Pecan Cream Pie

 

 

   Usually, when I think of a pecan pie, I think of something sticky and syrupy and VERY sweet, usually served around the holidays. But what about a light and fluffy summer pie ?
 This one is creamy and crunchy at the same time, sweet with the tiniest hint of salt, and SO delicious it made me wonder where it has been my entire life. 
  At first, as I was browsing recipes, I couldn’t decide which version to try, because of course, as with all pie recipes, there are a million versions. They’re all very similar, but with slight tweaks here and there. Some have brown sugar, some have maple syrup. I finally decided on this one, from a blog called Grits and Gouda. It’s simple and basic, which leaves you wide open to add whatever tweaks you’d like. Oddly, I didn’t fiddle with it at all. I know, I know.. that’s so unlike me, right? But in this case, it sounded perfect as is, so I went with it. It turned out to be EXACTLY what I wanted! Light and fresh, with a flavor that made me think of butter pecan ice cream. I literally had to stop myself from having a second piece!
  If you like pecans, this might be your new favorite dessert! Actually, I think I might need to add this to the holiday repertoire as well. It’s just that good! Enjoy!
 


1 store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 3oz package cheesecake, white chocolate, or vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk 
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip, divided 
1 1/2 cups toasted and cooled chopped pecans, divided 


Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium size bowl. Using a hand mixer at medium speed or a large whisk, beat the pudding mixture 2 minutes or until thickened. Place in the refrigerator to completely set up while preparing the rest of the pie filling. 

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat 1 minute or until brown sugar is thoroughly blended. 

Stir in the chilled, thickened pudding and 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
Gently fold in HALF of the Cool Whip until no white streaks show. Spoon the pecan cream pie filling into pie crust. Dollop or pipe remaining Cool Whip in the center and/or around the edges of the pie.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans. Chill at least 2 hours or until firm.


Tips:
Because I prefer to serve my pies in a glass pie plate, I opted to make my own graham cracker crust. I used 2 sleeves of graham crackers (because I like a thicker crust), 2 tbs sugar, and 5 tbs melted butter. ..blitzed them together in a food processor, then pressed the crumbs firmly into a deep dish Pyrex, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350ºF. Then, once it was completely cooled, filled the pie as directed. Perfect!

Feel free to use whipped cream instead of the Cool Whip. Just add 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream to a chilled bowl, and add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then use as directed in the recipe. 
For the best pecan flavor, be sure to toast the pecans. Just place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir and heat them just until you can smell them toasting. It happens very quickly, so stay with them. Then immediately remove them from the pan to cool completely before using. I also like to add a tiny pinch of salt as they’re cooling. That’s all there is to it!

Cherry Pie Gooey Butter Cake

 

 I saw this recipe on TikTok from a chef named Christina Tosi. She’s pretty amazing and I’ve seen her very often on cooking competition shows. She always makes food that I immediately want to eat. This gooey butter cake is no exception! I mean, who doesn’t love a gooey butter cake, right? 
 It comes together SO quickly with basic ingredients that you might already have in your pantry, and you don’t even need a mixer. 

 It's the perfect summer dessert and it was a big hit when I made it for my friends. 

Your friends will love it too! 

 


1 1/2 sticks butter
1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
8oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
1 can cherry pie filling



Heat oven to 350º.
For the crust, melt 1 stick of butter in a mixing bowl. Add the cake mix and one of the eggs. Stir well to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture.
Press dough evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Set Aside.
For the filling, soften the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and cream cheese in the microwave, stir together until well combined. Add powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, the other egg, and the reserved dough. Stir well until combined. Pour over crust layer. Now drop spoonfuls of the pie filling here and there over the filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It will still be slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool completely and then chill before serving. For an extra pretty touch, dust it with a tiny sprinkle of powdered sugar over the top. So fancy!


Tip:

When you drop your spoonfuls of pie filling over the top, just do them here and there, as the recipe says. You don't want to completely cover the filling layer. You probably won't use the entire can of pie filling. 
This recipe lends itself to a million different variations. Since we were using cherry pie filling, I added a few drops of almond extract, since those two flavors are a match made in heaven. 

If you'd like to serve it for your 4th of July BBQ, you could add a few fresh blueberries on top for the red-white-and-blue of it all. Mix and match any flavor of cake mix with any flavor of pie filling and it will all work! With the yellow cake mix, I’m thinking peach, strawberry, blueberry,,, With chocolate cake mix, I think it has cherry written all over it. I think I’d even add a few chocolate chips over the top, because why not???? For Fall, it would be amazing to use a spiced cake mix with apple filling. Now THAT sounds heavenly! Do you make home made pie filling? Even better! You do you!

Marinated Broccoli

 

 

 Here's a recipe that takes me WAY back. Many years ago, it was just one of those dishes that my family made for every single summer event. It was at BBQs, graduation parties, birthdays, you name it. TBH, I don't even know whose recipe it is, or who discovered it, but it was always a big hit and we used to make it in double and triple batches. Not even kidding! Crazy to think that a RAW broccoli dish could be so popular, right?

 Cut to years later, I guess we moved on to the next exciting new recipe and this one got left behind, just as so many recipes do (I'm thinking of you, Honey Chicken.) 

  Well, I think it's time to bring this recipe back. Actually, it's barely even a recipe, and there's literally no cooking involved. It's just raw broccoli in a vinegar and oil dressing. Nothing to it, right? WRONG! Just wait'll you taste it. Seriously, it's so good, I made a batch, and wound up eating so much of it, I had none left to take a picture. So I had to make another batch. True story! 

 Serve it as a side salad along with your burgers, dogs, and grilled chicken, or as part of a charcuterie board. And be ready for people to ask you for the recipe. It's just that tasty!

 

 

 

 

2 crowns of broccoli
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs Accent flavor enhancer (MSG)
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cut up broccoli into small pieces.
Whisk together all remaining ingredients. 
Pour over broccoli florets. 
Marinate several hours or overnight.

 

 

 

Tips:

The key to this recipe is time. You really need to let it marinate in the dressing because it slightly changes the texture of the raw broccoli. That makes it the perfect time saver because you can make it a day in advance, or even two. You can get away with just a few hours, if you're in a rush, but overnight is best.

I like to place the small florets and dressing in a sealed container and then give a shake every so often. TBH, I like to make a double batch of the dressing so that the broccoli is practically swimming in it while it marinates, and then I drain off the excess dressing before I serve it. 

Oh, one other thing... Yes, the recipe calls for MSG, which brings out the umami flavor and makes everything taste better, in my humble opinion. Back in the day, it got a bad rap as being unhealthy, and still carries that stigma to this day, but it's simply not true. Well, unless you consume mass quantities of it, but then again, that's basically true of everything. 

Copper Penny Carrots

 

 

 If you're looking for something new and different to serve at your next BBQ, this might be just the thing. Well, actually, it's not new, but it's definitely different. 

 So, what are Copper Penny Carrots? Or to quote Nicole from All Recipes.. "What in the 1970s Grandma is this dish?" 

 It's a chilled salad made of carrots (sliced into rounds, or rather coins..hence copper pennies), and finely diced onions and bell peppers which are then tossed with a sweet and tangy dressing. From what I've read, it is believed to have originated in the South and Midwest in the 40s and 50s when there was a surge in popularity of using convenience foods... specifically, Campbell's tomato soup, which serves as the base for the dressing. 

 I know, I know, sounds crazy, right? But trust me! It's SO tasty and refreshing, sort of in a gazpacho meets relish sort of a way. It goes extremely well alongside your hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad. I mean, we've done other veggie salads, so why not carrots?

 Definitely give this one a try. It just might surprise you ! 

 

 

1 10.5 oz can condensed tomato soup

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 medium bell pepper, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

 

 Bring condensed soup, sugar, vinegar, and oil to a boil in a saucepan. Stir well, remove from the heat, and let cool until needed. 

At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add carrots and boil until just tender, about 10 minutes. 

 Drain carrots and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Pour soup mixture over vegetables and stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, before serving. 

 

 

 

Tips:

There are many versions of this recipe. Some include mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce. This version is from All Recipes, but of course I can't leave well enough alone, so here are my tweaks:

First, I used baby carrots, because that's what I had on hand. They don't exactly look like pennies as much as the larger carrot slices would, but I was willing to look past it. 

Second, I added half as much onion, and twice as much celery. Why? Because that's what I like! You do you. 

 I also found it to be VERY sweet. The tomato soup is already sweet, so I would cut back on the sugar. I usually like a stronger hit of vinegar anyway. I also added salt and pepper, because I think it needs it. Maybe next time I'll try it with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  

Oh! One more thing.. I know it says to refrigerate it for 8 hours, but I don't think it's really necessary. I tasted it as soon as I made it, after it chilled for 2 or 3 hours, and again the next day. The only thing that really changed was the amount of crunch. You want to serve it well chilled, so I think a good 2 hours is the best version. And I think the CRUNCH of the celery is what makes it!

 

 

Joey's Low 'n' Slow Oven BBQ Chicken

 

 This is just about the easiest BBQ chicken you'll ever make. There. I said it. I'm not kidding! You do most of the cooking in the oven, and then you finish it off on the grill. Easy, right? The result is fall-off-the-bone tender chicken that will be the talk of any summer BBQ. I recently made it for a summer hang and everyone loved it! It's more about the method than anything else, and it's easy enough for the cooking novice. If you love BBQ chicken, you MUST try it. You might not ever cook it any another way!

You're welcome. :) 

 

 

 

Chicken legs and thighs, bone in, skin on

Salt and pepper 

Any favorite BBQ sauce 

 

 

Start by heating your oven to 250ºF. Line a sheet tray with heavy duty aluminum foil. 

 Now arrange the chicken to fit. Feel free to place them nice and snug next to each other. 

Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with more heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure to seal around the edges of the tray. 

Place in the oven for 4 hours. Yes, FOUR HOURS. 

Remove from oven.

You can do this much in advance. Just leave the tray covered with foil and let it cool slightly, then keep in in the fridge until your event. 

When you're ready to grill, remove it from the fridge, and remove the foil.  Place the chicken pieces on your hot grill, then brush with BBQ sauce. Close the lid and let it grill for about 15 minutes, until it's slightly charred here and there. Brush with more BBQ sauce and serve. 

Be sure to have plenty of napkins at the ready!

 

 

Tips:

That's not a typo. Yes, the oven temp is meant to be 250º, not 350º. That would be the low part of Low 'n' Slow!

Wanna spice things up? Add any kind of spice you like along with the salt and pepper.  

 Use whichever BBQ sauce you like or your own home made. I like legs and thighs, but you can use breasts as well. I wouldn't do boneless chicken in this case because it would probably overcook. Or at least I imagine it will!

 

 

Slow Cooker Pork and Butter Beans

 

 So, I have a question for you. 
Do you ever throw something in the crock pot in the morning before work, and then come home at the end of the day to a house that smells completely heavenly?? Yeah, that just happened. It 100% reminded me of coming home from school to the aroma of whatever magic my Mom was creating in the kitchen. LOVE that!
 Anyway, this recipe was inspired by a tick tocker called Mississippi Kween. I see her cooking videos all the time and I just love her! But here’s the thing…. I’ve noticed her recipes are always very heavily seasoned, more so than I would prefer, I think. (I guess I’m just not that spicy of a guy?) Not that there's anything wrong with that, if you like that sort of thing!
So this is sort of her recipe, but as I always do, I tweaked it ever so slightly. 
 Instead of adding a bunch of spices like Cajun seasoning, etc,, I opted to just let the smoked sausage season the dish. I also used pork hocks instead of neck bones because I already had them in my freezer. And since the pork hocks are already very salty, I didn't even need to add salt. I just added the usual aromatics and some black pepper. Another change I made was the amount of water. I didn't add as much liquid because hers was a little more like soup, and I was going for more of a stew. (Yet another reason why I didn't add all the extra spices!)
My main reason for telling you all of this is that you should cook it the way you like it!! Want more seasoning? Do it! Don't care for it? Leave it out! Just as I learned from cooking like my Mom, if you like a lot of something, add a lot! 
Now you can have this to look forward to after a long day. 
You will LOVE how good it smells when you first walk in, and it tastes even better! 


1 lb bag butter beans (aka large lima beans)
2 lbs smoked pork hocks
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into coins
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 tbs butter
Black pepper

Simply place all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8-9 hours. That's all there is to it! Pull all the meat off the bones and add back to the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve over rice. 



Tips:
Usually when using a slow cooker, I'll mention cooking on LOW for X amount of time, and then give the option of cooking for half as much time on HIGH. But in this case, I think I would only do the longer cook time. Since there's no soaking of the beans in advance, I like to give the beans a longer time to cook. If I ever try the faster option, I'll let you know! 
Don't like butter beans? Use any kind you like, or a mixture ! 
I think this would be great with white navy or great northern beans. Maybe I'll try them next!
Oh! One other thing…. In case you’re wondering if there’s a difference between butter beans and lima beans.. Lima beans are smaller and green. Butter beans are much larger and white, but are very often just called large lima beans. Use whichever one you like!