Cook's Exchange: Delicious discoveries from the files
One look at my home office and a visitor would know that my files runneth over with recipes, and bookshelves and boxes are filled with cookbooks.
Do I use them all? Of course not, but I occasionally thumb through them looking for old recipes and recipes that I have not tried. Readers, too, benefit from these finds.
This week I found a Wall Street Journal recipe from 2014 that I had tucked away. It's a recipe for a jam cake with burnt sugar glaze that was taken from "Classic Home Desserts." Who could go wrong with this as a dessert?
I also found a cookbook that I have not seen in years. "Sonny Bubba's Southern Fried, Semi-Low Calorie Cookbook," which was published in 1989, was in the bottom of a box. The book is a hoot, but the recipes are just good Southern eating. I thought Mullet's Baked Mullet was perfect for mullet lovers, but I confess I prefer Sara LouAnn's shrimp salad and Marlene's mustard greens done with balsamic vinegar.
Another appropriate recipe for these hot days comes from Kathy Dooley, who sent me a chicken fajita salad.
I thought I would share these "finds" today. Don't forget to send in your favorite recipes to share with readers. Also if you need a recipe, just ask.
JAM CAKE WITH BURNT SUGAR GLAZE
For the cake:
1- 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering pan
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1- 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1- 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup blackberry, raspberry or other fruit jam
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans
For the burnt sugar glaze:
1- 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform cake pan. Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl. Set aside.
Use an electric mixer on medium-high to mix butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in jam. Decrease speed to low, then alternate adding flour-spice mixture and buttermilk, a ladleful at a time, until just mixed. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour into buttered cake pan, smooth top and bake until a knife inserted in center emerges clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Meanwhile, make burnt sugar glaze. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter and milk. Stir to dissolved sugar and gradually bring to
a boil. Boil, without stirring, 12 minutes. Remove from heat and mix until glaze thickens. Stir in vanilla.
Once cake is cool, spread burnt sugar glaze on top and serve.
-- From April 19-20, 2014 Wall Street Journal; "Classic Home Desserts"
MARLENE'S MUSTARD GREENS
2 pounds greens (mustard, turnip or collard greens), washed and picked
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon light salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, lightly ground
1 tablespoon cholesterol-free margarine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Tear the leaves into smaller pieces about 1 to 2 inches square and place in large pot with water, salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender, Drain and add the margarine, vinegar and nutmeg.
-- From "Sonny Bubba's Southern Fried, Semi-Low Calorie Cookbook"
SARA LOUANN'S SHRIMP SALAD
2 pounds medium shrimp, as fresh as you can find them, shelled, headed, deveined and steamed until pink
1/4 cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons capers
Dash light salt
Dash pepper
Mix all of the ingredients well and serve on lettuce leaves with crackers to suit your taste. If you don't have any trouble with your cholesterol, you might try adding a couple of chopped boiled eggs to it for a change.
-- From "Sonny Bubba's Southern Fried, Semi-Low Calorie Cookbook"
CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salad:
6 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons black olives
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat.
In large skillet, sauté chicken with cooking spray until the chicken is cooked through. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
In a salad bowl, combine all ingredients for the salad. Place cooked chicken on top of salad and toss salad with the dressing.
-- Submitted by Kathy Dooley
MULLET'S BAKED MULLET
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup low-calorie Catalina dressing
1 teaspoon light salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash cloves
Dash pepper
Dash paprika
4 mullet fillets
2/3 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Combine all of the ingredients except the fish and cheese in a small mixing bowl. Place the fillets in a baking dish and pour the mixture over them. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for an hour, turning once after 30 minutes.
Put the fish skin side up on a greased broiler pan and broil about 5 inches away from the heat for about 4 minutes.
Turn the fillets very carefully and baste well with the sauce. Broil for another 4 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Now mix the cheese with some of the remaining sauce and spread evenly over the fillets, broiling until lightly browned.
-- From "Sonny Bubba's Southern Fried, Semi-Low Calorie Cookbook"
Andrea Yeager, can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and takes requests at Cook's Exchange, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.
This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Cook's Exchange: Delicious discoveries from the files."