wendy perry ...kitchen & culinary artisan
marketing maven ~ passionate foodie
"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate."
~ Julia Child
…my variation of a Southern Living recipe fav!
This is such a great roast for a hearty fall supper on a chilly night.
From the kitchen of www.WendyPerry.com
Yield: about 6 depending on roast size
*Note subs and variations down below.
1 10 oz. frozen/jar pearl onions
1 4 lb. roast (any, but my preference is chuck)
1 can sauerkraut (Bavarian style preferred) – undrained
1 12 oz. dark beer
1/4 c. stone ground mustard
1 T. caraway seed
salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/3 c. all purpose flour
egg noodles or Wendy’s Creamed German Potato Salad
Onions: Feel free to sub fresh sliced onions, which is what I typically to.
Place onions in 4 qt. crock pot; place roast on top. Spread kraut on top of roast. Mix beer with mustard, seed, salt and pepper; pour over roast. Cook on LOW 8ish hours or HIGH 4-5ish or until tender. (This will vary depending on your particular crock pot.)
Remove all but drippings. Whisk flour into drippings. Cook 10 minutes until thick to make gravy.
Suggested Side: Wendy’s Creamed German Potato Salad
Leftovers freeze great, so buy the biggest roast you can, eat one meal and freeze another one (be your own Personal Chef) for a busy night supper.
Wendy’s Creamed German Potato Salad…a change of pace that goes great with Pumpernickel Roast or brats and sausages
From the kitchen of www.WendyPerry.com
Yield: 4-6
6 med. Russet/white/Yukon gold potatoes -- peeled or not
(I leave skin on mine for extra nutrition!)
1 bunch green onion/with green parts – chopped
2 T. beef bouillon granules
1/2 c. hot water
1 T. brown sugar (or more to taste)
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. veg. oil
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
3 slices bacon -- cooked & crumbled
fresh chive, small chop - opt.
Boil potatoes and onion until tender using as little water as possible. Better yet, use broth to cook! Drain off excess liquid. (I have been known to just “bake” the taters in microwave and cook onions in there too in some butter and skip the boiling part.)
Dissolve granules in hot water. Stir in sugar, vinegar and oil. Mix into potato/onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cream with hand mixer (or leave chunkier, depending on your preference). Top with crumbled bacon and chive confetti!
Leftovers?: Just make patties, flip in a little flour or PANKO crumbs and saute in a little oil/butter mixture for breakfast or supper another night with burgers or grilled meats. They freeze great too!
LATIN SPICED SHRIMP CAKES
…recipe from somewhere online I failed to document…a client favorite and of most everybody else too!
These freeze GREAT, before or after cooking. Flash freeze on pan; once frozen, throw into a zippered bag and just take out what you want. Number will depend on size you make. I like to make mine small and thin. It appears complicated, but isn’t, and I take several “short cuts” (see notes) to make these fast to make and they are just as good too. Makes six large cakes or dozen+ smaller cakes.
1 lb. sweet potatoes
4 large clove garlic -- unpeeled
4 T. vegetable oil (see note)
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and cooked -- coarsely chopped
2/3 c. fresh cilantro
2/3 c. Panko
2 T. finely chopped preserved jalapeno
2 T. finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 t. spice mix -- see below
Spice Mix Recipe
1/4 c. cumin seed
3 T. whole black peppercorns
1 T. coriander seed
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. sea salt
NOTES/Shortcuts:
I wrap taters in foil and boil in pot if hot to keep kitchen cooler.
I roast entire head of garlic. No need to be skimpy on that!
I use Big Lots ($3.50/qt) Roasted Garlic Oil.
I use precooked shrimp, drained WELL and squeezed in paper towels and roughly chopped.
The jalapeno is Mt. Olive pickled/fine diced, or sub your choice.
I don’t always mix up the spice mix, I just “wing it” and throw the stuff in.
Latin Spice Mix: (as recipe stated)
Combine cumin, peppercorns, and coriander in a heavy medium skillet. Stir over medium heat until fragrant and toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly. Finely grind toasted spices in blender. Transfer to a small bowl. Mix in sugar and salt. Makes 1/2 cup. ß(I DO NOT EVER DO THIS.)
Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in microwave for about 15 minutes until done (or do per your preferred method-see notes). Cool, peel.
Rub a Tbsp of oil over unpeeled garlic. Cook in microwave a few minutes, until soft (or roast in oven). Remove peel from garlic. Combine potatoes and garlic in a bowl. Mash until smooth.
Add shrimp, cilantro, Panko, jalapeno, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Latin Spice Mix. Stir to blend well. Season with salt. Form mixture into six 3-inch-diameter patties. (I make mine 1/2 to 1/3 that size.)
RECIPE Version: Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat cakes in flour. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes in batches until brown, adding more oil if necessary, about 2 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes.
WENDY’S Version: Heat garlic oil in sauté pan. Coat cakes in bowl with Panko. Sauté the cakes until golden brown on each side.
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Winning Wraps! with “Red Shirt” Pear Relish & Black Bean “Blitz”
(Tailgating Food!)
Recipe By: Personal Chef Wendy Perry Serving Size: 6-8
3 lbs. Rare Earth Farms stew beef
1 12 oz. bottle dark beer
1 29 oz. can pears, any cut (in juice or syrup), roughly chopped
1 large onion -- roughly chopped
2 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce – chopped
1 heaping T. Ms. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1 c. NC made BBQ Sauce*
1 large bunch farmer's market leaf lettuce -- washed, dried
1 16 oz. bag dry black beans
RED SHIRT PEAR RELISH
4 crispy North Carolina red pears, unpeeled -- cut in small dice
4 ears corn, quickly grill roasted (about 1-2 minutes on each side) -- cut from cob
1/4 c. North Carolina molasses
1 c. finely diced red onion
2 T. NC Texas Pete (adjust to taste)
1/4 c. honey mustard
juice of 1 lime
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. chopped cilantro -- or more to taste
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper
BEEF: Place meat in crock pot. Mix beer, pears (including juice), onion, peppers, seasoning and barbecue sauce; pour over meat. Cook on HIGH about 3 hours, or overnight on LOW, until meat is fork tender. When done, remove meat from juice with strainer spoon and chill. (Pears will puree as meat and sauce cook.)
*Use your favorite NC BBQ sauce; for this recipe I use Uncle Yammy's Grillin’ Sauce.
BLACK BEANS: Add dried beans to juice in crock pot. If pot was on LOW, turn to HIGH and cook about 3-4 hours until beans are tender. Stir occasionally. Serve as Side Dish.
PEAR RELISH: Stir all ingredients together in large bowl. Chill well before serving. This is better if made 1-2 days before serving. If making ahead, add cilantro just before serving time.
(Corn: I use part white and part yellow if available.)
To serve wraps: On a large tray, sit a bowl to one side and fill with relish. Place a pile of lettuce leaves by the bowl and spoon meat into a pile. To eat, spoon beef into lettuce leaf and top with Pear Relish. Roll and eat! 
NOTE: The beef can be cooked a few days ahead of serving. Put beans in crock pot night before heading to the game, and take to serve warm with the chilled wraps.
Times will vary depending on your crock pot.
Copyright Wendy L. Perry, Inc.
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CHEESY BAKED APPLES
Recipe shared by my cousin, Lisa Perry Sanderson in my Perry Family Cookbook!
Servings: 4
3 T. butter
1/3 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
1 1-lb. box Velveeta cheese
2 cans White House sliced apples w/juice -- drained
Combine butter, flour, milk and sugar. Cook over low heat until thick. Add cheese and stir to melt. Place apples in baking dish and pour cheese sauce over them. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.
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WENDY'S GRILLED SPINACH & CHEESE STUFFED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS
Servings: 4
4 large portabella mushrooms -- stemmed and gills gently scraped
1/4 c. garlic flavored oil*
1 bag baby spinach – cleaned
8 oz. garden vegetable cream cheese – softened
6 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled, 1-2 set aside (bacon optional)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. Italian Panko Bread Crumbs, slightly toasted, optional
Your favorite tomato sauce (see note), optional
Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush prepared mushroom caps with garlic flavored oil on both sides.
When grill is hot, grill mushroom caps on both sides being careful not to break. Once done, place with gill side up, on plate. This will take about 1-2 minutes per side.
While mushroom caps are grilling, steam spinach about 1 minute in microwave. (I do this right in the bag, just cut corner to vent bag.)
Mix the softened cream cheese with half the mozzarella and the bacon.
Divide cream cheese mixture evenly into mushroom caps and spread to fill caps. Divide spinach evenly onto cheese mixture atop each mushroom cap.
Place remaining mozzarella cheese onto top of spinach, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Scatter on the bread crumbs
Place back onto grill (directly or on sheet of foil) and close. Cook about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted all the way through.
This makes a great side dish for all sorts of grilled meats, OR, placed atop a nice cool summer salad. NOTES: · I use Tuscan Sun Garlic Flavored Oil ($just $3.50/quart) from Big Lots… best deal in · SHORTCUT: Use pre-cooked “salad topping” bacon. Or, I use the pre-cooked sliced bacon; put between paper towels, and cook on high 30-60 seconds till crispy so you can easily crumble. · These can also be made in "mini" size using button mushrooms for appetizers! Just break out stems, fill and heat. · As an added touch, open your favorite tomato sauce (I love Classico’s Caramelized Onion) and spoon onto plate and sit grilled mushroom on top of the sauce… chilled or warmed.
that store!
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Mama Perry's Coconut Pie"Ma Pur" was my paternal grandmother and a damn fine cook!
Makes 2 pies
4 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. self-rising flour
2 c. sweet milk
2 t. vanilla
14 oz. fresh grated coconut
1/2 stick margarine -- melted
Mix all together and pour into 2 pie plates. Bake at 350E-375E for about 40 minutes or until solid in the center. *You can use purchased coconut, however, I remember “Ma Pur” cracking and grating her own.
What is "sweet milk?" The short version is that back in the "old days," milk was referred to as buttermilk or sweet milk. Sweet milk was the milk before it turned sour and became buttermilk. "Regular" white milk is what you need to use.
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wendy perry
919.404.0499 800.567.0407
Wendy@WendyPerry.com