Tag: Side Dishes

Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Salads · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Fried Okra Salad

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Happiest of New Years! As we sit and wait for the traditional black eyed peas to finish cooking to take to friends for dinner, it dawned on me that I had not posted this new recipe. This morning I realized that for the first time in probably 10 years, I had forgot to buy black eyed peas. How could we begin 2020 without them? Everyone knows that if you don’t have a helping of them Jan 1st, your hopes of ever winning any lotto, well, just forget it. Also, “they” say that if you don’t have the peas, you will probably catch every flu that there is no vaccine for, and you will gain weight just looking at cake and DSW will never have the shoe you want in your size. So just to be sure you are covered for all these things, have a helping of the little gems. Why take chances?

Well, this morning when we realized that we didn’t have a black eyed pea in the house, Randy stopped at the grocery store across the street and I ran in to see if I could find either frozen peas or dried (just can’t do the canned ones, well, let me rephrase that, that would be my last choice if all other possibilities were exhausted) BE peas. Walking up to the frozen food aisle, there was a lady standing looking at the frozen veggies and she saw me looking and moved her cart out of the way, apologizing for being in the way. When I assured her she was certainly not in my way, as I was just looking for BEP, she stated that she was just trying to get some new ideas of foods to make. It was in that instant that I began an internal struggle. Do I just ignore her and assume she was just making a statement, or should I tell her that I have a cooking blog and hand her a card with the blog info on it. It took me about 30 seconds before I finally said, “do you like fried okra?” When she said yes I do, I handed her a card and told her that I would be posting this recipe later today for Fried Okra Salad. That lead to her reading my business card and she said, “oh I’m a believer also, what church to you go to?” And then she noticed my name and as we began to talk, she told me that she was in the title business, just like Randy. In fact she knew several people which we knew. It was just so great to visit. It always amazes me how God orchestrates these sweet little blessings that happen when we are just running into a store to pick up something.
January 2020….the beginning of a new decade. We have so much to be thankful for in this past decade. May we continue to always give thanks and always look for opportunities to share joy and kindness with others, all the while giving thanks for all the joy and kindness we have received from others. Here is the recipe which was given to me from a precious friend, Dena. Can’t wait to have it with a pot of cabbage and onions, potato casserole and ham….a perfect southern meal.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 pounds frozen breaded okra, thawed and fried according to directions
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

IN a small saucepan, cook oil, sugar and vinegar over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Set aside

In a large bowl, combine fried cooked okra and remaining 4 ingredients. Pour vinegar mixture over okra, tossing just to coat. Serve immediately.

*Taken from Paula Deen Magazine

Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Super Bowl Recipes · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Veggie Dinner With Squash Dish (Calabacita)

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How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Hope that all of you had the blessing of gathering around the table with family and friends to make some wonderful new memories. We were blessed to have two of our kids and their families here. Isn’t it just so wonderful to be able to enjoy your adult children? I heard about a family gathering that escalated into yelling and screaming because some of the relatives began to argue about something. That is something I just cannot even begin to understand. Years ago, my oldest sone, Jason, was in college and some of his friends came over when Jason came home for the holidays. They began to tell me how Jason would just walk into a room that was full of college boys, arguing over sports, or girls or something and Jason would yell “why can’t we all just get along?” and everyone would then start laughing. It is with a heart full of thanksgiving that we do enjoy our kids and so appreciate the time which we spend with them. Well, all that said, last night, after a full 5 days of cornbread dressing, potatoes, turkey, ham, pies and cakes and wonderful rolls, we realized yesterday that even our very unhealthy bodies were tired of all the greasy, rich meats and dishes. So we put on a pot of beans, cut up a head of cabbage, onion, cut up a couple of potatoes and got the small iron skillet out for cornbread. As I was looking in the fridge to get more butter out, (do not even think about asking me how many pounds of butter I have used the last 2 weeks, because I am too embarrassed to ell you.Lets just say that there is now an empty corner in the fridge where all the butter was stored) there was the Mexican squash I had bought, thinking that I might use it in a dish for Thanksgiving. But, there it was just sitting there waiting to be cooked. So out it came and it was such a great addition to our veggie meal. So, (after all the above 1000 words that was probably more than you ever wanted to know about our Thanksgiving) here is the recipe I used and it was so good.

2 cups cut up Calabacita Squash (Mexican squash)
2 tables olive oil
1 tables unsalted butter
1 teas fresh oregano
1/2 teas garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a small skillet. Add the cut up squash and seasonings to skillet. Stir until squash begins to brown a little on the edges. It was at this point that I added about 1/4 cup water to the pan and put a lid on so the squash would get tender. As it cooks, stir every few min so squash does not burn. If you like the flavor of the oregano, and garlic, you might like to add a little more per your preference. This squash is also great in vegetable soups.

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Stuffed Like a Squash?

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Legally it is Fall. That means that I can crave cornbread dressing from this point on without the guilt. In summer, I feel so guilty telling people that I just have to have some dressing, when everyone is walking around with an ice cream cone in their hands or nibbling on crisp lettuce. But now….now, I can stand up and announce, “hi, my name is Trudy and I am a dressingaholic”. I think I could eat it every other day, in-between the hamburgers and pizza that I crave.
This morning after making sugar cookies while stuffing movie bags with Hersheys Chocolate bars and M&M’s to take to the movies with 8 of our closet friends this evening, dressing would not leave my mind. So luckily I had a zucchini still in the fridge. AND…a box of Stove Top Cornbread Dressing. I never use it during the holidays, (as nothing can take the place of homemade dressing)just when I am binge dressing eating during the summer or pre holiday. It satisfies my craving for dressing and makes an excellent side dish to go with the chicken fried steak we are having for lunch. Normally, this would be a meal for dinner, but since we will be gone watching “God Bless the Open Road tonight, our dinner will consist of popcorn, cookies and candy.
Yep, gotta have a good healthy meal before eating all the junk. So broccoli with butter and cheese, stuffed zucchini with the dressing with chicken fried steak and gravy. Then we don’t have to feel guilty for all the junk food we will consume tonight. Nothing says healthy eating like chicken fried steak and gravy!

1 large zucchini, washed, cut in half horizontally
1 box of Stove Top Cornbread Dressing (made according to directions on side of box, except that i added about a teas of sage to the boiling water before adding the dry dressing. I was going to tell you to place the leftover dressing that you don’t use in a ziplock bag and pace in freezer for stuffing mushrooms or a chicken breast or more squash, That was my plan until I stood at the stove and “snacked” on the leftover dressing. Not too much to freeze for a later use now.

Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Scrape the middle of the squash out, either with a scoop or spoon, reserving or discarding. Be careful not to cut the outside of the squash, allowing it to be a “boat” for the dressing.
Using a pastry brush, apply a very thin coat of olive oil to the inside of the raw squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Using a large tablespoon, fill the zucchini with about a 1/2 cup of the prepared dressing to each half of the squash. Bake in preheated 400 oven until squash is tender. About 20 minutes. If dressing begins to dry out, cover with foil.

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Dinner Party Menu

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Friday evening we had two couples over for dinner. When it was time to plan the menu, I thought about a couple of recipes which I had not made in quite a while and decided to bring them out of retirement. So as Randy barbecued chicken breast (which btw, he has totally perfected and is so good) and thighs, I made corn casserole and rice pilaf. One of the other ladies said she would bring the salad, which is one of those things that I do not make well. Maybe its because it is healthier than what I usually make, but for whatever the reason, salads are my least favorite thing to make. It surprised me to discover that neither couple had even experienced either of these recipes before, but they loved them. Then it dawned on me that they were not from the South, so had not grown up going to Southern Baptist potluck dinners. Both of these recipes were staples at the church gatherings and graced every table at Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. So…here you go! Your welcome!

Corn Casserole

1 box of Jiffy Cornbread mix
1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter
1 can (drained) whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
1 (8 oz) sour cream
*optional 1 small can diced green chiles

Spray with Pam or grease a 11×7 (or medium size pyrex baking) dish. Preheat oven to 350. Melt Butter and pour into mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake uncovered in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and middle is almost firm to the touch. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Rice Pilaf

1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Beef Broth
1 cup water
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups rice
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium size baking dish that has a close fitting lid or Smaller Dutch oven. Melt the butter in the dish in oven. When butter is melted, pour the water, and both cans of soup into the melted butter. add the 2 cups of rice and the almonds and stir to combine. Bake covered in the over for about 40-45 minutes or until rice is done. Stir and serve hot.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Stuffed Mushrooms

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These great little gems have now been placed in my “oh my gosh why haven’t I made these before? I only have maybe 20 years or so left to eat them” folder! Because we had some friends over last night for spaghetti & meatballs, I started thinking about the left over cornbread dressing from Thursday evening when I made stuffed zucchini. They were so good I had the leftovers today for lunch. They were easy, quick and will be a favorite for any fall/winter dinners that we have.

12 large white mushrooms, cleaned and stems taken out and chopped very fine (the stems, not the mushrooms)
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well. I just continued to squeeze the thawed spinach until I couldn’t get anymore moisture to squeeze out.
1 box of sage or herb Stovetop ( I can’t remember what the box said now) cornbread dressing, made according to directions.
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tables Worcestershire
2 tables red wine vinegar
1/2 teas onion powder
Black Pepper to your liking
Parmesan cheese for topping the mushrooms.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying with Pam, big enough for the mushrooms to fit.
Melt about 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a medium frying pan. Add the finely chopped mushroom stems and sauce until they are cooked. About 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the onion powder,and pepper to your liking.
Add as much of the drained spinach as you like. (I used about 2/3 cup.) Stir until well mixed. Add about 1 cup of the corn bread dressing to this mixture. Stir until well combined.
Place about a tablespoon of this mixture into each hollow mushroom cap and then place mushroom in baking dish.
Melt the rest of the butter in a microwave safe container. When butter is melted, add the Worcestershire sauce and the red wine vinegar. Pour over the tops and around the mushrooms. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the tops of the mushrooms and bake in preheated 350 over for about 10-15 minutes or until stuffing is bubbly and mushrooms are tender. d
*Depending on the size of the mushrooms, you might not use all of the stuffing mixture. I had some left over and just spooned it around the mushrooms in the dish so I could eat it all….it’s that good.

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Vegetables

Cornbread Stuffed Zucchini

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Anything that reminds me of cornbread stuffing gets my vote. This is taken from 2017 Southern Living and I cannot wait to make it. Choose squash that are uniform in size. The best kind for this recipe are long, straight but not too skinny. (as per SL)

Serves 4

3 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
4 zucchini
3 tables canola oil, divided
1 teas kosher salt, divided
16 oz ground chicken (I will use ground Italian seasoned turkey)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tables)
1 teas paprika
1/2 teas black pepper
6 oz white Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup fresh corn (I’m not a huge corn person, other than just corn on the cob, so think I will substitute fresh spinach, sautéed and drained well, before adding to mixture)
3 tables chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375. Spread cornbread in an even layer on one end of a baking sheet. Cut zucchini in hal lengthwise. Using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller, scoop out zucchini pulp to equal 3 cups pulp, leaving a 1/2″ shell intact.
Coarsely chop 1 1/2 cups of pulp; reserve remaining pulp for another use. Brush zucchini shells with 2 tables of the canola oil. Place zucchini shells on baking sheet with cornbread and sprinkle with 1/4 teas of the salt.
Bake zucchini and cornbread at 375 until cornbread is lightly browned; 8-10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350.
Heat remaining 1 tables oil in a large skillet; cook, stirring to crumble, until browned. (about 5-6 min)
Add onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, reserved 1 1/2 cups zucchini pulp and remaining 3/4 teas salt to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in cornbread, white Cheddar cheese, corn (or spinach) and parsley.
Divide chicken mixture evenly among zucchini shells. Place shells in a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350 until filling is lightly browned and zucchini is tender, about 25 minutes.

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized

Thanksgiving Sides

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Since we will have two sets of our kids here for Thanksgiving, I thought I would ask each of them what dish would they want that says, “Thanksgiving” to them. I won’t do that again. Some of the reply’s were fried chicken tenders, mac & cheese, Coke Salad and stuffed jalapeños. Since macaroni and cheese was requested, I began to look for a good recipe and find it I did…In Cook’s Country magazine. So instead of just having a box of Kraft mac & cheese, I think I will treat them to a special dish of gourmet mac! Maybe it will make them want to come back again soon.

8 oz (2 cups) elbow macaroni
salt and pepper
8 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 teas cornstarch
4 tables unsalted butter
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tables all purpose flour
2 teas dry mustard
1/8 teas cayenne pepper
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk (slightly beaten)
2 teas Worcestershire sauce
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat to 375
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add macaroni and 1 teas salt and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Toss milk cheddar with cornstarch in a bowl and set aside.
In now empty saucepan, melt 1 tables butter over medium low heat. Add panko crumbs and stir, cooking until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl and reserve.
Return saucepan to heat and melt remaining 3 tables butter. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 mins.
Stir in flour, mustard, 1/2 teas salt, 3/4 teas pepper and cayenne and cook stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in water and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove cream sauce from heat and whisk in mid cheddar-cornstarch mixture until melted. Whisk in eggs, yolk, Worcestershire. Stir in precooked macaroni. Transfer macaroni mixture to 8″ square baking dish. Sprinkle with sharp cheddar cheese, then panko crumbs. Bake until well browned and set, 20-25 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Casseroles · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Squash Casserole

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6 Tables unsalted butter, divided

3 lb yellow squash, sliced thick (about 5 medium squash)

1 medium size yellow onion, chopped

2 teas kosher salt, divided

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (8 oz) sour cream

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese

2 oz Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 teas chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teas black pepper

2 sleeves round butter crackers (such as Ritz),coarsely crushed

1 oz parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 3 tables butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash, onion and 1 teas salt; cook stirring often, until squash is just tender until liquid has evaporated, about 10 min.

Transfer mixture to a colander, set over bowl. Drain for 5 min; discard any liquid.

Stir eggs, sour cream ,cheddar, swiss, mayo, thyme, pepper and remaining 1 teas salt in a large bowl.  Gently fold in the squash mixture.  Spoon into lightly greased 11×7″ baking dish.

Microwave remaining 3 tables butter in microwave safe bowl until melted. About 15 seconds. Toss the crackers, parmesan cheese and melted butter until combined. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until crackers are golden brown.

*Taken from Southern Living Magazine

Daily Thoughts · Vegetables

Spiraled Zucchini

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When we arrived in Texas on our trip back 2 weeks ago, my sister-in-law welcomed us there with a veggie meal, which I had requested. She makes the best veggies and after two days of Mexican food on the road, we were more than ready to see something green on our plates besides green chiles.

As we sat down to dinner, I saw that she had added a new dish to the ones I had requested. Spiraled Zucchini. Along with fried potatoes with onions, fried cabbage, a pot of beans, cornbread was this awesome dish of zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Not wanting to look like I hadn’t eaten in 3 days, I only requested the bowl to be passed twice, but as we were cleaning up, I ask her if I could just eat what was left in the bowl. It was that good. So here is my first healthy recipe for March.

Spiral 2-3 zucchini (everyone who is anyone, has a spiral cutter, right? I actually just got one from a friend who gave me her old one, since she bought a better much pricier one)

In a skillet, add about 1 tables of olive oil and heat. Add the zucchini and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the squash around making sure it is coated in the oil. After about 3-4 min throw in about 1 cup of cherry tomatoes which you have cut in two. When veggies are tender (about 5 min) sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.  If I hadn’t eaten them up so quickly I should have taken a picture.

Thanks Janece for a great vegetable dinner only to be topped of by your not so healthy, but delicious homemade chocolate cream pie with whipped cream.  And you wonder why we always stay with you? Really?

appetizers · Uncategorized

Green Chile Squares

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Trying to decide what to serve when some of our kids from Texas come in, I went to the queen of Christmas recipes, Paula Deen. The kids had requested King Ranch casserole one night while here, so wanted to have a few side dishes that would compliment it. With a pot of pinto beans and bean and cheese tacos, I thought this would be the perfect dish.

6 eggs

1\2 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

1 tables cayenne pepper sauce

3 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles, with juice

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 1/2 cups grated shar Cheddar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a 12×8″ baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, add the eggs, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper sauce. Mix together until combined.

Add the chiles and both cheeses to a large bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients into the cheese mixture and stir well. Pat the mixture down into the prepared baking dish a bake until the center is from, about 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into small squares and serve.