One of the things I love about being a southern girl is the food. Foods that make you feel warm and content, foods you can linger over and foods you can share. I’m sure this is true of every region, but a girl has to stay true to her roots. Besides, if it weren’t “all that” Country music would loose half their songs, you know precious odes to fried chicken, collard greens (well, I loose points here, ewww) and that precious amber colored liquid gold in a glass- sweet tea! I think Country music is onto something here.
Even if you don’t like sweet tea (I really can’t understand this,but…) I think you’ll like this week’s menu filled with what we call “stick to your rib” food. As the weather gets colder and the days shorter there is something oh so comforting in a nice bowl of stew or beans. Enjoy!
The Process: For a full explanation visit this page
1. Sit down, relax and plan (or pick some meals from here)
2. Make a grocery list and stick to it!!!! This saves time and money
3. Do the shopping-aim for one trip
4. Bring Back Dinner and enjoy
The Meals:
Red Beans and Rice Louisana Style: Nola.com Chef: Judy Walker adapted from Pableaux Johnson’s Monday Night Red Beans.
Time: 1 1/2-2 hours plus soaking time. If you are short on time try using low sodium rinsed canned beans and cook 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
Ease: Moderate – not rated simple because of the steps involved, but is definitely doable.
Review: I have had red beans and rice my whole life and like it any way I can get it. I enjoyed this version of this, but the greatest praise came from my husband, who lived in New Orleans for a while. He said it was the best beans and rice he thought he’d ever had and that it was Louisiana worthy. My husband tells me that there are no bad restaurants in New Orleans, just some not as great as others.
Tips & Adaptations: The andouille sausage is pretty hot, if you have heat sensitive people at your table try serving on the side, but still cook your onions in the grease from the sausage. I have fans of parsley and green onions and dislikers as well; if you do, just serve those on the side too. I didn’t have Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning and used Emeril’s.
This is not a main dish menu item, but needs to go with the beans. I especially like the leftovers for breakfast, hot and dripping with butter. Butter is a must for this dish, Paula Deen herself would approve.
Sloppy Joe’s: The Food Network Chef: Ellie Krieger (from the Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a healthy life)
Time: 30 minutes
Ease: Simple
Review: I can’t rave enough about this dish or this cookbook. Though the recipes above may not show it, I enjoy trying to make meals more healthy, but full of flavor and Ellie Krieger excels at this! I have never been a fan of the packets or cans for sloppy Joe and therefore thought I didn’t like sloppy Joe, but this changed my mind. It is quick, simple, and tastes great. It will become a go-to meal for you. We do not put the beans in it, but that is a personal preference.
Brunswick Stew: Lynchburg Eats
Time: 2 1/2 hours or 6-8 in crockpot. I suggest making this on the weekend and re-heating for a quick meal during the week.
Ease: Simple, don’t let this one fool you. It looks to easy and too plain, but is packed with flavor.
Review: When I was growing up it was common to find Brunswick stew at festivals in town and always cooked all day long in a big giant cast iron cauldron. MMMMM, so good. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the stew and the weather and it always drizzled and was just shy of cold. Perfect! This recipe is pretty darn close to those traditional stews. This is a great rainy day, sleepy Sunday night dinner.
Tips: Take the time to get those family recipes written down before it is too late! This is a prime example of not doing so. My grandmother made this in huge batches each year and put it in small containers in the deep freeze where we could then enjoy it all winter long. However…no one ever got the recipe. She once told me her secret was V-8 juice, so I added part broth and part V-8 juice and felt the results were nice. In regards to the meat, Brunswick stew was originally made with squirrel, but I’m not going out to snag or bag any squirrels any time soon,like ever, nor do I expect you to. Use any meat you have or desire. I used a pork tenderloin that I had in the freezer, it had been roasted first, then I cut into the desired bite size. We were very pleased with the pork. Be creative and use any meat you’d like even squirrel, if that’s your thing.
Sweet BBQ Chicken Tortillas : Adapted from Great American Cookbook – 1994
Time: 30-45 minutes I will often cook the chicken in the microwave and use Pampered Chefs stoneware covered baker. The chicken is ready for the recipe in 6-10 minutes. Microwaving it cuts the time closer to 20 minutes. The stoneware keeps it from being too dry.
Ease: Simple
Review: I first discovered this recipe in 1994 and have made a few adjustments over the years. This adaptation is my family’s favorite. This is a great recipe to make when you are in a hurry or just need to throw something together, maybe unexpected company.
Ravioli with Sage Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Shallots
Time: 1 hour (prep & cooking combined)
Ease: Simple
Review: I searched the internet for a dish like this and couldn’t find what I was looking for so, this is what I ended up with. If you can’t find it, make it. I was pleased with the results, the blend of the flavor of the shallots with the sweet potatoes was pleasant. There were no leftovers. I encourage you to experiment, you may surprise yourself.
Finally, To make sure you have had the full southern experience I have added snaps and new potatoes. Snaps is what we call southern style green beans and let me be perfectly clear here, Snaps are not meant to squeak against your teeth, they should be mushy and overcooked and have fatback, bacon or Streak o’ lean in it. Now green beans may be steamed, roasted, grilled or squeaky, just don’t call ’em snaps.
I recently asked the butcher for fatback and he just looked at me and said “what??”, oh, Lordy mercy what has the south come to. If this happens to you pick an extra fatty piece of bacon, it’ll work just fine. Below are a few recipes to choose from.
Green Beans with New Potatoes: Paula Deen
Southern Style Green Beans: Emeril Lagasse
White Trash Cooking Green Beans & New Potatoes: Insightful Nana
Southern Style Green Beans: Deep South Dish
Ya’ll come back now (naaooah), ya hear (heaa).
Photos may be used, but please link back to this blog and credit Lisa Burbach, recipes are links to existing recipes and I have no ownership of recipes other than the ones I Have created. Thank you.
Bringing Back Dinner: A Yielding Action Blog 
Good blog, it brought back a lot of memories. Ahh…Such sweet memories of my childhood. Red beans and rice have been a favorite since childhood for me. I had a great aunt that would babysit me in the summers while my mother worked and she would always make me red beans and rice because she knew I loved them so. I must mention that to us (in the South) we know what red beans are, but to much of the world they are known as Pinto Beans. It’s like we know what snaps are and yes we certainly know what fatback is. My mother called it streak o, lean or middling. Comfort foods don’t just warm the body, but they warm the soul because many of the foods also stir warm memories. You know, you or at least I, can make a meal of just spoon bread. Once upon a time when I was very, very poor and lived alone in a tiny two room apartment, I would make spoon bread as my meal because it was cheap and filling, but mostly because it truly was a comfort. You are so right about writing down recipes. My family is lucky that many of my mother’s recipes did survive, but many of my favorites have been lost. I’m blessed to own my mother’s cookbook, the one and only one she ever owned. I rarely saw her look at it because she knew everything by heart.
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