The BEST Broccoli

1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

Place the frozen broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle the soy sauce over it.  Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp tender.  Remove from the microwave, add the butter and stir until it melts.

The BEST broccoli ever!  My personal favorite!

Butterscotch & Black Pepper Baby Carrots

Butterscotch & Black Pepper Baby Carrots

2 1/2 tablespoons butter 

2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 pound baby carrots, halved lengthwise

1/2 to 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 

In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until smooth. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glazed. Top with black pepper. Serve hot or warm.

Delicious!!

Recipe courtesy The Deen Brothers as seen on Food Network.

Cathy's Favorite New Years Greens

I hate Greens.  Truly.  But every year of my life Greens are on the menu for New Year's Day.  It's tradition.  As a Southerner you are obliged to eat them to ensure a prosperous new year.  So I would choke down a few bites every year until I had about as much wealth as I thought I could stand and then I would have a whole year before having to face them again. 

But this year, I have finally found THE recipe for this disgusting vegetable dish that I actually (gasp!) LIKED!!!  Thanks to Rachael Ray for the inspiration!  She's my hero! (heroine?)  Here's my adaptation of her recipe for "Smoky Greens with Cranberries", henceforth to be known as "Cathy's Favorite New Years Greens"!

2 pkgs frozen turnip greens
1 pkg frozen turnip greens with diced turnips
32 oz carton chicken broth
1 smoked pork neckbone (about the size of your fist)
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
A handful for dried cranberries

In a large stockpot, combine the chicken broth, nutmeg, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Add the neckbone and the greens and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until as done as you like them (about an hour at my house!).  Stir in the cranberries and cook until they plump up a bit.  That's it.  You're done!

And these are really, really good!  I could eat these more than once a year - and I intend to!  Rachael's recipe actually called for Kale, but Publix was completely out of those - however, I'll be trying them in this dish soon!  Happy New Year!  Mine's gonna be PROSPEROUS! 

Mama D's Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

2 packages frozen broccoli florets

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs

1/2 stick butter

1 package Ritz Crackers, crushed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook broccoli in salted water until just tender (or use the kind you steam in its own bag and cook in the microwave for 6 minutes for each bag then add salt). Drain and put in casserole dish. In separate bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup and cheddar cheese. Pour over broccoli. Sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers evenly over broccoli mixture. Melt butter and pout evenly over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.