Boatner loves to serve others with food
Angela Boatner’s favorite part of cooking is challenging herself with new dishes while serving others.
“Cooking is a love language here in the South, especially from moms and grandmas,” Boatner said. “I am a forever student in all areas of life, and cooking is one of those areas I like to challenge myself in.”
Boatner, who has earned a PhD, was born in West Monroe, Louisiana, and moved to Philadelphia when she was in sixth grade. She currently teaches Spanish, theatre and choir at Neshoba Central High School and enjoys spending time with her husband Chris, her children, Jessie and Jake, and her three grandchildren, Lucas, Lucy and Colton.
She said her first experience with cooking was learning from her grandfather, whom she described as the best cook in the world.
“I started cooking full meals for my family when I was around 12 years old,” she said. “My mom worked full time as a nurse and I learned to cook from her and my grandfather. One of the first things I remember cooking was tuna casserole, a Southern staple. I also made chicken and dumplings, tamales, jambalaya, and more.”
Boatner said that nowadays gumbo is her specialty, and she is good at making breakfast foods such as biscuits, omelettes, and grits, along with chicken enchiladas and Mexican street corn. Although her family isn’t big on dessert, Boatner occasionally likes to make banana pudding and chocolate cake.
“I love to serve people,” she said. “I love challenging myself and cooking new things. I almost changed my major from music education to culinary education at one point because I love cooking so much.”
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND SPINACH CREAM SAUCE
8 chicken thighs - skin on
½ lb. mini red potatoes
½ lb. mini yellow potatoes
1 sweet onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 cups parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop onion and garlic, and sauté in olive oil until translucent. Pour the contents of the pan in a large roasting pan. Toss potatoes with olive oil and add to the roasting pan.
Season the potatoes in the pan with salt and pepper. In the pan used for onions, add more olive oil and heat to medium-high. Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to take away the excess moisture. Add salt and pepper to chicken thighs and place skin side down in the pan.
Sear until brown for about 2-3 minutes. Flip and sear for the same amount of time. Add thighs on top of the potatoes in the roasting pan. Cook for 20 minutes then add sauce.
For the sauce:
While chicken is cooking, sauté garlic in the butter until fragrant. Add cream and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper and whisk to mix. Add parmesan cheese slowly while briskly whisking it to mix well. Quickly add the spinach to the sauce. Stir enough to coat only.
Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken and potatoes and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.
EASY TROPICAL SMOOTHIE
1 frozen banana
4 strawberries
½ cup fresh pineapple
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp honey
Blend for 1 minute.
Slow-cooker Black Beans with Ground Venison
1 lb ground deer meat
½ sweet onion
2 cans Rotel tomatoes - drained
4 cans black beans
1 tsp red pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop onion and sauté in oil. Add deer meat and brown with onion. Season with salt and pepper in the skillet. Add meat mixture and all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with rice and crackers.