Fried Beef Tenderloin with Grits and Gravy

As a southerner, when you put beef, grits, and gravy together, I don’t think you can go wrong.  Paula calls this stick to your ribs comfort food, and it sure is.  At first I was a little skeptical with the grits, most of the time I would use rice with a dish like this, but I think the grits added a whole new level and are much easier to cook than rice.  This meal was quick, simple and filled with down home goodness. 

Fried Beef Tenderloin with Grits and Gravy pg. 132

1 ½ pounds beef tenderloin tips, cut into 1 inch pieces	Salt and black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons flour, plus extra for dusting the meat	1 stick butter
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped	2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 ½ cups whole milk	Hot sauce
6 cups cooked grits

 

1.        Beat the beef tenderloin with a meat mallet or a skillet until about ¼ inch thick.  Season with salt and black pepper, then sprinkle a little flour over the meat.

2.       In a large skillet melt 3 tablespoons of butter, cook half the meat until golden brown, remove then repeat the step with the other half of meat. Once completed, tent with foil, but don’t seal as it will keep cooking.

3.       Throw in your onion and cook until soft and tender then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt.  Add the 1 ½ tablespoons of flour and cook for about 1 minute.  Whisk in the milk, making sure to whisk until smooth, then simmer until thickened.  Season the gravy with salt and pepper to your taste, personally I like a lot of pepper.

 

 

Skillet Corn Bread

What better southern staple for dinner than a good piece of hot corn bread.  I loved when my mom made cornbread and then I would slather it up with some butter, you were in heaven.  My mom always told me, to make good corn bread you have to have a cast iron skillet, I know you can make it in other skillets, but cast iron really does work best.  Up until now, I have never tried making homemade cornbread, and now I wish I had been making it more after I realized how easy this was.  I

I will say this, I personally like my cornbread a little sweet, even though I didn't add any sugar to this recipe, I probably will in the future.  Also, I will probably cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon was a little much for me.

Skillet Corn Bread pg. 273

1/4 cup lard or shortening
2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the lard over medium heat, once melted make sure you coat all sides of pan with it. 

In a large bowl whisk together all your dry ingredients, then in small bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.    Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. 

Pour the batter into your skillet,  make sure your skillet is really hot, this is the key to a nice crust.  Bake until golden brown, serve hot and enjoy.

Skillet Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

You've got to hand it to creole cooking, they have some of the best, most flavorful and spicy dishes around.  Jambalaya is one of the staples of creole cooking.  The great thing about Jambalaya is you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.  Its mixture of rice, chicken, sausage, and peppers.  With that kind of mixture you really can't go wrong.  Paula's take on this makes it so simple, everything goes in one big skillet and voila!!! you got a full meal. 

Skillet Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya pg. 171

2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
3/4 pound Andouille or smoke sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut in to 1 1/2 inch pieces
salt and black pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( or more if you're like me and like it really spicy)
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

In a large skillet, brown your sausage in the oil and butter.  Remove the sausage and add in your onion and bell pepper and cook until tender.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then add the garlic and the chicken to your skillet.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink but not completely cooked.

 Add your thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, celery seeds and bay leaves and cook about 20 -30 seconds.  Add in your tomatoes and broth and bring the mixture to a boil and then season to taste.  Once seasoned mix in your sausage  and then sprinkle the rice evenly over your mixture. 

Put the lid on your skillet and reduce your heat to low, and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender around 15-20 minutes.  Don't forget to remove the bay leaves.  Let stand for about 10 minutes and eat up!!!!

Praline French Toast Casserole

I'm sure you're starting to notice a trend with breakfast!  Breakfast really is one of my favorite things.  Growing up, my whole family liked pancakes more than I did...I always loved French toast.  With my love of French toast, I was excited to try Paula's Praline French Toast Casserole.  The idea of piles of French toast, topped with sugary pecan topping made my mouth water just thinking about it.  One bite into this casserole, and you will be in French toast heaven!  I will say, Paula makes her own raspberry syrup, but I think I liked it better with some good ole fashioned maple syrup..

Praline French Toast Casserole

French Toast                                                              Praline Topping
Butter for baking dish                                                2 sticks butter (room temperature)
1 load French bread 13-16 ounces                             1 cup packed light brown sugar
8 large eggs                                                                1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups half and half                                                    2 Tbls.  light corn syrup
1 cup whole milk                                                        1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbls. Sugar                                                              1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon                                                        
pinch of salt

Raspberry Syrup
1 cup raspberry preserves
2 Tbls.  Raspberry liqueur or sub orange juice

Grease your 13x9 pan with butter and slice your bread into 1-inch slices and layer up in your dish.

Combine your eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and mix with a mixer until a custard like mixture.

Pour the custard over the bread and make sure they are covered evenly.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When you are ready to bake,  preheat your over to 350 degrees.  Now we can make the praline topping. 

Combine all the ingredients with a fork and spread over the casserole.  Bake your casserole until golden brown about 45 minutes.

 

And now enjoy!!!

 



 

To make the syrup combine the two ingredients with 3 tablespoons of water and stir until a hot and syrupy consistency.