The Wedge Salad – Bacon, Blue Cheese, Red Onion

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Ice cold Iceberg Lettuce cut into 6 wedges

Top with blue cheese dressing, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, cherry tomatoes halved.

Top with crumbled blue cheese.

Season with Salt and Cracked Pepper.

Croutons (Optional)

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Pasta Greek Salad

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

This salad is such a fresh vegetable salad. If you are looking for more substance, add some pasta; I love it without just as well.

Bell peppers (red, yellow and green)

White sweet onions

seeded cucumber slices

Kalmata Olives

Feta Cheese

Cooked and Chilled Pasta – Curly or Penne  (Optional)

1/4 cup Fresh chopped mint or basil or parleys

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss with vinegar and oil or Girard’s Greek salad dressing.

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Spinach Salad

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Baby Spinach

Finely diced onioins

Bacon crumbled

Mandarin orange slices or Strawberry slices

Lightly toss with Vadalia onion dressing.

Optional – Top with Broiled duck breast glazed with orange marmalade

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Asian Coleslaw

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Recipe can be halved or doubled.

Salad:
1 16-oz bag cole slaw
4-5 scallions, sliced
1/2 c slivered almonds (or more if you want)
1/2 c sunflower kernels (or more if you want)
2 pkg “Oriental” flavor ramen
chopped parsley and/or cilantro

Dressing:
2 little flavoring packets from ramen
4 T sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1 c oil
salt and pepper

It’s good to mix the dressing and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the salad. Add the dressing and the crumbled ramen about 15-30 minutes before serving.
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Roasted Beets with Walnuts Gorganzola Dressing

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy
  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds beets, trimmed and halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bunch arugula, well washed and torn apart

For the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
  • 1/4 cup light or heavy cream

print a shopping list for this recipe

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

To roast the beets: Place the beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a roasting pan and cook until the beets are tender, about 40 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice the beets.

Place the beets in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

To make the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the walnuts and cook until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and when the walnuts have cooled to room temperature, add the onion, basil, vinegar and salt.

Place the Gorgonzola cheese and cream in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the walnuts and mix to combine.

Divide the arugula between 4 to 6 plates and top with equal amounts of beets. Serve immediately with a large dollop of Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing.

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Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy
  • 6 Meyer lemons (1 1/2 pounds)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar

Special equipment:

Preparation

Halve lemons crosswise and remove seeds. Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice. Combine with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart nonreactive heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered, at room temperature 24 hours.

Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes. Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 15 minutes.

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids.

Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot. Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Boil jars, covered, 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack. Cool jars completely.

Cooks’ note: • Marmalade keeps, stored in a cool, dark place, up to 1 year.

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Fried Green Tomato “BLT” Sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Basil Mayonnaise:

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

Puree basil, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in processor until smooth. Transfer to small bowl; mix in remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Depending upon the number of sandwiches you are making, vary the amounts per sandwiches

Prepare Bacon:  (3-4 slices per sandwich) Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bacon in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Cook until crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F.

Fried Green Tomatoes:

2-3 green tomato, 1/4 inch slice per sandwich

  • all-purpose flour for dredging
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (if you don’t have cornmeal just use more flour)
  • 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
  • bacon grease to fry

Sprinkle all green tomato slices with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup flour in shallow bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 cup flour with cornmeal in another shallow bowl to blend. Working with 1 green tomato slice at a time, coat with flour, then egg, then flour-cornmeal mixture.  Using some of your bacon grease in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry green tomatoes until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer to prepared baking sheet with paper towel for draining; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm in oven 200 degrees.

Other ingredients for sandwiches:  2 slices red tomatoes , 1/4 slice; arugula or butter lettuce, avocado, lightly toasted wheat bread

Assemble sandwiches and serve immediately with Lemonade, Iced Tea or a Pino Grigio Wine.  Have a nice lunch. If you really love this type of sandwich but are too lazy to make them every day, I suggest to look at this sandwich shop.

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Green Pasta – al verde pasta

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Fresh Spinach works great in this recipe.


My mom didn’t have a food processor when I was kid, so all this would have been hand chopped.  I loved green spaghetti night.  I didn’t have the original recipe, so I kept trying to find a recipe that came close.  This is the grown up version, my mom would not have used hot pepper flakes, feeding so many kids, but it does make it good.  Speaking to many different cooks, they assumed that green spaghetti would be pesto.  Maybe, but my mom had limited ingredients.  She would use basil and parsley fresh from the garden, and she  may have walnuts and almonds, but certainly no pine nuts. 

Ingredients:

  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 3 cups packed fresh basil, stems removed
  • 3 cups packed fresh italian parsley or spinach or swiss chard, stems removed
  • 1 lemon; remove zest and squeeze juice
  • 1 (10oz) jar stuffed olives, drained
  • 1 (3 oz) jar capers, drained
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • good quality olive oil

Preparation:

In food processor, with the motor running, drop in garlic, green onions, and lemon zest. Process until finely minced. Add olives, capers, & hot pepper flakes and process until finely minced. Add as much parsley and basil as will fit and process with pulse turns. Repeat until all ingredients are processed. With motor running, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a “pesto” consistency. Separate into 1 cup containers. Each cup coats about a pound pasta.  I like it on fettuccini or spaghetti. Mix sauce with hot pasta and toss well. Garnish with cherry tomato quarters and fresh basil leaf slivers. Sauce freezes well.

Fettuccini noodles

I made this green pasta into a pasta salad, served cold and added chopped olives and tomatoes. Add a bite Lite Champagne Vinegarette or Dill Ranch so it is moist. Everyone loves it!

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Califlower and Potato Curry – allo gobi

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Califlower and potato curry

I have also had this with carrots added.  Also excellent. Califlower is not my thing but while traveling, a friend ordered this dish and the memory is still with me. 

1 ½ cups chopped fresh coconut (or substitute 1/2 cup toasted coconut and 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk)

7-8 T oil

1 ½ onions, chopped

Curry Powder:

    5 dried red chilis

    2 tsp coriander seeds

    1/8 tsp mustard seeds

    1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds

    ¼ tsp cumin seeds

    1 inch cinnamon stick

    4 peppercorns

    2 cloves

    ½ tsp turmeric

    ½ tsp paprika

    1 heaped tsp tamarind

    ¾ inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

    4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup potatoes, peeled, chopped large pieces

14 ounces cauliflower cut into large flowerettes

Topping:   Toasted Coconut, Almonds, or Cashews 

Soak 1 cup coconut in 2 cups of warm water, blend, then strain reserving milk. 

In non-stick pan heat oil and remaining chopped coconut for 2-3 minutes.Set aside.

Heat oil and sauté half the onions for 2-3 minutes and set aside.

Heat oil and sauté red chilis, coriander, mustard, fenugreek, cumin seeds, cinnamon, pepper, cloves for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

Now put coconut, onions, spices, into a blender.  Add turmeric and paprika and tamarind and ½ cup water and grind to smooth paste. 

In saucepan, 4 T oil sauté ginger and garlic for 15 seconds, followed by balance of chopped onions for 7-8 minutes until translucent, add spice paste and sauté for 2 minutes, then add a little water and sauté potatoes for 5 minutes.  Salt, add water to cover and cook 5-7 minutes. 

Then add cauliflower, coconut milk and cook until done.

Serve with rice.

If that recipe is too tough or you don’t have all the ingredients, you can substitute a can of coconut milk and you can always use a curry powder that has most of the ingredients above.  Feel free to leave out the potatoes or to add some carrots to the mix or just use califlower alone.    Best vegetarian dish!

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Almond Struesel Scones

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy
Almond Streusel
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
Scones
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firm butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 egg
1/2 cup half-and-half
 
  • Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, mix 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and the finely chopped almonds. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until crumbly. Set aside.
  • In large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles resemble fine crumbs. Stir in chopped almonds. Stir in egg and just enough half-and-half so dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.
  • Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into 9-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with streusel; press lightly into dough. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.
  • Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm.
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