Old Fashioned Molasses Cake
I can remember the first time I made a molasses cake. I was about 17. The recipe was in one of my Mom’s “women’s magazines”. I loved the earthy flavor that the molasses gave the cake.
I also remembered that the cake had applesauce in it. I canned a lot of applesauce last fall and have been looking for recipes using applesauce.
I found the original recipe last night and decided to make the cake. I did change a few ingredients around. The recipe I originally used had shortening in it. I swapped it out for butter. I also added more spices.
It is every bit as wonderful as before. Moist, not too sweet, with just a kiss of spices. So, if you have a jar of molasses and some applesauce, give this cake a try.
Molasses Applesauce Cake
2¼ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
½ t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
4 oz. butter, softened, 1 stick
1 c. applesauce
1 c. molasses
1 egg
¾ c. raisins, plumped in warm water, then drained well, optional
Glaze:
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside. In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir to blend. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredients to flour mixture and stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread out evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake then top with glaze. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour over the cake. Serves 8.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
I wanted breakfast sausages, but didn’t have any, so I had to make my own.
These breakfast sausage are so flavorful. The nice thing about making your own sausage, is knowing all the ingredients that go into them. You can adjust seasonings to suit your taste.
Making sausage does not have to be hard. I grew up in a family that had a sausage stuffer. So making sausage seems pretty normal to me. But if you never made sausage, you really should give it a go.
I have a home movie, from before I was born, of my parents making Polish sausage. They were grinding the meat, seasoning it, prepping the casings and getting the meat into the casings. They made it look easy.
But if you make sausage without the casings, like these little breakfast sausages, the process is pretty simple. You don’t need any special equipment, either.
If you don’t have ground meat or a meat grinder, you can grind the meat in a food processor. Just cut the meat into cubes and place in the processor. Pulse on and off until you get the grind size you want. For these sausages, you want a pretty fine grind. Don’t put too much meat in at once. It is better to do a couple of smaller batches.
I made patties, but if you want links, just take the prepared mix, roll it out into tube shapes, wrap in plastic wrap and chill. Then just slice to the length you want. You can use ground pork, turkey, beef, chicken, venison or any combo you like. I even splurged once, and used ground duck.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
2½ lbs. ground pork, turkey, beef, chicken (leave on some fat)
1 T. dried sage
2 t. salt
2 t. pepper
1 t. dried marjoram
½ t. dried thyme
¼ t. allspice
¼ t. nutmeg
¼ t. dry mustard
⅛ t. cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper
⅓ c. warm water
Mix herbs and spices with water and let stand 10 minutes. Add the water and spice mixture to the meat and blend thoroughly. Form into patties, and chill, or cook immediately.* You can also form into rolls, roll in plastic wrap and chill. Then just slice your patties from the rolls. Patties can be fried or baked. This sausage can also be frozen for later use. Makes almost 3 pounds.
* I have made my own brown and serve by cooking the sausage, over low heat in a large skillet. I add a little water and cover the pan, so they cook, but don’t brown. Cool and then freeze. When I want to have a few, I grab them out of the freezer and just brown in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Italian Wedding Soup
I love this soup. I’ve had different versions over the years, but they all have those wonderful little meatballs in common. This recipe came from the mother of a dear friend. I still have her handwritten copy in a file. Every time I make this soup I think of her.
Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground beef or a mixture of beef, pork and veal or turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. dried parsley or 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder or 2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 t. each pepper and dried oregano
1 T. oil
Soup:
8 c. chicken stock, not too salty
1 c. thin sliced carrots
1 c. thin sliced celery
1/2 c. thin sliced green onions, optional
1/2 t. dried basil or 1 1/2 t. fresh chopped
1/2 c. uncooked small pasta, I like orzo
1/2 lb. escarole or kale, cut in thin strips
To make meatballs combine all ingredients except the oil and form into 50 tiny balls. Sauté in oil until browned on all sides. Drain. In large saucepan combine broth with vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered 10 minutes. Add basil, pasta, meatballs and escarole or kale and simmer 10 minutes longer. Serves 6-8.
Note: you can use spinach instead, but add for last 5 minutes of cooking.
10 Plants You Might Not Know are Edible
I have posted this information before. I think it is extra important now, when so many of us are staying home. You might have a fresh salad growing all around you, and not even know it.
A lot of people don’t realize how many common plants they can eat. I thought it might be fun to share a few of them with you. Some of these are plants we grow as landscape/ornamental plants. Others are more often thought of as “weeds”. All have one thing in common. They are edible.
Some you may already know. I hope I might show you a few edibles you didn’t know about before.
I tried to stick to plants that were easy to identify. If you are not sure what it is – don’t eat it. Don’t eat plants where pesticides have been sprayed, either.
With any luck, you have at least a few of these in your yard.
Violets: Violet flowers are edible and used to decorate pastries and to make jelly. Did you know you can also eat the leaves? They are mild flavored- especially when young- and are a great addition to salads. Violet leaves are also high in vitamin C.
Purslane: The thick, fleshy leaves of purslane are easy to identify. Many vegetable gardeners make every effort to keep them out of their yards. Truth is, purslane is grown as a vegetable in many parts of the world. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, can be cooked in a stir fry or just steamed as a fresh veggie. They can also be pickled. I make a salsa out of purslane leaves. They are crunchy with a slightly citrus flavor.
Lambsquarters: Lambsquarters are one of my favorites. They sprout all over my yard and in pots as soon as the weather warms up in the Spring. The leaves can be eaten raw when young or cooked as they mature. They taste just like spinach and are even better for you. Plants can get quite large and provide an easy harvest of nutritious greens.
Dandelions: We spend so much money trying to kill them. Sad because they are really a tasty green. Dandelions were brought to America by European immigrants as a vegetable. Their bitter greens can be an acquired taste. By combining the greens with certain foods you make them taste less bitter. Starchy foods like breads or potatoes, dairy products, tomatoes and vinegars all seem to tame the bitterness. Dandelion greens can be eaten cooked or raw. Flowers are used to make jelly and wine and can be added to baked goods.
Hosta: If you can get to them before the deer do, you will be pleasantly surprised. Hosta leaves are quite mild flavored, similar to Bibb lettuce. I add them to salads and even serve them with dips. The older leaves get tough so pick young leaves.
Sweet Potato Leaves: A friend from Hawaii first told me about eating sweet potato leaves. The leaves are pretty mild flavored. I normally eat them cooked although I have friends that eat them raw as well. You can eat the leaves of all sweet potatoes, including ornamental types.
Lilac: Lilac flowers are fragrant and edible. I use them every year to make lilac infused vinegar. They have a nice spicy taste that works well in the vinegar. Blossoms can be added to salads, too. This year I also made lilac jelly.
Redroot/Pigweed: This member of the amaranth family is distinguished by a reddish color to its roots. It has a spinach like flavor and can be cooked and used like spinach is any recipe. The plants can get several feet tall and often show up in places where the soil has been tilled.
Tulips: Tulips are more than pretty, they are also quite tasty. The petals taste like a mild flavored lettuce and can add a beautiful touch to salads. The bulbs are also edible but we rarely eat them because to do so would destroy the plant. The petals, however, can be harvested and eaten year after year without harming the plant.
Roses: Rose petals have been used to make fragrances for a very long time. The petals are also edible and can be added to salads and used to make jelly, syrup and of course, rose water. The hips are also quite edible. Rose hips are the round balls that are left after the bloom is spent. They are full of vitamin C and can be cooked and used to make tea and jelly.
This is far from a complete list. Just a few things from my yard that I thought you might have, too.
Lemon Drop Cheesecakes
Don’t let their small size fool you. These little cheesecakes pack a punch of lemon flavor. There is lemon zest in the batter and a topping full of lemony tartness. Not too sweet, either, which is a plus in my mind.
I wanted a dessert but didn’t want to make anything too big. With a limited pantry these days, my options were limited, too. These mini cheesecakes were the right solution. The recipe only uses one package of cream cheese and only makes 6. They can be frozen if needed.
For the crust you can use vanilla wafers, but since I didn’t have any, I just trimmed off the edges of some graham crackers, so they would fit in the muffin tins. You can even omit a crust and they are gluten free.
So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it.
Lemon Drop Cheesecakes
6 vanilla wafers or graham crackers
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
Topping:
½ c. lemon juice or a combination of lemon juice and pieces of lemon*
½ c. sugar
2 t. cornstarch
Zest of a lemon
Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 wafer in each. If using graham crackers, trim them to fit the muffin tins. Beat together remaining ingredients for 1 minute with electric mixer. Divide this mixture in the muffin tins, filling each almost full. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Cheesecakes will puff up, then deflate as they cool. While cheesecakes are baking, make the lemon topping. Combine all topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture thickens and gets bubbly. Set aside. Once the cheesecakes have cooled down, spoon over the lemon topping. Chill before serving. Store leftovers in fridge. Makes 6. These can be frozen. Serves 2-3.
* I only had 2 lemons, so to get the most from them, I removed the peel and white membrane and used the lemon segments in the topping. I was still a little short, so I added some extra lemon juice to get to ½ cup. You could just use all juice.
Pumpernickel Bread
I bake a lot of bread. Homemade pumpernickel is one of my favorites. Plus, there is that wonderful aroma as it bakes.
The dark color comes from a mixture of rye flour, strong coffee, cocoa powder and molasses. These ingredients give this bread a flavor and texture I adore.
It’s hard for me to find a store-bought Pumpernickel bread that comes close to this one. Some store bakeries rely on caramel coloring for the color in the bread. For real flavor you need the real ingredients. It is worth the time to make your own.
Pumpernickel Bread
2 Packages active dry yeast
½ c. warm water
2 c. lukewarm strong coffee
¼ c. each molasses and unsweetened cocoa
2 T. Caraway seeds
2 t. salt
5-6 c. flour- I use bread flour
2 c. rye flour
Cornmeal
1 egg white, slightly beaten
In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in coffee, molasses, cocoa, seeds, salt and 3 cups of flour. Beat with wooden spoon about 2 minutes. Stir in rye flour and enough of the remaining regular flour to make soft dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top, cover and let rest until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease large baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.
Punch down dough, divide in 2, and form into balls. Place on baking sheet and cover. Let rise until double, brush with egg whites, slash tops and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.
Growing Fresh Sprouts
To satisfy my urge for fresh produce I have taken to sprouting. I have a nice assortment of seeds for this purpose, and I can start more anytime I like. Because of the variety of seeds that I have, I can have sprouts, like pea, garbanzo beans and mung beans that can be eaten cooked. I also have more delicate seeds, like alfalfa and radish sprouts, that are great as a salad ingredient or on sandwiches. With staying home so much, it is more satisfying than ever. This can also be a fun project for kids to work on.
The upside is the seeds last for ages so they will be available for sprouting when I need them. The downside is that it takes a week or more to get sprouts, so some planning is required. Still, sprouting is faster than the seeds I planted for my garden.
Sprouting is pretty simple- although it is a little like having a pet. There is some care than needs to happen. First, start with a clean, wide mouth jar. I have these handy lids with holes in them that are made just for sprouting. Place the seeds in the jars and cover with water. Allow them to be covered in the water for at least several hours. Drain and rinse the seeds. After the first soaking only keep what ever water stays on them after a rinse and drain. That’s pretty much the whole process. Twice a day, maybe three times if the weather is really warm, rinse the seeds and drain off any extra water. Depending on the seeds you can expect your first crop in 7-10 days. You can place the jars in a sunny window for greener sprouts. If you don’t have the lids with holes in them you can cover the jar with some cheesecloth. Hold in place with a rubber band. That will allow the sprouts to get air and make it easy to rinse and drain them.
Sprouts in the jars
Sprouts are full of nutrients and can be eaten cooked or raw. In some cases, like with mung beans, the skin of the seed will come off after a few days. They tend to float so if you just place the sprouts in a big bowl of fresh water and agitate them. The skins will come to the top and can easily be discarded.
Also, quantity can be tricky. Very few seeds can produce a heck of a lot of sprouts so go easy. A few tablespoons of tiny seeds like radish, alfalfa or broccoli should be plenty. Perhaps a 1/4 cup of larger seeds like the beans and other legumes is also going to give you a bountiful supply.
They do take time so if you want a steady supply start a new batch every few days. Once sprouts are the size you want them to be, give them a final rinse and drain well. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Do use them soon. Often they are quite perishable. Besides, if you were sprouting for fresh food- enjoy it while it is fresh.
If you get any mold on the sprouts, you will have to toss them, so be sure to rinse them often and sprout them in a jar large enough to allow for some air circulation.
I bought my seeds online. The variety to pick from was amazing.
Alfalfa and radish sprouts
16 Wonderful Salad Recipes
I wanted to share some of my favorite salad recipes, in keeping with my earlier post. Something for every taste.
The dressing for this salad is one of my favorites, Its a creamy French dressing that just hits all the right notes.
Blueberry Chef Salad
Dressing:
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 t. paprika
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
3 cups blueberries
Salad:
6 c. torn salad greens
12 oz. cooked chicken, turkey, ham etc, cut into strips
1 c. cubed cheese
1/2 c. cashews
In blender, combine first five ingredients and start running machine on high. Add oil in a slow stream until mixture becomes thickened. Pour into bowl and stir in berries and chill, several hours if you can. When ready to serve arrange greens on one large platter or on smaller salad plates. Arrange meat and cheese on platter or plates. Spoon over the dressing and cashews then serve. Serves 4-6.
Shrimp and Bacon Spinach Salad
3-4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots- or 1 small onion- chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. fresh spinach
8 oz. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
¼ c. sherry
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. grated ginger
½ t. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked pasta
Cook bacon in skillet until almost cooked. Add the shallots and cook
until shallots are just turning brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute
longer. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted
down. Add shrimp and continue cooking until shrimp are just barely
cooked. Add sherry and seasonings and cook 2 minutes more. Toss with hot
pasta and serve. Serves 2.
Note: You can add some fresh Parmesan cheese when serving, if you like.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
4 c. cooked corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
2 t. Italian seasoning- I used my Tuscan blend
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste, optional
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Stir to combine well. Chill before serving. Serves 6-8.
Mom’s Macaroni Salad
1 lb. uncooked pasta, shells are preferred
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise, about 1 cup
Salad dressing, like Miracle Whip, about ½ cup or more mayo
3-4 ribs celery, sliced thin
4-5 green onions, trimmed and sliced thin
8-12 hard-cooked eggs, cooled and peeled
Cook pasta according to package directions, but do not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Place drained pasta in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add dressings and vegetables and stir until well mixed. You may want to add more dressing to suit your taste. Chop eggs and stir into salad. Adjust seasonings if needed and chill before serving. Serves 8-10.
Mom’s Mustard Potato Salad
When I was a kid I did not like the taste of mustard- except in this recipe. It adds such a wonderful flavor.
4 lbs. potatoes- I used Klondike Rose and I did not peel them
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
1 c. mayo- maybe a little less
1/4 c. prepared mustard- I like a grainy brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce
Bake whole potatoes until tender and allow to cool. Cube potatoes into large bowl and combine with remaining ingredients. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 8.
Succotash Salad
1 lb. lima beans, cooked and cooled
4 ears of corn, cooked, and kernels cut off the cobs
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
3-4 T. chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. honey
1 t. cumin
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Combine veggies and parsley in a medium bowl. In small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Adjust seasonings and pour over the Lima bean mixture. Cover and chill for at least several hours before serving. Serves 6-8.
Corn and Barley Salad with Basil
½ c. pearl barley
salt
3 T. cider or white wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
fresh ground pepper
3 T. olive oil
3 T. fresh basil, cut into thin strips
3 c. cooked corn, from about six ears
1 c. diced sweet onion
1 c. diced sweet pepper, any color
¼ c. sliced green onions
Combine barley, 2 cups water and ½ t. salt in saucepan and simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with barley in large bowl. Makes 6 servings.
Curry Cauliflower Salad
1 head cauliflower, cooked
½ c. chopped green onions
¾ c. mayo – or less or more depending in the size of the head of cauliflower
1 T. curry powder- or to taste
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. peanuts
First break the cauliflower into florets. Cook the cauliflower any way you like. I steamed mine for about 5 minutes. You could roast it, or sauté it in a little oil. You want it tender, but still a little crisp. Don’t cook it to mush. I would also advise against boiling it, as it gets too wet. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let it cool down before proceeding. Combine the cauliflower with the green onions, the mayo and seasonings. It was hard to be exact because your head of cauliflower might be bigger or smaller than mine. I could have said 5 cups of cooked cauliflower- but would that really help? Then you’d have leftover cooked cauliflower. Or perhaps not enough. So add a little more mayo, if needed, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste and the amount of cauliflower you have. Chill and toss the peanuts in closer to serving time. If you add the peanuts at the end, they stay crunchier.
Curry Powder
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground turmeric
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Cover beans with cold water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Return to saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer beans until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain. Place cooked beans in a bowl and cover with remaining ingredients. Toss to coat, cover and chill. Serve as a main dish or on the side. Also tasty served over salad greens or stuffed in a hollowed out tomato. Serves 6-8.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into bite- sized pieces
2 broccoli crowns, cut into bite- sized pieces
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. shredded cheese- I used a sharp cheddar
8- 10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup of mayo – or more according to your taste
salt and pepper to taste
Steam the cauliflower and broccoli until just tender/crisp. About 5 minutes in a microwave steamer, 6 minutes in a conventional steamer. Place in a bowl to cool down then combine with remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Serves 6-8.
Coleslaw Chef’s Salad
5-6 c. shredded cabbage- cole slaw mix is fine
2 c. cubed cooked meat- I used chicken but use what you like- or use a combination
2 c. fresh fruit- I used blueberries and fresh pineapple but use what you like
1 c. cubed cheese., optional
Dressing:
2/3 c. mayo
3 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 t. fresh grated ginger
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Topping:
1/2 c. cashews, optional
Combine cabbage with fruits, meats and cheeses (if using) in a mixing bowl. In smaller bowl combine the dressing and stir until smooth. Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle cashews on top just before serving. Serves 4.
Roasted Beet Salad
1 small head Bibb lettuce, washed and sliced into thin slices
2 c. spinach, torn into bite sized pieces
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. sugar, optional
3 small roasted beets, peeled
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 c. dried cherries
coarse sea salt- I used pink salt
Place lettuce in a mixing bowl. Combine olive oil with vinegar and sugar, if using. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss over the greens. Slice beets. Divide greens on 2 salad plates. Arrange half of the beets on each salad and top with the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with a few grains of the sea salt and serve. Makes 2 luncheon salads.
Beet, Carrot and Red Onion Salad
1½ lbs. beets
1 lb. carrots
2 red onions
Dressing:
1½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. oil- I used olive oil
½ c. sugar
¼ c. lime juice
2-3 T. chopped parsley
1 T. mustard seed
1 T. salt, or to taste
2 t. dill weed
1 t. celery seed
½ t. ginger
Hot sauce to taste
You’ll have to cook the beets. You can roast them or boil or even steam them. To roast the beets- Place beets in a roasting pan and drizzle with a little oil. Cover pan and place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Smaller beets will be cooked in less time- about 35 minutes. Really large beets could take up to an hour. I always check by poking one of the beets with a fork. If boiling, just place beets in a pot with enough water to cover them and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the beets are tender, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. When beets are cool enough to handle, removed the skins and cut into bite sizes cubes. Place in mixing bowl. To cook the carrots, just peel, slice and steam or boil until just tender. Combine with beets in mixing bowl. Peel and slice the red onions. Place in a saucepan with the dressing ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until onions are wilted and tender. Pour onion and dressing mixture over beets and carrots and stir to combine. Chill overnight. Serves 6-8.
Wilted Kale Salad With Bacon and Eggs
2-3 slices thick sliced bacon, chopped
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cups kale, washed and torn into pieces
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. maple syrup
dash of hot sauce
2 hard- cooked eggs, peeled and cubed
In skillet cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Remove some of the fat from the pan- leaving about 2 tablespoonfuls. Add onion and cook until golden. Return bacon to pan and add the kale. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until kale in wilted. I don’t mind my kale on the firm side-cook it longer if you like it more tender. Drizzle in the vinegar, maple syrup and hot sauce and stir to coat evenly. Place on a serving dish and top with the eggs. Enjoy!!
Cornbread Salad
A little different- people always seem to like this salad. A nice way to use up stale cornbread, too. ?
4 c. crumbled cornbread or corn muffins
1 c. shredded mild cheese
1 sweet red pepper seeded and diced
1 c. diced celery
½ c. diced green onion
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ c. chopped parsley
1-1 ½ c. mayonnaise or salad dressing, sometimes I use potato salad dressing or even slaw dressing
2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
1 c. toasted pecans
paprika for sprinkling on the top, optional
Place cornbread and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in dressing until desired moistness is achieved. Chill and stir in tomato and nut just before serving. Sprinkle with paprika if you like. Serves 6.
Note: You can add whole kernel corn also if you like.
Sweet Potato Salad
A nice twist on potato salad.
3 large sweet potatoes
2 c. corn kernels, fresh off the cob preferred but frozen is O.K.
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 c. sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 T. fresh parsley
1/3 c. oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c. cashews
In medium saucepan boil or steam potatoes until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in a large bowl of ice water. Add corn to saucepan and cook until just tender about 2-3 minutes. Drain corn and add to ice water with the potatoes. Once the vegetables have cooled down drain them and peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place potatoes and corn in a mixing bowl with remaining vegetables. Combine remaining ingredients, except cashews, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well before pouring over the sweet potato mixture. Toss to blend and chill until ready to serve. Add cashews just before serving. Serves 6.
Black-eyed Pea Salad 
Cole Slaw Chef Salad 
Succotash Salad 
Roasted Beet Salad 
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad 
Shrimp and Bacon Spinach Salad 
Corn and Black Bean Salad 
Curry Cauliflower Salad 
Cornbread Salad
Pantry Cooking – Salads
When it comes to versatile meals, it is hard to beat a salad. Pretty much anything can go into a salad. When your choices might be limited, you can almost always still make a great salad.
When we think of salad, I suspect most of us see of a bowl of lettuce, with a few other veggies and a drizzle of dressing. A side dish, and not an exciting side dish at that.
Salads can be so much more. Salads can easily be a meal all on their own. We just have to use our imaginations a little.
So where do we start? Start by looking at what ingredients you already have. Veggies, fruits, meats, grains, pasta, bread, nuts, eggs, dry beans, lentils, herbs, seafood and cheeses. Did I leave anybody out? Pretty much everything you have can be a salad. How you use them will determine just how wonderful your salad will be.
The Veggies
We’ll start with veggies, because they are the obvious place to start. If you don’t have lettuce, don’t worry. You can make great salads with shredded cabbage, sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, fennel, carrots, celery, mushrooms, green beans, bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, corn, asparagus, sweet onions, green onions, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, endive, dandelion. You get the idea. There are a lot of options. Let’s not forget potatoes and sweet potatoes.
I figured people might still have potatoes and cabbage around. I thought you might like this recipe.
Potato Slaw
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 clove garlic
1 t. salt
3 -4 T. vinegar
1/3 c. oil
1 ½ -2 lbs. Cabbage, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook potato until tender. Meanwhile, combine next 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Drain cooked potato and mash into the cabbage. Cabbage will wilt a little. Toss in dressing and serve immediately. Serves 4-6.
Many veggies can be used raw in salads, but you’ll want to cook potatoes, sweet potatoes. I love a broccoli and cauliflower in salads, but I prefer to cook them a little. Just steamed a few minutes.
Here is a salad using eggplant!
Greek Eggplant Salad
1 medium eggplant
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced ripe olives and chopped fresh parsley
Broil eggplant until skin has blackened. Cool. Rub skin off the eggplant with a damp paper towel and chop the pulp. Combine eggplant with remaining vegetables in bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until smooth and toss over eggplant mixture. Chill and garnish with olives and parsley. Serves 3-4.
Fruits
Fruits can be used in salads, too. I am not talking about a fruit salad, although they are great. I am talking about adding fruit to your veggie salads. Oranges, apples, berries, pineapples, dried fruits all add a pop of sweetness. Even canned fruits can be used, although they wouldn’t be my first choice. Still, if you have a can of pears you are looking to use, it could work. It might be a way of using up those raisins your kids won’t eat.
Proteins
Proteins can take your salads from side dish to main dish. Canned beans are a great addition- like kidney beans or black beans, not canned green beans. Don’t overlook other legumes. Lentils and split peas can be cooked until just tender and then added to a salad. They add protein, texture and even a pop of color. Other great protein options- nuts, seeds, eggs, meats, fish, cheese.
Here is a colorful salad using yellow and green split peas and red lentils. It makes a lot of salad, but you can cut it down to a smaller size. The cooked peas and lentils freeze well, too.
Rainbow Salad
1 c. each green split peas, yellow split peas and red lentils
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. diced sweet onion
1 c. diced sweet pepper
1 c. grated carrot
Cook split peas and lentils separately just until tender. Split peas, both green and yellow will take 20 minutes. Red lentils will take about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse each under cold water when done and set aside until ready to use, or you can cook them a day ahead and keep chilled. Each will yield about 2 1/2 c. cooked.
In large glass bowl, place the following ingredients in this order.
Black beans, butter beans, green split peas. yellow split peas. onion, red lentils. carrots and peppers. Pour over dressing and chill several hours or overnight. Serve on a bed of greens.
Dressing *
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. vinegar
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2-3 T. sugar
1/2 c. parsley or cilantro
1 t. each chili powder, cumin and salt
dash hot sauce
Combine in a blender or food processor until smooth.
*Note: Any bottled dressing you like can be used. Italian works very well.
Additional Salad Ingredients
There are more potential ingredients- cooked pasta is always a good choice, but you can also used cooked rice, barley, quinoa, cracked wheat or other grains.
Salads can be a great way to use up stuff from the fridge, too. Waste not, want not these days. Go through all those jars of pickled goodies you have lurking in there. Sliced hot peppers, dill slices, pickled beets, olives can all add flavor to your salad.
The Dressing
After you’ve got all your ingredients together we need to talk dressing. You can start by using prepared dressings, if you have them. Mayonnaise would be an option, too.
My mom loved to make her own dressings. For leafy green salads, she would often dress it with vinegar and oil. She would drizzle oil first, and toss the salad until the oil was distributed on the greens. Then she would drizzle in vinegar, tossing again. She would also toss in salt and pepper. She taught me to use a light hand with dressings. There was never a big puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. It is a great lesson to learn. You will need less dressing than you might think. She made great salads.
If you don’t have bottled dressing you might have to make your own. It is actually pretty easy. In most dressing you’ll combine a fat with acid, salt, and sweetener. There are endless variations and plenty of options. I love to make salad dressings.
Oils and Fats
Most dressings start with oil or some fat. Any oil you like works here. If you store your extra dressing in the fridge, olive oil and avocado oil will harden up. Don’t worry. You can just take them out of the fridge for a few minutes before using. Sesame oil has a strong flavor, so don’t use too much of it. It can be added to other oils to soften it’s flavor. For wilted salads, bacon fat is warmed and poured over greens to wilt them down a bit
The classic ratio is 3 or 4 parts oil/fat to one part vinegar/acid. I often make dressing closer to equal parts oil and acid, but it depends on my mood and what my acid source is.
Acid Ingredients
Acids are usually vinegar, but shouldn’t be limited to them. Citrus juices are a great acid base in a dressing. Not just lemon or lime juice, either. Orange and grapefruit juices are wonderful in salad dressing. Other juices, too. Pineapple, tomato and pomegranate juice are nice options.
Pickle Juice
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about pickle juice. Most of us have jars of something pickled in the fridge. The liquid in the jars, the brine, can be a great addition to any salad dressing. Most are vinegar based with salt, spices and sometimes sugar. Don’t throw it away. Use it in salad dressings and marinades.
Salt, Herbs and Spices
Salt- don’t forget to add some to you dressing, unless you are on a sodium restricted diet. Salt makes the dressing better. Add some pepper, too. Don’t forget herbs and spices, too. If you only have dried herbs, add them ahead of time and let your dressing chill in the fridge for an hour or longer. It gives the herbs time to get soft, but also for their flavors to infuse in the dressing.
Sweeteners
Sweetening is optional, depending on your personal tastes. The more acid ingredients you use, the more likely you will want to sweeten your dressing a little. It can be as simple as a bit of sugar, but don’t overlook honey, maple syrup, fruit juice concentrates, fruit, dried or fresh as other sweetening options.
Additional Dressing Ingredients
Other possible dressing ingredients include garlic, tahini, peanut butter, almond butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, milk, tomatoes. All sorts of things can be added. Start simple and build in more flavors gradually.
Making the Dressing
You can mix your dressing by just putting all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shaking them up. Of course, if you are adding things like garlic cloves or dried fruits, you’ll need a blender.
You can also make a creamy/emulsified dressing. These are fun to make and kids might even like to watch the magic happen. You can actually get the oil and vinegar to mix together. To make your dressing creamy- start with the acid and other ingredients- but NOT the oil. Place them in a blender. I use an immersion blender, so I place my ingredients in a wide mouth jar. Blend until the ingredients ate well combined. Slowly- and I mean SLOWLY, start to drizzle in the oil. If it starts to puddle up on top, slow down until it mixes in, then add more oil. The dressing with start to thicken up. The more oil you use, the thicker it will become. Mayonnaise is, after all, just an emulsified dressing. Store extra dressing in the fridge.
Don’t forget salad toppers like croutons, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, bacon. Have fun.
Here are a few dressing recipes, to help you get started.
Lemon Dill Dressing
¾ c. olive oil
½ c. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. dill, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ t. each cumin and paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth. Use on vegetable salads, especially tomato and cucumber salads or on tuna salads. Makes 1 ¼ c.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
½ c. raspberry vinegar
3 T. minced chives, optional
1 T. each lime juices and honey
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c. each olive oil and walnut oil or ½ c. olive oil
Combine all but the oils in a blender and mix well. Add oils in a slow stream with machine running until dressing is blended. Makes 1 cup.
Tomato and Herb Dressing
1 c. tomatoes, peeled and seeded, fresh or canned
½ c. chopped parsley
2 green onions, chopped
2 T. fresh celery or lovage leaves
2 t. basil leaves. Dried
½ t. each salt and garlic powder
½ c. olive oil
Dash hot pepper sauce
Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth. Makes 1 ½ c.
Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
¼ c. red wine vinegar
¼-1/2 c. fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme, chervil etc., or a combination
½ t. celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c. oil
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for 15 seconds. Makes about 1 cup of dressing.
Greek Style Dressing
¾ c. olive oil
¼ c. vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. fresh oregano or 1 t. dried
2 cloves garlic
¼ c. black olives, pitted
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c. feta cheese
4-6 anchovies cut up, optional
Combine all ingredients in blender, except cheese and anchovies and process until smooth. Cheese and anchovies can be stirred in just before using. Makes 1 ½ c.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be afraid to play around with your salad and salad dressings. Taste as you go. We will get through this.
Homemade English Muffins
If you haven’t made them before, English muffins are pretty simple to make. They are not baked in the oven, like most other breads. Rather, they are “baked” in a skillet over medium heat. It is the same way crumpets are cooked. I really like the flavor of a freshly made English muffin.
I decided to make a multi-grain version this time. I used spelt flour, but you could use whole wheat flour instead. Here is the recipe. If you only have white flour, you could use it for all the flour in this recipe.
Multi-Grain English Muffins
2 packages yeast
2 ½ -3 cups bread flour
1 ½ c. spelt flour, or whole wheat flour
½ c. oat bran
¼ c. wheat germ
2 T. sugar
2 t. salt
2 c. milk
¼ c. oil
Cornmeal
In large bowl combine yeast, 1 cup of the bread flour and remaining dry ingredients. Warm milk and oil and add to flour mixture and beat 3-4 minutes. By hand, stir in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Place dough in greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 ¼ hour. Punch dough down and allow to rest 10 minutes. On lightly floured surface roll dough to just under ½ inch thick. With 4 inch biscuit cutter cut out rounds of dough, re-rolling and cutting scraps. Dip both sides in cornmeal and cover, allowing to rise about 30 minutes. In ungreased griddle pan or skillet cook muffins over medium heat, turning frequently, until they are golden on both sides and cooked through. This will take about 20-25 minutes. To serve, split and toast. Makes 12-15.
Note: I used a 3-inch biscuit cutter and ended up with over 20 muffins.
“Baking” the muffins
