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Smoked salmon, or any fish actually, on a nice toasted bagel with cream cheese is just a wonderful breakfast. Here is a brine for salmon I use before it goes in the smoker.

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 salt
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce

Mix all of the above in a bowl with a whisk to incorporate thoroughly. In a 13×9″ pan pour a little of the brine in the bottom of the pan. Next place the salmon to be smoked in the pan and pour the balance of the brine over the salmon to cover. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Place salmon on a rack to drain overnight. Follow your smoker instructions and using alder wood chips, smoke the salmon for 6 hours.

Tags: fish, smoked salmon
Posted in Breakfast, Side Dish, Snacks | No Comments »

One of my favorite fruits, papaya, is mixed here with sweet crab meat and curry. Placed back in the papaya “bowl” made from the peel.

• 2 ripe papayas
• 2 cups flaked cooked crab meat
• 2 tbsp finely chopped green onion tops or chives
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
• mint for garnish

Cut the papayas in half lengthwise and carefully remove all seeds. Use a melon baller and scoop out the papaya pulp. Be careful not rip the skin which will be the shell for the meal.

In a frying pan toast the sunflower seeds lightly and let cool. In a mixing bowl lightly toss the toasted seeds, crab meat, chives, lemon juice and curry powder with the papaya balls and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 papaya shells and garnish with the mint sprig. Serve as a side dish or light salad with dinner or lunch.

Tags: crab, papaya
Posted in Appetizer, Fruit, Side Dish, Spice | No Comments »

These are a great side dish for any BBQ main meat dish. Colorful, great flavor and simple. I like to serve these with a jalapeno mint jelly!

• 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno rings
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl combine the corn kernels, red pepper, green onion and jalapenos. Sprinkle this vegetable mixture with the cumin, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper – stir to blend thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Spoon the batter a 1/4 cup at a time, into the pan and cook the fritters about 2 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Turn and cook another 2 minutes.

Tags: corn, jalapenos, red peppers
Posted in Side Dish, Vegetable | No Comments »

My mom taught and showed me so many things, but cooking was a favorite thing we both enjoyed doing together and sharing. When she passed away my Dad asked if I wanted anything of hers and I asked if I could go through her cookbooks and recipes so I could pass on my favorites and keep the memories alive. Here is a simple white bean meal I always loved. Very simple and with a salad and crusty french bread it is a wonderful meal.

• 1 small bag of white navy beans
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans overnight in water covering the beans by 1 inch. Drain the water and add fresh water to cover by 1 inch in a large stock pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are soft, but not mushy. At this point she added fresh franks from the butcher and cooked for an additional 20 minutes, but sometimes I like to add chicken or leave alone. Season to taste.

Tags: Beans
Posted in Side Dish | No Comments »

Delicious, easy and perfect with roasted chicken.

• 6-8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat completely. Place potatoes in a 13″x9″ baking pan sprayed with Pam. Bake these for 40 minutes until crispy.

Tags: dijon mustard, potato
Posted in Side Dish | 1 Comment »

These are great to make in large batches and kept in the refrigerator for easy snacking. Cold, crisp and full of spicy goodness.

• 4 cups fresh green beans trimmed and washed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh dill
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp pickling salt
• 2 fresh red peppers

Wash jelly jars, keep hot and prepare the lids per manufacturers instructions. Boil vinegar water. Distribute seasonings in each jar and fill each with the raw green beans leaving 1/2″ space on top. Pour the hot brine in each jar and lightly run a spatula around the inside to release any air bubbles. Wipe the top with a clean cloth and place on lid and seal. Process the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place for 6 weeks.

Tags: canning, dill, green beans
Posted in Side Dish, Snacks, Vegetable | No Comments »

Roasted onions you say? Why yes, they are incredibly delicious and so easy to make and the aromatic smell will get your mouth watering. This one  you need to plan ahead for as the onions marinate overnight before roasting.

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 medium onions

Preheat oven to 400˚. Blend ingredients and pour into a roasting pan. Cut onion lengthwise through skins and place skin side up in marinade. Marinate overnight. Bake in lower third of oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Tags: onion, roasted, vinegar
Posted in Side Dish, Vegetable | No Comments »

I think I got this recipe from a friend of a friend at a party. One of those where when you first tried it thought, this is easy and good.  The simple ingredient that will surprise you are frozen hash browns. I find any recipe with “crushed corn flakes” a first sign that you might be a red neck! Well it appears to be white trash cooking, but it sure is delicious.

• 1 pkg Orida frozen hash browns, thawed
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 pint sour cream
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups crushed corn flakes
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease a 9×13″ dish. Mix together first seven ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl mix the crushed corn flakes and melted butter, lightly crumble mixture over top of potato mixture and bake for 45 minutes.

Tags: corn flakes, hash browns, potato, sour cream
Posted in Side Dish | No Comments »

This is one to plan ahead and prepare the night before, it is worth the extra effort. This is extremely filling and can easily feed six people. The egg soaked sourdough bread adds such a nice tangy flavor to the rich Gouda cheese and spinach. For those who don’t know what a strata is in cooking, here is a quick explanation. It is made with layers of different ingredients placed over a base of day old bread and freshly grated cheese, covered with a mixture of eggs and milk, and then baked.

• 4 Italian hot sausages, removed from casings
• 4 tbsp butter
• 6-8 slices of sourdough bread
• 1 10oz. can of spinach or fresh frozen, thawed and drained
• 1/2 lb freshly grated Gouda cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350˚. In a skillet brown sausage and break up any lumps, drain and set aside. Grease a 8″x8″ baking dish with some butter and with the remaining spread it over the bread slices. Place 3 slices butter side up, squeeze to fit. Layer half the spinach, then cheese, then sausage over bread. Place remaining bread slices on top, butter side down this time and top with the remaining spinach, cheese and sausage.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, and spices until blended. Pour this mixture over the layered strata pan slowly to absorb completely. Cover this with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Bake the strata uncovered for 1 hour or until it has risen and is a golden brown.
Let cool enough to slice and enjoy.

Tags: Gouda, sausage, spinach, strata
Posted in Breakfast, Side Dish | No Comments »

This isn’t your average, straight from the can, jellied spread. This is an amazing mix of flavors and texture. Great for the traditional holiday feast or like I do, have a scoop on my cottage cheese for breakfast added to sliced strawberries and nuts.

• 12 oz or large package of Cherry Jello
• 2 cups of water
• 1 bag or 2 cups of fresh cranberries
• 1 medium orange (use both grated rind and juice)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced fine
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve jello in hot water, right in pan. I use a glass 8″ x 8″, and stir completely until clear. Grind the cranberries and orange segments along with the sugar in a food processor. Keep in mind this can be left chunky, but small. Do not over process until smooth!

In a mixing bowl, pour the cranberry orange mixture in and combine with the nuts, grated orange zest and sliced celery. Toss well to combine and pour mixture into jello pan and stir to mix thoroughly. Place the dish in the refrigerator to set. I stir the firm jello to mix it up before serving.

Tags: cherry, cranberry, jello, nuts
Posted in Breakfast, Side Dish | No Comments »