You might be here because you saw my instagram post on my feed talking about this lovely book or, maybe, you’ve just stumbled across this while looking for some tasty treats to cook. Either way…welcome!
I was sent this new Reese Witherspoon book recently to review and being a girl who loves an American southern state i have to say, i was a little excited to give it a go.
This new book not only gives you southern food and drink tips but it also gives you an insight on home, gifts, music and even talking! It makes a great gift for someone (if not just yourself hehe).
This weekend while the first of the true British autumn weather kicked in, i decided to open up the book and give a couple of recipes a go from the cosy inside of my home.
I adapted a few things to be plant based but i will give you the original recipe to follow long to as i appreciate most of you aren’t vegan :)
Both of these recipes came from the section ‘Summer Porch Picnic’
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 white onion
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lbs yellow squash, diced (i couldn’t get yellow squash so used butternut!)
1.5 lbs Zucchini (aka courgette for the uk!), sliced
2 teaspoons of salt
3 tablespoons of butter (i used dairy free)
24 Ritz Crackers
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (i used dairy free option)
2 large eggs beaten with 1/2 cup of heavy cream (i used a little egg replacer and you guessed it…diary free option!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese (again i used dairy free!)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Pre-heat the oven to 375’F (190C) - Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions and sauté 1 minute more. Add the yellow squash and zucchini to the pan with the salt; sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. Transfer the squash to colander to drain away excess moisture. Add the butter to the hot pan to melt and remove the pan from the heat.
Place the crackers in a large zippered bag, seal and roll over them with a rolling pin, or a juice glass on it’s side, to create corse crumbs. Transfer half the crumbs, along with the drained squash, to a large mixing bowl. Combine 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese, the egg-cream mixture, and the sugar, salt and pepper and gently fold the mixture into the squash crumbs. Transfer the squash mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Combine the remaining cracker crumbs with the melted butter, the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar, and the parmesan ( i also added some panko breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast to give more of the crispy cheese flavour it would be lacking as a vegan dish). Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley.
Ingredients
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from one lime)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of honey (i used maple syrup)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ear corns, shucked kernels removed (about 6 cups)
2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup lightly packed fresh herb leaves, finely chopped; use a mix of whatever summer herbs you like best, such as basil, cilantro, chives, tarragon and flat-leaf parsley
Combine the vinegar, lime juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, honey and shallot in a small jar and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the shallots to soften and flavour the vinegar. Add the oil, secure the lid on the jar, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to emulsify the dressing.
Combine the corn, tomatoes, green onions, and herbs in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. Season the salad with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill until ready to serve.
I appreciate i’ve never done any recipe posts before, although its been something i’ve wanted to do for a while!
I hope you enjoyed it and if you did and you try it, leave a comment below to let me know what you think and if you’d like for me to share more of my favourite recipes with you :)
If you like the look of this book, you can buy your copy of it HERE