Ripley cook likes easy, flavorful, family-friendly recipes

Dec. 1—RIPLEY — Hope Williams didn't care a thing about cooking until she had her first child. While she was at home with the newborn, she started watching "The Pioneer Woman" on the Food Network, and she got hooked.

"I like 'The Pioneer Woman' because everything she cooks is easy, family friendly and flavorful," Williams said. "A lot of my recipes are from her. And it doesn't hurt that she has all these beautiful serving dishes. I just love her style."

Williams, 29, was born and raised in Independence in Tate County, the oldest of four children. Her senior year of high school, she went to live with her Granny Pate, who was always in the kitchen.

"She cooked me breakfast before school, and every afternoon when I got home, she'd have a pan of cornbread and some vegetable from the garden cooked for me," Williams said. "Then she'd turn around and fry chicken or make some kind of pasta for supper, and we'd eat again."

For several years, Williams was a vet tech at Hernando Animal Clinic, and she also went to school to learn how to groom dogs.

After she and her husband, Jesse, married, he built her a grooming shop behind their house in the Whittentown community outside Ripley. In addition to grooming dogs, she also raises Standard Poodles, and she works a couple of days a week as a personal assistant. Jesse is a farrier.

The Williamses share three children — Jacie, Avery and Slade. The family likes to ride horses together on the weekends, and Williams and Jacie are big into barrel racing.

"We stay so busy," she said. "That's why I love my Crock-Pot. On days when I'm working, I can put something on in the morning and leave it. With three kids and living on a farm, it's got to be easy."

She might make chicken spaghetti with green beans and garlic toast, or a baked pork tenderloin with homemade mac and cheese and asparagus.

"Jesse grills a lot on Saturdays," she said. "He'll throw steaks on the grill or maybe shrimp. When he does that, I just get in the kitchen and do the sides."

The family eats lots of leftovers, and what doesn't get eaten in a couple of days goes to the pet pot-bellied pig, Patty, or the chickens.

"Nothing goes to waste around here," Williams said. "And none of us are picky eaters. I'll try a new recipe at least once a week. I'll send my husband a random grocery list and he'll say, 'Why am I buying all this?' and I'll say, 'You'll see. Just wait and see.'"

DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can call (662) 678-1581 or email them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.

PASTA SALAD

1 box tri-color rotini pasta

2 cucumbers

2 tomatoes

1 purple onion

1 pack honey ham lunch meat

1 package turkey lunch meat

1 small can sliced olives, drained

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bottle zesty Italian salad dressing

Boil pasta for 7 to 8 minutes, or until done. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, ham and turkey. Add the drained pasta, olives, cheese and dressing. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.

PURPLE STUFF

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 large can crushed pineapple, drained

1 can cherry pie filling

1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

In a serving bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, pecans, pineapple and cherry pie filling. Fold in whipped topping and mix well. Refrigerate overnight.

GRANNY PATE'S 7-LAYER SALAD

1 bag of shredded lettuce

4 green onions, chopped

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 can of green peas, drained

1 package honey ham lunch meat

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, or more

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Place lettuce in the bottom of a deep serving dish, preferably clear glass. Sprinkle chopped onions over lettuce. Sprinkle chopped bell pepper on top of onions. Top the bell pepper with drained green peas. Chop the honey ham into small pieces, and place on top of peas. Cover everything with mayonnaise. Sprinkle cheese on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MISSISSIPPI VENISON CROCK-POT ROAST

1 (3- to 4-pound) venison roast

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package au jus gravy mix

1 stick butter

5 to 6 jarred pepperoncini peppers, plus some juice

Place roast in bottom of Crock-Pot. Sprinkle ranch dressing and au jus gravy mix over the top. Place the stick of butter on top and scatter pepperoncini peppers over roast. If desired, add some juice from the pepper jar. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes. Or if desired, add chopped potatoes and carrots to the Crock-Pot when you put the roast in.

SMOTHERED CROCK-POT PORK CHOPS

1 to 2 pounds pork chops

1 box Stove Top Stuffing

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

Place pork chops in bottom of a Crock-Pot. Pour stuffing mix over the pork chops. Combine the cream of chicken soup and sour cream, and pour over the stuffing. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

GRANNY GRACE'S BANANA PUDDING

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

3 to 4 bananas, sliced

1 to 2 boxes vanilla wafers

Combine pudding mix, cold water and sweetened condensed milk. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Fold whipping topping into pudding mixture.

Layer wafers and sliced bananas in the bottom of a serving dish. Cover with 1/3 of the pudding mixture, then another layer of wafers and bananas. Cover with 1/3 of pudding mixture, then another layer of wafers and bananas. Top with remaining 1/3 of pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SIMPLE SESAME NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

12 ounces pasta, such as fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil

5 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 pound large peeled, deveined raw shrimp

Black pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and keep warm.

Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, vinegar, sugar, hot chili oil and 3 tablespoons canola oil in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the ingredients as needed.

Pat the shrimp dry and season with black pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, until opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate. If necessary, cook the shrimp in two batches.

Pour the sauce over the warm noodles and toss to coat. Serve in bowls, and top with shrimp and scallions. Serves 8.

ginna.parsons@djournal.com