Cook of the Month
Suzy Shepherd, Pioneer EC Suzy Shepherd felt the need to share her recipe for Cream Cheese Cornbread to encourage folks to use their cast iron skillets and branch out beyond basic cornbread. “I use my cast-iron skillet for so many things, but I never make any version of cornbread in anything else,” she says. “And this cornbread is a bit different and so delicious.” It’s a recipe she created on a whim, modifying other cream cheese cornbread recipes she’d seen by leaving the cream cheese in chunks. “That gives it such a great texture,” she says. She was thrilled to find out she is this issue’s Cook of the Month, but we don’t think she should have been too surprised. She entered the recipe in another contest years ago, and it took home first prize.
Iron Skillet Peach Pie 6 large peaches, peeled and sliced 1¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring ½ teaspoon almond flavoring 3 frozen regular Pet-Ritz pie shells ¾ cup butter ½ cup brown sugar Cinnamon, to taste
Cream Cheese Cornbread 1 ½ 1 1 2
cup self-rising flour cup cooking oil 8-ounce package cream cheese (keep cold) 14-ounce can cream corn whole eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a cast iron skillet and heat until hot on top of stove. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except cream cheese (keep cold until ready to use.) Cut cold cream cheese into small squares and fold into mixture. Pour into hot skillet, turn off heat and leave on top of stove a few minutes, then place in hot oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Great served with soups.
Broccoli and Kielbasa 1 link kielbasa, thinly sliced 5 cloves garlic, minced Large bunch broccoli (without stems), chopped 1 cup onions, red, white or shallots 1 teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 6 tablespoons butter, olive oil or ghee, divided
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in a large bowl. Add 1 cup sugar, zest, lemon juice and flavorings. Stir gently to combine. Melt ½ cup butter in iron skillet, add brown sugar and stir. Top mixture with one pie shell. Add half of the peach mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with second pie shell. Add remaining peaches and sprinkle with cinnamon. Make several slits in last pie shell and carefully top peaches. Pour remaining ¼ cup butter on pie shell, using a brush to distribute evenly. Sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar. Bake for 60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until caramelized; then add garlic and cook until soft. Add the red wine vinegar to the pan and mix with shallots and garlic. Add kielbasa and sauté until brown. Add the remaining butter, broccoli, paprika, salt and pepper and toss to mix all ingredients and coat the broccoli with butter and seasonings. Sauté the broccoli, add a splash of water and put a lid on the pan. Cook until the broccoli is soft, stirring occasionally. Top with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
Wanda Stinson Pioneer EC
Jana Baron Baldwin EMC
Alabama Living
Cajun Shrimp (cover photo) 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided ½ onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 serrano peppers, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped In a large skillet, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, serrano pepper and celery until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer vegetables to a bowl. Add remaining olive oil to the pan. Add shrimp in a single layer and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Cook until no longer pink, 1-2 minutes per side. Add vegetables and lemon juice and toss until combined. Garnish with chopped parsley. Staff contribution
OCTOBER 2019 35