Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese with Panko Bread Crumbs

 

There is nothing more delightful than Mac and Cheese. A basic hearty and savory confection filled with childhood memories. The smell of the kitchen, The warm cheesy gooey, buttery goodness and the crunch of the bread crumb topping.

Well…with that being said and I think I have your attention? Here is my version of the “Classic” with a country twist…Smoked Sausage and Panko Bread crumbs.

The Ingredients: Smoked Sausage, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Milk, Sour cream, Macaroni, butter, Panko Bread crumbs and Aunt Cora’s Soulful Seasoning…Simple

Boil noodles in Salt water and shred cheddar. Combine the Cheddar, milk and sour cream in a sauce pan over low heat and whisk together.(keep heat low not to break sauce) Reserve some the cheddar for topping.

Cut up Smoked sausage into small cubes and combine with well drained noodles in ramekins. When cheese sauce is ready pour over macaroni and sausage, top with additional cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle with Aunt Cora’s.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake for about twenty minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

By J. Harold Strudwick… “The Soulful Traveler”

Naan Bread Pizza

 

I have been making these Pizza’s for a while now and finally after many request for something so simple and fun I acquiesced. There are several recipes that you can use and I have a few…but for this recipe I will show you the “Rustic”…I call it that because of the few ingredients needed and we all have them at home.

Naan Bread, Chopped Black Olives, Hamburger, onions, sour cream, Spiced Tomatoes, Olive oil Sharp and Vermont white cheddar cheese. (Simple)..

Place the Naan bread on a sheet tray or pizza Stone. Brown the Hamburger and add seasonings that fit your taste. (spicy, Italian, Creole and so on) Shred the cheese, slice the onion and drain the can of tomatoes. Once the prep is done (about 10 minutes) you are ready to start building your Naan Bread pizza.

Start with spreading a generous amount of sour cream on the Naan Bread, followed by cheese, Hamburger, spiced tomatoes, sliced onion and more cheese. Place in a 375 degree oven for about fifteen minutes….melt, brown and serve. Enjoy with a friend.

Herb Encrusted Pork Shoulder

This is a very simple recipe…. and always a favorite savory rustic pork presentation.

The ingredients:

1. One pork shoulder with the Fat cap and bone in.
2. Hawaiian Salt 1/2 cup
3. Coarse Black pepper 1/4 cup
4. Chopped Garlic 1/4 cup
5. Horseradish mustard 1/2 cup
6. Mixed Herbs of your choice.

Place Pork Shoulder in a roasting pan fat side up. In a bowl add salt, pepper, Garlic and horseradish mustard. Mix into a paste and rub onto meat with the fat cap up. Chop 1 onion, two potatoes, a tomato and place in the roasting pan. In a preheated 450 Degree oven roast covered for an hour, reduce temp to 250 and roast another 2 hours. Perfect pork Shoulder……Done

“The Soulful Traveler” J. Harold Strudwick

“Iron Skillet Family history in food”

If you have inherited one of these from a relative that cooked all the time with Love and soul,you are truly blessed with some down home family history.

If you earned yours through kitchen time and seasoning,.. well lets just say you know the value of a non stick”Skillet” and how it came to be.

Pass it on to the next generation with all the history you create feeding your family in a life time.
The “Skillet will be here long after you are gone and so will the food memories and recipes that you attach to it.

The “Skillet” a forged iron history of Soulful family recipe’s both past and present with thoughts of the hands that used them.. including mine….

The “Soulful Traveler”

Soulful Sunday by “The Soulful Traveler”

Sweet Heat Balsamic BBQ Roasted Wings

Fry “Daddy”…..National Fried Chicken Day. Whats your recipe? Here is mine.

Everybody loves fried chicken! The Crunchy taste of soul and the savory succulence of every meaty bite. I am a Thigh and leg man myself but for all that love the breast…well I like those too. Even the part “That last flew over the fence”.

The first person who fried chicken opened a Pandora’s box of umami that reaches all cultures and peoples of today. Whether you use Crisco, wesson, Peanut oil, Flour, Mochiko or Panko Bread crumbs, or a combination …one things for sure Chickens have been prime table fare ever since unless they learn to fly like the chickens in Hawaii. (hahahaha)

This goes out to all “Fry Daddy’s and Mama’s” who use the “Deathtouch” of a master when dispatching and preparing the bird.

Recipe

Whole country cut up chicken soaked in buttermilk overnight.

Dredge in seasoned flour. “The Secret”…Aunt Cora’s soulful seasoning….be generous. Black pepper to taste.

Wesson oil or Crisco…medium to medium high heat.

Fry until Golden brown (turn only once) remove when fluid runs clear and let rest on a raised rack in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove and chow down with your favorite sides.

J. Harold Strudwick, “The Soulful Traveler”

Fried Green Tomatoes “Southern Basics”

By J Harold Strudwick

There is not much thought that goes into this recipe other than the sheer enjoyment of the flavors and smell in the kitchen. The sweet floral scent of spring green tomatoes, salt, pepper and p-nut oil frying away. The drizzle of clover honey over hot fried tomatoes straight out of the pan gives them that sweet and salty taste that is to die for. Once again a simple recipe with southern style.

Ingredients:

Two Green Tomatoes, 1 cup of Flour, 1 egg (egg Wash), Natures seasoning to taste, p-nut oil or Crisco and Clover honey.

Slice the tomatoes not to thick and not to thin. Create the egg wash set aside. Mix flour with a generous amount of Natures seasoning. Dredge tomatoes in flour mixture…shake off excess, dip in egg wash and back in flour…Repeat for all tomato slices. Pre-heat oil to medium heat and fry tomatoes until they are golden on both sides. Remove from oil to a paper towel. While still hot serve with a drizzle of clover honey. Done….

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BlackBerry Barbecue Sauce and Marinade

By J Harold Strudwick

A lot my friends have been asking for this recipe and out of respect, I feel no good or great recipe should go unshared. Friends not unlike family become stronger and bonded when we share our knowledge and wisdom whether it be about food, life or how to fix a transmission on a 68 Buick wildcat all of which I have some knowledge about….This sauce is deep rich, colorful and sweet. It has the aromas and flavors of late spring berry picking and early summer honey. I hope you enjoy.

The ingredients:

1/4 cup Blackberry Jam, 1/4 Cup of Molasses, 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 Cup of packed brown sugar, 1/4 Cup of Worcestershire Sauce, two cloves of chopped garlic, 1/4 Cup of Apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of Soy Sauce, tsp. of black pepper, and 1 tsp. of smoked chili powder. Combine in a glass bowl and whisk to emulsify. Allow to steep over night, the flavors meld and intensify.

This can be a marinade or a  BBQ sauce. For a marinade leave as is and cover your choice of meat . for a BBQ sauce….place in a sauce pan and reduce. The flavors will become very intense. Reduce on low to medium heat as to not scorch because of the sugar content. Enjoy!

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Blackened Catfish, Yellow dinner grits with okra and tomatoes.

If there is one southern favorite that any one can enjoy its catfish. I remember taking my son catfishing on the Ohio river we had a great day of fellowship and bonding between father and son. The memories and laughs will last a life time. Watching our poles bend under the stress of dinner trying to get away and reeling in the big ones to meet their culinary demise.

This spicy recipe reminds me of how special that time really was…

Yellow dinner grits…you should know this by now if not use white rice…

1 to 2 pounds of catfish fresh caught or store bought depending on how adventurous you are. Drizzle with olive oil, Season with Aunt Cora’s Soulful seasoning, Cayenne pepper and black pepper to desired heat profile. (some like it hot!) Simple…Place on a sheet pan and broil until flesh is firm but not dry. Keep your eye on the prize!

Clean and cut about 20 pieces of okra and 1 heirloom tomato large dice. Place in a small sauce pan with 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, tsp. sugar, with salt and pepper to taste. Also add 1 clove of garlic minced. Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until tender.

Plate your cheesy grits or rice remove fish and place on grits top with okra and tomatoes and you are ready to eat.

		Catfish…. VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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