Our pantry is out of control. Jim, a.k.a., Mr. Organization, gives me a regular food inventory in an effort to head off my food buying tendencies. If I'm shopping and I can't remember whether we have a certain item, I'll buy another one just in case. Those duplicates have spilled out of the pantry and into other areas of the kitchen. I admit that I'm a little obsessed with keeping a "well-stocked" … [Read more...]
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Maple Dijon Sauce
I never tire of roasted chicken. Always on the hunt for a variation on this classic comfort food, I've made it a million ways I'm sure. This version might be close to the top of my list. The sauce made with maple syrup and Dijon mustard might have a little to do with how much I liked this recipe. We're not having the same cold weather that the Northeast has been experiencing, but it's been … [Read more...]
Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts and Golden Beets
I vividly remember sitting in my freshman comp class many years ago on a cool October day. Professor Kemp began the class by assigning a 300-word essay on any topic to be completed by the end of class. Never being a quick thinker, I wasted the first fifteen minutes of class trying to think of an interesting topic for my essay. Desperately watching the time and realizing that a good idea just … [Read more...]
Red Lentil Soup with Collards
I admit that I'm a carnivore from way back. I've been a serious meat eater for most of my life, and I've always justified my meat-loving ways by thinking that my body requires animal protein. However, I'm turning over a new leaf in 2015, and rethinking the types of protein that I consume. Now I'm not saying that I'm giving up meat (I don't think that'll ever happen), but there are so many other … [Read more...]
Rosemary Asiago Potato Stacks
Our good friends, Jim and Cheryl Hagy, are in town this week, and we're hosting them for dinner on Saturday night. The Hagys own and operate Chef's Market, an award-winning restaurant and catering business in the Nashville area. Readers of the Nashville Scene voted Chef's Market "Nashville's Best Caterer" for the past three years. Jim and Cheryl know good food, and if you're ever in Nashville, I … [Read more...]
Celery Caesar Salad
I've always thought of celery as a background ingredient, chopped and sauteed with onion and bell peppers before ending up as a minor player in a soup or stew. Being a big fan of celery, however, I've been spotted before with a stalk in one hand and a container of peanut butter or hummus in the other. I thought today's post should move celery out of the shadows and into the spotlight, so I've … [Read more...]
Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
Have you ever noticed that Thanksgiving menus frequently feature a whole lot of brown and beige food? Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes topped with pecans and brown sugar, casseroles, and so on make for a monotone menu. I'm all for those holiday dishes, but I like to highlight the table with some color. Even in the midst of engorging on the holiday feast, I still crave some healthy stuff in the … [Read more...]
Potatoes au Gratin
So Thanksgiving is over, and I'm on to my Christmas menu. Many cooks make a Thanksgiving redux for their Christmas dinner, but I prefer making something completely different for this holiday meal. In the past, I've made a stuffed pork loin roast, Beef Wellington, and surf and turf with filet and lobster. I haven't finalized my main course for Christmas this year, but I'm definitely making … [Read more...]
Apple, Bacon, & Cheddar Bread Puddings
Last summer I made some Summer Squash and Vidalia Onion Bread Puddings. They made a big splash at our house, so I thought I'd change the recipe up and make it a little more holidayish. Okay, I know that's a made-up word, but you get my point. I've made many variations of stuffing over the years from my Mom's traditional cornbread dressing to oyster dressing to any number of stuffings with fruit … [Read more...]
Collard Greens Gratin
If you grow up in the South, you've undoubtedly come across collard greens at some point in your life. In my small Mississippi hometown, a variety of greens regularly made it to our supper table. I've written before about my grandparents' garden where greens always occupied several rows. If I had a dollar for every serving of collard, mustard, or turnip greens I've eaten in my life, I'd be a rich … [Read more...]
Stuffed Artichokes
It's hard to believe that two years have passed since Jim's Mom passed away. We still miss her, and I know we always will. Some of my fondest memories of her were of us sitting in her apartment watching her make Eggplant Parmesan. She always made it for me each time we visited and as I would help myself to a third serving, she would look at me and say, "God bless." I don't think she could believe … [Read more...]
Pan-Seared Chicken with Parmesan Grits & Mushroom Gravy
In 2002, Georgia declared grits as its official prepared food. So, being a transplanted but almost native Georgian, I thought it only fair that I revisit grits on a semi-regular basis on Southern Boy Dishes. If you grow up in the South, grits practically become part of your DNA. In my childhood, this ubiquitous staple was found on breakfast tables across the deep South. As time has passed … [Read more...]