The Soul Pan Kitchen

Author: Hunter Padgett

  • Lemon Posset

    Taking the south to the English countryside y’all! This simple recipe is sure to give you the last bit of summer love you’ve been looking for! It only requires 3 ingredients and is super easy to make for your next get together! Even though I love southern cooking, my heart finds a way to envelop English/French cuisine. This dessert is something you’re gonna make all the time! Refreshingly delicious y’all!

    Ingredients:

    2 cups heavy cream

    2/3 cup of sugar

    1 cup of fresh lemon juice

    Directions:

    Spoon out your lemon halves. 5 lemons yield 10 halves. be sure not to break the skin of the lemons. Place the pulp into a bowl and remove seeds via a strainer or spoon them out.

    In a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream and sugar to a medium boil for about 5 minutes.

    Remove from heat.

    Add in lemon juice and pulp press down with a spoon and get most of the juice separated from the pulp if you can. I like a little pulp in mine.

    Add mixture to your lemon halves and refrigerate for around 2 hours.

    You are left with a creamy and delicious pudding like dessert that your party will love!

    Serve chilled!

    You can also opt to use ramekins. Although using the lemon halves has a better presentation!

  • Jenn’s Linguica Supper

    Oh so yummy y’all! My good friend, Jenn put me onto this recipe! It requires only 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to cook! Talk about quick and easy! When she introduced me to linguica, I had no idea what it was. During her frequent trips to Massachusetts, she brought some back for me to try! I fell in love with the flavor, and texture. Linguica is a Portuguese pork sausage! Talk about YUMMMMMY! I recently found out, you can find it at Costco! ☺️

    Ingredients:

    1 lb of Linguica

    1 tbsp olive oil

    1 tbsp Honey Teriyaki seasoning

    1 cup Feta cheese

    Brussels sprouts (optional)

    Directions:

    To a cast iron skillet, add olive oil and bring to a medium high temp. Do a water test to make sure the oil is hot! Add Linguica, and stir in Teriyaki sauce. Leave on medium heat until sausage has browned on both sides.

    Remove from pan and plate it up! Top with feta cheese! Y’all I’m telling you, this is an awesome quick meal for your family to enjoy!

    Pairings and Such

    You could pair this meal with Chardonnay, and some toasted French bread! It is so super yummy!

  • Blueberry Feta Flatbread

    When I want something with cheese and a little kick, this is my go-to! Beautiful colors and flavors explosion, creates a great tasting flatbread that is sure to please any gathering or family function. Perfect as part of a meal, an appetizer, or even a side dish. You can really spice up the party with this one of a kind southern dishes.

    Fix it Up Y’all

    Don’t like blueberries? Use blackberries! This is such a versatile recipe, you can use any jams you like or any fruit you like. Just don’t forget the cheese! The creamy texture of the ricotta and the saltiness of the feta absolutely make this dish.

    Get Ya Ingredients

    • 2 medium flatbreads
    • ½ cup blueberry preserves
    • 1 cup fresh blueberries
    • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (8 ounces)
    • ¼ cup ricotta cheese
    • ¼ cup hot honey
    • Mint leaves for garnish

    Directions:

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F. I recommend spraying your baking sheet as the blueberry jam and burst blueberries might spill over during baking.
    • Place flatbreads on the baking sheet
    • Use a spoon to spread the blueberry preserves on the flatbread, leaving ½ inch of crust.
    • Sprinkle the feta cheese and ricotta over both of the flatbreads, then top with the whole blueberries. Tip:For best melty pockets, dollop the ricotta in little spoonfuls and sprinkle the feta evenly. It gives every bite a mix of flavors.
    • Toast the flatbread in the oven at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese has melted.
    • Let the flatbread cool a bit before adding mint and hot honey—this keeps the herbs fresh and honey from sliding off.
    • Slice and serve.

    Dis n’ Dat

    Now you can always top with arugula for a good crunch or even be more versatile and top with your favorite savory vegetable.

    It’s so good y’all!

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

    With Fall right around the corner, my love for good peanut butter heightens. Chocolate is one of my favorite guilty pleasures! If you love those two things, you’re gonna love this recipe!

    It’s real simple y’all! this recipe doesn’t require a lot of work, just a little bit of time.

    If you know anything about southeastern Virginia, it’s the peanut capital of the world; and honey, do we love our peanut butter!

    Nanny used to make this pie all the time. I remember her bringing it to family get togethers and boy did she love Reese’s cups!

    Let’s Get Started Y’all!

    Ingredients:

    4 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter

    1 tablespoon Honey

    1 1/2 cup or rice crispy cereal

    2 pkgs chocolate pudding

    3 cups skim milk

    4 tablespoons of whipped topping

    1 Oreo or chocolate pie crust

    Directions:

    In a bowl, combine peanut butter and honey. Microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir in cereal. Press into 9” chocolate pie shell and chill.

    Prepare pudding with milk according to the package directions. Spread over the pie and chill. Top with whipped topping and mini Reese’s cups. Optional: top off with caramel syrup!

  • Southern Peach Cobbler

    Talk about putting some souf in ya mouf’! This dish right here was an experiment for me, and it turned out to be the best peach cobbler I’ve ever made! What makes it even better is that you probably have all these ingredients on hand. It’s a beautiful mix of sweet and even more sweet!

    Ingredients:

    1 ½ cups self rising flour 

    1 stick Butter

     ½ cup water 

    2 cups sugar divided

    4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

    1 cup milk  

    ground cinnamon, optional

    I blanched my peaches, but store bought in the can should work just fine!

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees

    Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

    Put the butter in a baking dish and place in oven to melt.

    Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.

    Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

    To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

  • Susie’s Pasta Salad

    My lovely colleague, Susie turned me onto this pasta salad! This is a staple in my house! It has two of my favorite things. Ranch and pasta! It’s a given that this is honestly one of my most favorite dishes! Y’all have to try this recipe at home for yourself! Y’all are gonna love it!!

    What you’ll need:

    1 box of Rotini pasta (I use the Protein+ noodles)

    Small container Cherry tomatoes halved

    1 large broccoli head cut into small pieces

    1 large can black olives

    1 small jar green olives

    2 bell peppers

    1/2 red onion chopped fine

    1 small jalapeño minced

    Ranch Style Dressing:

    1/2 cup of mayo

    1/2 cup of sour cream

    1/2 cup of milk

    1/4 tsp Tony’s Seasoning

    2 tbsp Dill

    1 tbsp fresh Chive

    1 tbsp Cilantro

    1 tbsp fresh Parsley

    1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    1/2 tsp garlic powder

    1/4 tsp pepper flakes

    1/4 tsp smoked Paprika

    2 tsp lemon juice

    Directions:

    Boil pasta with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. (8 minutes). Drain and put in fridge to cool. Wash and cut all fresh veggies to size. Drain olives and cut them in half. In a separate bowl, mix all ranch dressing ingredients together and chill for about 20 minutes. Add pasta, all veggies and dressing. Mix together in a large bowl until all ingredients are well incorporated. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour for best results.

    Top with a little fresh parsley, and slices of lemon.

    Serve and enjoy!

  • B’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

    I remember going to B’s when I was younger for supper! We always loved when she made spaghetti and homemade meatballs! You could smell it walking up to her front door! This recipe is really simple and easy, but will require a lot of time to let the tomatoes muddle and simmer. You can make a pot as big as you want. We made 3 lbs today!

    Ingredients:

    3 lbs ground beef

    2 eggs

    Italian Seasoning to taste

    Garlic Salt

    Italian breadcrumbs as needed

    Angel Hair Pasta

    3 large cans of diced tomatoes

    2 medium can of tomato paste

    1 medium can of tomato sauce

    1 jar of mushrooms drained

    To Make Sauce:

    Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce and garlic salt to taste. Add mushrooms to this mixture as well, and place on medium heat. This recipe requires 5-6 hours simmering.

    To Make Meatballs:

    Put meat in a separate bowl and add garlic salt, Italian breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning with 2 eggs. Mix well with your mix n’ chop and make sure all ingredients are well acquainted.

    Grab you a sheet pan and roll out your meatballs onto the pan. We do generous sized meatballs! Y’all do it to ya likin’.

    Drop ‘em in Y’all!

    Once you have your sauce simmering, add in your meatballs. They will cook in the sauce. Then the heat down to low and let simmer for 5-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked thoroughly.

    “Thicken ‘em up Charles!”

    Now, you may find it to be a little runny and that’s totally ok, add in a little cornstarch until you reach the desired consistency of the sauce! I didn’t put this in the ingredients list—this is just a helpful tool.

    Cook your angel hair pasta until al dente, then enjoy!

  • Nanny’s Chicken Salad

    I remember being a kid, going to Nanny’s and she always could look at me and say, “Guess what’s in there” while pointing to the refrigerator. I’d always guess—Chicken Salad? Her smile would radiate! I knew it was gonna involve her homemade sweet pickles and that made the thought of it even more yummy!

    I spent the day with momma and we made some of her chicken salad! Honey, it was absolutely divine.

    Ingredients:

    6 boiled chicken breasts

    2 cups of mayonnaise

    1 cup chopped purple onion

    1 cup chopped celery

    2 cups of chopped sweet pickle or sweet pickle relish

    3 chopped boiled eggs

    1 tbsp salt

    1 tbsp pepper

    Dash of Paprika

    Directions:

    Boil water for chicken breasts and place in a Dutch oven. Let boil for around 45 minutes. Bring chicken breasts out of the water and let them cool for 30 minutes.

    Chop finely, the chicken breast and add to a bowl. Add in mayo, sweet pickle, onion, celery & eggs. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.

    Let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours to chill, add more mayo if needed

    Top with paprika for garnish if ya like.

    To Yo Likin’

    I use Dukes Mayo. That’s the best mayonnaise for this salad. Add more mayo to ya taste if ya like. You are free to use what you’d like, but this is how Nanny used to make it. You can even make this same salad with seafood! Using all the same ingredients!

    It’s truly a great versatile salad. It’s truly a southern staple for me and brings back memories of Nanny so much!

  • Campfire Pork Chops and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

    Y’all, this amazing and quick dinner can be made for two of your whole family!

    Pork Chops:

    2 pork chops already seasoned and prepared—uncooked

    Directions:

    Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Let it get hot and do a water test. Place chops in for around 15 minutes until an internal temp of 145 is achieved.

    If using fresh chops:

    Season chops with a little Italian dressing, salt and pepper and let marinade overnight for best results.

    Brussel Sprouts:

    1 bunch of brussel sprouts

    1 tablespoon of garlic minced

    3 tablespoons of Lawry’s Honey Teryaki Marinade

    Handful of Parmesan cheese

    Directions:

    Get oven preheated to 350 degrees. cut stems and halve Brussel sprouts. Toss brussel sprouts in a large bowl, throw in all the ingredients and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge. Bring them back and spread them out on the baking sheet half side down. Place them in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden and crispy.

    Honey, this is a quick dinner for those late nights! All in all around 25-30 minutes and it’s done!

    Store ‘Em or Eat ‘Em

    You can store the brussel sprouts for up to 3 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator! Sometimes, they get better the longer they’re in the marinade.

    I make this dish all the time! I love a good piece of pork or chicken and I couldn’t beat the deal I got on both of these chops!

  • Big Momma’s Home Fries

    My dear friend, Cathy taught me how to make some of the best home fries around! I credit her with this one! Same concept but different recipe here!

    Whether for breakfast, lunch or supper, these are sure to be fillin’ for all ya guests.

    How Ya Make Em’?

    For this recipe I used small potatoes, you can catch these at ya local grocery store! Small russet potatoes. Or, you can plow ‘em up outta the garden! Just wash them bad boys up!

    Ingredients:

    2 lbs of baby russet potatoes

    2 tbsp olive oil

    Lemon Pepper Seasoning to taste

    Juice of a half of lemon

    Salt and Pepper to taste

    Slice & Dice Po’ Boy

    Preheat ya oven to 425

    Slice ya potatoes and quarter them. Lay them out on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon juice and salt and pepper!

    Put ‘em in the oven for about 30 minutes. Flipping half way through! You “sho nuff” gonna have a good side dish!

    I mean who doesn’t like potatoes!? I put my spin on the seasonings, but you’re welcome to use any seasoning to ya likin’.