Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

This is good, I mean really good!



This rub did not let me down.  It’s a fragrant, spicy rub, which was a winner for us, and is now my favorite rub for chicken.
For even cooking on the grill, I pounded the chicken until it all had the same thickness.  Then I pressed the rub into the chicken and let it set for about 10 minutes before Bill started grilling it. 
I know next to nothing about cooking on the grill ~ you’re on your own with that.  But, I have to tell you; while the chicken was cooking, Bill called me out on the deck to get a whiff of the aroma drifting in the air outside.  Ummm, mmm!!!  It smelled divine!
This rub is so tasty and spicy, with just a little heat; it rendered the chicken darn near perfect.  It was a hit for us!


Chicken Breasts with a Spicy Rub
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon ground oregano 2 teaspoons garlic powder ½ teaspoon dry mustard 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper Parsley, for garnish 4 boneless, skinless chicke…

No matter how you say it, “potato” or “Po-TAH-to,” it makes me happy, happy!


Potatoes go back to 500 B.C. when the Incas grew them, ate them and worshipped them.  They even buried potatoes with their dead, and hid them in concealed bins in case of famine or war, and dried them to carry on their long journeys.  It all makes sense to me…
Heaven to me is a large baked potato, topped with a little butter and salt and pepper or this dish of baked potatoes, which is a traditional French dish, adapted from a recipe by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin for a “golden potato pancake.”  It may not be pretty, but it’s heavenly delicious!



Pommes de Terre Byron
Ingredients:
3 pounds of russet (Idaho) potatoes, about 5 large 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper ½ cup crème fraicheor sour cream 2 ounces grated Gruyère cheese (about 2/3 cup)
Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

I’m a little late to the Red Velvet Party, but I’ve arrived with a tray of delicious cupcakes…

Supposedly, Red Velvet Cake was first made at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the 1920’s; however, according to Southerner’s, it may have been a southern thing long before then.  Many years later, in 1989, a resurgence of the cake’s popularity was attributed to the film, “Steel Magnolias,” in which the groom’s cake was a red velvet cake in the shape of an armadillo (a southern tradition.)
These cupcakes have just the correct amount of chocolate in them and are springy and light, exactly the way I like a cupcake.  And, the cream cheese frosting on top is, “just like icing on a cake!” 


Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1½ cups granulated sugar 1 (1-ounce) bottle red liquid food coloring 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter 2 large eggs 1 cup …

The butcher had thick meaty pork chops on display the other day, which were begging me to stuff them and bake them, so I eagerly obliged.



This is a savory bread stuffing, that helps the chops retain their moistness, making them tender when baked.  They’re easy to prepare, they make a great presentation, and most everyone thinks they’re delicious. 


During the holidays, I might add dried cherries, chopped apples, Triple Sec, Italian sausage and maybe even chopped pecans. Stuffed pork chops are simple for everyday fare, and special enough for guests.  Juicy thick-cut stuffed pork chops…yum!




Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter 4 (1½ inch thick) pork chops 2 cups bread crumbs ¼ cup chopped onions ¼ cup chopped celery ½ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper 1/8 to ¼ cup vegetable broth
Method:
Melt butter in a medium hot skillet and add celery and onions. Sauté until soft. Remove from heat and add seasonings, combining well. Mix in breadcrumbs and …

Lima beans just don’t get the respect they deserve! They have been demonized as a bland legume ~ the butt of many a joke.  And, I am here to extol their virtues…



I think they’re delicious, even with just a little salt and pepper, nothing more. When cooked, lima beans are soft and mild with a creamy texture on the inside. They have an earthy-like nutty flavor.Plus, they’re healthy for us, containing fiber, protein and many minerals.Perhaps, the folks who dislike them have only experienced the canned, mushy lima beans, found on grocery shelves?

Should you be a lima bean non-believer, hopefully this recipe with will change your mind!  The sour cream adds a little tang, the pimento adds color, and if you want to save some calories, substitute low-fat sour cream.  





As a fan of the late Nora Ephron, you may remember in her semi-autobiographical novel, “Heartburn,” her bizarre recipe for lima beans and pears.  As much as I love lima beans, I would never, ever try that dish, as I loathe pears…

Li…