It may be Spring according to the calendar, but by looking around outside now, it's still Winter for sure ~ thanks to the sleet/snow/wind combo over the weekend, we have another 3" snow on the ground yet again...
Because of the above, it's not grilling season here yet, so our chicken kabobs came from the oven.
Many gardeners have a surplus of cucumbers now and this recipe is an easy tasty way to utilize them. The sweet and sour thing going on in it is so good and we enjoy eating it all summer long.
I’m crazy about cucumber and onion salad but don’t like the high amount of sugar it generally takes to make it. This is my solution to that and I’ve been making it this way for years. Bill likes it topped with tomato wedges just before serving.
Here are some interesting cucumber tips and trivia:
Cucumbers are natural diuretics used to help lose weight!
Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
Anyone allergic to pollen or aspirin should avoid eating cucumbers. They can cause an unpleasant mouth itch.
Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
Soak slicing cucumbers in salt water before slicing to suck some of the moisture out of the cucumber. Sliced cucumbers leak water when sliced.
In Roman times, the Emperor Tiberius grew cucumbers in carts, and had his slaves wheel them around to catch the sun.
Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
General Ulysses S. Grant was said to have been extremely fond of cucumbers. General Horace Porter remarked in an article, 'Campaigning with Grant', the General "often made his entire meal upon a sliced cucumber and a cup of coffee."
Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!
Can’t stop at 13 so, believe it or not:
There is actually a mining community called “Cucumber” in Southern West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 94. It’s the only community in the U.S. with that name.
I can’t vouch for all of the above ~ I just know that sometimes the most ordinary recipes are the best and this recipe lives up to that. While making supper, I’ve been known to devour a good amount of this before it even makes it to the table.
It’s all about the crisp cool cucumbers, the sweet Vidalia onions, the spicy pepper and the biting taste of the vinegar.
It’s a delicious, simple summer salad!
Now for the recipe:
Cucumber and Onion Salad Sugar-free
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
2 Vidalia onions, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup Splenda
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper Blend
Method:
In a non-metallic bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and garlic.
Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
It’s great!
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cookingfor great tips, recipes.
This recipe is begging me to take another road trip south through Georgia to pick up some sweet Vidalia onions that fills all those bushel baskets along the roadside stands!
The onions were first grown in Vidalia, Georgia in the early 1930’s. It’s an unusually sweet onion due to the low amount of sulfur in the land in that area. Mose Coleman is thought to be the man who discovered Vidalia onions in 1931.
The mild sweet taste of Vidalia onions makes them more versatile than stronger onions so they are perfect for this casserole of rice and Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses. It’s a great tasting side dish that’s easy to put together for a family dinner, a potluck or for a dinner party. Walla Walla or the Sweet Imperial can be substituted if Vidalia onions aren’t available. It pairs perfectly with burgers, ribs, seafood, steak or chicken on the grill for a great July 4th meal!
Sweet Onion Casserole
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups Vidalia onions, chopped (about 1¾ pounds)
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
2/3 cup low-fat milk
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or less depending on taste
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Cooking spray
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1-1/3 ounces)
Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add oil to skillet.
Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until tender.
Place onion in a large bowl.
Cook rice in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
Stir rice and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) into onions.
Spoon onion mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.
Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Serves 6
ENJOY! It’s a unique side dish for the holiday!
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!
We love food on the grill but it was a “no go” the other night due to pouring rain ~ who wants to stand out in the rain with an umbrella and grill? Guess I could’ve gone out and held the umbrella over Bill but, that didn’t enter my mind then. ;) So, the perfect solution was patty melts for dinner.
A patty melt is simply a ground beef patty, topped with cheese and caramelized grilled onions, served on rye toast.
First of all, I caramelized the onions, then toasted the bread on the griddle, cooked the burgers, topped them with cheese, then assembled the sandwiches and finished with grilling them. I made the burgers in an oval shape a little larger than our favorite rye bread. If you prefer Swiss cheese, use that. And there you have a great sandwich.
Patty melts are quintessential diner food! And then are tuna melts… Have you ever enjoyed them?
PATTY MELTS
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced thinly
8 slices rye bread
1½ pounds chuck ground beef
8 slices American cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on griddle or in skillet.
Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Remove onions, set aside.
Lay bread slices flat on a plate or waxed paper.
Butter each slice of bread on the top side, dividing 1 tablespoon of butter.
Flip bread and butter other side with 1 tablespoon of butter, divided.
Toast bread on both sides on the griddle until bread is a light golden color, about 1 minute per side.
Set bread aside.
Divide beef into 4 patties and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until beef is medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove patties from griddle.
Assemble sandwiches:
Lay 4 slices of toasted bread on griddle.
Top each with ¼ of onion mixture, one beef patty, one slice of cheese and another slice of toasted bread.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter on griddle.
Grill sandwiches on both sides, for a short time until the cheese is melted and toast is a golden brown.
Ummm, nothing makes me happier than a good meatloaf for the perfect comfort food! Half ground beef, half ground pork, chopped fresh green pepper, Vidalia onion, cracker crumbs and seasonings bakes into the perfect entrée for a cold, snowy winter night here in the Midwest.
The pork is a must, that’s what gives it its distinct savory flavor. In my opinion, it works best with a few cracker crumbs, no bread crumbs, no oatmeal, and no cornflakes to make it mushy or grainy. Bill is not a green pepper fan, but he says it is a must for meatloaf as it complements the meat and I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve tried many toppings for my meatloaf and always end up just slathering ketchup over it, no fancy sauces. And it does not make it sweet.
Be sure to make plenty in order to have leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches on good crusty bread, spread with a little mayonnaise!
Meatloaf is so tasty served with a crispy skinned baked potato and cole slaw; it makes me “darn near euphoric” just thinking about it! Give my recipe a try and let me know how much you like it!
My Incredible Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 ½ pounds ground pork
6 saltine crackers, crushed
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 egg
½ cup ketchup
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper Blend
2/3 cup milk
Ketchup, for topping Method:
Combine all ingredients, mix very well with your hands.
Place into a baking dish sprayed with Pam, form into a loaf.
Spread ketchup over top.
Bake about 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees, till done.
Let sit for a couple of minutes after baking, then slice.
Note: About half-way through baking time, I drain off drippings.
This is one of the simplest and most delicious of salads. It is especially good in the summer when bright red tomatoes are juicy and flavorful.
The essential ingredient is good quality fresh, moist mozzarella. Good fresh cow’s milk mozzarella works just as well. Do not use the yellow plastic-wrapped supermarket variety!
Slice the mozzarella in moderate thickness and overlap on a plate with the tomato and onion slices. Then just before serving, drizzle with good quality extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
This salad should not sit in oil for any length of time as it will become soggy. Add the oil just before serving! Tomato-Mozzarella-Vidalia Onion Salad Ingredients: • 4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick • 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick • 1 medium Vidalia onion, sliced thin • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste • freshly ground black pepper to taste Method: On a large platter, alternate and overlap the tomato slices, mozzarella cheese and onion slices. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Serves 6 ENJOY!
