This is a repeat, but well worth it. Several years ago, I did a piece on shredded cabbage and loyal reader and Nancy Jackson, premiere Realtor in Saluda and Master Chef in her kitchen, sent this recipe for cabbage steaks. Cabbage is one of those veggies we often forget about, but it’s nutritious, tasty, inexpensive, and always available. Plus, sometimes you have a half of a cabbage leftover, … [Read more...]

Here is another super-easy dish - Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Tenderloins. If you follow my recipes, they all are easy, otherwise why bother? It doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. I saw some really pretty chicken tenderloins at Aldi’s. They were about half the size of a regular chicken breast loin, and I saw this recipe calling for buttermilk and ranch dressing. You first marinate the loins (4 … [Read more...]

2 C milk 3/4 C Chicken Broth 1 C Quick Cooking Grits 1/4 T salt 1/2 C Shredded Parmesan 2 T butter 1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese 3 T fresh chopped parsley 1 T lemon juice 2 large egg whites 1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped Cooking spray Hot pepper sauce (optional) Preheat the oven to 375. Combine the milk and broth in a saucepan and bring … [Read more...]

Fried Okra has been a staple in my family for over a hundred years. It’s a North Carolina tradition. When I was a young boy, my grandmother, Mama Ida, made Fried Okra for me every time I visited. She chopped whole okra pod into ½-inch slices, rolled them in corn meal and fried them in a hot skillet. We still enjoy okra that way, but recently I have been frying whole okra rather than the chopped … [Read more...]

The temps have dropped, the fish can sense it and the fall bite is on in Virginia’s saltwater. Bluefish continue to be a prime target. Nice 5- to 8-pound fish have been caught well up into the bay and along Virginia’s coast. Mixed in with the blues are Spanish Macs, though a slower troll speed is recommended for the Spaniards. … [Read more...]

I often suggest recipes. This time I am suggesting a recipe that you should not – under any circumstance – try. It’s Blackened Bluefish in the kitchen. Years ago, we belonged to a group called the Broccoli Bridge Club – so named because one night, at a potluck dinner, everyone brought a broccoli dish. We may have even had a Broccoli Pie, I don’t remember, but the name stuck. One evening … [Read more...]

As I have mentioned on many occasions, as a wanna-be Tex/Mex Chef, I find it easy to fix Mexican Entrees, it’s the side dishes that give me trouble. However, I think I came across a winner this week. I made some Mexican Cornbread and if you like a little heat with your bread, this is a winner. It all starts with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – which is darned good with the basic recipe out of the box. … [Read more...]

My favorite son-in-law, Brent Ham, cooked dinner for us last week and it was really good. So good that I asked for the recipe and pretty much followed it, which is highly unusual for me. I call it Brent’s Chicken in Lemon Sauce. If you try this, it will become a regular entrée in your home menu arsenal. The recipe calls for 2 (adjust the recipe amount proportionately for 4 or 8) chicken breast … [Read more...]

I just discovered something that will change the way I eat BBQ, and I eat a lot of BBQ. I had some pulled pork in the fridge, but no buns. I thought about putting the pork on some Texas Toast and nixed that idea. But I had just bought some hot dog buns. Why not? It turns out that I truly believe hot dog buns are far better for eating pulled pork BBQ than are traditional hamburger … [Read more...]