Cooking with accents

Brunswick Stew

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons olive oil

2/3 cup chopped onions

2 cloves crushed garlic

1-1/2 stalks celery, chopped

1 pound ground pork

1 pound

93 percent lean ground beef

1 pound cooked chicken thighs, shredded

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with liquid

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 ounce liquid smoke

1 ounce Worcestershire sauce

1 ounce Tabasco sauce

1/3 cup hickory flavored barbecue sauce Salt and pepper to taste

1 green bell pepper cut in half and seeded

2 (14.5 ounce) cans cream style corn

DIRECTIONS Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and sauté the onions and celery until soft. Add garlic then mix in the pork and beef cooking until evenly browned. Do not drain. Transfer the pork and beef mixture to a large stock pot set over low heat. Stir in the shredded chicken thighs and breast, tomatoes and their liquid, ketchup, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and barbecue sauce. Season with salt, pepper. Place the green pepper half’s into the mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 hours, or until thickened. Stir the cream style corn into the stew mixture. Continue cooking 1 hour, or to desired consistency. If desired remove the green pepper, or break up into smaller pieces. Ladle out warm bowls of hearty stew and enjoy.

Crusty Beer Bread

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer (dark beer is best)

1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch baking pan. In a bowl, mix the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Pour in the beer, and mix just until moistened. Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan. Top with the melted butter. Bake 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Hot Apple Cider

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

6 cups apple cider

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

6 whole allspice berries

1 orange peel, cut into strips

1 lemon peel, cut into strips

DIRECTIONS Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture. Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling. Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.

Apple Crisp

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup butter

4 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup extra fine white sugar (not powdered sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly. Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover this crumb mixture with apple slices then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the apple slices. Place dish in preheated oven and Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.

In a mixing bowl using a whisk, beat cream, sugar and vanilla until it just starts to thicken.

Drizzle cream mixture over each individual serving.

Shopping List

1 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
1 green bell pepper
6 apples
1 pound ground pork
1 pound 93 percent lean ground beef
1 pound chicken thighs
1 pound chicken breast
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cream style corn
Olive oil
Ketchup
Liquid smoke
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
Hickory flavored barbecue sauce
Rolled oats
Self-rising flour
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
1 (12 fluid-ounce) can beer
Heavy cream
Butter
Vanilla extract
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
6 cinnamon sticks
Ground cinnamon
Light brown sugar
Extra fine white sugar
Salt
Pepper
6 cups apple cider
Real maple syrup
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1 orange
1 lemon peel

Chef John Strand of Accents – Personal Chef Services specializes in elegant inhome dinners and weekly meal services, “making your home your favorite place to eat.” He can be reached via email from his website at www.accentspcs.com.