Grilled Avocados

If you love avocados, you are gonna wanna marry these! It's the perfect summer side dish. So quick. So easy. So good.
Our friends, Dawn and Jon made these for us years ago, and we loved them so much, we've been makin' them ever since.
This is more like a really good idea than a recipe. In other words...you will probably only have to look at this once. These are pretty unforgettable.

Ingredients:
ripe avocados
olive oil
salt and pepper
jarred salsa
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
lime

Directions:
1. cut the avocados in half and carefully remove the pit and the peel.
2. put them on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. use your fingers to distribute the olive oil and evenly coat the avocados.
3. fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste

pictured just before grilling

4. place them on the grill 'hole side' down first for about 3 minutes

5. turn over and fill with salsa (jarred works the best but I've used fresh too) I love to use the pineapple and peach salsa for a little sweetness.

6. top with shredded cheese and close the grill until the cheese is melted. about 3 more minutes

7. squeeze a little fresh lime over the top and serve immediately.



Grilled Asparagus

This is my favorite way to prepare asparagus.
When we first moved back from Poland in January of 2010, we were living with our friends, Joel and Sue. Yep, our whole family of five...in their basement...for five months.

Sidenote: We are still the best of friends and cherish the memories we made during that time. We still thank them regularly for giving us a place to live while we saved money and searched for the perfect house for our family...exactly only 1 mile from their house... actually we like to say "point nine eight miles" because it sounds more exact and it's a tiny bit closer.
[ANYHOO] That year, spring came early and we enjoyed many evenings grilling out and eating out on the deck even before we moved out on May 24th. It was then that Sue taught me this yummy way to prepare asparagus. Now I always make it this way.

Ingredients and Directions:

• big bunch of asparagus
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• dry minced onions
• sesame seeds

wash asparagus and snap the ends off. place in a single layer on a jellyroll pan (the pan is just for the prep and transporting to the grill) drizzle with olive oil and roll asparagus to coat evenly. sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like to use fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper) sprinkle with dry minced onions and sesame seeds. place asparagus spears directly on the preheated grill for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. serve immediately.

Homemade Mac -N- Cheese

 Mac -N- Cheese...it's synonymous with 'comfort food'. After a long day or a long week, you're not thinkin' about carrot sticks. You know what I'm talkin' about. It's pasta and a lot of dairy products.  But wait, isn't "comfort food" just another way to say "emotional eating"?  So why is comfort food so good and emotional eating so bad? Let's pretend I didn't just type that and eat this homemade mac-n-cheese anyway. We could make ourselves feel less guilty by serving it with a gigantic salad.

When I am making this for just our family, I cut the recipe in half. This recipe makes a great side dish at a party or bbq too. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste(optional)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste--I like a lot 
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half and half   
• 1 lb. Cavatappi pasta cooked--or whatever tube pasta you have in the pantry (pictured with Penne)
• 16 oz shredded super sharp cheese* (4 cups) reserve 1/2 to 1 cup for the top
• 2 cups supre sharp cheese
• 1 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1/2 cup asiago

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 
2. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter.
4. Stir in flour whisking until smooth. add salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), half and half and milk.
5. Stir over medium heat until smooth and very warm.
6. add cheese. stir until melted and smooth and thickened. 
7. Pour over cooked Cavatappi pasta and toss to coat
8. put in a buttered 9x13 casserole dish and top with reserved 1/2 to 1 cup cheese
9. bake for 30 minutes at 350
10. serve immediately. 

*I like to use sharp cheese imported from Ireland
It's so good to mix in a couple different kinds of cheese too like parmesan and asiago, but you can just use whatever combination of whatever you have on hand. be creative!

Mandarin Orange and Crunchy Onion Salad

When I was in Jr. High, I used to go with my bff [Dawnie] to her grandpa and grandma's farm in Michigan. We took a ferry from Wisconsin accross Lake Michigan...oh the stories that come to mind...we would stay for a week. Her grandma is a great cook, and this is one of her yummy salad recipes that I've been making for years and years.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• romaine hearts or leaf lettuce or some combination of hearty greens, torn or chopped
• mandarin oranges, drained
• French's french fried onions

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry minced onions
• 1/2 cup oil

Directions:

Assemble salad ingredients as pictured.
For the dressing: In a blender, mix vinegar, sugar and minced onions first. Then add oil slowly in a steady stream while blending.  If the dressing is made ahead of time, it should be mixed well again right before dressing the salad. Pour over salad and toss.

Serve immediately.

Fluffy Cranberry Salad

This salad looks so pretty on the side of any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner not to mention it tastes so good. It is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Don't limit yourself to just holidays though...it's so good anytime! The leftovers make a great breakfast or lunch or in-between-meals-snack or all of the above...did I just type that? I love this salad.
This recipe is from my friend Sue

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ground raw cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint cream whipped
• 1/2 bag (3 cups) mini marshmallows
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple -drained

Directions:

1. Process cranberries in a food processor. In a small bowl, combine sugar and ground cranberries. set aside for at least 3 hours.
2. Then whip the cream. Fold in the whipped cream, marshmallows and pineapple.
3. Chill 8 hours to overnight before serving.

Angel Hair Cole Slaw

When we were living in Ukraine...and then Poland...it didn't take long to recognize the fact that cabbage is abundant and cheap in that part of the world. That reminds me of the day I got off the subway in Ukraine and there was a little vegetable stand at our stop that we frequented. This particular day I needed cabbage so I bought a head. By the way, in Russian it's called 'kapoosta'. That right there is reason enough to buy cabbage... Just so I can say "mozhna kapoosta pazhalusta" [cabbage please, may I?]. So anyway, as I was walking home with a head of cabbage [no bag] under my arm, it hit me that the only person who thought it the least bit strange that I was walking down the sidewalk, carrying a head of cabbage, under my arm...was me. And then I couldn't stop thinking about how strange it was that no one else thought it was strange, but by then I was already home making cole slaw. Pardon my massive digression! It was actually in Poland that I was inspired to perfect my cole slaw. I feel kinda bad for cole slaw. It's so much better than it's reputation. It's so often the forgotten tiny portion in a plastic cup on the side of the plate and rarely better than mediocre. Let's be honest. It's usually either not sweet enough or too sweet but not tangy enough or just a creamy pile of blandness. I suppose by now you are thinking "I've never put this much thought into cole slaw". Well, I'm here to tell you that I have. and I do. What is it with me and cole slaw? Cole slaw and me? Really. Long. Story. Short. Here's what I came up with. The perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and creamy with the just-right touch of celery salt...not to be confused with celery seed which in my opinion is too overpowering.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cabbage sliced very thin to make angel hair cole slaw (or 2 bags of fine shred cabbage such as Fresh Express Angel Hair Cole Slaw)
• 1-2 carrots peeled and finely shredded (optional)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• lots of fresh ground black pepper (optional) 

Directions:

Put cabbage into a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the carrots (if using), mayo, sugar, vinegar and celery salt. whisk until smooth. Pour over cabbage and toss to coat well. Add about 20 cranks of fresh pepper or to taste...or not at all...it's up to you. Refrigerate several hours and toss occasionally. Toss to coat well and move salad to another bowl before serving. The cabbage shrinks quite a bit as it sits and as a result there's a lot of excess dressing. You can discard the excess  or add more cabbage.

Cole slaw is such a great easy salad/side because it's good all year round. I always make this when I make sloppy joes or barbequed pulled pork sliders and in the summer when we grill out so much.

B's Velvet Sweet Potatoes

The name was lovingly given by my friend Sue. I've won metaphorical awards at Marty family gatherings, and dinners with friends for these sweet potatoes. They are ever-present at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner on my side of the family made by my cousin's wife who is an amazing cook and baker. She started making them years ago with this wonderful praline topping. But over the years, I began to miss the marshmallow top I remembered enjoying so much as a young girl when my grandma used to make them. So my cousin started making a small casserole dish of marshmallow topped sweet potatoes just for me. It didn't take long though, and other family members joined in my nostalgia and helped themselves to my toasted marshmallow dream-come-true... and now Jean just makes two big casseroles...one of each kind.

...so, praline or marshmallow topped; you decide...or be like us and choose both...but topping or not, your mouth will think it died and went to sweet potato heaven when you taste this velvety goodness.

adapted from Jean's recipe

Ingredients and Directions:

• 6 cups baked* mashed sweet potatoes

clean the sweet potatoes and make an X in the top with a knife. place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until they are done. the baking time depends entirely on the size of your potatoes so check them frequently once they start to feel soft when squeezed. if you have varying sizes you can remove them from the oven as they finish baking. they will ooze and become almost carmelized. *Baking them versus boiling is the key to the amazingness of the finished product so give yourself plenty of time to make them or *BONUS* you can even make them the night before once they have cooled slightly you can easily remove the skins with a knife. To mash them a potato ricer works the best to get them extra smooth but if you don't have a ricer just use an electric mixer to mash them.

• 4 eggs beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

mix the remaining ingredients into the mashed potatoes and put into a pretty casserole dish 9x13 or any one with the appropriate capacity. you can make them ahead up to this point and refrigerate them. 
note: you may have to adjust the baking time slightly if they are cold when you put them in the oven.

praline topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

mix together and cover the top of the sweet potatoes and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

for the nostalgic marshmallow topping:

cover the top with large marshmallows for the last 15 minutes of baking time and cook until golden watching them closely.

Scalloped Corn

This is definitely a family favorite recipe on my side of the family. This corn always reminds me of my grandpa, my mom's dad, because he loved it so much. He passed away in 2004 when we were living in Ukraine...I miss him.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can whole kernel corn drained (Green Giant is the best)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 well beaten egg
• 1 cup soda cracker crumbs
• 1/2 medium onion minced (1/4 cup)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1/2 cup townhouse or club cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. heat corn and milk in a saucepan over medium to medium high heat.
2. gradually stir in egg.
3. add next 4 ingredients. Mix well.
4. put into greased 8 inch round baking dish.
5. coat top with townhouse or club cracker crumbs.
6. bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until center is set.

SHORTCUT: if you have a blender...put milk, 1/2 onion, egg, salt and pepper into blender and blend it up. add to the corn in a saucepan and heat. stir in the soda cracker crumbs put into the baking dish top with crumbs and bake

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste (I like a lot)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter divided

Directions:

1. peel and clean 5 lbs potatoes. cut into small even-sized pieces. add to large pot of boiling water. return to boiling, reduce heat and cover. cook potatoes until fork-tender (about 15 - 20 minutes).
2. mash the cooked potatoes with an electric mixer.
3. add the cream cheese and mix well.
4. add the 1/2 cup (or a little less)butter and sour cream ***and mix well.
5. add salt, onion salt and fresh ground pepper mix well.
6. put into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
7. dot the top of potatoes with 1/4 cup butter.
8. cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

***Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes option:  to make these wonderful mashed potatoes even more wonderful, sometimes I add roasted garlic.  Separate the cloves of one to two whole bulbs of garlic but don't peel them. toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, place on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until very tender. cool slightly then squeeze the pulp from the garlic cloves into the pot of mashed potatoes and mix in with the butter and sour cream. continue with the directions above.

Dawnie's Cornbread (ahem...cake)

A much fluffier, tastier version of the dry, dense, crumbly stuff that comes to mind. Trust me, it's the best!

Ingredients:

• 3 c. bisquik
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. cornmeal
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 3/4 c milk
• 3 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 c. butter melted

mix dry ingredients. add milk eggs and butter and mix together. pour into 9x13 bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (sifted before measured)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
• 12 oz. beer (Miller Highlife is my fave for this recipe)
• ¼ cup butter melted
• rosemary and garlic salt to taste 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Be sure to sift the flour before you measure the three cups.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl

4. Make a well in the center and pour the beer in. Mix, but DON’T OVER-MIX! 

5. Put dough into a greased loaf pan. 

6. Pour the melted butter over and sprinkle with the rosemary and garlic salt

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

8. *Remove from pan immediately.

9. Cool for 15 minutes minimum before slicing

The bread will be crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside!

*if you leave it in the pan to cool it will get all soggy and chewy!

Fireside Garlic with Rosemary

This is one of my most favorite Hor D'oeuvres. My father-in-law first made this for a special family dinner when we were all living in Ukraine and it instantly became a family favorite. Quenton and I love to make this for date-night-in and eat it while we watch a movie. I guess when you've been married as long as we have, garlic and romance CAN go together.

Ingredients:

• 6 large whole heads garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 slices
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups chicken broth, divided
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 8 oz Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• French baguette slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut ½ inch off top end (opposite root end) of each garlic head, exposing cloves. Remove any loose papery outer skin.
3. Place garlic, cut side up, in non-metal baking pan.
4. Top with butter and olive oil.
5. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and wine to pan.
6. Sprinkle chopped rosemary over garlic and place rosemary sprigs in broth mixture. (May be prepared 8 hours in advance, cover and chill.)
7. Bake uncovered, about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices.
8. Add remaining chicken broth, if necessary. Garlic cloves should be very tender when pierced with fork. Sprinkle with Roquefort cheese, if desired, and continue baking until cheese is almost melted, about 10 minutes. Discard cooked rosemary sprigs and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs
9. Serve with bread for dipping into cooking juices and spreading with garlic and melted cheese.

just before it goes in the oven

Autumn Salad

Ingredients for Salad:

• lettuce (a tender leafy mix)...or whatever's in the fridge
• glazed pecans
• dried cranberries
• finely chopped (or very thin rings) red onion to taste
• granny smith apples diced with skins on

Directions:

To glaze the pecans: Heat a skillet over med-hi heat and put about ¾ cup sugar in the pan. When the sugar liquefies add the pecans and stir quickly to coat them. As soon as they are coated work quickly and remove to wax paper on a plate. Be sure to soak the pan immediately or the sugar will harden and be so much more work to clean off. Allow them to cool completely and then break apart or chop and put into the bowl with the other salad ingredients. I like to assemble this salad on individual plates for special dinner parties to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Ingredients for Dressing:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 heaping teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• small yellow or red onion coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup oil

Directions: 

combine first 7 ingredients in blender, then slowly add oil. Pour over salad and toss immediately before serving. Or pass the dressing in a pretty bottle or small pitcher to serve to individual plates.