The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook
Page 3
“The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup
SERVES 8 TO 10
One 2½- to 3-pound fryer, cut up
3½ quarts water
1 onion, peeled
1½ to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 chicken bouillon cubes Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside. For the next step, you will need:
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2½ cups uncooked egg noodles
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
¾ cup heavy cream (optional)
⅓ cup cooking sherry
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, parsley, cheese, cream, and sherry. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed by adding salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread. If you are watching calories, you may leave out the cheese and cream.
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Creamy Cheddar Soup
SERVES 3 TO 4
1 small onion, chopped
2 large pimentos, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken stock 1½ cups half-and-half
¾ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
In a saucepan, sauté onion and pimentos in butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Blend in flour. Add stock and half-and-half. Cook until thick. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and cayenne if desired.
Sausage and Lentil Soup
SERVES 8 TO 10
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sausage (chorizo, Polish, etc.)
7 ounces smoked ham, shredded
2 large onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
8 to 9 cups chicken stock
One 16-ounce can peeled tomatoes, crushed
½ pound dried lentils (1¼ cups)
12 large spinach leaves, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until done. Remove sausage and place on a platter, allowing time to cool. When cool, slice sausage into ⅛-inch slices. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan. Reheat drippings and add ham, onion, green pepper, and carrot to the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, sliced sausage, tomatoes, and lentils. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours. As soup cooks, skim off fat that rises to the top. After 2 hours turn off heat and discard bay leaf. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
Shrimp or Lobster Bisque
SERVES 4 TO 5
8 ounces cooked shrimp or lobster meat
2 tablespoons sherry, plus additional to taste
Pinch of thyme
3 to 4 green onions with tops, chopped
2 tablespoons butter One 10¾-ounce can condensed tomato soup
1 soup can measure of milk
One 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can measure of heavy cream
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Finely chop the shrimp or lobster meat and marinate 30 minutes in 2 tablespoons of sherry and the thyme. Sauté onions in butter until soft. Add shrimp or lobster meat and cook over a low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine tomato soup with milk and blend mushroom soup with cream. Combine the two soup mixtures with the shrimp-lobster sauté. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add more sherry to taste. Cool, then mix in blender until thick and smooth. To serve, reheat in a double boiler. Add more sherry to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.
Confederate Bean Soup
SERVES 3 OR 4
This is a great soup to make when you find yourself with leftover baked beans. If you don't have leftovers, Bush's canned baked beans work wonderfully.
½ pound Hillshire Farms smoked sausage, sliced in rounds Vi inch thick
2 slices bacon, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced (optional) 2 tablespoons butter
2 cups leftover baked beans, or one 16-ounce can Bushes Baked Beans
1½ cups half-and-half
Sauté sausage, bacon, garlic, onion, and pepper (if desired) in butter until bacon is cooked. Add beans and simmer for a few minutes over medium to low heat. Add half-and-half. Increase or decrease half-and-half for preferred thickness. Serve with piping-hot corn bread.
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Cream of Artichoke Soup
SERVES 6
Two 13¾ -ounce cans artichoke hearts, chopped
I½ cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter One 10¾ -ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
⅓ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste
Bring artichokes and chicken stock to a boil. In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter and add to mixture. Gradually add mushroom soup to desired thickness. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper.
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Tomato Dill Soup
SERVES 6
3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes (or one 28-ounce can)
medium onion, chopped
cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
⅓ to ½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot, mix all ingredients together except heavy cream, parsley, Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes, until tomatoes are tender. Add cream, parsley, and Parmesan cheese last. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Orange Walnut Salad with
Sweet-and-Sour Dressing
SERVES 10 TO 12
SALAD
3 small heads Bibb lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
1½ pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
3 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and seeded ¾ medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 teaspoons butter
Combine lettuce, spinach, oranges, and onion in a large bowl. In a saucepan, sauté walnuts in butter until lightly browned. Add to lettuce mixture. Toss with Sweet-and-Sour Dressing.
SWEET-AND-SOUR DRESSING
1½ cups vegetable oil
¾ cup vinegar
¾ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons celery seed
1½ teaspoons dry mustard
1½ teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons grated onion
Combine all ingredients in a jar. Chill. Shake and serve over salad.
Jamie's Chicken Salad
S
ERVES 6 TO 8
This is my son Jamie's recipe. It's the best! For a little variation, try adding walnuts and canned mandarin oranges or grapes for a Hawaiian taste.
One 2½- to 3-pound chicken Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
ribs plus 1 cup chopped celery
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 teaspoons Janets Krazy Mixed-Up Salt ½ cup mayonnaise
teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning ¼ teaspoon pepper
to 3 tablespoons chicken stock
Put the chicken in a large stockpot along with salt, pepper, onion, and celery stalks. Boil chicken until well done. Reserve stock. Remove chicken from pot. Cool; remove skin and bones. Dice the chicken and combine it with chopped celery and eggs in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
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Southern Shrimp Salad
SERVES 6
2 tablespoons Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon white vinegar
In food processor, gently process bell pepper, onion, carrot, and pars ley, being careful not to overprocess (don't let mixture become mushy). Cut up half the cabbage into chunks and place in food proces sor. Process lightly (once again, don't let cabbage become mushy). Thinly slice remaining cabbage. Mix the cabbage together, adding the processed vegetables. Mix remaining ingredients together and allow to stand for a few minutes. Pour over slaw ingredients and toss. Chill for at least an hour.
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Oriental Chicken Salad
SERVES 6
4 cooked skinless boneless chicken breasts, diced
1½ cups bean sprouts 1½ cups snow peas ¼ cup chopped green onion ¼ cup vegetable oil
5 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon sugar
½ cup chopped celery
One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Combine chicken, bean sprouts, peas, and scallions. Make dressing using oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and sugar. Add to chicken mixture. Add celery and water chestnuts and mix well. Serve chilled.
“The Lady's Warm Potato Salad
SERVES 10 TO 12
8 medium red potatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped green onion tops
1 cup chopped celery
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup diced pimento teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
tablespoons Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
Boil potatoes with skins on for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Let cool just to the touch and cut into cubes. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes. Mix gently and serve at room temperature.
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Potato-Egg Salad
SERVES 8 TO 10
6 cups diced new potatoes
⅓ cup Italian salad dressing
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced celery
⅓ cup sliced green onions with tops 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon horseradish
Boil potatoes with skins on for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Pour salad dressing over warm potatoes. Chill for about 2 hours. Mix remaining ingredients and fold into potato mixture.
Cranberry Salad
SERVES 7 TO 8
One 4-ounce can crushed pineapple
One 3-ounce package black cherry Jell-O 6 ounces raw cranberries, rinsed
1 cup broken pecans
½ cup sugar
Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Add juice to ½ cup hot water and heat to boiling. Soften Jell-O in ¼ cup cold water. Dissolve softened Jell-O in hot water-juice mixture. Let cool until it starts to set; don't let the Jell-O harden. Put cranberries through a grinder. Add ground berries, pineapple, nuts, and sugar to cooled Jell-O mixture. Mix well. Pour into a bowl or mold. Refrigerate until completely set.
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
SERVES 8
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
3 cups black-eyed peas, cooked
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup chopped green onion with tops
1 large tomato, diced 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 large banana pepper (mild), seeded and diced
1 hot green pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
Mix olive oil, vinegar, and sugar together and pour over the rest of ingredients. Mix well and chill. Use a slotted spoon to serve.
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Esther's Dill Coleslaw
SERVES 6 TO 8
Esther Shaver owns one of the best bookstores in town. Her store, E. Shaver's, was one of the first places to carry my cookbook. Not only is her store great, but so is her coleslaw!
1 small head cabbage, shredded
½ cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
½ cup Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk salad dressing (made as per directions on the dry mix) ½ cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Mix all ingredients together except dill. Place slaw in bowl and sprinkle dill on top. Chill and serve.
Avocado Chicken Salad
SERVES 8
For a beautiful presentation, I like to cut the avocado in half carefully scoop the meat from the shell, and then stuff the shell with the chicken salad. Garnish with dressing and a lemon wedge.
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
3 cups cooked white rice
2 avocados, peeled, diced, and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to prevent browning) ¾ cup chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Mix all ingredients and chill. Pass with avocado dressing.
AVOCADO DRESSING
YIELDS 2 CUPS
1 large avocado, peeled and mashed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill and serve alongside chicken salad.
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Cornucopia Salad
SERVES 10 TO 12
1 head lettuce (any variety), washed, patted dry, and torn into pieces
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
1 cup frozen green peas (uncooked)
Two 8-ounce cans sliced water chestnuts
1 cup fresh chopped mushrooms 3 bananas, sliced and tossed in
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
¾ cup raisins
¾ cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or salted peanuts)
¾ cup chopped green onion with
tops 10 to 12 slices bacon, crisply cooked
DRESSING
2 cups mayonnaise
¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon white vinegar
In a large rectangular dish, layer salad ingredients in order listed, stopping after bananas. Mix dressing ingredients and let stand for 5 minutes. Frost entire top of salad with dressing, covering it completely. Sprinkle layers of cheese, raisins, and nuts (combined), chopped green onion, and bacon. Chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
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Broc
coli Salad
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 head broccoli
6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup raisins (optional)
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into very small chunks cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Trim off large leaves of broccoli. Remove tough stalks at end and wash broccoli thoroughly. Cut flowerets and stems into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add crumbled bacon, onion, raisins, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.
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Roasted Beet Salad
SERVES 6 TO 8
Two 15¼-ounce cans sliced beets, rinsed and drained
1½ cups crumbled feta cheese
½ cup pitted ripe olives
¼ cup chopped fresh dill ½ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Dash of tabasco
Remove broiler tray from oven and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Replace tray and preheat broiler. After beets are drained place on coated broiler tray. Place under hot broiler, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until edges start to brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove beets from oven and allow to cool. Mix remaining ingredients with cooled beets. Toss and serve.
Main Courses
FISH AND SHELLFISH
Low Country Boil Black Pepper Shrimp
Savory Salmon
Savannah Crab Cakes
Spicy Shrimp and Pasta Casserole
Scallops Charleston
Deviled Seafood Casserole
Mushroom-Stuffed Baked Red Snapper