Category: Cooking

Most days I cook at least two meals, if not three, to satisfy my hungry household.  Sometimes I forget to thaw something out overnight and find these croquettes or as I have termed them faux crab cakes to fit the bill.  Since we moved here my cooking has become very simple because I simply can’t find the ingredients at the local stores.  Plus, it saves money and time.  Life is easier without worrying about extra ingredients.    To that end, this is what we had for lunch:

Faux Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1        Pound Canned Chicken Breast, Tuna or Salmon

1        Tablespoon Hellman’s Mayonnaise

2        Eggs

1         Tablespoon Baking Powder

1         Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 Teaspoons Old Bay or Slap Yo Mama or Tony Cachere’s Seasoning

2         Tablespoons Olive Oil or Canola Oil

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together.  Heat oil in frying pan.  Form small patties, place in skillet, cook 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Place on paper towel lined plate before serving. Enhance your recipe by adding diced green onions and bell pepper.  If I have them I use them.  Of course, if you can find it,  real crab can be used.  Usually, I mix chicken with salmon or tuna.

Simple Dipping Sauce:

4     Tablespoons Hellman’s Mayonnaise

2      Teaspoons Prepared Horseradish

Mix together and serve.  Keep refrigerated.  The dipping sauce can be varied with a teaspoon of lemon juice or replace mayonnaise with ketchup.

Nat Notes:  This is a low carb version which would be good for diabetes.  However, if you want the full fat,  crush ten Ritz Crackers and leave out the baking powder.  Make sure your oil is hot so they won’t stick and you may need to add more as you cook if the oil is absorbed.  Small patties will hold together well in the skillet.

Ingredients:

2      Cups Uncooked Rice

2      Medium White Onions

1/2  Stick Butter

2       Packages Frozen Broccoli Florets

1/2   Package of Velveeta Cheese (16 ounces)

2       Cups Milk

2        Cans Cream of Chicken or Mushroom Soup

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare rice as usual.  While rice is cooking, saute onions in butter.  Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Place cooked rice and onions in dish and add frozen broccoli.  Stir lightly.  In a separate bowl mix cheese, milk and soup.  Add to rice mixture and stir to blend well.   Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.  This is a double recipe and can be halved.

(Nat Notes:  To prepare rice: spray pan so rice won’t stick.  Add two cups rice and four cups water with a sprinkle of olive oil.  Stir.  Bring to a boil. Stir.  Place lid on pan and turn stove to low.  Cook for fifteen minutes.  Do not lift the lid during cook time.  For the casserole:  use frozen broccoli florets.  They are more tender than with pieces and do not fall apart like fresh broccoli does.)

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Fudge

Ingredients:

3       Cups Sugar

3/4   Cup Melted Butter

2/3   Cup Evaporated Milk

1/2   Cup Canned Pumpkin

2       Tablespoons Corn Syrup

1        Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1        Package White Chocolate Chips (12 ounces)

1        Jar Marshmallow Creme (7 ounces)

1        Cup Toasted Chopped Pecans  (just lightly toast in skillet)

1        Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation:

You will need a candy thermometer.  Line a 9 inch square baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Stir first six ingredients in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Keep on heat and stirring until mixture reads 234 degrees on a candy thermometer (about 12 minutes).  Remove from heat, stir in the remaining ingredients, blending well.  Pour into sprayed dish.  Let stand for two hours or until completely cool.  Cut into desired size.  Makes about 3 pounds.  Note:  Do not attempt on humid days.  Fudge or candies requiring certain temperatures to harden will not turn out on our humid southern days especially Divinity.

Enjoy!

Having finalized the menu and made the grocery list, this will be a great time to prepare those casseroles or items that you have on the menu that freeze well.  Go ahead and purchase your non-perishables such as the baking items and casserole ingredients.  Cross those off your list and start baking and freezing for goodness sake!  This will leave time for the fun part which are the table setting ; embellishments; and, of course, your loved ones!   Below you will find the recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole.  Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:    (I always double the ingredients.)

Casserole

2           Eggs

1 1/2   Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2       Cup Milk

1/2        Salt

1/3        Cup Soft Butter

1             Large Can Sweet Potatoes (29 ounces)

Topping

3/4        Cup Soft Butter

2/3        Cup Brown Sugar

1              Cup Chopped Pecans

1/2         Cup Flour

Preparation:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Drain and then mash your sweet potatoes with a potato masher.  Add the rest of ingredients and stir.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  Add ingredients and smooth.  Do not add topping.  Bake for 45 minutes.  In the meantime, add all of the topping ingredients in a bowl and stir lightly to create a crumbly mixture.  (Stirring too much will make a paste.)   Remove from oven and then add topping.  Bake for another 15 minutes.  Serve or cool completely, wrap in foil and freeze.  (Remember to thaw before reheating.)

Since I am considered the keeper of my mom’s recipes, often I receive requests for those recipes.   When my sons requested this for dessert; I thought of my mother and how her simple home cooked meals were magic in the kitchen to her grand kids.  Something as simple as Banana Pudding can make a treasured memory to a child or even grown ups.   It is all done up in minutes and in the same bowl my mother used.   This post isn’t so much about banana pudding but more about reminding us that simple things are just as wonderful to our loved ones.  Here it is, I challenge you to make a memory, or at least a smile, with something simple from your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

8      Cups Milk

2      Small Boxes Banana Pudding

1      Box Mini Vanilla Wafers

3      Bananas

Cool Whip (we like ours plain)

Preparation:

Whisk Milk and Pudding Mix until pudding forms, Place Mini Wafers at bottom of bowl,  Layer Bananas, Add Pudding, Layer Wafers, Layer Bananas.   Add Cool Whip if you like.

The first layers look like this: