This recipe is adapted from one of my sister's favorites. Lovely on a hot summer day.
Ingredients:
Two cucumbers, peeled and sliced.
Two tomatoes, cut into wedges and most of the seeds removed
1 small onion, or a couple of scallons, sliced
about 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream
salt
dill week
Sprinkle cucumbers lightly with salt and allow to sit for about an hour. Squeeze liquid out of cucumber slices with your hands. After you have removed as much liquid as possible, add the tomatoes, cut in chunks and with seeds removed. Add onion. Chill. Just before serving, drain any remaining liquid. Stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. dried dill weed, or less if fresh dill is available. If you like you can also add cooked, sliced carrots that have been chilled in advance.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fresh Strawberry Peach Pie
This pie won second place in a pie contest this weekend (out of 16 entries). It missed first place by one point. :-) I made it over coals in a dutch oven, but I'll turn it into an oven-baked pie as best I can. I'm going to make at least one more before I can no longer get good peaches.
FRESH STRAWBERRY PEACH PIE
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
FILLING:
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
dash salt
4 large peaches, chunked, 2 c. sliced fresh strawberries (1 pt.) cut in halves
1/2 tsp lemon juice
CRUST
Use any good pie crust recipe and make as usual except add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbs. suger to the dry ingredients. Instead of a top crust I cut out a large strawberry shape (think heart except flat on top), added a few leaf shapes up top and poked holes in the crust. Sprinkle this with a little sugar if you like.
Combine fruit mixture in large bowl. Spoon filling into pastry-lined pie 9 inch pie plate. Add top crust. Cover edge with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is light brown. Cool until warm for serving.
FRESH STRAWBERRY PEACH PIE
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
FILLING:
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
dash salt
4 large peaches, chunked, 2 c. sliced fresh strawberries (1 pt.) cut in halves
1/2 tsp lemon juice
CRUST
Use any good pie crust recipe and make as usual except add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbs. suger to the dry ingredients. Instead of a top crust I cut out a large strawberry shape (think heart except flat on top), added a few leaf shapes up top and poked holes in the crust. Sprinkle this with a little sugar if you like.
Combine fruit mixture in large bowl. Spoon filling into pastry-lined pie 9 inch pie plate. Add top crust. Cover edge with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is light brown. Cool until warm for serving.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Curried Chicken Salad
I needed a way to use up some leftover chicken and experimented with what I had on hand. It turned out to be delicious!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup mayonaise or 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced almonds, or chopped pecans, or sunflower seeds
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup craisins or raisins
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. sugar or 1 tbls. orange juice
1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger (opt.)
salt and pepper to taste
What to do
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve on a bed of lettuce.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup mayonaise or 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced almonds, or chopped pecans, or sunflower seeds
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup craisins or raisins
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. sugar or 1 tbls. orange juice
1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger (opt.)
salt and pepper to taste
What to do
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve on a bed of lettuce.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Orange Spiced Rhubarb Sauce
I remember my first taste of rhubarb sauce. I was about 10 years old and we were having a fried chicken dinner at Knotts Berry Farm. They served it warm. I didn't know what it was, and I remember asking my dad, "What is this delicious stuff and why have I never tasted it before?" In the upper midwest, one of the ways we know spring has finally arrived is that the rhubarb starts growing. Almost everyone who can has a little rhubarb patch.
Sometimes a simple thing can make quite a difference. That's what I think about this recipe. I got the idea of adding the orange and cinnamon when I was making cranberry sauce.
Ingredients
6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch inch pieces
1 to 1 1/2 sugar
1/4 c. water
about a tablespoon of orange peel, or use orange juice insted of water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
If rhubarb is the green variety, a few drops of red food coloring is nice.
What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook slowly about 5 minutes, or until tender. Makes 4 cups. May be served warm or cold, depending on what you are using the sauce for.
Rhubarb sauce is good alone (like applesauce), served with meat (especially pork) over vanilla ice cream, or as a topping on pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Variations:
Add some canned crushed pineapple, drained. This is good for dump cake, along with cherry pie filling.
Mix with applesauce.
Omit water and add some sliced strawberries to rhubarb when you remove from heat, and chill.
Sometimes a simple thing can make quite a difference. That's what I think about this recipe. I got the idea of adding the orange and cinnamon when I was making cranberry sauce.
Ingredients
6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch inch pieces
1 to 1 1/2 sugar
1/4 c. water
about a tablespoon of orange peel, or use orange juice insted of water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
If rhubarb is the green variety, a few drops of red food coloring is nice.
What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook slowly about 5 minutes, or until tender. Makes 4 cups. May be served warm or cold, depending on what you are using the sauce for.
Rhubarb sauce is good alone (like applesauce), served with meat (especially pork) over vanilla ice cream, or as a topping on pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Variations:
Add some canned crushed pineapple, drained. This is good for dump cake, along with cherry pie filling.
Mix with applesauce.
Omit water and add some sliced strawberries to rhubarb when you remove from heat, and chill.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cool Rasberry Pie
An easy and cool dessert for summer.
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker pie crust (I like Keebler.)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
a Few drops red food coloring, if desired
1 8 oz. carton of Cool Whip or similar whipped topping
About 1 1/2 cups fresh rasberries. Can use frozen, but thaw slightly.
What to do:
If you use food coloring, stir it into the lemon juice. Combine the Eagle Brand milk with the juice. Fold in the whipped topping and the raspberries. Pour into the crust. Garnish with berries or fruit of choice. Chill.
Double the recipe for a 9" x 13" cake pan. You can also make this recipe with strawberries or diced peaches, and you might like to try an Oreo cookie crust instead.
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker pie crust (I like Keebler.)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
a Few drops red food coloring, if desired
1 8 oz. carton of Cool Whip or similar whipped topping
About 1 1/2 cups fresh rasberries. Can use frozen, but thaw slightly.
What to do:
If you use food coloring, stir it into the lemon juice. Combine the Eagle Brand milk with the juice. Fold in the whipped topping and the raspberries. Pour into the crust. Garnish with berries or fruit of choice. Chill.
Double the recipe for a 9" x 13" cake pan. You can also make this recipe with strawberries or diced peaches, and you might like to try an Oreo cookie crust instead.
Roasted Fruit Soup
Plums are starting to appear in the grocery stores around here. This is another recipe from my mother that I found on a slip of paper, jotted in pencil. That means she was at someones home and tasted something she wanted to learn how to make. In this case, I think it was another of her sister, Pauline's, wonderful dishes. It might sound strange, but it is delicious. It can be served as a hot or cold soup.
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium pear, cored and cut into thin wedges
1 medium cooking apple, cored and cut into thin wedges (I like a Figi apple for this.)
3 plums, any variety, halved and pitted
3 cups cranberry/apple juice
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 or 3 pieces stick cinnamon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In baking dish, stir together cranberries and brown sugar. Add pear and apple wedges. Roast uncovered in oven for 20 minutes or till just tender. Add plum halves. Roast uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or till fruit is tender and edges begin to brown or curl. Stir gently to combine.
Meanwhile, in large sauce pan, combine the cranberry/apple juice, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and them simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
Gently stir the the roasted fruit into the juice mixture. Pour into six bowls.
Roasting is perfect for fruit that is not quite ripe. For a real treat, serve this as a warm dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium pear, cored and cut into thin wedges
1 medium cooking apple, cored and cut into thin wedges (I like a Figi apple for this.)
3 plums, any variety, halved and pitted
3 cups cranberry/apple juice
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 or 3 pieces stick cinnamon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In baking dish, stir together cranberries and brown sugar. Add pear and apple wedges. Roast uncovered in oven for 20 minutes or till just tender. Add plum halves. Roast uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or till fruit is tender and edges begin to brown or curl. Stir gently to combine.
Meanwhile, in large sauce pan, combine the cranberry/apple juice, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and them simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
Gently stir the the roasted fruit into the juice mixture. Pour into six bowls.
Roasting is perfect for fruit that is not quite ripe. For a real treat, serve this as a warm dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Iro's Chicken and Potatoes
Iro was a neighbor in Marine Corps housing at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Her husband met her in Greece and after a whirlwind romance married her and brought her to the USA. Unable to conceive, she adored our toddler daughter, who we called Kristi in those days, always calling her Kistiniki. I never make this simple dish without thinking of Iro and wondering where she is now. You will have to guess as far as amounts go. Iro never measured anything. Err on the generous side, because the water will dilute everything.
Ingredients
One chicken, cut up
(I usually use chicken breasts instead.)
sliced potatoes
Lemon juice
Garlic salt, or if you use fresh chopped garlic, add salt
black pepper
oregano
parsley flakes
olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken pieces and sliced potatoes in a 9" x 13" pan, or casserole dish of similar size. Add garlic salt, pepper, oregano, parsley flakes and juice of two lemons. If you use reconstituted lemon juice, start with about 1/3 cup. Pour some olive oil over the top. Add some water till not quite covered. Cover with aluminum foil or lid and bake for about 45 min. and then uncover and bake till potatoes are done. Nice served with spinach.
Ingredients
One chicken, cut up
(I usually use chicken breasts instead.)
sliced potatoes
Lemon juice
Garlic salt, or if you use fresh chopped garlic, add salt
black pepper
oregano
parsley flakes
olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken pieces and sliced potatoes in a 9" x 13" pan, or casserole dish of similar size. Add garlic salt, pepper, oregano, parsley flakes and juice of two lemons. If you use reconstituted lemon juice, start with about 1/3 cup. Pour some olive oil over the top. Add some water till not quite covered. Cover with aluminum foil or lid and bake for about 45 min. and then uncover and bake till potatoes are done. Nice served with spinach.
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