Simply Southwestern

With the warm weather rolling in quickly, its time for you to revamp your dinner menu. I threw this wrap together and my husband and I loved it. The tomato and green pepper combo add a cool zest to the wrap making it great for spring and summer weather. Not only is it delicious, but so simple anyone can do it! Enjoy!



Southwestern Grilled Chicken Wrap



You will need:

• Spinach (or Spinach and Herb) Flour Tortillas
• Fully Cooked Southwestern Style Chicken Breast Strips (You can find this in your grocery's deli, Perdue brand, or Tyson brand are great choices.)
• 1 Medium Tomato- Diced
• 1 Small Green Pepper- Diced
• 1 Small Red Onion- Diced or Green Onion (Chives)- Chopped
• Shredded Taco Lettuce
• Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream

Simply...

Spread the guacamole and sour cream over the tortilla.

Sprinkle cheese, lettuce, tomato, green pepper and onion over the spread.

Heat the chicken for about one minute in the microwave.

Place the chicken over the veggie layer.

Fold and enjoy. Keep the fold in tact with a tooth pick.

Go Organic With Your Cheese

Whole Foods Market is dedicated to bringing people organic foods from all over the world. Their cheese department surpasses any other. Just check out their website and see for yourself, as well as learn a thing or two!

Southern Fried Okra

Southern Fried Okra

For this true Southern dish you will need:

1 10-ounce box frozen sliced okra
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
A hint of pepper if you prefer
Vegetable oil for frying

If you are using frozen okra, be sure you allow it to thaw. Once your okra has thawed, allow it to drain. In a mixing bowl combine cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper. Roll the okra in the mixture (as pictured above). Allow the okra to remain in the mixture for about an hour so that the

coating will stick better during frying. However, I don't do this and my okra always turns out great.

In a large skillet or deep-fryer, heat about 2 inches worth of oil. When the oil is hot, add your okra a few handfuls at a time. It usually takes about seven minutes to cook, the crispier the better!

Allow the fried okra to drain by placing a paper towel on a plate, then transfer the drained okra to a serving dish.

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we do here in Lynchburg! To us it is better than fresh, popped popcorn!

All Favorite

This recipe web site--All Favorite-- has something for everyone.  From appetizers to the main course you are sure to find something you love.  So log in and enjoy!

Link to Great Fish Recipes and What to Buy

This blog, found on Rachael Ray's website, is a great source for picking fish.  Enjoy!

Hey guys, this is a new project I discovered!  Check it out, get involved, save your local economy.  Help small businesses thrive through this economic downturn.  Together we can shift the negativity and work productively to support small businesses.  For those of you who love to cook (maybe you own your own restaurant, or catering company) this may be something you want to check out.

Spring Arrivals

I stumbled across this article on The Food Network and thought everyone would enjoy the fresh produce sprouting this spring. Take a gander, then hit up your local farmers market to ensure you get the freshest produce spring has to offer.

Sometimes it is the Little Joints that Have the Most Flavor

Right outside of my hometown is a little restaurant I frequent to on weekends. Edz Wingz. A cozy, rustic little joint with the best wings in town, or even the state if you ask me. Ed, the owner, is a character in himself, with a bubbly personality to match his bubbly features. If you find yourself in the small town of Fayetteville, Tennessee, be sure to check this place out. For a look at their menu click HERE.

Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House Meat Loaf

Guys, this is the BEST meat loaf I have ever put in my mouth! It is not your everyday meatloaf. The homemade sauce is definitely a step up from your average bottle of catsup. The brown sugar makes this southern dish melt in your mouth while your hands are reaching for more. This recipe is taken form the Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House Cookbook with a few minor changes that have worked great for me in my kitchen. The picture does no justice for the flavor bursting inside. My family was in a hurry to dig in so I didn't have the chance to make it picture perfect.

Boarding House Meat Loaf:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef-chuck


• 3/4 cup uncooked, quick-oats


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 1/4 cup chopped onion (I add a little extra, I love the taste of fresh onion!)


• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper


• 1/4 cup catsup


• 2 eggs, beaten

Grease a loaf pan.

Combine all of the ingredients into a loaf.

Preheat oven to 365 degrees and cook for about an hour, or until it reaches 160 degrees in the center.

Pour off the juice and place on a platter and cover with meat loaf sauce.

Boarding House Meat Loaf Sauce:

• 3/4 cup catsup


• 2 tablespoons chopped onion


• 2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper


• 1/3 cup of brown sugar, slightly packed

Heat sauce mixture in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the onions and peppers are tender.

Support Local Farmers. Eat Fresh. Be Healthy.

This link provides those in and around the Tennessee area with a list of farmers that can cater to your everyday kitchen needs. Buying directly from farmers in your hometown not only ensures that you are getting fresh produce, but also helps your community to thrive economically.

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Pork Tenderloin Sandwichs

As many of you already know, Paula Deen has teamed up with Smithfield. Smithfield may be known for their smoked hams, but a favorite in my house is Smithfield tenderloin. They always turn out so juicy and tender that no one can resist. One of the best things about having tenderloin for dinner is the great little sandwiches they make for lunch the next day! I stumbled across this great recipe from Paula herself, the Smithfield website has several tasty recipes you may find intriguing for yourself!

Quick and Tasty Taco Salad

For this dish, all you need is:

• 1- 16 oz. can refried beans.
  
• 1 -16 oz. can nacho cheese (You can use cheese from a jar as well, any brand will do just fine.)
• 2 -1.25 oz. taco seasoning packets
• 2 cups lettuce
• 1 cup pico de gallo (The great thing about this is you can find this already made up in the salad section of your grocery store. I found it at Wal-Mart. It saves you time and even money on tomatoes, chives and red onions.)
• 1 -16 oz. container of sour cream
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef (I prefer lean beef.)
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the beans evenly on the bottom of a baking dish.


Spread the cheese on top of the beans.


Mix one packet of taco seasoning in the sour cream and spread on top of the cheese.




Place in oven for about fifteen minutes, just long enough to heat the cheese, beans and taco cream spread.


Cook the meat until fully browned with one taco packet.


Top the dish with lettuce and pico de gallo.


Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Southern Style Hearty Sausage Gravy

I just left the dinner table where I made breakfast for dinner, a family favorite around here. Growing up I absolutely disliked gravy and biscuits, now I love it and tonight was the first time for me to make this southern delicacy. Go easy on me, I didn't keep up with the exact measurements. As soon as I realized how delicious this hearty gravy was, I had to share.

Hearty Sausage Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


• 2 tsp. black pepper


• 1 1/2 tsp. ground sage


• 1 lb. mild pork sausage


• 2 1/2 cup milk


• 1/2 cup water


• salt to taste

Mix the flour, sage and pepper together in a small mixing bowl.

Cook the sausage until brown in a skillet for about ten minutes.

Stir in the flour mixture for a couple of minutes until the flour is fully absorbed.

Cream the sausage mixture with milk and water. Turn down the heat and let simmer until it thickens.

Season the gravy with salt.

Serve over split biscuits.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe gets great feedback every time. It is a great dip for a party, or even for a quick snack at home with your favorite tortilla chips.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

• 2-3 12.5 oz. cans Tyson Chunk White Chicken Breast (I use 3) drained
• 2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1-2 cups buffalo sauce (I love Heritage Fare's Chicken Wing Sauce and it comes in a 12 FL oz. bottle.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the softened cream cheese on the bottom of a baking dish.

Heat the chicken in the microwave for about a minute, and shred it with a fork.

Mix the chicken and the buffalo sauce together until the taste is just right for you.

Pour the mixture over the cream cheese evenly.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake on 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, you just want the cheese to melt nicely on top.

For an added kick mix the cream cheese with chopped jalapenos.

Coming Soon!

Hey ya'll. I know my blog has been lacking on the picture scale. I am the type to do my own photography and not copy someone else's images, so stay patient, pictures of the treats coming from my kitchen will be here soon! I hope to have some posted by next week along with many new, easy and yummy recipes. As always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions. Have a great weekend!

Lynchburg Cake and Candy Co.

If you do find yourself traveling through the rolling hills of Lynchburg, Tennessee, make sure you take a little road that is off the beaten path that leads to a family owned and operated bakery full of homemade treats--Lynchburg Cake and Candy Company. What makes the cakes and candies special? Jack Danilel's! The little bakery was even featured on the Food Network when Jamie and Bobby Deen (Paula's boys!) dropped by for their show Road Tasted!

Turn Your Love for Food into a Dream Job

To me, entrepreneurship is the most valuable tool our economy has, especially right now in our economic down turn. The service sector of our economy holds opportunities for those willing to take educated risks and embark upon sharing with the market innovative ideas and techniques that fit the needs and wants of today.

What am I getting at here?

Why not turn your passion for cooking into a valued part of the food industry? One thing is for sure, people eat...usually more than they should...and a bad economy will never change that. If you, as the innovator, combine your skills in the kitchen with a unique approach to selling your service (catering, restaurant, food franchise) you will not only be helping out your very own standard of living, but you will also be contributing to your entire community's quality of life.

This week is national entrepreneurship week and by celebrating I have posted a link to an article in Rutherford County's Daily News Journal. Take a look, and remember the opportunities in the food service industry are limitless.

She DOES know Jack about cooking...

This article from Memphis Online gives FREE recipes to some of my favorite Miss Mary Bobo dishes. Check it out, the turnip greens may have you saying "ya'll" after all.

Lynchburg, Tennessee..Home Sweet Home...

My hometown is not only known for classic southern dining...

My hometown is known for...

Classic Tennessee Wiskey...



Simple Southern Charm...



Family Tradition...

Cook With Your Nintendo DS

So for those of you who lack skills in the kitchen, the world of games has you covered!

A personal "cooking" trainer right on your Nintendo DS! Read the reviews and try it for yourself!