Roasted Potato Logs

 

You Will Need:

• 3 Medium Russet Potatoes (washed, scrubbed and sliced into wedges lengthwise)
• 2-3 tsp. or so of Olive oil or Canola oil
• Seasoning (Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Mrs. Dash Original)

Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees. Grease large baking pan with about 1 tsp. of oil, until nicely coated, (I use a spray bottle that I have filled with canola or olive oil), then lay potato wedges single layer on the pan. Use a spray bottle of oil and spray the tops of the potato wedges and then season by sprinkling on the desired seasonings. (If you don't have a spray bottle to spray the oil, you can place the potato wedges in a bowl, add the oil and use your  hands to coat them with oil). Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them with a spatula, and bake another 10 minutes, turn them and bake an additional 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Cooking times can vary with ovens so adjust the cooking time if needed. 

Note: Below is the type of spray bottle that I use for spraying my pan and potatoes with oil, it works great and I can be sure that nothing has been added to my potatoes but the oil that I have put in my bottle. (You can find cooking spray bottles at various places, mine came from Temu).

And here is what the potatoes look like spread out on my baking pan, after they are done. I make sure that there is plenty of room for the potatoes and that they are single layer, and are spread out so they won't be on top of each other, giving them room to cook.

Serves 3-4 

Enjoy! 

Jasmine Rice with Onion and Garlic

For This Recipe You Will Need:

• 1 cup Jasmine Rice (this amount of rice yields 3 cups cooked rice/4 servings)
• 1 1/2 cups water (for cooking rice)
• 3/4  Yellow Onion (medium sized chopped)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (fresh peeled and minced)
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• Sprinkle of Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

First cook Jasmine Rice. In a medium pot add 1 1/2 cups water and sprinkle of salt, bring to a boil on high heat, add the 1 cup rice, stir well and then cover and reduce heat to low. I like to keep an eye on it and in a minute or so I like to stir it again, cook for 15 minutes. When done (you can check for doneness by taking a few pieces of rice out of the pot with a spoon and let it cool enough to be able to hold it and squeeze it between your fingers, and it is done if it is tender and it does not have any grainy seedy texture), when done fluff rice with fork and stir in the pot scraping the bottom of the pot, and then set aside with the lid off to cool for a little while. In a large skillet, add 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon canola oil, and 3/4 yellow onion, cook on medium high heat stirring occasionally until chopped onion is lightly browned, then add minced garlic and stir about a minute or two until garlic is fragrant, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, stir together with the onion and garlic mixture, cook for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly, until rice is warmed up again, and any moisture is absorbed. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 Servings

Serve as a side dish, eat it by itself, or make it a meatless main dish served in a bowl with steamed veggies. It is good to me with some steamed California Style Mixed Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix). 

Enjoy!

Healthy Meatless Garbanzo Spaghetti with a Side of Roasted Zucchini

 

For The Garbanzo Spaghetti You Will Need:

• 2 tsp. Olive Oil or Canola Oil
• 1/2 Yellow Onion (chopped)
• 1/4 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (chopped fine)
• 1 Can Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) 15 oz. drained
•  2  (8 oz.) Cans Tomato Sauce No Salt Added
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Basil
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• Thin Spaghetti Noodles pkg.
• 1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese reduced fat (for topping)
• Sprinkle of Powdered Parmesan Cheese (for topping)

Add oil to a large skillet, add onion and bell pepper cook on medium until tender, add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, add drained beans, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and black pepper, bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Season the sauce to taste with salt and more black pepper before serving. Serve over spaghetti noodles and top with reduced cheddar cheese and sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

Makes 2 Servings

Serve with Garlic Bread, a Salad or a side dish of Roasted Zucchini (below)

RECIPE FOR SIDE DISH OF ROASTED ZUCCHINI

You Will Need:

• 2 Fresh Zucchini (sliced)
• 1/2 Yellow Onion (sliced a little bit thicker than you slice the zucchini)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (peeled and sliced into pieces)
• Olive Oil or Canola Oil
• Salt Free Dash Seasoning (Original Flavor)
• Sea Salt 
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spray large sheet pan with generous amount of olive oil or canola oil, place the zucchini and onions in a medium bowl and coat with a small amount of oil about 1 tsp. In a separate small bowl coat the garlic with some oil and set aside. Next, place the slices of zucchini as flat and evenly on the pan as possible, laying the onions over the zucchini. They roast better is they are not piled up onto the pan. Season with a generous sprinkling of  Salt Free Dash Seasoning. I like to add a little sprinkle of sea salt too, (but you if you are on a salt restricted diet you can leave out the sea salt), I also add a light sprinkle of black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder for more flavor. 

Roast in oven for 10 minutes, then turn the vegetables with a wide spatula and cook for another 10 minutes, then turn vegetables again, and roast, do this every 10 minutes until desired tenderness. Ovens will vary, but mine usually takes about 30-40 minutes to cook, we like them very tender. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add in the cut up garlic pieces. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven and also depending on how thick you slice the zucchini. 

Tip: I like to slice the onions a little thicker than the zucchini because it tends to cook faster, also for softer garlic, you can add your garlic to the pan during the last 10 minutes of cooking. I sometimes add all the veggies at the same time, and I sometimes add the garlic last 10 minutes or so. I like it both ways, but it just tends to get over done if not careful on the garlic.  

Serve this easy flavorful side veggie with Garbanzo Spaghetti.  It always makes a great side dish veggie with any meal as well. Great for a snack too!

Enjoy! 

Quick Sweet Carrots

 

You will need: 

• 1 can carrots (undrained) 
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
• sprinkle of sea salt
• sprinkle of cinnamon

In a small pot, place undrained carrots, brown sugar and sea salt and cinnamon, add more water if needed to just cover the carrots, bring to a boil, then simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Dressing

 

       Please overlook the photo of my dressing. It tastes much better than it looks! Of course, I forgot to get a picture of it on my plate with the fixings and before cutting into it.....and so there you have it, maybe I can get a better picture of it next time I make it and I'll try to update the photo when I make it again. At the request of my oldest son.... here's the recipe....

First, cook a small chicken or hen in a large pot with a little bit of salt and pepper and covered with water, ( I used a cornish game hen, it was frozen and I thawed it in the refrigerator a couple of days before I needed it).  Bring it to a boil and then slightly cover the pot and reduce the heat until it is at a slow boil, cook it for about 40 minutes or so, or until when you poke a fork into the thigh there is no blood, when done, set broth aside for the dressing. 

 While waiting for the chicken or hen to cook,  you can cut up 1/2 cup onion and 1/2 cup celery and cook in about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of butter, until tender, set aside, you will add this to the Dressing. (tip: you can cut up onion and celery a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator. 

Next make the Egg Bread, Preheat Oven to 375 degrees 

For The Egg Bread You Will Need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups Pollard's Fine White Corn Meal ( or Hoover's White Corn Meal)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• sprinkle of salt

Mix above ingredients and bake in a greased iron skillet or baking pan for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Then crumble the egg bread into an extra large bowl, use a biscuit cutter or fork to crumble it up well. 

Now You Are Ready To Make The Dressing

For The Dressing:

Add the cooked celery and onion to the bowl of crumbled egg bread, add a little salt and pepper to taste, add in some of the chicken (or hen) broth slowly and a little at the time, until it is a little bit soupy, season more the taste. Tip: If mixture gets too soupy you can add in some crumbled white bread to absorb some of the broth. Next, pour it into a 13x9 inch greased casserole dish or baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with the chicken that you boiled, or turkey or ham and all the fixings!

Enjoy! 

     This recipe is a 5th generation recipe... it goes back to my Dad's Mama's Mama. I got it from my Grandma C. (dad's mama), in 2013, when she was 86 years old. She is now 93 years old. I am so happy to have this delicious dressing recipe. Grandma didn't have an actual recipe to give me, because she's always just made it the way her mama did... and she'd learned by watching her mama make it.... but she gave me instructions over the phone and I wrote everything down according to her instructions and she'd say,  "put in about this much and about that much." She had just done it so many times, I don't think she really measured it. But anyhow, the instructions she gave to me makes it turn out great and it's not hard to make. 

     My grandma was a simple cook and she taught me how to cook back when I was a teenager, (many years ago). I spent a lot of time with her in her kitchen and I will always cherish the time spent with her way back then. I hold those days very close to my heart.  She is a beautiful, sweet and humble lady. She's precious....one of the most soft spoken, and patient people that I know. Below I've included a scanned picture of her when she was a young lady. I'm so glad to have this picture to include with the recipe.

I'm so happy to have this recipe to pass down to the next generation so that they can cook it too! 

Cucumber Salad with Parmesan Cheese

You Will Need: 

• 3 cucumbers (peeled, sliced, and seeded
• 1-2 roma tomatoes (sliced and diced)
• 1/4 of a small red onion (diced) or 1-2 green onions chopped
• 1/4 cup oil (canola)
• 1/2 tsp. salt and more to taste
• pepper to taste
• dash of sugar or more to taste
• parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top)

Mix the ingredients together, the longer it sits the better it tastes, refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with Ritz cracker or Captain Wafer crackers. Will keep up to 5 days refrigerated. 

Enjoy! 

Easy Mexican Rice

You Will Need:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1/8 cup oil
• 4 oz. of tomato sauce (1/2 of a small can)
• 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 Tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• dash of cumin
• dash of black pepper
• dash of garlic powder

Heat oil, rice and optional onion in a non-stick skillet on med-high heat, add rice, stir often and cook until it becomes a golden brown color, then add other ingredients to skillet and stir, cover and reduce heat, and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork.
Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Dressing Recipe Great- Grandma's Southern Recipe

A special post... This is a 5th generation recipe. It has been a tradition in our family for many years...and I'm sure it will be for many more years to come. Now Great-Grandma never had an official recipe that she  followed, she just had it in her mind and knew what to do from watching it made over the years by her mama, but as the years went by, my Grandma T. wanted her children and grandchildren to be able to make this recipe in the years to come, when she could no longer make it for us anymore, so she managed to come up with a written recipe for us to follow. I'm so glad she took the time to do this!

I know at first glace of this post and recipe, It may seem like a lot of trouble to make, but it is well worth the effort. If you don't have a traditional recipe to cook every single holiday that everyone loves, I encourage you to find one, and start one and  let a tradition begin with you. I love tradition...there's something about it that warms the heart and soul. Maybe my Great-grandma's recipe might become yours, if you don't already have a favorite. 

Special Note: Please read the entire recipe before you begin, there are things you can do ahead of time to save you time later. Make sure to plan on several hours for this recipe.... way before your guests are expected to arrive, because it does take some extra time, not because it is hard, but  because there are several steps that take additional time...like the boiling of the chicken for the broth and boiling your eggs, and making the egg bread for the dressing. If you want to you can make some preparations (like the egg bread) ahead of time, you can make it the night before, and refrigerate it. I usually don't do this,  but that's what some of my family members do who fix this recipe.  That saves you time  the next day... when other foods are needing to be cooked in the oven and made in the kitchen. Especially if you are having a lunch gathering and are pressed for time. I usually have an evening gathering so I do all of my work the same day. Well, I think I've rambled on long enough and I have thought of everything I can to help you with this recipe. Now on with the fun... 

**First you will need to cook (boil) a chicken, or hen in order to get some good broth to cook in the dressing.

What you will need to do first is wash chicken pieces. In a large dutch oven pot put a whole chicken, hen or cut up chicken pieces and cover with water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, reduce heat and slow boil it on medium heat until it is done, about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the chicken or pieces. It's done when it's poked with a fork and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from broth and SAVE THE BROTH, you will need the broth for the dressing recipe. You can cut up the chicken meat and save it to eat with the dressing or just save it and use the it for a different chicken recipe, that's what I do when I am cooking a holiday ham or turkey, it's up to you, you will need the broth for sure so be sure not pour it out.  

Now it's time to  "Make the Egg Bread" 

For this you will need:

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 eggs beaten well
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspon baking soda
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• White cornmeal such as Hoover's Fine milled.  Note: I wouldn't substitute yellow cornmeal for white, because I'm sure it will not taste the same. Note:You will not be using the entire bag of cornmeal, you will just use a portion of it, you will be adding it in the bowl until you get  the right consistency which I'll explain more later.  

First melt butter in a skillet add chopped onion and celery, cook on med low heat until tender stirring occasionally.

Note: Divide the cooked celery and onion mixture in half and set it aside... save this other half  for the second part of the recipe.

In a mixing bowl hand mix buttermilk, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oil and beaten eggs.  Mix well and now add enough corn meal, a little at the time, to make this as thick as when you are making muffins, then add half of the cooked onion celery mixture. Now, Pour in a greased iron skillet or 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven around 15 minutes, or until golden brown, keep an eye on it.   

It will look like this when it's done. Let it cool and then crumble this up into a large mixing bowl so you can stir in the other ingredients that follows:



• 2 slices of white bread crumbled
• 2 beaten eggs
• salt and pepper generously sprinkled
• 1/2 stick of melted butter
• 2 chopped boiled eggs
• other half of cooked celery and onion mixture
•  chicken broth that you saved,slowly pour in enough broth to make the mix soupy, if you don't end up with enough broth to make it soupy, water can be added.

Pour it in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan or casserole dish and bake it in a preheated 450 degree oven about 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown.

It will look like this before it goes in the oven...and

It will look like this when it's done

Serve with chilled cranberry sauce and your favorite meat and side veggie..... this time mine so happens to be roasted chicken legs and green beans....but during the holidays it will be turkey and ham and every other side veggie you can think of.

I hope that you enjoy this old-fashioned southern dressing recipe! If you should have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will reply back to you.

Enjoy!

Before I close, I wanted to add a scanned picture of my Great-Grandma (on the left), with her daughter, My "Grandma T." (on the right), the baby is my uncle. This picture was taken I think in the mid 1940's. It's the only one I have of them together.  I'm so honored to have it and so proud to be able to post it with the recipe.  

  Homemade dressing cooked in my kitchen always takes me back in time and it brings back wonderful times spent with family and my precious beautiful and sweet Grandma T.  This post is a tribute to all the grandma's out there... For YOU are so  special, more special  than you know.  God Bless you all..... for you have done great things. You've passed down your cooking skills and so so much more.  Thank you  :)

Note to Self ... 
 No matter how many times you make this recipe, it will never be as good as grandma's was. It just won't. Don't know why.  On her written copy, surely she left out a secret ingredient.  Or did she?  The world may never know, but no matter how many times you are told this tastes just like grandma's tasted, never mind it.... you know better, hers will always be the best in the world to you. Yep, grandma's  and their cooking... are just that special.

Southern Fried Rice with Bacon, Ham, and Carrots

This quick Recipe is courtesy of my husband's mother...my version varies a little from hers because there is not really a recipe. The reason I say this is because she just throws it all together.... I was given no real measurements, but I have watched her years ago, and saw how she made this and this is what I came up with. Of course, I think it's not as good as her version, but it's pretty yummy. This is a recipe that you can season to taste and add what you like to it, .....you can vary the ingredients according to your taste buds seasoning with salt and pepper to taste on this. Rice is so versatile.

What you will need:

• 1 Box of Success Brown Rice (this is the boil in the bag rice and you will be using 2 of the 4 bags that the box comes with). Cook Rice according to the package directions and set aside or you can cook regular white rice or jasmine rice. 
• 4 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine
• 2 Slices Bacon (Optional)
• 1/2 Vidalia onion chopped or a couple of green onions chopped
• 1 Carrot peeled and grated
• 2-3  Slices of cooked smoked ham cut into small pieces, (I used about a hand size piece of left over ham steak, but you can purchase ham steaks or use the deli ham slices cut up)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions, set aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet on medium heat until it is done, (slightly crispy), remove bacon from skillet, and after it's cooled, chip it up and set aside for later. Add butter to the bacon grease along with the onion, and carrots, saute' until they are tender, about 10-15 minutes, then add the cooked ham and cook for an additional 5 minutes until it is warmed. Add cooked rice and cooked bacon back to the skillet, stir and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover for about 5-10 minutes until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

I serve this as a side dish with grilled meats or barbecue dishes and baked beans, but since there is meat in this dish you can always add more meat to the rice and serve it as a main dish.

Enjoy !

For a healthier lower saturated fat version, leave out the bacon and ham, and cut the margarine or butter by half.