boy salad

Do you ever watch Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn?  Now that I am semi-retired this has become one of my favorite shows to watch.  Mad Hungry is on everyday from 11 am to 12pm on the Hallmark Channel.  She makes regular food that anyone can make, no fancy ingredients, everday food and it all looks so good.  I have tried a few of her recipes and they are delish!  Today she had Boy Salad - she has three sons.   I can't wait to try it.  It has one of my favorite ingredients - sausage.

Boy Salad

Serves 5

• 2 hot Italian sausage links, meat removed from casings
• 4 sweet Italian sausage links, meat removed from casings
• 1 yellow pepper, cut in 1/2-inch strips
• 1 large shallot or 2 small, sliced crosswise
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 5 slices ciabatta bread
• 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, well dried, and crisped in refrigerator, and chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Directions

1. In large skillet, saute sausage meat. Using a metal spatula to break the pieces up, cook until it is golden brown and with some crispy bits, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the peppers and shallots to the same pan. Saute to soften, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, cooking to reduce it to a slight glaze on the peppers. Place the pepper mixture on the plate on top of the sausage.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic to the pan. Let the garlic sizzle, and remove before it is brown. Add bread and cook to golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the up side of the bread, turn, and continue cooking until crisp.
4. Place the lettuce and fennel in a large bowl; add the sausage and pepper mixture. Drizzle over the vinegar, sprinkle with salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Toss well and serve in a large salad bowl topped with the shaved Parmesan and a crostini.

comfort food for a cold winter's day

 
Galumpkis, cabbage rolls, pig in the blankets.  Whatever you choose to call them they are the best comfort food.  I have been eating them since I can remember. They take some work to make but the reward is in the eating.  What else do you have to do on a cold winter day?

The ingredients - rice ( you can use whatever kind

you want - I use brown), cabbage, ground beef, canned whole tomatoes, salt and pepper. 

 

Cook rice according to the package directions.  

You should have 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice. 

Core the cabbage with a sharp knife.

Place the cabbage in a pot of boiling water.

The cabbage leaves will start to fall off.

Parboil the cabbage leaves.

The cabbage should be cooked just enough to be able to fold them.

Mix the cooled rice with the ground beef.  

You need 1-1/4 cup of rice for each 1/2 lb of ground beef.

Add salt and pepper.

Mix together with your hands.

Cool the cabbage leaves in a strainer.

Using a sharp knife slice off some of the spine 

of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to roll.

With your hands scoop a handful of the 

rice/ground beef mixture and place on the cabbage leaf.

Roll the cabbage leaf. 

Fold up the sides and tuck the end under

the folded up sides to hold the cabbage roll together. 

Ta-da - you've made a Galumpki.

Place them in a oven-proof pan.

Add tomatoes.  I use canned whole tomatoes.  Pour the liquid into the pan and cut up the tomatoes.  I use two 28 oz. cans.  I like a lot of tomatoes and juice.  You can also use crushed tomatoes or cans of tomato soup - whatever your preference is.  Cook them in a 325 degree oven for about 2 hours. 

  Check to see if they are done by inserting a thermometer into the cabbage rolls.  If the temperature is over 165 degrees they are done.

 Enjoy. I know I will.

i'm so corny

On a trip to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning I bought a bushel of butter and sugar corn - 65 ears - $14.00.  Last year the same amount of corn cost me $12.00.  Prices have gone up.  So today was preparing the corn to last me until next year.  I shuck the corn, cook the corn for 10 minutes, cut up the corn and put the corn into freezer bags. Sixty five ears of corn, two cups in each bag gives me 20 bags.  I don't like canned corn - yuk or the corn that you buy frozen - but I do love corn.  There is nothing like good butter and sugar corn with a little butter and salt in the middle of winter or a bowl of Corn Chowder.  You can find a recipe for Corn Chowder from the DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE  Restaurant in Syracuse, NY  here. While we are talking corn I'm going to share some of the corny things that I have collected.

Corn sign.

Clabber Girl Corn Starch container.

Corn mug.

Spoon rest.

Corn plates, corn holders, salt and pepper shakers. 

I picked these up at an antique shop in Tennessee.

Corn butter dish, butter spreader, more corn plates 

and salt and pepper shakers.

Corn holders.

Salt and pepper shakers.

Dish towel.

I hope you enjoyed my corny post!

refrigerator pickles

I have had this recipe for many years.  It was from a Country Living Magazine.  I'm going to quess sometime in the 1980's.  It has become one of my favorites and a request from relatives at family gatherings.  Just think a summertime meal of  hamburgs, hot dogs, tater salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, lemonade and homemade refrigerator pickles!

The recipe calls for 3 large cucumbers or

you can use six small pickling cukes.

Cut the cukes into slices. 

Don't cut paper thin or they'll be too mushy.

Add chopped celery and onions.

Add salt and celery seeds and let set 

at room temperature for one hour or longer.

Mix together sugar and vinegar.

Pour over cucumbers and stir.

You can put them into any container that you like.  I like to use old glass canning jars.   Refrigerate.  The recipe says to let them sit for one day before eating.  I think they taste better after sitting for two days.   Once you make these for a family gathering you will be asked to bring them again and again .  Guaranteed!

saturday morning muffins

Every Saturday morning I make muffins. Last Saturday I made these muffins that were so good I had to make them again today. After my morning walk these will taste so good with a cup of tea.

Fiber Rich Muffins

1 cup Hodgson Mill Multi Grain Hot Cereal

1 cup white flour, unbleached

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup milk (can be skim)

2 eggs (or 4 egg whites)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease muffin cups. Blend together dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Batter will be thick; spoon into muffin cups. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

what's for dinner?

Cole Slaw
This is a recipe I got from a co-worker a long time ago.
1 small to medium head of cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper, optional
Mix all ingredients except cabbage. Pour mixture over cabbage and blend in. Let it sit for a while and then eat. PS - If you don't want to shred cabbage - I do not - you of course can use a package of shredded cabbage from the grocery store.













Sloppy Joes
This is my favorite sloppy joe recipe. It is from Rachael Ray's cookbook 30 Minute Meals 2.
I always double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for another day.
Super Sloppy Joes
Makes 4 super sloppy sandwiches
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (once around the pan)
1 & 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar (a couple handfuls)
2 to 2 1/2 tsp. steak seasoning blend such as McCormick Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered
Sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles to garnish
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and beef to the pan, spreading it around the pan to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning, then add the mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stirring briefly to reduce, the add Worcestershire, tomato sauce and past, stirring to combine. Reduce heat and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.
Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles. Have plenty of napkins on hand.

brown bananas

The temperature has dropped. The wind is howling outside.
A good day to use up those brown bananas.
























































Banana Nut Bread
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 or 3 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy and add well-beaten eggs. Add mashed bananas. Sift flour, soda, baking powder and salt together and stir thoroughly. Stir in chopped walnuts or other nuts. Turn into a well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until it tests done. Cool.

a good day for strawberry shortcake

I have been using this recipe that I saw in a Country Living magazine for more than twenty years. I also use this recipe for making biscuits for chicken and biscuits or beef stew - I eliminate the sugar and nutmeg.

Shortcake Biscuits

4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

6 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

1 1/2 cups milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 5 tbsp. of the sugar, salt and nutmeg and blend well. Cut 1/2 cup of the butter into small pieces. Add to the dry ingredients and work together until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Melt the remaining butter; set aside. Add the milk to flour mixture and with a spoon or your hands, mix until a soft dough forms. Knead for a minute or two until dough is smooth. On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to 1-inch thickness. Using a cutter or round glass; cut six 2 1/2- inch circles and six 3-inch circles. You may have to reroll the dough. Place the 3-inch circles on baking sheet, brush each with some of the melted butter and center a 2 1/2-inch circle over each one. Brush tops with butter; sprinkle with reserved sugar. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool.