Cream until foamy:

2 sticks of butter

1 C. Sugar

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Then add:

3 C. flour sifted

1 t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

Very Important Step: Leave dough in the fridge for 5 hours.

Roll dough and cut with a cookie cutter, sprinkle with sugar and place cookies on buttered cookie sheet.

Cook at 375˚ until golden brown. These also can be dropped with a nut or jelly put in the middle.

Original recipe by Mrs. S. W. Reese

Be sure do listen to Huck & Lilly’s “Sugar Cookies” while you bake! Get it on iTunes here: https://itun.es/us/rtgM4 and watch Kellie Pickler, Kyle Jacob’s Allison & Dave Baker and Ken and Andi Johnson (AKA: Huck & Lilly) here!

https://youtu.be/vqweBINFxBU

https://itun.es/us/rtgM4

Cracker Crust Chicken w/ Roasted Lemon Rosemary Sauce

Ken Johnson

serves 8

 Hint From Ken:

This method of roasting the lemons makes for a rich flavor

and removes a bit of the acidity. Taste sauce and if it is still too acidic try stirring in a little butter. This dish goes well with mashed potatoes, risotto, white or wild rice or your favorite pasta along with fresh steamed pole beans or asparagus…

What you’ll need:

8 chicken breasts

2 tablespoon of butter

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 rolls of Ritz crackers

2 tablespoons of fresh italian or flat leaf parsley chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic finely chopped

3 lemons

1/2 cup dry white wine (try pinot grigio or orvieto)

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Fresh rosemary leaves removed from stems and finely chopped

Butterfly chicken breasts…

With a sharp knife, make an incision in side of each of chicken breasts – but not all the way through…

Unfold and lay flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. With

a mallet, gently hammer meat to flatten and tenderize while paying careful attention not to over do it…

Next…

Place flattened, butterflied chicken breasts on a plate andset aside.

Next…

Preheat broiler to high…

Slice both ends off of lemons and cut in half crosswise…

Set lemons fruit side up on a baking dish and brush tops with olive oil and salt and pepper…

Place under broiler heat for 8 – 10 minutes…

(use oven light to monitor to make sure doesn’t burn as different ovens vary)

Remove and let cool. Once lemons have cooled, squeeze juice into a bowl using a colander or a sieve to filter out seeds.

Next…

Adjust oven to Bake setting at 400

Empty two rolls of Ritz crackers into a food processor and pulse to crumbs…

Place cracker crumbs in a wide bowl for dredging. In another bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg…

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an iron skillet (or a regular skillet will do) and bring to to medium heat. Dredge chicken breast in egg wash mixture then cracker crumbs then place in skillet…

Do not over crowd skillet even if you have to cook one at a time. Seer until golden brown on both sides but not cooked all the way through…about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Place chicken on a flat baking sheet layered with

parchment paper. Repeat process (adding more oil as necessary) until all of chicken is on baking dish. Place in 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and let rest with loose sheet of tin foil over top.

Sauce:

While chicken is in oven prepare sauce…

Heat butter in same skillet on medium high heat…scrape brown bits from chicken off of bottom of pan with a wooden spoon but leave in…

(there is a lot of concentrated flavor there)

Add garlic and rosemary and sauté for 30 seconds then add reserved lemon juice, white wine parsley and capers…

Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 5 minutes then reduce to low.

Plate chicken and spoon sauce over top.

© Ken Johnson Hillbilly Supper Club 2015

Ken Johnson

 

Serves 8

Hint From Ken:

The molasses is the unseen star here…It blends well with the balsamic and garlic to create a unique taste. This is a sweet pepper ragu more than a traditional marinara type sauce so it is different.Remember always to mix in cooked pasta with the sauce a little at a time in the skillet to get the right amount of pasta in your sauce as opposed to mixing the sauce in the pasta…Recommended pasta would be penne, bow tie or rigatoni…Try it with grilled Italian sausage…

Toss some crumbled feta cheese in at the end for a savory complement.

What you’ll need:

 

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 pint red cherry tomatoes (large red tomatoes quartered are fine just measure about a 16 oz total either way.)1 large red onion quartered
• 1 large red onion quartered
• 1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful fresh thyme (remove leaves from stem)
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
• Extra virgin olive oil

First:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Place all ingredients in a large bowl except for peppers. Stir to coat evenly…

Empty contents of bowl on to a parchment paper covered baking sheet…

Place whole bell peppers (stems and all – they will be removed later) on baking sheet with onion and tomatoes.

Place pan in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Next:

Remove and place bell peppers only in a bowl of ice water. Leave for 2 minutes. At the same time let onions and tomatoes cool.

Meanwhile set up food processor or blender.

After 2 minutes, remove peppers from ice water and remove skin…

 Use a small knife if you need to but it should come off easily. Gently cut in half and remove stem and seeds. Cut peeled peppers into strips and place in food processor with vegetable broth, roasted tomatoes and onions.

 

Pulse to puree…

 

Next:

Heat a wide skillet to medium high heat…

Sauté chopped garlic and thyme in olive oil for 30 seconds then add vegetable puree and stir…

Then simmer on medium low heat…

Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to simmer…

Serve hot with your favorite pasta.

Last night while watching the “I Love Kellie Pickler” premiere with Andi, Kellie, Kyle, Allison and Dave, Pixie, Peanut and a couple of chickens… I cooked up my Toasted Fennel Encrusted Salmon with Smashed Purple Sweet Potatoes… Here’s the recipe! Let me know if you try it out and what you think!

Toasted Fennel Encrusted Salmon

Ken Johnson

serves 8

Hint From Ken:
Mix your own dry rub for this recipe. Try using a mortar and pestle or a pepper grinder to grind toasted fennel seeds to prepare this special ingredient.

What you’ll need:

• 3 lbs Fresh wild or responsibly farmed salmon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground toasted fennel
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 allspice

First:
Place fennel seeds on a pan in oven and bake at 270 degrees for 10 minutes

Next…
In a small bowl… mix toasted fennel, pepper, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, clove and allspice to create your rub.

Next…
Lay out your salmon and with clean hands, sprinkle spice mix over fish and rub gently to lightly but evenly coat and set aside.

Next…
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Place fish filets in pan with a little space between portions so as not to crowd the skillet.
Cook 2 minutes on each side (based on a 2 inch thick filet so adjust accordingly) and transfer to plate… loosely cover with tin foil.

Serve with Purple Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Balsamic Fig Glaze (see those recipes below)

Smashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
Ken Johnson
serves 8
Hint From The Cook:
This dish has a unique flavor and a beautiful color which makes for an impressive presentation. Try if you are looking for a little something different.
Excellent with grilled rack of lamb, salmon, pork tenderloin or bacon wrapped filet mignon.
What you’ll need:

• 3 lb. Purple sweet potatoes (Whole Foods or local organic grocery is a good place to check for them)
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of half and half
  1 teaspoon salt
• 1 oz of bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: ground nutmeg, cinnamon and clove.
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

First:
Peel potatoes and cut in half or quarter (depending on size but make sure no smaller than 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches per chunk )
Boil in well salted water until tender but not falling apart and strain.

Next:

While potatoes are boiling…
Melt butter in a medium size stock pot over medium heat…
Add half and half and whisk continually so as not to burn cream then reduce heat to low…
In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients and stir with a whisk or fork and then add to half and half… add bourbon and whisk together. Continue to simmer on low…

Next…
Add strained potatoes to cream, bourbon and spice mixture and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon or use electric beater until whipped…
Serve hot.
© Ken Johnson Hillbilly Supper Club 2015

Balsamic Fig Reduction

Ken Johnson

serves 8

• Place chopped figs, wine, sugar, thyme, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of water in a pot.
• Cover and bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to a simmer and leave loosely covered for about 30 minutes.
• Let cool a little… then push through a colander into a bowl with a rubber spatula. Set sauce aside and continue to let cool.

© Ken Johnson Hillbilly Supper Club 2015

     Kyle and Lucy watching #ILoveKP on CMT