Don't let this terrible photo fool you, these BAKED onion rings are delicious, light as air, super crispy and packed with flavor!!

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1 medium size (sweet) onion*
1 1/2 cups corn flakes
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1 large egg
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
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Cut both ends off of an onion and then cut the onion into four thick slices. Separate the rings.

Put the corn flakes and bread crumbs in the food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs, then put them in a bowl and set aside.
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In a separate bowl, mix the egg, buttermilk, flour, cayenne and black pepper. 
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Dip the raw onion rings into the batter and then set them on a baking rack so the excess batter drips off.
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Put 2 tablespoons canola oil on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in a 450 degree oven for 2 minutes to preheat. 

After 2 minutes, remove the pan and tilt it around to redistribute the oil. Quickly coat the battered rings into the dry bread crumb mixture and place on the hot baking sheet.

Bake for 16 minutes at 450 (turn them over half way through). Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt.

*NOTE: I don't know if these would be as good with a plain yellow onion. We like sweet onions.

ENJOY !!!

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December 05, 2021

This recipe is one of my original recipes; it is also one that I could probably "live on" if need be (I like it just that much!!) It is my "go to" recipe when picky-picky husband is grilling some huge slab-o-meat (and I want something a little lighter).

This recipe is also very quick and easy, made with pantry staples and if you double (or triple) it, it would be wonderful for a potluck.

 

1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup
4 ounce can of mild green chili's
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans
1 small seeded and diced jalapeno (if you love extra heat)

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another 1/2 cup of water and the mild green chili's (and jalapeno if you are using it....I don't think it's necessary.

Stir well and bring to a boil.

Put a tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook for 17 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: "Toasting" the spices in the oil/raw rice mixture at the beginning of this recipe really "wakes up" the spices and helps the flavor get deep into the rice.

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August 06, 2021

I am trying out new "go with" side dishes in preparation for spring grilling (even though we still have knee high+ snow where I live).

This super simple, super light, super tasty salad is a winner at our house. It is basically just baby spinach, orange segments, avocado, minced red onion and toasted/sliced almonds. 

The orange segments make the salad so juicy, that you don't even need a dressing, although there is an excellent orange vinaigrette (at the bottom of this recipe) for those who would like one. 

This salad is refreshing, quick to fix and goes great with ANY main dish.

4 cups fresh baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large Haas avocado peeled, and sliced

1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted

This recipe makes 4 salads. Rinse and dry baby spinach and divide onto four plates. Slice the ends of the orange off and use a knife to peel the orange. Slice in between the segments so you get only the best part of the orange. Arrange the orange and avocado on the spinach. sprinkle with a little minced red onion and top with toasted nuts.

Orange Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
pinch of coarse black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

Place in a small jar with lid, and shake hard. Store in fridge. 

ENJOY !!!

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March 26, 2021

Up until now...I have avoided homemade french fries because they don't turn out very well. In an attempt to make a "good" french fry, I've tried many potato varieties; I've tried various oils and temperatures; I've tried double frying them (what a hassle that was!) and I've tried baking them... they all come out of the oil LOOKING great but turn limp and greasy in a matter of minutes.

Then, recently, I came across this very simple recipe.  Assuming this technique was just "too easy" to produce great results, I didn't even mention the recipe "experiment" before I served them to Hubby.

After about the third french fry, picky-picky hubby offered this unsolicited critique: "these fries are REALLY good"... I knew I had a winner.  I will definitely be using this super easy method the next time we decide to treat ourselves to some fries.

2 pounds of Russet potatoes (make sure they are Russet potatoes)
2 tablespoons corn starch
peanut oil   (peanut oil works the best)
kosher salt

Slice the potatoes into shoestring size pieces, trying to make them as even as possible. Rinse the cut potatoes thoroughly and put them in a big bowl of plain cold water in the fridge until dinner time (at least an hour, but overnight is even better).

Take the potatoes out of the cold water and lay them on an absorbent towel, blotting most of the water off. Coat the potatoes lightly with the cornstarch and shake off the excess.  Let them air dry on a baking rack while the peanut oil heats up to 375°.

A WORD ABOUT THE OIL:  You will get the best french fries using peanut oil; it has a high scorch level and tastes great. You can also use regular vegetable oil, but avoid Canola oil. Canola oil tastes a little "off" if you bring it up to 375 degrees. I was surprised what a difference peanut oil makes.

When the oil reaches 375°, put a big handful of the cornstarch coated potatoes in the oil and stir gently to separate them.  After they've fried for a minute or so, stir them again to make sure they aren't sticking together (don't overcrowd your pan).

When the potatoes are light golden brown, take them out of the oil and put them on paper towels to wick away some of the oil. Sprinkle generously with KOSHER SALT (it tastes so much better than regular table salt on the french fries).

That's it!! No more limp, greasy french fries (and NO more double frying!!). Who knew that russet potatoes, a little soak time, a little corn starch and some peanut oil would make such a great french fry?!?!

NOTE ABOUT CUTTING THE POTATOES: Peel (or wash) the potatoes and cut the sides of the potatoes off (making sort of a rectangle). This will give your potato flat sides to rest on while you slice through the potato.  Stack the potato "slabs" and cut into shoestring size potatoes.

Russet's are those big baking potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

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January 01, 2021

These are absolutely the best home made pancakes we have ever eaten!! They are super tall, light and fluffy and yet they don't get all mushy when syrup is added.

Since I first cross-posted this recipe over on Pinterest,  almost 2 MILLION people have visited the recipe .... it is just THAT tasty... I promise!!

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar (see note)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used 3)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes to "sour". This is an important step and it is called "soured milk" which is much different that sour milk. I guarantee you will NOT taste the vinegar in the final product. Set this aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the soured milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter together. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until most of the lumps are gone, but DO NOT OVER BEAT!!

The batter will be thick, don't add any more liquid. LET THE BATTER SIT UNDISTURBED FOR TEN MINUTES!! 

After 10 minutes, you will see bubbles in the batter, very important: DO NOT STIR AGAIN.

GENTLY dip out (don't pour out) 1/2 cup of batter and place it on a buttered grill or frying pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and then flip with a spatula and brown the other side.

NOTE: This recipe only feeds about 3 or 4 people, but doubles or even triples nicely.

NOTE:  Don't skip the soured milk part of this recipe, you will not taste the vinegar in the pancakes. The vinegar super-activates the baking soda.

NOTE: A few people have written to me and said that their pancakes weren't quite as fluffy or tall as mine. I suspect they are stirring the batter just before cooking the pancakes.

Stirring or pouring the batter essentially deflates the air bubbles in the batter. Personally, I use a half cup measuring cup and GENTLY dip out batter and put it on the griddle and I always get super fluffy pancakes.

ENJOY !!!

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September 06, 2020

If you buy roasted almonds from the grocery store, they are, most likely, coated with oil...I don't know about you, but I certainly don't need those extra calories.

This quick and simple "recipe" has 

only 2 ingredients, almonds and kosher salt

These nuts are a slightly salty, 
toasty-crunchy, addicting healthy snack.

1 pound of whole almonds
3 tablespoons kosher salt (not table salt)
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Put 1 1/2 cups boiling water into a large bowl and add the kosher salt. Stir for about 30 seconds or until the salt is completely dissolved. NOTE: the amount of salt in this recipe sounds like a lot, but most of it stays in the water which is drained off. The final nuts have a light salty taste. 

Add the almonds to the hot water and stir again. Let them sit in the water for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, drain the almonds (but do not rinse). Place the nuts on a foil lined cookie sheet and spread them out.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes. *I bake MINE for 30 minutes because I like them super toasty. 

Remove the baked nuts from the oven and let them cool completely before you eat or store them in an airtight container.

The nuts will be perfectly crunchy

when they cool off

ENJOY !!!

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October 19, 2019

This relish is absolutely delicious and we use it in everything from tuna fish salad, to potato salad, to hot dogs, you name it.........NO ONE has EVER guessed it is made with zucchini, it just tastes like the BEST bread and butter pickle relish you have EVER eaten !!!

12 cups unpeeled zucchini (chopped small)

3 cups sweet onion (chopped small)
1 cup celery (chopped small)
2 large red bell peppers (chopped small)
2 cups peeled carrots (chopped small)
1 cup pickling* salt (see important note)
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons DRY mustard powder
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch

Wash and dry the vegetables before cutting them (the only one you should peel is the carrot). Coarsley chop the vegetables, then put them in the food processor (2 or 3 cups at a time) and pulse them a few times to get the pieces small enough for a good relish (but not too small). The chop size should look like this:

Measure the vegetables AFTER you chop 
them in the food processor.

Mix the small chopped vegetables and 1 cup of pickling salt. Place this mixture (covered) in fridge overnight (The salt will draw excess moisture out of the veggies).

IMPORTANT NOTE: After the vegetables have chilled overnight, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you rinse the salt off of them. I rinse the chopped veggies THREE TIMES (in small batches).

Whatever method you choose to rinse the salt off, just make sure you rinse, rinse, rinse then squeeze as much water out of the chopped veggies as you can(I use my salad spinner). Set aside.

In a large, non-aluminum, pot, mix the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, spices and corn starch. Bring to a boil (to dissolve the sugar). Add all of the rinsed vegetables to the pot and bring BACK to a boil. Once it is boiling hard, turn heat to medium low and GENTLY boil everything for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.

While the relish is simmering, sterilize 7 pint jars and 7 (two piece) screw on lids. I do this by putting the JARS through a hot cycle in my dishwasher. Keep the jars in the (unopened) hot dishwasher after the last cycle.

For the LIDS, I just wash them with hot soapy water, rinse them well and then pour boiling water over them in a large saucepan which I keep HOT on a burner.

Also, while the relish is simmering, bring your canning water to a hard boil, here is how:

 Place a rack on the bottom of a large stock pot (or something to keep the jars up off of the bottom of the pan) and fill the pot with water (water should be deep enough to cover the jars by 2". Bring the water to a full boil.

Now that your relish has boiled for 20 minutes, remove it from the heat and place it in the clean hot jars, leaving 1/4" space at the top of the jars (make sure there are no air pockets in the relish). Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, hot, wet kitchen towel and screw on the two-piece lids fairly tight. Lower the jars into the already boiling water and keep them in there  10 minutes for half pint jars and 15 minutes for pint jars.

Remove from boiling water and let cool to room temperature on your kitchen counter. As they cool on your counter, you will hear the lids "pop" when they make the correct seal.  If they don't "pop", just keep them in the fridge.

NOTE: Do not use regular table salt for this recipe because the anti-caking agents in table salt cause the relish to discolor.  If you don't have pickling salt, the next best thing to use is kosher salt (but I highly recommend pickling salt).

NOTE: The recipe calls for 12 cups of chopped up zucchini. I have found that if I am a cup short of zucchini, I just add an extra cup of chopped carrots. Works well.

NOTE: This recipe makes 7 pints of relish.

ENJOY !!!

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September 21, 2019

This refreshing salad is a nutritious combination of crunch (from the broccoli and sunflower seeds), sweetness (from the oranges and raisins) and a pleasant "full feeling" from the black beans.  

It is the perfect side dish for any barbecue or potluck!!

Measurements given here are approximate (except for the dressing). YOU decide how much of each ingredient you would like in your salad. The amounts given here are catered to OUR taste buds. 

3 small heads of broccoli (bite size pieces)
1 red bell pepper (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled and sliced thickly)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup  toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely sliced green onion tops

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder


Wash the broccoli and shake dry. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces. Add (small diced) red bell pepper, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour about 1/2 cup of it over the salad just before you serve it. Toss gently and taste to see if you want more dressing. You may not need or want all of the dressing. 


NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: Let your imagination go wild with this salad, you can add just about any veggies that strike your fancy.

ENJOY !!!

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June 21, 2019

If you like "Velveeta Mac and Cheese" out of the box (the one with the foil pouch of cheese sauce) you will love this recipe.

I know some food snobs will turn their nose up at processed cheese and that's OK; I don't use it very often either. However, it DOES make the creamiest macaroni and cheese ever!!

This recipe is ready to eat in 
a flash and everyone loves it.

It is 100% COMFORT FOOD!!!

 

2 cups of elbow macaroni 
6 ounces* of Velveeta cheese (cubed) 
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
3/4 cup milk 

Gently boil 2 cups of elbow macaroni (in UNsalted water) for about 8 minutes.

While noodles are boiling, put the cubed Velveeta and milk into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on high for 1 minute. Stir it and put it back in the microwave for another minute. Remove from heat and stir/whisk until the mixture is nice a smooth.

Keep in mind: all microwaves are different, so watch your cheese sauce for the final 30 seconds or so. You may have to add or subtract 20 seconds to get the cheese completely melted.

Drain the cooked macaroni (do not rinse). 
Gently stir the hot noodles and the shredded cheddar
 into the (hot) Velveeta sauce.

Gently stir until well combined.
That's all there is to it!! 

*NOTE: This recipe calls for 6 ounces of Velveeta cheese. Fortunately, the Velveeta foil wrapper is marked in one ounce sections, so that makes it easy.

ENJOY !!!

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April 24, 2019

My picky-picky husband is a "meat and potatoes" man through and through. If a meal doesn't center around meat.....well, he doesn't call it a real meal. 

That's why I came up with this "Meat-less Spaghetti" (for myself) to counter hubby's "steak night". It is total COMFORT FOOD !!!

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium sweet onion (chopped)

(2) 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)

pinch of cayenne pepper  (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see note below)

2 teaspoons dry basil leaves

1 teaspoon dry oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces button mushrooms

12 ounces spaghetti noodles

Saute chopped onion in the olive oil until they look sort of transparent and smell "sweet-ish". Put cooked onions (don't drain) in a large Crockpot (I think mine is a 7 quart size?). Add the diced Italian style tomatoes, garlic powder, cayenne, basil, kosher salt, black pepper and sugar; mix well. Cook on high for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, clean the mushrooms and take the stems off. Chop the stems in the food processor and slice the mushroom caps (nice and thick), then put them in the sauce to cook for about 30 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, boil the spaghetti noodles (in salted water) until they are HALF WAY DONE (important).

Strain the partially cooked noodles and turn the Crockpot down to LOW. Add the noodles to the sauce and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Stir and serve.

I like mine with Parmesan!!

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: Remember, kosher salt measures differently than table salt because the tiny grains (in table salt) pack together much closer. The measurement in this recipe is for kosher salt. If you only have table salt......use less.

NOTE: Cayenne pepper is pretty spicy. I have measuring spoons that go down to 1/16th of a teaspoon, so that's what I use......it is basically a "pinch" of cayenne. You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for the cayenne.

NOTE: Make sure you only boil the spaghetti noodles half way. This is an important step since they pick up a ton of flavor from the sauce as they cook the rest of the way in the Crockpot.

NOTE: You will have to cut this recipe in half if you only have a small Crockpot.

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March 30, 2018

When I am on a diet, (who am I kidding, I'm always on a diet) my weight loss plan starts to falter when I get a craving for something crunchy and salty. I'm not talking about raw fruits and veggie type of crunchy, I'm talking about potato chip crunchy. If I ignore this craving, it just gets stronger; does that sound familiar to anyone?

I did some online searching for a remedy to my craving that wouldn't have a billion calories. I found three different recipes for baked potato chips that sounded promising.

After trying all three (and immediately tossing all three into the garbage), I decided to make up my own version. I must say I'm quite pleased with it. 

Not only does this little recipe completely satisfy my "crunchy chip craving" but the ENTIRE RECIPE only has one tablespoon of olive oil!!

Wash and dry six golf ball size Yukon gold potatoes. Slice them as thin as possible. A mandolin would work well for this, but I just used my sharpest knife and sliced them; just try to make them all an even thickness.

Toss the sliced potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, making sure that a little of the oil gets in between every slice. Lay the slices out on a heavy cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with vegetable spray, then sprinkle the potatoes lightly with kosher salt.

Baking time is important. One of the recipes I tried (and threw away) called for 2 hours at 200°F. That produced a dull, leathery piece of potato. I even let it cook an extra HOUR and it was still leathery...yuck.  Another recipe called for 18 minutes at 400°F which produced a crisp but burnt taste...yuck again.

So I decided to try Yukon gold potatoes. How long you bake them will depend on how thick you sliced your potatoes and how hot your oven runs. I baked mine in a 375°F electric oven for 22 minutes, flipping them over half way through the baking time....just right.

These chips are meant to be eaten right away because they are not meant to be stored like a commercial potato chip. There are small "non-crunch" parts on the chips that would not store well.

I hope you will try these. They have a WONDERFUL flavor and a fantastic, salty crunch!!!

NOTE:  Watch the chips closely the last couple of minutes because once they start to turn golden, they darken quickly.

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June 14, 2017

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky picky husband said they were good THREE TIMES during dinner. Now that is a record!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a CRISPY fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty and give you that "a little sweet a little salty" flavor that hits all the right
comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all....now THAT is saying something.

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour (important), then drain and pat them dry.

Put the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon vegetable oil, toss around, making sure the oil coats everything.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar together until very well mixed. Sprinkle HALF of this mixture over the oiled potatoes and toss well. Sprinkle the last half of the mixture over the potatoes and toss well, making sure everything is coated.

Spread the potatoes out onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet (I don't spray my cookie sheet. Instead I line it with Reynolds non-stick foil (it works perfectly in this recipe) just make sure you spread the fries out so they don't touch each other (use two cookie sheets if necessary).



Bake in PRE-HEATED 400°F oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and bake another 15 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you might have to add a couple more minutes to get those crusty edges. Remove from heat.

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious (hubby likes to salt his after they come out of the oven, but personally, I think they don't need it).

 

 

 

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder in place of the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

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October 07, 2015