Category Archives: APPETIZER RECIPES

BACON JAM

Since you already know that cheese burgers are my favorite food, I might as well go all the way and tell you about my little addiction to pig products. And high on the list of porky type foods I find the most delectable is bacon.  And at the top of my list of favorite uses for bacon is Bacon Jam. And I do know what you are thinking. How in the name of all things porcine, can anything taste better than a perfectly cooked (your definition) slice of bacon? Well you are right. There are very few foods tastier than bacon, unless of course you are thinking about Bacon Jam! (In my opinion, Bacon Jam is so delicious it should be its own food group!) And this recipe, which is a slight variation on the Bacon Jam recipe I found on the Internet site Leite’s Culinaria, is really good. I love to serve Bacon Jam on hamburger sliders. Place some warm Bacon Jam on the bottom of a lightly grilled slider roll. Next add some arugula, a nicely seasoned grilled burger pattie and a thin slice of Cambozola cheese. Add the top half of the slider roll and prepare for an amazing taste treat. (This is the basic recipe for the Bacon Jam Burger served by Seattle’s own mobile diner Skillet.) Another good way to serve Bacon Jam is slathered on brie and baked until the cheese is soft and gooey.  But, if you can keep a secret from Mr. C., I’ll tell you the absolute best way to eat Bacon Jam. Some dark moonless evening, just past midnight, sneak into your kitchen and scoop up a bit of the jam on a spoon and place it directly in your mouth. Don’t chew for a full minute. Just savor the flavor and texture rolling around on your tongue. Heaven, I’m tellin’ you – pure heaven! (Sneaking food in the middle of the night is wonderful fun to begin with, but sneaking Bacon Jam lifts the whole experience to the ‘winning a trip to Paris’ level!)

  • 1 lb. lean pepper bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 ½ large onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 c. cider vinegar
  • 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
  • 3 T. real maple syrup
  • ½ c. strong black coffee
  • freshly ground black pepper

Place bacon in a medium sized fry pan. Fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan, drain, and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. (I actually save my bacon grease in the refrigerator. You never know when a small amount of bacon grease might come in handy.) Add the onions to the pan and sauté until just starting to soften. Add garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, syrup, coffee, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil for 2 minutes. Add the reserved bacon and simmer gently until the onions are very soft. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat when the liquid is thick and syrupy.  (Add a small amount of water if needed to keep mixture from burning while the onions soften).  Let stand a few minutes. Using a food processor, pulse the very warm mixture a few times until the jam is of a spreadable consistency. Don’t over process. You want little chunks of bacon in the jam. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one month. Delicious served cold, room temperature, or warmed.

SALSA

Since this is my final recipe of my mini-series on good homemade Mexican food, I had to end with salsa. Really I should have begun with salsa, because really good salsa is the first thing I look forward to when we I go out for Mexican food. That and warm really fresh tortilla chips. Actually, if the tortilla chips are lovely and the salsa is flavorful, I could make a meal on the chips and salsa alone. But all too often the chips are stale and the salsa is at best mediocre. (Actually, I’m kind of picky about my salsa. It can’t be too runny, or have the consistency of Pico de Gallo (although I love a good Pico de Gallo as a garnish). I want my salsa to be a happy blend of saucy and chunky. I know, picky, picky, picky! So when daughter Paula served us this sauce one evening, I thought it was the best non-restaurant salsa I had ever tasted. Please feel free to add more “heat” if you like a spicier sauce. I personally have a great deal of respect for plants containing capsicum and tend to give them wide berth. (I have this thing about not wanting to hurt myself, and too much capsicum definitely burns my mouth, sensitive flower that I am.)  So regardless of whether you enjoy your salsa mild, medium or crazy hot, this is a simple recipe easily adapted to your own personal level of heat tolerance. Serve salsa drizzled over your favorite Mexican dish or with warmed *Juanita’s tortilla chips. A nice cold beer or one of Mr. C.s famous Margaritas would also be nice when you serve this salsa. Thanks again Paula for this wonderful recipe. Love you!

  • 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
  • ½ lg. onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c. loosely packed parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 c. loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tsp. dried oregano
  • juice of 1 lime

Combine the tomato sauce, garlic, jalapeño, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Whirl until well blended. Pour into a bowl; add finely chopped tomatoes, onion, parsley, cilantro, oregano (start with 1 teaspoon), and lime juice. Adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably over night. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*Juanita’s Tortilla Chips are made in Hood River, Oregon. They are the best tortilla chips I have ever found in a grocery store.

SHRIMP AND SCALLOP CEVICHE

Leave a reply

This recipe was given to me by our dear friend Desiree. She prepared it for one of our JazzVox concerts and it was a huge success. I absolutely could not stop eating it. And believe me, I was not alone. I did change some of the amounts and omit a couple of ingredients, but that’s only because of personal preference. The great thing about ceviche is that in addition to shrimp and scallops you can use a wide variety of other seafood including snapper, flounder, sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, squid, and octopus. In fact, tilapia is very widely used in Mexico and here in America it is fairly inexpensive and widely available. And I know, ceviche is all about “cooking” seafood in citrus juice, mainly lemon and lime. However, I prefer to actually lightly poach my shrimp and scallops before I add them to the other ingredients.  Technically speaking, to actually cook something, heat is required. So a dish in which raw fish is marinated in citrus juice hasn’t truly been cooked.  But food “cooked” in an acid isn’t exactly raw either. Both heat and citric acid are agents of a chemical process called denaturation. Denaturation is the process by which protein molecules in food are structurally changed by heating, agitation, pressure or adding an alkali or acid. When fish is “cooked” in citrus juices, the process of denaturation turns the flesh firm and opaque, as if it had been cooked with heat. But from everything I’ve read, “cooking” food in citrus juice does not do as good a job of killing bacteria or parasites as does cooking with heat. Unless you are absolutely positive your seafood is ultra fresh, I would recommend that you at least consider a hot bath for your seafood before you add it to its flavorful citric marinade. But enough about “cooking” and cooking! Let’s go on to an interesting and perhaps little known fact about ceviche marinade.

If you are a ceviche connoisseur, then you probably already know about Tiger’s Milk (leche de tigre). But just in case you don’t, leche de tigre is what the Peruvians call the leftover ceviche marinade. It is often served as the drink of choice when ceviche is on the menu. It is served in small glasses with or without vodka. (I’m tellin’ you, for me to drink this concoction it would have to be at least 1/3rd vodka!) But, apparently Peruvians love their leche de tigre. They consider it an excellent cure for hangovers. (You know, I don’t make this stuff up; but it seems to me that vodka spiked leche de tigre would cause more hangovers than it would cure!)  Happy ceviche everyone.

  • ½ c. fresh orange juice
  • 4 limes, juiced
  • 3 lemons, juiced
  • dash hot sauce
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ c. finely diced red onion
  • 1-2 very finely minced jalapeño peppers
  • 2 c. (about ¾ lb.) raw scallops
  • 2 c. (about ¾ lb. raw de-veined medium large shrimp
  • ½ c. finely chopped cilantro
  • 4 finely chopped green onions
  • 2-3 campari or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
  • 2 avocados, diced

In a medium sized, non-reactive bowl, stir together the orange juice, 3/4th of the lime juice (reserve the remaining lime juice to add just before serving), lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and poached scallops and shrimp. (To poach the shrimp and scallops, season 2 quarts of water with 1/4 cup kosher salt and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add the seafood to the pot and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp and scallops sit until just about cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the water and immediately drop in ice cold water. Drain, pat dry, and cut into bite sized pieces.) Make sure seafood is completely covered with citrus liquid. Add more lime juice if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Stir once or twice to ensure everybody marinating uniformly. 30 minutes before serving add the cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, avocados, and reserved lime juice. Adjust seasoning and drain off part of the liquid. (Or of course, you can serve the extra marinade in small glasses to the uninitiated.) Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips or on a bed of lettuce for a light summer salad. Either way, ceviche is a heavenly way to enjoy seafood.

 

 

MUSSELS IN ANCHO CHILI CREAM SAUCE

Mr. C. and I love almost any type of critter that spent its happier days (that is to say alive days) basking in either salt or fresh water. And bivalve mollusks, like mussels and clams, when they are steamed in a lovely broth are at the top of our list of most beloved seafood dishes. And this recipe that I developed after having enjoyed a similar mussel appetizer at a Mexican restaurant in the Ballard district of Seattle is one of our favorites. Most of the time I begin my food experiments (actually knock-off recipes) using the ingredients listed on the menu. In this case the only ingredients listed were (if I remember correctly) ancho chili, shallots, wine, and cream. Not a lot to go on, but never-the-less, a starting point. (My biggest problem was where to find ancho chili powder. Even though, at the time, and this was quite a few years ago, we lived in Bellevue, I couldn’t find ancho chili powder anywhere. (For those of you unfamiliar with the great state of Washington, Bellevue is the 2nd largest city; (really just an unpretentious little burg) located east and just across Lake Washington from Seattle.) I finally located ancho chili powder at Market Spice, a fabulous spice store in Seattle’s famous Pike Street Market. Now thank heaven, you can find it at most upscale markets around the area. After finally finding ancho chili powder, I added the other ingredients that had been listed on the menu and a few others that I remembered either seeing or tasting in the broth. After a couple of near misses, I came up with the recipe I am sharing with you today. It is ever so lovely as an appetizer, but also makes a heavenly main dish if you add al dente cooked pasta. Just place the pasta in the bottom of a large, flat bowl. Scoop some of the mussels, or a combination of mussels, clams, prawns, and calamari rings over the pasta and add some of the broth and topping ingredients. Serve with chewy baguette slices and you have a simple one course lunch or dinner fit for a king!

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 12-15 fresh thyme sprigs tied together with kitchen string
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. or more ancho chili powder
  • 1 c. dry white wine
  • 1 bottle clam juice
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 2-3 lbs. mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish
  • chewy Italian baguette, sliced

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add shallots and celery and sweat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, ancho chile (start with 1 teaspoon), wine, clam juice, and cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, 30-40 minutes. If you want a stronger ancho taste, add a small amount more at this point. Remove the thyme sprig bundle and bay leaf from the pan. Discard. Turn up the heat, and add mussels; cover and simmer until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Taste broth and season with salt and pepper if required. Sprinkle with parsley and chopped tomato and garnish with lemon wedges. Provide each person with a large flat bowl and a tiny or salad fork. Serve mussels right out of pan with baguette slices for dipping.

TWO BRIE, OR NOT TWO BRIE: THAT IS THE QUESTION

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Whether ‘tis nobler to offer two types of topping when serving brie or suffer the slings and arrows of someone who doesn’t like the one you chose………  (I knew when I decided to start writing on a daily basis, something amazing would happen, but I never dreamed that it would result in me channeling Shakespeare!) Please allow me to begin again using my own voice.

In my opinion, brie is one of the greatest tasting and versatile soft cheeses that is readily available in our super markets today. It can be served very simply by placing it on a plate surrounded by apple slices and buttery crackers. (The brie first being allowed to come to room temperature of course! Cheese is always more flavorful when not straight out of the refrigerator.) Or, and this is how I best like to serve brie, topped with some type of sweet or savory and heated until the cheese is warm and almost runny. Note: Not trying to sound like a cheese snob, I prefer to use French brie or brie made by an artisan cheese maker over some of the brie offered by large domestic cheese producers. Thankfully, Costco and Trader Joe’s often carry French brie. Most of the time it is in round cardboard containers, but often a very large round has been cut into large wedges. Rounds or wedges, it matters not. If it is French, it will be magnifique!

As you can see from the picture above, I prefer to cut my brie into small wedges and lay them ever so lovingly in an oven proof casserole. Then I add whatever topping I have prepared, along with toasted chopped pecans. I know that the presentation would be more traditional if I left the cheese in one piece, but I have found that pre-cutting the brie is much easier for my guests to handle. There is of course the convenience aspect to consider, but there is also the practical reason. Some guests, if left to their own devices, will help themselves to slices of cheese the size of small pieces of cake! So in order to spare my overly zealous guests the indignity of being called to task for their gluttonous behavior, I make sure there are enough servings for everyone by cutting the pieces myself. Ever the thoughtful hostess! Regardless of whether you cut the brie ahead of time, or top the intact round or wedge with the delicious topping ingredients listed below, you are going to love serving baked brie to your guests. It’s easy to prepare, and tastes like a million dollars. And by-the-way, sorry I don’t have a picture to show you of how the brie looked when it came out of the oven. But at the time, I was too busy plating other food to even think about my camera. By the time I remembered that I hadn’t taken a “this is how it looks when it’s ready to serve” picture, the lights were down and my feet were up!

Baked Brie with Curry Powder, Chutney, and Toasted Pecans

  • French brie
  • curry powder (like McCormick’s)
  • chutney (I like Major Grey’s Mango Chutney)
  • toasted chopped pecans

I purposely have not provided ingredient amounts because everything depends on how much baked brie you are building. Basically you want to cut your brie, place it in an oven-proof container, sprinkle liberally with curry powder, slather with chutney, and decorate with pecans. If you have more than one layer of cheese, decorate the first layer before adding more cheese. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until cheese is very soft and just starting to melt, about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices or crackers. 

Baked Brie with Marmalade, Brown Sugar, and Toasted Pecans

  • French brie
  • orange marmalade
  • brown sugar
  • toasted chopped pecans

Cut the brie and lay it in an oven-proof dish. In a small bowl, stir together the *marmalade and *brown sugar and slather all over the cheese. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until cheese is very soft and the topping is bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with apple slices, toasted baguette slices and/or crackers.

*Again, as with the recipe for Baked Brie with Curry Powder, Chutney, and Toasted Pecans, the amount, in this case of marmalade, brown sugar, and pecans, depends on how much cheese you are preparing. If for example, you were to purchase about 19 or 20 ounces of brie, you would combine ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) marmalade with 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (a ratio of 4 to 1). If you stick with this ratio, you can prepare as much or as little topping as you need. Top with a sprinkling of as many or as few nuts as you prefer. Or none, for that matter.

 

 

 

 

ROASTED CHILI CASHEWS

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I have no idea why I love cashews as much as I do, but there is just no getting around the fact that next to macadamia nuts, cashews are my favorite. Well they are my favorites if I am just sitting around and want to munch on a nut or two. (Like I ever just ate 2 macadamias or cashews in my life!) But for baking, I love walnuts and pecans. And then of course there is peanut butter.   But wait, I could blather on and on about my love affair with nuts (and legumes in the case of peanuts) until your eyes glazed over and you were starting to drool, so I think I better get back on track and stick to the mighty cashew. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods website, “not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, approximately 75% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 75% of this unsaturated fatty acid content is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Studies show that oleic acid promotes good cardiovascular health, even in individuals with diabetes. Studies of diabetic patients show that monounsaturated fat, when added to a low-fat diet, can help to reduce high triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are carried in the blood, and high triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, so ensuring you have some monounsaturated fats in your diet by enjoying cashews is a good idea, especially for persons with diabetes”.

So now that we have established that cashews are reasonably good for us, let’s talk about making them taste even better. I know, I know, can’t we just leave well enough alone? Nope! I just can’t do it! So with that in mind, I offer this roasted cashew recipe that I found on the Taste of Home site. (Wonderful site by-the-way.) But I am issuing a warning to all who might decide to make these for their family. Hide some for yourself before you set them out on your kitchen counter. Once your family gives these a taste, they will be devoured before you can say “don’t spoil your dinner”.

  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tsp. water
  • 4 c. salted whole cashews

Combine the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Add cashews to egg white and toss to coat. Pour into a colander and drain for 2 minutes. When the cashews have drained for 2 minutes, add to the sugar mixture and toss well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 250 degree oven for 50-55 minutes, stirring once. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  

 

DEVILED EGGS

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Please bear with me, but I am going to take a giant step back from the sophisticated recipes I usually present (like Pea Salad and Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes) and briefly journey back to the good old days. (I used to hate hearing my parents and grandparents make reference to the “good old days”. And now, in black and white for all to witness, I am saying the same thing. Yikes!) But, when I was a child (another annoying phrase I find myself using) in the mid 40s and 50s, life was simpler, less frantic, and a mouse was a critter you found in your attic happily building a nest in an old dresser drawer.  Some of you too may remember those days (hopefully without the mouse in the attic part). And if you were any kind of a benign rascal like I was in my youth, your worst discretion would have been something like mine. I loved to listen in on my neighbor’s party line conversations. (If you don’t know what a “party line” is, ask a grandparent or someone over the age of 65.) But truthfully, I’m quite sure those of you who don’t even know how to use a dial telephone, can’t begin to imagine how exciting it was to be a 6 or 7 year old listening, unbeknownst, to old Mrs. Taylor discuss her best recipe for deviled eggs or the state of her varicose veins with her good friend Ethel! Pure heaven, I’m tellin’ you! But by now you’re probably asking yourself, what in the name of all things Bell Telephone has any of this ancient history to do with deviled eggs? Well my dear friends, it has everything to do with deviled eggs. Deviled eggs, one of the best taste treats ever invented, are fast becoming as yesterday as cathode ray tube televisions! And I simply can’t allow that to happen. I have to tell you, when I serve deviled eggs to guests as one of several appetizers, they are the first to go. People love them. They practically start purring. And the best part, eggs are cheap. So next time you throw a cocktail party or are asked to bring an appetizer, consider deviled eggs. People may look at you funny at first, but after they bite into one of these babies, their skepticism will melt away as fast as cold butter on a hot biscuit!

  • 8 hard boiled eggs
  • 4 tsp. minced dehydrated onion
  • 4 tsp. white wine vinegar
  • 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 to ½ c. light mayonnaise
  • parsley or paprika for garnish, opt.

Peel and cut hard-boiled eggs in half. Gently scoop the yolks into a small bowl. Add onion, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mash together with fork until ingredients are well blended and paste like. Stir in just enough mayonnaise to make a creamy consistency that holds its shape when scooped or spooned into egg white. (I use a tiny ice cream scoop for a size consistency.) Place eggs on platter and sprinkle with chopped parsley or paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

GUACAMOLE

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OK, I know everyone knows how to make guacamole. But, in the name of all things wonderful in Mexican cuisine, I felt duty bound to offer my take on this classic, along with my humble justification for including said recipe on my blog. Like many home cooks and restaurant chefs, I too (and I’m not proud of my ignorance), failed to realize that guacamole is all about the avocado. Duh, where was my head? (Don’t answer that!) And to this day there are still many who don’t understand that concept. How many times have you yourself tasted guacamole, that had the contents of the guacamole been posted anywhere, the lovely alligator pear would only be listed as the first ingredient by a very small margin.  That some other food item, such as chopped tomato, would be trying to work its way up to take over that coveted position! Unacceptable! So, in deference to one of the most glorious tasting fruits I have ever had the pleasure to eat, that also just happens to be good for me, I present my guacamole recipe. (And yes, since avocados grow on a tree and are part of the reproductive organ of the plant, thus the seed, they are technically a fruit. However, we do tend to think of them more as vegetables because of the way they are generally served.) In conclusion, I would like to offer a small apology. I’m sure you would have noticed on your own without me pointing out the obvious, but my recipe for guacamole isn’t as inexpensive to prepare as some. That’s because there aren’t any filler ingredients (tomato, sour cream, etc.). Just a few tiny additions to enhance the flavor of the avocado. Like I said, you would have figured this out on your own, but I still retain the hideous habit of stating the obvious. Too many years working in human resources for a large corporation where even the obvious (you applied for work when you came here) had to be stated to some staff members more regularly than you could ever imagine!

  • 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded and peeled
  • 1 small garlic clove, very finely minced
  • 1 tsp. very finely chopped onion
  • 4-5 slices pickled jalapeño, very finely minced
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt

Mash (don’t pulverize) all ingredients together and serve with your favorite tortilla chips. (I think guacamole is best when there are still some tiny chunks of avocado left to provide a bit of texture.)

 

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

IMG_5546

So OK, I’m not Swedish, not even remotely Swedish. I am French with a little bit of German thrown in for interest. I think. Actually, the part of France my maternal grandfather’s family came from was the area around Strasbourg, France. (What were they thinking leaving the beautiful area around Strasbourg to settle on the mid-western plains? But I digress……) At one time Strasbourg was a town in old Germany.  Strasbourg lies in the heart of Europe just 240 miles from Paris, Geneva, Munich and Brussels. So am I more German than French on my mother’s side, who knows? And as to what actually flows through my veins; it could be one of the five French “mother” sauces, Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute, Espagnole or Hollandaise with a small addition of the classic German sauce Grie Soβ, or any combination thereof. Matters not, I like them all! On my father’s side, his forefathers immigrated from the French part of Switzerland also to the mid-west. (All my ancestors were apparently crazy!) So, like I said – I am not Swedish. However, my former husband is, so I learned a few Swedish dishes along the way. (After all, with step children named Eden, Sven, and Ursala, you are pretty much obliged to learn something from the Scandinavian cuisine!) So along with pickled herring and Glögg (and yes I know I have very eclectic tastes), Swedish meatballs were a common main dish in our household. Of course my meatballs bear very little resemblance to anything I was served when I was visiting Sweden, but for now let’s just keep that our little secret. Skål! (Cheers!)

  • 1/3 c. dehydrated onion
  • ½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 2 T. parsley (dried or fresh)
  • ½ tsp. ground savory
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • ¼ tsp. dried rosemary
  • pinch nutmeg
  • ½ tsp seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 T. milk
  • ¾ c. uncooked oats
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. seasoned pork sausage
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 tsp. beef base
  • 2 c. low fat sour cream

Combine the onion, garlic, parsley, savory, paprika, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Add the oats, ground beef and pork sausage. Forms into balls with a small ice cream scoop. Place on a low sided baking pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, beef base, and sour cream. When meatballs are out of the oven, layer them with the sour cream mixture in a covered casserole. Cover dish and bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking an additional 15 minutes.

Side dish suggestions: Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes, Noodles Romanoff or

buttered wide noodles, Green Beans

Wine pairing: A nice buttery Chardonnay

 

 

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN WINGS

I received this incredible recipe from my good friend and neighbor Sandy many, many years ago. Sandy babysat my children when they came home from school up until they were old enough to watch themselves. Because, you see, I was one of those villainous women who thought she should be able to have a career and be a mommy (this was in the 70s when being a working mommy was still a wee bit frowned upon). But I am positive my children were better off because I wasn’t a stay-at-home mom! Please do not get me wrong, I loved my children more than life itself. But I wasn’t blessed with the patience of a saint, as was my dear neighbor Sandy. Between my kids (the 3 younger ones) and her 4, she offered the safest of havens, unconditional love, and the broadest and most tender of shoulders on which to share all of life’s’ little tragedies. And wonder of wonders – she could cook.  So not only were my children safe and secure with this lovely lady, their little tummies never went hungry while their own mommy was off filling the families coffers and not coincidentally, saving her own sanity. So try this recipe. It is just delicious, and sure to be a hit with even the pickiest of eaters! And if you happen to be a working mommy, don’t ever apologize for being happy fulfilling your own destiny. I am firmly convinced that women who know and like themselves, and live their lives to the fullest make the best mothers. And as for my own 4 grown children, well I could not be more proud. They are kind, loving and responsible adults. What mother could ask for more?

  • 1/2 c. soy sauce
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 3/4 c. orange juice
  • 1 T. dry mustard
  • 3 lbs. chicken wings

Combine ingredients and simmer slowly for approximately 90 minutes. When done, the chicken falls off the bones and the sauce is thick and very, very sticky. Please note: an electric fry pan works great for this recipe. Keep the lid on the full time, but watch very carefully the last 30 minutes or so. (Towards the end of the cooking time it is very easy to burn the chicken.) Serve with rice, a steamed green vegetable, and 3 or more napkins. (You are going to get sticky!) Very kidlet friendly. Also works well with bone-in chicken thighs.

Side dish suggestions: steamed rice and Green Beans

Wine pairing: Are you kidding? This dish fairly screams for a cold, dark beer.