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...]

When your garden is kicking out 25 and 30 pounds of cucumbers every week, it’s nice to have a few extra recipes. You can eat cucumbers in garden salads, of course. But that’s one cucumber. We also like cucumber, onion, and vinegar salads with lots of salt and pepper – so that’s two more cucumbers. Maybe you can eat one plain cucumber for lunch. That’s four – what about the other four dozen … [Read more...]

I am always looking for side dishes to serve with Tex-Mex entrees. The Tacos, Burritos and Enchiladas are easy. It’s the stuff that goes with them that I struggle with. Recently, looking for something to pair with Tacos, I came up with this concoction – a Mexican Pasta Salad. I started with a pound of elbow macaroni, though I suppose any pasta would work. To the cooked macaroni, I added 1 can … [Read more...]

Forgive me, Great Chefs of the Past, for I have sinned. I made a meatloaf out of ground chicken. And the worst part - I enjoyed it. In the eternal battle between an increasingly fat body and scales that refuse to lie – even a few lousy ounces – I have tried to eat more chicken and less beef. I love my Mother’s Meatloaf recipe, and in it there was no mention of chicken, but I made a chicken meat … [Read more...]