Not My Grandmother's Collard Greens

My family loves collard greens, and so do I.  I have always cooked fresh bunch collards the old fashioned way, which can be a bit time consuming.  My hubby wanted them for dinner one night, and I was short on time, so I decided to saute bagged, pre-chopped greens in bacon grease.  Here are the simple directions.

Ingredients:
2# Bag Glory Chopped Collards
3 TBS. Bacon Grease
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 tsp. sugar
Vidalia onion,chopped
Pepper Sauce
Peeled and quartered turnips

Instructions:
Soak greens in 2 tsp. baking soda for about an hour.  Wash well, and remove large stems.  Melt bacon grease in large pan, then add greens and seasonings.  The sugar helps tone down the bitterness.  Cover, and simmer slowly for about 1 1/2 hours.  Keep an eye on the greens, and if the broth from the greens cooks away, add a little water.  We serve ours with fresh turnips cooked on top of greens, chopped onion, and pepper sauce...the real peppers distilled in vinegar.  Add turnips on top of greens during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

My husband loves greens cooked this way..I hope you will too.

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Honey & Butter Glazed Carrots Wrapped with Bacon

There is a reason that I have been MIA for a while....I have spent the bulk of the summer doing as little as possible...I have been really lazy!  As much as I enjoy cooking, my hubby and I have been grilling, grazing, and grabbing  bites at local restaurants.  I have to confess, I am totally into this! Even so, I decided to martyr myself last night, and cook a real dinner at home.  I met some friends for lunch Saturday, and they were raving about some carrots they had eaten.  I came home and Googled for recipes.  I found one on The Bacon Republic, and adapted it to my taste.  I served these yummy carrots with stuffed red, yellow, green and orange peppers with a tomato gravy, and mashed potatoes.  We loved the carrots..we ate all of them!  Bacon does make everything better!

Ingredients:
12 whole carrots, peeled and tops removed
12 strips bacon
3 TBS honey
3 TBS butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Wash and peel carrots, remove tops.  Melt butter, mix with honey, and pour over carrots.  Cover carrots well with the mixture, and let sit for a few minutes.  When ready to cook carrots, wrap each one in bacon, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Place them on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil.  Place in 375F oven, and bake about 20-30 minutes until carrots are tender, and bacon browned; turn when cooking.

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Oven Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts

You can reduce or increase the amount you want to make, just use an appropriately sized baking dish, and adjust garlic and seasonings.

2 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 

5 cloves garlic, minced fine or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Crispy Bacon to garnish, if desired.

Move oven rack to the upper third and preheat to 425 degrees.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, toss together Brussels sprouts, garlic, water, oil, salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer.

Bake for 40 minutes, tossing once, about 25 minutes into cooking time. Remove from oven and toss Brussels sprouts in the pan scraping up brown bits into the sprouts. Garnish with crispy bacon.

Adapted from www.cookingphotographer.com
Sharing with Foodie Friday

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

This tasty recipe comes from Just Cook Already.  A nice flavor and presentation for green beans.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

5 strips of bacon cut in half

3 TBS melted butter

1/4 C brown sugar

1 clove garlic - pressed/finely chopped

1/8 tsp soy sauce

Instructions:

Boil green beans in large pot till tender. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet over med-low heat. You want the bacon to cook ‘soft’; do not ‘crisp’ the bacon. Place aside on paper towels to cool and reduce grease, then cut the strips into halves.  After beans have been drained, put a little butter in the pot to melt on the beans (this is optional and not included in the ingredients above). In a 13x9 pan lay one of the ‘half’ pieces of bacon and place several beans (about 6-7) then wrap the bacon around the bundle of beans and secure with a toothpick. Continue doing this till the beans are gone.  Melt the 3 tsp of butter in small sauce pan; add brown sugar, garlic salt and soy sauce and mix continuously over med-high heat. Once completely blended, brush over the bundles with a basting brush until mixture is all used.  Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes.

Horseradish Stuffed Tomatoes

My family loves horseradish with their roast beef.  This is a very pretty way to serve it.

Ingredients:

6 small, ripe tomatoes

½ C whipping cream

1 TBS horseradish

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Dash of salt
1 tsp. sugar

Instructions:

Cut tops from tomatoes; hollow out slightly, scooping out seeds.  Whip cream until stiff; fold in remaining ingredients.  Fill tomatoes just before serving.

Tasty Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving is almost here, and we are always looking for new side dishes to serve with our festive meal. This casserole is a good choice. It is easy, can be made ahead, and it is good!
Ingredients:
2 7oz. pkgs. frozen French cut green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3oz. cream cheese
1 ½ C shredded sharp cheddar
salt and pepper to taste
2oz. sliced almonds
1 clove garlic, minced
8oz. water chestnuts, drained and chopped
¼ C minced onion

Instructions:
Heat soup, onion and cheeses together until cheeses are melted. Mix in remaining ingredients, except almonds, and put into buttered casserole. Top with almonds and bake at 350* 30-45 minutes until bubbly, and beans are done.
I am sharing this recipe with Made It On Monday.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

These potatoes make a great side dish for most any meal, casual or more formal. Family and friends always enjoy them when they are served. Good for dinner parties as they can be made ahead and refrigerated. If you do this, add to cooking time.
Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes
1 C Kraft sharp cheddar, grated
½ C milk
2 TBS butter
8oz. carton sour cream
¼ C minced onion
1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper
Butter
Paprika

Instructions:
Cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover 30 minutes, or until tender. Peel and grate potatoes when cool. Combine cheese, milk, and butter in small saucepan; cook over low heat until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Fold mixture into potatoes. Put in greased 2 qt. casserole; dot with butter, and sprinkle lightly with paprika for presentation. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
Sharing this with: Family Fresh Meals

Tasty Canned Green Beans...really...trust me.

Ingredients
2 cans Allen's cut Italian green beans (Kentucky Wonder-flat)
3-4 slices bacon
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Drain and rinse green beans. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry in a large skillet. Cook until bacon starts to turn brown. Put diced onion in pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon and onions brown. Add drained green beans, and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 30-45 minutes.
These beans will have a very good flavor. Most people won't know they are canned...really.

Buttery Minted Peas

Ingredients:
•2 tablespoons butter
•1 tablespoon mint jelly
•1 tablespoon water
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 bag frozen peas, defrosted and drained
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Preparation:
Melt butter, mint jelly, water, and salt together. Toss with the defrosted, drained peas. May be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated.
Heat gently at serving time, just until done, and sprinkle with the fresh mint leaves.
You would never believe these peas are from the supermarket freezer. The mint jelly, butter, and fresh mint bring them up to the quality of a vegetable at a good restaurant. I found this recipe at about.com

Emma's Beer Batter Onion Rings

Ingredients:
3 large Vidalia onion
Crisco oil
¾ C plain flour
¾ C self-rising flour
1 ½ C beer
Instructions:
Mix flour and beer in smooth batter. Let stand at least 3 hours. Slice onions and separate into rings. Drop into batter, fry in medium hot oil until golden brown.
The Dodd boys of all ages used to stand around the fryer and wait for the hot, crispy onion rings .