Down Home Kitchen

  Have you ever heard of anyone, telling you that grapes weren’t good for you?  Neither have I and with that I notice that they are listed as a good diet food.  Fruit is listed as a good diet food, but I also noticed that many people can only have so much fruit, because of the sugar content.  Fruit in natural form, is full of sugar and can boost the sugar level in blood to the point of being too high in certain people, like diabetics.  So, they have to be careful of their fruit intake.

These salads as quick and easy to assemble, on a hot day, cutting time in the kitchen.  Entree Salads are a good choice for warm evenings and make a good meal.  This is a great way to use left over meat and is very filling. 
I like to use tuna or salmon, with these salads, when I want something cool and not heavy.  Your choice of salad dressing can compliment and enhance the flavors.

1  head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 c. shredded carrots

1 1/2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen.

2 T. fresh snipped chives or scallions

1/2 c. barbecue sauce

1/4 to 1/3 c. beef broth

3 c. med. rare steak or pork tenderloin, cut in bite size pieces

3 ozs. blue cheese, crumbled

Ranch dressing or preferred dressing

In lg. bowl, toss lettuce, carrots & tomatoes.  Add corn, chives and toss, this can be made in advance.  Heat BBQ sauce, over med. heat, with beef broth to thin it.  Add steak/pork pieces and toss to season, warm meat for 2 min.  Divide lettuce mix, on 4 serving plates or bowls.  Sprinkle with blue cheese, place steak/pork in center of each salad.  Serve with dressing.

Makes 4 servings.

2 cans sweet/green peas, drained

1 sm. onion chopped

3 eggs boiled & chopped

1 sm. jar pimentos, drained & chopped

1 rib of celery chopped

2 T. mayonnaise

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheeze or  sm. chunks

1/4 c. sliced or chopped mushrooms(raw)optional
1 Tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. oregano

salt & pepper to taste

In serving bowl combine all ingredients and toss.  Chill and serve with meal.

I found these growing after the big rains we had last week.    You can be sure these are not the eatable type.  They probably have all kinds of toxins, from growing out in my yard.    The driveway is about 4 feet away, next to them and as many cars that’s been worked on in the past 4 years, I’d say they are very toxic.  Hee, hee, better leave those alone.

Yum Yum……guacamole salad….I love it…… An avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable! It is actually a member of the berry family.
At the time of the Spanish conquest, avocados were grown from northern Mexico south through Central America into north-western South America and south in the Andean region as far as Peru (where the avocado had been introduced shortly before the conquest), as well as into the Andean region of Venezuela.

To freeze, mash the avocados with a fork. Add one teaspoon lime or lemon juice per avocado and mix well. The best way to freeze the prepared mashed avocados is to use a freeze-weight zip lock bag. Fill the bag with the mashed avocado. Remove the air from the bag and then zip closed and freeze.

Thaw the frozen avocados in the refrigerator or place the container in a bowl of cool water to accelerate thawing.
Its mono unsaturated fat speeds up the basal metabolic rate, as compared with saturated fat.
Its high fat content gives a quicker feeling of satiation (”fullness”), thus helping to reduce overeating.
Its high fat content makes an overall sound diet more palatable, reducing the temptation to binge on foods high in sugars or saturated fats.
Its rich supply of vitamins and minerals also makes the diet more wholesome and satisfying and thus more conducive to overall health.

For the last few months we’ve been wanting to try the new Jalapeno Tree Restaurant, that’s been recently built close to our home. As for a Tex-Mex restaurant, it can be ok, but as an original Mexican restaurant, I don’t buy it. We went in and the hostess’s took us to the smoking section, which was located in the Bar area. The bartender, became our waitress and was very busy tending the bar, so often we waited, until she could make it over to us.   We naturally got our drinks fast, once the order was made, but had to wait for her to come back and take the food order.

When the food arrived, I wasn’t very impressed with the look of the food. The guacamole salad needed more lime juice and seasonings and was very bland to the palate.  The taste of the food was even more bland and the hot chili sauce, that they brought as a condiment, had almost no pepper heat at all. I ate most of my food and so did my spouse, but both of us, mused that the food at On The Border, was much more flavorful and we would have rather gone there. We definitely decided that we won’t be going there again.
Unknown by me, it seems that my youngest daughter happen to visit the same restaurant the next day after we did, and on a visit to my home a few days later, she happen to mention going there. She had the same feeling as we did, that it wasn’t as good as one of the other Mexican restaurants, that we also like.

Man, what a hot summer we’ve got going, here in Texas it’s a scorcher, and we still have August to go. I sure haven’t felt like cooking an heating up the house, with the expense that electricity has gone to. I know that my light bill will be high this month, because we haven’t been one night without the air conditioning, and many times during the days we’ve had it on. So, it’s fast food to go or dinning out, so the house won’t bee hot.
Our 100* weather has really taken it’s toll on the electric bills and many here in the local Dallas area, have had heat related health problems and even died.
I will get back to my cooking soon, but now the most I cook is in the slow cooker/crock pot or make tuna salads and such. It’s ok, because I don’t feel like eating a heavy meal due to the heat.

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

Celery    1 Stalk
Peas
Grated carrots   (4)
Black olives     1 small can
Shredded lettuce
Mayonnaise or salad dressing
Large elbow macaroni   ½ bag
Chicken breast     2-3 boiled and cooled off (shredded)

Directions:
Mix shredded chicken and macaroni, salt and pepper to taste
Mix in veggies, in mayo…. Be sure to add enough to be very moist

Note: This is the best macaroni salad I have ever tasted.