Pea Salad (short)

 I was given a bag of canned goods as a Christmas gift. You never know what you're going to get. Among the cans given were 2 cans of  Sweet Green Peas.

I wasn't familiar with the brand and sweet green peas are not on my yummy list. However, I was not going to discard them. If I didn't use them I'd give them away.

Luckily, there was a recipe on the back label. I've never had pea salad but judging from the recipe,  it contained many of the same ingredients as in potato salad, pasta salad and broccoli salad. I like all of those. 

This is the outcome of the recipe. It was delicious and I will be making it again. It doesn't hurt to try out something new...in most cases.😉

SWEET POTATO SALAD

 

SWEET POTATO SALAD

I’ve had them baked, candied, chipped and fried. What about in a salad? Would it be the same as a white potato salad? Turns out there’s more than one version, which I expected.  I  consulted many recipes. Among them  All the Healthy Things, tasty.co , eating bird food and more. I  eventually put together my own spin  based on what I had at home.  

One constant in all recipes was that the potatoes needed to be peeled, cubed, drizzled with oil and baked in the oven until tender. 

My salad included:                                       Their salads included:

bed of mixed greens  →                                   kale

charred sweet potatoes➡➡                             same

chopped pecans➡                                            walnuts, chick peas, red beans,

                                                                          avocado,  more  

cheddar cheese➡                                              feta, parmesan          

raisins→                                                            dried cranberries, & more

                                                                           

bacon bits→                                                       chicken, ham  

bottled raspberry vinaigrette🠆                            homemade  vinaigrette                                                                                                            

 

Did I mention I'd made a large casserole of macaroni and cheese?

So, in order to balance things out I had the salad and a portion of mac & cheese.  The rest of this casserole  will be portioned out and frozen for those days when I want mac & cheese. 

SECOND DAY

This time I topped it off with chicken and the vinaigrette.

This salad is a winner in my book. I will be making it again.

 

SHORT: Black-eyed Pea Salad

 Wanting a meatless meal but also wanting to get the necessary nutrients and protein, I tried this salad. I'd heard about it but, had never tried it.  I did make some substitutions and negations.  The following recipe is from Taste of Home.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 each small green, yellow and red peppers, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

• dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine peas, tomatoes, peppers, onion, celery and basil.
2. For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours before serving.

Substitutions and Negations

*I used peas I'd cooked. I  overcooked them but, I'll know better next time.

*I used a regular tomato. No red onion so I used white. No celery so I used cucumber. No basil so I used salt and pepper, added cheese.

*I used bottled vinaigrette  dressing.  

I enjoyed the salad and I'd make it again.

That's it🥗🥗🥗

Cabbage Casserole

 

 I wanted another way to prepare cabbage. That's when I came across Cabbage Casserole. I watched several videos on Cabbage Casserole. After watching the one by Brenda Gant  I chose her method.  Brenda Gant is a  folksy woman. You'd think you were there in her kitchen  drinking a glass of sweet tea as she prepares the dish and tells interesting stories along with her cooking.  

This dish goes by other names and variations. Cabbage pie,  Cabbage and beef casserole, Cheesy Cabbage Casserole with Sausage. Some include tomatoes, mushrooms and other add-ons.  I wanted the simple one.

These are the ingredients.

Roughly chop the cabbage and place in a greased casserole dish.

Mix, mayonnaise, cream of chicken soup and butter

in a bowl and set it to the side.

In another bowl mix the cheese, crumbled crackers and melted butter.  This will be your topping.

Spread the chicken soup, mayo, butter mixture all over the

top of the cabbage.

Sprinkle the cheese, butter, cracker crumb topping on top of the creamy topping. Place in the oven on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

This casserole was delicious but, here and there it was a bit salty. I discovered that the most saltiness was in the crust.  I will make it again but, only after changing  the above mentioned things I noted in the recipe. 

That's it.***

Applesauce Salad & Celery Salad with Apples

 

I had a little trouble finding the Red Hots but, finally did at Family Dollar. They we $1 for 5.5 oz.  They were one of my favorite candies as a child. 

I chose to buy the applesauce in individual servings so that I wouldn't have any leftovers growing moldy after being opened.  The recipe is from Allrecipes.

Applesauce Salad

Try this easily prepared gelatin salad with poultry dishes. It's red colored and red hot!

Prep:  5 mins*  Cook: 10 mins  *Additional: 4 hrs*  Total: 4 hrs 15 mins* Servings: 8

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 cups water
• ½ cup cinnamon red hot candies
• 1 (6 ounce) package cherry flavored Jell-O® mix
• 2 cups applesauce ( each cup was 4 oz.)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

Bring the water to a boil. Dissolve the cinnamon red hot candies in the boiling water. Mix in and dissolve the cherry flavored gelatin. Transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in the applesauce. Chill in the refrigerator 4 hours, or until firmly gelled.

Though I followed the recipe, I feel that the 2 cups of applesauce made the mixture too watery causing it not to set. 

BTW- Red Hots are still as spicy and hot as they always were. I appreciate the familiarity.

Celery Salad with Apples 

Celery can be a waste of money. Use a little bit for a recipe and get left with stalks going bad in the fridge. Plus, it has no personality. Have you ever heard anyone say, "Oh boy, it's got celery in it?"  I searched for celery recipes and found several. This recipe is from, "A Couple Cooks." 

Ingredients

8 celery ribs plus 1/2 cup celery leaves ·      1 red apple ·      1 tablespoon white wine vinegar ·      1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard ·      1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar ·      1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ·      3 tablespoons olive oil ·      1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese INSTRUCTIONS 1.  Thinly slice the celery ribs. Measure out the celery leaves. Thinly slice the red apple. 2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or sugar, and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil one tablespoon at a time. 3.  In another bowl, toss together the celery and celery leaves with the apple, dressing, and Parmesan cheese shavings. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. This tastes best the day of making, but you can refrigerate leftovers for a few days (refresh them with a little vinegar or salt if necessary).   I didn't like it. I ate the apples and cheese out of it and threw the rest away. That's it. *** ReplyForward

Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust (copied from the -lowcarb-diet.com)

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 3 oz. tomato sauce I used Hunt’s Tomato Sauce

Special Equipment

• Grater or Food Processor

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 and line a pizza pan with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, rice (grate) the head of cauliflower with a grater or food processor.
3. Microwave riced cauliflower for 5 minutes and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
4. Once cooled, wrap cauliflower in a thin kitchen towel and wring moisture from cauliflower.
5. Mix egg, ½ cup of cheese, 2 teaspoons of oregano and 2 teaspoons of dried basil with riced cauliflower.
6. Pat cauliflower mix on lined pizza pan and place into oven for 25 minutes.
7. Spoon tomato sauce, sprinkle ½ cup cheese, and add desired toppings. Place back into oven and cook for 5-8 minutes or until toppings have melted.

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 Slice (Entire pizza cut into 8 slices)
Protein 5.34g, Carbs 3.45g, Fiber 1.43g -- NET CARBS: 2.02g

                                            xxxxx

The recipe didn't say what type of cheese to use. My Italian friends have taught me to

use only Mozzarella cheese. Orange cheese is a No, no!👆

 

Mix in the seasonings and other ingredients.

FAILED. Not what I expected. Obviously.

Though I followed the directions, here's what I'd do differently next time.
1. Add a little salt to the cauliflower mixture.
2. I wouldn't spread the mixture as thin as I did.
3. Reduce the cooking time and/or watch the crust as it cooks.

Though this is a FAIL⊗, I'll be trying it again in the future.
That's it***

next time: Keto Ice Cream

I went on a Cooking Spree (11 photos)

Basil from the garden: Before and after.

Presto!- Pesto

What do you do when you buy a bag of SOUR grapes?

Rinse the grapes

 You make Grape Salad.

Halve the grapes so that they can absorb the sweetness you'll be adding.

The brown sugar and pecans really dress it up.

 Find a recipe online

The results. Deee-licious

 Miniature eggplant grown in a pot +  one from the farmer's market.

I chose not to peel mine. Rinse and slice about 1/4 of an inch.

Find a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan.

My recipe came from an old cookbook I was given over 35 years ago. But, you can always  go online or ask Alexa.

Here is the Eggplant Parmesan before I put it in the oven.

After pulling it out of the oven. It was delicious.

Squash Casserole

I had so much squash and really got tired of it. But, I would make the casserole, portion it out and freeze it. I used a recipe that my Mom got from one of her friends who was an excellent cook.

*THAT'S  ALL