My Grandmother's Kitchen

Oh how I miss my Grandmother's cooking!  I loved helping her out in the kitchen.  That is where I learned to love cooking.  Grandmother always made the best food without recipes.  Her meatloaf was awesome - I don't make it as good as she did, because I don't have her recipe! - but I use her method of free form loaf.  Here's a typical meal at Grandmother's but it's missing several more vegetables like okra, cabbage, field peas - she was always cooking for a crowd!

Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Meatloaf, & Squash

I remember the first full meal I ever cooked included meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  I found the recipes in my Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook.  I was about 9 years old and my Uncle Jeff came over for dinner and was completely impressed with the meal.  I won't forget that feeling of pride for being a good cook.

Here's a meatloaf recipe from Family Fun's Cookbook.  I used this cookbook when the kids were young to make meals they would enjoy.

Meatloaf

2 eggs
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. barbecue sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 9"x12" pyrex dish with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, beat eggs then add ground beef and combine.  Add the oats, onion, ketchup, bell pepper, barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder and mix well with your hands but don't over mix.  Pour mixture into the center of the prepared dish and gently form into a rectangular loaf.

Make the sauce by mixing ketchup, brown sugar and dried mustard in a small bowl.  Spread the sauce over the top.  Bake for 1 1/2 hrs or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Start testing the temperature after an hour.  Remove the meatloaf from the oven and carefully use paper towels to sop up some of the grease from around the loaf.  Let the loaf sit for 10 minutes then serve.

Oldie but goodie

I've been making this recipe for almost 20 years.  It was given to me by my friend Janet.  She probably doesn't make it anymore but I still love it.

Shrimp and Orzo

Shrimp and Orzo

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup orzo cooking water
4 oz feta cheese (or goat cheese for milder flavor)
1 Tbs. garlic, chopped
1 cup tomato (seed and chop fresh tomato, or split grape tomatoes, or use drained and diced can tomatoes)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1-2 tsp. lemon zest
1-2 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 cup green onion, chopped
18-24 raw shrimp, deveined and shelled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a pan.  Add 1 tsp. salt and orzo and boil uncovered for 9 minutes until orzo is al dente.  Drain orzo reserving some cooking water.

In bowl, combine 1/4 cup orzo cooking water and all ingredients except orzo and shrimp and mix well.  Add orzo and shrimp and stir gently.

Generously oil an ovenproof pan with tight fitting lid (or use aluminum foil on top if lid is not available).  Pour shrimp mixture in pan and spread evenly.  Cover with lid (or foil) and bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir gently.  Replace lid and cook 10 minutes more.  Remove from oven and test shrimp to verify doneness.

Lunch from my youth

My Aunt Phyllis made this delicious dish when I was a kid.  She doesn't remember making it but I have continued to recall it at various times when I have hot dogs in the fridge without buns in the breadbox.  Here's my recollection of a time when I was probably 7 years old and had the most wonderful concoction ever!  Hot dog hash...

I forgot to take a photo of finished product!!!

Hot Dog Hash

2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp. salt
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 hot dogs, sliced
1 small can corn niblets, drained
ketchup (optional)

Place potatoes and salt in a pan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Drain potatoes and run cold water over them to stop cooking.  The potatoes should not be completely cooked.

Add oil to skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Add onions and sauté 3 minutes.  Add cooked and drained potatoes, sliced hot dogs, and drained corn.  Stir to combine then let cook in pan without disturbing for 2-3 min.  Stir gently and cook without disturbing 2-3 more minutes.

Plate hash and add ketchup, as desired.