V's Thanksgiving Soulfood Feast...

Stay tuned for a down home soul food recipe that includes: smoked jerk turkey, southern style greens, "real" oven baked mac and cheese, chittlins, dressing (stuffing), sweet potato pie and pecan pie....MMMMMMM Good!

V's First Time's a Charm Apple Crisp

For those of you who have a sweet tooth, this post is for you. Now I am an intersting character when it comes to dessert. I don't like exotic flavors, overwhelming toppings and sometimes your childhood favorites would be on my yuck list. I'm a simple girl so I enjoy simple desserts! Now, what I am about to tell you may cause you to jump away from the computer screen and say "NO WAAAAY", but as weird as it may sounds, it is the truth....I don't like apple pie! There, I said it! I don't know what it iis about this favorite down home treat, but the only part I enjoy is the crust. One evening while enjoying an apple picking retreat with some of my students, I thought to myself "What in the world will I make with all of these apples?" Apple pie was definitely not the first thing that came to my mind. I thought long and hard and came up with an alternative. One of my students raved about this dessert called apple crisp. I'd heard of it before, but since I didn't like apple pie, I never tried it before. I shared my disgust with the same student and she said "I don't like apple pie either, Veronica, but I LOVE apple crisp!"I thought to myself "Finally, someone who understands my dislike for one of America's favorite." One of the owners overheard our conversation and was kind enough to write down a simple apple crisp recipe for me. I took her recipe, added my own measurements and came out with a classic dessert dish! I hope that you enjoy...

6 medium macintosh apples
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of flour
1/2 stick of butter
1tsp of vanilla flavoring

Cut your apples into medium size squares and place in a small glass baking dish. In a medium sized bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir until you get a nice crumbly mixture. Take this mixture and spread evenly across the top of your apples making sure to cover all of the apples. Place your baking dish in the oven on 350 degrees and bake for approximately 30 mins. You will know that the crisp is ready when the top is a nice golden brown and you notice the apples have turned into a filling that resembles apple pie (I recommend the glass dish because you can see the aforementioned more easily). How you like them apples???

Jasmines 007 DST ACE'd Chili

You already know that oftentimes I will other corner cooks on the blog. Here is one that can quickly become a down home favorite! I know that many of you look for something to keep you warm during the winter months. So why not couple your warm blanket and hot tea with a delicious bowl of fixed up chili! My beautiful Soror staples this recipe as one of her favorites. We are all fans of quick fix'r up meals so why not enjoy the aroma of smokey spices while you're at it! After I try this wonderful recipe, I will have chili as yet another dish in my repertoire and of course I will add my own flavor and spice to it. That's what us "Real" cooks do at V's Cookin it Real. Enjoy!

1lb of ground turkey
5 slices of brown sugar turkey bacon
1 cup chopped onions
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 cup of green bell pepper
McCormick Chili Powder mix
1/2 cup of brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
2 cans of beans (black, pinto or kidney - Jazz it up and use all three!)

Start by slightly browning the ground turkey and turkey bacon. Add all of your ingredients into your pot. Pour in a bit of water to slightly cover the top. Give it a good stir, cover and let simmer for about four hours. End result is a bowl of heaven!

Football Finger Food - Fried Pickles

Fried pickles are a fantastic football Sunday, Monday or Thursday finger food. Now before you turn up your nose and frown at the thought of such a thing hear me out! Don't get me wrong, when I first heard of the concept, I could not even fathom the thought of a pickle being deep fried and dunked in sauce. I literally shook at the thought of it. My first encounter was while visiting a friend of mine in Indianapolis. We went out to dinner at this famous restaurant in Carmel, IN. We sat down in the booth and looked at the menu for appetizer. She blurted out, "Mmmmm, fried pickles!". What was my response? "Friend pickles!!!???, HELL no!". Well after much convincing they got me to try a few and while hesitant to admit at first, I loved them! This experience happened in 2007 and when I moved to the Lehigh Valley, I was in search for a place that served fried pickles. While enjoying lunch one day with a coworker, I notice that "fried pickles' was staring back at me as an appetizer options and I had to get them! Since I am a food lover and experimenter, I thought to myself "I can make the same thing at home!" Doing a bit of research on my own I found a few recipes and doctored them to my liking. Remember, don't judge until you have tried them :0)

1 jar of Claussen's Dill Pickle Spears
2 large eggs
2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp of hot sauce
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 cup of  flour
 Canola oil (for frying pickles)

 Take the pickles from the jar and let them dry a bit on a paper towel or sheet of wax paper. Take your eggs, and beat them slightly. Add all of your ingredients EXCEPT the flour. Once you have all of your dry ingredients mixed in the egg, mixed well to even distribute spices. This will be your dipping batter. Take a ziploc bag and add the cup of flour to it. Give the bag a shake to ensure the flour is loose and not full of lumps. Take a pickle spear and dip into your egg batter. Place in the bag of flour and give a shake. Take the pickle spear out of the bag and shake the excess flour off. Repeat this process one more time. This will make your pickles nice and crunchy! Use this method for all of your spears. Once you are done, place the pickle spears in the canola oil and deep fry until golden brown. Add your ranch dipping sauce to the equation and you are ready to enjoy some great GB finger foolishness!

V's Tender Loving Mouthwatering Pot Roast

I'm sure that you have many stories of delicious pot roast that you may have had over the years. My stories always involve my mom's delicious pot roast. The flavors of the meat would come through with simple seasoning of garlic onions salt and pepper. Depending on her mood, the coupled veggies would vary between string beans potatoes, carrots and onions. Since I am always trying to reinvent her creations to my own liking and tasting, pot roast was the next task on the list. I've made quite a few trying different methods, but I have found that the oven works the best! Again, one of those "pop it in the oven and let it work its magic" type of meal!

1 package of chuck roast (or choice of beef cut)
1 whole onion (coarsely chopped)
3 whole carrots cut in chunks  (or half bag of baby carrots)
1 can of diced tomatoes (optional)
6-8 baby bliss red potatoes
sprig of cilantro (optional)
1.5 tbsp Morton's Nature Seasoning All Purpose Seasoning (approx)
1 tbsp Paprika (approx)

The cooking of this dish is similar to to the Pot O Gold Corned beef. Its quick and too the point. Take your chuck roast and season it to your liking with the Morton's All Purpose Seasoning and the paprika. Place the seasoned roast to an oven safe glass dish or roaster pan - your choice. Place the onions, carrots, potatoes, cilantro on the tops and sides of the roast. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in a 325 degree oven for about 2-2.5 hours (depending on the size of your roast and temperature of your oven). When the roast has cooked half way, add your diced tomatoes over the top. Place the aluminum foil back on the top very tightly and let the roast cook for the remainder of the time. The result should be a tender, juicy and mouthwatering pot roast creation. Enjoy every...single...bite!

V’s Corn Beef Pot-O-Gold

This is for you Irish meal lovers out there and everyone in between! Corned beef was a treasure in my mother's kitchen. We had it maybe twice a year so whenever she made this dish it went fast! Main course meals would be coupled with cabbage and other veggies and leftovers would make a MEAN corn beef sandwich on wheat bread…oh and don't forget the mustard and pickle! While I love a good corn beef sandwich, I often times leave that chore to the deli. For those of you who enjoy a one pot meal like myself, this will be a favorite. It's simple, quick and to the point allowing you to pop it in the oven and finish your weekend chores or make a quick run to the grocery store. Go and get ye pot o' gold!


1 package of corned beef w/ seasoning

1 head of cabbage

6-8 small to medium size golden potatoes

4-6 whole carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped


Remove the beef from the package and wash the excess liquids off. (sometimes corned beef can be too salty to in order to remove the excess sodium you can also opt to boil it on medium low heat for thirty minutes to strip it). Place your corned beef in the middle of a medium to large size pot that is oven safe (I used a versatile iron pot frequently used for camping and stewing). Add about an 2-3 inches of water and place your cabbage, potatoes and carrots around and on top of the corn beef. Tightly seal the top of the pot with aluminum foil and place the lid on top. Place in the oven on 325 degrees and let cook for about 2 ½ -3 (depending on the size of your corned beef). Remove from the oven and be careful taking the aluminum foil off. There you have it folks. Good ole corned beef and cabbage, potluck style!

Hunter Southern Style Black Eye Peas

There is nothing like a nice hot bowl of black eye peas and corn bread to warm your belly in cooling seasonal months. Growing up, my mom would also make a variety of peas/beans including black eye peas, pinto, split pea (ham bone in of course!) and even great northern. Whatever the type, it was always mouth watering with every single bite. Of course you have to have it with cornbread (hot water the best) as it is just not the same without. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy….it will be pealicous :O)

1 bag of black eye peas

4 cloves of chopped garlic

1 onion (your choice of variety) chopped

Smoked meat of choice

1 tsp celery seed

2 tbsp soul food seasoning

*this recipe makes a medium sized pot serving

Note: Before cooking the peas, you must prepare them by soaking them in water overnight. The directions for this should be on your package. You can also use the quick method of placing the peas in boiling water for two minutes and then let them soak for an hour.

Heat your pot to medium temperature. Add your smoked meat to the pot once it heats up (I usually use bacon if I am making a smaller pot. Other options include, ham hocks, smoked turkey, etc). Next add your chopped onions and stir around making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. (you can also take the smoked meat out of the recipe to make it a fully vegetarian meal. In order to obtain the grease that the onions will cook in just add 2 tbsp of canola oil as a substitute). Once the onions are slightly tender, add about 4 ½ cups of water to the pot. Add your peas, dry seasonings and garlic to the pot and bring to a boil. Once the peas are boiling reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook for about 1hr – 1hr ½. Peas are cooked to your liking/taste so feel free to reduce or increase the timing.

*Note - turning the heat down and allowing the peas to simmer for the last 30 mins allow for a gravy type liquor to form…yummmmy!

Judy Diehl's Virginia Ham Fantastics

One of the cool features of V's Cookin it Real is that I will oftentimes feature other food lovers on my blog. Here is the first one, so enjoy!!

As a food addict, I usually surround myself with like minded people. One of my favorite bloggers, who happens to be one of my closest buddies in the valley is a PHENOMENAL host! What's makes her so phenomenal you might ask? Its the food she serves of course. Ranging from fresh fruit, to chips and dip and cocktails alike, you are sure to have a great time socializing with the girls while the boys are out back chatting it up. One of my favorites (and everyone else who was present) is Aunt Judy's Virgina Ham Fantastics...Once you pop one of these bursts of deliciousness in your mouth you will want to run out and tell the world! ON your marks, set...GO!

3/4 lb. VA Country Ham or Deli-Style Sliced Thin
1/2 lb. Swiss Cheese sliced thin
2 dozen small rolls (To fit in 9x13 dish)

Sauce:
1/2 Stick Butter melted
1 T Prepared Mustard
1 T Worchestershire Sauce
1 T Dry Minced Onion
1 T Poppy Seeds
2 T Brown Sugar

Keeping rolls attached to each other, slice to have a top and a bottom.  Add a layer of ham, swiss cheese and ham again.  Replace top roll layer and cut through all layers.  Place individual rolls  in 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.  Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Heat Sauce and Spoon Over Rolls.  Bake 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Garlic and Lime Asian Zing Wings

Everyone like a good wing or two right? So why not add your own flavor to one of America's favorite finger foods! That is exactly what I did with this new creation. I have a favorite wing flavor in the Lehigh Valley from Brew Works called Thai Chili Garlic. The sauce is definitely a winner, but in enjoying them one day I asked myself, how can I incorporate this flavorful sensation into one of my other favorite of fried chicken wings! Again, thinking of some of my favorite spices and watching enough Food Network TV stars, I came up with my own version of this addicting pleasure. Feel free to add these wings to canola oil to fry them or add them to a 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes or so. Grab a bottle of your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing or spice it up a bit with a Thai glaze from your local grocery store. Get your wet naps folks, or better yet, just lick it right off of your tasty little fingers!

1 bag of wingettes (or feel free to grab them fresh from your meat department

1 ½ cups of soy sauce

4 cloves of garlic chopped fine (you can sub with garlic powder if you choose)

4 tbsp of chili powder (increase to make a bit more spicy)

Juice from one lime (you can also use 100% lime juice as a sub)

Canola oil (only if you plan to fry the wings)

2 cups of flour (only if you plan to fry the wings)

Zip loc bag (only if you plan to fry the wing)

Start with your wings being thawed completely. In a medium to large bowl, add your soy sauce to the wings (this will add all the sodium that you need!). Next add your chili powder and chopped garlic. Mix together well - making sure that the wings are completely coated in your marinade. Top off your marinade with juice from a freshly squeezed lime. Cover and marinate for about 30 – 60 mins. For best results marinate overnight (especially if you are baking your wings).

For frying:

In a zip loc bag add your two cups of flour. Add half of your wings to the bag and give it a gooooood shake! (add more flour if necessary). Heat up your oil for frying on medium heat in a large frying pan. You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a pinch of flour to the pan. If it you get a nice "fizzle" around the flour then your grease is hot and your ready. If not, then wait a few second. We've never used a thermometer or electronic fryer in my household growing up so I don't know the degree temperature (sorry). The technique above has worked for years. TRUST ME!

Once the grease is hot place your wings into the frying pan, making sure that it is not too crowded. Fry until both side are a medium golden grown. Drain on a paper towel or baking rack to get rid of some of the grease. Enjoy the crunch with your favorite dipping sauce!

For baking:

Start off my placing the wings on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 30-45 mins on 350 degrees or until golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside. This method is a bit healthier and you are sure to get a nice Asian influence flavor on the taste buds. Enjoy your homemade wings. You'll never have to go out again for your favorite wings. Just use me as an example, I created my version right in my own kitchen!

Soothing Green Tea w/ Ginger Root

Yep, I know. I had the same reaction when my mom made it in my kitchen for the first time when she came to visit. Growing up my mom always made her own tea concoctions ranging from chamomile and lemon to fragrant peppermint, so tea mixtures are not a foreign concept to me. I can even dig green tea – especially Lipton. However, the thought of fresh ginger root and green tea made my stomach turn and come to find out this is the perfect solution to that particular ailment! It can also be chilled for a nice summer day brisk drink! I know that it may sound appealing to some and not even close to others. I once would be categorized in the latter. That has all changed now and I hope that you will try it for yourself and feel the same way! Take and big gulp and let out a good "aaaaaaah"!

4-6 packets of Lipton Green Tea

1 piece of fresh gingerroot

In a large pot start boiling approximately a gallon of water to a large pot. Bring to a brisk boil and add your Lipton tea. Take your gingerroot and shave it using a spoon (I have found this to be an easy and very safe technique!) Cute into medium pieces and add to the water. One you have all the ingredients in the pot, stir it a bit so that it can mix together well. Turn the heat down to low allowing the tea to simmer for about an hour or so. You can drink it hot to relax you after a stressful day at work or let it cool down and add it to the fridge for a nice midnight drink to quench your thirst. Enjoy – I know that I do!