Month: November 2016

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So, I can honestly say I had never even heard of pumpkin pie until I was well into my teens. I grew up eating sweet potato pie and that’s probably why I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie. I do like other things made with pumpkin. In fact, I posted a really good recipe for pumpkin cream cheese muffins. But, I digress. It’s all about what you grew up eating and your family traditions.

My Mom’s sweet potato pie recipe has been passed down for generations and is delicious! However, in true Kimmie Bee fashion, I had to play around with it a bit ☺️, and we really do love this recipe. Want a more traditional pie? Omit my ‘Kimmie Bee’ additions. You’re a fan of pumpkin pie? Give this a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

You will need:

1 pound of sweet potatoes (approximately 2 potatoes)

1 stick of butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup of evaporated milk

2 eggs beaten

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla extract

1/8 t ground ginger (Kimmie Bee addition)

1/8 t ground allspice (Kimmie Bee addition)

1 – 2 unbaked pie crust (see recipe under ‘Tips’ or use a store bought pie crust)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the sweet potatoes on a foil lined cookie sheet for approximately 40 minutes or until tender. Cool, remove the skin, place into a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the butter and incorporate with the potato masher. Add the sugar, vanilla, spices and egg. Slowly add the evaporated milk and beat, on low speed, until smooth. Pour into your prepared pie crust. This recipe will make two regular pies or one deep dish pie. Bake on 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

#yumola

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought it only fitting to share my favorite dressing (also known as stuffing) recipe. This recipe is very close to the one my maternal grandmother used to make. Although I do love my Mom’s recipe, which is the one I grew up eating, this one is my all time favorite. It’s simple and delicious.

I ALWAYS use homemade cornbread; never store bought croutons or breadcrumbs. You can also add in fresh herbs, sausage, chestnuts, seafood or … the options are endless.

You will need:

1 pan of cornbread (see the recipe under sides)

3-4 pieces of your favorite bread, toasted & crumbled (challah or country white are my go tos)

4 ribs of celery, chopped (use the leafy green tops as well)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper,, chopped

1 stick of butter (yepper, 1 whole stick)

3-4 cups of chicken stock (or use the stock from boiling the turkey neck/giblets)

2 t of ground sage

1 T poultry seasoning

1 t of kosher salt

1 t of freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Saute the vegetables in the butter until translucent. Crumble the cornbread in a large bowl and add the toasted; crumbled bread. Pour the cooked veggies over the bread mixture. Add the spices and chicken stock a little at a time. The dressing should be a little on the ‘wet’ side before going into the oven. You may not need all of the stock. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the eggs and put into a baking dish. Cook on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

#yumola

 

 

I tried this recipe, last Christmas, after seeing Tia Mowry make it on her cooking show. I normally make lasagna, salad and garlic bread for Christmas dinner. But, I wanted to make something different and this totally fit the bill. I made the usual; scrumpdiliocious lasagna, too, just in case my family wasn’t feeling the tenderloin. You’ll find that recipe also posted under main dishes. However, the tenderloin was a HUGE hit! It is DELICIOUS and you will look like a rockstar! Such a beautiful presentation! I served it alongside my roasted brussels sprouts (mhmm, that recipe is posted under side dishes) and garlic mashed potatoes. That was one BIG meal with lots of leftovers.

For the beef tenderloin, you will need:

6 T fresh parsley, chopped

6 T fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

6 T fresh thyme leaves

6 garlic cloves

1 T kosher salt

olive oil

one 5-6 pound trimmed whole beef tenderloin; tail end tucked under and tied every 2 inches

1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Place the parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse to make a thick paste.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Lightly brush the tenderloin with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Sear on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Rub the tenderloin with the herb mixture and place the pan into the oven. If it’s easier for you to apply the rub, remove the tenderloin from the pan onto a board and apply the rub. Then, place it back into the pan.

Place the pan into the oven and roast until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees for medium or approximately 35-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string, slice and serve with the horseradish cream sauce.

 

 

For the horseradish cream sauce, you will need:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 T prepared horseradish

2 t Dijon mustard

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper (or white pepper if you prefer)

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.

I promised to post the recipe for these a few days ago and then the Cubbies and the NBA and …. well … life happened. But, I promise you, they are worth the wait. I’m not sure if they are ‘authentic’, but I am POSITIVE they are SCRUMPDILIOCIOUS! You can adapt this recipe to your liking (use ground turkey or ground beef … the options are endless). I will give you the recipe for my two favorites. The first we will call ‘green’ and the second one ‘red’.

For the green empanadas, you will need:

Two pie crusts (see ‘pie crust 101’ under the Tips tab)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

a drizzle of grape seed oil or your oil of choice

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small can of diced green chiles

2 cloves of garlic minced

2-3 t of ground cumin

2-3 t of chili powder

1 tsp of kosher salt

1 t of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

the juice of a lime

1 egg, beaten with 1 t of water to use as an egg wash

approximately 2 cups of Chihuahua cheese or sharp cheddar or a combination of both, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Heat a saute pan on medium high. Drizzle with grape seed oil. Add the chicken and all of the ingredients except for the cilantro and lime juice. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and is easy to pull apart (approximately 15 minutes). Then add the cilantro and lime juice and cook another minute. Remove from the heat and shred the chicken with two forks. Set aside.

Roll out the dough and cut with a round pastry cutter (about the size of a margarita glass) or use a glass. This should make approximately 24 circles. Place about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture on one side of the circle. Add about a tablespoon of cheese and fold over. Seal with a fork. Poke holes in the empanadas, with a fork.  Brush, lightly, with the egg wash and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown

     

For the red empanadas, you will need:

Two pie crusts (see ‘pie crust 101’ under the Tips tab)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

drizzle of grape seed oil or your oil of choice

1 -2 T of my taco seasoning (see recipe under ‘no more store bought spice packets’ under the Tips tab)

14 oz can of roasted tomatoes (stewed tomatoes or chopped tomatoes)

approximately 2 cups of Chihuahua cheese or sharp cheddar or a combination of both, shredded

1 egg, beaten with 1 t of water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Heat a saute pan on medium high. Drizzle with grape seed oil. Add the chicken and add all of the ingredients. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and is easy to pull apart (approximately 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and shred the chicken with two forks. Set aside.

Follow the directions above for rolling, cutting; filling the dough and baking the empanadas.

#yumola