Southern Gentleman's Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
Cherry-Bourbon  Jam:1 bag Dole frozen dark sweet cherries
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. bourbon
1 TBSP cornstarch
Pork:Slow Roasted Pulled Pork (2 oz. per sandwich)
Cheese:Sliced Smoked Gouda (3 oz. per sandwich)
Condiment:Chow-Chow-- we use Mrs. Campbells's (2 TBSP per sandwich)
Bread:Quality Italian Bread (2 slices/sandwich)
Directions:In a sauce pan, combine cherries, brown sugar, bourbon, and cornstarch.  Cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently to break down cherries.  Remove from heat and cool.
Sandwich:Place 3 slices of smoked gouda onto each slice of bread.  Top the bottom layer with 2 TBSP cherry jam, pulled pork, and 2 TBSP chow chow.  Place on sandwich top.  Brush sandwich with melted butter.  Grill at 325-350 degrees for 3-5 minutes.  Flip and repeat.  If bread is browning too quickly, reduce heat.  Grill until cheese melts.

Barb's Chocolate Cherry Bread

Ingredients:

3 c. sifted cake flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/4 c. milk

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 c. melted shortening

3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. maraschino cherries, drained & chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three mini loaf pans or one large loaf pan.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in egg, milk, and brown sugar.  Add melted shortening and chocolate to batter and stir until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and cherries. Pour batter into prepared pans. 
Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Southern Skillet Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 c. self rising flour

1 c. sugar

1 c. whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. fruit 1 (I used canned blueberries-drained)

1 c. fruit 2 (I used canned dark cherries-drained)

Directions:
Place butter in cast iron skillet (will also work in any oven proof pan or casserole) and melt in  a 400 degree oven. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  When butter has melted in skillet, pour batter into the skillet.  Spoon fruit over the batter and butter.  Return skillet to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.  Excellent drizzled with cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Apricot Teriyaki Pork Meatballs

from the Highlands Little Theater  Moonlight, Martinis & Meatballs event

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1lb ground pork

2 TBSP finely grated onion

1 clove garlic--finely chopped

1 TBSP dried parsley flakes

1 egg--lightly beaten

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c. dried bread crumbs

3 TBSP soy sauce

1/2 tsp ginger powder

2 TBSP brown sugar

Sauce

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove--minced

1- jar apricot preserves

1 c. soy sauce

1 c. brown sugar

4 TBSP butter

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp grated ginger

Directions:
In a bowl, combine all meatball ingredients.  Using your hands, mix until completely combined.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Using a cookie scoop and hands, roll 30 equally sized meatballs.  Bake at 45 minutes for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter.  Saute onions and garlic over medium-low heat until soft.  Add apricot preserves, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and ginger. As mixture heats, whisk to break down the apricot preserves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Be careful and adjust heat to prevent a boil over.

Place partially cooked meatballs into a large crock pot. Pour sauce over meatballs and set the crock pot on low. Cook on low for 11/2 hours.  After 45 minutes, gently stir meatballs to move the top layer to the bottom. Continue cooking another 45 minutes. Reduce heat to keep warm and serve.

White Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding (from World Food Championships 2014)

Ingredients

Custard:
3 c whipping cream
1 c. milk
½ c. sugar
10 oz. white chocolate chips
2 whole eggs
7 egg yolks

Bread:
24” Italian, French, or Cuban Bread

Fruit:
2 pts. Raspberries

White Chocolate Sauce:
16 oz white chocolate chips
1 c. whipping cream

Raspberry Drizzle:
1 pt Raspberries
¼ c. sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 c. cold water

​Whipped Cream:

¾ c. whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ c. powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauce pan, heat whipping cream, milk, and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in white chocolate. Stir until melted. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs & egg yolks. Slowly pour in a small amount of white chocolate cream and whisk. Slowly pour remaining cream in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Cut bread into small cubes. Half fill ramekins with cubed bread. Top with blackberries. Pour 1/8 c. white cream over bread. Using fingers squish bread down. Top with more bread. Again, pour 1/8 c. white cream over bread. Using fingers squish bread to soak with cream. Add more cream as needed to soak bread. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, increase temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat white chips and whipping cream over medium heat until melted.

In a small pot, combine raspberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cook over medium heat until raspberries have broken down and sauce thickens. Push sauce through a cheesecloth or sieve to remove seeds.

In a cold mixing bowl, beat heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon whipped cream into a piping bag and pipe a rosette beside plated bread pudding.

Key Lime Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

Cream Puffs:

1 c. water

½ c. butter

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. eggs (approximately 4)

1 pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Key Lime Filling:

½ c. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. key lime juice

Pinch of salt

3 TBSP butter

1 c. heavy whipping cream

½ c. powdered sugar

Directions:

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, egg, lime juice, and sauce.  Whisk until blended.  Add butter.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until cool

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.  Fold whipping cream into chilled key lime curd.  Cover and chill while cream puffs are baking.

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring water and butter to a simmer over medium heat.  Add flour and with a wooden spoon, stir very quickly in one direction until the flour has absorbed all liquid.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment.  Allow the dough to cool 4-5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the salt and eggs, one at a time, until everything is completely combined.  Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. 

Pipe 2 inch round mounds onto a parchment or silicone covered cookie sheet.  Using wet fingers, tap down the point at the top of each mound. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

Spoon chilled filling into a piping bag fitted with a small filling tip.  Using a knife, split each cream puff without cutting completely through. Fill the cavity of each puff with key lime cream.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Apricot Turkey Kebabs on Naan with Summer Slaw

Ingredients:

Kebabs:

1 lb. lean ground turkey

¼ c. chopped purple onion

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 TBSP dried parsley

¼ c. apricot preserves

2 tsp sriracha sauce

Summer Slaw:

¼ c. chopped red onion

2 TBSP chopped jalapeno

¾ c. finely chopped mango

2 tsp lime juice

1 c. finely shredded cabbage

¼ c. feta cheese

 Dash of salt

Sauce:

8 oz. Greek Yogurt

2 TBSP chopped red onion

¼ c. chopped cucumber—no seeds

1 tsp lime juice

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

2 whole Naan—cut in half to create 4 piece.

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine apricot preserves and sriracha sauce.  Set aside.

In a bowl, combine onion, mango, jalapeno, cabbage, lime juice, feta cheese, and a dash of salt.  Set aside.

In a blender, combine yogurt, onion, cucumber, lime juice, salt, and garlic powder.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside while grilling kebabs.

In a bowl, combine turkey, onion, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, parsley, and garlic powder.  Using an ice cream scoop, form large meatballs.  Put 2 meatballs per skewer and press to slightly flatten.  Heat gas grill to 400 degrees or a charcoal grill until coals burn orange.  Place turkey skewers on grill.  Grill for 3-5 minutes or until lightly charred. Turn kebabs.  Brush grilled side with apricot sauce.  Grill for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Turn and brush with remaining apricot sauce.  Remove from heat.

Place naan bread on grill for 30 seconds, just to soften.  Cut naan in half to create 4 pieces.

To serve…

Spoon approximately ¼ c. slaw onto each naan.  Place 2 kebabs per naan.  Drizzle with yogurt sauce.  Using a bamboo skewer, pierce the top of each sandwich to hold together or wrap sandwiches in foil.  Serve immediately.