Tuna Salad Sandwich

Servings:       4

Yield:                         4 sandwiches

Preparation Time:    10 Minutes

Cooking Time:          10 Minutes

Start to finish:          30 Minutes

Ingredients

12           Ounces Tuna in water, drained and chopped

4             Large Eggs, hard-boiled, shelled and chopped

4             Medium Pickles, chopped

               Garlic Powder to taste

½ C        Mayonnaise

8 Slices Toast, cooled

1             Sweet Onion, Sliced, optional

Instructions

1.     Combine Tuna, Eggs, Pickles and Garlic Powder.

2.     Moisten with Mayonnaise, or your choice of substitute, until the mixture holds together well.  Start with half a cup and see if you need more.

3.     Spread on four slices of the Toast, top with a slice (or less) of the optional onion, add the toasted top and slice in half as desired.

-----Notes-----

I had eaten tuna sandwiches my entire life and never really enjoyed then until I had one of these!

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Variations

Although the onion is optional, it really adds to the sandwich - as long as it is a SWEET onion!

Capers add a tart touch, but just add them to the assembled sandwich, else they will lose their taste if you add them to the tuna mixture.

Try a touch of dill to the mixture!

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Service

Potato Chips or Dill Pickle spears are usual accompaniments.

Potato salad goes perfectly with this sandwich as well.

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History

As made by Eileen Huston, though I added the onion slices.

Pepper Jelly Dip

Servings:                   6

Yield:                         1.5 Cups

Preparation Time:   5 minutes

Cooking Time:         0 minutes

Start to finish:          5 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz     Cream Cheese, at room temperature

4 oz     Pepper Jelly

Instructions

1.     Mix Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly until well combined.

2.     Cover and chill until ready to serve.

-----Notes-----

I tend to stock up Harry & David’s, Pepper and Onion Jelly with Zinfendel, whenever I find it for sale!  Great appetizer for the Holiday Season and stores well!

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Variations

There are many brands of pepper jellies on the market, some mild and pleasant – others which would kill me just to smell them!  You be the judge, its your tongue and friends!

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Service

Great with vegetables, melba toast or table water crackers.

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History

I have made this for decades – at the suggestion of a neighboring camper I met while camped on the California border one year.  Mighty good idea, from an unknown fellow camper.

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Meatloaf

Servings:       8+

Yield:             1 Loaf

Preparation Time:   20 minutes

Cooking Time:         1:15

Start to finish:          1:35

Ingredients

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

½ t         Oregano

½ t         Marjoram, dried

½ t         Thyme, dried

1 Slice    Bread, fine dice

½            Onion, fine dice

1             Egg

1.5 lb      Hamburger

½ C        Barbecue Sauce

   Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Line standard loaf pan with parchment paper

2.  Combine all ingredients and thoroughly mix.

3.  Press meat mixture into the loaf pan, keeping the parchment layer higher than the meat

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes

5.  Remove from loaf pan using pancake spatulas, or by picking up with the parchment paper (however, this will make a greasy mess!)

---Notes---

This was the first dish I attempted to make following my series of surgeries in 2015 - and it was an unmitigated failure!  How hard can it be to make something from scratch, from memory - that you have made thousands of times?!?!?!

This was the point I realized that I had lost all of my memories and what I did have actually was not reliable at all.  Hence, the recipe restarts and relearning about a lifetime of cooking.

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Variations

Use ground chuck or hamburger under 4% fat.

Use sugar free Ketchup or sugar free BBQ Sauce.

Use egg whites or egg substitute.

A variety of meats maybe used and mixed as well!

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Service

Meatloaf begs to be served with mashed potatoes and corn!

Boiled potatoes and baked winter squash!

Baked sweet potatoes or yams with a green salad.

How about cauliflower and/or broccoli with cheese and garlic bread?

Yes, this is an early spring, fall dish or cool evening dish.

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History

Meatloaf dates back to at least the 5th century AD, we have a written account of how to make this, found sealed in a Roman wall atTrier, Germany.

This American style of meatloaf only dates back to the 19th century.

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Avocado Mediterranean Salad

Servings:       8

Yield:             9 Cups

Preparation Time:   25 minutes

Cooking Time:         0

Start to finish:          25 minutes

Ingredients

        4      Avocados, skinned, pitted, cubed

        2 C  Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

        1      Cucumber, skinned, cubed

        1 C   Red Onion, small, diced

        ¼ C  Cilantro, fresh, chopped

         2 t    Garlic, fresh, minced

         2 T   Lime Juice

         ¼ C  Olive Oil

                  Salt & Pepper

                  Lettuce (optional)

                  Feta Cheese (optional)

Instructions

1.  Combine all ingredients, tossing gently.

2.  Serve on a bed of Lettuce if desired.

3.  Garnish with Feta Cheese as desired.

-----Notes-----

I was having a bar-b-que and needed a cool refreshing salad, this worked well.

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Variations

Adding Greek Olives or the milder Black Olives.

Shredded mild white cheeses such as Mozzarella as a garnish.

Sweet white onion, instead of red for a milder flavor.

Use an Italian dressing, but add lemon to keep the Avocado green.

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Service

As mentioned above, with or without a lettuce base.

With cheese or without cheese.

If used as an entree, then a nice chewy varietal bread with butter.

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History

I was cooking Greek and avocados were on sale, so why not?

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Watermelon Cream Pie

Servings:  6 to 8
Yield:         1 Pie

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:         5 minutes
Start to finish:        2:30 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 C Boiling Water

1 Pkg   Watermelon Gelatin

12 OZ   Whipped Topping, thawed

2 C        Watermelon, peeled, diced, drained

1 Pkg     Graham Cracker 9” Crust

Instructions

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve Gelatin in the Boiling Water

2.  Cool to room temperature

3.  Whisk Whipped Topping into the Gelatin

4.   Gently fold Watermelon into the Gelatin mixture

5.  Pour into the Graham Cracker Crust

6.  Refrigerate for at least two hours until set

-----Notes-----
Just a cheaters way to come up with something similar to a Bavarian Cream Pie, which is a pain to make!   This option was my second making of this, see variations below.

Gelatin can be a problem.   Some boxes are as low as 2-3/4 ounces and others can be as much as 6 ounces!   I went with a 4 ounce Watermelon, but the Peach flavor was 6.   So, you really do not need to worry.   If you have 3 ounces or close you will flavor the pie lightly.   But, the more the Gelatin, the greater the flavor and may even change the color of the pie.   The photo was done with 5 ounces of Watermelon Gelatin.   Experiment and see what your taste buds like.

Carbs can be kept down with Sugar Free Gelatin, Sugar Free Crust, etc.

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Variations
This works with any soft fruit:   Watermelon, Raspberry or Peach versions are a ">YUMMMMM“ according to my youngest grand-daughter whom crawled into the mixing bowl!   If you can match a fruit to a Gelatin flavor, you have the start needed.

I have not attempted it yet, but mixing of flavors seems to be a natural, especially for fruits without a Gelatin flavor.   Mango, Passion Fruit, Dragon Fruit and Kiwi all instantly come to mind ... one of these, plus which Gelatin becomes the question.

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Service
As is, but my uncle insists on vanilla ice cream with any form of pie ... Bohemian!   Sigh.

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HistoryI learned how to make Bavarian Cream Pies as a child in Switzerland, however, as I said before - it is a pain!   But, if you want a cool, light pie for a dessert in Summer, and not invest many hours – there has to be a better way! >  So, it was not hard to come up with this idea as an adult.   The original was done with sieved Raspberries to remove the seeds.
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