Lorraine McClintock's Emerald Salad

I love salads in the summer, and this is among my top 5. Lorraine was a friend when we lived in Arcadia, California. She make this salad for me and it was instant love! The crunchy, salty peanuts mixed with the crunchy celery, green peas and bacon are a delight to your taste buds. It is great with any kind of meat and adds great color to the plate.

Lorraine McClintock's Emerald Salad

1 package thawed, uncooked frozen green peas
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c. crisp cooked bacon, chopped
1/2 pint sour cream (I use light)
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. salted peanuts (I use dry roasted)
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Mix together peas, onions, celery, and sour cream.

2. Add the bacon and peanuts just before serving.

Serves 8

Pork Loin with Apples and Chutney

I am posting late tonight because I was making this dish for dinner tonight and wanted to make sure it tasted good. It was a combination of pork loin, apples and fig chutney. (You could substitute any chutney from the store.)I like to buy the pork loin at Krogers or Publix when it is on sale. I usually ask the butcher to slice it into medallions about 1/2 inch thick, but I forgot this time and sliced it myself. My present household of six was well fed and we had some leftovers. The gravy that resulted was really good over mashed potatoes, but would have been great also with rice.

Pork Loin with Apples and Chutney

1 pork loin, slice into 1/2 inch medallions
3-4 Fuji apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup Emeril's fig chutney (see previous blog entry for recipe)
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Salt and pepper pork medallions. In a large skillet, brown them a few at a time over medium high heat. Place on a plate as they are browned and continue with the next batch. It will only take 3 or 4 minutes on each side.

2. Layer pork and sliced apples back into same skillet.

3. Pour the chutney over the top of the pork and apples. Let cook, covered, over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until pork is tender. As it cooks, rotate bottom medallions to top so all cook evenly.

4. Remove lid of skillet and continue to cook about 15-20 more minutes to let gravy reduce (thicken) slightly.

Serve with mashed potatoes, or rice. Simple steamed broccoli, with salt, pepper, butter (and sprinkled grated cheddar cheese if you like) was a good vegetable side dish.

Lucile Edward's Purple Lady Salad

In the South, we all grew up with lots of Jello and fruit salads. They were at Sunday dinners, family reunions and church potlucks. We never thought about "sugar-free" jello or "fat-free" cream cheese. They were yummy! Today we can have the choice of full calorie and fat or lightened up versions. The recipe below is from my Aunt Lucile, (Aunt Ikey we call her). It is a really good salad to liven up a meal and add some fruit.

PURPLE LADY SALAD

1-6oz. package black cherry jello
1- 16 oz. can blueberries, drained
2 cups boiling water
1- 16 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
1- 16 oz. can fruit cocktail
1-8 oz. carton Cool Whip

1. Dissolve jello in boiling water.

2. Fold in blueberries, pineapple, pecans, and fruit cocktail.

3. Let chill until almost congealed and add Cool Whip and mix well and
congeal.

This could accompany a heavy meal to lighten it up, or could be used as a light dessert.

Mary Pockat's Popovers

I grew up as a deprived child having never had a popover hot out of the oven in my youth. I do not remember eating one until my friend Joe Rouse made some for a dinner one night. I loved them-crusty outside and egg custardy inside. I have since eaten them several times at Mary Pockat's house. Mary is a home economist and baker extraordinaire. Her recipe is so simple that I tried it and it worked. Barb Ford had a recipe for popovers in the DNJ on August 17 this year. Her recipe is from the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park in Maine. It is exactly like Mary's except doubled and without the salt and cooked a little different. Mary says you can put the whole recipe in an 8in. x 8in.pan and bake to have Yorkshire Pudding. I have not tried this, but the popovers are delicious. Jerry, Myriam and I ate them all in one setting. If you use a muffin pan instead of a popover pan, they may not pop quite as much. Popover pans are narrower at the bottom than the muffin pans. Fill cups to 3/4 full to get best results. This recipe makes about 6 to 8 popovers. Mary uses her toaster oven, but my large oven took less time to cook. (Even the ones that do not "pop" taste really good!)
You can find Barb Ford's recipe on DNJ.com or in your Aug.17 paper.

Mary Pockat's Popovers

1 c. shifted flour, all purpose
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Grease the popover or muffin pan.

3. Place eggs in blender, blend until smooth.

4. Add milk and blend.

5. Add the flour and blend until smooth.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes,(my oven only took 25 min.)until they have "popped" and browned well on top.

Serve hot with butter and jam. Great with roast beef.

Cherry-Chicken Salad

The fresh cherries have been so wonderful this year. I have bought them almost every week and eaten them by the handfuls. Great snack!I ran across a wonderful recipe for chicken salad including fresh cherries. It is from Samsclub.com and is delicious. It calls for the Rainier cherries, but I am using the regular, dark sweet cherries available in all the markets right now.

Cherry-Chicken Salad*
(serves 4)

3 cups chicken meat, cooked and chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. cherries, pitted and halved
2 Tbsp. minced chives
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans, optional

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I would use light)
1/2 c. sour cream (I would use light or fat-free)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Mix the chicken meat, green onions, celery, cherries, chives and ginger together in a large bowl. Stir in the toasted pecans.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spoon dressing over the chicken mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Preparation Tip:
To save a preparation step, rotisserie chicken meat may be used for the chicken meat.

*Recipe from: www3.samsclub.com/meals/recipes/cherry-chicken-salad 8/23/2011

Crunchy Chicken Casserole

Today's recipe is an oldie but a goody. It is a good company or potluck recipe. All you need to make a meal is a tossed salad and some good bread.

Crunchy Chicken Casserole

4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
3 Tbsp. chopped onion (more if you like)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the fat-free ones)
1 tsp. curry powder (more if you like)
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1 stick butter, melted (I usually cut it to ½ stick)

1. Layer celery, water chestnuts and onion on bottom of casserole.

2. Cover with cubed chicken.

3. Mix mayo, soup and curry powder to make next layer and spread over chicken.

4. Sprinkle the stuffing mix on top of the mayo mixture and drizzle the melted butter over top.

5. Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Gwen Wilmoth's German Apple Cake

As you have probably quessed, I as not as much a creator of recipes as I am a collector or recipes from lots of friends over the years and from places we have lived or visited. I first ate this German Apple Cake at our friends', the Wilmoth's house in Southern California. Gwen was sweet to give me the recipe and I have used it for nearly to 30 years. Once the apples (I prefer Fuji or Granny Smith) are peeled and sliced, the cake comes together very fast. It is very moist, and full of flavor. It is great served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

APPLE CAKE

1 ¼ cup cooking oil(cannola is my choice)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup pecans,chopped
3 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

1. Peel apples and slice thinly.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Grease a 13 x 9 x 3 inch pan.

4. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

5. Cut into squares and serve plain or with ice cream or whipped cream.

Julie Water's Fresh Green Bean Salad

Green beans are available and delicious during the summer. The traditional southern way to cook them is to put some bacon or pork back with them and cook them slow and long. This is delicious, comfort food to many of us, but not the healtiest way of preparing them. When I had them in my garden, I would pick the young, small ones and stir-fry them tender-crisp in olive oil with a bit of garlic. But it is hard to find small, tender ones in the markets. The recipe below is from a friend of mine from California, Julie Manning Waters. I saw her talking about it on facebook and it sounds great. I want to try it this week. Give it a try and let me know if you have a good, healthy way to prepare and serve green beans.Thanks, Julie!

Julie Water's Fresh Green Bean Salad

1 lb. fresh green beans
1 med. tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
salt to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1. Steam green beans until tender crisp. If you do not have a steamer, you could blanche them in boiling water for only 1-2 minutes.

2. Rinse in cold water until cool to stop the cooking process and refrigerate.

3. When cold, add beans to diced tomato and avocado. Toss with salt and lemon pepper to taste.

4. Dress the salad with the balsamic vinegar. Start with 1/4 c. Add more if needed. Toss, cover and refrigerate until all the ingredients are cold.

Ta-Da!(Julie's comment)

Italian Cabbage

You either love it or you hate- cabbage. I happen to love it. My mom found this recipe and passed it on to me years ago. It is great for stretching a budget and feeding a lot of people. You can use regular breakfast sausage, turkey sauage or Italian sausage. If you do not like hot pepper, leave it out. Serve with some hot, crusty French bread or cornbread and you have a meal.
See you Monday. It's the Weekend!

Italian Cabbage

1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 large can diced tomatoes,undrained
1 lb. sausage
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt or to taste
½ tsp. black pepper
1 jalapeno or cayenne pepper, minced (optional)

1. Brown sausage then drain and set aside.

2. Saute onions and peppers until tender, then add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Do not burn the garlic.

3. Add undrained tomatoes and the salt and black pepper. Bring to a low boil.

4. Add shredded cabbage and cook on medium heat until slightly tender and bright green.

5. Add the sausage back to the pan and simmer all for about 5 minutes.

Charlotte Coulter's Flank Steak Marinade

Jerry came back from a trip to California raving about some grilled meat he had eaten while there. It was at a dinner done by the people he works with. A coworker named Charlotte Coulter marinated flank steak and then grilled it. He said you have to get this recipe! Being the wonderful cook that I am, I was a bit insulted, but got the recipe anyway. I have to say, it is the only one I use now when cooking steak or London broil. It is also delicious on pork and chicken. Thanks, Charlotte.

Flank Steak Marinade

1/2 c. soy sauce
6 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. vinegar(I like rice vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2/3 c. canola oil
1 green onion, minced
1 1/2 pounds flank steak or meat of choice

1. Mix all ingredients together.

2. Pour over the meat and marinate all day in the refrigerator, or 4 hours at room temperature. (For chicken, I always leave it in the refrigerator all the time.)

3. Flip meat at least once to insure all of meat is covered.

4. Grill, broil or bake meat.

Be sure to throw out any marinade that has had meat and not cooked, it is not safe to eat.

Mixed Vegetable Casserole X2

What do you do with a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to make it more appealing and tasty as a side dish? Below are two recipes with basically the same ingredients and instructions for a Mixed Vegetable Casserole that will liven up a meal. Maybe even the kids will try it with all the Ritz on top. One came from my husband's cousin, Gayle Doak and the other from my sister, Annette Williams. They both use the same topping of crumbled Ritz and butter. Let me know which you like the best.

Gayle Doak’s Mixed Vegetable Casserole

2 packages frozen mixed vegetables
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
½ onion, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Dash of hot sauce
Dash of worchestershire sauce
¼ c. lemon juice

Topping:
Ritz crackers, crumbled, to cover top
½ stick melted butter

Annette Williams’ Mixed Vegetable Casserole

2 packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ onion, chopped

Same topping as above.

For both recipes:
1. Mix all ingredients together except Topping. Pour into a 2 quart greased casserole dish.

2. Cover with Ritz cracker crumbs and then drizzle melted butter over entire top.

3. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cleo Edward's Spicy Corn Pudding

Last week we did a recipe called Onion Cheese Cornbread. Corn Pudding is less of a bread and more of a side dish, but with alot of the same ingredients. I made it this weekend to go with smoked porkloin at a family get-together.
I understand that my sister Annette got this recipe from her friend, Cleo Edwards. It is delicious and makes a pan full. If you do not care for the chilies, just leave them out. I have also substituted a Jiffy Cornmeal Muffin Mix for the cornmeal and baking soda when I did not have cornmeal.

SPICY CORN PUDDING

4 eggs
1 can whole corn, drained (15 ounces)
1 can creamed corn (15 ounces)
1 ½ cups plain corn meal
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 cup melted butter
2 cans chopped green chilies (4 ounces each)
2 onions chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese- divide into two portions


1. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

2. Mix all ingredients together except 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Place mixture into greased pan and cook, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

4. Sprinkle extra 1 cup of cheese on top when you take pan out of the oven.

Thelma Cady's Meatloaf

I love meatloaf. It is often my order at Cracker Barrel or other southern cooking restaurants. But I am a bit of a purist. Not strange tastes or big items in my meatloaf. I grew up on the recipe below, which was my mother, Thelma Cady's recipe. It has a good meaty flavor and the topping is a great sweet, tomato, mustard contrast that sets it off. You can make it as one loaf in a loaf pan, or in mini loaves if you have the right pans. You can even make individual meatloaves in a muffin pan. That way you can eat one or two and freeze the rest. Bring them out for a quick dinner with a baked potato and salad some night when you have been doing retail therapy all day. Just remember to shorten your cooking time for mini or muffin size meatloaves. Great for meatloaf sandwiches!

Thelma Cady’s Meatloaf Recipe

Meatloaf:
1 ½ lb. ground beef (if I use the very lean beef, I add about 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the mixture)
2/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
¼ cup grated onion
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. dried sage (or 1 ½ tsp. fresh)

Sauce:
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. dry mustard (or reg. mustard)

1. Mix all ingredients for meatloaf. Place in a loaf pan for cooking. Shape ends and sides with your fingers into a loaf shape.

2. Mix ingredients for the sauce and spread on top of the meatloaf.

3. Cook for 45 min. at 350 degrees. If grease or foam accumulate around the loaf, pour it off carefully about 5 minutes before done, then put loaf back in oven and finish cooking. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Mini Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon Glaze

If yesterday's Mississippi Mud Cake was a little over the top for you, this recipe is a delicious alternative that has alot less calories and is healthier. The use of olive oil instead of all butter helps cut down on the fat. The lemon zest in the cake and the lemon juice in the icing make it very refreshing.
I found the recipe on Foodnetwork.com and thought it would be heart healthy. The recipe calls for fresh thyme in the cake, but I left that out to make it more husband friendly. I made it in my muffin pan instead of mini bundts. Give me some feedback if you try it.

Mini Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon Glaze
(Makes 6 mini bundts or 12 muffins)

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2 large eggs
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely minced fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish

For the Glaze:

1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Brush the bundt or muffin pans with butter or spray with Pam. Lightly dust with flour and shake out the excess.

3. Pulse the granulated sugar and lemon zest in a blender until combined.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, then gradually pour in the olive oil and milk, pulsing until emulsified into a thin batter, about 30 seconds. Don't overblend or the cakes will be too puffy.

5. Whisk 1 cup flour, the baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon thyme in a small bowl. Add to the blender in 2 batches, pulsing lightly until just combined; stop to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cakes just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly touched, 28 to 30 minutes for a 6-cup Bundt pan and 22 to 25 minutes for a 12-cup muffin pan.

7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the sides with a small knife and invert the cakes onto a rack.

8.Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Whisk the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth, adding more lemon juice if the mixture is too thick.

9. Drizzle over the warm cakes and garnish with thyme sprigs.

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Enough about salads for this week. Back to chocolate! I found this recipe on Cooking.com once when looking for a decadent dessert. This is the ultimate in that category. I found it easy to make and everyone liked it. I think I will make it on saturday to take to a potluck family gathering at my sister Annette's house.(If you do not have self-rising flour on hand, you can make your own:
1 cup self-rising flour=
1 cup all purpose flour +
1 1/2tsp. baking powder +
1/2 tsp. salt )

Mississippi Mud
(Contributed by: Jeannette, GA to Cooking.com)

Cake:
2 sticks butter
1/3 c. cocoa
10 oz. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 jar marshmallow creme

Icing:
1 stick butter
6 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 box confectioner's sugar

1. Combine all cake ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

3. Remove from oven and immediately spread marshmallow creme over cake.

4. For icing, put butter, milk and cocoa into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

5. Remove from heat and add one box confectioner's sugar. An addtional 1 Tbsp. of milk may be added to get a smooth consistency.

6. Swirl the icing through the marshmellow creme already on the cake to make a marbled effect.(I added more pecans on top.)

copyright1998-2011 Cooking.com

Sharon Kimble's Taco Salad and Onion Cheese Cornbread

Sharon Kimble was a great cook. She was a friend of ours from Arcadia, California. She would bring these two dishes together to potlucks and they never lasted long. The taco salad has a great dressing. You can add or delete salad ingredients to suite your taste. But use the dressing as is. The cornbread is almost a meal in itself. We love it with salad or with chili and soup. You can use 1/2 the melted butter and light sour cream to cut the calories on the cornbread. If a whole onion is too much for your taste, then just use half of an onion.

Sharon's Taco Salad

1/2 to 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 med. tomatoes, chopped and drained
1 Tbsp. chopped green chilies(can use jalapenos or serano peppers if you like it hot. If not, use bell pepper or banana peppers)
1/2 c. ripe olives, sliced
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. crushed corn chips(add more if you like)
1/2 c. whole ripe olives (garnish)

Dressing:
1 large avacado, mashed
1/2 c. sour cream (light)
2 Tbsp. Italian dressing
1 tsp. minced onion
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp.salt and dash black pepper

1. Combine first five salad ingredients, mix well and chill.
2. Just before serving, mix dressing ingredients and then toss lightly with the salad.
3. Top salad with grated cheese, crushed chips and whole olives.

Serves 4-6. Serve with onion cheese cornbread below.

Onion Cheese Cornbread

2 Jiffy Corn Muffin Mixes
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. milk
1 12 oz can creamed corn
1 onion, chopped
5 Tbsp. melted butter
1 c. sour cream (light)
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Mix muffin mixes, corn, eggs and milk together.
2. Pour into a 9 x 13in. greased or Pam spreaded pan.
3. Pour melted butter on top.
4. Dot sour cream around top of corn bread.
4. Sprinkle chopped onion over top.
5. Sprinkle grated cheese over onion.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 min.

Emeril's Fig Chutney

When we were living on Bellwood Drive for 11 years, we had a beautiful, big fig tree right by our front door. After trying jams, preserves, pickles and even wine making with the abundant crops, we tried this recipe of Emeril Lagasse's for fig chutney. Jerry has always loved mango chutney with his curries (like the chicken curry on yesterday's blog). But mangos are very expensive and not always available. This fig chutney recipe is delicious and easy to make. You can preserve it in jam jars and keep for a year. Knowing we were moving from our fig tree last year, Jerry had me making about 9 recipes of this chutney and we brought 2 baby fig trees with us to the new house. Enjoy!

Fresh Fig Chutney
(Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003Prep) Makes about 2 1/2 pints
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 pound light brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 pounds firm, slightly underripe fresh figs, rinsed, stems removed and
halved

Directions
1. In a large saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, mustard seeds,
lemon zest, cinnamon stick, salt, allspice, and cloves and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced by
2/3, forming a thick syrup.

3. Add the figs and cook gently until the figs are very soft and beginning to fall apart and most of the liquid they've given off has evaporated, about 30 minutes.

4. Transfer the chutney to a non-reactive container and allow to come to room
temperature before serving.

The chutney may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Alternately, hot chutney may be ladled into hot sterilized canning jars and processed in a hot-water bath according to manufacturer's directions.)

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Tue Aug 10 2010© 2010 Television Food Network,
G.P. All Rights Reserved

Martha Stewart's Chicken Curry

Hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed some good summer flavor. The dish I have for you today is for those who really enjoy cooking and creating a spectacular dish. I found this curry recipe on Martha Stewart Living website about 8-10 years ago. It is delicious. When I make it, even those who do not like curry say they love it and eat seconds. It does not use a pre-made curry powder or gram masala. You have to make an investment in some basic Indian spices, but it is really worth it. And next time, you will have them on hand to make it easily. I get all my ingredients prepared and premeasured before I turn the heat on the pan. That way you can follow the recipe step by step without stopping to chop or measure. Please tell me if you try this and like it. It is one of my all time favorite recipes.

Martha Stewart’s Chicken Curry
Serves 4

2 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds (1 ½ tsp. ground coriander)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (1 tsp. ground cumin)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil(or canola)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 medium onions, halved and thinly slices
2 whole cinnamon sticks, about 3 inches long (or ½ tsp. ground cinnamon)
1 bay leaf
3 cardamon pods (or ½ tsp. ground cardamon)
4 cups whole canned tomatoes with juice
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup plain yogurt
¾ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a dry skillet over med. heat, toast whole coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, 1-2 min. Transfer to a spice grinder, add crushed red-pepper flakes, and grind to a power. Place in a small bowl, and add turmeric, ginger, cloves, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.(If using ground spices instead of whole, skip the toasting step.)You can put the chicken,covered, in the refrigerator for several hours to marinate

2. Heat oil in large pot over med.-high heat. Add chicken, cooking until browned, 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken. Set aside.

3. Reduce heat, and add ginger, garlic, and onions. Cook until softened and deep-brown in color, 8-10 min.(do not burn). Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and cardamon; cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, and cooked chicken. Raise heat to med-high and cook until liquid is reduced, about 15 min. and until chicken is cooked through.

5. Reduce heat to low, and stir in yogurt and raisins. Cook until warmed throughout. Add cilantro and serve with rice and mango or fig chutney.





Shopping list:
2 whole skinless chicken breast
Fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
3 medium onions
4 cups whole or diced tomatoes
12 oz. Chicken broth
4 oz. Plain yogurt
¾ cup raisins
fresh cilantro (optional)
Plus spices listed above


Things to do ahead of time:
Measure first 7 dry spices into a bowl
Cube chicken breats
Chop 3 onions
Mince 1 clove garlic

Taken from: Martha Stewart Living: Program Guide, February 4, l998.

Aunt Elsie's Oatmeal Cookies

Today I thought I would share with you the best oatmeal cookie recipe in the world. It came to my mother from my Aunt Elsie Beasley. She is a wonderful cook. I remember the special birthday cakes she made us as kids. This recipe is just as good today as it was 60 years ago. The original recipe calls for Crisco, but I usually substitue butter or half Crisco and half butter. The Crisco makes a crispier cookie, but the butter is really good. Neither is trendy or considered healthy these days, but in a cookie for a really good dessert, it is a great taste.

Hint: If you do not own a silpat silcone mat to bake cookies on, it is well worth the investment. You will not burn your cookies as easily, they will not stick and you will not have to clean off the cookie sheet between batches. I have 2 and always use them when making cookies. They are also good for bisciuts or scones.You can get them online or in many stores.)

Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar,packed
1 c. shortening (or butter)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 c. oatmeal (Old Fashioned)
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
3/4 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Mix the shortening until creamy.(I make these in my mixer.)

2. Add white and brown sugars, mix until creamy.

3. Add eggs, water and vanilla, mix well.

4. Mix flour, salt and soda together. Then add to the shortening mixture. Mix well.

5. Add oatmeal, raisins and nuts to the dough and mix well.

6. Use a teaspoon or cookie scoop to put cookies out a greased cookie sheet or a silpat mat with space for cookies to spread. Usually 12 to a sheet.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Margaret's Frozen Fruit Salad

Margaret Trousdale was my husband Jerry's mother. She was the best mother-in-law anyone could ever dream of. We miss her and Papa George so much, but have many fond memories of holidays and celebrations together. One of my children's favorite recipes from Granny Trousdale was her Frozen Fruit Salad. It is an old recipe, probably from her mother, Margaret Ridley. But it is great in the summer for lunch, dinner or even dessert. You can vary the fruit in it to suit your own taste. You can make it in a 9 x 13inch pan and cut in squares after frozen, or freeze in paper lined muffin pan cups for individual service. Either way is delicious. Try it this weekend.

Frozen Fruit Salad

4 egg yolks
4 Tbsp. vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 pound marshmallows
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can fruit salad, drained
1/2 cup almonds, blanched and coarsely chopped
1 pint heavy whipping cream.

1. In a double boiler, cook egg yolks, vinegar and sugar until thick.

2. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows. Beat until light and fluffy.

3. Add the drained fruits, almonds and whipping cream.

4. Put paper cupcake cups into the wells of a muffin pan. Fill each cup with the fruit mixture and freeze. (You can also freeze in a 9 x 13 pan lined with plastic wrap, then cup into squares for serving.)Cover the salads while freezing to keep from drying out and absorbing odors. Once frozen, they can be put into freezer bags and use one or two at a time as you need them. This should make about a dozen.

This is great with ham, chicken or pork. Fun for birthday parties or baby showers or Sunday dinner.

Couscous Salad with Currants & Pinenuts

With 101 degrees outside today, it is no time to heat up the kitchen with lots of hot dishes for dinner. I love cold sides that can be made ahead and served with a grilled meat. One of my all time favorites is this couscous salad. I got the recipe out of the Los Angeles Times food section back in the 1980's when we were living in Arcadia, CA. It is so refreshing and compliments a variety of meat dishes, or could be part of a vegetarian meal. I traditionally serve it with roasted lamb on Easter, but love it any time of the year. It is a great way to use the parsley or mint in your garden. The orginal recipe called for parsley, but I also like it with all mint or a mixture of the two.

Couscous Salad with Currants and Pinenuts

2/3 currants
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/8 tsp.powdered saffron
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. regular couscous
1 1/2 c. celery, diced
1/3 c. green onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c. pinenuts
1/4 c. fresh parsley or mint, minced
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. olive oil
salt and black pepper

1. Plumb currants in warm water to cover for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter then stir in the saffron and stir over med. heat for 1 minute.

3. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

4. Stir in the couscous, then cover and remove from heat. Let mixture stand 5 minutes.

5. Transfer couscous mixture to a glass bowl, breaking up any lumps with a fork.

6. Add celery, plumped currants, green onions, pinenuts and parsley or mint. Toss to mix well.

7. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and cinnamon. Add olive oil slowly in a steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.

8. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

This salad may be made 1 day ahead and stored, covered in the refrigerator. If doing this, hold out the pinenuts and add just before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Best Pizza Dough with Pesto

Yesterday I shared with you the recipe I use to make Pesto. The favorite use of the Pesto in our home is to make pizza. It is a really simple and delicious lunch or dinner. You just have to plan a little bit ahead. The dough has to rise for 3 hours but is well worth the time. It is a delicious crust that can be topped with any kind of topping. I usually make one pizza with a pre-made tomato pizza sauce and one with the pesto. Whatever veggies I am going to put on top, I saute a bit in olive oil first,and lightly salt and pepper them. That could be onions, peppers, or mushrooms. The last topping I put on is the cheese because I have found that it does not burn if I wait until the last 5 minutes to put it on. Be creative with your pizza and enjoy.

Pizza Dough with Toppings
(Makes 2- 16 inch pizzas or 4-12 inch.)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil(plus more for the bowl and the pizza pans)
Pesto sauce-about 2/3-1 cup
Tomato sauce-about 2/3-1 cup
Toppings:
thinly sliced onions, sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced bell peppers, thinly sliced tomatoes, ham, cooked sausage, pepperoni

Mozerella cheese, shredded
Feta cheese

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl.(I use my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook)

2. Mix in 3 cups flour, salt and olive oil, mixing until smooth.

3. Add another 2 cups flour and mix. The last half cup can be added a little at a time until dough comes away from bowl but is still sticky.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands about 10 times.

5. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled, airtight bowl; turn it once to oil both sides.

6. Let rise in a warm place until the dough
doubles in volume, about 3 hours. Fold dough over in each direction and push down after 1 1/2 hours. Replace top of bowl.

7. After rising, divide dough into 2 balls. Cover one with a towel and begin to stretch the other over your oiled pizza pan.(I use my Pampered Chef pizza stone. You could use a cookie sheet.)If the dough fights you, let is rest for 5 minutes and it will get looser. Try not to make any holes in the dough.

8. Spread topping, either pesto or pizza sauce thinly over dough.

9. Top the sauce with the sauted vegetables, not too thick.

10. Add meat toppings, cooked sausage, pepperoni, or thinly sliced ham.

11. Repeat with second ball of dough.

12. Cook in a 465 degree over for 15 minutes or until crust edges begin to turn brown.

13. Add shredded mozerella or feta over all the top and cook another 5 minutes.

Pesto Chicken with Mushrooms, Basil Pesto

My basil plants are growing by leaps and bounds. Beautiful plants! They do not seem to mind the heat at all as long as I give them a drink every other day. Now, what to do with all this bounty? I love to make Pesto every summer and freeze it. We have enough for all winter off of 2 or 3 basil plants. You can cut your plants tops off and leave 1/2 the plant to regrow, thus getting 2 crops of basil.

If you have never made Pesto, it is really easy. Just put some basil leaves, garlic, pinenuts or walnuts, olive oil and parmasan cheese in a blender. Pulse and you have it! I will post recipe I use below, but there are lots of them on the internet with different proportions. Pinenuts are great in it, but sometimes hard to fine and pricey. Try it with walnuts instead. I can not tell much difference.

So tonight, I decided I needed to use some of my Pesto from last year along with the fresh herbs now growing in the garden and a few of my tomatoes that were not pretty for slicing. So this chicken is what I came up with. We enjoyed it and it will be enough for 2 meals for the three of us.

Pesto Chicken with Mushrooms

3 chicken breasts,sliced into medallion about 1/2 inch thick
1 med. onion, chopped
2 banana peppers, or 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
4 med. tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano,cup up
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme,stripped off the stem
1 Tbsp. parsley, cup up
12 large basil leaves, cut up
4-6 Tbsp. basil pesto
1 carton baby portebello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup lite sour cream.
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil

1. Brown sliced chicken in a small amount of oil. Set aside in a bowl.

2. In same pan, cook onions and peppers until onions are soft.Add a little more oil if needed.

3. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and bring to boil. Add chicken back to pan, along with salt and pepper and herbs.

4. Cook on medium heat, covered until chicken is completely done. Add water if more liquid is needed. (Alot of water will come out of the tomatoes and the mushrooms.)

5. Turn down the heat to low. Stir in the Pesto and the sour cream just before serving. Do not let it return to boiling or the cheese in your Pesto will get gummy.

Serve over whole wheat or regular pasta with a green salad and french bread. Should feed 6 people.

Pesto Recipe:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special equipment needed: A food processor or blender.
1. If you are using walnuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times in a food processor.
2. Combine the basil in with the nuts, pulse a few times more.
3. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
4. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
5. Add the grated Romano cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
(I reduce the olive oil to 3/4 cup for a double recipe.)

Line metal or glass 9x13 pans with plastic wrap and spread pesto out on it. I put 4 recipes into one pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard. Cut frozen pesto into squares, package in small freezer bags or seal-a-meal and freeze for individual use. I cut the 9 x13 pan into 8 squares. Each square will cover a 16 inch pizza or cook this chicken dish above.