Reusable Recipes: Salad Edition

I hesitate to share this first recipe because it seems to be well known. I've seen it at potlucks (which doesn't surprise me because it is so delicious) but just because my corner of the world knows it, doesn't mean the rest of the world does!

Chicken Cabbage Salad

1/2 head cabbage, cut up
2 oz. chopped or slivered almonds
1 pkg. chicken ramen, noodles only--uncooked and broken into bits
3 green onions, cut up
2 chicken breasts, cooked & cut up (seasoned grilled chicken makes it even better)

Mix. In separate bowl combine:

Spice packet from the ramen noodles
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup salad oil (I don't really know what salad oil is:
I always use 1/4 cup each of olive and vegetable oil)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix and pour over salad. Toss, chill, and enjoy.

I discovered the following recipe in a Taste Of Home magazine (except I added the sunflower seeds) and it has blessed my life ever since.

Crab and Pea Salad

2 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas
1 pkg. (16 oz.) imitation crab meat, flaked
12-16 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/8 cup sunflower seeds

Reusable Recipes: Meat Edition

When I got married, my paternal grandmother gave me an empty cookbook. It has become the special cookbook, because only tried-and-loved recipes get recorded on its pages; recipes for special occasions, and recipes that get used over and over again.

I learned my three favorite meat recipes from my foster mother, who is now a vegetarian. All I have to say about that is I am glad I lived with her while these meals were still on the menu, because they are YUMMY!

And here they are:

Pulled Pork (We always called it shredded pork when I lived with them, but I have decided this name is more fitting [plus, I love alliteration!])

Cook a picnic pork shoulder, fat side up, covered, in a 300 degree oven overnight or 6-8 hours. Make sauce while it cools (or whenever you want). Separate meat from bones and fat. Pull meat into small strands; place in 9 x 13 pan. Cover with sauce. Heat in oven, stirring a few times and then broil if desired.

Sauce: Warm in pan: 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 1/3 cup ketchup/catsup, 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon pepper,
2 teaspoons salt. Stir well, until everything is dissolved together.

This dish makes a delicious leftover too!

Sweet Taco Meat (This may sound strange to you, but it is better than you can imagine. Serve on soft tortillas with your choice of taco toppings and ranch dressing or sour cream.)

Brown 2 pounds ground beef. Drain. Add in pan: 1 envelope dry onion soup mix, 1 cup ketchup/catsup/tomato sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for a half an hour, stirring occasionally.

I realize that most of the ingredients in this recipe are the same as the pulled pork, which explains why I love it so much!

Oven-Fried Chicken

Crush 2 cups of cornflakes and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt and a few dashes of pepper. Dip chicken pieces (about 2 and a half to 3 pounds) in 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine. Roll in bread mixture (No, not you. The chicken!) and place in a greased 9 x 13. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and butter. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hr. Don't turn (No, not you. The chicken!)

I often think of Amelia Bedelia (my namesake) when I read or write recipes, can you tell?

At the Salad Bar

This is probably a silly thing to blog about. But this is my blog, & right now I want to talk about SALAD. My foster family (& Chuck-a-Rama) always had the best salad bars because they usually had my favorite toppings. For the sake of my personal history, I will now describe my perfect green salad. This may be more important than you think: they may be serving this exact recipe at my descendants' family reunions for years into the far future.

Foundation:
Fresh, Crisp Greens (For me, the more variety in the mix, the better. My sister grows the best greens: organic lettuces with tasty tiny baby greens of all flavors. Masterpiecefull!)

Toppings:

• Peas (1. Good: frozen peas, thawed 2. Better: sprouted peas 3. Best: peas from the garden = one of my favorite things!)
• Carrots (1. Good: sliced 2. Better: shredded 3. Best: small juliennes)
• Cucumbers (1. Good: sliced 2. Best: sliced, then halved)
• Tomatoes (I am not much of a tomato fan--I almost left them off my list. However, garden tomatoes are good on a salad & I can also eat halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes [on a salad] with a smile on my face)
• Sprouts (1. No, not alfalfa sprouts 2. No, not mung (bean) sprouts 3. Best: sprouted Pro-Vita-Mix)
• Baby Spinach (if it's not already in the greens where it should be!)
• Broccoli (small trees)
• Cauliflower (small flowers)
• Olives (green & black, please)
• Mushrooms (sliced, then halved)
• Beans (kidney, black, pinto, garbanzo: pick one or two)
• Pineapple (tidbits)
• Raisins
• Dried Cranberries (aka Craisins®)
• Ham Dices
• Boiled Egg Slices (I feel a poem coming on)
• Ranch Dressing (unless I'm trying to lose weight...then I use those yummy salad spritzers)
• Cheese (1. Good: cheddar 2. Best: Swiss & Parmesan)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Almond Slivers
• Bacon Bits
• Croutons (small is best)

Now I'm salivating. We are eating SALAD for dinner tomorrow! Wait. I have to soak & cook beans & sprout sprouts & buy ham & Craisins® & sunflower seeds & bacon bits first...we are eating SALAD in two days!

Other toppings at the salad bars of family & food joints that I sometimes take or leave:

• Avocado
• Shredded jícama
• Slices of raw yams
• Artichoke hearts
• Corn (I think baby corn is best...I love miniatures!)
• Onions (green, purple...I'd go with chives instead, but that's just me)
• Bell peppers (I prefer yellow or red)
• Diced turkey or chicken
• Pickles (although I'd rather have dilly beans [pickled green beans with a hint of cayenne pepper])
• Celery (no thanks)
• Beets
• Cottage cheese
• Mandarin oranges

It may seem I have complicated salad, which is why we usually eat salad with just carrots & cucumbers with toppings on the table of whatever we have on hand (which often ends up being peas, tomatoes, raisins, croutons, & dressing). Oh, but a salad BAR...I could get drunk there! Only joking: I'm a Mormon, so I don't drink.