Chicken Mediterranean from Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites looks delicious, and once you marinate the dish for two hours, it won’t take very long at all to cook.
We have a meat dish made with beef cubed steaks from Paths of Sunshine. It is called Italian Braciole, and the meat and sauce are served over cooked spaghetti similar to the way we serve spaghetti and meatballs.
Here is a recipe for Country Fried Cabbage from The Original Country Cookbook. As it calls for bacon fat, you may choose to replace it with butter or vegetable fat, if you do not use pork. This cabbage recipe is from the little paperback cookbook that a friend gave me more than 40 years ago! It was published by Paragon Products, Inc., in Pompano Beach in 1976. The introduction says, regarding the recipes, “They come from a period in America when work was hard and appetites big. All have been tested and edited carefully for accuracy. These recipes call for basic natural ingredients and do not need today’s artificial this and imitation that!”
Jane Bradley in Southern Style, shares Granny’s Potato Salad. Jane says, “Everyone in the family tries to duplicate Granny’s potato salad, and we all come close, but no one has her touch. One thing I learned many years ago is that I must mix my dressing and taste it prior to pouring it over the cooked potatoes. Granny just puts everything right on top of the potatoes and mixes the salad with her hands. I suggest you try my method until you’ve made it, as she has, for over 75 years!
Neoma Knox’s Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad is very tasty. Neoma was our General Manager here at The Apopka Chief newspaper for many years, but she left this life behind several years ago. We loved her very much. She did leave us her recipe for a spectacular broccoli and cauliflower salad along with many beautiful memories. We thank New Vision Community Church for sharing the recipe in their book titled, “Feeding the Flock.”
Emily Meggett has instructions for you that will use up those bananas that are going to get too ripe to eat. Baked Bananas is a good way to make use of too many bananas or bananas that are a bit past their prime. Once baked, add a little whipped cream and honey on top of each banana.
CHICKEN MEDITERRANEAN
Recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites
1/2 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut into cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 ounces penne pasta, cooked
Combine first three ingredients in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Seal and chill two hours. Cook chicken mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat for eight minutes or until chicken is done; remove from skillet. Add tomatoes and next four ingredients to skillet. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often for seven minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Sprinkle with feta cheese, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand five minutes. Serve immediately over hot cooked pasta. Makes two servings. Note: To serve four, use one (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes and double all other ingredients. Cook chicken mixture eight to ten minutes or until done; remove from skillet. Add tomatoes and next four ingredients to skillet. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, seven to eight minutes.
ITALIAN BRACIOLE
Recipe from Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., Paths of Sunshine
6 cubed beef steaks
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons flour
Season cubed steaks. Spread onion on steaks and roll. Secure with toothpicks. Place seams down in 10 x 6 x 2 baking dish. Combine chili sauce, broth, mushrooms, pepper, olives, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic and pepper. Pour over beef rolls. Bake 350 degrees about 1-1/4 hours. Arrange meat rolls atop spaghetti on serving platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices in measuring cup, skim off fat. Add enough water to make 1-1/2 cups liquid. Blend flour with cold water. Add to meat juices and cook until desired consistency. Spoon sauce over meat and pasta. Serves 6.
COUNTRY FRIED CABBAGE
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
3 tablespoons (or more) bacon fat
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Wash cabbage and shred by cutting into quarters, then making thin slices across the cut sides of the cabbage. Discard the core and any tough ribs. Heat bacon fat in iron Dutch oven, put in the cabbage, and stir until it is all glistening. Lower the heat, add pepper flakes, and continue cooking and turning until it is barely tender.
GRANNY’S POTATO SALAD
Recipe from Southern Style, by Jane Bradley
3-1/2 pounds (about 8 large) red skinned potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped finely
1 jar (6 ounces) pimento, chopped finely, liquid reserved
1 large onion (about 8 ounces), chopped finely
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons (apple) cider vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
Hard boiled egg, celery leaves, bell pepper, or paprika for garnish
1) Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes. 2) Place in a pan of cold water, add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes until tender. 3) In the meantime, using a medium mixing bowl, combine hard boiled eggs, pimento, and its liquid, onion, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and mayonnaise. Stir well to blend and set aside. 4) When potatoes are tender, pour into a colander and let drain for a minute or two. Place potatoes into a large bowl and cover with dressing. 5) Using a rubber spatula so that you won’t mash the potatoes, begin to combine, folding until the potatoes are completely covered with the dressing. 6) Cover and cool to room temperature. 7) Stir salad and taste a bit, adjusting the seasonings if necessary. 8) Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish as you like with paprika, celery leaves, sliced bell pepper, or sliced boil egg. Yield: About 2 quarts, or 5-1/4 pounds, or 10 to 12 servings.
NEOMA KNOX’S
BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD,
Recipe from New Vision Community Church’s
Feeding the Flock
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
5 strips crisp bacon
1/2 cup medium size red onion
1/2 cup golden raisins
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Break and cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Broccoli stems may be used if peeled to soft center. (Hint: large pieces are easy to strip.) Break bacon into small pieces. Slice the onion into rings. Mix all the ingredients together.
Dressing: Combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar; pour over the salad and mix well. Refrigerate in air-tight container. Chill at least four hours; tip container to spread dressing evenly throughout.
EMILY MEGGETT’S BAKED BANANAS
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
5 bananas
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon honey, plusmore for serving (optional)
Sweetened whipped cream
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) Peel the bananas and place the whole bananas in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the bananas with the cinnamon and brown sugar. 3) In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, and pour the mixture over the bananas. Top the bananas with the honey, if desired. 4) Bake for 20 minutes, then serve topped with whipped cream and more honey.
