Follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making one of our favorite, Southern classic comfort foods. It doesn’t have to be cold and snowy outside to enjoy this warm and filling dish, but it certainly helps. Only a few ingredients are needed to make this timeless classic. It’s truly something all the family can enjoy. Printable recipe included.

Southern Chicken and Rice recipe:

I am honored to have recently been selected to test and review cookware, from the new line of cookware, produced by OXO Manufacturing Company.

If you’re not familiar with them, OXO makes over 800 innovative products covering every room of the home, featuring their Award Winning Cooking Tools and Accessories. They are based out of New York City.

OXO has just introduced a couple of new lines of cookware, including their Non-Stick, Non-Stick Pro, and 3 ply Stainless Steel PRO sets of cookware. I’ll give you a link in just a minute so you can take a look for yourself.

I was given the opportunity to select a piece of cookware that I’d like to try and review, and was asked to provide a recipe that I’d like to prepare in that particular piece of cookware.

I saw no need to hold back, and I went for the biggest and brightest piece of cookware in the entire set. I selected the OXO Stainless Steel PRO 5 Qt. Casserole + Cover piece, and said that I’d like to prepare one of my favorite comfort food dishes that Mama use to prepare – Chicken and Rice.

With all the cold weather, freezing rain, ice, and even some snow we’ve had here in the South recently, I figured a big pot of Chicken and Rice would warm up the day, and would be a great way to test out the 5 Qt. Casserole + Cover piece from the 3 Ply Stainless Steel Collection.

I’ll provide you with the full step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making Chicken and Rice in the steps below, and I’ll give you a good look at this new piece of cookware from OXO, along with some of my personal thoughts and comments on how it performed. Keep reading.

Straight out of the box, I was impressed with the overall “feel and quality,” of the cookware that I was now holding in my hands. I was eager to get started, and I hope you are as well.

So, if you’re ready for another great Southern Classic, that is good any time of the year, not just for cold weather, then let’s get in the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!

Full Disclosure: This recipe post is sponsored by OXO and their Award Winning Cooking Tools.

More about that in a minute. Let’s get started with the recipe.

Chicken and Rice: You’ll need these ingredients.

After opening your package of chicken, you might need to remove any pieces that are sometimes packed inside the cavity of the bird. They aren’t always included, but you’ll want to check before proceeding. If you find them, set the parts aside for the moment. We’ll use them later down the recipe.

These parts are usually the neck bone, liver, gizzard and sometimes the heart. Some companies include them with the purchase of a whole chicken and others might remove them. They’re good for making gravy, but we’ll be including them in the boiling process of the whole chicken to add flavor to the broth.

Rinse the chicken under cold running water. Give it a gentle scrubbing with your hands, both inside and out. Also, check for any pin feathers that might still be attached to the skin. Remove them if you see them.

This is the new “Stainless Steel PRO 5 Qt. Casserole + Cover” from OXO. Isn’t it all shiny and neat looking?

I wanted to use this for the entire recipe, but I was afraid it wasn’t quite deep enough to hold the chicken and the extra water I wanted to add to make the stock. It’s a really AWESOME cooking utensil though, and I’ll tell you more about it in just a moment, but first, we need to get the chicken on the stove and start it cooking.

Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Add the neck and other parts that were removed. I used a 16 quart stock pot for this particular part of the recipe. It was really too large for what I needed, but we’ll work with it.

Add cold water, enough to cover the chicken by about one inch.

Remove the outer skin from your onion, then split the onion in half.

Toss both halves of the onion into the stockpot with the chicken and water.

Add the Salt.

Add the Black Pepper.

Place the pot on your stove top. Start out on Medium-High heat to quickly bring the water up to a low boil.

After the pot begins to boil, place a cover on top of the stock pot and REDUCE the heat to Medium-Low.

The chicken will need to simmer for about one hour, or until the chicken is fall off the bone done.

When the chicken is done, turn off the heat, and let the chicken sit in the broth for another 30 minutes.

OK, let’s tell you a bit more about that new OXO Stainless Steel Pro 5 Qt. Casserole while the chicken is cooking.

Here’s another look at the OXO Stainless Steel 5 Qt. Casserole + Cover pot.

OXO lists the dimensions for this piece at: 13.8″ x 10.2″ x 6.1″

Weight is listed at: 5.2lbs.

I really liked the sturdy, well built “feel” of this pot as I held it in my hand. I’d easily call this the “fanciest” piece of cookware that I’ve ever owned. I love my black cast iron skillet, but it can’t do everything in the kitchen. I’ve got some older pieces of cookware, but nothing like this, so I’m excited to be adding it to my kitchen here at Taste of Southern.

This is a 3-ply piece of cookware, meaning it has a “heat radiant aluminum core, fused between 2 layers of stainless steel which ensures even cooking from every side,” according to OXO.

It’s a very attractive piece of cookware, and I can see it becoming a staple piece that I’d pretty much just leave out on my stove top all the time. It’d be great for making pasta, some favorite sauces, and lots of other things.

You aren’t going to find any flimsy handles with screws that work loose on this OXO cookware.

If you’re like me, you’ve reached for a screwdriver more than one time to try and tighten up the handle or the knob on the lid to a cook pot. That’s not going to EVER happen with this stuff.

The handles are designed to stay “cool to the touch”and offer a very comfortable grip. You can just feel the strength in them when you lift up a full pot from the stove top. Those heavy brads will hold the handles on for as long as the pot exist. Nice!

The same type of brads are used on the lid handle as well. Handles on both the lid and the pot are very sleek looking, with a gentle curve that is easy on the hands.

Here’s a little closer look at the lid handle. Very stylish, don’t you think?

I like the little logo on the lid.

The lid itself is made of clear tempered glass. I like glass lids. That way, you can see what’s happening inside the pot without losing the heat.

You’ll find a stainless steel rim around the outer edge of the lid. It’s built so that it fits nice and neatly inside the pot.

Looking straight down inside the pot you’ll see the slightly angled sidewalls, well, maybe you can tell from the picture. Trust me, they are there. The rounded bottoms on the inside make it easier to stir ingredients inside the pot.

OXO says the pot is made of scratch resistant materials and is oven safe up to 430F degrees.

All of the OXO Stainless Steel Pro Cookware is Dishwasher safe, works on all types of stove tops, including the induction types, and comes with a LIFETIME WARRANTY. What more could you ask for?

OK, I think our chicken is done, let’s get back to the recipe.

We let the chicken cook at a low simmer for just about an hour. I used a pair of tongs to lift the bird from the water, then scooped out the onion. Just leave all the broth in the pot for the time being, we’ll need it shortly.

It was still fairly warm, but not too hot to go ahead and pull the meat off the bones. You could chop the onion up and save it for the finished dish, or just discard it, choice is yours.

Carefully pick the meat away from the bones, removing and discarding the bones and the skin.

Remove all the meat and skin from the bones. Be sure to pick through it carefully, removing any small bones, gristle, or unsightly dark pieces that you might find. Nothing is worse than biting down onto a small bone in your Chicken and Rice. Trust me on this one. Discard the bones, skins and other pieces you don’t want in your dish.

I really liked the measurement markings inside the new OXO Stainless Steel 5 Qt cooker. The lettering is printed in black on the inside of the pot, and very easy to read. It has both quart and liter measurements.

Time to put this piece of cookware to work… and to the test.

Instead of dragging out the measuring cup to measure out 8 cups of stock, I just easily filled the OXO 5 Qt. cooker up to the 2 Qt. mark that was on the inside of the pot.

Can you sort of see that rolled edge on the top of the pot? It will make it easy to pour liquids out of the pot with drip free ease. I think OXO pretty much thought of everything I needed with this one.

Place the stock on your stove top over Medium-High heat. Bring the stock up to a low boil.

Add the totally bone free, and gristle free, pulled chicken pieces to the stock.

I added the entire box of Uncle Ben’s Rice to the pot. It was just a little bit over the 2 cups that the recipe calls for.

Gently stir the rice and chicken together.

Cover the pot, REDUCE the heat, and let the pot simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is done.

This photo will give you a better look at the rim around the tempered glass on the lid, and the really neat handles. Sharp huh?

We can keep a close watch on the rice with this clear glass lid as well. (I’m liking it more and more as I go.)

Check the rice after 15 minutes to see if it’s cooked to your liking.

Add the butter.

Note the remaining liquid in the chicken and rice. I like it a little “juicy,” but the rice is going to keep absorbing liquid even after it’s removed from the stove top. Keep the remaining stock from where you boiled the chicken close at hand, so you can add more if needed.

Stir the butter into the chicken and rice, until it’s fully melted.

Now is the time to taste the recipe to see if it needs more salt, or perhaps more black pepper.

I suggest you add seasonings lightly, if at all. It’s easy to add more to taste once you serve it to your family or guests.

Serve it up while it’s still warm.

You can probably see how it’s already soaked up most of the liquid that was still in the pot.

I probably added about 2 more cups of the stock from where I boiled the chicken. This required me to add a bit more salt and a bit more black pepper.

I didn’t use it here, but you might want to add some chicken bouillon to the stock if it doesn’t have a lot of taste to it. Mama would have cooked this with and old hen instead of a small frying chicken like this. The older hen’s seemed to have added more flavor to the stock. Don’t be afraid to adjust the taste with some chicken granules, cubes, or bouillon of some sort if desired. Make it your own.

Enjoy!

A very special THANK YOU to OXO for providing me with this beautiful Stainless Steel PRO 5Qt. Casserole cooker with the tempered glass lid. I’m honored that you selected me to test it out, and very happy with the results I received from working with it.

I found that the handles were a bit warm after cooking the Chicken and Rice dish, but not too hot that I couldn’t easily pick it up from the stove top and place it on the counter next to the sink. Tender hands might still need to use a pot holder.

OK, maybe, just maybe, I don’t have those rugged hard working hands of most men. Perhaps that’s why I thought the handles were just a tad warm to the touch. I’ve had a few callouses in my day, but admittedly, not very many. Just saying. (Smile)

In Summary:

I found the OXO cooker to be very, very well made. It would be hard to imagine it ever coming apart on you. The pot just has a good firm feel when you pick it up, like it’s going to do the job you’re about to place in front of it.

It was super easy to clean up afterwards. Just a light rinse was about all that was needed, but I did wash it out well. Don’t forget that it’s dishwasher safe, so you can just place it in with the rest of your dishes for quick and easy clean up.

At first, I questioned the lack of a vent in the lid, not really sure whether it actually needed one or not. The lid fits inside the pot pretty snug, but not so much so that steam from the simmering rice couldn’t escape a bit.

There was just an ever so slight bit of tarnishing inside the pot from where it sat on my burners. I could just lightly see the rings from the burner, but I assume that’s pretty typical with pots such as these. Don’t forget, I use that black cast iron skillet for most of my cooking, so cooking with stainless steel is sort of a new experience.

I’d still give it a great big A+ for cooking with.

The one very minor drawback for ME, was the light reflections from cooking with it in my kitchen and trying to take photos of my work. For that reason, and that one reason only, given the choice, I would probably purchase the Non-Stick PRO line of OXO cookware over this stainless steel.

Oh I’d love to have this stainless steel set for cooking with family and friends, it just presented some odd images when trying to line up a shot a time or two.

I hope you’ll click this link, and check out all of the great line of OXO’s Award Winning Cooking Tools and Accessories.

You can take a look at the complete 13 piece set of Stainless Steel OXO Cookware by clicking here.

Disclaimer: Now for the required stuff. OXO provided me with this OXO Stainless Steel, 3 ply Casserole Cooker plus Cover, to use in the Taste of Southern kitchen. They invited me to submit a recipe idea, and select the piece of cookware from their collection that I would most like to work with. They have not offered any payment for my review and comments on their cookware, and all the comments posted herein are totally mine. Other bloggers participated in similar reviews, but I do not have any knowledge as to who they are or what recipes they will prepare with their chosen pieces of cookware. Thank you again to all the fine folks at OXO for allowing me to participate in this program. #OXOcookware 

Follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making this delicious Shrimp Creole recipe from the Brewton Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. We’ve teamed up with FoodSaver, the #1 Vacuum Sealing System to test out their newest product addition. Printable recipe included.

Shrimp Creole recipe.

This week, I’ve got the pleasure to work with a new company to bring you this great Shrimp Creole recipe, adapted from the cookbook “Charleston Receipts.”

“Charleston Receipts,” is a collection of recipes published by The Junior League of Charleston, South Carolina. Originally published in 1950, the cookbook has seen at least 18 additional printings since that time, and is one of the many favorites in my cookbook collection.

I always enjoy visits to the Charleston area, and was actually down there this past Tuesday for a quick visit. I even enjoyed some shrimp for dinner.

Several weeks back, I was invited by the fine folks at FoodSaver, to receive, test and review the newest vacuum sealer to their lineup of great products. The FoodSaver FM5000.

I received the product free of charge, and was asked to freeze an item for approximately 30 days, then use that item in a recipe of my choice. The purpose was to test how well the new FoodSaver FM5000 Vacuum Sealer would keep my selected food product fresh.

Naturally, I jumped at the chance.

In the recipe below, I’ll introduce you to the new FoodSaver FM5000 itself, and share the complete recipe for making your very own Shrimp Creole at home.

I selected this recipe because I enjoy seafood for one thing, but also because we have been getting fresh North Carolina “green tail” shrimp recently. Green tails, or “white” shrimp, are only available around here during the fall months, and the season for them usually ends towards the end of November.

So, getting the chance to purchase some of these slightly sweeter shrimp, and store them long term, was something worth pursuing. You’ve got to get them while you can.

Ready for some Shrimp Creole? Ready to check out the new FoodSaver FM5000?  Alright then, let’s get in the kitchen and… Let’s Get Cooking!

FoodSaver FM5000

This is the unit that I received to test and review. Sweet huh?

Admittedly, it was a little larger than I thought it might be, which was a concern for me in my small kitchen. But, with all the features on this unit, it’s quickly gained the counter space and will remain out for every day use.  The units measurements are these: 16.23”L x 7.80”W x 7.41”H, a little bigger than a long 4 slot toaster, but much more versatile.

Even before I received the unit, I had ventured over to the FoodSaver website and looked it up. They have lots of great photos, much better than mine, and lots of videos to explain how it works and how to use it. I was getting excited about receiving my very own, and thankfully it was shipped right out to me.

My best suggestion is for you to visit their website and see the many photos, videos and all the other specifics about this FoodSaver 5000 unit for yourself. That way, you can quickly learn more about it, and maybe decide that you’d like to have one as well.

Here’s the link:  FoodSaver FM5000

One of the really neat features of the FoodSaver FM5000 is how easy it is to load the Vacuum Seal Roll. It goes in from either side, and it’s always visible so you can see if you’re running low.

Of course, the rolls are just ONE of the ways you can seal with this unit. With the rolls, you can pull out as long a bag as you need, so storing those big fish you catch, is super easy.

The unit also comes with a variety of sizes of ready made bags. Save the roll for the bigger items, use the bags for the smaller.

I want go into all the details here, but basically you seal the open end of the roll, pull out all you need, then use the convenient built in cutter that slides easily through the plastic to make the size bag you need for what you intend to freeze. Now you’ve got an open end to insert the food product, and you’ll vacuum seal the bag and heat seal it for fast and easy freezer storage.

Fresh off the boat, North Carolina green tail shrimp.

I purchased these from a roadside seafood market that’s just down the road from me. Every weekend, they bring all types of fresh seafood up from the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina.

I placed the shrimp in my colander, and gave them a quick rinse under some cold running water.

Next, I placed them on this small sheet pan. I’m going to stick them in the freezer just like this for about an hour. I want that little coat of water to freeze on the shrimp, then I’m going to place them in the FoodSaver bag to vacuum seal them for the next 30 days.

The little bit of ice will also help keep them fresh. Here they are after an hour or so, ready to go into the FoodSaver FM5000 bag.

I opted to use one of the ready made bags for this. I just placed the frozen shrimp in the bag, then placed the open end of the bag in the slot to vacuum seal them. What’s really nice about this unit, is they have a window where you can actually see that the end of the bag is in the right place that it needs to be to insure a proper seal.

Holding the bag in place, you press the Vacuum and Seal Bar, and the unit automatically begins. The bar locks down on the bag, and the vacuum process begins, quickly pulling all of the air out of the bag. Once the air is removed, the bar then heat seals the end of the bag. In less than 30 seconds, I had sealed these shrimp in an airtight bag, ready to go back into the freezer.

It’s not necessary to pre-freeze most food items when using the FoodSaver FM5000. I just did this because they were wet, and you don’t want liquids getting sucked into the pump as it removes air from the bag.

Here’s a closer look at the sealed end of the bag.

Now, I’m going to pop this bag in the freezer, and in about 30 days, I’ll pull them back out to use in the recipe for Shrimp Creole.

This is another feature of the FoodSaver FM5000. 

It has this retractable handheld sealer that you can pull out to seal some of the specialty products made by FoodSaver. They have created zip-lock style bags, and a line of plastic storage containers that can also be vacuum sealed.

With the zip-lock bags, you can open a bag, remove as much product as you need, zip the bag closed, then vacuum seal it AGAIN. How cool is that.

They also have various sizes of plastic containers with closures on top. Place the retractable handheld sealer over that, then vacuum the air out of the container. Like the zip-lock bags, they are reuseable as well.

Think about all the leftovers you place in the refrigerator each day. What if you could vacuum seal them before storing them for the next day or two. Well, now you can.

The containers are also a great way to marinate food items for the grill. Super fast.

It also comes with this jar sealer.

Although I haven’t tried it yet, I’m really looking forward to seeing how this works.

I’ve recently started storing dry beans, pasta, oatmeal and some other items inside half gallon Mason Jars that I purchased at the local auction I attend. I love old jars for some reason. And, you should already know that I’m big on canning, so I do have lots of empty jars around most of the time.

While this can NOT be used for canning purposes, it CAN be used to vacuum seal your jars, to help keep the items inside fresh much, much longer.

As a matter of fact, FoodSaver claims that sealing food in their vacuum sealing units can keep food items fresh up to FIVE TIMES longer than just storing them in regular bags or containers. That just equals fresher food longer, less waste, and more money SAVED.

You’ll want to leave this kitchen tool out on the counter top for everyday use.

Shrimp Creole Recipe, you’ll need these ingredients.

OK, let’s get ready to cook some shrimp.

It’s been almost 30 days since we first froze our shrimp in the FoodSaver FM5000 Vacuum Sealing Unit, time to put it to the test and see what happens.

Here’s a photo of the fresh shrimp on the left, and right after I took them out of the sealed bag on the right. Looking good. I really should have let them thawed fully before taking the photo, but I got a bit ambitious I guess. After all, I’ve been waiting a month to cook this recipe.

Rinse your Bell Pepper and Celery stalks in cool running water.

Now, dice the bell pepper.

Dice the celery stalks.

Dice the onions. Yes, they always make me cry too.

Peel and devein the shrimp.

That’s a process we’ll save for another time. I purchased large headless shrimp that still had their outer shell, so I needed to peel and devein them first.

Place your skillet over Medium heat on your stove top, then add the Bacon grease. You do save your bacon grease don’t you? (Smile)

Add the diced onions.

Add the diced Bell Pepper and the diced Celery.

Stir this mixture often, and let it cook until the veggies are tender and the onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes.

The old Charleston Receipts cookbook says to add a quart of tomatoes. I’m assuming this was based on the fact that many folks back then home canned their tomatoes for later use. Thus, the quart measurement.

I wasn’t that smart, so I just added a large can of crushed tomatoes.

Add the Sugar.

Add the Tomato Paste.

Stir everything together well.

Let this simmer gently over Medium-Low heat for about 30 minutes. The original recipe says until the sauce has thickened.

As a matter of personal preference, I think I would have preferred mine to be a little juicer at the end, but that’s just me. The tomatoes needed time to cook down some, but it did turn out fairly thick. Just saying.

At this point, you’ll want to taste the sauce to see how much salt and pepper you need to add.

Surprisingly, salt and pepper are the only spices called for in this recipe. It ended up having a fairly mild taste and although I don’t show it, I opted to add a little Old Bay Seasoning to the dish. I think that helped, for my tastes at least.

Add the shrimp.

I used the back of my spoon to gently press the shrimp down into the sauce until they were fully submerged.

The shrimp only need about 5 minutes to cook, so keep this in mind to do just a few minutes before serving the dish.

Enjoy!

Serve the Shrimp Creole warm, over a bed of rice, and dig in.

I must say, the shrimp tasted great, even after being in the freezer for weeks. I can’t wait to try this FoodSaver on some other items very soon.

The resealable zip-lock bags are going to be great for storing diced Bell Peppers too. Around here, one Bell Pepper can cost about 1.69 cents each during the winter months, whereas you can generally buy about 5 of them for one dollar during the summer from the Farmers Market. I buy them on sale, dice them up and freeze. Only in the past, they would always get ice crystals all in the bag. I don’t think that’s going to be the case from now on. Plus, I’ll save money. How cool is that? Winner! Winner!

Follow our easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to make this delicious breakfast treat and served up all in one bowl. We’re using some leftover rice to expand this quick and easy breakfast dish into a great way to start your morning. Or, how about just for supper? That will work. Printable recipe included.

Sausage, Egg, Cheese – Rice Bowl Recipe

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by OXO Good Grips and their line of over 800 award winning cooking tools and houseware products. OXO provided me with three of their products for testing in exchange for my honest review of the items used. I was not compensated financially for this post, and all comments and opinions expressed are totally my own.

I’m always excited when the fine folks over at OXO invite me to test and review their products.

Several of the recipes posted here on Taste of Southern have been created in conjunction with OXO and I invite you to check those out as well.

This time, OXO suggested a recipe featuring the current craze of food “bowls.” You’ll find many such recipes here on the Internet, and when OXO offered to send me several of their products to test out with a bowl recipe, I quickly asked to join the fun.

Now, I must admit that I haven’t actually jumped on the bandwagon with all the latest food bowls, but I have often made a couple of similar type things for my breakfast meals. I knew right away what I would prepare.

Breakfast is usually pretty simple around Taste of Southern. I’ll often fix up some grits and top that with a couple of hard boiled eggs in a bowl. I call that my “King’s Breakfast.” It’s a long story that I’ll save for later, but let’s just say it goes back to some tough financial times when I thought eating a couple of eggs and a bowl of grits was eating like a King.

It’s the same with this rice bowl. Rice was often a main ingredient during those times because it could stretch a simple meal out into something more hearty. Besides, rice is so versatile. Right?

I’ve remained extremely thankful for God bringing me through some kind of tough days, and it helps me to always remember just how blessed I truly am. I can eat boiled eggs and grits for breakfast any day.

This dish is a little more “extravagant” than just eggs and grits however. It actually has “meat.” (Smile)

So, if you’re ready to check out our breakfast bowl, and ready to see some great new kitchen items from OXO, then let’s get in the kitchen… and Let’s Get Cooking.

Sausage, Egg and Cheese, Rice Bowl recipe.  You’ll need these ingredients.

These are the OXO brand tools used in this recipe. You can click the links below to learn more about them on the OXO website.

Rice & Grains Washing Colander

Adjustable Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer

Grape & Tomato Cutter

Start by rinsing the rice. You do rinse your rice first don’t you?

I felt this was the perfect opportunity to also test out another way of cooking rice. I don’t normally rinse my rice prior to cooking, and have always used the pretty basic method of preparing rice on the stove top. You know, the directions on the back of the bag or box.

This time, I’m going to boil the rice in a large amount of water, just to see if it keeps it from being so sticky as rice often turns out to be. Will it be different?  Let’s see.

The new OXO Rice and Grains Washing Colander was perfect for this.

Unlike your typical colander with large holes, the OXO Grain Washing Colander has much smaller “square” holes. It’s perfect for rinsing grains, pasta, rice, anything small that normally slips through those larger holes on your old kitchen colander.

Just rinse the rice well under cold running water.

Here’s a closer look at the drain holes in the pouring spout area of the colander. Just tilt the colander and drain the rice. No more holding your hand over the rice trying to keep it out of the sink.

See the spout area down in the bottom left corner of this photo?  I also liked the grips on the handles of the colander as well.

But, what was really cool was that the bottom of the colander has a raised ridge bottom. It may not work out for everyone, but this ridge slipped right down inside the drain of my garbage disposal which kept the colander firmly seated while I rinsed the rice.

Bet OXO didn’t even realize they added that feature. (Smile)

After rinsing the rice really well, I let all the water drain off.

Then, I placed the fully rinsed rice in another bowl, and covered the rice with lots of clean cool water.

Set this aside, and just let the rice SOAK for 30 minutes.

This step is suppose to allow the rice plenty of room to swell as it absorbs water and will hopefully make for larger, fluffier grains of rice.

After 30 minutes soaking, pour the rice back through your colander.

You still can’t actually see it, but that rim around the bottom of the colander is sitting down inside my drain. Look real close at the bottom to see it.

To cook the rice: Fill a large sauce pot about half full of cool water. You want to have plenty of water to boil the rice as it cooks.

I know this is a bit more work than the regular old way of cooking rice, but let’s see if it works.

Add the salt.

NOTE: I added one teaspoon of salt while making the rice. After it cooked, I could hardly taste any of the salt flavor in the rice… which I like. In the printable recipe, I’ve adjusted this to say ONE TABLESPOON. I think you’ll like that better.

The rice will absorb some of the salt while it cooks, but not all of it. We’ll be draining it again before we serve it.

Rice needs some salt for flavor in my personal opinion. You just can’t ever get it to taste right for me if you have to try and add more later. Don’t hold that against me… okay?

Add the vinegar.

Vinegar is suppose to also help rinse the starch from the rice as it cooks which in turn helps keep the rice from sticking together as it cools. It’s also said it will help keep the grains from breaking.

Give this a slight stir and place the pot on your stove top with the heat set to Medium-High.

Just as soon as you start to see some bubbles begin appearing in the water as it heats, add the drained rice.

Give everything a stir.

Cover the pot and let the water return to a boil.

The rice needs to boil for about 8-10 minutes when preparing it this way. You’ll need to stir it about every 3 minutes during that time.

As you can see, there is plenty of water in the pot to fully cover the rice.

That’s the purpose of preparing the rice in this manner. We’re going to boil it, but not until all of the water evaporates out of the pot like in the recipe on the back of the bag or box.

This method is suppose to eliminate any chance of your rice sticking to the bottom of the pot, and all the water allows the rice to “swim free” and expand to it’s fullest. Again, making for fuller and fluffier grains of rice.

Test a few grains of rice to be sure it’s almost done. You’ll want to remove it from the heat while it still has just a bit of a “bite” when you bite into it. It will continue to cook once it’s removed from heat.

Use your OXO Rice and Grains Washer once again to drain the cooked rice. Pour it into the colander and let all the hot water drain off into your sink. Just set the rice aside until you’re ready to use it.

Cooked rice is best when served right away. If you intend to let it cool and refrigerate it, add a little oil or butter and give it a good stir before it cools down.

I always like to add a little butter to my rice after cooking, but didn’t this time.

The rice turned out pretty good cooked this way. There was no worry about it sticking to the bottom of the pot, and it did indeed turn out to be light and fluffy. I was well pleased with the cooking method. I was however disappointed that it didn’t have enough salt in it for my taste. Guess I should have stirred in a pat of butter after all.

Again, I’ve adjusted the printed recipe to add more salt into the water while boiling the rice. Always use your own judgement based on your personal tastes and sodium restrictions or needs.

OXO Good Grips Grape and Tomato Cutter in action.

It’s time to start assembling our breakfast bowl. This part was super easy with this little gadget.

You insert a grape tomato into the well of the cutter first.

Press the plunger at the top…

Watch the quartered tomatoes pop out the bottom. How cool is that?

The plunger pushes the tomatoes through the cutting blades that are in a fixed position in the bottom of the unit. In just a couple of seconds, I had quartered about 10 of these little grape tomatoes for the recipe.

I really hadn’t expected much from this little tool, but the only slow thing about it was me loading more tomatoes into the bottom. As fast as I could load it and squeeze the plunger, the nicely sliced and quartered tomatoes popped out the bottom.

This would be perfect to quarter grapes, grape tomatoes, even pitted olives in one easy motion. It would be great for chicken salad, or regular salads. Just think of all the uses for it.

The unit twists apart for cleaning, and it’s dishwasher safe. It even has a cover that snaps on over the chamber for safe storage and to protect the serrated cutting blades.

Next, toss the ground sausage into your favorite skillet and brown it. You know me, I’m using mama’s old cast iron skillet for this.

Once the sausage was done, I just tossed in the quartered tomatoes for a minute or so. I wanted them to just heat up a bit and not fully cook.

The last tool that OXO provided was this Large Hand-held Mandoline Slicer.

I must admit, I’ve always been a little intimidated by these type of slicers. I’ve owned one or two in the past, and I’ve read the horror stories that can happen if you use one improperly.

PROPER USE MEANS JUST THIS:  USE THE FOOD HOLDER WHEN WORKING WITH IT.

Follow the proper directions for using your Mandoline Slicer, and you’ll be good.

As you can see, this unit has a dial adjustment on the side of the slicer. This will allow you to select the thickness of the slice you prefer. You’ve got 7 choices to select from.

You can hold the slicer on a cutting board and let the slices fall to the board, or you can place the slicer on top of a bowl and use the non slip notches on the bottom to let the slices fall directly into a bowl.

This Roma Tomato was pretty ripe, but the Hand-held Mandoline Slicer stainless steel blades sliced it smoothly and evenly for the most part, even on one of the thinner settings.

The nice part is that the unit is wide enough to accept a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Clean up is simple, just be careful around the fixed cutting blade. It’s also dishwasher safe.

The food saver “cap” attaches to the bottom of the unit for easy storage.

Always use this piece anytime you’re slicing vegetables on your mandoline slicer. It was made to protect those fingers while making quick, even slices of many types of veggies.

This will come in real handy when it’s time to slice up cucumbers for making pickles. Oh yeah!

I can’t recommend using your slicer this way, but I used it to slice off some pieces of this leftover hunk of hoop cheese. I didn’t need a lot, but it worked.

Enjoy!

To assemble the bowl, place a cup or so of rice in a small bowl. Add the cooked sausage and the warmed tomatoes. Top this with an egg cooked to your liking. I personally think leaving the yolk a little “runny” is best. That way, you can break the yolk and stir it into the rice. Yum… good!

Top it with some cheese and you’ve got a really quick and easy breakfast bowl.

Of course, if you’re like me, you might like it for supper as well. I often have a breakfast dish for a late meal. How about you?

While I cooked rice just for this recipe, I typically make a breakfast bowl from leftover rice that has been hanging around in the fridge for a day or two. It’s a great way to use up leftovers. Add anything else you might like and have on hand. Make it your own and let me know what you create.

Special thanks to our friends over at OXO for trusting my opinions of their products. They have no idea how I’ll report on them when they make they offer. But, they know they have great products, so I doubt that really have any need to worry.

My collection of OXO Good Grip tools is growing. Here’s to hoping we can work together again.

And, here are the links to all the products that we tested. Check them out on the OXO website.

Rice & Grains Washing Colander

Adjustable Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer

Grape & Tomato Cutter

I highly recommend them all and really enjoy how well built they are, and how they always work as OXO states they will. These are my personal thoughts and comments on them, and I’m sticking to them.

I hope you’ll build your own breakfast bowl real soon. I look forward to hearing about it in the Comments section below.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

Jane Parker, a name well known for it’s fruitcakes, now brings back the very popular Spanish Bar Cake. We test it out and share our results with you. Let’s take a look.

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If names like the A&P, Jane Parker, or Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company do not ring any bells for you, then you’re a youngster. Just too young to remember. Smile.

I’m not a youngster, and I grew up in the era when all of these were household names. A&P Grocery stores were pretty much everywhere in my area back then, and they were very innovative stores in changing the way people shopped for groceries.

If you’ve never heard of the Jane Parker Spanish Bar Cake, allow me a minute or two to share a bit of background on the cake and then we’ll share a bit about how this cake has just recently returned to production using the original recipe from years back. I’ll try to be brief, but as you may know, that’s not easy for me.

A&P Grocery stores began as the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company back around 1859 up in New York City. By the 1930’s, they had changed the name to just A&P, and had some 16,000 stores across the United States. They began to lose their footing in the grocery business to newer stores around the years of 1973-1974 and lots of stores were closing. In 1979, they were sold.

Jane Parker was an in-house brand of the A&P stores during their heyday. The company had it’s own group of bakeries that baked the famous Jane Parker Fruitcakes, the Spanish Bar Cakes, doughnuts, bread, and other baked goods. This was a first for grocery stores back in the day and A&P ruled the market for many years.

As more modern stores came along, A&P didn’t keep up and eventually went out of business.

My older brother worked with our local A&P store for many years, going from shelf stocker to eventually being a store manager. Later, he ended up owning about 4 grocery stores of his own (not A&P stores) and spent about 50 years in the grocery business.

My brother often talked about the Spanish Bar Cakes, telling me that when he would be stocking shelves in his younger days, he would often grab a Spanish Bar Cake at his break time and said he could eat about half of one of those cakes during his breaks. Obviously, he liked them.

The subject of these cakes came up many times, and back in November of 2014, I attempted to make one of the spice cakes for him just to see if I could come close. You can see my version of it here:  Spanish Bar Cake Recipe.

He was kind and told me the cake was good, and brought back some memories of the Jane Parker version, but my cake just wasn’t the same. Oh well, at least I’d tried. Smile. And, if you search the Internet, you’ll see that many other folks have tried to re-create the cake as well. Some even claimed to have the original recipe for it.

As it would turn out, a couple of brothers up in New York ended up purchasing the Jane Parker brand name and some of their recipes a few years back when some of the assets of the A&P chain were being auctioned off.

Chris Ronacher and his brother Alex had been selling the Jane Parker Fruitcakes online for several years through a candy business they owned at the time. While the return of the Jane Parker Fruitcakes did well for them, many folks kept asking if they would ever again sell the Spanish Bar Cakes.

In 2017, Chris reached out to me via Taste of Southern to tell me about the return of the fruitcakes. He had found me through my attempt to make the Spanish Bar Cake. I thought that was pretty cool.

Chris sent me a couple of the fruitcakes, and we even gave a couple of them away here on Taste of Southern. I did a review for those back in 2017.

Chris informed me back then that they were working on bringing the Original Jane Parker Spanish Bar Cakes back using the original recipes. I shared the info with my brother and he was excited to hear about the possibility.

Fast forward to today. The original recipe Jane Parker Spanish Bar Cakes – ARE BACK.

Chris sent my brother and me some small samples of the cake many months back. Then, just a week or so ago, he sent us both one of the Spanish Bar Cakes to enjoy and for me to review here on Taste of Southern.

There’s a lot more to the story, but I’ve already typed a bunch of information, so let’s proceed with the review, okay/

My brother told me that as soon as he saw the cake Chris had sent him, that they had “nailed it” as he put it.

He said the cake tasted just the way he remembered it and that it sure did bring back lots of great memories for him of his days with A&P groceries. He very much liked the cake.

I don’t have those memories of the cake like he does, because I was much younger at the time. Still, a good cake is a good cake, and I think you’re going to like the Original Recipe Spanish Bar Cake.

The cake is available for order NOW on the JaneParker.com website. They take orders for the cakes and are currently running about 5 to 8 weeks on delivery. Chris and his brother are just beginning to produce this cake once again and their goal is to eventually get it into lots of grocery stores across the country. Currently, the Jane Parker Fruitcakes are being made available in about 250 stores across America with hopes to continue to expand that as well.

So, ready to take a look at this Spanish Bar Cake? Alright then, let’s head to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Slicing!

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Your 18oz Spanish Bar Cake will arrive in a plastic clamshell container.

Hopefully, one day you’ll be able to purchase these directly in your local grocery store. That’s the plan at least. But, for now, you’ll have to order the cake online from JaneParker.com.

Orders are being taken and delivery will follow a few weeks later as production of the cake is currently on a limited basis. But, rest assured, you’ll get a very fresh Spanish Bar Cake when you order it.

Each cake is being shipped in a corrugated cardboard box that has a Styrofoam lining inside. You’ll also find a frozen re-useable gel pack in the bottom of the box, with the cake inside the clamshell container on top, then another frozen gel pack on top of that.

The gel packs keep the cake fresh during it’s shipping to your home. Shipping is included in the price of the cake on the Jane Parker website.

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You may catch a whiff of the spice cake before you open the clamshell, but you’ll certainly notice it when you first open the clamshell with your cake. I loved the aroma of this cake. There is something about the spices used in making this cake that remind me of being at my Grandpa’s house. Ms. Maddie, as everyone called my Grandmother, was on up in years when I was a youngster and didn’t do any baking that I recall. But the aroma of this cake just reminded me of being in their house for some reason. Smile.

It contains some nutmeg, cinnamon, and a hint of clove along with some other spices. And raisins, it has raisins.

This Spanish Bar Cake is the exact same size as the original was – 18 ounces. They’ve even spread the frosting in between the layers and on top the same way, including the stripes in the icing.  How cool is that?

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The cake will serve 6.

I told Chris when I talked with him, that as a Gordon, the cake would serve TWO. Smile. Doesn’t it look good?

My brother and I agreed that spice cake in general may be sort of an acquired taste. But, if you like it, you’ll love this moist two layer spice cake with lots of plump raisins in the layers.

Have I mentioned that it’s baked right here in the good old USA? Sweet.

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The combination of the spice cake and the icing is amazing. It’s not just a bunch of sugar, but a nice balance of the spices in the cake and the sweetness of the icing.

The cakes have about a 10 day shelf life once they arrive. Or, you can freeze it for 6-10 months if desired. I didn’t test the 10 day shelf life theory out so I’ll take their word for it. The cake was too good and just kept disappearing within a day or two. Don’t judge me. Smile.

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The cake was very moist and I liked the thick layer of frosting between the layers.

So, how did it taste?  AWESOME.

That’s the best way for me to describe it. As I mentioned, it wasn’t overly sweet but had a really great combination of spices and icing that went together very well. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I can see where folks that are would like it with a cup of coffee. It also went very well with my glass of cold milk. Gotta love it.

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Enjoy!

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We’re taste testing the new Jane Parker Chocolate Fruitcake from the folks at JaneParker.com. They’ve brought back the A&P Jane Parker brand fruitcakes with the original recipes, and they’ve recently added a few new versions as well.

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I’ve had the great pleasure to enjoy the return of the Jane Parker line of baked products over the past couple of years. I’ve been honored that they have chosen me to work with them to introduce our readers to the return of these original recipe fruitcakes, Spanish Bar Cakes, and more.

As a quick recap, my brother worked for the A&P Grocery stores back in the day. He worked his way up from stock boy to manager, and worked with them for many years. He has told me lots of stories about his work days with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company as it was once known.

A&P changed the way folks shopped for groceries. They were great innovaters and even had their own bakeries that made many of the breads and baked goods sold in their stores. The Jane Parker brand was one of those, and they became very well known for their Jane Parker Fruitcakes at Christmas time. With stores across America, households everywhere enjoyed their products.

A&P failed to keep up with the new chains of grocery stores coming out and eventually went bankrupt and closed all of their stores. The Jane Parker brand was gone and folks everywhere missed their famous cakes and other items.

Several years back, two brothers up in New York purchased the Jane Parker brand along with the original recipes at an auction. They worked hard for years to bring back some of the Jane Parker items and keep adding to the list every year as they move forward.

They brought back the Original Recipe Jane Parker Fruitcakes a couple of years back and have had great success with the cakes since then. Just recently, they brought back another favorite, the Spanish Bar Cake. I’ve had the pleasure to review and test them all, and you can see those reviews at the links listed here.

Jane Parker Classic and Dark Fruitcakes Review

Jane Parker Spanish Bar Cakes Review

I’m excited once again to try out this new flavor created by Chris and his brother Alex in New York. You can view all the originals, and a couple of newer versions of the cakes on their website at www.JaneParker.com.

I’m excited to share my results with you below.

Disclaimer: I was provided with cakes to test and review. All the opinions are my own.

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Like the Classic and Dark Fruitcakes, the Jane Parker Chocolate Fruitcakes are available in a 2 pound Christmas TIN that makes a perfect gift, and a 1 pound bar that is great for snacking on.

Shipping is included in the price when you order any of the cakes from www.JaneParker.com

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The cakes are cellophane wrapped once they are baked to insure you receive a fresh, moist cake each and every time.

I’m going to slice into this one and give the 2 pound tin to my brother and his family to enjoy before Christmas.

Look at all the pecans on the top of this cake. Good stuff. Smile.

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Here’s a photo of the 32 ounce Chocolate Fruitcake from Jane Parker. I borrowed this photo from their website so you could see the pecans, cherries and raisins on the top of the cake. There’s plenty on the inside of the cake as well.

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See what I mean? Lots of raisins, cherries and pecans go into this fruitcake. They refer to them as “glace cherries,” and you’ll also find some bits of glace pineapple and orange peel as well.

This Chocolate Fruitcake is made following the original Jane Parker Fruitcake recipe that folks loved for years and purchased from the old A&P Grocery stores in years past. The chocolate version includes the addition of cocoa powder and it’s 2/3rds full of fruit and nuts to make for one more delicious fruitcake.

I must admit, I’m one of those people that likes fruitcake. I know lots of people don’t care for them, but I suspect they’ve only had bad fruitcakes in the past. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this new Chocolate version of an old time classic from Jane Parker.

The addition of the cocoa powder sets this off in a class by itself. It’s just enough chocolate to please a chocolate lover, but not overpowering in it. Slightly sweet with lots of nuts and fruits. It’s just the right blend in my opinion.

The 32 ounce ring cake will serve 10-16 slices while the 16 ounce cake serves 5-8 slices. They also offer the 16 ounce cake in a Christmas tin for just a couple of dollars more so you can give them as gifts to all your family and friends.

They have a variety of gift options for you on their website. Something for everyone on your gift list. Check it out.

Did I mention – they are baked right here in the good old USA. How cool is that?

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Enjoy!