Grilled Salad

Oh my goodness prepare yourself! This is SOOOO yummy. My sister in law Sarah and her husband Erik introduced us to this.

You need Romaine hearts to do this. The ones from Costco are perfect. Cut the bottom 2 inches off and wash. Then you are going to cut the hearts down lengthwise, from the top of the heart to the bottom. You want to have the two halves that look the same. After they are cut place them on a plate with the insides facing up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.

Put them face down onto the BBQ and cook for a couple of minutes. Just until the edges are starting to wilt. Take off grill and put face up on plates. Drizzle with Caesar dressing, cut, and enjoy!

Creamy Green Beans

So yes, this is just a variation of Green Bean casserole but I have a mental block towards the word casserole. I played with a few different versions that I could find and added my own twist to it and this is what we came up with. Just as a reference point when I told my hubby I would be making it for Christmas dinner he turned his nose up at me. At dinner he had about 4 helpings of it!

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1-2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2/3 c sour cream
3/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 cans green beans
1/2 can french friend onions

Add butter to a skillet and allow to melt. Add onion and cook on med until its starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so. Add flour to make it thick and pasty. Add sour cream, salt, and sugar and stir until combined. You can add more sour cream or even a little milk if you want it more runny but we wanted it thicker. Add cheese and green beans and stir slowly so as to not crush green beans. Add to baking dish. You can refrigerate at this point until about 30 minutes before you want them ready, I would just wait to add the french friend onions until right before you pop it in the oven. I ran our french friend onions through the magic bullet and pulsed it 7 or 8 times to break them up smaller. Sprinkle over top and place in oven about 350 for 30 minutes or until warm, bubbly, and the onions are crispy and brown.

Onion Rings

Ive never made onion rings before and its probably a good thing because now that I know that I can make them and just how good and easy they are...I'M IN TROUBLE! This is basically the same thing as fried squash only better!

1 onion cut into slices and then pop the rings out.
1/2 c flour
1/2 c Italian bread crumbs
3/4 tsp seasoning salt
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1-2 eggs
oil

Beat egg in one bowl and set aside (you can crack a second one if you run out). Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Pour oil into frying pan and let heat up. Dip the onion rings into the egg and then coat in the crumbs. Add to oil and let fry for about 2 minutes or until turning dark brown and then flip and repeat.

Fried Squash

If you live in Utah like we do you are probably swimming in summer squash! Tonight I tried to fry zucchini and it was good although I didn't dip it in the egg and I think that would have helped it be crispy on the outside so thats how I will do it next time.

1 lg or 2 sm squash
1/2 c flour
1/2 c bread crumbs
3/4 tsp seasoning salt
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1 egg
oil

Beat egg in a bowl and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Cut squash into rounds about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Heat oil lg pan for frying, Dip the rounds into the egg and then into the crumb mixture. Place in oil and fry for about 4 minutes on each side.

Sweet Potato Crunch

Oh yum! I got this recipe from my Mom and its the best for holiday yams. Its like you get to eat dessert first!

Filling:
2 large eggs
1 c sugar
3 c cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/3 c flour
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 c finely chopped pecans

Lightly butter a deep pie dish. Beat eggs lightly in a bowl and add sugar and stir. Add in remaining filling ingredients. Turn into dish. Combine flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut butter into mix until crumbly. Stir in pecans and spread over filling. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool and serve.

Gulliver’s Creamed Corn

2 pkgs frozen kernel corn
1 tsp salt
8 oz heavy whipping cream
¼ tsp MSG
8 oz whole milk
6 tsp sugar
pinch white pepper
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp flour 

Combine all ingredients except flour and butter in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Blend butter with flour and add to the corn mixture. Mix well and remove from heat.

Gulliver’s Creamed Spinach

2- 10 oz pkg frozen leaf spinach
3 slices bacon
1 small onion
3 Tbsp flour
1 ¼ c milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp MSG

Thaw spinach and squeeze completely dry. Grind bacon and onions very fine and place in a saucepan, sauté until cooked. Stir in flour to make a smooth paste. Gradually add milk, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes over low heat or until thickened. Add salt, pepper, and MSG. Grind spinach until fine and add to cream sauce.

Broccoli Salad

My husband does not like raw broccoli and I don't like raisins but we love this salad!

1 bunch broccoli chopped
2 c red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 c white raisins
1 c diced celery
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 pk slivered almonds
¼ c bacon bits

Dressing:
1 c mayonnaise
½ c sugar
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Mix dressing really well until there is not grit from sugar. Pour over salad and toss well.

Grilled Asparagus

Wash asparagus and cut off bottom 2-3 inches. Place on grill that is on low and let cook for about 5 minutes. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter and baste asparagus with it for the remainder of cooking. Sprinkle with seasoning salt after removing from grill.