Suggested luncheon menu to enjoy when hosting a group discussion for Valerie’s Verdict.
Those who followed my Hallee the Homemaker website know that one thing I am passionate about in life is selecting, cooking, and savoring good whole real food. A special luncheon just goes hand in hand with hospitality and ministry.
In case you’re planning a discussion group surrounding this book, I offer some humble suggestions to help your special luncheon talk come off as a success. Quick as you like, you can whip up an appetizer, entree, side, and dessert that is sure to please and certain to enhance your discussion and time of friendship and fellowship.
Valerie and Buddy share a fantastic BBQ Beef Brisket lunch together. If you’d like to make your own, here is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth recipe.
4 pounds/lbs. beef brisket
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 TBS salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F (about 176° degrees C).
Trim the fat from the brisket.
Mix the spices. Rub them all over the beef. Place in roasting pan and roast for 1 hour uncovered.
Add the beef stock to the pan. Tightly cover with foil. Lower the temperature of the oven to 300° degrees F (about 148° degrees C), and continue cooking for 3 hours or until fork tender.
Tender meat is only as good as the sauce you serve it with. Here is a recipe that my friend Kelly the Kitchen Kop shared with me.
Mix it up and serve it with your beef.
If you want, you can cover your beef with it the last 15 minutes of cooking.
1 (24 oz.) bottle of organic ketchup
Juice from 2 organic lemons
1/2 cup raisins
About 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
2 TBS raw apple cider vinegar
3 TBS Tamari (fermented soy sauce)
2 TBS mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
Dash ground cayenne pepper
Kosher or Sea salt to taste—do not use iodized salt
NOTE:
2 TBS raw apple cider vinegar for sweet sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar for a more tangy sauce
OPTIONAL:
Some readers recommend adding a dash or up to TBS of your favorite hot pepper sauce to taste.
Some readers recommend adding a dash of ground cayenne pepper for added heat.
Other readers recommend adding 1 oz of Kentucky bourbon or (if you don’t cook with any alcohol) one TBS of liquid smoke to add a light smoky flavor.
>Soak the raisins in the raw apple cider vinegar in a blender.
For sweet sauce use about 2 TBS of vinegar For a tangier sauce, use about 1/2 cup vinegar.
After about 10 to 20 minutes, pulse to break them open. Don’t make a paste. Let stand another 5 to 10 minutes. You are now ready to begin making the sauce.
In a blender, soak the raisins in the raw apple cider vinegar (see PREPARATION above) until ready. Mix all ingredients except the ketchup into the vinegar-soaked raisins.
Mix about half of the ketchup last.
Blend slowly, adding the remainder of the ketchup a little at a time until the sauce is smooth. Add salt to taste.
Add any optional ingredients (see INGREDIENTS) to taste and pulse or slowly blend until well mixed and smooth.
Because of a horrible incident in WWII involving some bad potato salad, and several resulting deaths among my grandfather’s military unit, my family members have never been big potato salad eaters.
My mom insists that I made the recipe up as a child one night when she made barbecued chicken. In my memory, she always made this dish to go with barbecued chicken and it was her recipe. I honestly can’t remember inventing it, and I can’t remember her ever not making it. But I’ve always been very active in the kitchen, so it’s possible that as a child I came up with the recipe.
Evidently, I made this recipe up because it is made and served right away, avoiding any possible spoilage issues. It is the perfect flavor accompaniment for the tangy-sweet smokiness of the homemade sauce.
It’s called “hot potato” salad because you make it warm and serve it warm, as a hot side dish instead of a cold salad.
6 good-sized potatoes
2 eggs
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 large dill pickle
3 TBS mayonnaise
3 TBS yellow mustard
2 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
If you haven’t already, finely dice the onion.
Also finely dice the dill pickle.
Scrub the potatoes really good—you’re not going to peel them. Cut out the eyes and any “harvest” marks and discard.
Wash the eggs, too, because you’re going to put them in with the potatoes.
Dice the potatoes so that 2 diced cubes comfortably fit on a spoon, about 1/2 inch or a bit more than 1 cm on a side.
Put the diced potatoes in the pot. Add the eggs. Cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Return the potatoes to the pan and fish out the eggs. Cool the eggs off with cold water just until you can handle them safely.
Add the diced onions and diced pickle into the pot with the potatoes. Add the mayonnaise and mustard.
Dice the eggs to cubes about half the size of the potato cubes. Add them to the potatoes along with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Stir until thoroughly combined.
Serve hot.
Fresh, homemade coleslaw is a favorite dish, especially with fresh fish, barbecued chicken, or barbecued Beef Brisket!
1/2 head of green cabbage
2 carrots
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 TBS apple cider or rice vinegar
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Shred the cabbage.
Grate the carrots.
Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and spices. Stir in cabbage and carrots. Mix well.