Tossed Rice Salad

Tossed Rice Salad

Are you tired of the same old salads at picnic gatherings?  Try this alternative to potato salad or macaroni salad.  I was try to think of something different to serve with chicken quesadillas and wanted something cool, not hot.  I had these mixed frozen veggies that aren’t really good by themselves, so this is what I came up with.

3 cups cooked white rice, cooled completely

2 cups frozen mixed veggies (gumbo blend), thawed

1 small green pepper, diced

1 cup chopped *TARD cucumbers

½ dozen or so, cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size)

½ tsp celery salt

½ cup creamy Caesar dressing

Hot sauce and sliced green olives (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the hot sauce and green olives, in bowl and toss; chill four hours and salt and pepper to taste before serving.  Garnish with olives and the hot sauce really adds to the flavor.  Not too much, now!

© Crackerberries 2013

Peach French Toast

Peachy Keen French Toast

1 6 oz container peach yogurt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Half loaf white bread

Combine yogurt, eggs, milk and vanilla in medium bowl and mix well.  Dip bread in bowl to cover, place on grill and cook 2-3 minutes per side.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and serve with your favorite breakfast side.

© Crackerberries 2013

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

In the summer no one likes to get the oven going.  These are a perfect cookie alternative.  The granola healthy version

2 cups sugar

½ cup cocoa

4 tbsp butter

½ cup milk

½ cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole grain quick oats

2 cups granola cereal (Quaker Natural oats, honey & almonds)

Place sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring mixture constantly.  Add peanut butter, vanilla, oats and granola.  Stir well and remove from heat.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.  Let cool completely and harden.

Yield:  40 cookies

© Crackerberries 2013

Fig and Chicken Bake

Baked Fig & Basil Chicken

1¾ lb skinless chicken leg pieces

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

1½ tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

4½ tbsp brown sugar, divided

Kosher salt

2 tbsp cider vinegar

6-8 Kodata figs

Wash chicken and place in lightly greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Combine basil, garlic, lemon juice, ginger and 2½ tbsp brown sugar in food processor and blend until smooth.  Pour over chicken.

Combine remaining brown sugar, cider vinegar and 4-5 figs in processor and blend until smooth.  Pour over chicken.

Cut up remaining figs and spread around chicken.

Bake 375° one hour and 15 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving.

© Crackerberries 2013

Tuna Pea Wiggle

Baked Tuna Pea Wiggle

One of the easiest suppers I've made.

2 cups egg noodles

5 oz can tuna fish

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups frozen peas

1½ cups bread crumbs (2 slices)

½ cup milk

2 tbsp butter

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp ground marjoram

Cook and drained noodles according to package instructions. Drain tuna fish.  Mix milk and mushroom soup together.  Combine noodles, peas and soup together in lightly greased baking dish. 

Melt butter.  Toast bread, and break into tiny crumbs.  Combine bread crumbs with peppers and marjoram.  Pour melted butter over top and toss to combine. Spread crumb over top of noodles.  Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes until bread crumbs are browned and wiggle is bubbling.

© Crackerberries 2013

Sweet & Spicy Relish

Yellow Dot Hot Dog Relish

3½ lbs cucumbers, (8 cups, shredded)       

2 cups onion, finely chopped

¼ cup canning salt

Sprinkle onion and cucumbers with salt and add enough cold water to cover; let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.  I did not brine the cucumbers in ice water or salt water overnight this time.  Fresh picked out of the garden and processed.

1½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup red wine vinegar (only because I didn’t have enough cider vinegar)

2¾ cups sugar

½ tsp celery salt (only because I was out of celery seed)

2 Tbsp ground mustard

1 Tbsp mustard seed

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp ground turmeric

Drain and rinse, drain and rinse, drain and rinse cucumber mixture.  Bring vinegar, sugar, celery salt, ground mustard, mustard seed and turmeric to a boil.  Add cucumber/onions and red pepper flakes and return to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often until mixture begins to thicken; spoon into hot sterilized jars, and process in boiling water bath for ten minutes.  Yield:  4 pints 

© Crackerberries 2013

Fig-Pear Preserves

Figgy Pear Preserves

The fig tree just keeps producing fruit and I just keep trying to come up with new ways to preserve them.  This one is very tasty and different.

4 cups chopped pears, the hard kind

8 cups chopped fresh figs, less ripe is better

1/3 cup lemon juice

6 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients in preserving pot and bring to a boil over med-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2- 2½ hours until thick and brown.  Stir very often.

Spoon into prepared sterilized jars and seal in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Yield: 8 – 8 oz jars.

© Crackerberries 2013