Cindy Pugh enjoys cooking treasured family recipes
Nestled against the woodlands in a country setting in Beauregard, the home of Cindy and Steve Pugh offers cozy places to relax and enjoy the outdoors, including a large front porch with a swing, screened-in back porch and a patio area around the pool. Cindy, whose family has many good cooks, has a love of cooking and is sharing favorite recipes that have been treasured for decades.
As far back as Cindy can remember, she has been in the kitchen helping to prepare meals or cooking.
“I grew up when family meals were special times,” she said. “We didn’t go out to eat much. We wanted to be home to eat together. My father would cook breakfast for us on weekends. After church on Sunday, we would always have a big lunch that our mother called dinner. She would wake up early and cook a roast, fry some chicken or make a meatloaf and there were always vegetables and fried cornbread. It was a wonderful tradition.”
Cindy attended Auburn University and was a travel agent for 20 years.
“I used to send people on trips, and now I bring them here,” Cindy said. She is the Group Sales Manager at Auburn-Opelika Tourism. She travels to trade shows and meets with travel planners looking for unique destinations to host a conference or a leisure travel group.
Cindy has loved showing off the Auburn-Opelika area nationwide for 19 years. As a native of Auburn, she has seen many changes over the years.
“We have so many wonderful things now that we didn’t have when I started in tourism,” she said.
She is also involved in the community and serves as the secretary on the board for Independent Rights and Resources.
Steve is retired from the Auburn Police Department and works in security for the Columbus federal courthouse. Their blended family includes five children and six grandchildren.
Growing up, Cindy and her sister, Carol Law Duncan, began helping their mother, nicknamed “Pete”, in the kitchen at an early age. Their mother worked and would call the girls after school to get dinner started by chopping an onion or browning some hamburger meat. They ate at the dinner table for all of meals except on Sunday nights when Cindy and Carol could have a sandwich on a tv tray while watching Walt Disney on television.
Their grandparents and aunts were also good cooks. Cindy said she enjoyed visiting them and was influenced by their cooking.
Her mother grew up in Ariton located in south Alabama. The family would go there to visit the maternal grandmother, Gaga, and the other grandmother, Mimi, who resided in Ozark.
“My sister and I were always interested in what was going on in their kitchens,” Cindy said. “Although Mimi enjoyed cooking whenever our family would come to town, she had the sweetest lady named Rachel that would cook meals for us.
“We would watch them make a homemade blackberry cobbler and hard sauce to go with it. We would have an amazing meal on Saturday Ozark and then eat Sunday dinner with my grandmother in Ariton on our way back home. She had a garden and would serve fresh peas, creamed corn, fried chicken, roast, fried cornbread and fried pies”
Cindy said both she and her sister developed a love of cooking.
“My sister and I talk a few times a day on the phone,” Cindy said. “We always end up talking about what we are cooking for supper.”
Cindy and Carol enjoy cooking favorite recipes from childhood neighbors. They took recipes their mother had collected from neighbors and tweaked them over the years to suit their taste.
“One next door neighbor, Thelma Jackson would cook dinner for us sometimes and bring us a casserole that we named Thelma’s Casserole” Cindy said. “It was a sweet time when neighbors did things for each other.”
Another recipe from a childhood neighbor is Leroy’s Chicken that is still a family favorite. Leroy was the father of a neighbor who would invite Cindy’s family over for a Saturday night cookout. He prepared a sauce that he used to baste chicken while it grilled.
Steve uses Leroy’s Chicken recipe for grilling out when family visits. Cindy said he also enjoys cooking on his Big Green Egg. He will grill extra meat on weekends to freeze for serving during the week. Cindy uses leftover smoked chicken to prepare an easy salad made with chopped celery, green onions and Duke mayonnaise.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is one of Cindy’s favorite comfort food dishes. The chuck roast is placed in a well-seasoned beef broth with red wine to simmer slowly all day while she is at work. When the roast is cooked, Cindy puts it in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to blend, and serves it the next day. It also freezes well.
In order to have homecooked meals on weeknights, Cindy will cook dishes ahead, such as Bolognese or soup to freeze for serving after a hectic day. During summer, she also freezes fresh peas.
Cindy has a small garden where she grows tomatoes and herbs. She makes pesto with the fresh basil and freezes it to use during the winter months.
Her salsa recipe came from a favorite Mexican restaurant that was located in Montgomery. She said she asked a server one day what was in the salsa. He told her the ingredients and after a few weeks of experimenting she finally nailed it. She has been making it for 35 years. The recipe is easy to double and great to make for gifts.
One of her mother’s favorite recipes is Pete’s Party Cheese Ball. Her mom began making it in the early 70s, and it was her go-to appetizer for parties. Cindy said she makes it for family get togethers, and that it is still popular.
“I love to make these recipes and think of the people who made them,” Cindy said. “My sister and I came from a long line of people who loved to cook, and we are carrying on that tradition for our families. Our children like to cook, too, and we are making sure they have these recipes.”
Whether they are entertaining or relaxing on weekends with their dog Clyde and cat named Kiki, Cindy said she and Steve are enjoying the quiet life in Beauregard. As she looked over the tomatoes and herbs near the back porch, Cindy remarked, “It is a fun place to be.”
Pete’s Party Cheeseball
Two 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped pimento
1 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of salt
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
Crackers for serving
Combine the first nine ingredients until blended. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for eight hours.
Roll the cheese in pecans and parsley before serving with a variety of crackers.
Marinated Cheese
1 .7 oz. envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbsp. minced green onion
2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
8 oz. block Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. block Colby cheese
4 oz. jar chopped pimiento, drained
Assorted crackers
Whisk together first six ingredients and set aside. Cut the three blocks of cheese in thirds lengthwise then cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices. Place in plastic bag and pour marinade over and chill for 8 to 10 hours.
Drain marznade and arrange cheeses in rows on a platter and top with pimento. Serve with assorted crackers.
Cin’s Salsa
From a Mexican restaurant in Montgomery
28 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
¼ cup pickled jalapeno peppers
¼ cup pickled jalapeno juice
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
½ cup fresh chopped onion
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. canola oil
Dash of salt
Blend first seven ingredients in a blender until mixture is the consistency you like. Add lime juice and canola oil and a dash of salt. Mixture needs to be refrigerated for 24 hours to blend flavors before serving. Serve with chips.
Beauregard Clyde’s Margaritas
1 cup good tequila
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup simple syrup
1/4 cup orange liqueur
Dip the top of the glasses in lime juice and roll in margarita salt, if desired. Combine ingredients. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.
Makes two servings.
Smoked Chicken Salad
2 cups chopped smoked chicken
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
¼ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. white ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together until combined. Place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours for flavors to blend.
Makes 2½ cups.
Marinated Asparagus
1½ lbs. fresh asparagus, tough ends removed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
Black pepper to taste
¾ cup finely chopped pecans. optional
Place asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes or until slightly tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in an oblong serving dish or a large Ziploc bag.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with pepper. Best if marinated for about 4 to 6 hours.
Sprinkle with pecans before serving, if desired.
Leroy’s Chicken
3 cups white vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 chopped onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 stick butter
Juice of 2 to 3 lemons, throw in a couple of lemon halves in the pot
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until onions are tender, about an hour. Let sauce sit on stove top with lid on for 3 to 4 hours to let flavors develop. Baste or mop chicken while grilling.
Blue Cheese Coleslaw
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. celery seeds
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ cup canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz. finely shredded cabbage
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
Combine first eight ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly pour in oil and whisk until blended. Combine cabbage, blue cheese and dressing mix. Toss well and serve.
Serves six to eight.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve on your favorite salad.
Makes 12 oz.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
When it’s just the two of us I cook just the amount of pasta for two servings, mix with some of the ragu and freeze the rest as it freezes beautifully!
3 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks,
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1½ cups chopped onion
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped carrot
4-5 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried rosemary
2-3 bay leaves
1 cup red wine (I use Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
16-oz. rigatoni
Chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the beef and sear for a few minutes on each side. Set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Pour mixture into slow cooker. Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, red wine, beef broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste; stir. Add beef. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 10 hours.
When cooked, shred beef and return to crock pot. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Cook pasta according to directions and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to ragu using pasta water to thin, if necessary. Top with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.
Serves eight to 10.
Miss Thelma’s Casserole
1 lb. ground chuck
½ cup chopped onion
14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup cooked rice
½ cup sliced green olives (more to taste)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano to taste
Parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese
Brown beef and onion; drain. Mix with tomatoes, rice, olives and seasonings. Place in an 8 x 8-inch casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6. Leftovers are great to stuff in bell peppers.
Lemon Chicken Pasta
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, add more to taste
1 bunch fresh green onions sliced
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
4 Tbsp. butter
12 oz. pasta, cooked and drained (Penne is my favorite for this dish.)
Fresh basil, torn
Fresh parsley, chopped
Brown chicken in olive oil. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, green onions, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Simmer on low for about 30 to 45 minutes. At the very end, add basil and parsley.
Toss with penne pasta and serve with fresh parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.
Cin’s Red Beans ‘n Rice
16 oz. bag dark red kidney beans, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
1 lb. sausage, (Andouille or spicy Conecuh) cut in bite size pieces
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
½ tsp. cinnamon
2-3 bay leaves
Hot cooked rice
Combine above ingredients except rice in a pot. Cover ingredients with water; bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until beans are done, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
Remove about a cup or two of beans, mash them and return to pot. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Serve over rice with hot sauce, chopped green onions and cornbread.
Serves eight.
Squash Casserole
3 lb. yellow squash, sliced
1 onion, chopped
6 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. each salt and black pepper (more to taste)
1 bag Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing
1 stick butter, melted
Cover squash and onion with salted with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and add next 4 ingredients.
Mix stuffing and butter together. Blend half of this with above. Put in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Top with remaining stuffing and butter mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serves eight to 10.
Southern Banana Pudding (Ninnie Puddin’)
¾ cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 cup whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
35-40 Nilla Wafers
4 medium bananas, sliced
½ tsp. cream of tartar
Combine ½ cup sugar, flour and salt on top of a double boiler. Stir in egg yolks and milk until well blended. Bring to a simmer uncovered over boiling water stirring constantly until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
Spread about ½ cup of custard on bottom of and 8 x 8 -inch casserole dish. Layer Nilla Wafers and bananas on top. Repeat twice ending with a layer of custard.
Beat egg whites with hand mixer adding cream of tartar at beginning. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Spread meringue on top of banana pudding. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly brown. Make sure to keep a close eye on it!
Garnish with Nilla Wafers, if desired.
