Polish Cucumber Salad

My Polish grandparents made this cold, creamy and tangy side dish regularly during cucumber season, using fresh cucumbers from their garden. And it tastes even better the next day. You will love this refreshing salad paired with any main dish. 

Ingredients

3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thinly

2 t. Salt

1 t. pepper

1/3 C. onion, minced (any onion is good, or use 1 T. dried-minced onion, or 2 t. onion powder)

½ C. sour cream

¼ C. apple cider vinegar

1/3 C. sugar

Instructions

Into a medium bowl put the peeled and thinly sliced cucumbers. Sprinkle with 2 t. salt and toss to evenly coat the cucumbers. Let them set for about 10 minutes to allow the cucumbers to give up some of their liquid. Drain the excess liquid by pressing the cucumbers to the side of the bowl with your fingers and tip the liquid out.

Now to the bowl add pepper, onion, sour cream, vinegar and sugar. Mix with a spoon and taste to adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve.

Breakfast Casserole

This favorite breakfast dish recipe is everywhere. I had to post it here, too. So easy to make, and delicious with ham or sausage.

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 50 minutes

Ingredients

6 slices white bread, or any bread (Old bread works well.)

1 t. dry mustard, divided

Salt & pepper

1 lb. ham, chopped into little bitesize chunks (or browned ground sausage)

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

6 eggs

2 ½ C. milk

3 T. butter

Instructions

Butter a 9 x 13 glass dish. Break half of bread into pieces and place a single layer into bottom of dish. Cover with half of ham and cheese, a little salt, pepper and dry mustard. Repeat another layer with the rest of the bread, ham, cheese, salt, pepper and ½ t. dry mustard.

Into a bowl beat eggs and milk. Pour gently over the dry ingredients of the casserole dish. Dot with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

When ready, uncover and bake in a preheated oven at 375° F., for 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Saag Paneer

So delicious, this recipe tastes better than any saag paneer I've had at any restaurant. Preparation is easiest if you first pre-measure your spices into 2 little bowls (I use coffee cups), one for each of the two paragraphs below. The cooking goes fast. My family enjoys this meal so much that I always double the recipe!

Ingredients

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

Pinch of cumin seed

2 cardamom seeds

1 stick of cinnamon

2 or 3 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

1 t. each fresh ginger and garlic

1 small fresh tomato, sliced

1 t. black pepper

1 box frozen spinach, chopped (thawed, and not drained)

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin powder

½ t. turmeric

1 t. ground coriander

½ t. garam masala (optional) – recipe below

1 C. whipping cream (heavy cream), or substitute ½ C. buttermilk + ½ C. plain Greek yogurt

1 t. tomato puree

¼ C. fresh cilantro, chopped

16 oz. paneer, plain or breaded (I prefer breaded.)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large sauté pan and sauté chopped onion until light brown.  Add cumin seed, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, ginger, garlic, sliced tomato and black pepper and sauté about 30 seconds.  Add chopped spinach and sauté for 1 minute.

Add salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala.  Mix well with spinach while it is sautéing.  Add cream, tomato puree, cilantro and cubes of cheese (paneer). Cook it well, stirring so it doesn’t scorch. When cream boils, cook another 1 ½ minutes over high heat.  Serves 6.

Serve over rice – basmati rice preferred. (Goes well with baked breaded chicken breasts as an added side dish, if you feel the need to eat meat.)

(When eating, you will want to avoid the bay leaves, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick and whole cloves.)

To make garam masala: 1 T. + 1 t. cardamom seed

                                         2 three-inch cinnamon sticks, crushed

                                         2 t. whole cloves

                                         1T. + 1 t. black peppercorns

                                         3 T. cumin seeds

                                         3 T. coriander seeds

Dry roast in heavy skillet on low temp 5-10 minutes until brown.  Cool, then grind into powder. (Can use electric coffee grinder or blender.) Keep in a jar. Good for several months.

Pork n' Bean Casserole

Sometimes, the simplistic taste of comfort food and the easy preparation is just what you need to end your day. This is that meal. It's a remix of a bacon cheeseburger and pork n' beans rolled into one casserole. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2-tubes reduced fat crescent roll dough (the regular is too greasy)

Mustard (any flavor)

1-lb. ground sirloin

½ t. salt

Onion powder

Garlic powder

1- 28 oz. can Bush Original Baked Beans

 3 T. Bacon bits

1/3 c. ketchup

1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with crescent roll dough, sealing the edges together with your fingers. Slather the dough with mustard. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground sirloin on high heat season with ½ t. salt. When meat is browned, add onion and garlic powders, pork ‘n’ beans, bacon bits, ketchup and mozzarella cheese. Stir and allow the food to heat up.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan. Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake 30-minutes. Cheese should look a little toasted when done and crust golden.