From Mama's Table to Mine (4 page)
Read From Mama's Table to Mine Online
Authors: Bobby Deen
Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, feta, scallions, sour cream, and House Seasoning and stir well. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture and top with the Parmesan. Place the mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the topping is golden.
After: 5g fat, 85 calories
6g protein | 4g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 157mg sodium
You need a soft touch in removing the stems from white mushrooms so you don’t tear into your mushroom caps. I suggest using a gentle back-and-forth motion on the stem until it literally pops out. You want those mushroom caps intact so they provide a clean little bowl for your filling. To clean mushrooms, never soak them in water. They are very porous, so you don’t want them filling up with water. If they aren’t too dirty, just give them a gentle wipe with a dry paper towel. For dirtier mushrooms, go ahead and use a damp paper towel.
While you can certainly buy a bottle of our Paula Deen House Seasoning, it’s also really easy to make up yourself. Here’s the recipe, y’all. I highly recommend you add it to your spice collection.
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Makes 1½ cups.
Makes 40 / Serves 8
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, ricotta, raisins, salt, and pepper and mix gently. Roll into forty 1-inch meatballs.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Set the meatballs aside on a plate.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and vinegar and bring to a gentle boil. Return the meatballs to the pan and cook, stirring carefully to coat with sauce, for 5 minutes, until cooked through. Serve the meatballs in small bowls topped with a generous amount of the sauce and a sprinkling of the parsley.
After: 2g fat, 121 calories
12g protein | 12g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 273mg sodium
I think I’m gonna surprise y’all with this little fact. Raisins are something of a nutritional powerhouse. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, are high in fiber, low in sodium, and are a natural source of sugar. I love them in these meatballs. They add just the right amount of sweetness to the dish.
Serves 12 (about 3 riblets per person)
Using a sharp knife, cut and pull the white membrane from the bony side of the rack of ribs. Season the ribs all over with the salt and pepper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
In a small bowl, make the glaze by stirring together the molasses, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, and garlic until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Place the ribs, bony side down, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1½ hours. Uncover and brush the ribs lightly with half of the prepared glaze. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes. Baste with the remaining glaze and continue to bake until the rib meat is very tender and the glaze is sticky, about 15 minutes more. Test for doneness by poking a fork between the bones. If the fork inserts easily, the ribs are done. Let them stand for 10 minutes before cutting them into individual ribs.
After: 28g fat, 320 calories
19g protein | 4g carbohydrate | 0g fiber | 415mg sodium
SO COMFORTING, TASTY, AND WARM—soup is the ultimate one-pot meal, packed with protein and vitamins, and, most important, satisfying flavor. My favorite meal after a good workout is piping-hot soup. Just one hearty bowl has the power to replace all the nutrients I’ve worked off at the gym, without making me feel stuffed.
I make sure I always have homemade soup in the fridge or freezer. That way I’m not tempted to pick up a canned soup at the market. Canned soups tend to contain lots of sodium, something I’m really trying to cut down on in my diet. If I’ve made the soup, I know exactly what’s gone into it. The fact is, soups are so easy to make and they go a good long way. I like to call them my fridge and pantry cleaners. Whatever I’ve got on hand goes right into the pot. And when I make soup, I make loads of it. Tell me, who doesn’t like soup even better when it’s served the next day, having given the flavors time to build? What’s not to love about a meal that cooks up all in one pot? Less washing up means more quality time spent on the things I love to do.
Beyond what’s in the fridge and pantry, soup should be about what’s fresh and looks good at the market. Come the months of November and December when squash is so plentiful and inexpensive it’s practically being given away, I like to enjoy
Secret Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup
. Sweet and creamy, it’s like a warm blanket on a cold winter day. And my secret ingredient gives this soup an extra kick of protein. But you’ll just have to wait until you turn to that recipe to find out what that is.
A sentimental favorite soup of mine is
Jack’s Corn Chowder
. I make a lighter version of the soup my Mama created for my brother Jamie’s son Jack. But don’t be fooled. It may be named for my little nephew because it’s his favorite, but this soup is definitely not child’s play. It will satisfy even the most discerning adult appetite. It was a cinch to lighten up because it turned out I didn’t need the cream or flour to thicken it up. Potatoes make a great no-fat soup thickener. As a result, this soup is packed with flavor but has way fewer calories and cholesterol.
From the most humble foods come the most delicious soups. Inexpensive cuts of meat that positively fall apart, earthy root vegetables, and aromatic spices—these are the ingredients that make soups that are bursting with flavor. When you’ve got homemade soup in the house, why, you’ve got yourself a warm hug just waiting for you every time you open the fridge.
Serves 4
To make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Pour the baking mix into a medium bowl and use your hands to incorporate the butter substitute until the mixture has the consistency of sand. Add the milk and ¼ cup of the Cheddar. Stir together to incorporate, then knead with the palm of your hand 4 to 5 times to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll and pat into a 4 by 6-inch rectangle. Cut into six 2-inch squares, place on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet, and top with the remaining ¼ cup cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut each piece into 4 squares to give you 24 croutons.
To make the soup: Spray a nonstick soup pot with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, evaporated milk, basil, marjoram, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the soup using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Serve topped with the croutons.
After: 5g fat, 224 calories
12g protein | 35g carbohydrate | 4g fiber | 504mg sodium
If you haven’t already got an immersion blender, I highly recommend picking yourself up one. It is inexpensive and superhandy for pureeing soups, mixing up batters, and whipping up quick smoothies (a great pre-workout energy booster). And since it blends right there in the pot or bowl your ingredients are sitting in, it means less mess.
