WHAT WE'RE COOKING? BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD with warm bacon dressing - Thanksgiving Christmas Gluten Free Low Carb Diabetic Friendly

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, thinly sliced with food processor, knife or Mandoline
6 slices bacon
1/2 C slivered almonds
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/3 C coarsely grated Parmesan
salt & pepper, to taste

2 T bacon grease from pan drippings
1 T olive oil
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T Dijon mustard
2 T red wine vinegar
2 t maple syrup or a low carb syrup

Place shredded brussels sprouts in salad bowl. Toast almond in a dry pan over medium high heat until they're fragrant, about 2 minutes. Watch them carefully and stir frequently to prevent burning.

Cook bacon in a hot pan until very crispy. drain on paper towels. Cool. Pour bacon grease into a glass container, measure out 2 T grease and put in glass measuring cup. Add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar and syrup. Whisk well.

Cop bacon into thin strips. Put dressing mixture into the same pan you cooked the bacon in and heat until it's bubbling. Pour over brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Gently stir in chopped bacon, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

WHAT WE'RE COOKING? PEPPERONI CAPRESE BITES

On hors d'oeuvre sticks or toothpicks, skewer:

mini mozzarella balls

fresh basil leaves

pepperoni slices

small cherry tomatoes

In a small bowl, mix:

1/3 C olive oil

1 T Balsamic vinegar

1/4 t garlic powder

pinch sea salt

1/8 t pepper

Serve the sauce with the skewers.

WHAT WE'RE EATING? ROASTED CHICKEN CREAMY SALAD

4 C diced roasted chicken, about a 3-5 lb roasted whole chicken (pick one up at the grocery store)
1 apple, diced
1 1/2 t dried tarragon
1 T dried or 2 T fresh parsley
1 C mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 t Dijon mustard
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste 

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4-6 servings

WHAT WE'RE EATING? BANH MI SALAD

This is a homage to my sister Kenzie because of her obsession with anything salad & my mother-in-law Latayne because of her love for Vietnamese cuisine.

The other day I was watching The Chew while working out on the elliptical at the gym. Yes, I know what you're thinking, why is she watching a show about eating and cooking while trying to get rid of that butt she has from all that food she eats and cooks. But I love cooking shows. Anyway, someone on The Chew mentioned something about making Banh Mi's and I thought "Hey I could totally come up with my own sugar free, gluten free version of a Banh Mi." And so it began.

I served this salad a la carte but you could put it together before serving if you'd prefer.

Marinated Vegetables
In a saucepan: 1 C rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1/2 C water, 1/2 C sugar or stevia. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook 1 minute to dissolve sugar. Set aside and cool. Meanwhile using a mandolin, slice 2 peeled carrots, 4-6 radishes, 1/2 onion & 2 cucumbers into a bowl. You can also use a knife to cut very thinly or grater. Pour liquid over vegetables and store in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinate and crisp up.

Roasted Chicken
Now you could spend hours roasting a chicken or you could just buy a roasted chicken from your local grocery store. De-bone & remove skin. Shred or cube chicken. Place in a bowl and set aside or in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cilantro Lime Dressing
In a blender or food processor, blend until smooth: 1/4 C Mayo (I use no sugar added mayo from Whole Foods), juice of 1 lime & 1-2 T fresh cilantro. Place in a bowl and put in refrigerator until ready to serve.

TO SERVE
Serve spinach or lettuce with chicken, dressing, marinated vegetables, fresh slice jalapenos, fresh mint or basil leaves.

OPTIONAL
To add as a side or for those that aren't crazy about salads and would rather have a banh mi sandwich, you can always slice a fresh French baguette, place it under the broiler to toast.

WHAT WE'RE SERVING? POTATO SALAD

6 potatoes, washed, peeled, chopped & boiled

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled & chopped

1/4 C dill or sweet relish

2 T capers

2 cloves minced garlic

3 T mustard

3/4 C mayonnaise

salt & pepper to taste

paprika, sprinkled on top

Mix all ingredients together. Serve warm or cold. 

WHAT WE'RE SERVING? SIDE DISH IN A SPLIT: CUCUMBERS & CARROTS

I'm sitting in worship today when it was announced that it was potluck today. WHAT?! Where have I been? I seriously LOVE potluck at our little church. We have some of the best cooks and we all pride ourselves in bringing a little deliciousness from our own kitchens. What was I going to do?

As soon as the amen was said, I politely said hello to a few people and rushed out, grabbing some cucumbers that one of the farmer's wives had brought for anyone to take home.

After rushing home, I quickly washed the cucumbers and grabbed some carrots that I'd bought at the local farm a couple of days ago. I used my crinkle cutter for some interest but you could julienne, chop, dice, etc. Toss the cucumbers & carrots in a bowl. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar on top, at least 4 T but I'd suggest more. We buy our balsamic vinegar at Oleaceae in Old Town Santa Fe, NM. Today I used Lavender Balsamic vinegar. YUM! Now squeeze half a lemon onto the salad and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss and voila! The rest is history. Ryan couldn't believe how fast I came up with that and proclaimed, "It's so bright tasting and balanced!"

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? CUCUMBER SUB

Wash and cut a cucumber lengthwise. Make a sandwich using whatever ingredients you wish. 

I used turkey and locally made hot chili chevre. 

Options:

mustard

mayo

pickles

oil

salad dressing

sliced cheese

herb butter

garlic

onions

lettuce

salt

pepper

turkey

chevre

cream cheese

fresh herbs like basil

tomatoes

ham

chicken

egg salad

chicken salad

tuna salad

fajita meat & vegetables

and tons more options...

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? MOM'S 7 LAYER SALAD

1 head of your choice of lettuce

small package frozen peas

1 bunch green onions, chopped

6 pieces or more bacon, cooked and crumbed

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

2 C sour cream

2/3 package ranch dressing powder mix

Layer one ingredient at a time in a glass bowl (I used my trifle bowl).

Mix sour cream and ranch powder together well and spread that on the top as the last layer.

Chill and serve.

TIP: It's better to make it the day before so that the flavors meld together.

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH or DINNER: ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 or more rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded, store bought or homemade

4 T Mayo

3 to 4 t sweet or dill relish

1 large apple or pear, cored and chopped

(I used an Asian pear.)

1/2 C chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients well. Chill until serving.

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST: BUBBLE RING

serves 6-8

at least 18 frozen dinner rolls, thawed

(I put them in the fridge last night to be thawed by this morning.)

1/2 C jam 

(I used Blackberry jam.)

1/3 C corn syrup

2 T melted butter

1/2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease Bundt pan.

Flatten each roll into a circle, then place approx 1/2 t jam into the center of the dough. Roll the filled dough into a ball, pinching to close. Transfer into the tube pan. 

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until it's golden brown.

Combine the corn syrup, butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour over baked rolls. Allow syrup to be absorbed before removing from pan. To remove, run a paring knife between the bread and the edges of the pan. Hold the pan on its side and gently tap the sides of the pan against the counter to loosen. Cover pan with plate. Invert it so that the bread ring falls onto the plate. 

Serve warm. Pull apart or slice it.

WHAT'S COOKIN': FRIJOLES - slow cooker method

Beans are as characteristic of Texan cuisine as green chili is to New Mexican cuisine. One way or another, beans may appear in any kind of a Texas meal, although they are a must only with BBQ and certain Tex-Mex combinations. They may be merely boiled to tenderness (with seasonings of course) or be mashed, baked or fried. They may be served as an appetizer, vegetable, side dish, sauce of some sort or salad. Sometimes they even appear pickled. But pinto beans are the ones most commonly used and are THE Frijoles of Mexico.

Although beans in other parts of the USA will be served in lieu of other starchy vegetables, they are served in Texas as though no one had ever heard of calories side by side with potatoes or rice (or both) or hominy or even pasta.

FRIJOLES

serves 4 to 8

2 C dried pinto beans

1 large chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 t cumin (or comino as said in Texas)

2 or 3 chopped chili anchos, jalepenos or green chilis

3 T bacon drippings

salt & pepper, to taste

Pick over beans carefully; wash under running cold water.

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Pour 3/4 gallon of water over ingredients and stir.

Turn slow cooker onto low and cook for 9 - 10 hours. 

Stir again and serve. 

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST: LUPALITAS

I understand that just because you're from Texas, you might not eat cactus but those of us that had/have parents that expanded our food horizons growing up, I bet you did have it especially in the San Antonio or Houston area.

I seriously think this is one of the best tasting egg dishes I've ever eaten - especially if you like Tex-Mex!

Nopalitos (or no-pales) are the prepared leaves of certain cactus plants indigenous to Texas. Canned or jarred, they are sold in stores that deal in Mexican food specialties, even large grocery chains such as Krogers or HEB. They are used in sauces, salads and such egg dishes as the following: 

LUPALITAS

serves 2

3 T lard

2 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion, chopped

1 T fresh, frozen or canned chopped green chilis, drained

1 T chili powder

4 beaten eggs

salt & pepper to taste

1 C canned or jarred cubed nopales, drained and rinsed

Heat lard in an 8 inch iron skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion until just beginning to take on color. Add green chilies and chili powder; blend. Beat eggs lightly and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and scramble over low heat, stirring and turning the eggs gently until almost set. Stir in the nopales. Heat through - by then the eggs should just be done. Serve immediately. 

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? HAM & SCALLOPED POTATOES in slow cooker

This is a no-fuss main dish and is an old fashioned favorite. Use leftover ham from Sunday's dinner or look for diced, cooked ham at your local supermarket. Some larger supermarket salad bars provide cubed ham as well.

28 oz pkg loose-pack frozen hash brown potatoes with onions and pepper

(or if you can only find the original hash browns, add 1/2 C each chopped onions & peppers)

2 C diced fully cooked ham

4 oz diced pimientos, drained

1 t black pepper

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

3/4 C milk

1 T snipped fresh or dried parsley
salt, to taste 

Combine hash browns, ham, pimientos and pepper in a crock pot.
In a medium bowl combine soup and milk; pour over potato mixture.
Mix to combine.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7-9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
Then stir in parsley. 

HOW TO DECORATIVE A WATERMELON BOWL or BASKET

Growing up, I watched my mother do this similar process with large watermelons to serve fruit salad, etc. at weddings and other catering functions. She's a master and I'm an amateur...

Wash the watermelon.

Pat it dry.

You'll need a large knife, a paring knife, a metal spoon and if you desire, a melon baller.

Slice off a very small end of the watermelon. This is your base.

Now cut off the other side where you want the opening of the bowl to be. OR you can also make a basket handle, if you desire.

With a paring knife, scoring a shallow cut about an inch from the edge . This will help you peel off the green part to make the decorative edge of the bowl.

With the same paring knife, cut away the green rind down to your shallow score line.

Use a melon baller, knife or metal spoon to scoop out the watermelon. Place in another bowl and set aside. 

Smooth out the interior of the watermelon bowl. I used a metal spoon. 

Using your paring knife again, cut and form a design. Scallops, pointed "teeth", etc. 

Transfer to a plate or tray and fill with the watermelon bowl with the watermelon balls or slices. 

TIP: If this is for Halloween or for a birthday party, you can make this into a shark or other using the pointed "teeth"  design as the teeth. 

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? GRILLED VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD

GRILLED VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD

serves 4

1 small zucchini or other summer squash, chopped

1 red sweet pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered

half a small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 lb trimmed asparagus

3-4 T olive oil, divided

4 C cooked whole grain corkscrew pasta

2 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

Lightly brush vegetables with 1-2 T oil. Place veges on a medium hot grill. Cover and grill for 3-5 minutes for asparagus, turning once and about 10 minutes for the summer squash, pepper and onion, turning once. Remove from grill and allow to cool a couple of minutes.

Cut vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces and toss with the pasta in a large bowl. Add remaining oil, balsamic, salt and pepper to pasta and toss well to coat.

Serve warm or cold.

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? SUPER FLAVORFUL EGG SALAD with only 5 ingredients

As with all comfort food, there are as many recipes of egg salad as there are cooks. Here's how I make it.

EGG SALAD

serves 4

6 eggs

2 T mayonnaise 

1 T mustard

2 T fresh snipped dill

3 chopped pickled okra OR 1 T anchovy paste

Boil eggs for 10 minutes. 

Cool under cold water and peel under running cold water. Or boil ahead and place in refrigerator to peel later. 

Put the rest of your ingredients in a bowl.

Chop peeled boiled eggs and place in bowl. My dear friend Amanda S. once told me to use your pastry blender to chop the eggs. She's right! It's the easiest with minimal clean up. 

Stir by hand until well blended.

Serve on bread or with crackers. 

Egg salad always reminds me of picnics and Big Top Pee Wee.