Creamy Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups elbow macaroni (about 10 ounces)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

2 tablespoons white vinegar (substitute: Sweet Pickle juice)

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 cup cubed Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Step-by-Step:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again.
Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and milk in a large bowl; mix well. Add relish, vinegar and mustard; mix well.
Add cooked macaroni, Cheddar, celery, bell pepper and onion to bowl; mix well. Sprinkle with paprika.

Old Fashion Gingersnaps

• Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 teaspoons vinegar

Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 4 baking sheets. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a large bowl; mix well.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, molasses and vinegar; beat well.
3. Add flour mixture to molasses mixture; mix until a stiff dough forms. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls 11/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies until edges are slightly browned, about 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets until slightly firm

Apple-Glazed Beef Brisket

Makes 4 servings

·         1 (5 lbs) beef brisket, trimmed

·         1 medium onion, cut into quarters

·         2 cloves garlic, cut into halves

·         10 whole cloves

·         1 ¼ cups apple jelly

·         1/3 cup dry white wine or white-wine vinegar

·         3 tablespoon minced green onions

·         3 tablespoons brown mustard

·         ¾ teaspoon cracked black pepper

·         ¾ teaspoon curry powder

·         ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.      Place beef, onion, garlic and cloves in an ovenproof Dutch oven. Add just enough water to cover beef.

2.      Bring beef mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until beef is tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Drain, discarding onion, garlic and cloves. Return beef to Dutch oven

3.      Preheat the oven to 325^o F.

4.      Combine apple jelly, wine, green onions, brown mustard, black pepper, curry powder and salt in a small saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Brush beef with the apple glaze.

5.      Bake beef, basting frequently with apple glaze, for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer the beef to a heated serving platter. Slice and serve immediately.

Hint: Drain liquid from beef through a cheesecloth to remove onions, garlic and cloves.  

Confetti Potato Salad

Makes 6 servings

·         2 ½ pounds medium potatoes

·         1 cup chopped red bell pepper

·         1 cup sliced pitted black olives

·         1 cup frozen peas, thawed

·         ½ cup mayonnaise

·         1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

·         ¼ cup cider vinegar

·         2 tablespoon chopped red onion

·         ½ teaspoon celery seeds

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·         Leaf lettuce, optional

Directions:

1.      Prepare elbow macaroni according to package directions, but do not add salt. Drain macaroni in colander; place under cold running water to cool. Drain thoroughly.

2.      Remove the stems and seeds from red and green bell peppers. Chop bell peppers and set aside.

3.      For dressing, in a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper until well blended

4.      Add cooked cooled macaroni. Chopped celery, chopped bell peppers and chopped onion to bowl. Toss with dressing to coat evenly.

5.      Place salad on serving platter. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, If desired, and serve.  

Hearty Navy Bean Soup

Makes 6-8  servings

·         16 oz dried navy beans

·         4 cups chicken broth

·         4 cups water

·         1 ½ to 2 lbs. ham

·         1 cup finely chopped onion

·         1 ½ cups coarsely chopped potatoes

·         1/3 cup ketchup

·         ¼ cup cider vinegar

·         1 tablespoon sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 cup coarsely chopped carrot

·         2 tablespoons sliced green onions, optional

Directions:

1.      Sort and rinse navy beans

2.      Combine beans with enough water to cover by 2 inches in a stockpot

3.      Bring beans to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 hour; drain well.

4.      Add chicken broth and 4 cups water to beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour

5.      Chop the ham coarsely. Stir ham, chopped onion, potatoes, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into beans. Add the chopped carrot and mix well.

6.      Bring soup to a boil; Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Ladle navy bean soup into soup bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired. Serve with corn bread

Chicken-Eggplant Burgers

Onion Relish
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Spanish (red) onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Burgers
1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Eggplant, very thinly sliced, crosswise
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt
Cayenne
Lettuce leaves
4 sandwich rolls, split

Step-By-Step

1. For the relish, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7-10 minutes. Add the sugar and vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. The relish will keep for 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature or reheat before use.
2. Prepare a fire in the charcoal or gas grill
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant slices and cook until golden, 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Lightly brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and cayenne. Grill until cooked through, with no pink remaining in the center, about 10 minutes, turning once. Lightly toast the cut sides of the sandwich rolls on the grill, then brush lightly with the remaining oil.
5.  To serve, place a lettuce leaf on the bottom half of each roll. Top with chicken, eggplant and relish. Cover with the top half and serve immediately.