Deviled Eggs

Have you purchased the already boiled, peeled eggs at your grocery store or Costco?  If so, you can have these made in less than five minutes.  My husband loves these.

Deviled Eggs
*6 peeled hard- boiled eggs
1/4 cup ( or so) real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon (or so) mustard
1 teaspoon  (or so) vinegar
Salt, pepper, and paprika

Cut the eggs in half.  Take out the yolks and put them in a small bowl.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Smash the yolks and mix all together.  Spoon the mixture back in to the whites.  Sprinkle with paprika.

*To hard boil eggs, put them in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for twenty minutes.  Take the eggs out of the water and let cool.  Peel the eggs.

Grandma Peterson's DI (Divinity Candy)

Every summer my mother would take us to visit our Grandma for a couple of weeks.  We looked forward to those summer trips.  In preparation for our coming, Grandma always made divinity candy.  She'd make it, then carefully layer it between sheets of waxed paper in a tin.  After dinner, the first night we were there,  without fail, she would turn to my mother and say, with a twinkle in her eye, "Should I get out the DI?"  Then she would retrieve the precious tin from her cupboard and open it and we'd each eat a piece of her sweet, fluffy divinity.  I think she thought she was fooling us by calling it "DI."  But the truth of the matter is that I just grew up thinking that was the name of the candy.  I didn't know it was called divinity until I was an adult!  This week, our family is celebrating our heritage.  Each of us, including the little grandchildren, are presenting a story or report on an ancestor at our family reunion.  I am telling about Grandma Peterson.  In preparation, I made divinity.  I have tried to make it several times before, but have never been successful.  The first time I made it for this event, it failed again.  But, as Grandma Peterson used to say, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."  So I did, and it turned out great.  I will share my Grandma with my family and then serve them the delicious divinity.

DI (Divinity Candy)

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup warm water

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

Spray a foil lined cookie sheet.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture is at firm ball stage (a small amount of the mixture forms a firm ball when dropped in cold water.  When you take the ball out of the water, it should hold it's shape.)  Take the candy off of the heat and in a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Slowly stream 1/2 of the candy mixture into the egg whites, beating as you stream.  The stream should be about pencil-size.  Beat for awhile, then turn off the beaters.  Put the remaining sugar mixture back on the heat and cook to soft crack stage (candy forms soft threads in the water)  Then stream the remaining sugar mixture into the beating egg white mixture.  Again, slowly.  Beat until it's thick and shiny and holds it's shape.  It will take about four or five minutes.  Then stir in the vanilla.  Using two sprayed spoons, spoon the candy onto the foil into fluffy little balls.  Let the candy cool and set.  Store in an airtight container.  A tin would be your best choice, if you want to be like my Grandma!  And think of my Grandma Peterson while you eat this delicious treat!

Pantry Pick of the Month: Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce/ Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables over Rice

My pantry pick of the month  for August was this Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce.  I bought it at Trader Joe's.  I added chicken and vegetables and a couple of other things and served it over rice.  It was easy and delicious.  

Thai Green Curry Chicken and Vegetables over Rice

1 jar Thai Green Curry Sauce

2-3 chicken breasts, chopped

2 or 3 carrots, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

Coconut milk, opt.

3 Tablespoons sugar

Cilantro, chopped

Put oil in a skillet and add the garlic. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Add the vegetables listed( or  you can substitute a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (as shown).  Saute the potato, onion, and carrots until soft.  Add the curry sauce and sugar.  I added more coconut milk because I thought it needed it, but you don't have to.  Taste and add more sugar or coconut milk or salt to your liking.  Serve over hot rice.  

Roast Beef Sandwich Spread

I've put off posting this recipe because I knew the picture wouldn't be pretty.  This is not a pretty dish, but it's delicious and a great way to use leftover roast beef. It's comfort food, I guess, for me because my mother used to make it as we'd eat roast beef nearly every Sunday for dinner.  Then we'd have these sandwiches that evening.

Roast Beef Sandwich Spread
In a food processor or really good blender, layer the following (If you're using a blender, it's best to put the liquid ingredients in first ):
Start with about 1/4 cup to  1/2 cup dill pickle juice
About 1/2 cup mayonaise
A couple of good squirts of mustard
Leftover roast beef
You can also add dill pickle and/ or onion

Pulse or blend until the desired consistency.  Serve on bread and top with tomato and lettuce.

Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Dessert

This recipe was SO popular, what maybe 20-30 years ago.  I guess about when Robert Redford was popular and oh so handsome.  I wonder who came up with that name?  The sentiment is old, but the dessert is still delicious.  You can vary the flavor by what instant pudding mix flavors you choose.  Shown is butterscotch with vanilla.  It is yummy, especially with pecans on top.  My favorite, though, is probably chocolate with french vanilla with chocolate curls on top.  I've done two pistachios with chopped pistachios on top and two lemon with vanilla wafer crumbs on top and two coconut with toasted coconut on top.  All are yummy.  I made this for father's day as it is one of my husband's very favorite desserts (and I was too lazy to make pie!)

Next Best Thing to Robert Redford
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter (the real thing!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Mix together and press into a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake 15 minutes at 350.  Let cool.
Mix and put on top of cooled first layer:
8 oz. cream cheese- softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Put in fridge to set up while you mix up the 3rd layer:
2 small packages instant pudding- combination of any two flavors: vanilla, french vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, pistachio, coconut, lemon
3 cups cold milk
Put on top of layer two, then top with layer 4:
1 8 oz. tub cool whip

You can garnish with pecans, chocolate curls, cookie crumbs, pistachio nuts, lemon slices,  etc. if you like.
Let set in the fridge and serve.  Store leftovers in the fridge (they won't last long!)

Marinated and Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks with Mango Salsa

You may have noticed I took the month of July off from this blog. My husband and I spent most of the month on the island of Kauai- celebrating his retirement.  While there, we made this grilled ahi tuna twice.  It was so good the first time, we did it again.  This is absolutely delicious.  We ate at some very nice restaurants, but my husband and I agreed that this meal that we made was the best meal we had while on vacation.

Marinated and Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks
This marinade makes enough for 2-4 steaks.

2-4 tuna steaks
1 cup (or so) POG (Pineapple, orange, guava) juice or orange juice
1 cup soy sauce (please use Kikoman brand or another authentic Japanese brand.  It makes SUCH a difference)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon(more or less to taste) garlic salt
Pepper

Put all of the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag, close, and mix with your hands.  Put the steaks in and mix and coat until they are well coated.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Oil the grill and heat to very hot.  Put the steaks on the grill and cook for 5 minutes.  Turn the steaks over and brush them with the marinade.  Cook 4 1/2 to 5 minutes on that side.  Do not overcook.

Mango Salsa

This salsa is wonderful served with chips, too.  It makes a great topping for fish.

As with all salsa recipes, amounts are not exact.

1-2 large mango, diced

3 tomatoes, diced  (there should be about equal amount of mango and tomato)

1 small green pepper, diced

1-2 jalapeno' peppers, seeded and diced (if you like the heat, leave the seeds of 1 or both in)

a few green onions, chopped

a small bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped 

Lime juice, probably about 3 Tablespoons

Garlic salt or regular salt to taste

Mix all ingredients and put in the fridge for a little while.  It gets better as it sits.  Serve over the fish or as a dip with chips.  

What's For Dinner?- August

I took the month of July off from blogging as we were out of town most of the month.  This month is family time as we will have family with us most of the month.  I've chosen my menu accordingly:
Chicken Gnocchi Soup/ Rolls

Chicken Divan/ Creamy Orange Jello Salad/ Corn

Roast Beef Spread Sandwiches/ Pico and Chips/ Deviled Eggs
Tacos
Barbecued Hamburgers/ Potato Salad/ Corn Dip and Chips/ Grilled Pineapple

Stuffed Hot Dogs/ Glazed Carrots/ Brownies

Chicken Enchiladas/ Pico de Gallo

Mushroom stuffed ravioli / Salad/ Garlic Bread
Mama's Meatloaf/ Baked Potatoes

Creamy Pasta Salad/Crazy Whole Wheat Muffins

Hawaiian Haystacks

Swedish Meatballs in Cream Sauce/ Noodles/ Squash
7 Cans and a Packet Taco Soup/ Quesadillas

Kale Pasta Salad/ Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Veggie Tuscan Orzo/ Bruschetta

German Pancakes with fresh peach toppings brown sugar glazed bacon

Barbecued Meatballs over rice
Oh, Baby Sandwiches/ Potato Salad

Pantry Pick of the Month: Trader Joe's Green Curry Simmering Sauce/  Chicken in Coconut Green Curry Sauce over rice
Butterscotch Cookie Bars

Peaches and Cream Pie