Succotash

Succotash is a dish that immediately takes me back to my grandmother's house. She seemed to regularly make this and would offer us some when we came to visit. I came to enjoy this dish very much and eventually joined her in a mission to find the beans when local growers stopped growing them for the markets around us.

This dish was especially popular years ago with farm and country folks. The dish is based on beans (often lima beans) and corn. However, the version my grandmother always made is quite different- she always used a shell bean.

The shell beans that my grandmother and great grandmother used seem to resemble closely the cranberry bean- the shells were a red and cream/white variegated pod and the beans also had a similar creamy background with reddish swirls around the bean. When dried, they are often anywhere from a tannish/red flecked color to a darker reddish/brown color. These beans can be difficult to find- I was not able to find them for many years after I married and moved away from the area where I grew up near my grandmother.

For this reason, my grandmother tried to find farm markets that would sell the shell beans so she could make her succotash the "right way"- she actually canned the beans together with fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob. The two would cook together during the canning and the flavors would be so concentrated. After I married, she gave me some beans to plant in our garden, with the idea that we would share some of the harvest with her. So I decided to can the beans and corn together- when I finished canning, I thought I was doing something wrong because almost all of the juices came out of the jar and everything cooked into a solid mass. When I was talking lately with one of my aunts about this recipe, she told me that this is how the jars of beans/corn come out. Anyhow, I do know that the flavor was different than just cooking the beans and then adding in the corn.

My grandmother grew up in a poor family where most of the children spent their teenage years working on nearby farms because the family needed the money and could not really afford to feed and clothe everyone. This is one of the family dishes that was passed down from her mother and could be made with things from the garden that were inexpensive and yet filling. 

If I do not have the home-canned beans and corn, I found that you can get a pretty close flavor by pressure cooking the beans (saves a lot of time and there is no need to soak the beans first) and then simmering the beans and corn together for an hour or two. If you do not have a pressure cooker, try cooking the beans in a crockpot on high for about 6 hours. This is a very simple dish- my grandmother only used the beans, corn, salt and pepper, and some canned milk at the end. Now, on the other hand, I have never been one to leave a simple recipe alone! So I have almost always sauteéd some onions and celery to put in the succotash, added chunked potatoes to make it more of a main course soup and added some other seasonings.

These beans were quite red (usually the beans are more of a brown color when cooked) and colored the succotash. They still taste the same. The corn was farm-fresh grown and frozen white corn that is very sweet.

Servings: about 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of cranberry beans or similar shell beans
• 1 quart bag (or 4 cups) of frozen or fresh sweet corn with juice
• 3 medium-large potatoes, cut into chunks (optional)
• chicken soup base or broth
• water
• 1-2 large onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
• seasoned salt/pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp dried parsley
• evaporated milk or cream

Directions:

• Cook the beans as instructed on the package, or cover beans in a slow cooker with about 2-3 inches of water and cook on high in a slow cooker for 6 hours, or in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. Drain beans from liquid.
• In a dutch oven style soup pot, sauté onions with a couple Tbsp of olive oil until they become translucent. 
• Add in the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the beans, sweet corn, chunked potatoes and enough water/broth to cover all the ingredients. If using water, add in a few bouillon cubes or a few Tbsp of soup base. 
• Season with salt/pepper and dried parsley.
• Simmer together until beans and potatoes are soft. 
• When finished cooking, add in milk/cream gradually until broth is milky-- if you use a whole can of evaporated milk, it will be quite thick. If you desire a thinner succotash, you may need to add a little more water to thin it out. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed.

*We recently ate succotash (made for this picture without the potatoes added) over top of mashed potatoes and it was delicious.

If you are only cooking for a couple people, cook up the entire recipe and then freeze half of the succotash for another time- although it is best frozen if you do not add in the potatoes.

Tortellini In Vegetable Sauce

This was my latest brainstorm recipe that turned out so well that my husband and I could hardly stop eating this. I had a lot of different vegetables that needed to be used up, not enough time to thaw some meat and wanted to do something easy before I had to run off to work in the evening. It turned out that the veggies I had worked wonderful together for this dish, but I really think you could use all different types of vegetables and have a great dish. The cooking time for this is less than 30 minutes and would be a great weeknight meal if you have the veggies already prepped.

Serves about 6 (or 4 adult servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cleaned and finely chopped, including the upper stems
• 1 pint size container of grape tomatoes (or you could substitute 1  15oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice)
• 1 large onion or 2 small-medium onions
• 2 medium carrots, medium diced, or may use baby carrots chopped
• 2 large celery ribs, chopped
• 2-3 mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• palmful of Italian seasoning/herb blend
• salt blend like Goya Adobo with pepper
• 1 pound pasta of choice
• cream or half and half
• 2-4 large handfuls of spinach, chopped (or may use 1/2 small package of frozen spinach); may use another type of greens
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, shredded
• 2-3 low fat string cheese sticks, shredded and then chopped (optional), or may use handful of shredded mozarella cheese
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• In a large covered skillet, generously drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with seasoned salt blend and crushed Italian seasoning. After it has begun to cook and soften a little, cover the pan so the juices do not evaporate out. Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed.
• While the veggies are cooking, start the pasta water. Liberally salt the water. Cook pasta about 2 minutes less than the recommended time as it will cook in the sauce at the end.
• As the veggies become tender as you desire, add in the cream gradually until the sauce is lightly creamy- I used about 1/4-1/3 cup.
• Add in the chopped spinach. 
• Pull out about 1 - 1 1/2 cup of pasta water as the pasta is finished and set it aside.
• Add the cheeses to the vegetable mixture and then add in the drained pasta.
• Combine everything together and add in as much pasta water as you need to make enough sauce to cover the pasta. Cover the pan as it cooks together for a couple more minutes. 
• Garnish with parsley and serve with a garlic bread or other warm rustic bread.

*Note- if using more sturdy greens in place of spinach, add them in with the vegetables at the beginning since they need more time to cook.

Squash Dal Curry

One of my favorite cuisines is Indian food because of the rich flavors that are combined into amazing dishes. I don't think I really even ate much Indian food before I was married but tried it while visiting larger cities with my husband, as well as a nearby Indian restaurant that we have grown to love. However, what I have realized in the process of learning how to cook this food is that there are many different types/styles of Indian food, depending on the region you are cooking from, as well as the fact that Indian restaurant food is quite different from what most Indian people eat in their homes everyday. I have bought a couple good Indian cookbooks that I have studied and tried to learn from and now have accumulated quite a few spices/herbs that are often used in their cooking. However, with just a small investment in about 5 spices (some you may already have), you can make some very tasty Indian dishes. I like the fact that, while much of the Indian food is spicy hot, when you make it at home, you can omit or temper down the heat to your liking and yet still enjoy the wonderful flavors. In addition, although Indian restaurant food is quite expensive, you can make many dishes very cheaply at home. Since I have been trying to cook more dishes with beans for my family, I often like using Indian recipes because they take the lowly bean from oh-hum to oh-yum!

this is the masala dabba I bought to hold some of the spices I frequently use- includes tumeric (outer left and continuing clockwise), cardamom, fennel seed, black mustard seed, ground ancho chili powder, cumin seed and black salt (center)

This recipe I share here was inspired by a Green Pumpkin Curry recipe that I have enjoyed making quite a few times. A few years ago, I picked up a small, thick cookbook at a local craft store titled Greatest Ever Indian for about $5. While I have not made many of the recipes in the book, there are a lot of nice pictures illustrating the steps and many of them are simple dishes with a variety of ingredients and ranging from sides to main dishes to breads, appetizers and desserts. When making this recipe, I never saw or found green pumpkin but it said I could substitute ordinary pumpkin. So I also figured that since butternut squash is in the pumpkin family, then that should also work well. This most recent time I made this, I decided to add in some dal I had- I believe it is moong dal, which is very quick cooking and mild in flavor, as well as some extra cooking liquid. You can omit the beans, if desired and reduce the cooking liquid, or substitute some red lentils. This dish comes together pretty quickly- in about 30 minutes, and is very rich in antioxidants from not only the spices but also the squash and beans. 

moong dal

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp oil
• 1 large onions, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (may substitute 1/2 tsp ground cumin if you don't have seeds)
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp black mustard seed (optional)
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds butternut squash (1 large), peeled, deseeded and cubed
• 1 tsp amchur/amchoor- dried mango powder (optional, but adds a nice flavor)
• 1 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp tumeric 
• 1/2 tsp black salt (optional- may use adobo seasoned salt or other salt)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (not the chili powder blend)- (optional)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger * (may substitute 1 tsp dried ginger- not quite as good)
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed/made into paste
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth- or may use vegetable broth or salted water
• 1 cup moong dal (or split lentils), sorted and rinsed
• 10 dried apricots, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and curry powder, stirring occasionally, until a light golden brown color.
• Add the cubed squash or pumpkin to the skillet and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes over low heat.
• Mix in the amchur powder, tumeric, salt, chili powder, ginger and garlic cloves together in a small bowl. 
• Add the spice mixture to the squash  mixture, stirring well to mix.
• Add the broth or water, rinsed moong dal or lentils, apricots and fenugreek, then cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until beans are soft and slightly creamy, stirring occasionally. 

Serve warm with rice, warm naan or paratha (chapati) bread.

*ginger is easy to keep on hand ready to use if you peel it/chop into large chunks after bringing it home from the store, place it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then when you need it, simply remove a piece or two and either grate it or thinly slice/chop it. It is actually easier to work with when it is slightly frozen. This will keep for a long time in the freezer. It is great in chicken soups, with bean dishes, smoothies with coconut milk, etc.

This was shared with the following:

I Should Be Mopping The Floor: Mop It Up Mondays #11
The Sweet Spot: Recipe Party
Simple Lives Thursday, #91- A Little Bit Of Spain In Iowa
Weekend Potluck #13
Financial Friday + Fabulous Features
Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet #14
Taylor House Thursday #3
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 4-12-12
Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party-Week 40

Moroccan Beet Salad

Beets are such a lovely vegetable- great color and have such a wonderful flavor, and they are another one of those superfoods that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that our bodies crave. I have always loved them and this dish is just another big reason why! Last summer, my family went to a mission open-house at a local church and had a great time talking to people from all around the world and sampling some wonderful food. While there, I found this beet salad and could not believe how good the flavors were. Near the end of the day, I asked someone about what was in it- she didn't know for sure because it was made by a local man from Morocco. She then offered me an entire large pan of it since there were a lot of leftovers, which I readily accepted. My husband and I were in heaven for the next few days eating the leftovers. After eating this and trying to figure out what this was made out of, I decided to try making it myself. I think the key to the great flavor is the cilantro, which I have never had with beets before. Somehow, the onion and cilantro give such a brightness with the sweetness of the beets and the marinade (dressing) imparts a subtle flavor that results in such wonderful combination! This is a great summer salad, but it is also great anytime of the year when you want a little different beet dish.

     Ingredients:
3  15 oz. canned beets, (drained, chopped into strips or cubes if not already done for you)
     or you may use approximately 5-6 cups cooked and chopped beets
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (may use more or less or substitute chopped fresh flat leaf parsley)
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup vinegar (or may use 1/2 cup vinegar and 3 Tbsp lime juice)
3/4 tsp salt (may adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup sugar  
   
     Directions:
Mix together olive oil, vinegar/lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the prepared beets, onion and cilantro. Stir well. Refrigerate in a covered dish for at least 4 hours, mixing ingredients every couple hours. Mix again before serving.


Yields approximately 8-10   1/2 - 2/3 cup servings
     

Cilantro, Lime and Lentil Salad

I got this recipe from my daughter's diabetes specialist's office last summer where they usually have some recipes that people can take that feature healthier diet choices. This recipe caught my eye because I have really come to enjoy the flavors of cilantro and lime and am also trying to incorporate more beans into my family's diet. The recipe originally called for 1 pound of lentils, but it ended up being such a huge amount that I decided to adjust it down to 1/2 pound. Even this amount makes a large salad. I also increased most of the other ingredients in the recipe and added some olive oil. However, my husband and I enjoyed eating this like a dip with chips or crackers, as well as as a salad. I have posted this recipe with the changes I made and am not sure who made the original recipe. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can add a number of different vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lentils, sorted and rinsed

1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I used approximately 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup minced red onion

juice of 1-2 limes (adjust to taste)

2-3 medium or large tomatoes, diced (may substitute canned diced tomatoes)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt, or adjusted to taste (I used Adobo seasoned salt)

1 Tbsp cumin (may start with less and adjust to taste)

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup chopped bell peppers

hot pepper sauce (green or red) to taste

Directions:

     Simmer lentils in 6 cups of water until soft, about 25-30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Cool. Add the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and toss. Add in the cooled lentils and stir well. 

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Also shared on Simple Lives Thursday # 87

Guacamole

Avacados are one of those foods that many people either like or dislike. I never really cared for them, and never even ate them until I was much older. That may explain why I have not been very fond of them in their unadulterated form. However, I have lately developed a taste for them in guacamole- if there are enough other ingredients and flavors present. This recipe is my version of guacamole as my husband and I have enjoyed it lately. Since avacados are so healthy for us- believed to be helpful in lowering cholesterol, full of the healthy fats our bodies need to function properly, great for heart health, may prevent cancers, high in fiber, as well as  high in lutein, which helps our eyes function properly- it makes sense to try to eat more of this fruit any way we can.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe avacados, pulp mashed

3-4 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon)

1/4 -1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (may use dried cilantro, but is not as potent or flavorful)

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder

3/4 tsp salt (I used Adobo seasoned salt)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp green pepper sauce
1 medium red or sweet white onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, grated or put through a garlic press
(The above ingredients are only approximate amounts. You will need to taste and adjust them as desired.)


Mix all the above ingredients together and allow flavors to blend in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. Serve with corn chips or use with Mexican dishes.







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Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad has been in my family for a long time. I am not really sure where it originally came from, but it may have been from a church cookbook my mom has that includes many Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. This salad has a dressing that is typical of the Amish/Mennonite salads with a creamy and mildly sweet/sour flavor. I have seen and tasted many variations of this salad and many are equally tasty. This picture shows it with only the ingredients listed on the recipe I have. However, I have seen it made with sunflower seeds or other types of dried fruit.

Many people, especially children, do not enjoy the flavor of raw broccoli. This salad is a great way to get some people to eat vitamin-rich broccoli with the added benefit of some protein from the peanuts. My children like this better than plain raw broccoli, and it is a nice dish for potluck dinners.



Ingredients:                                                        Serves: approx. 8

• 1 very large or about 3 small heads of broccoli, rinsed and chopped, removing the thick and hard stem first. (I use the smaller stem parts that do not have such thick-skinned and chop them small.)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup bacon bits
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Mix above ingredients together.

To make dressing, mix the following together:

• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar or zylitol or other granulated sweetener
• 3 Tbsp vinegar (I have used either white wine or apple cider vinegar with good results)

Combine the dressing with the other ingredients and then allow to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours. This salad lasts well for some time.

** Another great variation is to use red onions, dried sweetened cranberries and chopped cauliflower and leave out the nuts and raisins.

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Mexican Bean Salad

I do not know how authentic Mexican this dish is, but it combines some of the flavors of mexican food, including chili powder, cumin, lime and lemon juice, as well as cilantro. I was introduced to this dish by my sister-in-law earlier this summer and instantly fell in love with it. It is great for those hot picnics when you do not want to worry about salads spoiling. Plus, it is great made up a couple days ahead, if needed.

This recipe originally was taken from Allrecipes.com submitted by Karen Castle on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-bean-salad/detail.aspx. I added some yellow pepper, a little extra lemon juice, as well as extra cilantro, chili powder and cumin. This is not a "hot" or very spicy salad- although you could add extra green pepper sauce/hot sauce and adjust the spices as desired. It really is a nice mix of flavors that will appeal to most people who enjoy a little flavor.

Serves about 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 
  
1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.

3. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Optional- A previous time I made this recipe, I added cooked ditalini pasta, which soaked up some of the dressing and added great texture and flavor, as well as made the salad go a little further.

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Zucchini Pancakes or Fritters

These zucchini fritters are a quick and easy meal and a great way to use up some extra zucchini. We planted just a couple zucchini plants and are hardly able to use it all. Some of the ones that grew larger before I could pick them, I took the seeds out and grated them up. Of course, I love zucchini made into sweet bread/cakes, but sometimes, it is nice to try something different. This is really a simple dinner that my husband grew up eating in the summer when everyone was busy working on the farm. This is mostly zucchini with just enough pancake mix and water to make a batter to hold it together. If you are using the larger zucchinis that have more moisture, you will not need to add much, if any water. My other addition this time, was some grated onion into the batter, as well as some dill. What a nice flavor, especially with a little sour cream!

Feel free to use any type of pancake mix. I just had some Fiber One that I wanted to use up. Later, I plan to start making my own bulk pancake mix.

Ingredients:

(This is not an exact recipe- it depends on how much zucchini you have and how much batter you want to make. So mix some up and see if you need to add more of an ingredient.)

2 medium sized zucchini, washed, deseeded and grated
pancake mix
1-2 eggs
1-2 tsp dried dill
1-2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, grated
water, if necessary to make the batter the right consistency.
sour cream, if desired for topping

In a large bowl, mix the grated zucchini, eggs, seasonings and onion. Stir well and gradually mix in enough pancake batter to achieve the proper thickness (enough to hold the zucchini together but not too thick). You may add a little water if necessary. Pour onto a griddle or frying pan that has been coated with a little butter or oil. Cook over medium heat as you would pancakes, flipping when the top begins to bubble.

Serve with tops of pancakes buttered and a little sour cream on top.

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Mango Salsa

To me, there is nothing like fresh salsa. I love all the bright flavors of fresh onion and cilantro that you cannot get with jarred salsa. When I have a large amounts of tomatoes, I will sometimes use them up in some fresh salsa. It is not really hard to make, other than the time to chop everything. Sometimes when I get the desire for some and do not have any fresh tomatoes, I will BRIEFLY consider buying some at the grocery store. However, the price is simply outrageous! So I walk away until I either find some tomatoes on sale that look ripe enough or until they are in season. As I write, I am eyeballing some lovely tomatoes growing on my numerous plants and salivating over the first fruits of my tomato crop this year.

I must admit that in the past I had never been one who loved mixing sweet and savory flavors together- although I am beginning to try more such foods and really enjoy them. One of these was a pineapple salsa. I was amazed at the great flavor that pineapple and tomatoes gave each other. Then my husband came home from work and told me he just had the best salsa EVER! and I must try making it. It turns out that a coworker's wife made it and was gracious enough to share her recipe for Mango Salsa.

I have modified it according to what ingredients I had on hand. Instead of the typical larger mangoes found in many grocery stores, I used a couple small bright yellow mangoes I found at the local Indian grocery. I realized later that they are not as sweet as the larger greenish/yellowish/rosy pink ones. So this affected the final flavor in my salsa. Next time, I will make it with the sweeter mangoes. I also did not soak my red onion in water/vinegar solution, as I thought I would like the onion flavor to come through more. I also may have used more chopped cilantro- just eyeballed some of the amounts and kept tasting it. Since I did not have a jalapeño, I used a couple shakes from a bottle of green pepper tabasco sauce, which gave a hint of heat.  I also added a large clove of garlic, put through a garlic press, which gave a little more zing.

Jin's Mango Salsa Recipe (makes 4-6 servings)

1 ripe large mango diced ( or 2 medium size)

5 tomatoes diced (remove seeds to prevent making soupy salsa)- more needed if using smaller plum tomatoes

1 medium sized red onion chopped

(*soak in water vinegar solution for 10 min to remove pungency)

1/2 cup of cilantro chopped

1/2 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 jalapeño finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

Mix, and enjoy

• As an aside, I just found out recently that there are many different varieties of mangoes, although not so many are available in U.S. grocery stores. However, they are all rich in Vitamin A, B-6, E, C, potassium and copper, as well as antioxidants that help prevent numerous types of cancer, including colon and breast. It is also rich in prebiotic fiber, which is beneficial to our colon health.
• It is wonderful put in smoothies, blended with milk, and added to fruit or vegetable salads.
• Feel free to check out the following link http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mango-fruit.html for more helpful information on mangoes and how to use them.

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Fried Egg Sandwich

Did I mention before how much I love eggs? We love them so much at our house, with the exception of my 4 year old daughter. She informed me the other day when I was trying to get her to eat some- "Mommy, I just don't lub eggs." (Everything about her is either loved or not loved, no in-betweens!) Well, I will keep working on her until she joins the rank of egg-lovers in our home.

Meanwhile, I have also been having a dilemma regarding my camera. You see, I lost it right before Easter- just before we left to visit family out of town, along with a few lovely photos I was hoping to share with everyone. The camera still has not surfaced, and I am anxiously awaiting a new camera's arrival and hope to put it to use immediately. In the meantime, I am trying to use our original digital camera from years ago. Bear with this less-than perfect picture, but I just wanted to share one of my husband's and my favorite egg sandwich, which we use as a quick breakfast, lunch or even supper if I don't feel like making much. I grew up eating these prepared by my mom for breakfast or brunch. It has a few unusual ingredients, which you can leave out if you are not inclined to try them. However, when my husband first tried this, he was pleasantly surprised at how well the flavors went together.

Ingredients:

eggs- 1 or 2 per person
bread or rolls
mayonnaise or salad dressing
ketchup
dill pickle slices
lettuce
cheese of choice
sliced onion

Fry eggs in skillet- I usually make them with the yolk still runny and pop it so the juice comes out. This keeps the sandwich from being so runny. However, make them any way you like the eggs. After the egg is cooked, remove skillet from heat and lay a slice of cheese over the 1 or 2 eggs for each individual sandwich. Cover with a lid to melt the cheese. Meanwhile, start the bread toasting, and prepare the other sandwich ingredients. After the bread is lightly toasted, spread with some mayonnaise or dressing, a little ketchup (or more if you like), and layer the other ingredients on the bread. Remove the egg/cheese and place on the sandwich. Finish the sandwich by covering with the other part or slice of the bread. Cut in half, if desired, and then it is ready to serve.

How do you eat your egg sandwich?

Easy Spaghetti and Vegetables

I never tried making much spaghetti except the traditional tomato sauce spaghetti until a couple years ago. However, Rachael Ray inspired me to try making it different ways, and I learned from her shows how easy it is to make a simple sauce using some of the starchy pasta water. This is such an easy dish that can be changed up many different ways. Just about any vegetables would be good added, as well as cooked meat, if desired. This is filling, pretty healthy and quick to fix up. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

3/4 pound spaghetti or capellini or other pasta
1-2 cups canned chopped tomatoes with its juice
1 1/2 cups each of broccoli and cauliflower (or other frozen/fresh vegetables- I really like to use chopped spinach or other greens)
1  15 oz. can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups reserved pasta cooking water (approximately)
2-4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro/culantro (use lesser amount if using culantro)
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 -1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large cooking pot, boil spaghetti/pasta and vegetables in  well-salted water. When finished, drain vegetables and pasta, reserving the water. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and mix into the cooked pasta. Add in the pasta water until the proper sauce consistency is obtained (the pasta will soak up a lot of water, so feel free to make it a little more "wet" if not eating immediately).  Cream cheese (light) is also a great addition, in place of the cottage cheese. It also would be good with some crumbled bacon bits on top.

Serves approximately 6-8

Zucchini Bread

This is such a yummy bread- a great recipe for when you need to use up some zucchini. If you don't have a need for 2 loaves of bread, you can freeze the other loaf or bring one into work to share or give one to a friend or neighbor. It is even better the next day after baking.

Think of this recipe for those persons in your life who are picky veggie eaters.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (I used part brown and part white granulated sugar)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour (I used part white whole wheat and part white all purpose flour)
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup each chopped dates and nuts (or may substitute raisins)

Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Sift together the dry ingredients and add by thirds into the liquid, mixing well between each addition. Fold in the nuts and dates. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour- if using a 5x15 inch sweet bread pan, check it at approximately 50 minutes. If using the traditional bread pans, the bread will be higher and need a little longer to bake. Therefore, lower the oven temperature to about 325 degrees and bake a little longer. Bread is finished when it is set and knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out of pan and finish cooling on rack. Store wrapped up in the refrigerator if not eating in the next day or two.

Zucchini/ Yellow Squash Quiche

There are times, especially in the summer, when I end up with a pile of zucchini all at once. That is when I will make zucchini (or a mixture of zucchini and summer (yellow) squash) quiche, zucchini jam, zucchini bread or cake. Even though this is not summer, my husband came home from our favorite nearby store the other night with bags of reduced and free zucchini and yellow squash- boy, it pays to shop there later at night! So I have pulled out those summer recipes and decided to make them up and share here. Besides, I'm looking forward to spring/summer after this long winter!

In this picture, I made the quiche with only yellow squash- not the zucchini. My sister-in-law, Lois, gave me this recipe a few years ago, and it has been a huge favorite in our family ever since. I have added some extra spices and seasonings.

This is an easy crust- just use tubed crescent rolls and spread out in the pie crust and smear some mustard around before adding the squash mixture. The flavor is a wonderful blend of cheese, savory egg and squash-- yummy! This is good any time of day- we have a hard time eating just one piece! It is even delicious reheated later.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) can of refrigerated crescent rolls 
• 2 Tbsp mustard (I like to use brown spicy mustard, but any flavor works)
• 4 cups shredded zucchini and/or yellow squash
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1-2 Tbsp finely minced garlic
• 1 stick butter
• 4 beaten eggs
• salt (I use Adobo seasoned salt)
• pepper
• 3/4 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning mix (or may use a mixture of 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried basil, 1/8 tsp dried thyme,
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried chives or may use fresh chives, chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or other desired blends (this time I used some muenster and mozzarella)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray or grease a 10 inch pie pan and press out the crescent roll dough in the pan, pressing seams together and cutting to fit pan as needed.
• Spread mustard over surface of pie crust.
• In a large frying pan, sautè squash, onions, garlic and butter until soft, approximately 10 minutes. 
• Cool for a few minutes. Add in the cheese, stirring well. Then add the beaten eggs and seasonings. 
• Pour into prepared crust.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the center is set. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 10-20 minutes so it will firm up slightly- the longer it sets, the more firm it well become.