Well, my blog isn’t quite a year old yet, but 2015 has been pretty busy.   The first post was published on February 7, 2015.  Since then it’s been busy – slow some months and wildly crazy others!

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Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to visit!  Here are the top five posts of the year!

Now on to the recipes – most viewed first!

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No Bake Peach Cheesecake ^[3] – the most viewed recipe of the year!

 

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Irish Potato Soup ^[5]

 

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Easy Chicken Pot Pie ^[7]

 

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Coffee Marinated Flank Steak ^[9] (our very first post!!)

 

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Thanksgiving Cheese and Bacon Ball ^[11]

 

Thanks for a great year and Happy 2016 to you all!

In the south, it’s customary to serve hoppin’ john for dinner on New Year’s Day.  The saying is, “Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year. Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold”.  These foods were what the blue-collar, hardworking families usually had on hand.  You have the perfect meal of luck for the new year.

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Enjoy!

What you need:

Black Eyed Peas

• 2 Large ham hocks
• 1 onion coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup chopped celery
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ cups dried black-eyed peas
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Greens

• 1 bunch of collards
• 1 bunch of mustard
• 1 bunch of beet greens (you usually have to buy the beets too)
• 1/3 cup of salt pork, cut into large chunks
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups cooked rice

Traditionally served with Cornbread as well (the gold!)

 

How to do it:

I usually start the beans, and then move onto the greens, moving back and forth until they are both simmering.

Bring the beans and the broth to a hard boil.  Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining ingredients.  Cook on medium for about 30 minutes, then reduce to low and simmer for about 2 hours, until the beans are tender.  Remove the ham hocks and allow to cool enough to pull the meat off.  Replace the meat to the pot and heat again.  Drain the liquid.

Gently brown the salt pork on low for about 5-10 minutes.  Wash and chop the greens.  Add them to the pot with enough water to cover them.  Bring it all to a boil.  Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

Serve together with the rice.

Serves about 4-6

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© Copyright 2015 The Lazy Gastronome

 

To all of you from all of us, a Very Merry Christmas

These tasty treasures are easy to make and great for any holiday brunch.  They aren’t the traditional triangle scone because the dough is soft like drop biscuits.

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Easy to make – great to eat – and they freeze well too.  

What you need:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup almond flour (almond meal)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 8 Tablespoons of butter (1 stick)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Candied ginger (see note)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
• 24 pecan halves
• 1 Tablespoons turbinado sugar

How to Do it:

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.

Add all the dry ingredients to a food processor fitted with a blade.  Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the bowl.

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Process until all the ingredients are mixed and resemble coarse meal.  Remove from the food processor to a bowl.

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Add the ginger, cranberries and pecans and mix well.

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Add the milk and egg and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  You will not have a dough like most scones.  These are easier!!

Drop the mixture in mounds onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

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Top each one with a pecan half and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until the edges and tops are golden.  Remove to wire rack to cool.

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Makes 24 scones.

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NOTE:  You can purchase candied ginger or easily make your own.

Take the skin off of a small knob of fresh ginger and cut into slices.  Add the slices, ¼ cup of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of water.  Heat to boiling.  Simmer until the sugar begins to lightly brown.  Remove the ginger and allow to cool.

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Chop to add to the scones.

 

© Copyright 2015 The Lazy Gastronome

This puffy pancake looks so fancy and impressive, but it is so amazingly easy to make! And it’s delicious! You can put different fruit on it – try peaches or sauteed apples! Any way you serve it, this pancake is deliciously beautiful!

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What you need:

• 5 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• ¾ cup unbleached flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ stick of butter
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups of mixed berries

How to Do it:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Put the butter in a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet and let it melt until bubbly.

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While it’s melting, put the eggs in a blender and process on medium-high until they are foamy.

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Add the flour, milk, salt, spices, sugar and vanilla and process until well mixed.

Pour the batter for the pancake over the butter in the pan and return to the oven.

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Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffy and lightly browned.

Remove from the oven.  Using a wire strainer, shake the powdered sugar over the top of the pancake.

Serve with fresh berries and jam.

I like to serve candied bacon ^[39] on the side!

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Serves 4

 

© Copyright 2015 The Lazy Gastronome