Southern food...any suggestions?

[PA Baker]

growing up in the Midwest (home of Jello salad).

I have to laugh at this one, mud! One time, when we were having a mini family reunion with all of my MI family, my cousin-in-law who isn't originally from there leaned over to me and said "This is the only place I can go where every time we have salad it doesn't contain anything green!"

Actually, she's a bit wrong--if it's a fancy meal, they'll put a lettuce leaf under the jello or cottage cheese!

 

[mudbug]

LOL, PA. yes, that's called "presentation", pronounced pree-zen-tay-shun!

 

[choclatechef]

I don't think of any of these as particularly southern. Ate tons of all of them growing up in the Midwest (home of Jello salad).

Well, you know that southern/soul food has spread across the nation, so it is not surprising you would feel this way.

But in my family, somebody had better bring the potato salad or the coleslaw or folks will be ticked off!

 

[mudbug]

You are probably quite right, as usual, choc. BTW, where you grew up, was it common to serve spaghetti with a fish fry? Handy Husband ate that a lot at cookouts with black friends and their families.

 

[htc]

I talked to the host and he has said that a bunch of other people are bringing tons of food, so he has requested that I make something "light". I don't know if that's possible when we talk about Southern food.

Anyways, nobody has signed up for dessert, so I told him that I would make dessert. My first thought was red velvet cake. Just because I could then practice my cake decorating skills. But then he asked for something "light", I don't think red velvet cake is light, but maybe red velvet cupcakes could be considered "light"? It would also fit the bill of making something and having it completely ready to grab and go for the day of the party.
Anyone have dessert better options?

p.s thanks a bunch for all the suggestions, it gave me some great ideas!

 

[choclatechef]

You are probably quite right, as usual, choc. BTW, where you grew up, was it common to serve spaghetti with a fish fry? Handy Husband ate that a lot at cookouts with black friends and their families.

Oh yeah mud!

All of the time I see spaghetti at fish fries!
I don't know why, we just do!

 

[abjcooking]

Southern desserts are usually pretty heavy from what I've had. Maybe you could go with a salad (not green, but like a jello). If I have any recipes at home that jump out at me I will post them for you.

 

[Raine]

Here is a light pecan pie.


Classic Pecan Pie

To pack lots of pecans in the filling, we kept the fat in this easy piecrust to a minimum, resulting in a biscuitlike crust.


Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 large egg
4 large egg whites
1 cup light or dark-colored corn syrup
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add milk and butter; toss with a fork until moist.
Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, to an 11-inch circle. Freeze 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the filling, beat the egg and the next 4 ingredients (egg through 1/4 teaspoon salt) at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Stir in the pecan halves and the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Bake the pie at 350° for 20 minutes, then cover with foil. Bake the pie an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool pie on a wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES 288 (29% from fat); FAT 9.2g (satfat 1.5g, monofat 5.1g, polyfat 2g); PROTEIN 4.3g; CARBOHYDRATE 48.1g; FIBER 1g; CHOLESTEROL 25mg; IRON 1.1mg; SODIUM 253mg; CALCIUM 52mg;

 

[Raine]

Peach Cobbler


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
6 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
6 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 3 3/4 pounds)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 to 3 times. Add butter pieces; pulse 10 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball).

Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle. Slightly overlap 2 lengths of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional lengths of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 15 x 13-inch rectangle. Place in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed; remove top sheets. Fit dough, uncovered side down, into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edges ; remove remaining plastic wrap.

Combine peaches, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl; toss gently. Spoon into prepared dish; fold edges of dough over peach mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over mixture; sprinkle with almonds.

Combine egg and water in a small bowl. Brush egg mixture over dough; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is lightly browned. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 10 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 302(27% from fat); FAT 9.2g(sat 1.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 39mg; SODIUM 149mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE

 

[PA Baker]

I like your idea of making red velvet cupcakes. If not that, though, what about strawberry shortcake? I know it's pretty universal, but isn't it considered a southern dessert?

 

[crewsk]

I was thinking strawberry shortcake too PA. Here are 2 other desserts that are on the lighter side.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3 Minute Cobbler- It only takes 3 minutes to mix up! [/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/2C. butter or margarine
1C. flour
1C. granulated sugar
2teaspoons baking powder
3/4C. milk
1/4teaspoon salt
1 16 ounce can fruit pie filling or fruit

Melt butter in a casserole dish. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, & salt until all lumps are gone.(A wire whisk is best for this.) Dump the fruit on top, but don't stir it in. Bake for 1 hour at 350 deg.

[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Strawberry Pie [/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3Tablespoons strawberry gelatin
1C. sugar
3Tablespoons cornstarch
pinch salt
1C. water
3 drops red food coloring(optional)
3C. sliced strawberries
1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Combine gelatin, sugar, cornstarch, & salt to make a paste with 1/8C. of the water. Set aside. Boil the remaining 7/8C. of the water & gradually add the paste, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Cook until thickened. Cool for 2 hours. Arrange sliced strawberries in pie shell. Stir food coloring into cooled glazed & pour over strawberries. Cool completely ; chill. Top slices with whipped cream.

[/font]

 

[norgeskog]

Hi, I'm going to a potluck and the theme is Southern food. Any suggestions? I need it to be a dish I can completely prepare the night before since I have to work the day of the party.

Any ideas??

IF you get FoodTV watch Paula Dean, she is VERY southern and it is strong in her food. I always think of fried chicken as being southern

 

[Dove]

Crewsky!!
That Cobbler Recipe was given to me by a friend in 1959. I was handed down in his family by his grandmother who was elderley and lived in Georgia. She used (and so do I) a large can of peaches heated with the 1/4 cup of sugar until it it melted.And not a cup of sugar in the rest but 3/4 cup or it will be too sweet. and 1 cup of milk.This is my family's most favoriate dessert.
I use a wire wisk to blend the ing.before adding the peaches.

This is more like a pudding cobbler...

 

[lindatooo]

I've been on a 'succotash salad' kick lately - it's great, pretty, and easy to make - and you can do it the day before!


1 pkg. frozen baby lima beans
1 pkg. frozen butter peas or butter beans or crowder peas
1 pkg frozen baby sweet corn (I use the white and yellow mixed)
1/2 cup each minced green, yellow and red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion or scallion

Dressing -

1/3 cup sherry or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves minced garlic



mmmmmmmmmm that sounds awfully good....gonna have to do that!

Whisk all that up well to dissolve the honey and salt, then add 2/3 cup olive oil, and whisk to emulsify. Pour over the veggies, toss well, cover and let sit overnight.

That sounds awfully good - gonna have to make this!

Thanks!

 

[crewsk]

Crewsky!!
That Cobbler Recipe was given to me by a friend in 1959. I was handed down in his family by his grandmother who was elderley and lived in Georgia. She used (and so do I) a large can of peaches heated with the 1/4 cup of sugar until it it melted.And not a cup of sugar in the rest but 3/4 cup or it will be too sweet. and 1 cup of milk.This is my family's most favoriate dessert.
I use a wire wisk to blend the ing.before adding the peaches.

This is more like a pudding cobbler...

Cool! I got this one from a lady I used to go to church with. I don't know how long it's been around but she was 103 when she passed away a few years ago. My family loves it too! I normally have to make one for my dad with blackberries for his birthday. Since he & my mom are on a diet I didn't make him one this year.

 

[Dove]

We call it Georgia Cobbler since it is so different than the one people usually make..Wonder if way back when, this is the one that they made over the campfires..???.
also if splenda could be used instead of sugar...hmmmm

 

[crewsk]

I don't see why Splenda couldn't be used.

 

[PA Baker]

I agree with crewsk--they say that Splenda can be substituted equally for sugar in just about any recipe, so I'd say to give it a try and enjoy!