Easy Recipes to Impress

Next post - Saturday, February 17. 

Topic - a new look at Why I Love Editing

 

 This week's gallery . . .

From Facebook - titled "Catillac"

 

 

Remarkable aurora from Tromso, Norway

Another great deer pic from Susan Coventry

Photo by Jim Ahlenslager

 

EASY RECIPES TO IMPRESS

More than twenty years ago, I created a cookbook for my daughter, daughter-in-law, and my oldest son's significant other of the time. A huge job of type, cut, paste onto the pages of three blank cookbooks. But, lo these many years later, when I wanted to create a cookbook for the grandgirls, I simply didn't have the patience for all that cut & paste, so the girls got a cumbersome ringbinder with 8½x 11 pages, each encased in plastic. (At least it's not likely to get lost!) Today, I am sharing a few of the easiest recipes from this book—again, a lazy maneuver as all I have to do is Copy in "Cookbook2021" and paste to Blog!

Apologies. There are no pictures. Many of the recipes date back to well before Smart Phones made it easy to reproduce pictures. But I can guarantee the recipes are tried and true. The best I've discovered over the years. Enjoy!

 

ASPARAGUS AND GRAPE SALAD

A simple but delicious accompaniment to any dinner.

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1-2" pieces
2 cups seedless green grapes, cut in half lengthwise
½ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons basamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Blanch asparagus in a large skillet of boiling water, 1 minute. Drain; rinse in cold water; drain again.

Arrange asparagus on a serving plate. Mix remaining ingredients and spoon over asparagus.

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BACON & MOZZARELLA CRESCENT ROLLS

6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
Mozzarella sticks*
1 can Crescent rolls
Chives, fresh or dried (optional)

1.  Cook bacon until crisp, then chop or crumble it.

2.  Preheat oven to 375°,

3.  Cut 4 mozzarella sticks in half, crosswise.

4.  Unroll dough. Separate triangles along perforations.

5.  Place about a tablespoon of bacon on the wide end of each triangle, then top with cheese stick. Roll up and seal the edges so cheese doesn’t ooze out.

6.  Place seam down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with dried chives, if desired.

7.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.


*Pepper-Jack cheese can also be used for this recipe.


Special note: Unlike Pepperidge Farm biscuits, crescent rolls do not reheat well in the microwave. They go limp and gooey, so to keep leftovers crisp, reheat in the oven.

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ROAST  HAM  &  VEGIES

A flavorful dinner that is an absolute “must” in every cook’s repertoire. (For some reason it seems harder to find a ham shank  than a regular ham, but make an effort to locate a shank as I truly believe it tastes better.)

6-lb. fully cooked ham shank
½ lb. small white onions, peeled*
Whole cloves
1 lb. carrots, scraped & cut in 2" lengths
2 lb. potatoes, pared**
4 sprigs parsley
1 tspn salt
¼ tspn pepper
¼ tspn dried thyme
1 can (13-3/4 oz) chicken broth
2-lb head of cabbage, cut in 6 wedges
Mustard sauce (recipe below)

*yellow onions, quartered, may be substituted
**or bag of mini potatoes, skins left on

1.  Preheat oven to 350°. Trim fat & rind from ham.

2.  Coarsely chop 2 onions and place in large roasting pan with carrots, potatoes, and ham. Add parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Pour chicken broth over all.

3.  Bake, covered, 1 hour. Arrange cabbage wedges in pan; bake, covered, 30 minutes longer.

4.  To serve: Arrange ham on large platter; surround with onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Spoon some of pan juices over, if desired. Serve with Mustard sauce.   


Mustard sauce

½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 tspn chopped onion (dry minced will do)
½ cup prepared mustard
Poppy seeds, to taste*

Combine & mix; refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

~ * ~

 

For a link to Blair's website, click here. 

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft)