Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

This is always a hit at potlucks, family gatherings, and even as a meal for vegetarian night.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped (do not use stems)
12 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 bunch of red seedless grapes (halved)
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1 small red onion, chopped finely

Mix all these ingredients in a large salad bowl

Sauce to put on just before serving:
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/3 cup of sugar
1 cup of Hellman's mayo

Mix very well, spread and mix over the salad.

I've found this is great just marinating for an hour or so in the fridge.

Toss a bit and you're ready!!

Vegetable Curry

This is a recipe I adapted from Londyn at Blogfood.

We have this about once or twice a month.

It's hearty and delicious.

Ingredients:

1.  2 T  curry powder ( I use about 2.5 TB)
2.       1.5 t garam masala ( I make my own )
3. 4 T vegetable oil
4. 3 garlic cloves minced
5. 1 T grated ginger
6. 1 dried chile pepper, diced
7. 1 T tomato paste
8. 1 large onion, minced
9. 2-4  small gold potatoes, cubed
10. 1/2 cauliflower cut in florets or a small head of cauliflower
11. 1 can diced tomato (we only use RO-TEL)
12. 1.25 cups water
13. 1 can chickpeas, drained
14. 1/4 cup frozen peas or more
15. 1/4 cup of heavy cream
16. salt

Directions:

 

Toast curry and garam masala in stock pot until fragrant (1-2 min).  Add 1 T oil and ingredients 4-7.

If you have a drink mixer or a grinder, just put the garlic, ginger, Serrano and tomato paste in there and blend them together. I add a little water to the mix.

 

Heat remaining 3 T oil in stock pot (medium high heat). 

Add onions and potatoes until tender and caramelized. Making sure the potatoes are mushy is the longest part. Stir, stir, stir.

 

Add cauliflower and mix... and mix.

 

 

Add ingredients 11-13, plus 1 teaspoon salt, scraping brown bits from bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

 

Bring to boil over medium high heat stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. 

 

Stir in peas and heavy cream and continue to cook about 10 more minutes. Taste.

 

Season with salt to taste and enjoy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Banana Caramel Pie

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Today I bring you a special treat: MY FAMOUS BANANA CARAMEL PIE recipe.
It's delicious, decadent, amazeballs!!! It's only four ingredients.

My obsession with this pie started in Natchez, MS when I ate at Mammy's Cupboard. I ordered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which was to die for!) and the banana caramel pie.
The pie was out of this world! Sooooo good. I had dreams about it weeks after I enjoyed it.

I set out on a mission to find that recipe or come close to it.

I found it.

It's easy, amazing and a huge hit! People will think you are an extraordinary baker. But there's no oven involved in this..

Ready?

Here are the four ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand all the way!)
3-4 bananas (we use four, make sure the tops are green)

1 (9 in) prepared Nilla pie crust (or graham cracker crust is fine if you can't find the Nilla pie crust)

 1 (12 oz) container of Cool Whip or frozen whipped topping, thawed

Why HEB doesn't know to stockpile the Cool Whip and my Nilla pie crust the day before a holiday is beyond me! Don't they know I'm going to shop at the absolute last minute!

Moving on..

1. Take the label off the can of sweetened condensed milk. Submerge it into a pot of water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 4 hours. Ensure there is always water in the pan. Remove can from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes...
         OR put the can in a crockpot of water and put it on low for 6 hours or overnight.

2. Carefully open can of caramel and pour  into pie crust. Slice bananas lengthwise over the top and top with Cool Whip. Refridgerate until you're ready to serve.

You will never be the same after this..

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 6 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (go ahead and add a little water if needed)
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 medium carrots, sliced
• 2-3 stalk celery, sliced
• 1/2 package uncooked extra-wide egg noodles (8 oz maybe?)
• 1.5 lbs cooked chicken cubed or shredded ( I boil my chicken and just cut it up)
• SECRET INGREDIENT: 1 TB Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
• SECRET INGREDIENT: 1 Bay Leaf

Directions

1.     Heat broth, black pepper, carrot and celery in large stockpot over medium-high heat to a boil.

2.    Add Bay Leaf and chili sauce. Stir. Taste. Add more chili sauce if desired. I like my broth pretty hot and spicy.

3.     Stir noodles and chicken in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring often. I usually let it cook about 30 minutes to get the vegetables nice and soft.

The peppers in the chili sauce will increase your thermal body temperature and burn calories. The increased temperature will also propel your body to burn out that icky virus. When I’m sick, I camp out in bed with sleep inducing medicine and put the blankets and comforters over my head so when I wake up, I’m drenched in sweat. Believe me.. you will feel better.

The “starve a cold, feed a fever” are not what you think. When you fast, your body doesn’t have to take its energy to digest. It can send its energy to heal your body. The fever is the healing mechanism it uses to get the virus out of your system.

Every house adds a little variation to this simple meal. I love ours. It’s has our signature stamp on it.

RECIPE: Slow Cooker French Beef Dip Sandwiches

Slow Cooker French Beef Dip Sandwiches
1 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
1 10.5-ounce can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1 10.5-ounce can condensed beef consommé, undiluted
1 10.5-ounce can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
8 French or Italian rolls, split

Halve roast and place both halves into a slow cooker. Pour the soup, consommé, broth and bouillon over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat and shred with two forks. Serve on rolls. Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce. Serves: 8.

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My husband aka "Seve" thought this was the best thing ever. It was so easy.

I forgot about the beef boullon granules so I just addded some salt and it was perfect!! Oh, and we trimmed the fat only after it was all cooked and ready for the table.

This will definitely be added to the family recipe book.