Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich

In gearing up for the Derby tomorrow, this one will be a tasty hit:
(serves 4-6)

6-8 slices hardwood smoked* peppered* bacon
6 sliced ciabatta bread or other thick crusty bread
2 T. butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. Creole or Soul* seasoning, or seasoned salt
1&1/2 cups 2%* milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
4 t. Dijon mustard
1/2-1 t. hot sauce like Tabasco, Sriacha*, or Texas Pete's
8-12 oz. thinly sliced applewood smoked* turkey (with no nitrates or 'trites*)
2-3 Campari* tomatoes, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels, then crumble
Toast the ciabatta bread and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and Creole seasoning until blended and bubbly. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to simmer. Simmer, stirring for 1 min. Add the cheeses, mustard, and hot sauce. Remove from heat. Taste and add more Creole seasoning, as needed. Cover and keep warm. Heat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a baking pan. Top each slice of bread with turkey, then arrange the tomato slices over the turkey. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, then spoon cheese sauce over the tomatoes. Put the open-faced sammies under the broiler and broil just until the cheese sauce begins to bubble and brown, about 2-3 mins. WATCH!* Remove from the oven and sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately with Lay's Potato Chips*, and thin melon wedges.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!!!"

Have FUN today.

Love,

MM

Chinese Noodle Salad

I am going to make this for a party Sunday:

1 head of green cabbage, chopped
2 small broccoli heads*, chopped
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 packages of Ramen noodles; uncooked and broken into pieces (discard seasonings)
2 T. sunflower seeds (think I will use pepitas*)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup butter*, softened
1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw*
3/4 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T. Ponzu Citrus Sauce* (or soy sauce)

In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, broccoli, and green onions. Brown noodles, sunflower seeds, and almonds in butter in a med. skillet (set aside to cool). Boil sugar, oil, vinegar, and Ponzu, and cool completely. Toss everything together just before serving.

"Hope can be ignited by a spark of encouragement."

Have FUN today!!

Love,

MM

Garlic and Cheese Biscuits

This is a "passed down" recipe out of Florida:
(yields 1 dozen)

2&1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 T. cold butter
1 cup grated sharp* cheddar
3/4 cup cold milk
1/2 t. garlic powder

Butter topping:
2 t. melted butter,
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. dried parsley flakes
Pinch of Kosher salt

Combine Bisquick and cold butter with a pastry cutter or a large fork until butter pieces are about the size of small peas. Add cheese, milk and garlic and mix until well combined, but be careful not to over mix. Drop 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-17 mins. or until tops are beginning to brown. While the biscuits are baking, combine the butter topping ingredients. After biscuits are done, brush on the butter topping.

"If you don't have Peace about something, don't do it!"

Have FUN today!!

Love,

MM

Tomatillo Chipotle Sauce

This is GREAT tasting - easy, spicy and smoky:

1 48 oz. can petite diced* tomatoes
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4" slices
1 chipotle pepper (7 oz. can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tomatillo, diced
1 clove of garlic, 1/2 t. minced garlic from a jar, or 1/2 t. ground garlic

Mix together and serve with "scoop" type tortilla chips.

Editor's note: Had a wonderful time despite the series of rain squalls that lasted from stem to stern Sunday, but yielded 3 incredibly beautiful full rainbows!!! Ate VERY well, indeed. Lake Cushman resort is truly a paradise!!

"No one will learn anything at all unless they first lean humility."

Have FUN in the SUN today!!!

Love,

MM

Shoepeg Corn Casserole

I grew up in Iowa, and shoepeg corn was a FAV. of mine! "GREAT for potlucks and it smells wonderful while baking":
(8 servings)

2 cans shoepeg white corn, drained (or a bag of frozen, thawed*)
8 oz. cream cheese with chives*
Dash of garlic powder
1/4 cup milk (your choice of percentage - but "whole" makes it a lot creamier*)
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced (wear gloves, and remove seeds and pith)
1 stick of butter

Melt the butter and cream cheese in a glass casserole dish in the microwave. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients to the cheese mixture, and combine well. Place in preheated 350 oven, and bake for 20 mins.

Happy Friday, and I am off to the Lake Cushman Resort (Olympic peninsula out of Hoodsport, WA), so no blogs til Tuesday. Be good and kind to each other til then, K?!

Love,

MM

Kraut Kropture

This is a grandma's (that she brought from Bavaria in the 1850's) recipe:
(serving amts. NA)

Backbone of a pig (or a pork roast or smoked* pork hocks)
Chilled*sauerkraut (natural probiatic - but only the chilled packages, per Linda Holbrook)
Pie dough
Kosher* salt
Freshly* ground pepper

Cook the pork in water until done, then season to taste. Remove the meat and bones from the water, and cut the meat into small pieces. Mix the meat with a like amt. of sauerkraut. Make a pie dough and divide it into two balls. Roll one out as large as will fit into a 9x13" baking pan. Put one half of the sauerkraut and pork mixture on the dough, then roll it into a long roll and place into the baking pan. Do the same with the remaining ingredients. Baste the rolls wit the juice that the meat was cook in. Bake at 350 for about 45 mins. Occasionally baste with more of the juice.

Notice EVERYTHING today!!

And, have FUN doing it.

Love,

MM

Greek Salmon Burgers on a Cedar Grilling Plank

Yes, you CAN grill burgers on cedar planks!
(makes 4 servings)

1 lemon
1&1/4 lbs. skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1" cubes
1 egg
2 green onions. trimmed and chopped
2 T. fresh golden* oregano leaves
1/2 slice white sandwich bread
Kosher* salt
Freshly* ground pepper
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber
4 Ciabatta buns, split, spread with butter*, and toasted
Lettuce leaves

Soak cedar grilling plant in water at least 1 hour before grilling; drain. Finely shred peel from lemon; juice lemon to get 1 t. Set aside. In a food processor combine salmon, egg, green onions, oregano, bread, half the lemon peel, S&P. Pulse 5 times or until mixture holds together, scraping sides as needed. Shape into four 3/4" thick patties. Cover; chill 30 mins. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, cucumber, remaining lemon peel, lemon juice, S&P. Cover; chill.

For charcoal grill: Arrange medium-hot coals around edge of grill. Place plank on grill rack directly over coals 5 mins. or until plank smokes and crackles; remove. Arrange patties on plank; place in center of grill rack. Cover; grill 10-12 mins. or until an instant-read thermometer reads 160, turning once. Serve salmon on buns with lettuce leaves and yogurt mixture.

SMILE a lot today!!

Love,

MM