Shania Twain's Canadian Bannocks

To be truthful, Max, I have never heard of Carolyn Dawn Johnson, but if her music is a good as her Carolyn Dawn’s Chicken Asparagus Casserole, this gal is a winner.

A Country Music Star that even I have heard of is Shania Twain, and my son sent me a couple of her recipes. He tells me that she is from somewhere in northern Canada and spent some time as a cook in a tree planting camp. There she fried her Bannocks like a pancake over an open fire. Since Bannocks are in the same family as Baking Powder Biscuits, it is no surprise that Shania says that she used to eat these for breakfast with butter and raspberry jam. Actually they are good with any kind of jam or jelly.

Shania Twain’s Canadian Bannocks:

2 cups flour
¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins (omit if you are serving bannocks as a bread)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil or melted butter
1 tablespoons melted butter, optional
1 to 3 tablespoons of sugar if you like sweet breadMaple syrup

Stir the flour, milk, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the raisins if using. Add the water, oil or melted butter and stir until the dough clings together--like biscuit dough.

Spread the dough in an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan. Brush with the second 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve with maple syrup, or blackberry jam, or cinnamon sugar, or any kind of sweet preserve.

Serves 6.

I think that Bannocks are an Irish or Scotch invention, aren’t they?

Country Music's Carolyn Dawn Johnson's Favorite Recipe

Shades of that old saying,” You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Only with you, Erma, it goes: “You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.” You went to Las Vegas and ending up eating Black-eyed Peas at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill! So, why did you go to Las Vegas in the first place?

Why don’t you just mosey up to Dutch’s Corners and eat at Mel’s Diner. It has all the Country Music that is fit to play–and some that is not.

Mel collects recipes from Country Music stars and often uses them at the Diner. This is one he brought to a community pot luck supper a while back. Mel plays Carolyn Dawn Johnson’s “Got A Good Day” all the time down at the Diner, and he says that she should change the title of the song to “Got A Good Recipe” for her Carolyn Dawn’s Chicken Asparagus Casserole.

Carolyn Dawn’s Chicken Asparagus Casserole:

1 ½ pounds fresh asparagus spears, cut in half
Cooking Oil
4 boneless, chicken breast halves–rather thin, not the monster ones
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can light cream of chicken soup
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

In a large sauce pan, boil the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander, and place in the casserole. Arrange the chicken breasts over the asparagus.

In a mixing bowl, mix the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Pour over the chicken. Place the lid on the casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Return to oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serves 6.