7-Up Pound Cake

Doesn't it look delicious?  It reminds me of a pound cake my southern neighbor I called Aunt Dot made when I was a kid.  She called it a "soda pound cake" and through the years I have regretted never getting that recipe, so I was thrilled to have found it while surfing the internet.

These old TNT recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation are the best!

• 1-1/2 cups shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon EACH of vanilla and lemon extracts
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 7-UP soft drink OR Sprite or SunDrop

Cream together the shortening and sugar. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well as they are added. 

Add the extracts. 

Add the flour alternately with the 7-UP, beginning and ending with flour. 

Turn into a greased and floured tube pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until cake tests done.



While cake bakes, prepare the glaze:

1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
1 tall can evaporated milk

Place in a saucepan and cook over low heat until thick (consistency of buttermilk), about 10 minutes. Be careful to not overcook. Pour over the cake while cake is hot.

Recipe and photo source 

Link to a similar pound cake, often called Baptist Pound Cake since it is bathed in glaze or State Fair Pound Cake since it appeared at the NC State Fair in 1981.

Johnnys All-Purpose Rub . . . and pulled pork

Ever since we brought our awesome smoker/grill home, I've been on a search for a spicy flavored rub to use on ribs, pork roast or chicken.  We have not tried this recipe yet, but it seems to be what I've been looking for thanks to The Food Network and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Recipe courtesy of Johnny White, owner of Johnny's Bar-B-Q in Mission, KS.
SHOW: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
EPISODE: Kansas City Barbecue Tour


All-Purpose Rub

5 cups kosher salt
2 1/4 cups paprika (for color)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons celery powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 cup black pepper
1 tablespoon powdered vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cayene pepper (optional)

Add all of the rub ingredients to a small bowl or container and mix well.


Pulled Pork with Some Serious Bite

3 to 5 pounds pork butt, rinsed with cold water


Directions

Heat a smoker to 225 degrees F.

Generously rub the entire butt with 1 1/2 cups Johnny's All-Purpose Rub. Put it in a pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove pork from the refrigerator, uncover and put it in the smoker for approximately 7 to 8 hours. 

Cooks Note: This can also be cooked in a home oven at 425 degrees F for 2 hours. 

Remove the pork from the smoker or oven to a cutting board and pull pork apart while still hot. 

You are now ready to serve it your favorite way.


PROFESSIONAL RECIPE: 

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and makes a large quantity. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

OMG, these shrimp look and sound awesome . . . we will be making this ASAP.

No BBQ sauce, not cooked on the grill!  Quick and easy.

I would only change one thing . . . shrimp with heads off.  Shrimp served with heads creep me out!

Ingredients

• 1 medium lemon
• 8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs. chopped garlic
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 oz. kosher salt (1 Tbs. if using Diamond Crystal, 1/2 Tbs. if using Morton’s)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 24 colossal shrimp (12 to 15 per lb.), unshelled, preferably domestic wild-caught and head-on

Directions

Cut the lemon in half crosswise, and juice it. Press each half flat on a cutting board, and then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.


Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the lemon juice and peel, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, salt, ground pepper, and cracked pepper. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors, being careful not to let the garlic brown.


Add the shrimp and increase the heat to medium. Cook, turning with tongs, until all the shrimp are beginning to turn pink, 4 to 5 minutes.


Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat. Let sit for 15 minutes so that the shrimp can absorb the flavors and finish cooking, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Serve.

nutrition information (per serving): 

Calories (kcal): 670; Fat (g): fat g 50; Fat Calories (kcal): 440; Saturated Fat (g): sat fat g 30; Protein (g): protein g 47; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 13; Carbohydrates (g): carbs g 8; Polyunsaturated Fat (g):3.5; Sodium (mg): sodium mg 1270; Cholesterol (mg): cholesterol mg 465; Fiber (g): fiber g 2;

Source:   Poppy Tooker from Fine Cooking, Issue 128
PHOTO: SCOTT PHILLIPS

Mama's Baked French Fries by Trishia Yearwood

I've been thinking about these french fries since I saw Trishia Yearwood prepare this dish on the Food Network.  They are healthier than deep fried french fries, full of flavor and I love the crispiness of the fries.

Recipe courtesy of Trisha Yearwood
SHOW: Trisha's Southern Kitchen
EPISODE: Updated Classics

Ingredients

• Cooking spray, for the baking sheet
• 3 pounds Russet potatoes (about 8 small or 6 medium), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then again into 1/2-inch-thick French fries
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and olive oil and toss to coat. In a medium bowl, mix together the Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne until fully combined.

Sprinkle the parsley mixture on the potatoes and gently toss to evenly coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake the potatoes, flipping them with a spatula every 10 minutes to prevent sticking, until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.