Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

 

Strawberries are some of the first fruits of spring in Georgia. I love them and when they are in season, I eat them nearly every day.  One of my favorite breakfasts is strawberries and buttermilk. Yes, I know how country-sounding that is, but if you like yogurt you will like buttermilk! It’s the same flavor profile. Plus, red Chanel lipstick or not, I am really a country girl. I am certain you are going to love my Strawberry Buttermilk Cake. Since it contains buttermilk and pureed strawberries, I was able to eliminate adding butter or oil — and it’s still super tender and moist. And, best of all — I make it in the food processor! (more…)

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Recipe Makeover: Sausage and Peppers

Recipe Makeover: Sausage and Peppers

Recipe Makeover Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and Peppers have long been a regular meal in my supper rotation. The onions and peppers melt together to create a luscious confit bursting with fiery garlic and zesty spice. Add a couple of links of sausage and it’s a super flavorful and very easy casual supper perfect for any day of the week. And, it can be a big huge fat bomb. Often this recipe starts with a few glugs of oil and one link of Italian sausage comes in at 260 calories a pop and a whopping 30% or more of recommended daily allowance of fat. Yikes. Even turkey sausage hits 170 calories per link. Who eats one link of sausage? Ha! Are you ready for the tantalizing aroma of fennel and roasted sweet peppers? You’re going to love my recipe makeover for this modern comfort classic.

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Vegetarian Parmesan Broth Collard Greens

Vegetarian Parmesan Broth Collard Greens

 

chiffonade of collard greens on www.virginiawillis.com

Collard greens are as much a cornerstone of Southern cooking as biscuits and gravy. And, the use of the ingredient has evolved like the cuisine. Collard green kimchi, collard green chiffonade, wood-fired dehydrated collard greens, and collard green patra are now part of the Southern culinary lexicon alongside pot likker and sidemeat. However, in much of the country, collards are thought to be prepared one way: drowning in pork fat and cooked beyond recognition into a form of Army green pabulum. Read on to learn how to prepare an umami-packed, point friendly vegetarian collard green recipe perfect for these cold winter days.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

mini muffins

Pumpkin and pumpkin spice is everywhere. The flavor has permeated the food and lifestyle scene. From cereal to coffee to candles, it is the flavor for fall. Granted, many of us are ready for 2020 to be in the rearview mirror, but it seems that PSM started showing up right after the 4th of July! The great news is that this winter squash can be both a delicious and healthy addition to your menu — and it pairs well with chocolate! What’s not to love?! Read on for more….

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Make-Ahead Almond Crumble Peach Tart

Make-Ahead Almond Crumble Peach Tart

Make Ahead Almond Crumble Peach Tart

It’s peach season!   I grew up in Macon County, adjacent to Peach County, home to The Big Peach, a glorious seventy-five-foot tall peach mounted on a hundred-foot tall pole. When I was in high school, my school breaks were dictated by the season, as many of my classmates were the sons and daughters of farmers. I know and love Georgia peaches! The best way to eat a peach over the sink, with sweet juices running down your wrists. Peaches are serious business in Georgia. (more…)

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Comfort Food: One Pot Pasta

Comfort Food: One Pot Pasta

One-Pot Pasta on www.virginiawillis.com

I hope this finds you and your family safe and well. I feel like I have started every email with that sentence for the past three weeks. These are certainly troubling times and that means that we all are yearning for comfort and assurance. Comfort food recipe searches are surging on Google Trends. (Although I did laugh because the number one recipe search last week in Georgia was for MARTINI!) (more…)

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