Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

How well I remember the cornbread Gary's mom made—it was mile-high, crunchy on the bottom, and moist and light in the middle. I tried throughout the years, without success, to make cornbread as good as hers, but mine was usually dry and crumbly—and it never browned nicely. My jalapeno cornbread muffins are a completely different take on my mother-in-law's family-favorite recipe, but they turn out wonderfully well for me time and time again. The canned corn ensures that my muffins stay moist. I need all the help I can get in the cornbread department, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

1 ½ cups self-rising corn meal
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup onion, chopped
1 cup creamed corn
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix all ingredients, and pour into greased 12-muffin tin. Bake for 20-30 minutes until nicely browned.

Over Easy Eggs with Sautéed Kale

I love the unexpected in a meal—something out of the ordinary, yet simple and flavorful—like these over easy eggs with sautéed kale. This dish is just as perfect for dinner as it is for breakfast. These flavors and textures—the hearty kale, sweet potatoes, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, crunchy nuts—work beautifully well together. And to top it all off, a soft egg yolk makes a perfectly rich sauce if you like your eggs sunny-side-up. Dress it up, or dress it down—either way works.

Over Easy Eggs with Sautéed Kale

2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 bunches kale or other dark, leafy greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small-medium onion, sliced thinly
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Chicken stock
3 tablespoons sherry
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Toasted nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, whatever you like)
Feta cheese, crumbled

Over easy (or sunny-side-up) eggs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lay sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt, and add black pepper to taste. Roast for 20 minutes or until desired tenderness, stirring halfway through cooking.

Remove stalks from kale. Soak kale twice, dry, chop, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add kale, and toss until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add ½ - 1 cup chicken stock. Lower heat, and cook kale, partially covered, for 30 minutes or to desired tenderness. Add stock as necessary when greens become too dry. When greens are tender, add sherry, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with nuts and cheese.

Top with egg.

Crunchy Salmon Croquettes

I wonder if other men love salmon croquettes as much as my husband. Gary often suggests them and NEVER refuses them as a dinner choice. He loves salmon croquettes with biscuits, mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas. I love them on top of a dark, leafy green salad. We both think they make a great sandwich.

These salmon croquettes are the ultimate easy dinner—open a can, add some onions, peppers, and spices, and you're in business. Some folks prefer to remove the skin and bones from the canned salmon—I leave it all in. You can also use leftover fresh salmon.

Crunchy Salmon Croquettes

1 can salmon, drained well
¼ cup onion, minced
¼ cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Panko for coating

Add a good bit of panko—about a cup—to a shallow dish or plate, adding more as necessary for coating.

Place salmon in a medium-size bowl and gently break up with a fork. Add next 8 ingredients, and mix together. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop salmon and form into patties. Lay on a baking sheet, and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes; this will make the salmon easier to handle. When salmon is a little firm, remove, and coat well with panko, pressing bread crumbs into patties.

Add about ¼ cup olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When oil starts to ripple and smoke, add salmon. Cook (in batches if necessary) until nicely browned—about 5 minutes on each side, adjusting heat if necessary. Remove croquettes to a wire rack to drain.

More Meatless Meals

I prepare two or three meatless meals each week. I like the way I feel--leaner, lighter, and confident that I'm doing something beneficial to my health. I've realized that I don't need meat at every meal; instead, I like to think of chicken, beef, and pork as side dishes or occasional ingredients in soup, chili, etc.

Fritattas are among my favorite meatless dishes. I can throw in fresh or leftover vegetables, spinach or other greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, whatever I like.

Serve with my Creamy Stone Ground Grits and Zesty Chipotle Beans with Peppers and Onions.



Spinach Frittata with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup onions, finely chopped
2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Kosher salt
Black pepper
4 cups baby spinach, chopped

9 eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat eggs in a medium-size bowl, add salt, pepper, and parsley.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and saute for additional 1 minute. Place chopped spinach in skillet over top of vegetables, and saute until spinach wilts slightly.

Pour eggs over vegetables. Do not stir. Lower heat, and cook for 12 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over eggs, and transfer to oven. Cook for 5-10 minutes until top of frittata is set.

Tender, Thick Pork Chops

Have you ever seen those insanely huge boneless pork chops at your local farmers' market--you know, the ones as thick as a filet mignon that you've tried to cook, and they always come out tough and dry? This is a never-fail method for thick, boneless, tender, juicy, pork chops. Guaranteed.

Olive oil
Boneless pork chops, damn thick (about 1 3/4")
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Temper on counter top for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. When good and hot, drizzle in a bit of olive oil. Add chops, and brown 3 minutes on each side.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 10 minutes.

A Favorite Food Memory

Some food memories stay with us--we never forget them. A warm, cozy home, a gracious hostess, good friends, and a delicious meal become more than an ordinary get-together. And so began such a memory for me several years ago when my good friend, Leslie, opened her beautiful new home to me and our friends with a girls' lunch. As soon as I walked into her kitchen, I was captivated by the most incredible, unique scent of warm spices, aromatic herbs and Mexican peppers. Leslie had prepared a white chicken chili that I just knew would taste heavenly before I even took my first bite. I'll never forget, she ladled the beautiful, blonde chili into big, white porcelain bowls with roosters on the sides.

I don't know how many times I've tried to recreate that special lunch since that day, tweaking the original recipe to make it my own. Here's my modified, slightly lighter version of Leslie's white chicken chili.

All I need is some cute rooster bowls and my girls to make it all perfect.

Mexican Chicken Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 cans chicken stock
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 cans white or pinto beans, drained
1 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-low to medium heat. Add onions, and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, green chile peppers, jalapeno, and salt. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add stock, chicken, beans, and cheese. Lower heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning. Serve with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Salmon Spinach Salad with Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette

I sometimes allow salads to fall by the wayside in the winter for some reason. I'm finding though that if I use dark greens, like fresh spinach, it seems more of an any-season meal to me. I don't like the taste of tomatoes in the winter months, so I find that the sun-dried variety is a nice substitute in salads.

It's January, and my rosemary still looks good. I think an herby vinaigrette would be nice with this salmon salad.

Salmon Spinach Salad with Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette

Olive oil
Salmon fillets (about 4 oz. each), seasoned with salt and pepper
Baby spinach, chopped
Fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Sliced mushrooms
Feta cheese
Sliced almonds
Kosher salt
Black Pepper

Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add salmon, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Place spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, feta cheese, and almonds on salad plates. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with vinaigrette (recipe below). Top salads with salmon fillets, and serve.


Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil. Add salt and black pepper.