Potato Cakes!

 

 

 In the South, we don't believe in wasting anything.  Many of us were brought up with this way of thinking deeply ingrained in us by parents who were brought up with this as a matter of survival and necessity.  If you have leftovers, you save them and eat them or figure out a way to reorganize them and make them interesting the second time around.   I am sure that is how the potato cake came to be.  I know that is when my own mother would make them, when we had leftover mashed potatoes.  I am not sure how my grandmother ever had enough leftover mashed potatoes to make them when she had to mash potatoes for 13 people, but I guess sometime she did.  My mother-in-law only had 4 children and she used to tell me that in order to have enough leftover mashed potatoes for potato cakes, she would cook extra potatoes and put some aside for the next day.  We do love our potatoes in this part of the country. 

These are really very simple to make and just like salmon patties, everyone does it just a bit different to suit their own tastes and their families tastes.  They are also called several different names by different folks....potato cakes, potato patties, potato pancakes...all the same thing.

 This is the way my mother always made them and what we like.  Her potato cakes are a little puffier and light than some and you will see why if you make them.  Here is what you will need:

2 cups cold mashed potatoes
1 egg
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. finely minced onion (optional, we don't use onion)
oil for frying

Mix the potatoes, egg, flour and baking powder.   Add onion if using it.   Heat about 2-3 Tbs. oil in a skillet until hot.  Make sure your oil is not enough or the potato cake will just spread out and not stay together.  

Scoop with an ice cream scoop and drop in the hot oil.  Flatten slightly, but don't mash down too much.  Cook until nice and brown on one side and then turn them over and cook until nice and brown on the other side.   Remove to a paper towel lined plate. 

Serve with a little sour cream and chives or green onion or just plain.  These are good with any meat or with beans and cornbread!



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Mama's Pecan Chicken Salad!

 

 

 My mother makes the best "Pecan Chicken Salad"!  She and one of her sisters used to own a restaurant and this was always one of their biggest sellers at lunch.  They usually sold this as a salad plated with fresh fruit around it.  I love it like that, but it's also really good on a fresh croissant as a sandwich.  This is so much better than any you can buy already prepared, unless you do get it at a deli or restaurant where they make it fresh daily and it's so easy, why not make it yourself for half the cost!  Here is what you will need:

 

4 cups cooked chicken breast meat, chopped or 2 (15oz). cans all white chicken  (SAM's sells some that is really good)

1 1/2 cups sliced seedless grapes (red or white)

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. lemon juice

3/4 cup pecans

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients and stir together. This chicken salad is so good with fresh fruit or on croissants as a sandwich.

 

 





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Ruth Ann's Banana Cream Cheese Muffins!

 

 

 

The recipe for these "Banana Cream Cheese Muffins" came by way of my parent's neighbor, Juanita.  She got the recipe from a friend of hers, Ruth Ann.  Not only did Juanita provide us the recipe, she baked a batch of the muffins and brought them over with it!   I love when that happens!   I especially love it when the muffins are this delicious! 

 

The beauty of this recipe is that it is so flexible.  You can substitute zucchini for bananas and make them zucchini muffins and you can also make this into banana or zucchini bread.  Here is what you will need for these yummy muffins:

 

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

3 very ripe bananas, mashed  ( to make zucchini muffins substitute 2 cups unpeeled, shredded zucchini)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Beat the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla together for about 3 minutes.   Add in the cream cheese and beat until smooth.

 

Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix just until combined and dry ingredients are moist.

 

Add in the nuts and bananas (or zucchini).

 

Spray a 12 cup muffins pan with nonstick spray or use liners.

 

This makes 12 large muffins or 18 smaller ones.  Bake the larger ones for about 25 minutes.  The smaller ones will take about 20 minutes.  The baking time will vary according to how full you fill your muffins tins.  Test with a pick inserted in the center.  It will come out clean when they are done.

 







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Golden Honey Rolls!

 

 

 

Several of you have been requesting a really good yeast roll recipe for your bread machine.  These delicious "Golden Honey Rolls" are my Aunt Ann's recipe she uses when making rolls with her bread machine.  They are so good, they just melt in your mouth and they couldn't be much easier, as far as homemade yeast rolls go!   Here is what you will need for these rolls:

 

1 cup milk, heated to very warm

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbs. honey

1  1/2 tsp. salt

3  1/2 cups bread flour (can use all purpose flour)

2  1/4 tsp. yeast  or 1 pkg.

 

Add warm milk to the bread machine.  To the milk add egg, oil and honey.  Add the flour.  Make a well in the center of the flour.   Add the yeast right into the center of the well.

 

Add the salt around the outer edges of the flour.  DO NOT let the salt and yeast touch at this point.  Salt added directly to yeast before mixing can inhibit it's growth or even kill it and your bread won't rise.

 

Set you bread machine on the dough cycle.   Watch to see that it forms a soft ball.  If it does not form a soft ball, add a wee bit more flour.  If it forms a ball that is too stiff, add a tablespoon of warm milk.

 

When the cycle has completed, roll the dough out and cut as you would for biscuits.  Place on in a greased baking pan and allow to rise for 1 hour.   They will rise best in a draft free, warm place in your kitchen.

 

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake about 20 minutes or  until golden brown.

 

***If you don't have a bread machine, you can mix these in a stand mixer with a bread hook using the same directions.  You then let the dough rise in the bowl, that has been loosely covered with a clean kitchen towel, for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size!  Cut out and let rise again for an hour and bake!

 

 

 

 





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Cider Glazed Pork Chops!

 

These "Cider Glazed Pork Chops" are another of my Aunt Ann's recipes, so you know they are good!  They just say Fall to me!   This recipe comes together so quick and easy and it's special enough for company!   The whole family will love it!   Here is what you will need:

 

5-6 center cut pork chops (bone-in or boneless, doesn't matter)

salt and black pepper

2 Tbs. oil

1 Tbs. butter

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup apple cider ( can use apple juice)

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. Dijon or spicy brown mustard

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

pinch of cayenne ( optional)

 

Melt butter in oil in a heavy pan that has a lid.  Sprinkle chops with salt and black pepper.  Brown them well on each side.  

 

While the chops are browning, mix all of the other ingredients in a bowl for the glaze.   When the chops are brown, pour the glaze overall.   Turn the chops over in the glaze to coat.  Cover with the lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes on low or until the chops are tender and the glaze has thickened. 

 

 

These are great served with Fried Apples!

 

 

 





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Double Bacon Cheeseburger Soup!

 

 

 This is "Double Bacon Cheeseburger Soup" and it is as delicious as the name indicates it might be!  If you have a family that is hard to fill up with just soup alone, this one might be the answer.  It's hardy and with some good bread and maybe a salad or fruit, it's a meal!  This really stretches a pound of ground beef also.   I like it because you can have it on the table in less than an hour and if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, it is just as good the next day!     Here is what you will need to make this soup:

 

 

12 slices bacon cut in 1" pieces

1 lb. ground chuck  (can use ground beef)

1 medium sweet onion diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced or cut in matchsticks

1/2 cup celery, sliced thin

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. spicy brown or Dijon mustard

4 Tbs. butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth (can use 4 cups water with 2 Knorr chicken bullion cubes)

4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2  tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed (can use cheddar cheese)

3 cups half and half cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

1 cup sliced green onions for garnish

 

 

Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Remove to a plate.  The bacon will be used to sprinkle on each serving before serving. 

 

Drain all of the bacon drippings except about 1 Tbs.  Saute the ground chuck, carrots, celery, an onion until the beef is browned and cooked through and the vegetables are tender.   If there is a  lot of excess grease, drain.    Add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard to the beef mixture. 

 

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven,  melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two.  It will form a paste or light roux.  

Whisk in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil whisking to make sure it's smooth and no lumps form.  Add the potatoes and all of the seasonings.   Cover and cook on low until the potatoes are fork tender.  This take about 15 - 20 minutes.  Stir halfway through to be sure they aren't sticking.   When the potatoes are tender, add the Velveeta and the ground beef mixture and stir.  Cover and leave on low heat for about 10 minutes or just until the cheese has melted.  Stir in the half and half cream, cover and heat through for about 5 or 10 more minutes.   Give it one last stir and it's ready to serve!

Garnish each serving with bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and green onions!  

 

 

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Sweet Potato Cake!

 

This is undoubtedly one of the best cakes you will ever make or eat!  Ok, I realize this might be subjective and just my opinion, but as you have probably noticed we make and therefore have to eat a lot of cake.  Therefore, I do consider myself a bit of an expert on what is a good cake...lol.  The recipe for this cake is a very old family recipe that has been handed down through the decades.  It was always one of my mother's favorite cakes through the years and was usually brought to family reunions and special dinners and such.

 

This is such a moist and delicious tasting cake and it just gets better as it sits and soaks in that yummy icing.  You do not have to be a sweet potato eater to like this cake either.  My husband hates sweet potatoes and he loves this cake.

 

So have I enticed you enough to try this?  I hope so!  This is the perfect cake for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but why wait until then?  Make one now and give it a test run!   This is what you will need and my only advice is to follow the directions exactly for the best results:

 

1 1/2 cups oil

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated (reserve the whites)

4 Tbs. boiling water

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes that have been peeled

 

Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup pecans or walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a mixing bowl mix the oil and sugar with an electric mixer unit smooth.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. 

 

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.   Add the boiling water and mix. Add the flour mixture to the oil and egg mixture and mix. Add in the vanilla.  Fold in the grated sweet potatoes.

 

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff and form peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended.

 

Prepare three 9" cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper or wax paper and spraying them well with nonstick baking spray.  The type that contains flour works best for this.  Take my advice and do not skip this step!  This cake is very moist and can stick or the layers can break if you do not line your pans.  Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  A pick inserted in the center should come out clean. 

 

Remove from oven and allow to cool before turning onto a cake plate.

 

Prepare frosting when the cakes have cooled by combining the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for about 12 minutes, stirring constantly or until the mixture has thickened. 

 

Remove from heat and add coconut.  Beat until cool and thick and spreading consistency. 

 

Stack cake layers on a cake plate and frost between layers, top and sides.   Garnish the top with the nuts.   This frosting sort of runs down the sides of the cake and you can spread it around the sides.  The consistency will be similar to the frosting you use on a German Chocolate cake.

 

 It's a beautiful thing! Sorry, but I just love this cake! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  



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