Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (25 page)

I guess if I’m famous for any of my dishes, this would be it. At almost every church gathering, I’m asked to bring banana pudding. I do love it myself, so I never mind making it.

Everybody’s Favorite Crunch Salad

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Dressing

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cup packed brown sugar (either light or dark is okay)

2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (this is rice vinegar with salt and pepper already added)

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cup vegetable oil

4 drops Tabasco sauce (if you like more bite, add 2 more drops)

Salad

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cups crispy chow mein noodles

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cup hulled sunflower seeds

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cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 head romaine lettuce or curly leaf lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces, washed, dried well, and chilled

4 green onions or scallions, thinly sliced

1. Make the dressing: In a small jar or plastic container with a lid, combine the brown sugar, salt, vinegar, oil, and Tabasco and shake well to combine; set aside.

2. Make the salad: In a small bowl, combine the chow mein noodles, sunflower seeds, and almonds.

3. Just before serving, layer the lettuce, green onions, and noodle mix in a bowl.

4. Pour dressing over the salad (give it a couple of shakes if it’s separated) and mix well. Serve immediately.

A Note from Miss Kay

As salads go, this is one of the best. We have a mentoring program at our church called Heart to Home where our younger women meet with the older women once a month. This salad is always a favorite. There’s just something about toasted almonds that makes everything taste better. If you start taking this salad to your church or family gatherings, be ready, because you’ll be asked to bring it again.

Best Brisket Ever

Makes about 15 servings • Roasting pan • Medium saucepan • Outdoor grill (optional)

1 beef brisket (10 pounds)

1 stick (
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pound) butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bottle (14 ounces) catsup (1
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cups)

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cup packed brown sugar (either light or dark is okay)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

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teaspoon salt

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teaspoon black pepper

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teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dash of Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco sauce (as much as you like)

1. Heat the oven to 250°F.

2. Wrap the brisket in a double layer foil. Place in the roasting pan and bake for 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours or until tender enough to be pierced with a knife.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the catsup, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, and hot sauce to taste. Mix well and set aside.

4. When the brisket is tender, carefully remove it from the foil (the juices will be hot). Discard all grease. If you have one, heat the grill to 350°F. If not, turn on the oven broiler.

5. Brush the sauce on the brisket. Put on the grill for 20 minutes on each side. If you don’t have an outdoor grill, put the brisket back in the oven without the foil and broil for 5 minutes. Turn the brisket over and broil 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the sauce is bubbly and lightly caramelized.

A Note from Miss Kay

Brisket is a tougher cut of meat, so you need to cook it slowly. This will make it moist and easy to eat. In the South, brisket is usually served with barbecue sauce or rubbed with special seasonings, as in this recipe. It’s great for a crowd.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Makes 6 servings • Large pot • 9 x 13-inch casserole dish

6 large bell peppers

2 pounds ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey, or a mix will work, but I use beef)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large egg

1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.

2. Slice the tops off the bell peppers, cut out the stems, and coarsely chop the tops (these will be part of the stuffing). Remove the seeds and ribs from inside the peppers.

3. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the peppers for 5 minutes to soften. Turn upside down to drain and cool.

4. In a large bowl, combine the meat, chopped pepper tops, onion, celery, garlic, egg, tomato paste, and salt. Stuff the meat mixture into the bell pepper shells, place them standing up in the casserole, and top each with some tomato sauce. Bake until the filling is firm and the peppers are piping hot, about 45 minutes.

A Note from Miss Kay

If you like meatloaf, you will love stuffed bell peppers, because the peppers are stuffed with my meatloaf recipe. Also, if you love a meal with a “presentation,” this is for you. It looks great and tastes great!

8.

Miss Kay’s “Muffins & Mentoring” Group

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.

—John Gunther

Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.

—Titus 2:4–5,
The Message

Recipes Perfect for a Mentoring Group

Good Morning Muffins

Perfect Pumpkin Spread

Peppery Good Dip

Aunt Judy’s Cranberry Salad

Heavenly Made Muffins

Amazing Miniature Biscuits

Super Simple Sugar Cookies

Phil’s Famous Hot Cocoa

Creamy Green Grape Salad

Colorful Fruit Salad