Turkey A La King

What to do with that leftover turkey? Try this recipe!

Turkey A La King

1 stick (1/2 cup, or 8 tablespoons) butter
1 onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup flour
2 cups turkey stock, or chicken stock
2 cups milk 
Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups diced turkey meat
1 can sweet peas
4 large eggs, hard-boiled, chopped
4 ounces pimiento, minced (optional)

Begin by melting the butter in a large heavy saucepan. In it sauté the
onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper until the vegetables are tender, and
the liquid given off by the mushrooms has evaporated. Add 1/2 cup flour, whisking the mixture, and cook the roux over low heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes being careful not to scorch it. Slowly add the stock and the milk, whisking, and bring to a simmer.

Add the diced turkey and peas, and simmer the mixture briefly, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Just before serving, stir in the hard-boiled eggs and diced pimiento. Serve over hot biscuits or cornbread. Toast will also do, if you prefer.

Easter Egg Potato Salad

This is a fun recipe to make with the kids! Boil eggs and peel them before you dye them. It makes a pretty potato salad when added to it! Here is the process and the complete recipe for a smaller batch is at the bottom of the post. 

First, I made up the dye for the eggs...

Then I added the eggs... 

I used clear glasses so you could see them in the dye.

These turned pretty, but the yellow is a waste of time. 

I didn't think about it blending in with the salad, 

so I didn't have enough color!

For even more color, cut the eggs in half and remove the

yolks before dyeing them.

Not so pretty ones...

I chopped up the eggs. 

They are pretty enough by themselves!

I added mayo, sour cream, a tiny bit of spicy mustard,

lemon, basil, garlic, sweet pickle cubes, and S&P.

I would have added the red, yellow and green 

bell peppers and sweet onion, but my crowd won't eat it!

The result... a big ole 20 lb bowl of

Easter Egg Potato Salad!

6 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
4 eggs, boiled and peeled1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish*
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half and remove yolks and place. Chop egg whites and place in a large bowl with the cubed potatoes. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes and eggs. Stir all ingredients together well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

* If you don't like the bits of pickle in the potato salad, or if you have a little one that doesn't like pickle, just add 1 tsp of sweet pickle juice from the relish jar. They will never know. I do this for my church crowd, and they always tell me that they love it! Onion is also optional. If you like the flavor, but not chunks of onion, grate the onion and add about a teaspoon to the salad.

Mama's Chicken and Dumplings (AKA Dumplin's)

My Mama used to make Chicken and Dumplin's for her Daddy every Sunday. It was his favorite dish. He died when I was 8 years old. Mama was devastated and refused to make chicken and dumplin's again. One year, close to Christmas, Mama decided to make chicken and dumplin's. I was about 16 at the time. Unfortunately, she cut her hand with a chef knife and had to go to the hospital to get stitches. 

Here's a very old recipe for Chicken and Dumplin's:

Base:
Stew a chicken. When tender, pick the meat from the bones. Put meat in a large pan with tight fitting lid and add 4 cups of broth. Bring to boil.

Dumplings:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, boiled and sliced

Place egg slices on a paper towel and salt them to dry out a bit.

Sift together dry ingredients and cut in the shortening. Stir in enough milk, mixing only to moisten the dough thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls into boiling chicken broth. Dip the spoon into the boiling liquid first so that the dough will slide off easily. Add egg slices. Cover pan tightly and cook 15 minutes. Enough for 6 servings.

* Another alternative for the dumplin's is to roll them out on a floured surface and cut into strips. Some people prefer this because it makes a firmer, less doughy dumplin'.

**Notice with these OLD recipes, there are very few references to time and temperature. These were cooks who knew how to cook by smell, touch and taste. Times or temperatures were often a suggestion to young cooks.

Sweet Pea Salad

This is a simple salad, but it is very yummy! It sounds a little strange, but it is delicious. For a change, add cucumber instead of egg and Parmesan cheese instead of Cheddar. It's another great side salad!

1 can small sweet peas, drained

1 egg, boiled and diced

1/2 mayonnaise

1/4 cup Cheddar cheese

2 tbsp bacon bits (or more for more bacon flavor)

1 tbsp red onion, diced (optional)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Toss to combine well. Chill until ready to serve.

Easter Eggs... Boiling the perfect Egg!

Deviled Eggs

The best way to insure beautiful, boiled eggs (without that ugly green film on the yolk) is to start off with the eggs in cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Then, turn the heat off, cover the pot and let them sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes, put them in an ice bath to cool. 

To dye the boiled eggs, use small juice glasses or coffee cups. I like the glasses because you/the kids can see the egg. Add water and a tablespoon of vinegar to the glasses. (about halfway full) Then add a few drops of food coloring. Let the eggs sit for a minute.* Remove the eggs and let them drain and dry on paper towels. Don't try to wipe them dry.

* Tip... The longer you let the egg sit in the dye, the darker it will get.

 Easter Eggs ready to hide! :-)

I like to make deviled eggs, potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and egg salad with my left-over Easter Eggs! These have bacon added to them!

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt 

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. 

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

 Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

Bunches of eggs... on a mission! 

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and no one ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there aren't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!

Deviled Eggs

A few weeks ago, I had a request to make deviled eggs for a lady at church. She presented me with a dozen eggs. I told her, "You do know that makes 24 deviled eggs?" She said, "Yeah! What's your point???" LOL She has always said that she loves my deviled eggs! I guess so!!!

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt 

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. 

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

 Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

 Oops! The bag split... LOL

Bunches of eggs... on a mission! 

Ready to be packed up and go to Miss Cyndi's house! :-)

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and noone ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there isn't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!

Potato Salad

Potato Salad... or as we say in the South... Tater Salad is a must for any gathering, picnic, church social, pot luck, etc. This is also another recipe that I NEVER measure! It's always by look and taste. That being said, I try to come up with recipes for those of you that comment that you NEED a recipe. LOL

Here is what I came up with... try this recipe, and as always, taste and adjust until it's just right for you! :-)


6 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
4 eggs, boiled and peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish*
pinch of salt 
fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half and remove yolks and place. Chop egg whites and place in a large bowl with the cubed potatoes. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes and eggs. Stir all ingredients together well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

* If you don't like the bits of pickle in the potato salad, or if you have a little one that doesn't like pickle, just add 1 tsp of sweet pickle juice from the relish jar. They will never know. I do this for my church crowd, and they always tell me that they love it! Onion is also optional. If you like the flavor, but not chunks of onion, grate the onion and add about a teaspoon to the salad.

Chicken Salad Sammies

Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

One of MY favorites to make and eat!!!

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

4 Eggs, boiled and chopped

1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup mayo (or more)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp basil

pepper, to taste

Mix until well blended. Store in airtight container in the frig.

For a sandwich... choose your favorite bread. Slice some tomato. Tear some lettuce leaves and assemble! Now rock out! :-)