Brocoli Slaw

A vegetable meat eaters like!

Ingredients:

• 1 package shredded broccoli slaw
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (may use lime juice or water)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar or 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the broccoli , red pepper, parsley and green onion. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over slaw mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Toss before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. 

Serves 6

Creamy Dreamy Grits

Recipe courtesy of The Flying Biscuit Cafe in Gainesville, Florida

The most amazing grits ever!

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/3 cup half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/16 teaspoon white pepper

1/3 cup quick-cooking grits

1/4 cup white cheddar cheese, grated

2/3 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine water, half-and-half, salt and white pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly pour grits into boiling water while whisking the entire time. (Watch out for splattering; mixture is very hot.) Reduce to low heat and continue to whisk often, until thick and completely smooth, about 10 minutes.

Add cheese and stir gently until cheese melts. Whisk again to combine. Turn heat off and allow grits to rest 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until completely smooth, silky and shiny.

Fight off anyone who wants a taste!

Serve with traditional breakfast foods or try this with sautéed shrimp, fish or fried chicken.  Serves 2

 

Aunt Sheila's CornCustard

A Thanksgiving Specialty

Good All Year Round

Ingredients:

1 quart corn (2 10 ounce bags, frozen)

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put corn in a greased baking dish.  Beat together eggs, sugar, salt, and milk.  Pour over corn.  Dot the corn mixture with butter.  Bake for 60 minutes or until center of custard is set.  

Serves 6 to 8

Stir-Fried Spinach and Noodles

Ingredients:

3/4 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 pound fresh spinach
4 scallions
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 1" piece chopped fresh ginger, (2 teaspoons)
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add noodles and simmer for 3 minutes.  Noodles should be soft but not sticky.  Drain.

Wash spinach, dry gently, and chop into small pieces.  Wash scallions, trim, and slice.  Mix sherry, soy sauce, and sugar together and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet and add scallions, ginger, and garlic.  Add spinach, and stir together.  Pour soy mixture on top.  Add noodles and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste and thoroughly mix together.  Serve warm.

Serves 4

Steamed Carrot and Zucchini Sticks

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, cut into julienne sticks
1 medium zucchini, cut into julienne sticks
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Fill a medium pot with a steamer insert 1/4 full of salted water.  Bring water to a boil.  Cut carrots and zucchini into julienne sticks.  Place carrots in the bottom of steamer insert and place zucchini on top. Put steamer insert on top of boiling water.  Cover and steam for 10 minutes.  Vegetables should be tender, but not too soft.  Place in a serving bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.  Melt butter in the saucepan (or microwave) and add parsley.  Pour over vegetables and serve.

Serves 2

Rice And Peas

One Pot Meal

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil
4 ounces ham, diced (1 cup)
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp prepared garlic
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet.  Saute ham, onion, and garlic for several minutes.  Rinse rice and add to skillet.  Saute for 1 minute.  Add coconut milk, water, beans, and thyme.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Stir and cover again.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until rice is cooked through.  Taste and add seasoning as desired.

*To make this as a more traditional Caribbean rice and peas dish, substitute canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed for the green peas.

Serves 4

Sesame Green Beans

Veggies With An Asian Twist

Ingredients:

1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, if desired

Directions:

Steam green beans un a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water.  Steam about 5 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the still beans.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Toss with sesame oil and salt.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.  Serve warm.

Serves 1

Corn and Ham Custard

Eat The Leftovers For Breakfast!

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk or light cream
1 to 2 Tablespoons sugar

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 cup corn1/2 to 1 cup cubed ham

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly butter baking dish or individual ramekins.
Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, sugar, and salt & pepper to taste.  Add corn and ham and stir well.  Pour into baking dish or ramekins.  Set inside larger baking dish and pour boiling water into baking dish at least half way up the ramekins.  Cover loosely with foil and bake until firm (knife inserted in center comes out clean) about 60 to 75 minutes.  Remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to allow the custard to lightly brown on top.  Serve warm.

Serves 2 as a meal4 as a side dish

Ginger carrots

Ingredients:

1/3 pound baby carrots
1 3/4 teaspoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons finely chopped crystalized ginger
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water.  Add a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.  Cover and continue to simmer until carrots are fork tender.  Drain.

Add butter to saucepan and stir in the chopped crystalized ginger.  Allow the sugar from the ginger to melt into the butter.  Return the steamed carrots to the pan.  Toss gently for about 2 minutes until the carrots are completely coated in the ginger butter.  Finish with a pinch of salt a d some freshly ground black pepper.  Serve warm.

Serves 1 to 2

Black Beans and Rice

Ultimate Comfort Food!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped*
1/2 bell pepper, chopped*
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15 1/2 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup water
1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, chopped or 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden
 fresh blends cilantro

Directions:

Cook the rice in rice cooker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Heat the oil in a saucepan or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
Add the beans, oregano, and water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken. Add the vinegar and stir in cilantro.  Serve over the rice. 



*frozen chopped onion and frozen chopped pepper may be substituted for fresh 

Serves 2 to 3

Miso Soup

Nutritious Soup In A Hurry

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 Tablespoon wakame flakes

1 carrot (4 baby carrots) diced small
2 Tablespoons light Miso dissolved in 2
 Tbsp water or soup broth

6 ounces silken tofu, cubed

1 to 2 ounces fresh spinach, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Optional Ingredients:

shiitake or other mushrooms - sliced, greens - chopped, turnip - cubed, leeks - chopped, or noodles - all to taste

tofu, cubed

rice noodles, dry

Directions:

Pour water into pot and bring to a boil.  Add wakame flakes and simmer 5 minutes to make broth.  You may remove some of the wakame at this point, leaving enough in the broth for color, taste, and texture.  Add miso, cubed tofu, carrots, and spinach (and any optional ingredients desired) and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not boil.  Garnish with green onions and serve.

shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Serves 2

Egg Congee

Savory Rice Porridge

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
1 cup leftover cooked rice
approximately 3 cups water or stock
1 green onion, separated into white and green part, then thinly sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
Salt

Optional Ingredients:

3 oz. ground pork or chicken
2 ounces firm tofu, cubed
2 tea eggs or 
2 quail eggs, raw

Directions:

Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced white part of the green onion.  (Add the ground pork or chicken - if using -  and brown.) Then add the rice, water, and white pepper and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to a low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the soy sauce and sesame oil to the chopped egg and let it marinate while the congee is cooking.

If you want thick congee, add less water or cook uncovered.  If you want thinner congee, add more water. At the end of cooking, stir the egg and sliced green part of the green onion into the congee. (Add the cubed tofu - if using.)  Cook for a minute to let it heat through. (Crack raw quail over congee - if adding.) Salt to taste, then serve immediately.

Serves 2

Balsamic Cardamom Fruit Salad

Sophisticated Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoons honey
• Small pinch ground cardamom
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/2 pint blueberries
• 1 large sprig of mint, leaves chopped

• Directions

• Whisk balsamic vinegar, honey, cardamom, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the strawberries and blueberries.  Sprinkle the mint over the top and gently toss to coat.  Be careful not to bruise the fruit.  Chill and enjoy!

Substitutions

Blackberries, chopped figs, sliced mango , or almost any favorite fruit can be substituted.    

Serves 4

Egg and Parmesan Pasta

Quick and Easy! 

Ingredients

1/2 lb thin noodles (1/2 18 oz box)
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
4 slices crisp cooked bacon - crumbled
freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
salt to taste
1 Tablespoon minced onion

Directions

• Cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels.  Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water until al dente.  While pasta is cooking, beat together eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, 3 slices of crumbled bacon, minced onion, salt and pepper.  

• When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in minced garlic and cook briefly.  Drain pasta and add it to the skillet.  Toss to coat the pasta in garlic butter.  Add egg mixture and gently stir together.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until pasta and eggs become creamy and thick.  Remove immediately from pan.  Garnish with several parsley sprigs and serve with reserved crumbled bacon and some additional parmesan cheese on the side.

Do not overcook or the eggs will scramble.

Substitutions

Several slices of prosciutto or salmi - cooked crisp - can be substituted for the bacon.  Tomatoes, peas, sugar snap peas, and edamame also make nice additions.

Recipe serves 2 (plus leftovers) but can be increased or decreased as needed.  Serve with raw vegetables and crusty bread.

Serves 2