The 2 Spoons

Always a Favorite – My Southern Pimiento Cheese

July 2, 2019 by Becky Spoon

What better way to enjoy a tomato you grew than Southern Pimiento Cheese? I woke up craving this pimiento Cheese. I’d guess you’d say I had this for brunch because I hadn’t had breakfast and it was a little early for lunch!

Mom always had Pimiento Cheese when we were growing up. She used to spread it on a piece of bread and stick it under the broiler! Delicious! I honestly can’t say I’ve ever bought prepared Pimiento Cheese Spread. There was a drug store where I grew up that had the best Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches ever! Always on toasted bread, with lettuce and tomatoes!!

I have plans for this pimiento cheese other than this amazing sandwich I made on soft fresh wheat bread layered with those tomato slices I picked from my garden! I’m thinking a grilled burger with this would be delicious! Pimiento Cheese deviled eggs? A stuffed tomato? Here’s 13 ways from Southern Living website: https://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/pimiento-cheese-recipes

Always a Favorite – My Southern Pimiento Cheese

I’ve used Hellman’s and Miracle Whip in this recipe! I really prefer Miracle Whip because it adds a little sweetness that mayonnaise does not add. Sometimes I add cayenne pepper for a little kick. This time I used Sharp Cheddar but you could use a mild or medium cheddar. My Southern recipe always has grated Velveeta Cheese. Don’t forget the pimientos! There’s many different brands of them but it seems these are available at most grocery stores. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dromedary-Diced-Pimientos-4-Oz/10318559

A perfect addition to this sandwich would be my Homemade Tomato Soup. Here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/tomato-soup/. You’ll love this soup!

Always a Favorite – My Southern Pimiento Cheese

Here’s the recipe! Hope you love it as much as I do!

Southern Pimiento Cheese

Print Recipe

CourseLunch, Snack

CuisineAmerican

Keywordpimento, pimentocheese, sandwiches, southern pimiento cheese

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups Velveeta cheese, grated
1 1/2 Cups Sharp Cheddar, grated I used sharp, but you can use mild or medium
4 Oz Pimiento (small jar)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black pepper
1/2 Cup Miracle whip

Instructions

Before you grate the velveeta cheese, place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes because it will help grate it easier.
Grate the cheeses into a large bowl. Toss a little before adding the Miracle Whip.
Combine the Miracle Whip with the salt and pepper. Add to your grated cheese and thoroughly combine.

Simple Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

July 2, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden literally has 6 ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes from the garden, parmigiana- reggiano, the pasta and some fresh basil. It is seasoned simply with a little salt and pepper, then a little pasta water to bring everything together! I honestly wanted to keep eating it!!

The tomatoes I used were Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, but you can use any of the small tomatoes. There’s champagne tomatoes, grape tomatoes, any of these will work in this recipe. If you decide to add some of these delicious cherry tomatoes to your garden here’s a link to give you names for the best types: http://www.veggiegardener.com/best-cherry …

Simple Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

I started with a little extra virgin olive oil and garlic, then added the tomatoes and cooked them until they were busting.

Finishing with pasta water helps make this delicious sauce! Add the spaghetti to the pan, toss a few times and you’re finished! Simple!

Eating this dish alone with a piece of good garlic bread or French bread is enough! However, if you want a salad, try my Caesar salad. Here’s a link for that: https://the2spoons.com/a-classic-beautiful-caesar-salad/

Hope you enjoy this simple recipe! The recipe is for two, however, just double or triple and the delicious flavors will remain the same!

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineItalian

Keywordcherry tomatoes, spaghetti, spaghetti with fresh tomatoes, sun gold tomatoes, tomatoes

Servings Servings

Ingredients

2 Cups cups whole cherry tomatoes (I used Sun Gold)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle on finished dish
1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiana Cheese finely, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano grated plus more for finishing the dish
salt and pepper to taste
pasta water
fresh basil, torn
8-16 oz spaghetti

Instructions

Bring a pot of water that has been salted to a boil. Cook your pasta to your desired firmness! I actually like mine softer than al dente.
While your pasta is cooking, wash and pat dry your tomatoes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but don’t burn. Add your tomatoes and cook until they have burst and a sauce begins to form. Shake the pan while cooking to insure all sides are cooking.
When your tomatoes have burst and your sauce begins to make add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Don’t drain your pasta, but remove your pasta with a spider or tongs from the pasta water into your skillet with the sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water and combine your pasta with the sauce and cook for a minute or two. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and combine gently adding more pasta water if needed. Turn the heat off and toss in some torn basil leaves.
Plate your spaghetti and spoon over the remaining sauce. Add some Parmesan strips, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and more basil if desired. Bon Appetite!

Really Easy Chocolate and Coffee Cake

July 1, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Best Chocolate and Coffee Cake ever! Loaded with chocolate, filled with layers of cream cheese, with a strong coffee flavor! This recipe is so good. And when I say “really easy” it is just that!

Oh, I forgot to mention the chocolate ganache drizzled down the sides. This cake is almost fudge like. The layers are slathered with a cream cheese and coffee cream which keeps this cake soft and moist!

Really Easy Chocolate and Coffee Cake

I do like to use a quality chocolate. The cake layers are made with a Dutch processed cocoa powder and the ganache is with chocolate chips, heavy cream and a little Karo syrup. I use Ghirardelli brand chocolate that is really good. There is even better and they can get quite expensive, but I believe the higher quality of chocolate makes a huge difference. There are some high quality chocolates on the King Arthur Flour website. Here’s the link for the Ghirardelli brand that I used: https://www.ghirardelli.com. Most grocery stores will carry this brand.

Don’t forget to make some homemade vanilla ice cream to top this luscious cake or some homemade whipped cream. Here’s the link for my no-churn vanilla ice cream that is so easy! https://the2spoons.com/so-good-essential-no-churn-vanilla-ice-cream/

Here you go! Enjoy this easy recipe!

Chocolate and Coffee Cake

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Keywordcake, chocolate, chocolate and coffee cake, chocolate cake, dessert

Ingredients

Chocolate and Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanila extract or vanila paste (my preference)
1 cup strong coffee

Coffee Cream Frosting

2 1/2 cups cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp corn syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides of two 8" baking pans . Line the bottoms with parchment paper . Set aside.
Chocolate coffee cake: In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder and stir to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla* just until combined. Stir in dry ingredients to combine. Slowly mix in hot coffee until combined. The batter will be very thin. Divide batter into the two prepared baking pans equally. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake. I baked mine for 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature.
Coffee cream frosting: In a large mixing bowl with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until combined and sugar is dissolved. Add cooled coffee and stir until incorporated. Stir in heavy cream and mix until creamy.
Assemble the cake: Cut a thin layer off the tops of your cakes to create a flat surface. Then cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a cake stand, turner or serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting over the cake later. Repeat two more times. Place last cake layer on top and lightly frost the outside and the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Chocolate glaze: Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place heavy cream and corn syrup in another heatproof bowl and microwave until very hot, almost boiling for about 1-2 minutes or heat over the stovetop being careful not to scorch. Pour over chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk until smooth, and the chocolate is completely melted. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes. Test the consistency of the glaze down the side of the bowl. It should drip. The longer it stands, the thicker it gets. If it is too firm, re-warm it a few seconds in the microwave. Once it reached the desired consistency, it's ready to spoon on top of the cake.
Remove cake from the fridge and spoon the glaze little by little around the sides and let it drip off the sided. Do this with a small spoon and do one drip at the time. Then spoon or pour the rest of the glaze on top of the cake (maybe you don't need all) and level with an offset spatula. Place cake in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to allow the glaze gets to get firm. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Awesome Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

June 29, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes is another Southern recipe I grew up eating. My mother and grandmother both would make this dish. It is really good and comforting. I used fresh san marzano tomatoes from my garden that just made this recipe so much more satisfying. I did a quick hot bath on the tomatoes so that the skin would easily come off!

After I sauted bell peppers and onions, I added the fresh tomatoes to the mixture.

This is really an easy recipe, but it is super satisfying. Honestly, I could just eat a bowl of this and a piece of cornbread and eat nothing else! The freshness of the tomatoes and the sauce they make with the vegetables is amazing. I always add the Knorr Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor to enhance the liquid. Here’s a link if you aren’t familiar with this ingredient. It really makes a difference. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/knorr-tomato-bouillon-w-chicken-flavor-35-3-oz/160906.ip

I served this recipe with my Smothered Cabbage and it was the perfect addition. Here’s my smothered cabbage link: https://the2spoons.com/smothered-cabbage-with-potatoes-smoked-sausage/

Here you go! Enjoy!

Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

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Ingredients

For the fresh tomatoes

8-10 just picked san marzano tomatoes or 4 large fresh tomatoes
water to cover

For the Macaroni and tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cups fresh tomatoes (You can substitute for a can of a quality brand of diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups macaroni
1 1/2 cups water (more is needed as you cook)
1 Knorr tomato bouillon with chicken flavor
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
pinch of sugar if your tomatoes are too tart

Instructions

For the tomatoes

Cut an X in the top of each tomato to allow for easy peeling. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When at a rolling boil, add your tomatoes to the water and cook for a couple of minutes until you see the skin starting to release from the tomato. Remove from the heat and when they have cooled a little, peel them over a bowl to not lose any of the juices. .Then squeeze them to chop them up in chunks. You don't want to puree them, just use your hands to chop them up a little. You will need about 2 cups of the finished tomatoes.

For the Macaroni and Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

Add the butter and extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan and sauté your peppers and onions until they have softened and the onions have become translucent. Add your tomatoes, the water and bouillon and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the macaroni, stir to combine, lower heat and cover. Cook until your macaroni is tender, 15 to 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Enjoy!

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

June 29, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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You know, sometimes you just need some Southern comfort food like this Smothered Cabbage. Sometimes you just want the foods you grew up with like beans and cornbread! I probably should cook like this more because I absolutely love it, but Allen really doesn’t love this food as much as his meat and potatoes, but I sneak it in from time to time and he always thinks its delicious.

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

I cooked this dish with Eckridge Beef Smoked Sausage https://www.heb.com/product-detail/eckrich-beef-smoked-sausage-family-pack/765512. I had this brand on hand, but you can use any good smoked sausage of your choice. I sliced new potatoes with the skin on, I added lots of onions, and cooked this in really very little oil with a little butter in a non stick skillet. You could add squash to this dish, and okra would be a great addition. I served my Macoroni and tomatoes with this and some spicy pinto beans and cornbread! Both of these recipes are also on the blog, but here is the Macaroni and Tomatoes recipe that my mother and grandmother made growing up! Delicious!
https://the2spoons.com/macaroni-with-fresh-tomatoes/.

This is a perfect dish to serve with my Good Luck Blackeyed Peas! Here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/good-luck-blackeyed-peas/.

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

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Ingredients

1/2 head large green cabbage or one whole small
1/2 onion, sliced or diced
3-4 new potatoes, skin on and sliced
7 oz Smoked Sausage, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp butter, two for cooking and 1 for finishing
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the cabbage in half, take out the core and slice. Sliced your potatoes in about in little less than 1/2 inch slices, about a quarter inch. Slice your onions or chop them, then slice your smoked sausage in 1/2 inch pieces
Heat your oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add your potatoes and onions and cook on medium high heat until your potatoes begin to brown a little. Turn them and reduce the heat, add a lid and turn your heat to low and cook for a few minutes just until the potatoes start to soften a little, but not done. Increase your heat and add your cabbage and smoked sausage and cook turning as all the ingredients brown a little. After a few minutes, lower the heat, cover and let the cabbage smother a little until soft. Then again, raised your heat, remove the lid, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until the ingredients have browned a little and are fork tender. Add a pat of butter just to bring everything together. Enjoy!!

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

June 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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These Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops are a favorite! When I ask Allen what he wants for dinner he always responds “Pork Chops or Tacos!!” Yes! Always. Obviously, he doesn’t get pork chops every day, but he does get pork chops a lot. Because of that, I am always trying to think of different ways to cook them. Smothered, grilled, pan- fried, and baked are just a few of the ways I cook pork chops. I like the center cut pork chops because they will be uniform. Have you ever bought that package of pork chops and the top is the only center cut and the rest are random. https://www.thekitchn.com/a-complete-guide-to-pork-chops-meat-basics-208638

Of course baking or grilling would be the healthier alternative, but just like fried chicken or Texas chicken fried steak, sometimes you just want that chicken fried pork chop. I really didn’t use much oil, it was new oil in a non stick skillet which takes even less oil. They are not deep fried. They sure are delicious though.

I made my Macaroni and Cheese with this. Here is the recipe that you must have! https://the2spoons.com/delicious-four-cheese-macaroni-and-cheese/ You will love this Mac and Cheese recipe! If I had not made macaroni and cheese, I would have made mash potatoes and cream gravy! Makes me hungry just typing this. I just can’t get away from my Southern roots and the food I grew up with! That doesn’t mean I have to eat like this everyday, but occassionally works for us.

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbuttermilk brined, chicken fried pork chops, pork, pork chops, southern, southern roots, Texas

Ingredients

4 1/2 inch center cut pork chops
3 cups buttermilk
1-2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
salt and pepper (cayenne pepper if you prefer)
2-3 large eggs, beaten
oil for frying

Instructions

Add the buttermilk and Louisiana hot sauce to a zip lock bag. Add the thawed pork chops to the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. An option is to place frozen pork chops in the bag with the buttermilk and hot sauce and place in the refrigerator overnight. They should thaw overnight.
Add the beaten eggs to a flat container or large bowl. In a separate flat container or bowl add the flour with salt and pepper.
Heat your the oil to medium high in a large skillet. While your oil is heating remove a pork chop at a time and place in the seasoned flour turning to coat both sides pressing down a little for the flour to adhere. Then place in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, then back into the flour pressing down again on both sides. Pressing down helps you form a good coating for frying. Place on a sheet pan and continue until all the pork chops have been battered.
When your skillet has heated to about 325 degrees add the number of pork chops that will fit in your skillet without crowding. You want to leave a space between each pork chop. Try to not disturb as much as possible as you will knock the batter off before it can set. When that side has browned, turn and brown the other side. If your pork chops are frying too hot or browning too fast, lower your heat a little. Brown the other side and continue to flip from side to side to insure doneness and the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees. Remove from the heat, drain on paper towels. If you have more to fry, place the cooked pork chops in the oven on warm. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Notes

If your pork chops are browning too fast, lower the heat a little. If both sides have nicely browned, but the internal temperature is not at 155-160, you can reduce heat to low and cover for a few minutes. Then remove the lid, increase the heat a little to crisp a final time. Enjoy!!