Turkey Cutlets in Marsala Sauce

I have some new readers from my office. Welcome, Welcome! So glad to have you! One I have mentioned before for her Corn Casserole...Super Social Worker. The other is the one that sits right beside me every week. We'll call her Ms. Noodles because that is her real clown name! This is one of her family's favorite recipes and she said that I had to try it because it is so good and so easy. She was right! We loved it.

Turkey Cutlets in Marsala Sauce

turkey cutlets
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1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper

Mix the above ingredients and dredge the turkey cutlets in flour mixture.

Cook about 2 minutes per side to brown in:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Remove cutlets and keep warm. Mix into pan with drippings the following:
1/2 c. Marsala cooking wine
(Be very careful around open flame!! Alcohol flames up!)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Stir well and add cutlets back to pan; cook til done.

I served this with No Crust Spinach Pie. I changed a few things to the original recipe, so click to see.

As you can see from the picture above, I have been a busy girl! It has turned cold at night and I have been a maniac in the kitchen. Friday night, I made Chili and Taco Soup. I put all the chili and half of the soup in the freezer for later, and we ate off of taco soup that evening, as well as, today after church. Tonight while I was making our turkey cutlets, I also made a pot of Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo. I love it the next day, and I am going to have company tomorrow night, so I thought I would go ahead and make it. So, y'all be sure to save room to try some even if you get here after dinner! I'll put the rest that we don't eat in the freezer. When you put things like soup in the freezer, everything that I have read suggests that you should eat it within a month. I probably have gone over before but not by too much just because we have always been ready to eat it. Just wanted to throw that out there!

Brew-Ha-Ha Punch

My Buddy (his mama and Deese, too!) just left my house for a quick visit. We had a little bit of time to buy wood from the lumber yard (aka Jinga blocks) and check them out with the cash register before he had to leave. I also fixed us a quick dinner (Reuben Casserole) that I had promised a while back. It was very good. Click on the recipe to see what change I would make for next time.

Halloween is just around the corner. When I was in high school, a group that I was a part of hosted a Halloween party for some kids. I can't remember now which group that would have been (maybe Key Club?), but I was assigned to make punch for the party and was given this recipe to use. It is really very good and I just love the name of it. Click here for some more cute Halloween treats over at Picky Palate.

Brew-Ha-Ha Punch

2 c. sugar
2 quarts water
2 envelopes lime drink mix
1 can pineapple juice
1 quart ginger ale

Stir sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Add other ingredients and chill.

Oriental Slaw

We had our big family cook-out yesterday! As promised, I took lots of pictures of food. I love taking pictures in mom's kitchen because she has great light. My kitchen seems so dark sometimes when I take pictures. We had lots and lots of good food. The "main event" is always the ribs. There is so much that my Granddaddy puts into those ribs (and Grandmama into the sauce!) that it isn't re-creatable! It's one of those "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" things! We also had Goody Girl Championship potatoes, corn salad, the above pictured slaw made by Tossie, s'mores bars, Sister's blueberry stack cake (modified version), baked beans (not these, but store bought), and lots and lots of buttered rolls. Go big or go home!

I'm not sure Tossie's exact recipe. It is very similar to the one that I make, but I know she put soy sauce in this one, so some of the other ingredients may be a little different too. As you can see in the picture, it was very good. Here's my recipe and I will post her's later if she will send it to me.

Oriental Slaw

2 bags Angel hair slaw
6 green onions
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. ramen noodles with seasoning packets (I've used beef or chicken)
1 (6 oz.) pkg. slivered almonds
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
6 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

Open bags of slaw and place in mixing bowl. Slice the onions and put in with slaw to combine. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan, add almonds and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, and salt with the contents of the seasoning packets. Pour dressing over the slaw and mix. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to serving.

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We also did something VERY FUN! You'll have to wait until Christmas time to find out what that was!

Chili

The Dish Washer loves my chili. He says it is the best that he has ever had. He doesn't have a very sophisticated pallet if that is what he thinks. I sure hate to disappoint you all, but there is nothing exciting about my chili. Really. Nothing that I do to it and no secrets that I add to it. Ready in about 15 minutes. I hate to be this way, but I am loyal to certain brands. For instance, the only peanut butter I buy is Jif! Some might say that is all in my head, but this recipe will give specific brands.

Chili

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
onion, chopped
1 pkg. McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix
1 (15 oz.) can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 can Bush's chili beans

Brown beef and onions in pot; drain. Add remaining ingredients and cook until warmed through.

THAT'S IT!! Tomorrow is the big family cook-out again. I'll post what we eat and take pictures of new things - if I can remember.

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

I'm not a fan of traditional gumbo because it usually has shrimp and okra; two things I am not likely to eat. I received a cookbook from The Former Roomy's mom when I went down for her wedding. It was the local town's Presbyterian Church cookbook. I flipped through many times and had my eye on this recipe. I made it one night last year when my friend came over for dinner - we are big fans of it with some Jiffy corn muffins and lots of butter. I'm going to post the recipe as it is given, but then I will tell you one slight change that I made.

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

1 stick butter
1/2 c. flour
1 lb. Conecuh sausage, cooked, drained and cut into small pieces (I keep it sliced in rounds)
1 (15 oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. frozen McKenzie's Blend (onion, celery and bell pepper)
Minced garlic to taste (1 to 3 cloves)
4 c. chicken broth
parsley
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
Tabasco sauce to taste

Saute the garlic in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. In an 8-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle and stir in the flour and let brown until a light brown color. (This is called a roux.) Then add chicken broth, stirring while adding a little at a time. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

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I couldn't find the McKenzie blend anywhere, so I chopped fresh onion, celery and bell pepper and started by sauteing in butter until tender. I removed from pot and continued with the other directions, although I did allow it to simmer closer to an hour. It is great as leftovers because the flavor really comes out.

Last one for the week tomorrow is my super simple Chili.

Brunswick Stew

When I lived with The Dish Washer's Granny, we had a major routine going. I would come in from work and we would get ready for supper. She usually overworked herself and made sure she cooked something for me that was ready when I got home, but sometimes I would insist on cooking so she wouldn't have to. We would get our TV trays ready and make our way into the den to eat supper. Every night we took turns saying the blessing (and she never forgot whose turn it was) and then we would watch Jeopardy while we ate. The two of us together would have made a very good team on that show!

After dinner, I would clean up the kitchen, take out the trash, water her outside plants and then it would be on to our other evening rituals...Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, Diagnosis Murder are a few we never missed! She loved those shows! We'd sometimes be off to bed by 9:00.

While we were watching TV in the evenings, I went through every recipe she had in that house. It was a long process because she had drawers and drawers of them. Some I had seen before and some I had not. This is her best friend's recipe for Brunswick Stew. It's another "dump" recipe - those are so easy.

Brunswick Stew

1 lb. ground beef, browned with large onion
2 cans Castleberry BBQ pork
2 cans Swanson chicken
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans creamed white corn
1 small bottle Hot ketchup (regular will work too with dashes of hot sauce to taste)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix and simmer 45 minutes.

Tomorrow is Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo. Very, very, very good!

Baked Potato Soup

I'm typing all of these warm food recipes in on Monday, and setting the timer (pun intended since this is a food blog) to automatically post each day so that you won't come back and NOTHING be posted for days and days like last week. (If anybody even checks this thing!)

Mom found this recipe several years ago. It's another easy recipe and very good.

Baked Potato Soup

4 lg. baking potatoes
4 slices bacon
6 c. milk
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
4 green onions, diced
1-1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

Pierce potatoes with fork; place on paper towel and microwave on high for 15-20 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through cooking. (HEY, if you want to really bake the potatoes in the oven, no one is stopping you. In fact, it is probably very good - I just don't like waiting that long.) Fry bacon in a large pot, crumble, and set aside. In same pot used for bacon, combine milk and flour, blending very well. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until thick and bubbly. (BE CAREFUL with the heat and stir frequently so your bottom doesn't burn.) Cut cooked potatoes in half and scoop out cooked potato from skin; place in medium bowl and mash well. Add potatoes, bacon, 2 Tbsp. onion, 1 c. cheese, salt and pepper to milk. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Add sour cream. Sprinkle each serving with remaining onion and cheese.

Tomorrow is Brunswick Stew.