Grilled Red Pepper Asparagus

Can't go wrong with asparagus!

Ingredients:

1 bundle of asparagus
2 tbsps butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
red pepper flakes


Directions:

Pull about 18 inches of aluminum foil off for this. Prepare asparagus by breaking off the last inch or so of stock on them, NOT the end with the bloom, the end that tends to get brown and dry. If you hold both ends and bend the asparagus should naturally break where it is ripe from. Throw away the little pieces that break off. Then place the remaining sticks on the tin foil in a pile. Melt the butter in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and add the minced garlic and about a tsp of red pepper flakes, more if you prefer. Drizzle the butter mixture over the top of the asparagus, be sure to get as much coverage as you can, leave the excess in the bottom of the foil. Close it up and grill it for about 15 minutes or so, turning a few times. Remove from heat and wait to open until serving time to allow the flavors to really seep in. Mmmm.

Almost Finnish Cauliflower Casserole

Wanted to try some new things with cauliflower because we eat it a lot, it's one of my favs. Had an old Food Network catalog that I was getting ready to trim, and found this recipe for Finnish Caulflower which called for Rye Bread, none of my family are fans so I decided to switch it up a bit and give it a shot with a twist. It was delicious. I added a couple of my own extras to it and it was amazing! My husband AND my kids killed it quick!

Ingredients:

1 15-18 oz bag frozen cauliflower, thawed.
2 cups french bread, cubed.
1.5 cups shredded cheese
1/2 cup queso, any flavor
4 eggs
1 cup of beer, preferrably of an amber color
2 tbsps butter

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350*. Saute cauliflower on medium high in a skillet with butter until tender, no longer than 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the queso, then the shredded cheese, then the french bread cubes. Spread evenly into a baking pan. In a small bowl, wisk eggs and beer together. Pour over the top of the cauliflower mixture. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. It's like a veggie breakfast casserole! So filling!

Crispy Cabbage Steaks

It must be the Irish in me :)

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Non stick spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400* and spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray. Tear off the top layer or so of the head of cabbage, it's usually dingy from sitting in the produce section for a couple days. Slice the remaining cabbage into 1" slices, to create a patty like shape. Place them on the cookie sheet. In a mixing bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes together. Use a brush of knife to spread the marinade over the top of the patties, then flip them over and do the other side. Depending on the size of your head of cabbage, you may need to increase the amount of ingredients you use in the marinade. Once they all have a generous helping of juices, bake them for 30 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for another thirty minutes, or until they are desired tenderness. Yumm!

Broccoli Cheese Pancakes

Thanks to Pinterest for this one, I threw my own spin on them and they were sooooo yummy! My husband and kids devoured them!


Ingredients:

14 oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained.
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I prefer to crumble my own out of bread and/or croutons)
1/2 cup shredded cheese, any kind you would like
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsps garlic salt OR garlic & herb seasoning

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350* Once the broccoli is thawed out, strain it and then chop into very small pieces. One bag should make just about 2 cups once it is cut. Put the broccoli into a bowl. If you use regular bread, about 2 slices will work for the crumbs. If you use croutons, which are really flavorful, put about 1 cup of them into a bowl and mash them down into crumb with a mallet or handle of a knife. Crumble them up and add to the broccoli. Next add the eggs, then both kinds of cheese and last, the seasoning. (I use the Mccormick brand garlic and herb seasoning instead of regular garlic salt, it doesn't have as much sodium and is absolutely delicious!) Once all the ingredients are combined, mix well, until you have an even texture throughout. It's best to use your hands so you can really mix it well. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, form the broccoli mixture into patties, maybe 2-3 inches wide. Place them on the sheet and bake on one side for ten minutes. Then, take them out and turn them over. Bake on that side for ten minutes. Take them out and srpinkle a bit of parmesan on top! Tah-dah! Bomb!

**This recipe yielded about 8 patties for me, if you have leftovers, the next day, you can break them up into some scrambled eggs for a delicious, nutricious breakfast 

Louisiana Onion Rings

Such a delicious start to a delicious grilled dinner last night! They definitely have a kick, but they are so bomb! 


Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 large yellow onion 
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 cups Lousiana batter (whichever flavor you prefer)
2 cups cookin oil

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet on medium. Allow it to heat for at least 3 minutes to ensure oil is evenly heated. Meanwhile, slice both ends off onion and peel off first layer or so to get a nice clean onion. Then slice into 1/2 inch slices. I prefer them thinner so the batter holds better. Then, in a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and ranch and mix evenly. In another mixing bowl, pour Louisiana batter. Once the oil is heated, one at a time, dip an onion slice into the egg wash, then the batter. Then once more in the egg wash and again in the batter. Place flat in oil an allow it to fry for 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip and do the same on the other side. Once browned to your liking, place on a napkin covered plate to allow excess grease to drip off. Continue in batches of five or so until you run out of ingredients! They have a great spicy bite and are absolutely delicious! Enjoy! 

Grammy's Famous Chicken Salad

By: Kellie Peterson
Bakersfield, Ca

Before I give you this recipe, I have to emphasize the importance this particular one holds in my life. It is my MOTHER-IN-LAWS recipe, therefore, forever unmatchable, and it is ALSO, my husband's NUMBER ONE favorite thing to eat, above everything I have ever cooked. I'm okay with that, I have come to terms with it, as long as she agreed to give me the recipe so I don't have to hear him whine about wanting it all the time anymore. I do have to admit, it is addictingly delicious. Thanks Grammy! Here goes!!!



Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package elbow noodles
1 (12.5 oz) CANNED chicken breast
1/2 cup diced pickles
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch of garlic salt
5 eggs
1 cup of mayonnaise
paprika, to taste


Directions:

Boil a large pot of water. Add olive oil and then noodles. Boil for 9-11 minutes or until done well enough for your liking. Fill a medium pot of water, add eggs carefully, and bring to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, turn off heat and cover, allow eggs to cool in water for 12 minutes. In the mean time, dice the pickles into small chunks. When your eggs are done cooking, rinse them in cold water, and peel off the shells. Rinse one more time to get excess shells and place on a paper towel to dry. Strain the noodles and be sure to shake off any excess water to keep salad from getting runny. Then, once all of your ingredients are ready, place chicken into a mixing bowl. Crumble the eggs one by one into the bowl, then add pickles, half of your noodles and garlic salt. Stir well. Then add mayo. Stir well,  then add remainder of noodles and stir very well. Last but not least, a sprinkle of paprika over the top. Cover, and place in the fridge to cool for an hour or so. Then, serve it! Delicious!

Texas Bloomin' Onion

Welllllll, since I finally moved to Texas, I thought I'd post a simple recipe for one of their favorite appetizers, the bloomin' onion! I am going to gain 20 pounds living here!

Ingredients:

1 large onion, such as a vidalia onion.
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
1 cup milk
oil for frying

Directions: Mix flour, paprika, oregano, cumin and pepper into mixing bowl. Then mix eggs and milk into another. Cut the top off the hairy end of the onion and peel back the outermost layer. Slice from one side to another through, ALMOST to the bottom, but not cutting all the way through. Then turn it the other direction and make the same incision going the opposite direction, such as a plus sign. Then, slice two more times through the middles of each of the four sections, and if you can, twice more through the remaining sections to create somewhere around half inch wide slices, ending with anywhere from 12-18 sections. Remember to be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom. Slowly begin peeling back the layers, working your way inward until you have spread open as far as you can. If a section breaks, that's okay, once cooked, you won't even be able to tell!  Then, sprinkle a dusting of the flour mix over the onion, making sure to get each section, turn it over and shake off any excess flour. Then, holding it carefully, so as not to let it fall apart, dip the whole onion into the wet mixture, making sure to cover the whole thing. Then remove and allow excess liquid to drip off. Place the whole onion into the dry mixture and scoop dry ingredients over the whole thing until covered. Heat a pot of oil or use a deep fryer. If using a saucepot, use enough to cover the onion and heat the oil on medium-high for a few minutes prior to frying to allow it to be even tempered. Then, place the onion in the oil, making sure it is completely submerged. Cook for 7-10 minutes. It should float. Remove from heat and place on paper towels upside down to drain the excess grease. Flip back over and serve with your favorite dipping sauce! Enjoy!

Crazy Corn

If you are from California, especially Bakersfield, you have probably run into a corn man or two. They usually make this recipe better than anyone I know, so I decided to share it in case anyone has yet to try it. It is ridiculously delicious!!

Ingredients:

4 corn cobs, not shucked
1 cup Best Foods/Hellmans mayo
parmesan cheese
paprika

Directions:

Grill the corn on the cob, still in the shucks, for around 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top layer of the shucks are crispy. Remove from grill and remove the shucks, once they have cooled down a bit. Once you have gotten them opened up, apply a coat of mayo all over the cob, the more the better to hold the cheese. Then, sprinkle a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the mayo and a light dusting of paprika and you're done! It is sooooo yummy!

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

4 cups rice (cooked)
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped veggies (I use carrots and peas which can usually be found in the frozen veggies section at the store already combined for cooking)
3 tbsps cooking oil
2 tsps La Choy soy sauce

Directions:

Once the rice is cooked, allow it to cool for a bit. Then in a large skillet, heat about a tbsp of oil and add the egg. scramble the egg until it breaks into small pieces and remove from the pan to use later. Add the rest of the oil and add the rice. Stir the rice until it is all hot, maybe 5 minutes, then add the veggies and heat them up. Last, add the egg back into the skillet and stir the whole mixture until it is all hot. Then, sprinkle some soy sauce into the mixture to give it the appearance that fried rice has, and stir until it looks even.
Done!

Spaghetti Salad

By: Amanda Merante

Bakersfield, Ca



Ingredients:


1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1 1/2 cups Italian dressing
1 cup finely chopped red & green bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (flavor of your choice, I use mozzerella.)

Directions:

Boil a full large pot of water. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium and add noodles. Cook for about 8 minutes, until they are tender but not mushy. Drain the noodles, place in large mixing bowl to cool. Once it's cool, add the rest of your ingredients and mix together well. Then serve. Very quick and simple, and absolutely delicious!

Bacon Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

Delicious!

Ingredients:

4 Large Potatoes
Olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 strips bacon
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*
Bake the potatoes for an hour, maybe a little longer if they are very large potatoes. When they are done, they should have a little give when you push them. While the potatoes bake, fry the bacon, then drain of the grease. Let them cool, then crunch them into pieces. When the potatoes are cooked, cut them in half and use a spoon to remove the insides from each half. Put the potato in a mixing bowl and place the skins to the side till you are ready to fill them back up. Add the sour cream, milk, and butter to the potato mixture. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer until smooth. Fill the potato skins back up with the mixture. Sprinkle cheese, onions, and bacon bits on top of the potato halves. Reduce heat on oven to 350* and place potatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve. Yummm!