Recipe 36: SCALLOPED RHUBARB (Side dish)

Rhubarb is funny. You either like it or you dont.
My grandmother grew rhubarb in her backyard for YEARS and YEARS.  she always had Rhubarb pies and Rhubarb jams and Scalloped Rhubarb.

A NOTE ABOUT RHUBARB:  Do not use the leaves or roots. The leaves and roots of Rhubarb are toxic. Only use the red stems.  Eating too much rhubarb is NOT good for your digestive system. It is a powerful laxative if eaten in large quantities. It also has an astringent quality in the mouth.  When you eat rhubarb, it can make your mouth "tender".
Believe it or not, Rhubarb is a vegetable relative of Buckwheat. It has a very earthy, tart, sour flavor. For this reason you usually see a lot of rhubarb recipes mixed with other sweeter fruits, or sugar.

This is one of my Grandmothers recipes.  Beatrice was one of the best cooks I know. When she died in 2000, I inherited "THE BOX". A little oaken box that she kept her notecards and recipes in. I open it up and it still smells like her. I feel her around me when I go through her recipes that she collected throughout the years.
She has newspaper clippings glued onto notecards that I am quite positive are over 50 years old. In 1963 her friend Bertha mailed her a recipe on a postcard. It cost 4 cents in stamps and into the box it went.

This scalloped rhubarb is in her handwriting, and not one written down by a friend.


THE RECIPE:

4 cups rhubarb. (clean rhubarb stalk, cut into 1/2" to 1" chunks)
2/3  cup sugar.
mix together and put into a 9x13 pan.

in a separate bowl:

3 cups dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
mix together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the rhubarb.

Sprinkle MORE sugar evenly over the top.
Top with several dabs of Butter. and then sprinkle drops of water over entire casserole.

bake at 350 for 1 hour

APPLE RECIPE: Perfect Apple Pie

This recipe has never failed me.  In fact, my father in law says I make the best apple pie he has ever tasted. Now how's THAT for a compliment and testament to this recipe??  September is the month for apples. Most orchards across the US have apple picking. When we go, I inevitably pick WAAAYYYY too many apples, so I always love apple recipes to help use up the surplus. I hate to see good apples go to waste.

For this recipe I recommend a nice variety of apples.  Firm tart apples like a granny smith, Swiss Gourmet or Mutsu, mixed with a sweet firm apple like Empire, Gala, Cortland, crispin or honey crisp. Stay away from red delicious, golden delicious or other soft apples. They will break down and get mushy.

for my pie I use 2/3 tart apple like granny smith or mutsu, and 1/3 sweet like honeycrisp and gala. You really need at least 2 types of apples for the perfect apple pie. A nice tart apple and a nice sweet apple. All sweet and it is cloying.  All tart and it gets to be overwhelming.

6 cups peeled apples, thinly sliced. (think Apple Peeling/Coring machine)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 TBSP flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

dash of Clove

dash of allspice (I know what you are thinking...trust me)

In a large bowl combine everything well. Toss apples to completely coat.  Apples will start to juice and it will mingle with the sugars and spices and mkae this delicious "broth".  Make sure all apples are well coated.

Spoon into a pie tin, that has been lined with a crust.

drizzle the "broth" evenly over the top of the apples.

Top with random slivers of butter over the apples.  This will melt down over the apples and mingle.

Place top crust, flute endges and make venting slits in top crust.  Brush the top of the crust with a bit of milk

Bake at 425 for 40-45 minutes until apples are tender and crust is a lovely golden brown.

Towards the last few minutes of baking, pull pie out and gently brush top crust with butter.

lightly sprinkle white sugar  and put back in oven to finish baking.

This is optional, but adds a nice little finishing touch.

I know that Allspice is used typically on meat and poultry and in soup, stew, curry and jerk seasonings, it works WONDERFULLY well with this apple pie recipe.  Just a dash or two will go a long way, but really take it to the next level.

Recipe 35: HOT AND SWEET PICKLES (Appetizer)

Let me preface this by saying that these are kind of an acquired taste. I didnt really like them when I first tried them. But then I kind of wanted another one...then another one.  Now I am absolutely hooked. They are tangy and sweet and spicy all at the same time.  You can eat them plain, put them on hot dogs or burgers, set them on a relish tray etc.
You make this in gallon drums at a time and they are really good.









THE RECIPE:

1 Gallon Hamburger Dill chips
5 pounds white sugar
4oz jar of fresh minced garlic
1 bottle original Tabasco sauce(about 4 - 5 oz)

Dump jar of pickles into large strainer and drain away all the juice.

Put a layer of pickles back into the jar.
add a layer of sugar.
Sprinkle with Garlic.
Sprinkle with hot sauce.

Repeat layers until all pickles are back in jar.
Make sure to make your layers of sugar and garlic and tabasco thick enough to use the entire package.

Put lid back on jar . Put in fridge.
Shake or roll the jar back and forth 2-3 times a day to keep all ingredients mixed.
Do this for 1 week so flavor is developed/  The longer you roll and shake, the better the flavor.

Does not need to be refrigerated if you dont have room in the fridge.
HOWEVER, putting them in the fridge makes them crisp.

Recipe 34: SALMON RIGATONI SALAD (Salad)

This is another recipe from the church cookbook and was sumbitted by Deb Skea.  She always brings great treats and salads to things. I am always sure to get a bite of what she brings.This salad is actually quite healthy and delicious.  Great Omega 3 fatty acids, and a great combo of protein, dairy and carbs.  This is a really satisfying salad and you could eat it as a meal.  The only change I made to this recipe was using tri colored pasta instead of regular and using fresh basil instead of dried. DELICIOUS. Try to use the wild caught pacific salmon if available.

THE RECIPE:

2 cups rigatoni (4oz.) I use the tri color

cook the rigatoni in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes until al dente. drain, rinse with cold water and drain well.,

For dressing, combine the following in a jar:

3 TBSP extra virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP Lemon Juice

1 tsp Honey

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed (or you can use 3/4 TBSP fresh ripped small)

1/2 tsp salt.

cover and shake well.

in large bowl combine rigatoni and dressing, tossing well to coat evenly.

Cover and chill a minimum 2 hours.

before serving:

1 can (7.5 oz)  wild caught salmon, drained.

remove any skin and bones from the salmon and break into chunks. You can also use leftover salmon from a previous dinner if you dont want to use the canned.

1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

combine your rigatoni with the salmon and feta and cucumber.

Voila. A delicious, healthy pasta salad.

SPECIAL REQUEST: Omlettes and variations

About 11 years ago, back in my mid 20's I went on the Atkins Diet. I had just had a baby, moved to a new city, had a new job and tons of stress. I figured The Atkins was a great way to lose weight, AND I could eat all of my favorite foods. Steak...deviled eggs...meat of any kind...sausage and eggs for breakfast.
After 2 weeks I had eaten so many eggs, that to this day I cannot eat them with any regularity. I Literally turn green at the thought of them. EXCEPT Omelette's.  Give me a delicious, savory Omelet any day of the week.
The really great thing about omelette's, you can eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There is really no bad time for an omelet.
I had a special request for an Omelet recipe post by a Facebook reader, Shaun.

The trick to a good omelet is to not add too much liquid to your egg base.  That will cross the line from Omelet to scrambled egg really quickly. I have had WAY too many scrambled eggs end up on my plate that started out as an omelet. I got overzealous with the liquid portion of my recipe...or I started pushing the edges too soon. But the more I make them, the better I have gotten at them. It is a matter of practice and forcing yourself to not mess too much with them.

The best basic omelet recipe I have found is an easy ratio recipe.
For every large egg use 1 TBSP milk. (the fattier milk the better. use at least 2%.  You can even use heavy cream for a truly decadent omelet experience).
Here are a few basic omelet pointers for perfect omelette's every time:

• make sure you have a smaller non-stick saute pan to cook your omelet in, and a good HEAT RESISTANT spatula.
• Don't add your toppings too early. Otherwise you will have a runny eggy mess inside
• dont go super overboard on the toppings. The more toppings you have the harder it is to "seal" the omelet and stuff falls out into the pan when you are trying to slide your omelet.
• saute onions and other crisp vegetables first until just tender.
• brown or heat any meats first and keep warm.
• tomatoes are GREAT in omelette's, but when heated can get juicy.  Make sure to heat tomatoes first and get out as much juice as you can.
• Salsa is a great topping on TOP of the omelet, but tends to get runny when put inside an omelet.

BASIC RECIPE:
2 large eggs
2 TBSP milk
salt and pepper to season

crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them like crazy until they are well broken down and a pale yellow color.  Whisk in Milk and beat until evenly incorporated. You want a lot of air whipped into the eggs, this will make a light and fluffy omelet, so the longer and more vigorously you whip, the better the outcome.
To your eggs add salt and pepper.  I usually use a fresh ground pepper and maybe 1/2 tsp salt.

 Put a pat of butter into your small non stick saute pan and heat over medium-low until butter melts.  Make sure you swirl the melted butter evenly over the pan.  Your pan will be ready when you drop some water into it and it hisses.

Pour your eggs into the pan and LET THEM BE for  a minute or so until the edges start to set.
With a spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, and tilt the pan to let the  liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no runny egg left.

at this point you should be able to flip the omelet over to finish cooking the other side for a minute.
After this point you add your toppings to one half of the omelet and fold the other half over to make the recognizable semi circle omelet. Let sit for a minute or so to kind of melt the cheese/toppings. Give it one flip and let set for another 30 seconds or so.  Turn down heat if you see the omelet starting to get too brown.
 Slide out onto a plate and enjoy!


When it comes to toppings, you are only limited by your own imagination.  If you like a food in real life, imagine how great it could be in an omelet.

SOME GOOD OMELET TOPPINGS AND VARIATIONS:

Asian Omelet: Finely chop some carrot, mushroom, green and red bell pepper and garlic.  Saute in a pan until tender. Add some teriyaki sauce. Keep warm until ready to add to omelet.

Ham and Swiss:  Diced smoked ham, shredded Swiss cheese, chopped onion

Greek Omelet: Feta Cheese, Chopped Spinach, Chopped tomatoes and olives

French Omelet:  Shredded or sliced Gruyere cheese, Crumbled Bacon and Caramelized onions

Denver Omelet: Diced Ham, Crumbled Bacon, red and green Bell pepper and onion.

Chicken chili: Shredded chicken, green chile's, cheddar cheese. Top with some salsa Verde and sour cream

Cajun:  Andoille Sausage, Green bell pepper, jalapeno, mushroom, onion and a dash of Cajun seasoning

Mexican Omelet:  Pepper Jack, chopped onion, chopped pepper (jalapeno is good). Top with salsa

Hawaiian:  Diced Ham, Small chunks of pineapple, Monterrey jack cheese

Pizza:  pepperoni, mushrooms, mozzarella and pizza sauce

Margherita:  Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil, oregano and onion.

Steakhouse:  Leftover strips of steak*, mushrooms and bleu cheese. 

*When making steak omelette's I usually bring home leftovers from the steakhouse. I cut them into Thin strips and lightly heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.




What are your favorite omelet combinations??

Recipe 33: BBQ Chicken Pizza (Main Course)

My mom first made this pizza when I was in High School.  I like pizza, though I wouldnt say I am a huge fan of it.  When someone asks "What do you want to eat", Pizza is never the first thought into my brain.  I REALLY have to be craving pizza to eat it. I used to LOVE pizza. Love. Love. Love.  But as I have gotten older I find the appeal has worn off.  I dont know why.  When I do get oin the mood for it, I really enjoy it.
This pizza, on the other hand, is one I could eat every day.  Not your typical tomato sauce and mozerella pizza.  BBQ chicken and fresh veggies make it absolutely delicious.
This is one of those recipes that are just so good, and easy.  And you save a few bucks by making it instead of delivery.


THE RECIPE:
1 can of pizza dough.
Roll out on a greased cookie sheet, bringing it to the edges.  Bake at 350 for just a few minutes to get some of the "soggy" out. This will keep your pizza from being soggy when you bake it.
After removing the dough from the oven, crank it up to 425.

the toppings:

3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese, sprinkled evenly over the pizza dough.

3 cooked chicken breasts, chopped/diced. (about 2 cups or so)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce. I like sweet baby rays.
Mix the sauce and the diced chicken together, making sure the chicken is coated evenly.
spread evenly over the cheesed up pizza dough.

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

spread these veggies over the chicken pizza.

Sprinkle another 3/4 cups shredded colby jack cheese over the top of everything.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until everything is cooked and pizza dough is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Sometimes I add mushrooms or red bell pepper to liven it up a bit...whew, I'm feelin Craaaaazzzzyyyyy!!

Recipe 32: OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE (dessert)

DISCLAIMER: This picture is NOT what the cake will look like.  It is a vanilla cake with chocolate icing, but it is a punch holes and pour in icing type cake. This was just a pretty picture.  My cousin Leslie submitted this recipe to our family cookbook.  It is a little bit of work, but SO good.

YELLOW CAKE:

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups self rising flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased and floured baking pan.

bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

a few minutes before cake comes out, start your icing.

1/4 cup cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

2 ups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

mix in double boiler. Bring to boil and let boil for 2 minutes.

go get your cake out of the oven!!  Poke holes throughout and pour icing over the cake.

this cake goes GREAT with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe 31: SAUSAGE BALLS (Appetizer/Party Food)

Aunt Bert to the rescue again.  These make FANTASTIC party appetizers. Just serve a plate of these with some toothpicks and let your guests go to town.

3 ingredients. Yep. THREE. Thats it.
so delicious, it just isnt right.







THE RECIPE:

1 lb hot sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Hot Pork Sausage)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups bisquick.

Let sausage stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.  This will soften it up and make it easy to mix.
Mix together Sausage and Cheese with your hands.  Add bisquick a little at a time and continue mixing with hands until you reach a good consistency.
Roll with hands into 1 inch balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets and bake 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees..

Recipe 30: RED LOBSTER TYPE BISCUITS (breads/rolls/knock off recipe)

SOURCE:  The best part about Red Lobster are those Cheddar Bay Biscuits. You walk in, get your table and they bring you a large basket of those soft, buttery, cheesy, garlic-y rolls of heaven.  you cant just eat one. THEY ARE SOOOOO GOOD!! I remember when my friend was getting married and I went up to chicago to help her go Dress Shopping etc.  we stopped for lunch at Red Lobster, famished from the long morning of trying on dresses and trying to figure out bridesmaid dresses and whatnot. That waitress brought by our tin of biscuits and we just about gnawed her hand off...then we took extras to go. Thats how addicting they are.

 My Aunt Bert submitted this recipe to our family cookbook and although they arent EXACTLY the Red Lobster bicuits, they are pretty darn close.  One night last summer we had a whole house full of people staying with us for a week.  We bought Alaskan King Crab Legs and steamed them and made these biscuits to go with it.  Felt like we were at the restaurant!

THE RECIPE:

In a bowl mix together:

2 cups muttermilk biscuit mix

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

mix with wooden spoon until soft dough forms. Beat Vigorously for 30 seconds.

Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

HERE IS WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL!!!

While they are baking melt 1/2 cup butter.

To this add 1/2 tsp-1 tsp garlic powder(to taste)

As soon as those biscuits come out of the oven, brush them with this melted butter/garlic powder solution.

It will seep into the cracks and crevices and lahlahlahlahalahlahlahalhalahlah(drooling here)

Recipe 29: POPPYSEED CAKE (Dessert)

SOURCE:  This is one of my moms oldies but goodies recipes.  She has been making this since before I was born.  It is their "go-to" dessert for family reunions, church functions, house warming etc. One time when peter was in the hospital my dad made this cake and gave it to the nurses. Those ladies (and one Mr Mike) polished off that bad boy and raved about it for weeks afterwards.
this is one of my moms most requested recipes from friends and family. She submitted it for our family cookbook and that page is well worn!!

The best part: no frosting necessary. It has a great flavor and is really easy.






THE RECIPE:

Mix together:  1 box yellow cake mix
                       1 small box instant vanilla pudding

to this add:       4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
                        1 tsp Almond Extract
                         1 cup Hot water
                         2 TBSP Poppy Seeds

pour into well greased Bundt Pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
cool and remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired (Good without it too!)

recipe 28: FIESTA BLACK BEAN SALAD(sides, beans, salad)

SOURCE:  Another great recipe from my friend Christine. She always brings the most delicious salads and soups to potlucks. This is so flavorful and delicious, and SO HEALTHY too.   I LOVE this recipe and have a huge star next to it in THE BINDER.  This is a really versatile recipe as well.  It can be eaten alone as a side dish/salad. It can be eaten as a salsa. It can be used as a dip. 

THE RECIPE:

in a small bowl whisk together the following:

2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBSP Olive Oil

3 Cloves Minced Garlic (3 tsp pre chopped)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

This is your dressing.

In a larger serving bowl combine:

2 can corn, drained well

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small green bell pepper, diced small

1 small red bell pepper, diced small

3 TBSP Snipped Cilantro (or about 1 TBSP dried Cilantro)

salt and pepper to taste

Pour your dressing over the bean mixture and toss gently to coat evenly.

Chill for at least an hour.

serve alone or with chips or tortillas.

Recipe 27: MARINATED FLANK STEAK (Main course: Beef)

SOURCE:  I first had this recipe at my friend Janes house.  I walked in and it SMELLED SOOOOO GOOD!!  She was having a party and had made enough to feed about 30 people.  It was SO DELICIOUS and EASY.  She said that you basically marinate the steak and forget about it. Quick, easy and delicious.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp chopped ginger

Whisk together all ingredients. This is your marinade.

Get  one Flank Steak (1-2 pounds)

Poke several holes into both sides of the flank steak before marinating.

marinate steak for about 24 hours.   You want about 12 hours PER SIDE of the flank steak.

Make sure you do this in the fridge.  If you dont have 24 hours, do it at least 1/2 a day.  The longer it marinates the more tender and flavorful.

Grill for approximately 7 minutes per side for medium

10 per side for medium well.

slice thin on the diagonal and serve.

Recipe 26: TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD (Side Dish./Salad/Fruit Salad/Dessert)

SOURCE:  My mom made this for a cookout once and it was so good I got the recipe. I have made it for Thanksgiving, potlucks, luau's, pool partys, birthdays etc.  It is so good.  It can be a salad. It can be dessert. It can be a side dish. SOOOO GOOOD!!


THE RECIPE:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
20 can Lemon Pie Filling
with a blender beat these two ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
set this aside for a quick minute.
 In a separate bowl:
1 envelope DREAM WHIP, prepared according to directions. (Dream whip is like a cool whip mix that can be found in baking aisle)

Add prepared Dream Whip to the pie filling/Milk mixture.
Gently fold in the following:

20oz can crushed pineapple, drained well
11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained well
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Gently fold all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.