Carla Hall is out with a brand new cookbook, "Carla Hall's Soul Food Everyday and Celebration," filled with quick and delicious recipes, made with her specialty ingredient, love.
The chef and "GMA Day" food contributor turns the notion of soul food as just barbecue and mac and cheese on its head, showcasing seasonal ingredients, like butternut squash and fresh herbs.
(MORE: The ultimate fall produce and recipe guide)
Many of the lightened-up recipes can be prepared them without any fuss, in under 30 minutes for everyday. Hall also shares recipes for soul-filled celebration dishes like her poured caramel cake, which guests will devour.
Get the full recipes below for her versions of baked chicken wings, chicken meatballs, butternut squash and pesto salad, Black-eyed pea salad, and that delicious caramel cake below.
Serves 6
3 pounds chicken wings
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 garlic clove, grated with a Microplane
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and fit a wire rack into the pan.
Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared rack.
Roast until the skin is taut and the meat par-cooked, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the molasses, brown sugar, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to maintain a
simmer and simmer until syrupy, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the wings from the rack to the parchment. Pour the syrup over them and toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the wings in a single layer.
Roast, turning the wings occasionally, until glazed, about 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Makes one 13- by 9-inch sheet cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can evaporated milk
Vanilla Sheet Cake (see recipe below)
Set the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When it’s halfway melted, add the sugar and salt.
Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is dark golden brown. It will look grainy and the fat will separate from the sugar and then come back together.
Remove from the heat and add the evaporated milk while whisking. Be careful! The caramel will bubble up.
Scrape up any sugar that's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
Set over low heat and cook, whisking often, until very smooth and creamy, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and cool completely, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, pour the caramel all over the cake.
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9-inch cake pan.
Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until well-mixed. Add the oil and
beat until evenly distributed. With the machine running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until fully incorporated. The mixture will look like coarse sand.
Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl occasionally. While beating, add the buttermilk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Beat just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared
pan and spread evenly.
Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon honey Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 mini cucumbers, cut into
1/2-inch dice
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup picked fresh dill
Instructions:
Whisk the garlic, vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until smooth. While whisking, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Whisk until emulsified.
Add the peas, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, dill, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss until well mixed. You can serve this right away or let it sit at room temperature for up to one hour.
Make ahead: The salad can be refrigerated for up to one day.
1/ 2 cup fresh basil leaves 2 garlic cloves, smashed 2 1/ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/ 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small zucchini, quartered and cut into half-inch slices
2 small butternut squash, quartered and cut into
1/ 2 -inch slices
1 tablespoon minced fresh red chile
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Combine the basil, garlic, half teaspoon salt, and half of the oil on a large cutting board. Chop into coarse bits, then add the remaining oil and chop and mix until everything is finely minced.
Toss the zucchini and squash with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt until evenly coated, then toss in the chile and lemon zest. Scatter on a platter and spoon the basil mixture on top. Serve immediately.
Ingredients:
1/ 2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/ 4 cup whole milk 1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 pound ground chicken
1/ 2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/ 4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Mix the oats and milk in a large bowl. Let stand until the oats absorb the milk, about five minutes. Add the egg, onion, garlic, and parsley and mix well. Add the chicken, thyme, cayenne, 1tablespoon oil, half teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed.
Heat 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using a11/2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the meat mixture and drop it into the skillet. You can use a measuring tablespoon to scoop a heaping mound, then use your finger to push it into the skillet. Scoop and drop the remaining meat, spacing the balls apart.
Fry, turning and flipping to evenly brown, until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Make ahead: The meatloaf ball mixture can be refrigerated for up to overnight before shaping and frying. The cooked meatballs can be refrigerated for up to three days.
Recipes reprinted with permission from "Carla Hall's Soul Food" Copyright 2018 by Carla Hall.
