TEP's Southern Style

Chocolate Chip Cookies…..

Pre-heat Oven to 350 Degrees

Two Thirds Cup Softened Butter

Two Thirds Cup Shortening  (I prefer Crisco)

Two Eggs, beaten

One Cup Sugar

One Cup Brown Sugar

Place the above in your mixer and cream.  

Three and one half cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Add the above to the creamed mixture one cup at a time and beat on low… (unless you want flour all over your kitchen!)

 One teaspoon of vanilla

One cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Two cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Add all of these to your cookie mixture and beat slowly.

 Refrigerate dough for about an hour.. then drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for eight to ten minutes depending on  your oven temperature and if you like chewy cookies or crispy cookies.

Enjoy!

So most of you who know me, know that I love to cook… it is my stress reliever, it makes my family happy and most of all it is fun… So this past weekend I was feeling some “blues” coming on, those Mississippi Blues.  I did what any good Southern Girl does, I bought green peanuts to boil, mustard and collard greens to cook, made a peach cobbler and roasted an amazing pork loin roast wrapped with bacon and rubbed with all kinds of spices. 

I am always reflective this time of year as my Dad passed away 26 years ago on October 1^st, two days before his birthday.  We found out he had cancer and within 10 short weeks he was gone.  Matt was one, Kim was three and Rob was five years old.  We lived in Tennessee at the time and not a day goes by, 26 years later that I don’t think about him. 

So this time of year, I start cooking all of the food that reminds me of him.  Mustard Greens, Onion Soup, Cornbread, Biscuits, Boiled Peanuts and Roasted Pork Loin.

Enjoy the Onion Soup Recipe… It  is a Fall Staple in our home.  

Onion Soup

3 pounds thinly sliced onions (I use my Cuisinart with the slice attachment, saves time!)

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs butter

1 tsp syrup/ molasses

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsps Worchester sauce

4 Tbs plain flour

2 cans Swanson’s Chicken broth 

2 cans Swanson’s Beef Broth 

2 cans Beef Consommé

4 cans Water

In medium heave bottomed saucepan, cook onions in oil and butter, covered for 15 minutes.  Uncover and add brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worchester sauce.  Stir well and cook for 35 – 45 minutes or until onions have turned golden brown.  Add flour and blend well.  Cook for a couple minutes.  Add broth, consommé, and water.  (Do not add salt as there is plenty of salt in soup)  Allow mixture to simmer for 45 minutes.  Serve with croutons or sliced French bread. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese.

This is great the first time, but even better after it sits one day.

Enjoy!

So Mondays are well… Mondays… So what better way to get through a Monday than to have a Les Presseux Poulet’, Lazy Man’s Chicken.  This is so comforting and yummy after a busy day at work, plus it is so easy to prepare.  

Don’t worry if you have multiple Monday Conference Calls, reports that are due or in some instances past due, you can look forward to a relaxing dinner.  

Les Paresseux’ Poulet

1 whole chicken

Olive oil

1 /2 cup to 1 cup Chardonnay

4 – 5 Garlic Cloves, (smashed… you can leave the peel on)

4 – 6 Thick Slices of French Bread

Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

8 – 10 Red and Gold Baby Potatoes, halved

1 cup Miniature Carrots

Pre-Heat Oven to 400 – 450 degrees depending on hour oven. 

Rub olive oil in the bottom of a large Le Crueset’ Dutch Oven. Tie your chicken up with butcher’s string, tying the legs together and tying the wings close to the breast of the chicken.  I like to use this neat gadget my sweet sister in law gave me to “sit” the chicken.  Place your chicken on top of “gadget” in the Dutch oven.  Pour olive oil over the chicken and rub it into the chicken.  Throw the garlic cloves around the base and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chardonnay.  Cover and roast the chicken for about 35 – 45 minutes.  

Remove the top of the Dutch oven and add the baby potatoes and miniature carrots.  Drizzle olive oil over the veggies.  Salt and pepper the veggies to your taste.  At this point, I place the slices of French Bread around the base of the chicken and in between the veggies.. 

Place back in the oven without the top and roast for an additional 35 – 45 minutes, until you see the juices run clear and the skin is crisp.  

You can actually serve the Les Paresseux’  Poulet’ from the Dutch Oven… Pour yourself a glass of wine.  My preference is Chardonnay.. however, a nice Pinot Noir’ would be delicious as well. 

Enjoy!