Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

The distinct anise-like taste of caraway fuses perfectly with cabbage.  


Bill and I both like cooked cabbage and I was happy to see this recipe in the American Heart Association Cookbook.  The spicy mustard, yogurt and seasonings round out the sauce smoothly, making this cabbage a tasty side dish for most any meat.
Try this, if you’re a fan of cabbage too!
Cabbage in Mustard-Caraway Sauce
Ingredients:
8 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
For the sauce:
2 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth ½ - 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard 2 teaspoons cornstarch

These shrimp never touched a barbecue grill!

And, 12 cloves of garlic may sound like a lot of garlic, because it is a lot of garlic, but cooking mellows its bite, leaving a pleasing taste.  


You might want to use butter instead of Promise Activ Spread.  If you’re not acquainted with Promise Activ spread, you’re in for a surprise as it has a good butter flavor for cooking and baking with a smooth texture; plus, it’s recommended by the American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic, as it’s low in saturated fat and helps maintain a healthy heart. Back to this dish, you’ll just have to try it to see how delicious it is!  It’s a keeper!!!

Garlicky BBQ Shrimp


Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup Promise Activ Light Spread
12 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
Method:

In large skillet, combine light spread, garlic and thyme.
Cook and stir over me…

We had a great fun time at Bill’s reunion ~ sooo many “old” people there…
Las Vegas was a blast as usual, and Elton John was the best.  The photo below is the gargantuan project under construction, to open early 2014.   
To give a little perspective, the photo is taken from the 21st floor of the Flamingo, in the very middle of the strip, where the Ferris wheel is located.  It is to be the largest Ferris wheel in the world:  28 pods, holding 40 people, that’s over 1100 crazy brave people, floating over Las Vegas, 550 feet into the sky; taking anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for a revolution; according to which story you read.

Delicious food all over the place there, but here’s a delicious dish I made when we returned…
Vegetables ~ Roasted. Butternut Squash.  Carrots.  Broccoli. Maple Syrup.  Pecans. Perfect!
The temperature is really falling here now, and there’s something about the cooler weather that makes a hearty healthy vegetable dish like this very appealing.



Maple syrup, squash and c…

Woo hoo!  Bill’s 50th high school reunion is this weekend.  Then we’re off to Las Vegas again.  He surprised me with a suite and “front row” seats to the Elton John concert!

~ ~ ~ 

I hope you all are doing well and I’ll be thinking about you.  I will leave you with this good pork chop rub recipe…


I don’t believe I’ve ever combined dill with pork, but I will from now on.  I adapted the recipe for this rub from “Real Simple” magazine.  It stated that the rub is also good for bone-in chicken pieces and shrimp.





Trust me, it’s delicious!  The blend of ingredients definitely surprised skeptical me, and we had a tasty couple of pork chops for dinner.  You will just have to try it to believe it!   

Pickle Rub for Pork Chops


Ingredients:


2 butterfly pork chops, trimmed of fat
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon Splenda

Cornbread is a favorite of mine and I found this lightened up version that’s delicious.  I’m not saying it’s better than the traditional cornbread, but it fills the bill for a cornbread craving!


This cornbread is moist and fluffy with a bit of tang from the buttermilk.  It’s adapted from a Cooking Light recipe; using stone-ground cornmeal to give it a great coarse sandy texture.  Simple, good and easy!

Southern-Style Cornbread Lightened Up

Ingredients:

1½ cups stone-ground cornmeal 3 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fat-free or low-fat buttermilk
Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat and 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Add cornmeal and flour to a large bowl.
Whisk in salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Make a well in the center.