy, so we have it over rice or mashed potatoes.
The only vegetables we don't eat this way are corn and green beans. My children love them and they fight over who gets the broccoli.
Cut vegetables of your choice. Make sure they are all close in size so they will cook at the same time. I usually use sweet potatoes (unpeeled), potatoes (unpeeled), carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Toss lightly with pure olive oil and season with a mixture of garlic salt, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and parsley. Sometimes, I season with Konriko Creole Seasoning; it is not spicy.
Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. The vegetables will stick if you don't grease the pan. Spread veg. evenly on the pan and bake at 450 degrees 15 -20 minutes. You know the broccoli and cauliflower are done when the tips are slightly singed. The other vegetables will be tender, but a little crisp on the outside. We never boil or steam broccoli anymore!
Canned Green Beans
Of course, the best southern green beans are fresh, cooked with bacon and red potatoes, but this is how my mother doctored canned beans for regular meals.
Pour no-salt-added green beans (undrained) into a saucepan with one chicken bouillon cube per can of beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer and cook down for at least one hour. Two hours is even better. Stir occasionally and break them up as they cook.
I have many of my mom's standard recipes, but there are a few I don't have. There were some dishes that she just made for which she never had a written recipe. We all have recipes like that, but it's worth the time to write them down.
Here a couple of my simple recipes that are standards at our family's table.
Pot Roast
I like to use a London Broil cut or a small chuck roast.
Cut slits throughout the roast, top and bottom and stuff with either: garlic slices or a stuffing mixture made of finely chopped (food processor is best) onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery, salt, pepper, dash of cayenne pepper.
Season all sides of the roast liberally with coarse ground salt, garlic salt, black pepper). Brown all sides in a hot pan with about 2 Tbsp. oil, more if needed. Remove roast and place on a bed of sliced onions in a roasting pan. Use about 2 Tbsp. of worcestershire sauce to de-glaze the pan. Poor sauce and yummy bits over the roast. Cover and bake 1 1/2 - 2 hours at 325 degrees, depending on the size of the roast. Slice in thin slices, against the grain, with an electric knife for tender, never stringy pot roast.
My husband prefers the pan drippings from the cooked roast be eaten without being thickened into a gravy, so we have it over rice or mashed potatoes.
Roasted Vegetables
Cut vegetables of your choice. Make sure they are all close in size so they will cook at the same time. I usually use sweet potatoes (unpeeled), potatoes (unpeeled), carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Toss lightly with pure olive oil and season with a mixture of garlic salt, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and parsley. Sometimes, I season with Konriko Creole Seasoning; it is not spicy.
Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. The vegetables will stick if you don't grease the pan. Spread veg. evenly on the pan and bake at 450 degrees 15 -20 minutes. You know the broccoli and cauliflower are done when the tips are slightly singed. The other vegetables will be tender, but a little crisp on the outside. We never boil or steam broccoli anymore!
Canned Green Beans
Of course, the best southern green beans are fresh, cooked with bacon and red potatoes, but this is how my mother doctored canned beans for regular meals.
Pour no-salt-added green beans (undrained) into a saucepan with one chicken bouillon cube per can of beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and allow to simmer and cook down for at least one hour. Two hours is even better. Stir occasionally and break them up as they cook.
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