Broccoli Slaw with Shrimp and Smoked Paprika

This is one of the absolute best dinner salads I have ever had!

For the creamy cider vinaigrette:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 garlic clove, chopped (or 3/4tsp mince garlic)
1/2 tsp celery seed


2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. mild Spanish smoked paprika
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 lb. bacon slices
1 bag broccoli slaw (4 serving size)
5 celery stalks, including leaves, thinly sliced, leaves minced coarsely
6 green onions, white and green portions, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Directions:
To make the vinaigrette, in a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, and garlic and process until smooth. Set aside. (The vinaigrette can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp, olive oil, paprika, and a little salt and pepper. Preheat a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the shrimp and sauté until they turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Set aside to cool.

Rinse the fry pan, wipe dry and return to medium heat. Add the bacon slices and fry, turning as needed, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool, then crumble and set aside.

To assemble the slaw, add the broccoli slaw, celery, green onions, and vinaigrette to the shrimp and toss to coat all the ingredients evenly. Season very lightly, if needed, with salt and pepper and toss again.

Transfer the slaw to a serving bowl or deep platter. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and the blue cheese over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

**Adapted from Williams Sonoma Shrimp Celery Slaw

Mashed Potato Stuffed Hot dogs

Mashed Potato Stuffed Hot dogs  - this is something my mom made when I was a child that I remember as a comfort food, and something my husband's mom also made when he was little - it was a definite bonding moment for us! We both love them!  I use left over mashed potatoes, but you could use instant or Simply Potatoes - just warm up the potatoes before you use them in this recipe, they will be easier to work with.


1 pkg hot dogs
Approx 2-1/2 cups mashed potatoes, warmed up
Mustard, any kind, but dijon is the best
1 T melted butter

ready to go into the oven

Slit the hotdogs lengthwise, about 3/4 of the way down; open and flatten, but do not separate halves. Spread with good layer of dijon mustard.  Mound mashed potatoes the length of each hot dog, brush with melted butter. Bake in 425 degree oven about 25-30 min.

Rhinestone flowers and rib eye steaks

I think I have finally found someone who can repair a large, beautiful, antique rhinestone brooch that had the stickpin break off the back - and I had since misplaced the pin.   This morning, reading the Wilson Times, I came across an ad for a local small business, Julia Newton Jewelry, Custom Jewelry and Repairs, so I went to their website.

I want to wear this again!

I fell in love with this site immediately.  "Have you been told the repair you need is impossible?...Just contact us to find out how we can help. Julia can solder a chicken to a telephone pole."  And it gets better: not only does she design lovely custom jewelry, she has a meat packers license and sells all natural beef. Come on!


I've not been there yet, nor met Julia, but the picture she has created in my mind is irresistible!!  I think I'll swing by there today to see about repairs and a couple of rib eye steaks...gotta love the south!


Here is her website, must share:
http://www.julianewtonjewelry.com/

Cooking on a budget - a nutritional landmine

Like so many others, I am really trying to pare my grocery budget back - but trying to provide nutritious and tasty food is like walking through a field of landmines!  High carb pastas make cheap, filling meals; fresh produce is horribly expensive during the winter months, and canned vegetables have nutrients processed away; I picked up a bag of frozen vegetables and was amazed to find that, although the package itself was large, it was nearly empty! Then there are the food items fabricated from corn syrup, oils, and who knows what else, that might have come from a nightmare version of the food replicator on Star Trek.  


A killer ham and cheese sandwich started me on this tirade:
Yesterday, I bought a large package of  lunchmeat - sliced ham for sandwiches - and was amazed when I got home and realized what I had: it LOOKED like ham, and TASTED like ham, but the similarities ended there.  The package informed me in tiny print (like I can easily read microscopic words in the grocery store, I am old!)  that there was at least 33% ground ham in this product, leaving me to wonder what the hell the other 67% was....this cannot be good....corn syrup and pressed oils.  How many families, trying to stretch pennies to the limit, will use this along with American Cheese Product (not much cheese, mostly oil, but it LOOKS like sliced cheese) on the most inexpensive white bread.  You might as well put a slab of shortening dusted with sugar on a piece of cardboard.  The government requires warnings on video games, movies and television shows that are not appropriate for children - they should do the same on worthless foods masquerading as things they are not.


Meat, fish, poultry, grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy.  Food pyramids.  Whole grains, fresh produce. How can the average low income mother shopping for a family of 4 or 5 possibly afford to do this?  Forget free-range and organic! No wonder obesity is rampant among the young, particularly lower income, children.  Keeping them fed comes first, for better or worse.  


I am so blessed! Raising my children, I fell back on the things I learned from my mother, that she learned from HER mother - raising a family during the depression.  Does anyone know how to cut up a whole chicken anymore? Or how to stretch it to make at least 3 healthy meals for a family?   Mama made our bread - I used to only wish for Wonder Bread,  it was just like cake to me - and now all I can say to her is 'thank you, THANK-YOU!!'   If we're looking for answers, I think we need to look back - way back - to our long-ago American homes and recipes, and find that magic soup stone.

Halibut with crab stuffing and fresh salsa

So good! I don't use a recipe for this, I just make it - I have written all instructions and ingredients down as completely as possible, but please let me know how yours turns out!!!   Serves 6 hungry people. Leftovers reheat well, but use the next day, keep no longer.
For a wonderful and tasty lean version, omit crab stuffing, and bake (425 deg), broil, or grill any fish with lemon, salt and old bay (rule is about 7 minutes per inch of thickness) -  then top with salsa when serving - mmmmm!

2 large halibut steaks, skin on (about 1 lb each)
salt, old bay seasoning, to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted

crab stuffing - recipe below

fresh salsa for topping - recipe below

Lay halibut skin side down in a greased baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and a dusting of Old Bay seasoning.  Pat half the crab mixture in a thick layer on top of first halibut steak, repeat with other.  Lightly mix melted butter with bread crumbs, then toss in cheese until well mixed. Sprinkle evenly to cover top of crab mixture. Cover pan with aluminum foil, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until crab cake is baked through and top is lightly browned.  Cut and serve, garnishing each generously with fresh salsa.

Crab stuffing:
1 lb fresh crab meat
3 green onions, top and bottoms, minced
1/2 c bread crumbs, approx
1/3 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Mix well (gently!), should be just enough bread crumbs to bind the crab and egg.  Don't substitute for the Old Bay - you can buy it at any grocery store.  (Note: If you leave out the cheese, the crab stuffing makes EXCELLENT crab cakes, just fry in a little butter/olive oil mixture.)


Fresh salsa:
3 roma tomatoes and 2 regular tomatoes, cored and roughly diced
1 large sweet onion, roughly diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 -1/2 cup very loosely packed fresh cilantro - I use one bunch, remove as many stems as I can and mince leaves roughly. I like lots of fresh cilantro, but adjust according to taste.
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper   
1 fresh lime
              Mix everything but lime together in medium bowl. Roll lime on counter to soften, cut in half, and juice; add liquid to bowl. Toss lightly.  This can be made ahead of time, and refrigerated.  Great with tortilla chips too, but add more jalapeno if you like it hotter, this is fairly mild.

Craft Shelving - Re-purpose Pressed Board Furniture

I wanted...no NEEDED...a closet in the den completely fitted out with shelving for my crafting, painting and sewing things.  Total cash outlay of  $15.00, and a day later, it's done!

Pressed board furniture - those big microwave stands and entertainment centers - are absolute white elephants. I picked up a big microwave stand with one drawer and a cupboard below, as a curb side offering;   (fyi, end of spring term at any college dorm is also prime hunting grounds.)  We totally disassembled the piece, and it was surprising how much shelving material there was!

These shelves are not good candidates for painting:  screw holes, raw edges and the occasional wavy laminate; with the help of that old standby Contac Paper, you can do a down-n-dirty, washable, surface refurbishment.  I picked a non-geometric black and white pattern - easiest and most forgiving.  After we designed the layout and cut the shelves, before installing them, I wrapped each shelf with contact paper.  Use a staple gun on the edges of the contac paper on the underside of the shelves, to ensure it stays properly;

Using a stud finder, we screwed braces to the wall (1"x 2" support studs from the cabinet, cut long enough to provide shelf support, wrapped in contact paper also before installing)   then, starting with the bottom shelf and working up, we attached the shelves.  Sweeeeet!

I have a mixed bunch of clear storage boxes - including green, blue, and purple tops - so I spent a little extra here to pull them all together by using a black spray paint for plastic, and painted all the lids.

Sausage Gravy - from scratch in under 30 min.

When cold weather sets in, I want to make hot, old-fashioned meals. This sausage gravy is so easy, and so quick to make from scratch - less than 30 minutes, even for a beginner cook - and definitely *Worthy of Company* !  When I want a quick meal, I serve it on whole wheat toast instead of biscuits.

1 lb sage flavored bulk sausage
3 tablespoons finely diced onion
6 tablespoons flour ( that equals 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
1 quart milk (4 cups) - I use 2%

1 dash worcestershire sauce
1 dash tobasco sauce
2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, slightly rounded
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt


Prep:  Have you read this recipe from beginning to end?? If not, do so! Next, all together into a small bowl, pre-measure the sage, thyme, nutmeg and salt. Set that next to the stove along with the open worcestershire and tobasco bottles - this way you'll be ready to add them quickly;  also, measure your flour into another little bowl. Dice your onion. Measure the milk into a microwavable glass measuring cup. You do not want to mess with this stuff when you are in the middle of making a sauce! Now, you're set to begin.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat:
Partially cook the sausage.( If you don't have sage sausage, that's ok - just add the following extra seasonings right now: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons sage, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper).
Add the onion and stir a little, breaking up sausage and cooking until sausage is grey ( no pink at all) but not brown, and onion is transparent.

Add the flour, all at once. Stirring frequently, continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, till mixture is light brown and bubbly.  There will be brown stuff sticking to the bottom of the pan, and that's exactly how it should be.  While this is cooking, put the milk the  microwave, and zap it for 4-6 minutes, depending on your microwave; you want it to be steaming hot - close to, but NOT, boiling.   If it develops a skin on top, just skim it off with a spoon.

Reduce heat to low; add milk all at once, and stir constantly. If you're not sure about stirring a sauce, figure 8s work well - it is important to keep the liquid in the pan moving all the time, spoon always touching the bottom, to keep it from scorching.  Add your pre-measured seasonings, and the worcestershire and tobasco sauces.  Keep stirring!
Increase heat to medium high, and stir constantly, spoon always touching bottom - you will feel the brownings on the bottom of the pan coming free; soon the pan will feel smooth to your spoon, and that's exactly how it should be! When gravy thickens and begins to bubble, remove from heat immediately. Taste, add additional salt and/or pepper if needed.

Adapted from Cooking From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams, one of my favorite cookbooks.

Momo's Corn Casserole

We love this recipe!  It's perfect as a dish to pass, and leftovers reheat well.  It came from my daughter Momo, but if someone knows an original source for this, please let me know so that I can include the information here. 

In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix together:
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Bake uncovered at 375 for 30-35 min, or until center is set; top with another 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese, return to oven till cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  

Chunk Parmesan Ranch Potatoes

Throw these in with the World's Best Oven Fried Chicken!  I toss them in on the same cookie sheet if there is room...                                       
                                                  *Worthy of Company*

Dip these in sour cream....mmmmmm!

4-6 potatoes, depending upon size
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (ie, Kraft, in the cardboard can)



Put cheese and ranch mix into a big ziploc bag or paper lunch sack, shake to mix well.

Ready to go into the oven

Scrub potatoes and pat dry,    Cut into 1-1/2" chunks, add to bag and shake until well coated.   Spread out on cookie sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Bake 375 degrees, stirring after 30 minutes, for about 1 hour total or till crispy as you like! 


Serve with a dollop of sour cream....mmmm!

Note: These are best if not crowded tightly together.

World's Best Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken with Tarragon     *Worthy of Company*

This is the best oven fried chicken ever, as well as the easiest. It can be a complete meal if you add Chunked Ranch Potatoes or Roasted Veggies (recipes coming soon) and bake all together.  I set the oven anywhere from 350 - 425 degrees, depending on what I am cooking along with it, and adjust cooking times accordingly - very flexible, and a favorite.   To make a lean and delicious chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook for 30-45 min until juuust done - take care to not overcook these.


Prep:
I use thighs and drums, since I can buy them in big bags - we are not talking free-range here, we are talking cheap. Split at joint to separate - this is done a little more easily if still slightly frozen.  Wash, pat dry; pull or burn off any feathers  - I still occasionally find some are missed.  (If using split bone-in breasts as well, do not split drums/thighs, as it evens out cooking time more closely;)

ready to go into the oven!

Bake:
Use an ungreased cookie sheet with fairly deep sides,not a flat one. Lay out chicken pieces skin side down, to start.   Sprinkle each piece generously with tarragon, and don't be shy with it; then sprinkle with kosher salt (to taste, just a little heavier than you would were you salting something on your plate). Flip all pieces, tuck any loose skin under, and repeat both tarragon and salt on other side.


That's it! bake until crispy, about an hour at 375 degrees. If chicken is slightly frozen to start with, add 10-15 additional minutes; If using unsplit thighs/drums, and/or split bone-in chicken breasts, bake for 80-90 minutes.


Left overs (if you have any) make great chicken salad. Enjoy!

Love cookbooks!




  

Season and taste, then do it again - till it's right!

The first time I make a new recipe, I follow it exactly - after that, it's open season(ing)!  Herbs and seasonings can be a mystery to many cooks, so, for what its worth, I thought I would give you my general rules. Seasonings are the next best thing to having a wonderful, magic soup stone.


1. TASTE. season. taste again....If you're not sure, find another 'taster' in your house who will be honest with you. You don't need a solution from your taster, just a 'yes' or 'no, it's not quite there'.


2. If "something seems to be missing" when you taste it, then it probably needs salt.  I use sea salt or kosher salt, so give it a minute to dissolve and blend when making adjustments.


3. This is obvious, but cannot be overstated - you can always add more salt or seasoning, you can't easily take it out. Add a small amount, one thing at a time, mix it in well, give it a minute to blend, then taste again. 


4. Herbs lose their potency when they get old....ok, I am sure this is devastatingly wrong from a true cook's point of view, but to be totally practical - they're danged expensive! And sometimes, with an herb/seasoning I do not use frequently, I didn't realize how long it had been sitting in the cupboard until I need it ....If it's an older bottle, I use more. Be sure to add it to a list of things to replace, when you can.


5. General rules for which herbs are used with which foods are only that - GENERAL rules. Sage and thyme are typically used with poultry, but rosemary or tarragon can be wonderful too.  Italian seasonings - garlic, basil, oregano - are not just for pasta; think Greek-style fried potatoes topped with tomatoes, onions and peppers, and lots of oregano!  Pickling spice is not just for pickles - toss some in the water when you boil a corned beef.  And what the heck is marjoram for? Sometimes I add it to a pot roast, among other things.  Try dill with scrambled eggs. Experiment!


6. I don't know if this would work for anyone else, but  - when I am cooking something and making it up as I go, I crush an herb, or open a bottle of herbs/spice, and use my sence of smell, considering whether it is a flavor I would like to add to my dish.


And when it doesn't work, remember Edison, who said '...I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won't work!'  Just keep on experimenting!

Make again, Never make again, or Worthy of company

I'm not a chef, just a mom. 

Raising 5 children (7 years between youngest and oldest) presented a number of mealtime challenges:  

$$ cooking for a lot of people on a budget - for many years,   after working all day 

$$ processed foods were unhealthy and expensive, so almost everything was made from scratch. 

$$ we didn't go out to dinner often, especially for a 'fancy' meal -and I love new foods, and everyday foods made to die for.

Anyone with children knows that introducing new foods (even if it is familiar food that looks different) can be a challenge, but I thought it was important that they be willing to try new things.  There is nothing that always works, of course, but I can tell you about the approach that I used, combining a three-bite rule, and a vote.  

The three-bite rule was simply practical - the palate needs time to adjust to a new flavor or texture, I think.  At least three bites were required of any new food.   It worked well most of the time....though I do remember making yorkshire pudding and finding that the kids had spit their bites into their napkins...not one of my more successful experiments!  

Now, the vote - that was our game, but I took the results seriously.  When a new recipe was used (main dish, veggie, dessert, whatever) each of us cast one of the following votes:   that the food was NEVER to be made again, was ok to be made again in the future, or -the highest accolade - was worthy of company.  

As this blog grows, look for recipes designated worthy of company, those were my family favorites!

Why we all need a wonderful, magic soup stone

Crafting, cooking, homemaking - those things that help to make your house a home - are all about the power of attitude and love, combined with seeing the possibilities that exist to make something out of nothing....in other words, having your own wonderful, magic soup stone.  I love the idea of sharing things I have concocted with my soup stone over the years - from recipes to repurposing, from making dinner with whatever I can find in the kitchen to 'making do' with style.


As a child, I remember hearing a wonderful story called Stone Soup; years later, I fell in love with this song by Dr. Hook...written, as so many of their lyrics were, by the brilliant Shel Silverstein......telling a more modern version of that story:


"Hanging from a string in my mama's kitchen, back in the hard time days
Was a little ol' stone 'bout the size of an apple, it was smooth and worn and grey
There wasn't much food in my mama's kitchen, so whenever things got tight
Mama boiled up some water, put in the stone and said "Let's have some soup tonight"


And I swear you could taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrowbone
But it really wasn't nothing but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful, wonderful soupstone


It had been in the family for a whole lotta years, so we knew it was a nourishing thing
And I remember mama, as she stirred it in the water, and we could all hear her sing
"Its a magical stone and as long as we got it, we'll never have a hungry night
Just add a little love to the wonderful soupstone and everything will be alright"


So it carried us all through the darkening days, 'til finally the sunshine came
And the soupstone started into gathering dust, but it hung there just the same
And ever since then the food's been plenty, but every now and then I find
That mama in the kitchen with the wonderful soupstone, drifts across my mind


And again I can taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrowbone
But it really wasn't nothing but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful, wonderful soupstone."