Need A Salad In 5 Minutes Or Less?

     For many years, my "make it in a hurry" salad has been a very simple cole slaw recipe. I really can make it in about 2 minutes and it always gets compliments. It isn't an original recipe. It actually comes from the first cookbook that I owned. It was a wedding present and it still a great book to own, many printings later.

This recipe is easily doubled. If you are having more than 4 people, or if you want leftovers, I suggest you double all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

I bag cole slaw mix

3 T. granulated sugar

3 T. white vinegar

2 T. vegetable oil (don't use olive oil)

salt and pepper

Rinse the bag of cole slaw mix and drain. (Please rinse the bagged vegetables that you buy, this is a pet peeve of mine. They really aren't all that clean even if they say they are washed) Add the sugar, vinegar, oil, a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste) and toss. You can serve it immediately, but it tastes better if it is allowed to sit for a little while. It will "shrink" a bit as it marinates.

My poor cookbook has seen better days, but it still gets pulled out of the cabinet when I need a basic recipe. It may say "new" but it is circa 1970's. I made sure my daughter had her own copy when she left home.

Will You Please Make That Fruit Salad?

My kids request this all the time. I also take it to church dinners and potlucks. It takes so little time to prepare and is so affordable, I’m almost hate to call this a recipe.

Ingredients:

2 or 3 bananas
1 large can fruit cocktail
1 large can mandarin oranges
1 can pineapple chunks
1 small package instant Jello pudding-lemon flavored

In a large bowl place the dry pudding mix. Add the juice (only) from the mandarin oranges and stir. It will be thick. Slice the bananas and stir them into the thickened lemon pudding. This will keep them from turning brown. Drain the remaining fruit and save the juice. Add the oranges, pineapple pieces and fruit cocktail and stir. If it seems very thick you can stir in a little of the reserved juice. I generally don’t add the extra juice. My husband usually just drinks it over ice. Place your salad in the refrigerator to thicken. People won’t be able to tell what you did differently. They always ask about the “sauce” which is really just the pudding. Enjoy.

Mom, Why Don't My Rice Krispy Treats Taste Like Yours?

It is funny the things you become "famous" for making. I often am asked to bring "my" Rice Krispy Treats to things, even adult things. I can actually cook. I can cook complicated, gourmet things. But, it seems that people think I have a secret recipe that I use for these easy treats, and they request them. There is no secret recipe, but there are a couple of things that I may do differently than others when I make them.

I use real butter. It tastes better than margarine. You can tell a difference. I make double the recipe for the same size pan that others use, so mine are thicker. I also leave out 1/2 cup of Rice Krispies, so mine are more gooey. I also don't mind if I leave an almost melted marshmallow or two in the mixture. It adds texture and no one minds biting into marshmallow goodness.

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam or lightly grease with butter

Ingredients:

6 T. butter

11 1/2 cups Rice Krispy Cereal (you can use store brands)

80 regular sized marshmallows (that is 2 standard bags)

Melt the butter over medium heat, stir in the marshmallows and keep stirring until they are melted. They will scorch easily, so keep stirring and turn them down to low heat if necessary. Remove from heat and quickly stir in Rice Krispies. Scoop into the greased pan and pat down with fingers. Cool slightly (if you can wait that long) and cut into squares. Enjoy!

*Mom hint-It works very well to wet your fingers under the faucet before pressing the mixture into the pan. You may need to wet them a few times as you press. It will keep your fingers from sticking to the treats.

How Do I Hard Boil An Egg? Then What?

I have no doubt that there are more “recipes” for hard boiling eggs than there are egg varieties. I only know what works for me. I’ve been boiling eggs the same way for 30 years and it works every time. If you don’t cook an egg long enough, you will end up with a runny center. If you cook it too long, the yolk with have a greenish tinge to it. You can eat the eggs in either of those cases, but what you are going for is a nice bright yellow, cooked yolk. Once in a while I will get an egg that is slightly undercooked because of the position in the pan (I eat it).

For this article, I used 6 eggs. There are only 2 of us here, and we have to eat everything I’m posting for all of you. I didn’t want us to overdose on eggs today. You can do this exactly the same way for any number of eggs, just adjust your pan size accordingly. Place the eggs in a pan and cover them with cold water. Place on the burner and turn onto high heat (my stove is electric, if you have a gas stove, you may need to adjust the temperature a bit or add an extra inch of water to the pan). Set your timer for 16 minutes. Do not forget to set the timer and look at the eggs to make certain they are not boiling dry. If the water boils dry, the eggs will explode. I know this for a fact. Remember how I told you I was sharing my mistakes? The eggs will come to a rolling boil. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the heat and set the timer for 2 more minutes. After the 2 minutes, fill the egg pan with cold water and let the eggs cool down. At this point, your eggs are ready to peel and use. Some eggs are harder to peel than others. If the eggs don’t peel “pretty” they can still be chopped and used on salads, or mixed with a little mayonnaise, pickle and celery for egg salad.

*Mom hint-fresh eggs are harder to peel. If I know I’m going to be making deviled eggs soon, I try to buy my eggs at least a week in advance.

Deviled eggs are a favorite at my house, and for potlucks or cocktail parties. They are inexpensive to make, easy and will disappear before most of the other food items.

Deviled Eggs

This recipe is for 6 eggs which makes 12 deviled eggs. If you want to make 24 deviled eggs, cook 12 eggs and double the rest of the ingredients.

6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and cut in half
2 tsp. yellow mustard (you can use spicy mustard for a slightly different taste)
2 tsp. white vinegar (red wine vinegar will also work, but will change the color of the eggs a little bit)
2 T. mayonnaise (I use light, you can also use Miracle Whip if you like the taste of it)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the cooked yolks in a bowl with a pinch of salt (I use kosher salt) and mash with a fork until all large lumps are gone. Add vinegar, mustard and mayonnaise and stir rapidly with a fork to blend. Add a little black pepper and mix. Spoon filling into empty egg whites. Be careful not to fill them too full or you will run out of filling. You can serve as is, or sprinkle with paprika or top with olive slices for a “party” look.
　
　
　
　

Someone died, and I have to take food! Help!

Okay, so someone doesn’t really have to die. Maybe your boss had surgery, or your best friend had a baby. It could be that you want to fix dinner for that special someone who doesn’t realize that you a) can’t really cook or b) don’t want to spend the entire day in the kitchen. I have the answer! It is easy, adaptable, and affordable.

*Mom hint-If you are giving food away, buy a disposable aluminum baking pan to prepare it in. You can get them at the grocery store or any dollar store. If someone is in a position to be getting gifts of food, the last thing they want to worry about it getting the pan back to the giver.

Stuffed Shells

This recipe will make 4 servings (2 shells each) and fits in a 9x9 baking dish, or small rectangular pan. If you want to make a 9x13 or larger-double the ingredients. I make a meatless version of this meal. I don’t add meat to the sauce, because so many people don’t eat meat these days. You may brown 1 pound of ground beef or turkey until done, drain and add to the sauce before putting the dish together if you want to. You can also substitute frozen cheese ravioli or tortellini for the shells if you can’t get the shells at your local store.














Ingredients:
8 Frozen Stuffed Pasta Shells (available in the freezer section of the grocery store in a bag, or sometimes in a box)
1 26 oz. (or larger) can or jar of prepared spaghetti sauce (Any brand will do, and any flavor you like will work)
12 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (It also works just fine with cheddar or a blend)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I generally spray a little Pam in my pan to make washing it easier, it isn’t necessary. Spoon a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the pan. Place the frozen shells (open side up) into the pan, spacing them slightly apart. Spoon the remaining spaghetti sauce over the shells, covering them completely. Cover pan tightly with foil and place in pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle cheese over the top, return to oven for just about 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

I like to serve this with hot bread, and a green salad. If I am taking it to someone’s home as a gift, I often just pick up a loaf of bread from the grocery bakery to take with it. I assume they can make their own salad. It is embarrassing how many people request “the recipe” for this dish. They are always surprised it was so easy to prepare.