It's said that everything is bigger in Texas, and the great big flavors from our favorite dishes are no exception.
This week's column contains recipes shares sure to bring the taste of the Lone Star State to your kitchen.
Let's cook!
Recipe Exchange
Recipe Request: P.T., of Lufkin, is seeking "tried and true" recipes for ribs, and recipes for bar cookies.
Texas Two Step Chicken
Source: Richard Lee Holbert, via e-mail
1 1/2 C. salsa
3 T. light brown sugar
1 T. Dijon mustard
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 C. cooked white rice
Mix together salsa, brown sugar and mustard. Spoon a third of the mixture into an ungreased baking dish.
Lay chicken breast on top. Cover with remaining salsa mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve with rice.
Texas Sirloin Quesadillas
Source: Richard Lee Holbert, via e-mail
1 lb. sirloin, cut 1-inch thick
1/2 C. red wine
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 T. olive oil
3 large poblano peppers
4 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion cut into strips
3 1/2 C. Monterrey jack cheese shredded
1 C. cilantro chopped
8 large flour tortillas
Slice steak across the grain into thin slices.
In a large sealable plastic bag combine wine, garlic, cumin, chili powder and olive oil. Add meat to the bag.
Seal bag and turn bag to coat meat in the marinade. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut poblano peppers in half, remove seeds and veins, and cut into strips. Add two tablespoons of oil to a sauté pan. Add the onion and pepper strips. Sauté until the onion is tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Drain the beef and add to the pan. Sauté quickly to brown the beef, add the onions and peppers back to the pan. Stir fry for one minute more. Place a tortilla on a griddle. Sprinkle with some of the melted cheese, beef mixture, cilantro and top with more cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Grill until cheese melts and tortilla is browned. Cut into wedges and serve. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef until it is all gone. Makes 4 large quesadillas or 32 pieces.
Diabetic Pasta Pie with Broccoli and Italian
Sausage
Source: Richard Lee Holbert, recipe originally from The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan
Yield: 6 servings
12 oz. turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 C. chopped fresh mushrooms
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli or spinach, thawed
1 tsp. crushed garlic
2 1/2 C. cooked thin spaghetti (about 5 oz. dry)
1 1/4 C. shredded reduced-fat mozzarella or provolone cheese
2 C. fat-free egg substitute
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
Add in the sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, stirring to crumble.
Mix in the mushrooms, broccoli or spinach and garlic, then cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
Drain off excess liquid. In a large bowl, add the sausage and vegetables, then toss in the spaghetti.
Mix in the mozzarella and egg substitute.
Spray the skillet with cooking spray and spread the pasta mixture evenly in the dish.
Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and lightly spray the top with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the center of the pie is set but still moist. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe):
Calories: 305, Carbohydrate: 22 g, Cholesterol: 62 mg,
Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 30 g,
Sodium: 745 mg, Calcium: 305 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/4 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 3-1/2 Lean Meat
7 WW Points
5-Star Pickled Eggs with Jalapenos, Habaneros and Tabasco
Source: Richard Lee Holbert, via e-mail
3 dozen hard-boiled eggs (peeled)
1 qt. Heinz Distilled White Vinegar
1 onion (sliced)
1 T. mustard seed
1 T. dill seed
1 T. red pepper seed
1 T. black pepper or peppercorns
6 cloves of fresh garlic
1 jar (16 oz.) dependable peppers with juice
1 jar (16 oz.) habanero peppers with juice
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
Place all the ingredients except the hard-boiled eggs in a covered pot and boil for 15 minutes. Place the hard-boiled eggs in a glass jar and cover them with hot pickling mixture until the eggs are completely covered. If there is not enough vinegar, you may add some hot water to the vinegar solution. Marinate the eggs in this solution, in the refrigerator, for seven days before serving. The longer they marinate, the more robust the flavor!
Trivia
Continued trivia: What is seitan?
Monthly contest
Every reader who submits a recipe request, correct trivia answer prior to the answer's publication, and/or recipe share to What's Cooking? will be entered in a monthly drawing for a prize. The next contest drawing will be Sept. 30, from all readers who have submitted recipe shares and/or recipe requests received through noon, Sept. 30.
If you have a great cook or local-flavor cookbook to recommend, favorite recipe to share, a recipe request, suggested idea, question, cooking tip, story idea, or answer to a recipe request, please write: Carol Kimbrough, P.O. Box 631719, Nacogdoches, Texas 75963-1719 or e-mail whatscookingcolumn@yahoo.com.
Please include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if applicable). Readers who submit a recipe request and/or recipe share will be entered into a monthly drawing for a cooking-related prize.
Please note if you do not want your name published. Winner names will be published.
Carol Kimbrough is a contributing writer.
