July, 2020 - Homemaker Geek

Wilted Lettuce Salad

For this Salad you can use Walnut, Pistachio, Avacado, or Pecan Oil in stead of the Bacon Grease If you like.

8 cups ish …Lettuce …loose leaf fresh washed and drained. You can also use Butter lettuce OR 2 heads Baby Romain from Costco cut up.

1 scallion chopped

5-6 pieces of Bacon chopped up

2 cloves Garlic minced

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Basalmic is ok too. ( use the good stuff you have It)

2-3 Tbsp Bacon Grease from frying the Bacon.

1/4 c water

1 c chopped Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Brown sugar or more

Salt & Pepper To taste

Optional: Any of these, 1/4 c Toasted, Slivered or sliced Almonds, Pine nuts or Pecans, 1/4 c Craisins, or 1/2 C Raspberries Split 1/4 and 1/4c for the Salad. Parmesean Cheese.

Chop lettuce and set aside.

Use a larger frying pan or a Wok…. and sauté the Bacon on Med heat until it crisps up. Drain and reserve all but 3 Tbsp of the Bacon Grease. Remove Bacon and set aside. Turn the heat down to Simmer . Add the Nuts if your using them, stir and sizzle for a minute, then add the Garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, add Raspberry’s, and Brown Sugar. Add Tomatoes to heat through. Add the Vinegar and Water. Taste the sauce and add more Vinegar or whatever you like, if needed, Turn off the heat and stir. Quickly add all of the lettuce. Turn it over with tongs a couple of times until it Barely starts to wilt. Quickly Remove from the heat. Let set for a minute if it needs to wilt a tiny bit more.

Serve up!

Chicken Pot Pie Breville or Oven

Oven 425°

Makes about 4 c of filling …2 large sized pies with 1 3/4 c filling in ea. plus 1/2 c leftovers.

1 Pie Crust (for homemade, see my pie crust recipe in files, or use your favorite)

2 c cooked chicken chopped

1 c Onion finely Chopped

1 1/2 c Celery chopped

2 c Mixed Veggies Frozen (includes. peas, carrots, green beans and corn) You can use Fresh if you want.

2 1/2 c Chicken broth (Or 2 c water and 1 Tbsp Costco’s Better then Bullion Chicken)

1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning (mixture of thyme sage and rosemary) or Italian seasoning or a combination of both.

1/4 c flour (ap)

Salt and Pepper to taste….. add after filling is heated (Depending on salt content of the broth or better than Bullion Chicken)
if the broth isn’t salted then add 1/2 tsp

2 Tbsp Butter

Saute Onion and Celery In Butter, ( I like to brown the butter first a little). If you are using fresh Veggies, add the carrots corn and green beans, save the peas for the last after the filling is cooked. Saute them until Onions are translucent but not cooked through. Add flour, spices And stir until veggies are coated, then add the Broth and stir until sauce is thickened. If you use frozen Mixed Veggies then add the Veggies and Chicken and let set. Important…taste your filling and add more seasoning if you like, but be careful because the herbs flavors come out as it cooks in the oven.
Fill a 8×8 cassarole dish with the filling, ( or in my case I use2 Mini Dutch oven Copper pots for individual servings. Or …It makes 4 mini Au gratins) .
Cut pie crust to overlap sides of the Dish by 1/2” …. Or You can cut to fit just inside the rim and on top of the filling. Cut vent holes in the crust.

Set them on a cookie sheet to protect the oven if they bubble over.

Bake in the preheated 425° oven for 30 min. Check at 20 min for Doneness. Cover the crust if it’s getting too brown.

If you use the crust for the individuals you will probably only use half of it.

Notice the difference on where the crust can go….over lapping or just inside the rim.

Potato Salad and Mac Salad at the same time IP

Potatoes, Mac, and Eggs at the Same time

Use more or less of the following:

4 good sized Yukon Potatoes diced into 3/4” cubes. (1/2” is ok too but you have to cool them fast because they easily overcook.)

2 c Small Elbow Macaroni

4 Scallions sliced

4 stalks Celery Sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 Eggs

1 1/2 c Best foods Mayonaise (both Salads soak the Mayo up so you will need more than you think you need. Or you can add more to it after it has set just before serving).

Optional: Diced Ham

to Make the 2 Salads at one time, use a PIP method, use 4 oz of Pasta to 1 c water) Put the Mac and water in the pot, then add longer legged lotus steamer With legs long enough to allow the Mac to expand without mipushing up against the bottom of the steamer. It sets right down in the Mac n water.

put your cubed potatoes into the Lotus steamer . Add the Eggs on top of the Potatoes.

lid on, vent to sealing. Set the Time to 4 minutes QR.

You have to work fast here while the food is cooking.

Slice up the Celery and Scallions, and Mix with the Mayo and put it into the frig while the Potatoes, Eggs, and Mac cook.

As soon as the pot Beeps, do a QR and get the Eggs out and set them on a Paper towel on the Counter (they need to sit for at least 6 min to finish cooking inside the shell.

Remove the inner pot from the IP and bring to the sink and run cold water over the Eggs and Potatoes to stop the cooking process. Once they are covered with cold water, lift the potatoes out and set in the sink to finish draining….drain well, pour off the water from the macaroni noodles and drain them really well. Use the inner pot to mix one of your salads if you want so you don’t have to use two seperate bowls.

Back to the Eggs, while the Mac and potatoes drain, 6 min should be up and Eggs should be done. Peel the Eggs and chop all but Two which you will slice for the tops of the Salads.

Get the Celery, Mayo, Scallion mixture Out of the Frig, add the chopped Eggs. Put Potatoes in a separate Serving Bowl, add 1/3- 1/2 of the Mayo, Celery, Scallion, Egg mixture. Stir, add Salt and pepper to taste.

Do the Same for the Mac Salad.

(I usually only do ham in the Mac Salad.)

Salmon and Rice Stuffed Peppers IP

Makes 2 large Peppers.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 c leftover cooked Fresh Salmon fillet.
1 1/2 c leftover or pre cooked rice.
3 Scallions (about 1/3 cup) Sliced.
1 Egg beaten.
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce.
1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Mustard.
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
1 Tsp Soy Sauce.
1 Tbsp Dry Dill or 2 Tbsp fresh.
1/2 Jalapeño Chopped (Optional).
1 Campari Tomato Chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Remove tops from the Peppers By cutting about 1/2” out from the stems green… and shake out the seeds. I cut the meat off the pepper top and chop it and add it to the filling. Leave a nice lip on the rim of the Pepper. Poke a small hole with the tip of a sharp knife, through each bottom bump on the peppers to allow for drainage if it happens while cooking.

Mix together, and Stuff the Peppers making sure to compact the filling without splitting the Pepper. This filling makes 2 large peppers. Put the peppers in a small cake pan (Stainless)
Pour recommended amt of water in the pot. Use a long handled trivet or make a sling. Lower the Peppers down into the pot. Put the Lid on. Set the time for 10 min. QR . Open the lid and check them. They can set for another minute if you need it before serving.
Leftovers are Freezer Friendly. Use within a couple of months.