“Everything’s a big deal. My brother played football and we always had a football kick-off party. We celebrate everything,” said Lara Lyn Carter, cookbook author of “Southern Thymes Shared.”
Carter, who also hosts “Savor the Good Life” on WALB-TV in Albany, Ga., shared her recipe for Black Beans Salsa during a cooking class at Somethin’s Cookin’, 93 E. 11th St. in Panama City. The “crowd pleaser” is part of the football kick off party section in her cookbook, which is available at Somethin’s Cookin’.
“This will actually be better tomorrow. It makes a lot. I use half as a dip and then strain it the next day and roll it in a flour tortilla with mozzarella and put it on a panini press and have a vegetarian taco. You can put it on taco salad, too,” said Carter, also likes to put fish or chicken in foil with the salsa on top and set it on the grill.
She rolled the lime with her hand on the counter before juicing it.
“If a lime is not very juicy, you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds,” she said.
The salsa is not spicy, but you can add a little heat with fresh jalapenos. I love fresh cilantro, but if you don’t, you can use parsley instead.
“Cilantro is either something you love or hate,” Carter admitted. “When I have my own vegetable garden, I have canned my own canned tomatoes. You could do fresh, just not so much juice. You can easily add avocados to that, too. This is designed to be super easy, 5-minute prep. It keeps three to five days in the refrigerator, but it never goes that long. It is gone before that.”
Walt Abbott shares his smoking ideas for tailgate fare during More Smoking with Walt at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 13 at Somethin’s Cookin’. He starts with a variety of smoked sausage, while he demonstrates brining, cleaning meat, smoking and saucing, and always has plenty for his cooking class guests to eat. (Reservations and pricing: 769-8979.)
We have used Smoky Walt’s Rub at home as a flavorful addition to smoked chicken and pork ribs. The seasoning blend (brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, paprika, onion powder, chili powder and other herbs and spices), which Abbott sells at the gourmet cooking shop, is mild enough to please all ages.
Smoking meat is done “low and slow,” while more impromptu gatherings call for quicker preparation.
On Tuesday, Somethin’s Cookin’ owner Hannelore Holland served a pork slider special at the bistro, where she also will serve them Wednesday for lunch.
Her recipe for Chi Cha Pork can be served on little rolls for a different take on sliders.
“We serve ours topped with our coleslaw, vinegar-based,”
Though the recipe says it is best to marinate the pork overnight or at least two hours,
As an alternative, the recipe also can be served as a meal. Saute ½ red pepper, cut into strips, two thinly sliced green onions and 2 julienned carrots in a wok and serve with the pork over rice.
“You can use any vegetable — snow peas or broccoli,”
Yi Lynne Weber, who appeared on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” on Aug. 17, has a reputation for putting unique and tasty twists on comfort treats. If you are looking for a little heat, Weber kicks bacon wrapped shrimp up a notch with her recipe for Bacon Wrapped Firecracker Shrimp Poppers.
“I love the combination of the smoky bacon, spicy jalapenos and sweet pineapples. This is a great twist on traditional jalapeño poppers,” said Weber, who added, “These are so easy and they taste great.”
Black Beans Salsa
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 16-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes with peppers
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Let rest for two to three hours to allow flavors to blend.
Serve with chips or as a side dish.
Source: Lara Lyn Carter, “Southern Thymes Shared”
Chi Cha Pork Sliders
1 pork tenderloin, cleaned
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Robert Rothschilds Honey Sesame Sauce
Make marinade with ketchup, hoisin sauce, sugar and honey sesame sauce. Cut pork into thin slices and marinate in the refrigerator (best overnight or at least two hours).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line jelly roll pan or roasting pan with foil. Place pork on it and bake for 10 minutes on one side, turn over and bake another 10 minutes.
Slice and serve on little rolls with vinegar-based coleslaw.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
Bacon Wrapped Firecracker Shrimp Poppers
20 jalapeños
20 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Blackened seasoning
20 pieces center cut bacon
½ cup cream cheese
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple. Drained reserving ½ cup of pineapple juice
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
Pineapple glaze: Combine pineapple juice with ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Combine in saucepan and heat over medium heat till reduced by half.
Cut a slit down the jalapeños and scrape out the seeds. Season the shrimp with the blackened seasoning. Combine ½ cup drained pineapple with cream cheese in a bowl.
fill the jalapeños ½ full with cream cheese and pineapple filling, and add one shrimp inside each. Wrap with a piece of bacon and secure with toothpick.
Cook bacon-wrapped shrimp poppers on grill for a couple minutes, then start brushing with the glaze. It will start to caramelize on the bacon and seal everything inside. It should take about 10-20 minutes total on the grill.
Source: Yi Lynne Weber, E. Street Cafe