Tuna Quiche - Gluten Free

 

My Tuna Quiche
Gluten Free Crustless
Keto Friendly

I'm crazy about any recipe with Tuna, but had never made a Tuna Quiche. Since I had fresh mushrooms, and other ingredients I thought would go in it, I came up with this and have to say, it's pretty good and packed with PROTEIN! I like to serve it with grapes or other fresh fruit. 

Tuna Quiche - makes 1 quiche

Preheat oven to 359º

* 1 - 6 oz can Albacore Tuna (or 2 cans) drained

1 - 1½ cups  fresh mushrooms, sliced

* ½ - ¾ cup fresh broccoli (or any other vegetable, like green pepper,       zucchini, chopped tomatoes-into bite size pieces)

* ½ cup chopped onion

* 1 - 2 Tbs butter or oil

* 4 eggs, whisked

* 1 cup mozzarella or any other other grated cheese (suggestions-Swiss, Havarti, Colby, Feta, cheddar)

* ½ cup (or less) mayonnaise (not salad dressing)

* ¼ cup cream or milk

* ½ cup cottage cheese

* Salt and Pepper to taste

* A little onion powder & garlic powder to taste

*Parsley or Chives for garnish

I love fruit with ANY kind of quiche!

Saute mushrooms, broccoli and onions in butter for 3-4 minutes but not fully cooked. 

While vegetables are cooking, put into a large bowl the whisked eggs, tuna, cream, cottage cheese, mayonnaise and spices. 

Mix together and add the sauted  veggies. Pour into greased pie plate and add more grated cheese if you wish. Sprinkle with a little fresh or dried parsley or chives for color.

Bake at 350º for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean and quiche is firm and not jiggly. In MY oven I have to turn up the heat to 375º and bake about 40-45 minutes

Enjoy!

Dennis's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

This soup was created by my friend, Dennis Bevers. He's a fellow Texan,  who is now my fiance.

Dennis's's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

Dennis's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

1 -  15 oz box Steak-Ums or shaved beef from any grocery store

2 - Tbs olive oil or butter (to me, it tastes better with butter!) I had to keep adding butter when I was cooking the vegetables and then again when I cooked the steak - about 6 Tb butter total

16 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup green pepper, chopped

8 cups beef broth or or 2 - 32 oz boxes

2 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I ended up using 2½  (8oz) boxes because I added more broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garlic powder or minced garlic, to taste  (I used about ½-1 tsp powder)

2 cups Provolone, Havarti cheese (or a mixture). I used 1 cup Provolone and 1 cup Havarti.

Parsley, chopped, if desired

 Garnish: 1 cup EXTRA grated cheese to place on top of each individual bowl of soup. (3 cups cheese total for soup).

Toasted Sourdough bread to dip in soup 

Directions

Place beef broth in soup pot and heat on low, adding chunks of the softened cream cheese. Whisk occasionally so cheese will blend with broth.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in large frying pan. Add sliced mushrooms, chopped onion and green pepper; saute til softened. Add this (including ALL liquid) to soup pot with broth and stir.

Then saute Steak-ums in same frying pan, adding a little more oil or butter. It's ok if it breaks up. When cooked, add to soup/broth and stir all together, making sure cream cheese is blended.

Add 2 cups grated cheese, while stirring, to blend. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

After pouring soup into individual bowls, add more shredded cheese to top of each one. Toast bread for each person to dip into soup. Don't skip this step!

This is absolutely delicious! It's now one of my favorite soups! I know you'll love it too!

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!

Coconut Chicken Curry with Mango

Coconut Chicken Curry with
Vegetables & Fresh Mango as a Garnish, Over Rice
My Own Recipe

I've eaten or prepared chicken curry dishes 100's of times in my life, but tonight is the first I've fixed this particular recipe. I wanted a curry recipe with potatoes & I'm aware some people may find that odd but you'll find many Asian curry recipes with potatoes and you won't believe how good it is. I looked at 6-8 different Chinese Chicken Curry recipes with potatoes, (including YouTube) and took ingredients from each one. It was the best Chicken Curry I've ever tasted or made and believe me, I've had just about every kind of chicken curry out there, including the recipe I have here on my blog that my mom learned to fix when we lived in the Philippines (1956-1959). This curry recipe is my all time favorite now and I doubt I'll ever make it any other way from now on. It's that good! This is a hearty meal and is good enough for guests. They will be impressed.

Mary Jane's Coconut Curry Chicken

Serves 5-6 People - depending on the portion Sizes (see notes below to double the sauce)

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (about 3 cups) sliced thin, against the grain (2" pieces)

1 Tb baking soda for tenderizing 

*Note - see below to tenderize chicken. This step is not essential, but believe me it only takes about 1 minute more to do this and it makes a huge difference. You won't believe how tender the chicken will be!

1-2 tbs avocado oil, coconut oil or any other oil 

1-2 cups white potatoes, peeled & cubed

½-¾ cups carrots, chopped

1-1½ cups onions, sliced

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

1½ tbs yellow curry powder

1½ cups chicken broth

½-¾ cup fresh green peas (or frozen)

2/3 cup fresh or frozen green beans, cut in 1½" pieces (you can substitute fresh pea pods)

½ sweet red bell pepper OR green bell pepper, sliced or cut in 1" cubes

1 tsp soy sauce, tamarni or coconut aminos - (GF)

1-2 tsps white sugar

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp powdered ginger

1 -13.5 oz can coconut milk (full fat-not lite)

White pepper powder 

1 tb cornstarch + 1½ -2 tbs cold water mixed together for thickening at the end

Garnish for Top

Chopped green onions

Fresh mango, cut into small cubes 

*Note - you can put the mango on top or even mix it in with the other ingredients, right before serving, as I've seen in restaurants. Do not cook it.

*Cooked rice - my favorite is basmati (I put this on to cook first)

*To Tenderize the Chicken*

After slicing the chicken into thin pieces, place it in a bowl & add 1 Tb baking soda or cornstarch. Mix til coated. If you have some Chinese Shooshing wine, add about a tsp & mix it in. If you don't have it don't worry, it probably won't make any difference. Let this set for at least 15 mins while you cut up the vegetables. After that, rinse the chicken 2-3 times to remove the baking soda. If it's not rinsed you'll taste the baking soda!

Curry Chicken made with Coconut Milk and Mango as a Garnish

Heat oil on med hi in large frying pan or wok. Add rinsed chicken & saute till ½ done. Remove from pan & set aside. Add cubed potatoes & carrots to wok & saute while frying for 5 mins; add more oil if needed. Do not remove potatoes or carrots from pan. (We're just partially cooking them bc they will continue to cook with rest of ingredients). Add  onions, water chestnuts & curry powder; fry for 2-3 mins. Add chicken broth, ginger, garlic powder, soy sauce & sugar. Add fresh peas & green beans (if using) Put chicken back into pan. Heat for a few minutes. Turn heat down and add coconut milk; heat til chicken is done. Add red bell pepper & salt to taste. Add white pepper if you like a little heat. 

To thicken sauce, add the cornstarch slurry (1Tb cornstarch+1½Tb cold water mixed) & stir sauce til slightly thickened. Taste the sauce to see if you need to add more spices to your taste.

*Note* Some people might want to add the mango mixed into the dish, because I've had it that way in restaurants.

Serve over rice. You can add mango, green onions to top. Even peanuts or cashews would be good with this. I love it! 

*Note* If your family likes a lot of sauce, you can make more by doubling the following to the pan.

Double these amounts as you add the ingredients for the sauce: curry, chicken broth, soy sauce, white sugar, garlic powder, ginger, coconut milk. At the end of cooking, to thicken sauce, double the cornstarch slurry and add to the pan.

Shrimp and Grits

 

Shrimp and Grits
SO Good and Addicting!

This is my first time to fix Shrimp and Grits and I have to say, it turned out pretty good. I'm very pleased. I've looked up at least 50 recipes on Pinterest and YouTube, looking for just the right one & I even have cookbooks with the recipes. I'd been reluctant to make it because the first time I ever had it was in Fairhope, Alabama when my brother took me there. I thought it was to die for! I'm crazy about grits anyway, but this is a totally different experience. Since that restaurant (Locals) in Fairhope doesn't give out their recipe I just had to go by a picture I took and the taste. I'm really excited about how it turned out. The restaurant in Alabama said their Shrimp and Grits is in the style of the "low country" in South Carolina. I've read many recipes that claim to fix their dish in this style but none of them have all the ingredients I used tonight & remember eating at Locals in Fairhope, Alabama. I didn't measure anything, so I'll just list the ingredients I used.

Ingredients and Instructions

Fresh shrimp

Quick grits, cooked in chicken broth & butter. Gouda cheese & cream added at the end. I kept adding that til it tasted the way I wanted it to. Some say they add cream cheese or mascarpone cheese and I'll try that next time.

Andoulille sausage, cut into about ½" squares

In a frying pan I cooked the smoked sausage I'd cut up & bacon I had chopped in small squares, til crisp. I removed both, leaving the grease in the pan to cook the Shrimp on both sides (removed it after a few minutes so it wouldn't get overdone) and then cooked the following ingredients in same pan. I had chopped  them into squares ahead of time:

Green pepper

Red sweet pepper

Sweet Onion

Fresh mushrooms, sliced

Minced garlic

I didn't cook them till they were too tender. (Just softened a little)

After the vegetables were partially cooked I added the cooked shrimp & added some chicken broth and a little cooking sherry. At this point some recipes said to add about 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, and I'll try that next time. Then after about 2 minutes of simmering, I added real cream. Also made a slurry of cornstarch and cold water to thicken the liquid a little. I didn't add salt bc it was too salty from the powdered chicken broth I used, but I did add pepper. I kept tasting it and added more cream. Just add to your taste. Oh and I was going to add Cajun seasoning but I only had Creole seasoning so I added a dash of that. If you like spicy food (like I do), add more Creole or Cajun seasoning or add hot sauce or add some chopped fresh jalapeno. I'll definitely add that next time.

After everything was done, I put some grits in a bowl, added the shrimp, vegetables & creamy sauce. I meant to add a squeeze of fresh lemon, but forgot. Then I sprinkled the top with crispy bacon, little squares of smoked sausage, chopped green onions and chopped fresh parsley. It was delicious and I didn't feel like it was missing anything. I will definitely make it again! Let me know what you think!

Authentic Cincinnati Chili

Authentic Cincinnati Chili

Jane Tibbet's introduced this to us when we first moved to Xenia in 1981. Even though we lived in NE Ohio for 10 yrs, and my husband was from Ohio, I'd never heard of this dish. I did not like it at first! But then I grew to love it so much that I crave it! My son, Brian, loves it just as much as I do too! It's not really a Chili and its not really a Spaghetti, but is a unique dish full of flavor. I know it's difficult to understand that but you'll see what I mean after you taste it. I've been making this for 44 years now and really do believe I have the best recipe for Cincinnati Chili. After my friend gave me the recipe in 1981, I found a recipe for authentic Cincinnati Chili in a Cincinnati newspaper & that caused me to add even more spices that made it even better. But I promise, the longer you let it simmer, the better it is! Restaurants where you can find Cincinnati Chili are Skyline Chili and Gold Star Chili, but I believe mine is just as good.

It calls for many spices including dry chocolate cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and all spice! You can eat it 3-way, 4-way or 5-way, but I eat my Cincinnati Chili 6-way! (Spaghetti noodles, Sauce, cheese, beans, sweet onion and chopped green pepper on top)

 Cincinnati Chili             Serves 6

1 quart water (4 cups)

2 lbs ground beef (I use 80 (lean) / 20 (fat)

2 medium onions, grated

2 - 8oz cans tomato sauce (Or 1 can tomato sauce and 1 can tomato paste)

5 whole allspice   or   1/2 tsp ground (sometimes I add both)

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

2-4 Tb chili powder (original recipe says 4, but i use 2 or 3)

1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate  OR    1 ½ - 2 Tb dry cocoa (like Hersheys unsweetened powder)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb apple cidar vinegar (ACV is best for this & makes a difference in the flavor)

1/4 tsp ground corinder

1/4 tsp ground cardamon

5 whole cloves   OR   1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Cooked spaghetti noodles

TOPPINGS

Finely grated cheddar cheese

Red beans, pinto beans or kidney beans

Green pepper, chopped

Sweet Vidalia onion, chopped

Add beef to boiling water in a large soup pan. Stir until beef is to a fine texture. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer 3 hours. (Note: you can cook it less than that, like 2 hrs or less, but it always tastes better if cooked 3 hrs. It will be better the next day too.)

Serve over cooked buttered spaghetti. Top with cheese, beans, green pepper snd onion.  I dont mix the sauce with the noodles but like to just spoon it on top before adding the toppings. 

I LOVE this! Its addicting!

                                                                                    6 SERVINGS

Mary Jane's Chili with Beans

Mary Jane's Chili with Beans

This chili recipe is one I came up with over the last 50 years. I say  "over", because "over" the last 50 years I have experimented so many times and added "this n that", "less of this and more of that". You get the picture. About 20 yrs ago is when I decided I had my final recipe and quit experimenting. 

But people tell me it's the best and I get requests to make it a lot. I did not like Chili when I was growing up, but have grown to like this, especially when I started putting grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top. 

Other recipes I've seen have spices like oregano, but doesn't that belong in Italian food? I always thought Chili was originally a Mexican dish. I'm not crazy about chili powder, so I never put as much of that as most people do.

 I also used to drain the beans before pouring them in the pot, but after hearing 2 Iron Chefs, Alex Guarnaschelli  and Geoffrey Zakarian, say they never drain their beans, is when I stopped draining mine. If you watch that channel, especially The Kitchen, you will recognize their names. Alex and Geoffrey, who happen to both be Italian, are also occasionally judges on  shows like Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. Please see my UPDATE at the end of this recipe. It's very important!

Back to the chili, I also used to wait til the last 30 mins to add the beans, but just add them with everything else at the beginning now.

See my UPDATE, after the list of ingredients!

Mary Janes Chili with Beans

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef (or more)

¾ - 1cup diced onion

½ - 1 cup diced green pepper (more or less to your taste)

Saute first 3 ingredients together till beef is no longer pink, then add remaining ingredients 

1- 14oz can diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes if you don't like chunks of tomato in it)

1 - 8oz can tomato sauce plus 1 can water 

3 cans beans. I usually use 1 can each black beans, pinto beans & light red kidney beans) (see my UPDATE below).

1 can beef broth (or Better than Bullion - 2 tsps + 2 cups water). If you think your chili needs mote liquid as its cooking,  just add more of this.

3 tsps chili powder 

(you didn't misread that - yes teaspoons, not tablespoons, but you can add more if you like. Most recipes call for 2-4 Tablespoons chili powder!)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp dry mustard

1- 2 tsps brown sugar

½ tsp Accent - unless you need to eat gluten free

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (important to use ACV, not white vinegar)

½ tsp dry cocoa powder

2 - 2½ tsps gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper 

½ tsp Garlic powder or to taste

Hot sauce - ONLY add this of you like hot foods. Sometimes I add a little Tabasco sauce.

Sour cream and graated cheddar cheese as garnish for the top.

UPDATE: I fixed this again tonight (after fixing it for years) and have wondered  why it hasn't been tasting like it's supposed to, to me. It just dawned on me that I wrote down this recipes yrs ago when I used to drain the beans. But when I started adding the liquid with the beans (not draining them), because famous chefs on the Food Network said they don't drain the beans, I didn't add more spices, but tonight I did add more of the spices and the chili was much better! So what I did tonight was to add in ½ of the original amount of each spice. In other words, instead of 3 tsps chili powder, use 1½ more tsp chili powder, making it 4½ taps. Instead of 2 tsp cumin, add another 1 tsp, making it 3 tsps, instead of 2 tsp lemon juice, I added another 1 tsp lemon juice, making it 3 tsps lemon juice, etc. Do this with all the ingredients beginning with cumin and on down through the garlic powder. BUT (important) if you decide to drain your cans of beans, only use what's in the original recipe. Tonight, I also added about ½ cup tomato juice, just because I had it in the fridge and need to use it up. 

I hope I didn't confuse you!

Add all ingredients together, after sauting the ground beef, onions & green pepper together. Let this all simmer together for about 30 minutes - 2 hours. Of course, it's always better the next day!

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!

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.