Clam Dip

 

Recipe Name: Clam Dip

Story: Found among Grandma Bisset's recipes

Author / Creator: Grandma / Maka Bisset

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• 1 large cream cheese
• 1 med minced onion
• 2 tbls mayo
• 1 med can minced clams (save juice)
• 5 tbls cream

Directions: 

1. Add clams, juice, onion, creame cheese, mayo, cream
2. Shake a couple drops of Worchestershire sauce (optional)
3. Chill

Cheese Souffle

Recipe Name: Cheese Souffle (for 2)

Story: This is a handwritten recipe found in Grandma / Grandpa Whittier's old documents.

Author / Creator: Grammy Whittier

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• 1 tsp butter

Directions: 

1. Blend butter and flour, add milk to which the yolk is added.
2. Cook until smooth over double boiler, stirring constantly.
3. Add cheese, crumbs, and seasoning.
4. Let stand a few minutes until crumbs are soft, then fold in stiffly beaten white.
5. Pour in pan and bake 20 mins in med(?) oven.
6. Serve at once.

Notes: 

Sometimes it is hard to read the handwriting, I did my best here.

Potato and Shrimp Salad

Recipe Name: Potato and Shrimp Salad

Story: With a little imagination and wanting something different, I looked in the refrigerator and started pulling ingredients that I thought might go well together, be simple and tasty. We enjoyed it but still a work in progress, particularly as far as quantities.

Years you've been making it: 1 year

Author / Creator: Suzy

Submitted by: Suzy

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 lb shrimp
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning or zataran creole seasoning
• 2 baking potatoes
• 1 cup of mayo (I add 1 to 2 tbls plain low fat yogurt to thin the mayo)
• Pinch of salt

Directions: 

1. Thaw shrimp if frozen, if fresh, cook and peel and devein, then cool in the refrigerator
2. Sprinkle half of the seasoning on the shrimp
3. Cut the shrimp into small pieces
4. Bake the potato until just done. I usually cook in the microwave for time saving and simplicity
5. Cool potatoes in the refrigerator. Then peel and cut into small cubes
6. Mix the onions, celery, mayo, yogurt, and remainder of seasoning.
7. Combine mixture with the potatoes and shrimp. Then refrigerate for a couple of hours to get all the flavors melded together.
8. Serve on lettuce. If desired, top with parsley or cilantro.

Notes: 

I usually keep cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp in the freezer to have available for multiple recipes.

When I went online to look for a similar picture, I found many recipes much like mine. So there are many versions that can be adapted to my recipe.

 

Minestrone Soup

Recipe Name: Minestrone Soup

Story: I love a good soup / stew. I will often make a big batch for meal prep and it will be my lunches for the week. I have been developing this recipe for a few years, and have finally landed on something that is now in regular rotation for me.

Years you've been making it: About 5 years

Author / Creator: Dustin

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• Cannellini beans, or Italian bean mix, or northern beans, dried, 8 oz
• Olive oil, 2 tbls
• Onion, 1, diced
• Carrots, 3, diced
• Celery, 3 stalks, diced
• Garlic cloves, 5 to 6 minced
• Oregano, dried, 1.5 tsp
• Basil, dried, 3/4 tsp
• Rosemary, fresh, minced, 1+ tbls
• Can diced tomatoes, 1 (or use 2 cans if you like it more tomato forward)
• Brown sugar, 1.5 tbls
• Chicken stock, 10 cups
• Russet potatoes, peeled and diced small
• Small pasta, such a Ditali, Macaroni, or Orecchiette, 1 cup dried (optional)
• Rotisserie Chicken, pulled and shredded, 1 to 1.5 lbs (optional)

Pick 2 vegetables:

• Zucchini, 1 medium, cut into bite size pieces (my preference)
• Summer Squash, 1 medium, cut into bite size pieces
• Green beans, 8 oz frozen (my preference)
• Spinach, fresh, 6 to 8 oz

Lemon juice, 1 lemon

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste (you don't want to use too much black pepper as it will overwhelm the nuance of the nice vegetables)

Directions: 

See notes before beginning. Makes at least 8 big servings, closer to 10-12 if it is not the primary meal.

1. Quick soak the beans, or soak overnight.
2. Add beans, and chicken stock to pressure cooker and pressure cook on high for 20mins, then natural release for 10mins.
3. In a separate pot, saute onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil with a few pinches of salt for 5 or so mins until beginning to turn translucent.
4. Add garlic and saute for 1 min or so until fragrant.
5. Add oregano, basil, and rosemary, saute for 1 min until fragrant.
6. Add can of tomatoes, and let simmer for 3 to 5 mins until it has reduced a bit, be sure to stir to make sure nothing is sticking.
7. After the pressure cooked beans are done, add them with all of the stock to the pot with these sautéed vegetables and tomatoes.
8. Add russet potatoes (and some salt) and bring to a simmer, simmer for 10 mins.
9. After 10 mins, add remaining ingredients: pulled chicken (if using), pasta (if using), and the 2 (or more) veggies of choice. Bring to a simmer and simmer for roughly 10 mins until pasta is done and potatoes are fork tender.
10. Remove from heat, and squeeze 1 lemon worth of juice into pot, stir.
11. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust to preference.
12. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley.

Notes: 

Minestrone soup is almost like a kitchen sink vegetable soup. There are so many directions you can take it. But at its core are Cannellini beans, onions, carrots, and celery, rosemary, tomatoes, starch of choice, and veggies of choice.

I like to add pulled rotisserie chicken to mine because it makes it a bit heartier for me for lunches, but you can leave this out if you want it meat-less.

For the two starches, I almost exclusively use russet potatoes now. They hold up better as left overs (they don't turn mushy like the pasta). But if I were making this fresh and to serve a family or group, I would definitely add the pasta, it adds another nice texture.

I normally only pick 2 of the listed vegetables. This soup already has quite a lot of ingredients, and adding all 4, although you can totally do this, will make the soup more like a stew than a soup. My preferences are zucchini and green beans. But just add whatever you have!

Salt and pepper is to taste. It has quite a few veggies that need salt, and this makes quite a lot, so you will probably need to add more salt than you think. I add salt in stages, during the sweating of the onions, celery and carrots, and then also when I add the potatoes and other veggies. Be sure to taste for salt at the end, it probably will need more. I also do not add too much black pepper, maybe 1/2 tsp for this whole pot, but that is also a preference.

Stuff Mushrooms

Recipe Name: Stuff Mushrooms

Story: Found among Grandma Bisset's recipes

Author / Creator: Grandma / Maka Bisset

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• Shallots
• Garlic
• Stems of mushroom
• Salt and Pepper
• Cilantro
• 1/2 lemon
• White mushrooms
• 2 little squares of smoked mozzarella?
• Spray olive oil

Directions: 

1. Bake 350 for 10 mins

Notes: 

Sometimes it is hard to read the handwriting, I did my best here.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Name: Peanut Butter Cookies

Story: This is a handwritten recipe found in Grandma / Grandpa Whittier's old documents.

Author / Creator: Grammy Whittier

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup brown(?) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup chopped coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c shortening
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions: 

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cream(?) shortening and peanut butter, add sugar, beat and add egg and flour back(?)
3. Add coconut and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients last.
5. Drop by spoon and flatten slightly with fork.
6. If white sugar, add one tsp molasses.

Notes: 

Sometimes it is hard to read the handwriting, I did my best here.

Black Eyed Peas

 

Recipe Name: Black Eyed Peas

Story: It is a tradition to have black eyed peas on New Years and many years ago I started to develop this recipe just for that purpose.

Years you've been making it: At least 15

Author / Creator: Dustin

Submitted by: Dustin

Ingredients: 

• Bacon, about 4 to 6 slices
• Olive oil, 1 tbls
• Onion, 1 medium, diced small
• Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
• Apple cider vinegar, 2 tbls
• Thyme, 4 sprigs
• Bay leaves, 1 large
• Red pepper, a pinch (or leave out if you don't want any spice)
• Black pepper, 1 tsp
• Salt, 1/2 tsp (and to taste)
• Chicken stock, 2.5 cups
• Dried black eyed peas, 8 oz
• Water, 1 cup

Directions: 

1. Quick soak beans:
2. 8 oz beans, rinsed.  Add enough water to cover by 2+ inches, 1 tbls salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  bring to a boil, simmer for 1-2 mins. turn heat off, cover, closed, for 1 hr.  Drain through colander, rinse to remove excess pepper, salt, etc.
3. Crisp up bacon, remove.  Sauté onion for a few minutes, then add garlic and sauté for a min or two.  Then add all remaining ingredients including bacon and beans back.
4. Pressure cooked for 20 mins, release pressure
5. Then simmered for 30 mins to reduce
6. After reducing, mashed up about half for texture. Taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed.

Notes: 

You can do this without a pressure cooker, you will just need to simmer on a low boil for probably close to 2hrs until the beans are nice and soft. I also prefer my beans about half mashed and half not mashed, but if you prefer just whole beans, skip the mashing step.