Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

Portabella and Sweet Red Pepper Sandwich

*Note-we had these delicious sandwiches in a little cafe at Hocking Hills & I came home & recreated them!

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich 

 Mary Jane’s recipe

Ingredients

Portabella Mushroom caps, sliced sideways about ½" thick

Red Bell Peppers, sliced flat

Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese Slices    

Focacciaa, Sourdough or Italian bread, large slices (GF bread if you need to avoid gluten-my favorite to use for this recipe, because the slices are not tiny,  is Canyon Honey White or Hawaiian Sweet, which is not always easy to find)

Dressing

Mix ½ cup Mayo  & 1 tsp Italian salad dressing

Fry mushrooms & red peppers on both sides til charred, in butter or olive oil. Toast bread in skillet w/ butter or oil. 

Spread mayo mixture on each side of toasted bread. Place in this order on bread - cooked mushrooms, peppers & motz cheese. Place sandwich in microwave to melt cheese. 

I love this sandwich so much and consider it very special! I made it again tonight and ate sweet Vidalia onion on the side and fixed sweet iced tea, which hit the spot. So good!

Suggestion: I have not tried this yet, but I bet the sandwich would be good with roasted red peppers (in oil you find in a jar), to replace the fresh red pepper. In my grocery store (Kroger), you'll find those red peppers in the jar, near the salad toppings and rows of fresh nuts. I'll try that next time, because I have some in my fridge.

Other Suggestions: I think this sandwich wound also be good with fresh tomato slices and/or lettuce too.

I'm not crazy about Italian dressing, but the 1 tsp you add to mayonnaise helps to make this sandwich special. That's the exact taste of the sandwich where I tried it in the small cafe (in a bookstore/library) at Hocking Hill, Ohios.

Mary Jane Hall's version of the Portabella Mushroom and Red Sweet Pepper Sandwich

Dill Pickle Tuna Macaroni Salad

Dill Pickle Tuna Pasta Salad
My own creation

You cannot tell from the picture, but there is actually Albacore tuna in this pasta salad. It's similar to my Macaroni Salad, but slightly different. The regular macaroni salad (without tuna) has green pepper and black olives. (Instead of celery and dill pickles). This and my regular macaroni salad may not be anything new to you, but most macaroni salad I've eaten, whether it be at an Amish restaurant or potluck, is almost always sweet. I like those sweet versions too, and if you like a sweet macaroni salad please try my Broccoli Pasta Salad HERE (with bacon). I'm crazy about it!

Dill Pickle Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 lb dry macaroni, any shape (I use GF)

2 small can Albacore Tuna, drained
6 hard boiled eggs, grated
1½ cups mayonnaise (Hellmans or Dukes)
1 - 2 Tbs yellow mustard
¾  cup celery, chopped
¾ cup sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 cup Baby Dill pickles (whole) chopped
2-3 Tbs cream, only if needed
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  Cook the eggs about 12 minutes; place in cold water and ice. This will make it easier to peel the eggs! Set aside. Boil the macaroni according to pkg directions and drain in a colander. After it has drained (without rinsing) place in very large bowl. I don't rinse the pasta anymore because it makes the salad too runny. Drain the tuna and add to macaroni, breaking up big chunks.

  

  While the macaroni is cooking, chop the celery, sweet onion and pickles. Add to the macaroni after it's been placed in the big bowl. Grate the peeled eggs into the macaroni with a grater. (I don't like big chunks!) Add mayonnaise and mustard. Stir this all together. Taste it and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Add more mayo if needed. If you want it a little more creamy, just add some cream, but not too much. Hope you enjoy it! I am addicted to this, and it's so refreshing for summer on a hot day!

* This main dish Dill Pickle Tuna Pasta Salad is a lot like my Tuna Salad for sandwiches but with added pasta. In my regular tuna salad, though, I add sweet pickles, as well as dill pickles. Everybody asks me for the recipe!

Spinach / Mozzarella Bake

Deep Dish Spinach Bake

My family has loved this recipe since the early 1980's when Irene and Mike Coffey had us over to eat. My kids used to beg me to make it. A very simple but delicious meal! 

NOTE - The only thing I don't like to do is spreading the Biscuick in the casserole dish because it can stick to your fingers. Just keep putting dry Biscuick or flour on your fingers as you spread it. something that would make this quicker (but more expressive) would be to use Puff Pastry. I've used that before and it's divine!   Another idea would be to buy the Pillsbury All Ready Pie crust in the long box to put in a regular pie plate. Make sure to use the top and bottom crust. 

Ingredients

2 - 10 oz boxes frozen spinach

1½ lbs mozzarella cheese, grated (or more!)

4 cups Bisquick  (if you're in a hurry, use puff pastry for the upper and lower crust!)

1 1/3 cups milk

1 Tablespoon butter

2 tsp garlic powder (or more)

   Cook spinach in 1 cup water, in large frying pan on top of stove til tender (10-15 mins). While spinach is cooking, add the Tb of butter and  garlic powder. Cook til all water is absorbed. Turn off heat, then add mozzarella cheese; mix. In the meantime while spinach is cooking, make crust (4 cups Bisquick+1 1/3 cups milk). With Bisquick on your fingers, spread ½ in 13"x9" pan. When spinach is ready, spread on top of bottom batter. Then spread other ½ batter on spinach. Cook in 400º oven (or 350º) about 30 mins or till brown. Make sure batter is not gooey in center. 

Serve w/ salad.

Cheesy Tuna Rice Muffins

Cheesy Tuna Rice Muffins
with Lemon Butter Sauce

I don'tthink there's anyone on this planet who could love tuna more than I do! I love it any way I can get it. 

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Quiche

Tuna Melts

And one of my all time favorites is Tuna Rice Muffins! I found this tastey recipe in a Workbasket magazine way back in the 1970's. That small magazine had mostly knit and crochet patterns in it, as well as a few other crafts, but it also had several recipes in it that readers sent in. The first time I tried this recipe in the 1970's, I instantly fell in love with them and the lemon/buttery sauce you pour over them is what makes them one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. By the way, I love black olives too. These muffins are a pretty quick meal to make along with a vegetable, such as corn or broccoli on the side. I hope you like this recipe!

Cheesy Tuna Rice Muffins (with buttery lemon sauce)

Ingredients

Tuna Muffins

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can 6.5oz tuna, drained
• 1-1½ Tablespoon sweet onion or green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 Tablespoon milk
• 3/4 cup sliced olives 

Lemon Butter Sauce

• ¼ butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/8 teaspoon parsley flakes
• Note: you may want to make more of this sauce because in my opinion, it's what makes it! Somertimes I double it.
• 
  

Preheat oven to 375º (400 in my oven) . Mix first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Spray muffin pan (or pie plate if you want to make it into a crustless quiche). Fill each muffin cup to the edge. I get 7 muffins when I make this. Bake in oven 15-30 minutes till they are firm and starting to brown a little on top. Let cool and pour lemon sauce on individual muffins. If the butter sauce has congealed, that's ok. Just put about ½ tsp (or more) on top. Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Thai Chicken or Shrimp Soup

 

My Version of Thai Coconut Curry Soup 

I made this Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp and Chicken for my daughter, Jamie and her family. My sister, DonnaGay, ate it too, when she was visiting me. Everyone loved it! I love it too!

I just can't get enough of this delicious soup! Before I made it the first time I looked at many recipes on Pinterest and on YouTube and took the ingredients I thought I would like best. I've made it probably 8 times now and tweaked it til it was just right! I go by my taste but you may want to use less or more of some ingredients. 

My recipe makes about 6-8 servings, depending on whether this is a main dish or a small bowl before a meal. Cooking rice and putting 3-4 tablespoons in each bowl before the soup, will make this go further. (I love it with rice!)

 Note: I know shiitake mushrooms are expensive & if you cannot find them you can use any other kind of mushroom, but I LOVE the taste of shiitake mushrooms. You could even buy then dried at an Asian grocery store. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 Tablespoon oil (more if needed). I use avocado or olive oil.

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (could use ginger in the tube or ginger powder)

1 Tablespoon lemongrass in the tube (produce section)

1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder and

1 Tablespoon red curry paste

3½ cups chicken broth (I use powdered mixed with water)

3  Tablespoons fish sauce

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ lb fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 cans (13.5 oz each) Coconut milk (not lite!)

1 lb shrimp, cleaned (make sure you clean off the shells and devain them before putting in the soup OR buy them frozen already cleaned

OR  

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into ½" squares Note: sometimes I use both chicken AND shrimp!

¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or in the bottle)

OPTIONAL: ½-¾ cup Red bell pepper, sliced into ¾" slivers

Salt to taste

Green onions, chopped as a garnish for each bowl

OPTIONAL: have white pepper available for anyone who likes a little heat, to sprinkle on their soup

OPTIONAL: cooked rice to put in the bottom of each bowl, before putting the soup in the bowl. My favorite rice is Basmati!

DIRECTIONS

Heat coconut oil in large pot on low heat. Add 1 Tb lemongrass, 1 Tb grated ginger, 1 Tb red curry paste and 1 Tb yellow curry powder to oil. Do not let it burn. Add a little more oil if needed.

Add chicken broth, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and heat to dissolve sugar for about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and heat (simmer) for 5-10 minutes or till mushrooms are soft.

Add coconut milk and heat

Now add the shrimp or chicken. If chicken is raw, simmer till it's done (maybe 5 minutes or longer). Then add the shrimp if raw. It takes much less time to cook (maybe 3 minutes)

Ad red bell pepper about 5 minutes before soup is done. You don't want it to get too soft.

Add salt to taste

Add garlic powder to taste

Add 2 Tb lime juice

Taste everything to see if you need to add more of any seasonings (lemongrass, curry powder, ginger, fish sauce, garlic powder, salt or lime juice). 

Put a little cooked rice in bowl before adding soup. Then add chopped green onions to top. Or another idea is to add oriental noodles to the soup. (I use GF rice or shiitake noodles)

I hope you like this!

Perfect Tuna Melt

This sandwich is absolutely one of the best things I've ever eaten. I love Tuna in just about any way and this is a quick and easy lunch that I crave! I recently fixed it for my sister and she couldn't stop saying, "This is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth!" It's just that good! I copied this recipe from Sarah Titus Ministries. 

The Perfect Tuna Melt
Recipe from
Sarah Titus Ministries

This Tuna Melt might be different from any other you've had but this is the only recipe I've ever tried. I notice that other recipes are different from this. It might seem odd to put garlic with tuna, but please don't leave it out because that's what makes it so good. Also other recipes call for cheddar cheese, and even though I'm sure that's good, I love love love the mozzarella cheese on this! And make sure you toast the bread the way it says to do! You won't be sorry.

Recipe is Here -  Perfect Tuna Melt 

Nacho Potato Soup

Nacho Cheese Soup

I used to fix this soup for my family every Christmas Eve and we all loved it. I also love that it only takes a few minutes to put together!

Nacho Potato Soup

1 pkg. (5 1/2 oz) Au Gratin Potatoes
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes & green chilies (Rotel is the brand I use)
2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 cups cubed Velveeta cheese
Dash hot pepper sauce, optional (like Tobasco)
Minced fresh parsley, optional

In 3 qt saucepan, combine potatoes & sauce mix, corn, tomatoes & water; mix well. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 15-18 minutes or til potatoes are tender. Add milk, cheese & hot pepper sauce if desired; cook & stir til the cheese is melted. Garnish w/ parsley if desired.  Makes 2 quarts ( 6-8 servings)

White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde and Beans

 

White Chicken Chili with Green
Salsa and Beans

I've made White Chicken Chill before but couldn't find the recipe I liked on Pinterest. So I decided to just make my own and now it's my favorite! Everyone was raving about it, saying "You've got to make this again!" I didn't want to forget what I used so decided to put it here on my blog while it's still fresh in my mind.  I hope you like it! Sorry i didn't write down the amounts of each thing.

White Chicken Chili

Onions, garlic (saute with olive oil)

Add: chicken broth, 1 jar green chili salsa, cream of chicken soup, corn, beans (white or black), sour cream, cream cheese, Rotel (optional) cheddar cheese. You could add cumin and chili powder like I've done before, but this time I didn't do that).

Then add: cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken), lime juice to taste.

Serve with (on top): diced avocado, tortilla chips, more cheese and cilantro if desired.

Best Authentic Hot & Sour Soup

This recipe could seem a little overwhelming, but once you cut everything up, it only takes 30 mins to put the soup together & it's done! The recipe looks long, because I do a lot of explaining as I go.

Authentic  Hot and Sour Soup

If you're one of those people who have not tried Hot & Sour Soup, you should really give it a try. I've eaten Chinese food all my life but had never tried this soup until the 90's when friends took us to a special Chinese restaurant in Louisville, KY. I still think of it as the best Hot & Sour Soup I've ever tasted. Since then, I haven't found soup that even compared to the 1 in Louisville.

Disappointed, I set out to look for a good recipe. Most of my friends know, that not only do I crochet, but I like to cook as well. In fact, I may have as many cookbooks as crochet books. Even though I still look at cookbooks, I'm a huge Pinterest fan too. I probably have as many recipe boards as I do crochet boards. I looked at many Hot & Sour Soup recipes there (+ YouTube) trying to find 1 that had the most authentic ingredients. As usual, I didn't find any 1 recipe, but took ingredients from several recipes & I'm happy with the results. I hope you enjoy it!

Note: please read the entire recipe before purchasing your ingredients, because I give tips that are important. I've done all the research for you, which took me days or weeks of searching, to come up with what I think is the best soup.

 

Mary Jane's Authentic Hot and Sour Soup

Authentic Hot and Sour Soup  (Mary Jane's recipe)

Ingredients

* 1 - 1 ½ cups pork or chicken, cut in small pieces. See instructions below for marinating (+ ingredients)

* 8 oz pkg shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Note: Fresh-or he dried shiitake mushrooms at an Asian grocery store. I've used both, but dried need to soak 8 hrs. Soaking in hot boiling water speeds up the process. Advantage of dried-they'll keep forever.

* 8 oz pkg white button mushrooms, sliced

* 8 cups chicken broth or stock

* 1 cans water chestnuts, sliced & cut ¼ - ⅓ " wide

* 20 - 30 strands dried Lily Buds (from the Asian grocery store or online) This is what they look like. They will also have to be soaked in water.

* 1 cup wood ear mushrooms, dried, also called black fungus (Asian grocery store or online) This is what they look like sliced. Needs to be soaked also.

* 1 can sliced bamboo shoots, cut matchstick size

* ¾ - 1 cup grated or julienned carrots

* 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or ¼ - ½ tsp powdered)

* 1-2 tsps garlic, chopped  (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

* 1-2 tsps SAMBAL OELEK

which is Ground Fresh Chili Paste (can be purchase at grocery store, Asian or Amazon) NOTE: Next time try not using this and use only the white pepper for heat.

* 2 Tbs Chinese Shaohsing Wine

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* Cornstarch slurry (3 Tbs cornstarch & 3 Tbs water)

* 1-2 cups firm tofu, cut into small squares (to remove liquid from tofu, put it in a pie plate, another plate on top and put something really heavy on top for 15 minutes)

* 2 - 3 eggs, whisked into a small bowl (add a cornstarch slurry to the eggs so they'll be silky-1 tsp water & 1 tsp cornstarch PER egg

Seasonings- Next 4 ingredients are added at the end, after adding eggs & heart is turned off.

* 2 Tbs dark soy sauce (or GF coconut aminos) and 2 Tbs of light soy sauce

* ¼ tsp salt

* 3 -5 Tb (¼ cup) Chinese black vinegar OR Balsamic  Vinegar Add more vinegar if soup doesn't taste sour enough.

* ½ - 1 tsp tsp ground white pepper, (this gives heat and you of anybody who likes it hot can add more to their soup. But this is the only heat you'll need. I've used the red chili sauce also most of the time, but next time use only the white pepper for heat. Try it with no Sambal Oelek)

* Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or anything else.

* 2 tsp Toasted sesame oil (most important ingredient to me & needs to say "toasted" or it won't be good. (gives it an authentic taste).

* Green onions, chopped (as topping to each bowl)

NOTE: See more ingredients (below) for marinating the meat.

*Where to buy the Ingredients*

You can find most ingredients at a grocery store, but the wood ear mushrooms & Lily buds, Shaohsing wine & black vinegar at an Asian store or Amazon. Click the links to can see what ingredient looks like. Authentic Hot & Sour soup calls for Chinese black vinegar but If you want to use Rice vinegar, that's fine. You wouldn't use ithe black much anyway. 

Preparation

Give yourself plenty of time to cut up ingredients, ahead of time. You'll need to marinate the meat & soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms, Wood Ear mushrooms & Lily buds. After Lily buds & mushrooms are soaked, cut them in smaller pieces. If you wait to cut up ingredients as you go, you'll get way too stressed. Once everythings cut up, the rest is easy & takes only 30 mins!

Soak Lily buds & wood ear mushrooms in boiling hot water for at least an hour; save liquid to add to cornstarch for thickening later.

Cut up meat & place in bowl to marinate 30 mins - 2 hrs. You can skip the marinating of you don't have time - it'll be fine.

Marinate Liquid: (these ingredients & measurements are NOT listed above)

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp Shaohsing wine

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Whisk ingredients together; stir into bowl with meat.

Cut up following ingredients; place in small bowls. (chestnuts & shoots same bowl). Slice shiitake & button mushrooms. Cut up carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, green onions, tofu & set aside. If you want, you can put all liquids in 1 bowl, then put in pot when it's time, at once. I measure liquids ahead of time, making it quick & easy.

*Note: read below, before you start, how I add everything. If you want to add all ingredients at once, without sauteing meat & veggies, that's ok. It's a little quicker & still tastes great.

Hot and Sour Soup

After marinating, saute meat it in large pot with 2-3 tsps toasted sesame oil til partially cooked. Set meat aside. Add veggies (carrots, ginger, garlic, mushrooms); add more oil if needed. Stir fry a few mins, then add bamboo shoots & water chestnuts.

Add: chicken broth & Sambal Oelek to pot; stir. Add cornstarch slurry & stir. Now gently stir in tofu.

Next drizzle in whisked raw eggs & stir gently around slowly with fork, making ribbons.

Turn off burner; add vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine & sesame oil.

Next, add white pepper, a little at a time, tasting it. If there's someone in your family who doesn't like hot foods, you can always add less Sambal Oelek (chili paste) & white pepper, but add more of those things to your own bowl of soup.

Taste soup to see if you need more vinegar for sourness, & more chili paste if it's not hot enough. If it needs more soy sauce (for saltiness), you can add a little more of that or you might choose to add a little more chicken broth (or instant with water, like I do). Let simmer for few more mins.

If the soup tastes like you want it to, serve up in bowls & add green onions to top. I usually put the Sambal Oelek & white pepper on the table for those who like it extra hot. Sometimes I go to a Chinese restaurant ahead of time, and buy some of the crispy noodles to serve with the soup.

A cool thing to do is have a Chinese dinner and serve the soup in Chinese bowls and spoons you can buy at the Asian grocery store. The name of the one I go to in Dayton, Ohio is  called Far East Center at 116 Woodman Dr in Airway Plaza, next to the China Garden Buffet.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please contact me if you have any questions!

Creamy Broccoli Soup - My Favorite

This broccoli Soup recipe is quick, easy and delicious! It takes only a total of 30 minutes to make from start to finish. A little old lady gave me a recipe in the 80's and then my best friend Shirley Siddall, gave me hers. I combined both recipes & it's the very best broccoli soup I've ever had.  I've never found another one that compares to it. The secret of the creaminess is the cream of chicken soup, Half and Half (or real cream) and Velveeta cheese. Most other recipes call for cheddar and they're good, but this is my absolute favorite broccoli soup recipe.

Creamy Broccoli Soup 
Gluten Free
 

Creamy Broccoli Soup (the best ever!)

NOTE- if I'm making this soup for just myself, I cut it in ½ and have enough for a big bowl + 3 or 4 more bowls for later. 

INGREDIENTS
48 oz can GF chicken broth or 4 - 15oz cans 

* I use Better Than Bullion now! In the little jar you keep in the fridge

2 - 10 oz bags frozen broccoli (with all water squeezed out) or 1 whole head fresh broccoli (cut up in bite size pieces)

2 cans Campbell's Cream of chicken soup OR cream of mushroom soup  (Note: I think it tastes better with Cream of Chicken Soup)

1 stick butter (8 Tbs)

2 cups Half and Half (or heavy cream)

16 oz Original Velveeta (that's half of the biggest 2 lb box, but it comes in 1 lb (16 oz) boxes now

DIRECTIONS
If using fresh broccoli, steam it till it's tender (but not too done-needs to have a bright green color)
In the meantime put chicken broth, butter and soup in large pan. Stir with wisk and hear on low til smooth.
Cut Velveeta in small  ½" cubes and add to chicken broth mixture. Heat on low til cheese melts, stirring as it's melting. Keep stirring so it won't burn on the bottom.
Add broccoli to soup. Last, add cream or Half and Half; heat through few minutes. This recipe should take 30 minutes or less, but longer if using fresh broccoli that has to be cut up & steamed.

Update:

I had fresh this time (Dec 2021) and it took an extra 30 minutes to cut up and stream it. Frozen broccoli is just as good as the fresh, which cuts 30 mins from the time. Just make sure you squeeze all water out of the frozen that's been thawed. Do not cook or steam because it's perfect the way it is! 

This time I threw in some sharp shredded cheddar cheese. 

No flour, so it's gluten free and Campbell's Soup now makes GF versions! The soup is thick enough on it's on, but if you want it to be thicker, make a slurry of cornstarch and COLD water, then add it to the hot soup while stirring constantly.

Note: 

I think there's nothing worse than cooking broccoli (or other vegetables) too long. You want the broccoli to still have that bright green color. My mom was a great cook and I loved her cooking but I have realized over the years that she way overcooked things liked broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green beans in water, and then poured the water out. Actually I hated Brussels sprouts growing up, but I love them, now that I learned to bake them or saute them in butter. When I use frozen broccoli I don't cook it. I just thaw it out, drain and add it to the soup.

Creamy Broccoli Soup
Gluten Free

Creamy Broccoli Soup 
Gluten Free

Macaroni Salad - No Sugar

I am not a huge fan of sweet macaroni salad. I will eat it and enjoy it, but several years ago a little old man brought his version of macaroni salad to a church potluck and I loved it so much that I had to have his recipe. That was many years ago and I have lost that recipe, so I had to try and come up with a version on my own, trying to replicate his. I think I pretty much figured it out since I remember some of the basic ingredients. I do know for sure it was not sweet. 

My Favorite Macaroni Salad
That's Not Sweet

There are many more ingredients you can add to macaroni salad, which I don't add to my recipe, and I've listed some below as optional. Actually my recipe is similar to my potato salad in the fact it has lots of eggs and real mayonnaise. If you do prefer sweet macaroni salad, just as add some

sweet pickle relish and a little sugar. I hope you enjoy this!

Ingredients
1 lb dry macaroni, any shape
6 hard boiled eggs, grated
1½ cups mayonnaise (Hellmans or Dukes)
1 - 2 Tbs yellow mustard
2/3 - 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
2/3 - 3/4 cup sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 - 6oz can black olives, drained and sliced
2-3 Tbs Milk, if needed
Salt and pepper to taste

I usually add the following seasonings to taste also - paprika, onion powder, garlic powder & celery salt

Optional- sweet pickle relish, chopped celery, grated carrots, canned tuna, frozen green peas. I love this with tuna, as a main dish!

To make this as a main dish pasta salad, add Tuna, Diced Ham or Chicken. Even crab or shrimp added would be good!

You cannot tell from the picture, but I added albacore tuna to my macaroni salad today (June, 2025) and I am addicted to it! Things I did different from the above recipe - I added celery and left off the green pepper and black olives, making it much like my Tuna Salad for sandwiches but with added pasta. 

I Love My Macaroni Salad!

Instructions

Cook the eggs and after about 12 minutes, place in cold water and ice. This will make it easier to peel the eggs! Set aside. Boil the macaroni according to pkg directions and drain in a colander, rinsing the starch off with cold water, so it won't stick together. After it has drained, place in very large bowl.

While the macaroni is cooking, chop the green pepper and sweet onion. Then slice the olives. Add to the macaroni. Grate the eggs into the macaroni with a grater. (I don't like big chunks!) Add mayonnaise and mustard. Stir this all together. Add black olives. Taste it and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Add more mayo if needed. If you want it a little more creamy, just add some milk or cream, but not too much. Hope you enjoy it!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Thai Style

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, shown without the flour tortilla

Easy Gluten Free Meal!
If you've never had the priveledge of munching on this delicious light meal, you're in for a treat. It's a healthy wrap, which is great for lunch, snack or an evening meal. Your kids will love it, because what kid doesn't like peanut butter? You'll find other chicken wraps without it, but Thai style wraps almost always have peanut butter as a main ingredient in the sauce.  This particular recipe can be used with a flour tortilla, or wrapped in Boston lettuce (also known as Bibb lettuce). I like to put the lettuce inside the flour tortilla. In my case, I use gluten free tortillas,  since I am wheat intolerant. Many grocery stores carry the GF version, but I find mine at Aldi, displayed with their other GF products. See my new favorite wraps below-Egglife.

I double this recipe when I make it because we like to have some left over for the next day or two. If you plan to have any leftovers, it would be a good idea to keep the sauce separate from the chicken/cole slaw mixture. Then you can just heat up the sauce. We eat the chicken mixture cold with warm sauce, but you can heat up the chicken If you want. It's just that since its mixed with the cole slaw mix, that may not be good warmed. I hope you enjoy this! It 's one of my favorite meals!

These are my new favorite gluten free, grain free tortillas/wraps

Gluten Free Wraps I buy at Aldi grocery store



Gluten Free Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Filling
3-4 cups cooked chicken tenderloins, chopped in small pieces
1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1½ cups cole slaw mix with carrots
3 - 4 green onions, sliced
4 Tbs chopped peanuts
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce
Flour tortillas 

Other optional ingredients: (I've seen in restaurants)
cellophane Chinese rice noodles, fresh edamame peas, shiitake mushrooms, sliced red pepper, slivered almonds, sesame seeds, cucumber, cilantro, alfalfa or bean sprouts, fresh chopped snow peas, chopped bamboo shoots

Sauce Ingredients
4 Tbs "Toasted" sesame oil 
1-2 Tbs lite GF soy sauce or Coconut Aminos
4-5 Tbs peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
4 Tbs lime juice

Note: I made this again tonight and didn't realize I was out of lime juice, so I decided to use some rice vinegar and lemon juice instead. The sauce turned out great with this substitute. Nobody even missed the lime juice.
4 Tbs light brown sugar
2 tsp garlic, chopped or minced
1-2 dashes ceyenne red pepper

Note: Tonight I used 1 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce instead and it was great. Just use to taste.

Cook chicken for 15 minutes and set aside to cool. In large bowl, mix together chopped chicken, cole slaw mix, peanuts, water chestnuts and green onions. Taste and see if you need to add any more of the sauce ingredients. I just go by taste anyway.  Tonight I made it again and had to add more brown sugar because I used too much coconut Aminos & it was too salty. In a separate bowl, mix sauce ingredients with wisk. Place sauce in microwave for 2 minutes to warm it.

To Assemble
Layer ingredients on a plate in this order:
Tortilla (warmed in microwave for 15 seconds)
Lettuce
Chicken Mixture
Sauce
Roll up and serve

Southern Fresh Tomato Pie # 2

Southern Fresh Tomato Pie  # 2

I have a different recipe for fresh tomato pie (# 1) here on my blog and I think it's my favorite. I did not want to delete this recipe because it's the one my brother in Alabama gave me. It's the first recipe I ever tasted & it's great too, even though the ingredients are similar.

If you've never had Tomato Pie and you want to try something different, this is a great recipe. It would be wonderful as a side dish or even as a main meal. My brother's recipe originally had oregano on top too, but I wasn't crazy about that. This pie is great for breakfast too!

Ingredients

1. • 1 All-Ready pie shell
   • 3- 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
   •  1 onion, very thinly sliced
   • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
   • 1/3 cup sour cream
   • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
   • 1/2  cup cheddar cheese, grated
   • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
   • black pepper and salt to taste
   • 2 teaspoons fresh basil

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   2. Bake the pastry shell for 10 minutes or til browned.
   3. Slice onion thinly and place in the bottom of pastry shell. Slice tomatoes and place evenly over onions. (After soaking them on payer towels first to remove liquid). Add black pepper  and salt to taste.
   4. In a bowl, combine mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, sour cream and mayonnaise. Spread this mixture evenly over tomatoes.
   5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil. I had to cook this longer in my oven.
   6. Note: My onions did not get soft enough the first time I made this (maybe because my oven temperature was off) so the next time I sauteed the onions first.