Category: published
German Apple Cake
| October 31, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under apples, baking (she said in terror), breakfast, L&M Produce, published, sweet treats |
Enjoy this moist German Apple Cake… for breakfast, lunch, supper or bedtime snack! Great over warm applesauce and a dollop of whipped cream on top, dusted with apple pie spice! Or, just as is.
How to Host a Pig Picking… and P.S., barbecue is a noun, not a verb!
Ahhh… the good ole southern NC pig picking! Here’s all you need to know to host one for yourself. Nothing is much finer than gathering friends and family to pick pork, is there?
Buttered Wilted Cabbage with Pepper & Caraway Seed
| October 27, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under cabbage, Carolina Country, cook & eat nekkid, garden goodness, low carb, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, published, sensational sides |
Blanching tender cabbage is a great way to preserve nutrients and get vivid color! And don’t you love having a farm fresh side dish ready in 10 minutes?
Featured in Carolina Country Magazine November 2020
I.Love.Cabbage.
I cannot think of one way I do not love me some cabbage! It’s so versatile and it such a great side dish for most anything. It’s quick to prepare… and budget friendly too.
With cabbage, usually “less is more.” It brings so much of its own flavor to the table you really don’t need to do much to it. Like this recipe. It’s as simple as blanching till tender, but still has a little “bite” to it. A bit of crushed red pepper and caraway seed… and of course some butter, and you’ve got yourself a mighty fittin side. It’s just right to round out your meal with my Bacon Stuffed Pork Loin with garlicky apple cider gravy and Rustic Herbed Dressing with apples and cheddar. This meal just hollers “FALL!” and would be nice for something different featuring pork on your Thanksgiving table this year.
Put all these goodies on your grocery list so you’ll have on hand to cook up this comforting fall feast soon. Then come on over to my facebook community and share your comments!
Blanching tender cabbage is a great way to preserve nutrients and get vivid color! And don’t you love having a farm fresh side dish ready in 10 minutes?
- 8 cup chicken broth
- 1 large head savoy cabbage
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- crushed black pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter
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While bringing broth to a boil in large pot, cut cabbage into wedges and discard core. Tear by hand into 1”-2” pieces. Add to boiling water. Stir and blanch for 1 ½to 2 minutes; drain and reserve broth for soup.
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Put cabbage back into hot pot. Toss with seasonings and butter to melt. Taste and add salt as needed. Serve warm.
Note: I save the core and simmer in the discarded broth for a delicious soup stock.
Don’t toss all that flavor! When cooking, save parts of vegetables for making the best soup base, sauces and gravy. Toss scraps into a freezer bag and add to it until you have accumulated a goodly amount and have time to make. Goodies to save are vegetable broth (like drained from this cabbage) along with leaves and core, onion and garlic peels, celery ends, corn cobs, carrot ends and peel, potato scraps, and fresh herb stems. Freeze in ice trays or small containers for adding flavor to all sorts of dishes!
Rustic Herbed Dressing With apples and cheddar
| October 21, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under apples, breads, breakfast, Carolina Country, casseroles, cheesy, Christmas, dressings, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, published, sensational sides, Thanksgiving |
You know it’s fall when the aroma of baked apples and fresh herbs fills the air! Roasted pork, chicken — this stuffing makes just the right side dish. Or crisp up leftover dressing in the toaster oven for a banner breakfast with bacon, sausage and a drizzle o’ maple syrup!
Bacon-Stuffed Pork Loin With garlicy apple cider gravy
| October 20, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under apples, bacon & belly, Carolina Country, gravy, here piggy piggy!, Heritage Pork, published, roasted goodness |
Ahhh, fall. Time for roasting and slow cooking flavors of the season. Low and slow is just right for lean pork loin … surrounded by bacon and salami for the moist fat needed to make it tender and juicy. This pork stuffed pork with garlicky apple cider gravy will make ya tummy happy!
No fair? No fair! … so cook yourself some turkey legs at home!
| October 8, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under Carolina Country, fun food, gluten free, grill thrills, honey, low carb, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, published, Thanksgiving |
Smokey Spiced Grilled Turkey Legs
Published in Carolina Country Magazine November 2017
Well 2020 just keeps giving us disappointment on top of disappointment. Some of us look real forward to our NC State Fair each year, each for our own reasons. I will miss going there several mornings to judge the daily cooking contests… one of my favorite fall culinary adventures. Some go for their favorite foods scattered about the fairgrounds.
Grease! Salt! Sugar! Finger lick’n…
What’s not to love?
You can’t miss folks walking around gnawing on big ole turkey legs! This recipe was part of a few I created several years ago for Carolina Country Magazine for a little twist on Thanksgiving… and when I was thinking about fair foods to share, realized I never put this here on my blog.
We never know what sort of weather we will have here around fair time… or Thanksgiving… it might be brrrrr! cold… or we may be out in shorts and flip flops firing up our grill. Either way, these turkey legs are tasty… and something fun to cook this year during fair week to pretend you’re there! Or to give your Thanksgiving a twist too.
So grab yourself some legs and crank up the grill! Enjoy some of my tasty turkey legs… and come on over to my facebook playground and share your pics and what you think about ’em!
No fair this year... no problem! Grill your own turkey legs at home... or fix some for Thanksgiving this year.
- 5-6 medium size turkey legs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup butter
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Combine all marinade ingredients. Place turkey legs into large container with lid. Pour marinade over legs, cover and shake to coat. Refrigerate (up to 2 days), shaking periodically to coat.
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To grill: Preheat grill to high heat. Oil grates and place legs onto grill. Sear on all sides several minutes, turning to get good grill marks. Reduce heat to low or move coals to sides (for indirect heat) and continue cooking, covered, for about 50–60 minutes. Turn every few minutes to prevent burning.
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Melt butter in honey. Baste legs, turning often, the last few minutes of cooking. Remove legs when temperature reaches 165 degrees by thermometer.
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Place legs onto serving tray and pour remaining baste over legs.
Pig Pick’n Banana Pudding… and an ode to my fave birthday cake (& missing Ms. Ethel!)
| August 30, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under bananas, Carolina Country, here piggy piggy!, no cook, party foods, published, sweet treats, wendy's signature recipes |
This Pig Pick’n Banana Pudding is a marriage of 2 of my favorites… pig picking cake and good old banana pudding! What’s not to love here?
Hot and Sour Soup With Rotisserie Chicken & crispy wonton noodles
| August 28, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under Asian, Carolina Country, here chickie!, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, published, rotisserie, soups, stews, chilies chowders and such, wendy's signature recipes |
Some recipes for tasty hot and sour soup can take hours and require hard-to-find ingredients. This simple version takes only 30 minutes from prep to table when using time-saving rotisserie chicken.
Wendy’s Pork and Shrimp Egg Rolls
| August 26, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, Asian, Carolina Country, party foods, published, rolls & wraps |
Don’t be intimidated — egg rolls are so easy to make. If you want low carb, skip the wrappers and throw in a bowl. Serve with duck sauce or peach jam mixed with hot pepper jelly.
Mandarin Orange Upside-Down Cake
| August 25, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under Asian, baking (she said in terror), breakfast, Carolina Country, gluten free, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, published, sweet treats |
This gluten-free Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cake is the perfect citrus dessert for a savory Asian meal, but it’s also the ideal pairing with a cup of tea or coffee. And if you’re a breakfast cake eater, this is IT.
Spicy Citrus Seafood Cocktail With NC wild-caught shrimp
| June 23, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, avocado, Bruce Julian Foods, Carolina Country, cook'n with NC goodies, crab, fish & seafood, fun food, garden goodness, gluten free, lobster, low carb, published, scallops, shrimp, wendy's signature recipes |
Spicy Citrus NC Seafood Cocktail
Published in Carolina Country Magazine July 2020
Who has time or desire to do much cooking during the lazy hazy hot days of North Carolina summer? Not me! Y’all, this seafood cocktail is light… so full of flavor with just a hint of fresh citrus, and only a little bit of fuss when it comes to cook’n. Loaded with a bounty of fresh seafood from our coast, you can enjoy this for a late morning brunch… for lunch… or right out of a jar in your porch swing watching the sun set!
This is one of those recipes where specifics and exactness isn’t important — you know, throw cook’n! Use all of one seafood or whatever combo you like. Go with your favorite vegetables and what’s in season. Add veggies you like to my recipe… as The Frugal Gourmet Chef Jeff Smith would say…
“Omit and substitute! That’s how recipes should be written. Please don’t ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute.”
And in keeping with my North Carolina company ingredients, I chose North Carolina’s Bruce Julian’s Blood Mary Mix to finish out my recipe! Just round up what you need and throw together some of my seafood cocktail… soon! You’ll be so glad you did… and so will your company.
And while you’re at it, be sure to make some of my Savory Bay Crackers with browned butter too. Followed up with a little dish of my No-Churn Cantaloupe & Coconut Ice Cream.
Come on over, and hang out with us in my fun facebook community too, where you will find this and lots of other goodies.
Light and spicy... with just the right hint of fresh citrus, the seafood cocktail features all sorts of North Carolina goodness!
- 2 quarts favorite Bloody Mary mix* or V8
- 1 bunch radishes, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1-2 tablespoons horseradish
- 4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- zest of 1 lemon, lime, orange and juice of ½ each, Cut the remaining halves into wedges for guests to squeeze into their cocktails
- cracked black pepper
- 2 pounds wild-caught North Carolina shrimp, peeled, cooked and cooled
- 1 pound bay scallops
- 6 small lobster tails
- 2 firm avocados, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 pound lump crab meat
- cilantro
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Combine and chill the spicy sauce ingredients.
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A few minutes before serving, add about four pounds of cooked shellfish of your choice (or use our suggestions above) and gently stir in the avocados and cilantro.
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Sprinkle with crabmeat and more cilantro.
*I used NC’s Bruce Julian Bloody Mary Mix.
Savory Bay Crackers with browned butter
| June 23, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, Carolina Country, crackers, fun food, party foods, published, wendy's signature recipes |
How do you make crackers more better? Why browned butter, of course! Make these Savory Bay Crackers with browned butter to enjoy alongside all sorts of dishes!
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