Summer Luncheon ~ Salmon Croquettes

July 11, 2016July 10, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

A couple weeks ago while visiting my family in Kentucky, my sister had my parents and me over for a summery lunch. Everything was so delicious, and I promised I would get her recipe for the Salmon Croquettes for you all. Today’s the day!

This is a great meal – it’s healthy, it’s economical, and it’s so yummy! These are all things you could keep on hand for a busy night when you need supper in a hurry. I chop up fresh red peppers and keep them in the freezer for recipes like this. Why not plan on making this one night this week?

salmon 2

Salmon Croquettes & Mayo/Herb Topping

WHAT YOU NEED:

15 oz skinless, boneless pink salmon (I used Kirkland brand from Costco)

½ cup panko crumbs

½ cup finely chopped red sweet pepper

½ cup finely chopped green onions

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 TBL mayo

1 TBL yellow mustard

Topping:

½ cup mayo

3 TBL finely chopped fresh parsley

1 TBL fresh lemon juice

1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce

Mix topping ingredients. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
In a medium bowl combine salmon, bread crumbs, sweet pepper, green onions, egg, 2 TBL mayo, and mustard. Shape into eight 2 ½ inch patties. (about 1/3 cup each)
Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add patties, cook 4-5 minutes or until browned. Spray the tops with cooking spray before flipping. Continue cooking 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. (160 degrees F)
Place patties on a platter with a dollop of the mayo topping.

Her potato Salad tasted like something purchased in a nice deli! This was a great addition to the Salmon!

POTATO SALAD

8 medium red potatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chopped green onion tops

1 cup chopped celery

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

¼ cup diced pimento

1 TBL Dijon mustard

1 cup mayo

¼ cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste.

1 TBL seasoned salt

Wash and cube potatoes, leaving skin on. Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients and gently fold into potato mixture.

Now, let me end this post with a fun and delicious way to have the taste of S’mores but with a little twist! Pictured below is what we call Waffle Cone S’Mores:

Take all the ingredients you would like to melt and roast together, add it to the inside of sugar cone or waffle cone. We have found that a good combination is chocolate, marshmallows and strawberries. Fruit really adds the “over-the-top” edge! The mini Reeses cups makes the perfect little cap at the top of the cone, and when it melts…wow!

Pack it deep inside the cone, wrap in foil and set it on the grate over a fire or grill. Try to wait patiently for everything to melt together – about 10 minutes. Unwrap and enjoy!

These are the kinds of treats summer was intended for! Plus you have the fun of the fire, everyone standing around making their own dessert, laughing, munching and enjoying the summer evening. What fun!

I hope you’ll put some part of this on your menu soon. What a great recipe for your family, and one special enough for entertaining with as well!

With love from my country kitchen,

Side dish · Uncategorized

Fourth of July Salad

July 4, 2016July 3, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

July 4th.jpg

I hope you’re getting to spend some time today with family as you celebrate our great nation! We’ve been invited to join friends for a picnic lunch. I’m taking my watermelon salad. This is really refreshing on a hot day! I’ll add blueberries to this and call it a Red, White, and Blue Salad!

Could I encourage you to make sure to spend some time in prayer for our country? Let’s ask God to help us to be brave as we hold the standard of righteousness in our personal lives, our cities and our country!

What are you cooking/grilling/baking or churning up today?

With love from my country kitchen,

Side dish · Uncategorized

The BEST Side Dishes for Summer & a Sweet Frozen Treat

June 6, 2016June 3, 2016 RefreshHer1 Comment

On Memorial Day we planned, like a million others, to grill hamburgers at home. We invited our family that lives here and some dear friends of ours, from a town nearby. Now for a menu!

Of course we’d make the famous stuffed burgers I’ve shared here before, but the whole picnic is wrapped around the sides! If you don’t have something great, it’s just another picnic!

Alli offered to bring dessert – a Peach Crostata – yum! But she ~~begged~~ asked if I’d make the Triple-Bean Bake with Bacon that I’ve made for about five years now. I’m not a huge fan of Baked beans, but this recipe has changed that! Our whole family loves this dish, and our guests on Memorial Day raved, too! I also decided I had to make my favorite potato salad, which is Barefoot Contessa’s recipe. It’s sooo yummy!

Menu
Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Dill Potato Salad
Triple Bean Bake with Bacon
Deviled Eggs
Peach Crostata and Vanilla Ice Cream

Here’s a picture of the spread:

The Triple Bean Bake with Bacon ~

Triple Bean Bake with Bacon

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Add onion to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat until tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients; return bacon to pan. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and bake until desired consistency. Yield: 8 servings.

I put out small dishes for the beans to be put into…for all those that don’t like their food to mix. =)

I have to end with sharing one sweet frozen treat I made for our Bible Club this week. Since we were finishing the Wordless Book and talking about the Green page, I wanted a green snack. Well, it turned out yellow, but it tasted so good the children didn’t mind! Here’s my tweak on a recipe I found.

Lime Popsicles – Makes 6

1/2 Can Frozen Limeade concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
6 oz. Lemon lime soda
4 oz. Pineapple juice
1 tsp. Lime zest

Mix and pour into molds. Freeze until set. Enjoy!

The children and I really enjoyed these last week after having Bible club outside on a hot day! They’re so refreshing! They only took a few minutes to mix together the night before and they literally cost me pennies!

I’m anxious to try out some other recipes with my molds. Does anyone have a great frozen yogurt pop you’ve made and love?

With love from my country kitchen,

Side dish

A New Veggie Side!

March 28, 2016March 28, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

“Brussels Sprouts? Are you kidding me?!” is what I would have said if you would have told me that I had roasted a new veggie in my kitchen! I had never eaten them before that I can remember, but I’ve seen Ina Garten roast them, and as she is want to do, she made me think I’d like to try them! Then recently while out for lunch with friends, I got to try their side of Brussels. Yum!! They were delicious!

Being the Aldi’s fresh vegetable fan that I am, I went there hunting for the green delicacies. Wow! I found them super affordable for a bag. I came home and searched on Pinterest for a recipe that sounded delicious. Roasting in Olive oil at a high temp until the greens are caramelized, and then adding Balsamic Vinegar and honey pretty much sums it up. I considered this recipe a success, and I’m sticking with it! I found it on Once Upon a Chef‘s site. Thank you, for sharing, Chef!

Be sure not to overcook them, I’ve read that this is key to the difference between delicious and really bad! Take off the outer leaves that are tough. Aside from that – I’d just say Give them a try!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Honey

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved, stems and ragged outer leaves removed*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the brussels sprouts to baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Place brussels sprouts back in bowl. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.
*If you have some brussels sprouts that are very large, cut them into quarters. They should all be cut about the same size to ensure even cooking.

As I understand it, they’re not usually available in the warmer months, so hop to it and grab some before the Sprout Season is gone!

Anyone else love Brussels Sprouts?

With love from my country kitchen,

dessert · Side dish · Uncategorized

The Real Reason for Supper

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

supper table 1

All this week we’re going to talk about a subject dear to my heart – the Supper table. From the why’s to the who, and the how – we’re going to discuss it all! If you have any questions or comments about things you’d like to hear about, please let me know in a comment here! Let’s get started today with the why of supper!

My husband was gone for a few days last week and I missed him greatly! On the day of his return, I wanted to make a nice supper for him, even though it would be a little later than we normally eat. I knew he wouldn’t have stopped for anything, and he’d be hungry!

I could have just warmed up soup or made sandwiches, but I wanted the meal to communicate something to him – I missed him. I was thinking of him. He was worth the effort it took to prepare a nice meal. Supper is more than just filling our family’s bellies. It’s about letting them know that we care for them. It’s about taking the time to sit at the table and chat. It involves reaching across the table for their heart – not just the bowl of mashed potatoes! So this is why it was important to me to make a nice supper for my husband’s homecoming! I had a message to share!

Here was my menu:

Short Ribs
Wild Rice Mushroom Bake
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Parkerhouse Rolls
Ginger Cookies

I wanted the ribs to be really tender, so I did them in my pressure cooker. It only took 15 minutes – which is incredible! Because I was using my oven for the rice dish, it made it easier for me to cook them this way. I followed these instructions.

We love broccoli, and though I usually just steam it, I thought I’d try roasting it. I used Ina Garten’s recipe with Parmesan Cheese and garlic. Roasting it gives it a different kind of texture – a little crispier than steamed, but it was good!

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

The Rice & Mushroom Bake was a nice change from potatoes. This is an old recipe my mom shared with me years ago. It makes a lot – so I have some in my freezer for another day. It’s creamy and delicious.

Rice bake

Wild Rice Mushroom Bake

Saute one onion and cup of celery in a half stick of butter. Add 2 cups of beef broth, one cup of sliced fresh mushrooms and a box of Uncle Ben’s Rice. Bake 45 minutes @ 350 degrees in covered dish. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

We don’t often have dessert on a weeknight, but you have to make something special for a homecoming meal! The Ginger cookies are his favorite and I’ve shared them here. I bake the large size for 11 minutes and it makes them just soft enough to be perfect with a glass of milk or cup of coffee!

Ginger cookies.jpg

I encourage you to think about what your meals are communicating to your family. No matter if it’s you and your children, you and your husband, or a whole table full of people. Make your supper meal an occasion – not just food. You’re making memories around that table, so make them delicious and special!

With love from my country kitchen,