The 2 Spoons

Cooking from the Pantry: Taste like Fresh, Easy Green Beans with Pork

March 24, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Easy Green Beans with Pork is always a go-to recipe for me when I don’t have fresh vegetables on hand. I only keep a few canned items in my pantry and green beans are one of them. I don’t like frozen green beans, they seem so watery, but I do like canned green beans in a pinch, and these really are delicious.

I like to use whole beans and I like the Libby’s Gourmet Whole Green Beans. https://libbys.com/product/gourmet-whole-green-beans. I served these the other day with my Cajun Seasoned Pork Roast: https://the2spoons.com/so-delicious-cajun-seasoned-roasted-pork/

Cooking from the Pantry: Taste like Fresh, Easy Green Beans with Pork

Here’s the recipe! Be sure you get Green Beans when you go grocery shopping!

Cooking from the Pantry, Green Beans with Pork

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time30

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 cans quality whole green beans
1/2 onion, diced 1/2
1/2 cup salt pork, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
3-4 Thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Saute the salt pork on medium heat in the two tablespoons oil until browned and the fat starts to render. Add the onions and cook a minute or two until translucent. Drain the juice of the two cans of beans into the pan with your salt pork, and add the water. Set the beans aside. Simmer about 30 minutes until your salt pork is tender. Add your beans back in along with the sprigs of fresh thyme and cook for an additional 10 minutes on medium.
Cooking the pork ahead of time until it is tender flavors your juices and your beans will resemble fresh green beans.

Roasted Pork
Stove Top Chuck Roast

Springtime Breakfast – Easy Country Bread Toast with Cream Cheese and Salmon

March 22, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Toast with Cream Cheese and Salmon just reminds me of summer and spring, even though it is perfect for anytime of the year.

This toast makes me happy. It takes me to an oceanfront resort vacation breakfast buffet! Yes! You know the kind of buffet I’m talking about. The buffet with everything you can think of! Amongst the array of any and everything that you want to sample there is always the most delicious smoked salmon with capers, cream cheese, lemon, crunchy toasted bread that you get to enjoy amidst the ocean breezes, warm temperatures, and tropical temperatures. Really? I think I need a vacation.

Toast with Cream Cheese and Salmon

Since I’ve mindlessly rattled on about tropical vacations, let’s get back to the recipe! Sometimes I can get really fresh salmon at my local HEB, but many times I will buy the frozen salmon from Sams Club that is always fresh frozen and delicious. The brand I used in this dish is Member’s Mark Wild Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon: http://www.samsclub.com

Here is another breakfast toast I make with salmon and the recipe is on the blog: https://the2spoons.com/avocado-toast-with-poached-salmon/

Hope you enjoy this recipe and you dream of a tropical vacation with ocean breezes and the warm sun while you have your breakfast! Bon Voyage!

Country Bread Toast with Cream Cheese and Salmon

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer, Breakfast

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 4-5 oz Wild Caught Salmon Filet or Smoked Salmon
4 pieces Country Bread from the Bakery or bread of your choice
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp capers
fresh dill for garnish
lemon for squeezing on the finished toast
salt and pepper

Instructions

I used a Wild Caught Salmon Filet for this recipe, but you could use smoked salmon if you prefer.
To cook the salmon, I heated a skillet to high, added a little oil and placed the salmon that I had lightly salted and peppered skin side down for 2 minutes, then I flipped and cooked an additional 1 minute. You want to be really careful not to overcook the salmon to prevent dryness.
I then toasted my country bread, spread cream cheese over it, layered my salmon, topped with the capers, fresh dill, and lemon juice.

Effortless Southern Creamed Corn Recipe

March 21, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I love this Southern Creamed Corn. Granny and Granny Teakell made this creamed corn. Fresh corn cut off the cob cooked in a little bacon drippings, heavy cream, and a little sugar? Oh, my gosh! So good! It is creamy and a little sweet, still with texture from the corn kernels.

I made this Sunday with my Oven Fried Chicken and a few other Southern dishes. Allen loved it. And the great thing is I had a little left that I’ll add to Jalapeño Cornbread. Or what about Creamed Corn Fritters? Delish. I don’t have a link for them on my site YET, but I will. Here’s a link from Deep South for Cream Corn Fritters that sounds yummy: https://www.deepsouthdish.com/2011/08/corn-fritters.html

Effortless Southern Creamed Corn Recipe

This recipe is perfect with my Oven Fried Chicken:

Southern Creamed Corn

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish, Vegetable

CuisineAmerican

KeywordSouthern Creamed Corn

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Ingredients

2 tbsp bacon drippings
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch
6 ears of fresh corn, shucked, stripped and scraped You could substitute a 32 ounce bag frozen
1 tsp granulated sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp butter

Instructions

Melt the bacon drippings in a stainless or cast iron skillet on slightly over medium heat. Combine in a bowl the cream, whisk in the cornstarch, then add the corn, sugar and stir together. Pour into the hot bacon drippings and cook for about 20 minutes, or until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently and mashing the corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste and combine. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter to finish.

Decadent Salted Caramel Brownies

March 20, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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We, meaning the two of us, ate these Salted Caramel Brownies in two days!! No guilt either! There was just something about the chocolate combined with salted caramel that you just couldn’t stop eating!! Lol! Truth!

Don’t let homemade caramel intimidate you. It is easy and makes such a difference in these brownies. You just want to stay close, not cook on too high of a heat to prevent burning. And the added salt? Addictive! This Carmel starts with melting raw sugar to a brownish color, adding butter, heavy cream and sea salt! That’s all! It’s juat about the technique. Do t let it burn, don’t stir too much, know that’s it’s supposed to bubble when you add the butter.

Decadent Salted Caramel Brownies

I’ve found that it really does make a difference that when a recipe calls for chocolate the better the product, the better your end results. This brownie recipe calls for cocoa powder and I used Ghiradelli 100% baking cocoa https://images.heb.com/is/image/HEBGrocery/prd-small/ghirardelli-100-unsweetened-cocoa-000275471.jpg. There are chocolates even better I’m sure, Ghiradelli is usually my go to and is reasonable for everyday baking.

I love to top these with my Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream….and if you have extra caramel top the brownie and the ice cream with more! Oh, my Gosh! Here’s the link for my ice cream: https://the2spoons.com/homemade-french-vanilla-ice-cream/

Every bite is oozing caramel, I can’t wait until you try these! Here’s the recipe! Enjoy or I should say indulge in some luscious chocolate and homemade ice cream!

Salted Caramel Brownies

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Servings Brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp brewed coffee (optional)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate disks or chips

For the Salted Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temp
1 to 1 1/2 tsp sea salt ( a fine crushed sea salt or flaky seasalt works well)

Instructions

Making the Caramel:

In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to occasionally stir the sugar, getting to the bottom of the pan. At first, the sugar will be lumpy, but will soon melt and start turning a brownish color. Don’t stir too often, just enough to keep everything evenly cooking.
After 5 minutes, the sugar should become fully melted. Once it becomes a dark amber hue, remove from heat immediately and stir in butter. The mixture will violently bubble. You’re doing it right.
Use your spatula to stir the butter and sugar until they melt together completely. This can take 1-2 minutes.
Next, pour in the heavy cream and sea salt. You can use 1 to 1½ teaspoons, depending on how much saltiness you like. Use your spatula to stir until everything is combined. Place back on the stove for about 30 seconds, stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

For the Brownies:

In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to occasionally stir the sugar, getting to the bottom of the pan. At first the sugar will be lumpy, but will soon melt and start turning a brownish color. Don’t stir too often, just enough to keep everything evenly cooking.
After 5 minutes, the sugar should become fully melted. Once it becomes a dark amber hue, remove from heat immediately and stir in butter. The mixture will violently bubble. You’re doing it right.
Use your spatula to stir the butter and sugar until they melt together completely. This can take 1-2 minutes.
Next, pour in the heavy cream and sea salt. You can use 1 to 1½ teaspoons, depending on how much saltiness you like. Use your spatula to stir until everything is combined. Place back on the stove for about 30 seconds, stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Yummy, Essential Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

March 20, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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The first day of Spring screams Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream which is essential for all those peach and berry cobblers we’ll be making! This recipe is from Ben & Jerry Ice Cream & Dessert cookbook and this recipe is my favorite! It is yummy and simple to make! Here’s the link for their book if you’re interested in other ice cream recipes.

This recipe is rich and creamy and only has 5 ingredients: EGGS, SUGAR, HEAVY CREAM OR WHIPPING CREAM, MILK, AND VANILLA. I use Mexican vanilla but a good pure vanilla is best.

Yummy, Essential Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

I make this ice cream with the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment which is great. If you have a Kitchen Aid and you’re interested in this attachment here’s a link. https://www.kitchenaid.com/attachments/ice-cream. The attachment doesn’t make enough for a crowd, but for having homemade ice cream for several and to have it available in your freezer it is perfect.

This ice cream is perfect with my Cherry Pie https://the2spoons.com/delicious-cherry-pie/. Serve the pie warm, of course, with the ice cream melting over it. To die for! Also, serve with brownies, chocolate cake, peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler, or just a big bowl of ice cream, the options are endless. Hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Enjoy!

Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

KeywordHomemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 large eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, a couple of minutes. I use the wire whisk with my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Add the sugar, a little at a time, then continue beating with the whisk attachment until completely blended, and the mixture is creamy and frothy. Pour in the cream, milk, and vanilla and combine.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes 1 Quart. Any unused ice cream, store in the freezer in a plastic container.
I use the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker attachment. You store the bowl in the freezer until ready to use.

Easy – Wilda Marie’s Lazy Potato Casserole

March 19, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Love a Potato Casserole as a side dish!

Ok, I don’t know who Wilda Marie is, LOL! I purchased Slap YA Mama Cajun Seasoning https://slapyamama.com the other day and this recipe was on the back!! I’m a label reader! Yes!

I was making my Chef Paul Prudhomme Roasted Pork and immediately thought how perfect these potatoes would be with that roast, and I was right. This recipe does call for smoked sausage that I will add at a different time, but I didn’t want to add the sausage in the side dish I was using for my Roasted Pork. Creamy from the mushroom soup, loaded with peppers and onions, and of course those cajun spices. You want to add the cajun spices to taste because they do have cayenne.

Easy – Wilda Marie’s Lazy Potato Casserole

Serve these potatoes with my Roasted Pork or with other meat as a side dish. Add the sausage and it is a meal in itself!

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!!

Wilda Marie’s Lazy Potatoes

Print Recipe

Courseeasy side dish, vegetable, Side Dish

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Ingredients

4 cups diced potatoes, peeled
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup green onion tops
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup water
1-2 cups diced smoked sausage
1/2-1 tbsp “Slap ya Mama” Cajun Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients in 3-quart casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Potato Casserole
Roasted Pork
Roasted Pork