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!

VM’s Lamb Curry

So as a food enthusiast there are a lot of different foods that I enjoy. Indian is one of my favorites so why not try to master my own version of their curry. Curry powder is a regular in my pantry. Not because I cook curry lamb or other meat varieties everyday, but because it adds a great flavor to many dishes – you would be surprised! So as I constantly try (the key word being TRY) to stop eating out and stay within my monthly entertainment budget, I start thinking of what I could make for dinner (using whatever in the freezer as my motivation). I thought to myself, "Hmmm I haven't had curry in a long time, so why not try that. " Had I ever done it before, ummm no! However, I had curry powder in my pantry so that was the start. From that point on it was mix and match and try to remember the flavors what hit my taste buds whenever I sat down for fine Indian cuisine. The rest is history and now I have it as one of my favorite meals to make. The "boo" (boyfriend) enjoys it as well! :O)


1 package of stewing lamb (make sure it has a bone in it)

6 packages of lamb chops (shoulder or round works fine – I can usually find them for about $2 a package!)

¼ cup of paprika

¼ cup chili powder

¼ cup of curry powder

6 red potatoes (diced small)

2 plum tomatoes

Sprig of cilantro or parsley


Trim lamb from bone and place the bone aside for later use (this will be the stock you use for your curry sauce. Add your lamb to a frying pan in order to just brown on the outside. Once the meat is brown, remove from pan and place into the pot that you will cook your meal in. In a small sauce pan, place your lamb bone and add a cup and half of water to the pot and bring to a boil. In the same pan that you browned your meat it add a teaspoon of cooking oil (your choice) to the pan. Let it heat slightly and then add all of your dry ingredients to the pan with half a cup of the stock. Stir and bring to a slight boil allowing it to thicken slightly. Repeat this process in order to make more gravy for your dish. Add your curry sauce to the pot of meat and stir together making sure that the curry sauce is covering all of the meat. Cook on medium heat and bring to a slight boil. Add potatoes, stir, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for about an hour to allow the gravy to thicker. For the last fifteen minutes of cooking, add diced plum tomatoes and leave top half way off. Garnish with cilantro or parsley your choice There you go . Now you too can make your very own homemade Indian curry. After enough practice with this version you will be able to add to it with more sophisticated spices and flavors. Enjoy!

V’s Famous Yams

Cooking runs in my family. From my mother to my brother and uncles included. I don't have any biological aunts - only through marriage. You see my mother was the only girl out of seven brothers, so you can just imagine holidays in the Hunter/Bailey household, LOUD! However, I would always drown out the noisy football game arguments and spades tournaments by basking in my pile high dinner plate! One thing in particular that always stole my heart was my uncle Terry's (Pookie by nickname!) yams. I would always save them for the last thing on my plate to eat. One day while visiting his apartment on the north side of Chicago, I confessed my love for his yams and he gave me the recipe. I felt honored! Now, every holiday I am the one expected to cook the yams and it is quite the honor. My brother is convinced that it's the only thing I can cook, but being the big brother he always has to find something to tease me about. There are many ways to prepare yams, but here is my version – on the stovetop!

6-8 medium size yams

1 cup of sugar

½ cup of brown sugar (your choice of light or dark)

½ stick of butter

2 tbsp of vanilla flavoring

Sprinkle of nutmeg

Start by cutting the yams into quarter pieces. In a medium sauce pan, add about half an inch of water and half of your yams to the pot. Cover yams with sugar and add stick of butter on top. Repeat for the rest of your yams. Top it off with your vanilla flavoring ( I love the taste of vanilla so I always add a bit more :O) ) Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 mins. When yams are done, sprinkle with nutmeg for color. There you have it folks - Yams Roni style. Highly requested in the Hunter/Bailey home!

Ron's Spicy Beef & Lamb Stew

This dish was inspired by the laziness of not wanting to cook separate entrée items for an early dinner. So what's the solution? Just throw it in the pot! By paying an unexpected visit to my favorite Spanish market and grabbing produce from the fridge, this is what it turned out to be. Quite tasty if I may say so myself! This version includes some of my favorites so for those who want to experience what a version from Ron's kitchen tastes like, see below. However for those who don't like certain things, definitely feel free to add your own flare to it!

1 package of chuck roast
Stewing lamb
2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 package of portabella mushrooms

1 whole white or red onion (your preference)

½ bag of spinach

1 can of French style green beans

½ bag of baby carrots

½ cup of sofrito

4 tbsp canola oil (to sauté sofrito in)

6 parts water (feel free to use tomato cans)

3 tbsp of salt

¼ cup of curry powder

Start with heating the canola oil in your stock pot on medium low heat. Once the oil is heated place the sofrito in the pot and let it sauté for about 5 minutes, mixing frequently to avoid burning. Stir in your cans of tomatoes w/ green chiles and add your 6 parts water to the pot (this should fill the pot to about the half way mark. It if doesn't add a bit more). This will become the base and stock of your stew. Add your salt and curry powder and stir well. Allow your stock to come to a boil (it will start to smell DELICIOUS already by this point!)

While the broth is starting to heat up to a boil you can start to chop up your meet into medium or small cube sizes (your preference). Add meat to the boiling water and stir. Allow this portion of the stew to cook for about 1 hour on medium heat. After an hour add your carrots, green beans, and mushrooms and reduce heat to medium low, cover pot and let it cook for another hour. During the last 30 minutes of cooking add spinach to the top of the stew and cover.

There you have it folks a very tasty soup great for anytime throughout the year. Who said the stew was just for the winter time? Enjoy!

Vero's Homemade Sofrito

This recipe is through the inspiration of mi madre segundo, Rosa! Living in the Lehigh Valley for two years now, I have been exposed to GREAT Spanish cooking. Knowing myself and that I love to try making new things and adding my own touch to it, Rosa taught me how to do this exactly with my own version of the Spanish seasonsing "paste" called sofrito. You can find sofrito hidden in the taste of many  Spanish dishes including my favorite of Spanish rice! You can find sofrito in your grocery store, but making is always MUCH better. Try adding a dab of it to your dinner meal and see how you will never be able to live without it!

1 large green bell pepper
1 yellow onion
approx. 8 cloves of garlic (feel free to add more if you are a garlic lover like myself)
cilantro - a nice handful
jamon (to add a smokey flavor to your sofrito) - optional

Rough chop your jamon, green pepper, onion and cilantro and place in the blender and/or food processor. Peel your garlic cloves and add those as well. Use the pulse option on your blender or processor initially to break the ingredients down a bit. Blend ingredients down until you have a thick paste. Store in the refrigerator for immediate use or freeze it to use for dishes later on!

V's Smokey Grilled Lime & Butter Corn

I watch a lot of Food Network and oftentimes I stumble across B. Flay. Well, as we all know Flay loves to to grill and corn is one that he swears by as one of the easiest and most enjoyable (other than burgers!). After taking my mom's technique of grilling the corn in the husk and adding a few of my favorite seasonings, I think I can take Bobby down in a corn grilling match! Well maybe not, but here is your picnic favorite with a little V umph added to it!


6 ears of corn
parika
adobo
1 stick of butter
lime juice
aluminum foil

Take each ear of corn and remove from the husk. Clean them well under luke warm water and place on a paper towel to dry. Take one ear of corn and the stick of butter and begin to rub the butter all over the corn. Sprinkle a liberal amount of adobo and corn all over the corn and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Finish it off with a squeeze of lime juice over the top of the corn (if you don't have fresh lime, 100% lime juice wiill do the trick just fine. Use the cap as your measuring tool). Wrap the corn tightly in the aluminum foil and place on the grill for approx 25-30 minutes. Be extremely careful when opening as the liquid inside is EXTREMELY hot. Believe me I know!!! Happy corn eating...

V's Garlic & Basil Chicken Parm

So this is an interesting one! If you ask some of the people close to me they would tell you that “Veronica does not like chicken parm. She’s a texture girl!” That’s right, once upon a time, I didn’t like chicken parm, but that has all changed now! I am a texture girl and breaded chicken with sauce all over it just didn’t do well for my buds. However, after my sister Ingrid (not biological) made a version for me that could adjust how much sauce I could add I was all game! Still adding my own flare the “newly liked” dish, you will see my creation below!

3 large chicken breast
dried basil leaves
finely chopped fresh garlic cloves (desired amount)
¼ cup of diced onions
2 cans of diced tomatoes
Angel hair pasta
Parmesan cheese
Sea Salt
Pepper
Adobo
Cayenne pepper
Canola oil (or whatever cooking oil you have)
Olive oil
Flour

Clean the chicken breast really well removing all fat. Split the breasts in two and season with salt, pepper, adobo basil leave and cayenne pepper. Once you have seasoned the chicken, use your hands to spread the bits of chopped garlic on one side of the chicken.

Place about a cup of flour on a place and lightly bread the chicken in the flour. To ensure that the garlic stays on the chicken make sure that you pat the chicken breast lightly to bread the other side once you place it on the place. Once this is done you can then take some of the flour on the place and sprinkle it on the top to coat the side that has the fresh garlic.

You now want to start working on your sauce. Because I like a chunkier sauce, I use diced tomatoes instead of a tomato sauce. In a small to medium sauce pan, heat up about a teaspoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and cook until tender. Add the tomatoes to it and give it a nice stir. Add a few shakes of the dried basil and cracked pepper, stir and cover with lid. This will take about 15 minutes to mix well together on low heat.

You can now start to prep your pasta. Add your angel hair to rapid boiling water stirring often to prevent sticking. Add about a tsp of olive oil to the water to aid in this. After 6-8 minutes your pasta should be ready. Drain and let sit

In a cast iron skillet (if available, if not any pan will do) add about between a ¼- ½ of canola oil to the skillet and let it get hot. Your temperature should be on medium and after about five minutes your oil should be hot and ready to go! Place the chicken breast in the pan, garlic crusted side up and cook for until golden brown. Turn and do the same to the other side.

Is your stomach growling yet?

Take a nice fancy plate and place a nice amount of pasta in the middle. Place your chicken breast ( I like to start off with two) and cover with your tasty tomatoes. Dash the top with a plentiful amount of parmesan cheese and voila!

Forrest City Sweet Potato Pie

Forrest City ARKANSAS!!! That is where my mom is from, so why wouldn’t I name my favorite dessert after my Dollie B.? Thanksgiving being my favorite holiday of the year, the most exciting thing about it growing up as a child was my mom letting me lick the spoon and bowl with the left over pie filling…MMMMM good! What better way to pay tribute the woman who taught me all the things I know about the kitchen, than with her famous sweet potato pie, Roni Style!

6 medium size sweet potatoes (3 per pie)
2 tbsp of nutmeg
2 tbsp of vanilla flavoring
Tsp of salt
Pinch of baking powder
2 cups of sugar
Can of Carnation milk
1 stick of butter
4 eggs

Note: This recipe makes two pies. The breakdown for each pie is 3 potatoes and 1 of each dry ingredient. Therefore if you are making more than two pies adjust the measurements as necessary

Boil the sweet potatoes in a pot until they are soft and tender. Take them out of the water and let them cool in a large bowl (you will use this same bowl to mix all of your ingredients).
Once the sweet potatoes are cool break them apart, removing the skin. Add your butter and mix well. Follow up with the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and milk. Mix all ingredients well but make sure that the filling is still a bit lumpy. This will ensure that you have a thicker filling when it is ready to eat!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take your pie crust and poke holes on the bottom and sides of the crust to make air holes so that the pie can breathe when baking. Before placing the filling in the pie crust, place the pie crust in the oven for 3-5 minutes and remove from oven. Place filling into the pie crust and place on oven rack. Bake at 350 for about 50mins to an hour. Let pie cool and get ready to enjoy this down home southern warmth of goodness!

Roni's Savory Collard Greens

As a soul food addict, I can cook and eat collard greens everyday of the week! Growing up as a child I would watch my mother prepare a Sunday evening soul food dinner. I would add my two cents by always chopping up the onions and celery and picking the greens for my mom. Little did I know that while these daunting tasks, in my mind, got in the way of watching my Saturday morning and afternoon cartoons, my mom was teaching me a skill that will last for generations to come! Version of collard greens vary from family to family, but remain a staple among the soul food dish list of “Black folk” across the nation. Here is my spin on of my favorite type of “green”!!

Bacon (or whatever your choice of smoked meat is)
Yellow or red onion (your choice)
6 garlic cloves (sometimes I use more!)
5-10lbs of collard greens
Seasoning salt or soul food seasoning
4 tbsp of canola oil

Cut up your bacon and dice your onion. Heat oil in the same pot that you will cook your greens (this should be a large pot - stock or regular) in. When the oil is hot place the bacon and onions in the pot and cook until the onions are tender and the bacon is golden brown. Add approximately 4-6 cups (depending on the size of your pot). This will become the stock for your greens (some people like to add chicken stock, but this will definitely work out the same if not better!) Place the greens in the pot and cook uncovered until the greens cook down a bit. Cover and cook over medium heat 3 hours. During the last hour add your garlic; (whole or chopped up) reduce temperature to a simmer and cover. Add salt pepper to taste. There you have it...enjoy!

Cooking it Real

Growing up in a southern kitchen, being surrounding by good food was something that was second nature to me. Now when I say a "southern kitchen", I don't mean literally speaking. You see, my mother is from the south and as her own flesh and blood I naturally inherited some of the customs, traditions and some would even say the southern drawl! However, the thing that stands out the most from my "southern" upbringing is my undying love for cooking and of course eating! Therefore, sit back and enjoy the feast that will be prepared for your very own enjoyment!

Join me as I share some of my favorite soul food dishes and many more with a little V "umph" added to them. As the description of the blog says "from delicious soul food favorites to Moroccan cuisine and everything in between!" V's Kitchen is sure to leave your mouth watering for more!

VMH