I have wonderful, delicious memories of meals prepared by the women in our family. My Grandmothers, my Aunt Pearlie, and my Mother were all world-class southern cooks. We never ate in restaurants that often but there were always enticing aromas coming from their kitchens.
Occasionally as a child, I would get to spend a week or so during the summer at the home of one of those dear relatives. It was always a great treat! Our family on both my Mother and Daddy’s side lived in Cleveland, Tennessee. Although I was born there, we moved around several times over the years when my Dad was offered training positions at stables in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Mississippi. We ended up in the heart of walking horse country, Shelbyville, Tennessee. So, the trip to Cleveland was only a couple of hours’ drive.
My Daddy’s mother, who we called Mammy, lived with her daughter, my Aunt Pearlie. My grandfather, Pappy, died when my Daddy was a young man, but I heard so many stories about him, I felt like I knew him.
One of the things I loved best about those visits to Aunt Pearlie’s and Mammy’s was picking strawberries in their garden. Afterward, we would take the berries inside and get them ready for freezing. My favorite part of that process was getting a quart from the freezer the next day, letting it sit out on the counter just long enough to get “slushy,” and digging in with a spoon. What a cold, tasty treat on a hot summer day!
Our maternal grandmother, Mamaw as we called her, was a great baker. One of her specialties was a six-layer jam cake. I’ve not had one to rival hers since. If I can scrounge up the recipe from one of my sisters, I will share it with you.
And my Momma, I miss her cooking every day. I can remember like it was yesterday. I also remember her saying that the best meals were the ones that someone else cooked and she could just sit and enjoy. Keep in mind, she was cooking three meals a day from scratch for a family of six. From my lips to her ears in Heaven, “Mother I finally get it.” Working, cooking for three, if only one meal a day, takes planning, skills, and time.
Every single morning, she made biscuits from scratch, eggs, gravy, and bacon. I wish I had appreciated her efforts a little more back then. Not that it wasn’t delicious, but with four girls in the house with one bathroom, getting ready for school every morning was chaotic. Many times we would rush to the table and throw down the food only to run out the door to make it to school on time.
One of the staples in all their kitchens was a cast iron skillet. I was fortunate enough to inherit Mother’s and the one which belonged to my husband’s Grandmother. Those skillets and a cast iron Dutch oven are used in my kitchen frequently and, at this point, are well-seasoned. If you’ve ever cooked with cast iron you know exactly what I mean.
This week I tried a new chicken recipe that popped up on my Facebook feed called Marry Me Chicken. It received rave reviews so I had to try it for myself. Of course, if you are already married you could call it Marry Me Again Chicken. The best part besides the flavor was that it was easy to make, and I cooked it in my cast iron skillet. Winner, winner chicken dinner!
Marry Me Chicken ingredients:
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
4-5 chicken breasts
Salt
Black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp basil
Directions:
Preheat over to 375. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear, skin-side down, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Return skillet to medium heat and add garlic, thyme, basil, and red pepper. Cook for about a minute. Stir in broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet, skin-side up.
Transfer skillet to over and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
I served the chicken over a bed on rice, smothering it with a heavy dose of the sauce. My vegetable side was yellow and zucchini squash with onions sauteed in garlic powder and olive oil. The meal got an A+ from my husband, a great chef in his own right. I was in and out of the kitchen in about 45 minutes. I will be making this again and again!
