The Lady and Sons (4 page)
Authors: Paula Deen
Wash beans, cover with water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Place beans in large pot with chicken stock. Bring to a boil. In saucepan, heat butter and sauté garlic, onion, and chilies for 5 minutes. Add to bean pot. Add chicken, cumin, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, and cilantro. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1½ hours. Serve with corn bread.
SERVES 6 TO 8
| One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup Two 12-ounce cans evaporated milk | 2 tablespoons butter ½ pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped Dash of Worcestershire sauce Dash of Tabasco ¼ cup sherry, or to taste |
In top of double boiler, heat soups, milk, and butter over boiling water. Add shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Stir in sherry to taste. Continue heating until desired temperature. Great served plain or over steamed rice.
SERVES 6
| Two 10¾-ounce cans condensed beef broth 1⅓cups water ¼cup sherry | 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste 1 medium avocado, peeled and finely diced |
Heat broth and water to boiling. Add sherry and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in avocado. Pour at once into heated bouillon cups. Garnish with avocado slices, if desired.
SERVES 8 TO 10
| One 2½- to 3-pound fryer, cut up 3½ quarts water 1 onion, peeled 1½ to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning | 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 bay leaves 3 chicken bouillon cubes Salt and pepper to taste |
Add all ingredients to a pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside. For the next step, you will need:
| 2 cups sliced carrots 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops 2½ cups uncooked egg noodles 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley | ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) ¾ cup heavy cream (optional) ⅓ cup cooking sherry Salt and pepper to taste |
Bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, parsley, cheese, cream, and sherry. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed by adding salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread. If you are watching calories, you may leave out the cheese and cream.
The Lady & Sons
SERVES 3 TO 4
| 1 small onion, chopped 2 large pimentos, chopped 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1½ cups chicken stock | 1½ cups half-and-half ¾ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese Salt and ground black pepper to taste Dash of cayenne pepper (optional) |
In a saucepan, sauté onion and pimentos in butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Blend in flour. Add stock and half-and-half. Cook until thick. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and cayenne if desired.
SERVES 8 TO 10
| 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound sausage (chorizo, Polish, etc.) 7 ounces smoked ham, shredded 2 large onions, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium carrot, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ teaspoon ground cumin | ¾ teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf 8 to 9 cups chicken stock One 16-ounce can peeled tomatoes, crushed ½ pound dried lentils (1¼ cups) 12 large spinach leaves, cut into small pieces Salt and pepper to taste |
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until done. Remove sausage and place on a platter, allowing time to cool. When cool, slice sausage into ⅛-inch slices. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan. Reheat drippings and add ham, onion, green pepper, and carrot to the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, sliced sausage, tomatoes, and lentils. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours. As soup cooks, skim off fat that rises to the top. After 2 hours turn off heat and discard bay leaf. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
SERVES 4 TO 5
| 8 ounces cooked shrimp or lobster meat 2 tablespoons sherry, plus additional to taste Pinch of thyme 3 to 4 green onions with tops, chopped 2 tablespoons butter | One 10¾-ounce can condensed tomato soup 1 soup can measure of milk One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 soup can measure of heavy cream Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish |
Finely chop the shrimp or lobster meat and marinate 30 minutes in 2 tablespoons of sherry and the thyme. Sauté onions in butter until soft. Add shrimp or lobster meat and cook over a low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine tomato soup with milk and blend mushroom soup with cream. Combine the two soup mixtures with the shrimp-lobster sauté. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add more sherry to taste. Cool, then mix in blender until thick and smooth. To serve, reheat in a double boiler. Add more sherry to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.
SERVES 3 OR 4
This is a great soup to make when you find yourself with leftover baked beans. If you don't have leftovers, Bush's canned baked beans work wonderfully.
| ½ pound Hillshire Farms smoked sausage, sliced in rounds Vi inch thick 2 slices bacon, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced ½ green bell pepper, diced (optional) | 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups leftover baked beans, or one 16-ounce can Bushes Baked Beans 1½ cups half-and-half |
Sauté sausage, bacon, garlic, onion, and pepper (if desired) in butter until bacon is cooked. Add beans and simmer for a few minutes over medium to low heat. Add half-and-half. Increase or decrease half-and-half for preferred thickness. Serve with piping-hot corn bread.
The Lady &Sons
SERVES 6
| Two 13¾ -ounce cans artichoke hearts, chopped I½ cups chicken stock 1 cup chopped onion 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter | One 10¾ -ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup ⅓ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste |
Bring artichokes and chicken stock to a boil. In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter and add to mixture. Gradually add mushroom soup to desired thickness. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper.
The Lady & Sons
SERVES 6
| 3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes (or one 28-ounce can) medium onion, chopped cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon chopped garlic ⅓ to ½ cup white wine 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning | 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill ¾ cup heavy cream ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste |
In a large pot, mix all ingredients together except heavy cream, parsley, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes, until tomatoes are tender. Add cream, parsley, and Parmesan cheese last. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
The Lady & Sons
Sweet-and-Sour Dressing
SERVES 10 TO 12
SALAD
| 3 small heads Bibb lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces 1½ pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces 3 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and seeded | ¾ medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts 3 teaspoons butter |
Combine lettuce, spinach, oranges, and onion in a large bowl. In a saucepan, sauté walnuts in butter until lightly browned. Add to lettuce mixture. Toss with Sweet-and-Sour Dressing.
SWEET-AND-SOUR DRESSING
| 1½ cups vegetable oil ¾ cup vinegar ¾ cup sugar 1½ teaspoons salt | 1½ teaspoons celery seed 1½ teaspoons dry mustard 1½ teaspoons paprika 1½ teaspoons grated onion |
Combine all ingredients in a jar. Chill. Shake and serve over salad.