With the holidays just around the corner, the following recipes are tasty ways to use up leftover turkey, stuffing, cornbread and canned cranberries.

Cornbread Salad
1 9×13-inch pan cooked cornbread, crumbled
1-1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 c. celery, sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
3/4 c. green onions, chopped
1 (5-oz.) jar green olives with pimentos, drained, rinsed and chopped
3/4 c. pecans, toasted and chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. sage
Pepper, to taste
10 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

In bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving. The recipe serves 12 and looks very festive on the holiday table.

Now for that leftover turkey, dressing and gravy, the below recipe makes a yummy casserole.

Crockpot Leftover Turkey and Stuffing
2-3 c. leftover stuffing or 1 6-ounce package stuffing mix prepared according to directions
2-1/2 c. chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
2 c. zucchini, cubed
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, cubed
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 c. leftover gravy or 1 can of your favorite condensed cream soup

Combine all of the ingredients beginning with the chopped turkey in a large bowl. Layer half of the turkey-vegetable mixture in the crockpot. Top with half the stuffing, repeat layers. Cook covered on low setting for 5 hours or on high for 2 1/2 hours.

Through a lack of communication, several family members brought canned cranberries as their contribution to the dinner last year. Since then, I’ve been looking for dishes with cranberries. The below salad could also be served as a dessert.

Frozen Cranberry Salad
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
15-1/4 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. chopped pecans
8 oz. frozen whipped topping

Cream the cheese with the sugar and blend in the mayonnaise. Mix in the next three ingredients until well blended. Fold in the whipped topping. Pour into molds or a greased 8-inch glass dish. Freeze until set.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream on each salad at serving time.

Beets are probably not the most popular vegetable but I like them. My mother usually pickled them, but there are many more ways to cook with beets. I like to gather some of the beet greens along with kale and chard to add to salads.

Planting different varieties like golden and pink as well as deep purple make a pretty presentation when roasted. My favorite is to pick them early and sauté the greens until wilted and top with the roasted roots.

Sautéed Beet Greens
1 large bunch of beets with greens
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash beets well. Cut off green leaves and reserve. Toss the beet roots with a tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in a 375-degree oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. Larger beets will take longer. Some recipes recommend rubbing the skins off the roasted beets. I don’t bother with that, we eat the whole thing.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the garlic until golden and add roughly chopped reserved greens. Add salt and pepper and sauté until the greens are wilted. Serve greens with the roasted roots.

I’ve used that same recipe with turnips and their greens. Roasting the turnip roots and boiling the greens in salty water and then serving the greens with the roasted and chopped roots on top. I had one person tell me how much he loved those potatoes on top of the greens. When I explained they were turnips and not potatoes, he argued because he doesn’t like turnips but he liked those.

It’s a good idea to roast extra beets and refrigerate for later.

Salad Greens with Roasted Beets,
Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans
Create a simple and flavorful salad by piling your favorite salad greens in a bowl and toss with a vinaigrette. Then garnish with roasted beets, crumbled goat cheese and candied pecans.

Candied Pecans
1 c. pecan halves
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Melt butter in a skillet and add pecans and brown sugar. Stir until combined and cook on medium-low heat until the sugar and butter caramelize. Let mixture cool on parchment paper before serving.

I stood in my kitchen staring at about 10 apples. They were what was left of a bag I purchased weeks ago. When Ben was around, I could depend on apples like those disappearing in about a week. David and I may eat a few apples, but I certainly won’t be buying large bags any more.

The apples had no brown spots and other than a few wrinkles, they looked pretty good. They had lost their crispness, so I decided baking them would be the best option. My husband loves apple crumble pie and I decided since it was raining and I couldn’t work outside, he’d get one.

Basic Dough
(for pies or tarts)
2 c. flour
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
6-7 Tbsp. icy water

The pie dough recipe is my mother’s and I found it while looking through old boxes the previous weekend. I had scrawled it on a scrap of paper I recognized from a note pad I used in high school. The recipe is simple and makes a nice basic flaky crust.

As usual, cut the shortening and salt into the flour with a pastry cutter until crumbles form. Then add icy cold water 2 tablespoons at a time, continuing to cut into the dough. The seventh tablespoon may not be needed. The only time I ever remember adding it was when we lived in Colorado with the air being so dry.

Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. The recipe makes enough for two 12-inch rounds.

Apple Pie Filling
3/4 c. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. flour
5 c. apples, peeled and sliced thinly

Mix all ingredients together. Roll out half the dough and lay it in the pie dish. Gently tear off excess dough and shape the edges being careful not to stretch the dough. Pour the pie filling into the dish and top with posipka (or crumbles).

Posipka
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 stick of butter

Cut the butter into the flour and sugar with a pastry cutter or a fork. My grandmother used the posipka recipe to top kolaches, pies and coffee cakes. I used about half the posipka recipe to top the apple pie. It was pretty heavy handed, but David loves the crumbles. I baked in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes with foil covering the edges. Then I removed the foil and baked another 30 minutes until the top was golden brown.

With the remaining pie dough I decided to make a blueberry tart. I still have loads of frozen blueberries. I’ve been wanting to try a savory version with rosemary. I rolled out the dough and placed it on a greased sheet pan.

Savory Blueberry Filling
2 c. blueberries
1 tsp. rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. flour
1 pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together and place in the middle of the dough leaving a three inch border. Top with posipka. Fold over the three inches to form a rustic tart. Top with more posipka. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes until the top is brown.

With a little effort, I’m getting used to cooking for two. Sandwiches are easy, but making them interesting takes creativity. So, last week when I made spaghetti and meatballs, I reserved sauce and meatballs for another dinner. Then when I baked bread for delivery in Sulphur Springs, I also made 4 mini loaves for sub sandwiches.

Storing the noodles separately from the sauce makes them easier to repurpose for other meals. David loves buttered noodles for breakfast and lunch. I also usually make a meat sauce for spaghetti, but instead I made meatballs and a simple tomato sauce. I couldn’t wait to try those on the mini loaves with melted provolone cheese.

Simple Tomato Sauce
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
24-oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Reduce the heat and add tomatoes and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Basic Meatballs
1-1/2 lb. lean ground meat
1 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients and roll balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a backing sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the meatballs and cook for 10-15 minutes more or until no longer pink inside. You could also add them to the sauce to finish cooking as it simmers.

Meatball Sub Sandwiches
2 mini loaves of French bread
butter for spreading
12 meatballs and sauce, warmed
4-6 slices provolone cheese

Slice the mini loaves lengthwise and butter each half. Toast in a 400-degree oven until lightly brown. Remove bread and lay slices of provolone to cover the bread.

Cut meatballs in half and place 12 halves on the bottom of each loaf. Then cover with sauce. Return to the oven and toast until cheese melts.

Twenty visitors came to my winery’s tasting room last Saturday for opening day. The weather was terrific and our preparations and hard work really paid off. We’ve been so busy that we barely eat dinner most evenings. So, something that takes little prep, few ingredients and cooks quickly is perfect for our busy lifestyle.

My garden is doing well and I have a surplus of vegetables now – mostly okra and peppers. The following are two of my favorite healthy recipes using chile peppers. Since I’m only cooking for two now, I cook the chicken one evening, using half for the first recipe and reserve the other for later.

Creamy Chicken and Chile Enchiladas
1 lb. of chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 green chiles, chopped
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 pkg. flour or corn tortillas
2 10-oz. cans green chile enchilada sauce
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook chicken, onion and chiles in a skillet until the chicken is done. Add cream cheese, cooking and stirring until combined.
Spoon mixture onto each tortilla, rolling up and placing each in a greased baking dish with the seam-side down. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes until the sides are bubbling.

Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Chile Peppers
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
1-3/4 c. diced tomatoes
1/2 c. red enchilada or chile sauce
1/2 c. goat cheese crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 chile peppers (or 4 large poblano peppers)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 c. Monterrey Jack cheese

Prepare the stuffing by mixing together the chicken, tomatoes, red sauce and goat cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside and prepare the peppers.

Slit the peppers length-wise and remove the seeds. Rub peppers with olive oil and place in a greased casserole dish. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into each pepper. Top with Monterrey Jack cheese. Bake the peppers in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

I usually serve those dishes with a side salad and it is plenty. Both recipes freeze well, but the stuffed peppers are best served immediately.

It’s interesting the way certain events help form our opinions. When in my early teens, I spent a summer in Houston. While its hospitals saved my life, I did not develop a fondness for the city. Likewise, I had a bad opinion of succotash related to that experience.

Every evening patients filled out a slip with their meal requests for the next day. Every day I chose the vegetable notated with the number 7, which was corn. Patients just wrote the number of their selections on the slip, not the name of the items. Each day I received succotash, not corn.

My mother never made succotash and I wasn’t familiar with it. What I really wanted was just plain corn. I’m not complainin’, I’m just sayin’. Turns out that the menu duplicated number 7 and it was also an option for succotash.

I understand that succotash is a Native American dish made with corn, vegetables and usually lima beans. I read that other beans may be substituted for lima and decided that black-eyed peas would be a good alternative. Yes, I still have black-eyed peas in the freezer from last year’s crop.

Succotash
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 mild peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. okra, chopped
2 c. corn
2 c. black-eyed peas, cooked
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. fresh herbs like parsley or basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onions, pepper garlic and okra. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the okra is tender. Add corn and black-eyed peas and cook until warmed.

Mix together sugar, vinegar and herbs. Pour over vegetables and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or chilled. I’m starting to change my opinion of succotash.

I have an abundance of zucchini squash and could have used it in the succotash instead of the okra. However, I saved it for the following dish.

Squash Medley
3 lbs. squash, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. corn
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Blanch squash and drain in a colander. Sauté onion and garlic in butter and olive oil. Add corn and most of the tomatoes, mixing cornstarch into the remainder and then adding to the pan. Cook until it begins to thicken and then add herbs, salt and pepper.

Pour into a greased casserole dish. Mix together the topping ingredients, making a crumble and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.

I’m in the middle of several projects that are keeping me very busy. I have found strange truth in the phrase, “I meet myself coming and going.”

Finding time to cook is difficult and instead I’ve been making quick simple meals including leftovers and sandwiches.
Friday night I made a very simple pasta sauce. It makes enough for dinner with some left over to freeze for another day. Now that it’s just David and me, I’m working on making smaller meals. If we have leftovers, I want to re-purpose them in an interesting way.

Rigatoni with Pomodoro Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh basil
2 quarts canned tomatoes
1 carrot
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2-3 Parmesan cheese rinds
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. butter

Begin by heating the oil to medium-low and cook the whole garlic cloves until they turn a light golden brown. Then add the basil (stems and all), tomatoes, whole carrot, red pepper flakes and cheese rinds. Turn the heat to low and cover. Simmer the sauce low and slow for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the garlic, carrot, basil stems and cheese rinds. The garlic and basil add flavor, the carrot naturally sweetens and the Parmesan cheese rinds partially melt into the sauce making it rich and creamy. Taste the sauce. I added a little pepper, but found that the cheese rinds added enough salty seasoning.

If you prefer a smoother sauce, purée it. I like a rustic sauce with pieces of tomatoes, so if need be, I smush the larger pieces with a fork. David likes to cut up the carrot and the garlic and add it into his pasta.

Stir a little butter into the sauce until it melts, making the sauce even thicker and richer. Toss with your favorite pasta. I used rigatoni because it holds the sauce well. It made a nice light dinner when served with a green salad.

Another quick and light dinner was made with garden zucchini, green onions, leafy greens, corn and canned garbanzo beans for added protein. I recommend tossing all ingredients together and then serving over torn greens because leftover greens wilt, but the rest of the salad stores well.

Zucchini, Corn and Garbanzo Bean Salad
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup corn, kernels cut off the cob
2 zucchini squashes, cubed
Fresh greens, like romaine, arugula, spinach and/or chard
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix ingredients garbanzo beans through zucchini together. Create a simple dressing by whisking lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper together. Toss with the vegetables. Serve mixture over a bed of fresh salad greens. Top with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

A friend was shocked when she came for dinner one evening and I was frying fish. She couldn’t believe I even owned a Fry Daddy. But the truth is that when food is properly fried, it can still be part of a healthy diet.

Tips for healthy frying include:
• Use a heart-healthy oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil
• Use a batter with leavening agents like buttermilk and baking soda, and use cornmeal instead of flour for less oil absorption
• Heat the oil to and maintain a proper frying temperature
• After frying, drain food on a wire rack so excess oil drains off
• Most importantly, eat fried foods in moderation

Frying Batter
2 c. buttermilk
3 c. cornmeal
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. baking soda

I fried about 4 cups of chopped okra and an onion bloom. (To create an onion bloom, slice the top off a large onion and create petals by cutting 5-6 cross sections while leaving the bottom intact. Spread the petals to create a larger surface area for the batter.) Soak the items in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes while mixing up the dry ingredients.

Bring oil to 365 degrees. When frying a large amount, I use a fryer with a temperature control, but a pot on the stove with about 2 inches of oil works too.

Add the buttermilk-soaked items in groups to the dry ingredients and toss.

When the mixture gets too wet, add more cornmeal. The items should be individually coated and not clumped together. When the oil is at 365 degrees, drop the coated items into the oil. Use a metal spoon to gently nudge the items so they don’t stick together.
When the outside is golden brown, remove and drain on a wire rack. Use paper towel or newspaper on a sheet pan under the rack to catch excess oil. During frying, the oil’s temperature will drop slightly. Wait until it comes back up to 365 degrees before adding the next batch.

I made a few corn fritters with the remaining batter by adding a beaten egg, 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 c. corn and chopped parsley. Then I dropped the mixture by spoonfuls (about 1/2 Tbsp.) into the hot oil. They were an experiment and came out pretty well.
We snacked on the onion bloom dipped in ranch dressing while I baked tilapia – the healthier side of dinner.

Baked Tilapia
1/2 onion, sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
4 tilapia filets
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. capers
olive oil for drizzling

Line a sheet pan with foil. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the bottom. Layer onions, fish filets and lemon slices. Top with salt, pepper and capers. Lightly drizzle more olive oil on top. Cover with more foil and crimp the edges closed. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.