Apple Salad

This one comes from one of my vintage cookbooks, Menu Magic, published in 1975 by the First United Methodist Church in my hometown, Pensacola, Florida.

5 diced apples

chopped pecans, cut into small pieces, or use walnuts

Mix the above together and add the following dressing just before serving:

1 egg

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Beat the egg until light, add other ingredients.  Cook slowly over low heat until syrupy, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.  This salad goes well with turkey and pork.

A Summer Salad

Ah. . . Nothing says summer like a delightful fresh salad.  Here is one I found recently and I really like it.  You can do a search on my blog, upper left hand corner of "salads" and find many more of my favorites.

Green cabbage, shredded

Red cabbage, shredded

Carrots, shredded

Green onions, chopped, including the green part

Apple, cut in match sticks

Dressing:

    Olive oil

    Sugar

    Lemon juice

    Mustard

Combine all the salad ingredients.  Then combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.  I didn't include amounts because sometimes I make more than others.  Roughly, 3/4 cup olive oil, a tablespoon or so of sugar, splash or two of lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of mustard - I use Dijon mustard.

Chinese Walnut Chicken

This one comes from one of my old, old cookbooks, The Hour Magazine Cookbook by Gary Collins, copyright 1985.  Gary Collins had a TV program in the afternoon featuring many great cooks so he compiled this cookbook.

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 egg white

2 large whole chicken breasts, skinned and deboned and cut into cubes

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon bourbon

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons oil

1 green onion, cut into 2 inch slivers, both green and white parts

2 slices fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Hot cooked rice

Combine cornstarch, water, and egg white.  Add chicken cubes and toss until well coated.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, bourbon and sugar.  Heat wok and add 2 tablespoons of the oil.  Stir fry chicken about 3 to 5 minutes till done.  Remove from wok.  Add remaining oil to wok and stir in onion, ginger, and garlic.  Stir fry one minute.  Add soy sauce and bourbon mixture and cook until sauce has thickened.  Stir in walnuts.  Combine this with chcken.  Serve over rice.

Wild Rice with Fruit & Nuts (crockpot recipe)

This one appealed to me because it is different than my usual style of eating.  I think you'll like it too.

2 cups wild rice, rinsed

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped raisins

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Combine wild rice, cranberries, raisins, apricots and almonds in crockpot.  

Combine broth, orange juice, butter and cumin in medium bowl.  Pour mixture over rice and stir to mix.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Stir once, adding more hot broth if needed.

When rice is soft, add green onions and parsley.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook 10 minutes longer and serve.

NOTE:  to toast almonds, spread in single layer in cast iron skillet.  Cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.  Cool before using.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I have long used chia seeds in oatmeal and baking.  Recently I found recipes for chia pudding.  Delicious!  Here is one recipe I have tried so far.  Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse.

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons honey or to taste

Mix the cocoa and brown sugar.  Stir to remove all lumps.  Fold in chia seeds.  Pour in milk (use a little less than a cup for a thicker pudding).  Stir for about a minute.  Let mixture sit for a few minutes and stir again.  Repeat the stirring/sit process for 20 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but better overnight.  Drizzle with honey to serve.  You can also add toppings, such as nuts, blueberries, or strawberries.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

This one comes from my Southern Plate cookbook, by Christy Jordan, a collection of excellent Southern comfort food recipes.  Wonderful to read and even more enjoyable to try the many recipes.

6 or 7 slices of bacon

1/2 onion, chopped

32 oz. can french-style green beans

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper

Cut the bacon into one inch pieces.  Place the bacon and onion in a skillet and cook over medium heat until browned, stirring often.  Remove to a plate.  Add the green beans to the bacon grease and continue cooking over medium heat until they are cooked to the desired tenderness.  Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Return the bacon and onions to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Beef Pot Pie with Cornmeal-Cheese Crust

1 lb. stew meat, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 3/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 recipe Cornmeal-Cheese Crust (see below)

In a large sauce pan, brown the beef in hot oil.  Remove beef with a slotted spoon.  Cook pepper and onion in drippings until tender.  Add beef, undiluated tomatoes, corn, water, tomato paste, chili powder, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover, simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare Cornmeal-Cheese Crust.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough for crust into a 12 x 8 rectangle.  Spoon beef mixture into a 2 quart rectangular baking dish.  Carefully top with crust.  Cut slits in top of crust for steam to escape.  Bake, uncovered in a 425 oven about 20 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

Cornmeal-Cheese Crust:  In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently until all is moistened.  Form into a ball.

Italian Beef and Spinach Pie

This one comes from my Better Homes and Gardens Treasured Recipes cookbook.  Every recipe in the book is a winner.  

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 pound mild bulk Italian turkey sausage

3/4 cup chopped red and/or yellow sweet pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup water

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup light ricotta cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup chopped tomato

Drain the thawed spinach well pressing out excess liquid; set aside.  Line pastry shell with a double thickness of foil.  Bake in a 450 oven for 8 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until set and dry; remove from oven.  Reduce oven temperature to 350.

In a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, sweet pepper, mushrooms, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in the water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella.  Spoon the spinach mixture into baked pastry shell.  Top with the meat mixture.  To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of pastry shell with foil.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Remove foil.  Top pie with tomato and remaining mozzarella.  Bake for 2 minutes of until heated through and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Tacos!

Here is my favorite way to make tacos.  Aside from the fact that they are just plain GOOD - I like how you can use leftovers of other items in them - like shredded cabbage, for example.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 bell pepper, diced

1 shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt

1 pound lean ground beef

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Add the bell pepper, shallot, and garlic with a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the ground meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.  Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.  Stir well, continuing to break apart the meat into small crumbles.  Cook until the beef has browned.

In a jar, combine 1/2 cup water and the flour and shake for 30 seconds.  Pour the mixture into the meat, stirring well and cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes, until saucy.

You can fill the shells and top with grated cheese or use the following sauce:

Taco Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of crushed pepper flakes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

In a saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Allow mixture to cool completely.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Hamburger Chop Suey

This one comes from one of my "old-old" cookbooks dating back to the early 70's.

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Crisco, melted

5 stalks celery, diced

1 (1 lb.) can bean sprouts, drained

1 cube beef bouillon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 can Chinese noodles

Brown meat and onions in shortening.  Add celery, bouillon, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Make a smooth paste of the cornstarch, brown sugar, and soy sauce.  Stir into the meat and cook another 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thick and clear.  Add bean sprouts, cook until sprouts are heated.  Serve over the Chinese noodles.  6 servings.