Fun Monday

  For this week's Fun Monday, Beccy is in charge.  Here's what she has in mind:

"I have been thinking back over the Fun Monday posts we have already completed and realised that food does not feature in any of them. Now I don't know about you but I love to eat and we all need to eat to survive so my challenge is...to post a recipe that would inspire me to get into the kitchen to chop, cut, grate, boil, steam, roast, chill, freeze and eat, eat, eat.

Photographs are not necessary but may help tempt my taste buds!

This challenge is open to anyone who dares to accept it so let me know if you are interested either via the comments or by email."

Since I have had SICKNESS IN MY HOME and subsequent MOTHER GUILT, I have GOT to keep this post EASY!  Gotta go with some of what I've already got.  (Raise your glass as you join me in toasting...)  Here's to a bit of re-cycling and "making" some ready photographs FIT this week's Fun Monday!

Want to make a perfect pie crust EVERY time?  Here are step-by-step instructions, complete with pictures.

Here is a SIMPLE recipe for Pan-seared Halibut that will render your guests speechless (because their mouths will be FULL and they will be groaning with culinary ecstasy!) and give you reason to feel like a gourmet cook (although it's so easy, you'll know the truth). 

Last, I thought I'd share some pictures from the absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS and artery-clogging SOUTHERN SPREAD my mother-in-law and I prepared Friday night.  Dang! that woman can COOK!  She fries up the most amazing fried chicken, a dying art, which I have YET to be able to duplicate, no matter how many times I watch her do it.  And the lingering smell makes you wanna dab a little behind your ears because it IS a smell of SOUTHERN LOVE!  lol

She has to "scorch" some of it...that's the way my F-I-L prefers it.  KFC doesn't begin to get it this r i g h t! 

We also had white rice and gravy, sweet and sour green beans and homemade "buttermilk" biscuits.  If you have ANY interest in the beans or biscuits, they're also the SIMPLEST of recipes.  Because anyone who tastes either of them will BEG you for the recipes.  And think you're a Paula-Deen-worthy cook...and you will love me for being the type person who doesn't leave out the "secret" ingredient that renders YOUR recipe slightly less than my own ;). 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Pre-heat oven to 450
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup Real Buttermilk

Work together Bisquick and buttermilk to smooth dough.  Dip hand in just enough Bisquick to kneed dough in bowl until smooth and elastic.  Shape dough into 16 thin patties.  In a greased 9" round baking pan, place 1 atop another forming 8 biscuits.  Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden.  Brush tops at once with melted butter. 

Cook's notes: 
- They split easily because of the way you formed them with the two pieces :)
- Don't have buttermilk on hand?  THIS time I didn't, and a SIMPLE substitution is to add 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar to 1 cup of warmed milk.  Stir, then wait a few minutes for milk to curdle before using.  My kids actually said these were the BEST I've ever made...

Sweet & Sour Green Beans

(Makes those canned beans taste out-of-the-garden fresh!)
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 (15-16 ounce) can cut green beans (okay to use fresh ;) )
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
Seasoned pepper to taste

- Cut bacon into half-inch pieces and partially cook it in skillet.

- Add onion to drippings and sauté until onion is translucent.

- Drain beans and add liquid to bacon and onion; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

- Add beans and remaining ingredients.  Heat thoroughly until they "cook down" (the longer, the better, but at least 20 minutes).

 

Cook's notes: 

- I use less bacon, only enough to generate drippings to sauté onion.   Oh, yeah, I usually leave it in strips instead of going to the trouble of cutting it into pieces.

- I usually don't reduce liquid first.

- A cast iron skillet makes these suckers cook up mighty fine :)

- You can use regular pepper, but seasoned makes it prettier

 

Here's the rest of today's cooks--enjoy!

Sabrina
Nikki
Lisa
Enidd
Margaret
Amy W
Bethany
Little Miss Moi
Frannie
Lotta
Liza
Paige
Elena Jane
Jenn
Steffi
Min
Karmyn
Dodo
Robin
Mommiebear2
Tiggerlane
Sally
Vicki
Willowtree
Swampwitch
Chrisb
The artist formerly known as purpleworms
2crazzie4u
Sam
Erik
Girl con queso

On a bookish note, the Blogging Chicks are up to their carnival shenanigans again this week.  In my spirit of recycling, I linked to the Book Meme that demonstrated so grotesquely beautifully my inability to make a decision :/.

Comments

[Pamela]

another slobberiscious post for fun monday.
I'm coming undone.
Well, my belt will, if I fix any of these.
Those home-made biscuits look to die for.

[Devra Renner]

Just for the halibut, I am here to absolve you of that mother guilt! Pneumonia is a tricky thing and it is easy to mistake for a whole host of ailments. Even adults miss it in themselves! The main thing is you did bring your son to the doctor and your son got the meds he needs to heal. And next time he sounds like this, you'll know it's a possible pneumonia and you'll be first in line at the doctor! Aviva and I have a goal to absolve guilt...one mommy at a time. Today it was you!

[Karmyn R]

Okay - the halibut link is screwy - takes me to a 404 error.

Growing up in the North - I'm not all that keen on Fried Chicken, but I have to say, I've never had it made by a Southern lady.

[beccy]

That southern spread looks delicious, my kids would love it.

As for me, I'd go for the halibut every time.

[enidd]

yum, enidd has been looking for a real southern chicken and biscuits recipe, please post!

[Steffi]

It sounds very delicious recipe.I will try it!Thank you!

[Amy W]

Thanks for the recipes, they sound great.

[Sabrina]

All very tasty. Another set of recipes to try!

[Robin]

Pamela, the best part? TWO INGREDIENTS!! Oh, and that delicious thing ;).

Devra, thanks for the absolution (even if it involved halibut-bribing) :).

Karmyn, THANKS FOR THE HEAD'S UP ON THE BROKEN LINK! And now that it's fixed, you MUST try the recipe (especially after I read your FM post).

Beccy, try the Halibut...lemme know how it comes out.

Enid, Biscuit is now posted...maybe I'll email the chicken one :).

Steffi, Amy and Sabrina...let me know if you try any of them...

[Lisa]

Wow, where to begin with these? They all look great!

[Erik]

Well, well, . . never made any of these things. Where to start????

[momto3cubs]

It all looks good! Thanks for sharing!

I hope everyone is well soon!

[Willowtree]

Yum, the Southern spread looks delicious.

[Robin]

Lisa and Erik, Start with the biscuits...there are only two ingredients.

Thanks Kila :). He's much better.

WT, it TASTED delicious!

[Pamela]

I came back and copied those to my recipe books.

[e-Mom]

Lol, we ordered KFC for my birthday dinner last night... no one could bear to cook. Your chicken looks infinitely better. (The family did produce a cake tho... angelfood with chocolate whipped cream and raspberries/strawberries!) Your sweet and sour green beans look SO delicious. What a great Fun Monday post.

[swampwitch]

You call this post "easy?" Whew! That would have taken me a week to compose.
Hope your family is feeling better. Miss you at my place. Love ALL these recipes, especially the pie crust. Mine never turn out the same. Bisquick is my hero but my biscuits aren't quite that pretty. Yum Yum. I'm hungry. Think I'll go drink some coffee.

[Kristy]

Oh yes.
THIS STUFF LOOKS AMAZING.
Love this;
"because their mouths will be FULL and they will be groaning with culinary ecstasy!"- that's the result I want with my guests!
You make me laugh.....

[Twisted Cinderella]

Wow that looks amazing! Now, I have to go make myself some lunch!