Kickin Sausage Gravy

Cajun Country Kickin' Sausage Gravy

Description

Some people say that making gravy is an art, a mystical science best left to chefs and grandmas. I say they are wrong! With this simple technic anyone can make a good sausage gravy. I like mine with a little bite but you can temper the seasonings to your taste. Try this on top of my Buckeye Biscuits covered with some over-easy eggs for a hearty well-rounded comfort breakfast, mmmm yummm!

　

Ingredients:

1 pounds sausage

1/2 cup self rising flour
(you can use all-purpose flour with 1/4 teaspoon baking powder added)

1/4 gallon milk (4-6 cups)

1/4 stick butter or margarine

1/4 tablespoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Suggested Seasonings:

dash of teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (couple dashes)

dash of cumin

　

Directions:

1. Brown and crumble sausage in a pan.
2. While preparing sausage, pour milk in a large saucer with 1/4 stick of butter and set heat to med high. (You can also add your seasonings now or wait till you have added the flour)
3. Add crumbled sausage to milk.
4. In a bowl put flour. add enough cold milk to make a thick paste (about the consistency of cookie dough) stir vigorously to remove any lumps at least 2 minutes.
5. Slowly add a cup milk to thin it out into a thin watery syrup like thick pancake syrup.
6. As soon as milk in pot begins to bubble or boil start stirring milk and slowly pour in the flour/milk mixture. stir constantly till all the mixture is added or it is the desired thickness and consistency you want. I usually don't use quit all of the flour/milk mix.
7. If you haven't done so already, Add seasonings (to taste) while stirring.
8. Let slow simmer for a couple minutes and reduce heat to warm.

Your gravy is ready.

　

Notes:

Don't go overboard with black pepper as the cayenne pepper adds bite to the black pepper with the garlic slightly mellowing out the flavor. The added cumin rounds out the flavor for a sausage gravy with some kick. Of course you can flavor to your taste.

　

　

CORN MEAL MUSH (FRIED POLENTA) OR GRITS

SIMPLE CORNMEAL MUSH OR GRITS

NOTES

this recipe works for grits or mush, double the recipe for one bread loaf pan of mush

　

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 t salt

　

DIRECTIONS

pour 2 cups water and the salt into a pan and bring to boil. while waiting for the water to boil, pour 1 cup cold water into a bowl. pour the cornmeal into the bowl and mix with the cold water till it is a creamy texture with no lumps. when the water on the stove is boiling turn the heat to medium high, slowly stir in the cold water/cornmeal mixture. continuously stir for about 5 minutes and then remove from heat.


FOR MUSH:

spray the loaf pan with non stick cooking spray and pour the mixture into it. cover with plastic wrap and let it set overnight in the fridge.

to prepare slice about half inch thick and fry in butter, dont turn over till first side is crisp.
serve with maple syrup, butter,  or gravy... or your favorite toppings

FOR GRITS:

serve in a bowl with your favorite additions. milk, brown sugar, jam, honey, butter, maple syrup

Buckeye Biscuits

EZ Buckeye Biscuits

Only 4 ingredients! Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside! These are so easy to make it should be outlawed! Try this with my Sausage Gravy for an awesome breakfast. This makes about 8 large biscuits.

 

Ingredients

• 2 c. Self-Rising Flower (or 2 c. all-purpose flour with 2 1/2 t. baking powder)
• 1/2 c. (8 T.) Butter Flavored Shortening
• 1 T. white sugar (or Sugar Sub)
• 3/4 C. Buttermilk (or buttermilk sub. - 1 c. milk and 1 T white vinegar)

 

optional seasonings:

dash of garlic

dash of black pepper

small dash of cayenne or red pepper

dash of cumin

 Directions

If making buttermilk substitute mix in a cup or small bowl and let stand.

In a medium sized mixing bowl:

1. Cut shortening into flour till grainy texture with pastry cutter (or fork or 2 knives).
2. Add Sugar and Salt and mix thoroughly.
3. With a large spoon mix in buttermilk, but only stir enough to mix ingredients thoroughly.
4. Do Not Over Knead or mix the Dough!!

Dough should be slightly sticky and separate from the sides of the bowl and start wrapping around your stir utensil, but not 'gloppy' add more flour if necessary. If it is to dry like bread dough, add a tablespoon or less of milk. try not to mix more than absolutely necessary. over mixing causes tough biscuits.

Preparation

Drop Biscuits:

Drop biscuits into very lightly greased pan by the heaping tablespoon about 3/4 inch apart. Try to imagine about 1/4 cup per biscuit.

 

Bake At 350-375 till golden on the bottom and slightly brown on the top - or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

 

Butter Biscuits: (or sandwich style)

Lightly sprinkle flour on a large cutting board, and roll out dough about 3/4 to 1 inch inch thick.

 

Cut out biscuits with wide mouth mason jar or similar sized pastry or cookie cutter. Do not twist the cutter when cutting the dough.

 

Lightly grease pan with butter, pam, or margarine and place biscuits in pan about 1 inch apart.

 

Melt some butter and baste the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. You can skip this step till the biscuits are done if you wish. Or just spray a squirt of PAM directly on top of each biscuit...

 

Bake At 350-375 till slightly golden brown tops or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Remove (and baste with butter if you haven't done so already).

 

enjoy!

Disclaimer: All recipes on my blog are created by me through experimentation and trial and error. I can make no guarantee as to how the end result will turn out for you. They may not be copied or printed for any reason without permission. You may use this recipe for your own personal use only!

WaffleCakes (Made from Scratch Pancakes)

WaffleCakes - The best made from scratch pancakes you will ever eat!

This recipe borrows techniques from malted waffle recipes making the outside with a slight crunch and a fluffy inside. This is why I have named them wafflecakes. The key is to properly prepare the ingredients and in frying the pancake. Delicious!

Legend

• T. = tablespoon
• t. = teaspoon
• c. = cup

Tools And Utensils

1. Medium-sized mixing bowl
2. 2 Small mixing bowls
3. 4 c. or larger 'pourable spout' pitcher, cup, or bowl
4. Egg Beater
5. Mixing Spoon
6. Measuring cup
7. Measuring spoons

Ingredients (Regular)

Note: The primary best flavor ingredients are listed first with alternative ingredients listed afterward in order of preference. Be aware that using substitute or alternate ingredients may and probably will alter the flavor.

• 2 c. self-rising flour

(or 2 c. all-purpose flour with 1/4 t. baking soda - See notes under buttermilk)

• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk

(or buttermilk substitute - 1 1/4 c. milk with 1 T white vinegar) 
(or plain grade A milk is ok also)
Note: If you are using plain milk (without vinegar) and all-purpose flour you should use 2 1/2 t. baking powder instead of the 1/4 t. baking soda, or add 1 t. cream of tartar to the baking soda. There is no need for baking powder (only 1/4 t. baking soda) if you use vinegar or buttermilk in the recipe. (My preference is real low-fat buttermilk for best taste and consistency)

• 2 extra large eggs

(or 3 small eggs)

• 3 T. white granulated sugar
• 2 T. melted unsalted butter

(or 2 T. melted margarine)
(or 2 T. vegetable oil)

• 1/2 t. vanilla flavoring
• 1/2 t. white table salt
• 1/8 t. (dash) cinnamon
• 1/8 t. (dash) allspice

(or for a treat try a dash of pumpkin spice)

Ingredients (Healthy Alternative)

Note: You should be aware that using these ingredients will drastically alter the flavor of the final product. You can of course use your own substitute ingredients as you wish.

• 2 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour (try Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 1/2 t. baking powder (don't use Calumet, Great Value or Clabber Girl, try Rumford Alum Free)

Note: Your best and safest bet is to make your own baking powder using 1/4 t. baking soda and 1/2 t. cream of tartar for every Tablespoon of baking powder. You must use some form of baking powder if you use a non-buttermilk/milk substitute. If you choose to use buttermilk you only need to add a 1/4 t. of baking soda.

• 1 c. unsweetened Almond or Soy milk (30 cal. per serving, try Blue Diamond)

(My preference is low-fat buttermilk, for best taste and consistency, but I have used sugar-free original-flavor almond milk with decent results)

• 3 extra large egg whites (or if you have small eggs use 4, the extra egg white is to make up for the loss of the 2 yolks)
• 3 T. (rounded) Stevia (or your favorite equivalent sugar substitute, try Truvia)
• 2 T. Coconut Oil or light EVOO (or unsalted organic real melted Butter for best flavor)
• 1/2 t. salt substitute (or equivalent)
• 1/4 t. (dash or 2) cinnamon (cinnamon is good for you!)
• 1/2 t. (dash) vanilla flavoring (or to taste)
• small dash of spice any of the following: nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin spice, magorum... experiment! but don't over do it. 

Directions

Now the fun part. (it is very important to not over mix the ingredients or it will make the pancakes come out chewy and slightly tough)

1. If you are using a buttermilk substitute, stir the milk and vinegar together in a cup and set aside giving it time to rest.

2. In the large mixing bowl sift in the flour and add all the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly with fork or spoon.

(now is a good time to stir the buttermilk substitute if you are using it to ensure it is well blended)

3. Separate the egg yolks from the white in the small mixing bowls (or add the egg whites to a small mixing bowl if you are using only egg whites ) add 1/4 t. cream of tartar for best results.  Learn How To Properly Beat Egg Whites Using the egg beater, beat the egg whites until it leaves nice peaks when you raise the stopped beater out of the meringue (this is an important step and is what separates this recipe from other made from scratch recipes) do not over beat or it will liquefy again. If you have yolks beat them also until they are fully mixed.

4. Add about half of the buttermilk  and the oil (or melted butter) to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly with a mixing spoon or fork to remove any lumps, hit it with the egg beater but only for about 15 seconds. The Key is to not mix more than absolutely necessary to get a smooth mixture.

5. Stir in the rest of the buttermilk, vanilla, and egg yolks (if are using them) and mix just enough that it is well mixed together. Again, don't over stir or beat the mixture.

6. (Now you can pour the batter into your pourable spout container.) Fold In the egg white meringue, do not over mix.

Preparation

To fry the pancakes here is my recommended method, you can vary this according to your style as you wish.

Put the frying pan or skillet on the burner on medium high heat and add a pat of butter to melt. I recommend butter because it smokes when it gets to hot giving you a good indication of how high your heat should be. It should be just hot enough that the butter doesn't burn, but no less. You can also use non-stick spray, oil or margarine to grease the pan. Let the batter rest while you are preparing the skillet to fry the pancakes.
Once the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, pour about a 4 inch dia. circle of batter in the center of the pan. this will spread out to about a 5 inch circle which I have found to be about the best for flipping and handling. watch the pancake for about a minute to a minute and a half, when the edges start hardening and you can see about 4-5 bubbles pop in the center that don't immediately close back up, then it is time to flip the pancake. Never flip a pancake back again to the first side! Doing so ruins the rising process of the baking soda and creates a flat pancake. Time your flips so that the first side is golden or light brown , not blonde (to light), dark brown, or black (to much). Leave it turned for about a minute or so and flip on a plate.

If you like thinner or thicker pancakes than what this recipe results in, adjust the buttermilk accordingly.

Serving

This will make about 8 pancakes depending on the size of the batter you pour into the pan.
If you are making a stack, add a small pat of butter between each layer.
Once you have your plateful with what you wish to eat, top with more butter and your favorite pancake syrup or topping and enjoy!
I usually top a 3 pancake stack with 2 over easy eggs and then use my own recipe for a maple flavored syrup, but that's another article...

Storage

Store leftover batter in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. You may need to add a splash of water or milk and stir it if it thickens up.




That's it! Post your comments, critics, variations, and substitutes below, I would love to hear your results!

Disclaimer: All recipes on my blog are created by me through experimentation and trial and error. I can make no guarantee as to how the end result will turn out for you. They may not be copied or printed for any reason without permission. You may use this recipe for your own personal use only!

Make Your Own Homemade Window Glass Cleaner And General Purpose Cleaner

I really enjoy saving money, helping the environment when i can, and making my own substitutes for commercial products. That's why this window cleaner recipe is so awesome. It does all 3 with very simple ingredients.

1/4 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Rubbing (Isopropyl) Alcohol
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
2 Cups warm Water
2-3 Squirts of lemon juice


This makes a wonderful non-toxic glass cleaner. If your windows are really dirty, add a shot of liquid Dawn or Ivory Liquid soap to the mix. The lemon juice helps cover up the vinegar smell. I add a few drops of lavender essential oil to mine to give it a pleasant fresh cleaned smell.


For a good general purpose cleaner add the liquid soap and optionally a 1/4 cup ammonia. You can use this mixture for all kinds of light to medium duty cleaning. Good for cabinets, shelves, wood and glass furniture, fixtures and anything else you might use a general purpose cleaner on.

If you have any suggestions or comments let me know below...

enjoy!