Barbequed Trout

One of my favourite past-times is dropping a line in a stream or lake and catch my own dinner. Nothing tastes as good as a fresh caught fish done on a barbecue. It doesn't matter whether it's trout, bass, pike or pickerel, anyone of these can be grilled but for this recipe, I've decided trout fillets were best.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Lbs. trout fillets


• 1/4 Cup butter (melted)


• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice


• 1/4 Tsp. paprika


• 1/8 Tsp. cayenne pepper


• 1/4 Cup barbeque sauce

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Arrange the trout fillets on large piece of aluminum foil. Whisk together the butter, lemon juice, paprika, and cayenne pepper; brush the mixture onto the fillets.

Cook on the preheated grill until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes; brush the fillets with the barbeque sauce; cook another 2 minutes.

Pierogies

One of the tastiest treats I've found, and filling too, is pierogies. The filling can be made from almost anything but is usually potatoes with additional items for flavour (bacon, onion, cheese, etc.).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough


• 1/2 Tsp. salt


• 1 Large egg


• 1/2 Cup sour cream


• 1/4 Cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces


• Olive oil for frying

FILLING

• 5 Lbs of potatoes (boiled)


• 1 Large onion(diced and sauteed)


• 8oz Cheddar cheese (grated)


• Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3 to 3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass.

For the filling, mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and 8oz of grated cheddar cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round, wet edges of round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork ( Personally, I prefer to use  one of these ).

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8 to 10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in olive oil in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly browned.

Once pierogies are finished, you can add any number of toppings. Sour cream, fried onion and bacon pieces are the favourite for the wife. I like using just a little salsa over mine, just to be different.

You can double or triple the recipe so once the pierogies are made, they can be frozen. Then you have them ready to cook the next time you want some.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

A good substitute to bread every day is to have some biscuits once in awhile. These biscuits are very tasty and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups all purpose flour


• 3 Tbsp. baking powder


• 1 Tsp. sugar


• 1/2 Tsp. baking soda


• 1/2 Tsp. salt

,li>1/4 Cup butter

• 2 Tbsp. shortening


• 1 Cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut in the butter and shortening until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Add buttermilk and mix gently until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured work area and knead gently 6 to 8 times.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 12 to 15 minutes). Serve immediatley.

Sufferin Succotash

I always thought the phrase "Sufferin' Succotash" said repeatedly by Sylvester the cat was just something made up by Warner Bros. Not until I hit 11 did I learn that succotash was a vegetable dish. Here's an easy recipe for making it.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups fresh or frozen baby lima beans


• 2 Cups fresh or frozen corn kernels


• 1 Cup half-and-half


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 3/4 Tsp. salt


• 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives

In a large saucepan, bring lima beans, corn, half-and-half, butter and salt to a boil over high heat.

When mix comes to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until tender (about 10 to 12 minutes).

Remove from heat, stir in chives and serve.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

I always like trying different things and this one is as different as you can get. The wife and I both like pizza and sloppy joes (who doesn't?) so I decided to combine the two one day. It can be a little bit of work to make but it's well worth it in the end.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 1 398 Milliletre (14 Oz) Can Sloppy Joe Sauce Mix


• 1 Lb Ground Beef


• 1 Medium onion (diced)


• 3 Tbsp; Olive Oil

PIZZA INGREDIENTS

• 1 Package of Premade Pizza Dough (available at most grocery stores)


• 1 Medium Onion (thinly sliced)


• 3 or 4 Mushrooms (thinly sliced)


• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese


• 1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese


• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

In a large frying pan over med-high heat, add oil and diced onion and saute untill onion becomes translucent. Add ground beef and cook ubtill meat is completely cooked.

After meat has cooked, drain off excessive grease. At this point, I put meat into a bowl and use a potatoe masher to break down the meat so there are no big chunks. Return meat to pan.

Add Sloppy Joe mix and combine thoroughly. Simmer over a med-low heat until mixture is a nice thick paste. Set aside to cool.

On a cookie sheet, spread out pizza dough using the oil smeared on your hands to prevent sticking. After reaching desired width and length, spread Sloppy Joe mix evenly over top of pizza dough. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over mixture.

Layer mushrooms, sliced onions on pizza then sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 30 min. until edges of crust are golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Cool for 5 mins and serve.

While I only used mushrooms and onions, you could use any type of topping for this pizza, eg- green peppers, ham, bacon, etc. Just add whatever you like on any other pizza.

Gummi Candy

One of the biggest candy trends to come along is the Gummi Bears and Gummi Worms. While I've never made Gummi Bears, I can make a candy similar to Gummi Worms. It's actually quite simple.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pkg. sugar-free Jell-O


• 2 pkg. plain gelatin


• 1 C. boiling water

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until dissolved. Pour the mixture onto a large dinner plate and refrigerate. It will set in about 20 minutes or so.

You can either slice it into worms, or roll up the rubbery disk of gelatin and cut it every 1/4 inch with a large pair of scissors. You can also use tiny cookie cutters to make little shapes.

If you like sour Gummi's, add one packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid in a flavour that goes well with your Jell-O flavour. The Kool-Aid really makes them sour (but tastey).

Glazed Carrots

Every once in awhile, I like something a little different than your average steamed or boiled vegetable. Things such as curried peas (which I'll post at a later date) or glazed carrots are just a couple that come to mind and are simple to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine


• 1/4 Cup Apricot Jam


• 1 Lb. Baby Carrots (cooked)


• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

In saucepan over low heat, melt butter then add apricot jam. Sprinkle cinnamon over cooked carrots, moving around carrots to coat properly.

Add carrots to saucepan and stir to cover. Simmer for a couple of seconds (not too long or they will scorch) then serve.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These days a lot of people are worried about peanut allergies, so the lowly peanut butter cookie has had to take a back seat. For those who can eat them, peanut butter cookies are a fantastic snack.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 Cup shortening


• 1/4 Cup butter or margarine


• 1/2 Cup sugar


• 1/2 Cup brown sugar (packed down)


• 1 Egg


• 1/2 Cup peanut butter


• 1/4 Tsp. vanilla extract


• 1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour


• 1 Tsp. Baking soda


• 1/4 Tsp. salt

In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine shortening and butter together until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar until blended, then add egg.

Next add peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Finally, add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until well incorporated.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten said balls with fork, then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. For added appeal, a peanut can be placed in the center of each cookie just before baking. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

English Scones

A nice treat to have with a tea or coffee is the old fashioned English scone. This recipe is rather simple to follow.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour


• 4 Tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 Tsp. salt.


• 2 Tbsp. sugar


• 6 Tbsp. butter


• 2 Eggs


• 1/2 Cup evaporated milk


• 1/2 Cup seedless raisins

Sift together flour, baking powdser, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Whisk eggs together with evaporated milk and reserve 2 Tbsp. for later. Add remaining egg mix to dry ingredients stirring only long enough for the flour to be dampened.Add raisins.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead about 20 times.

Pat or roll into a circle approx. 3/4 of an inch and cut out circles with a biscuit cutter or glass with a width of no more than 2 inches.

Brush with reserved egg mixture, and sprinkle a bit of sugar on top. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 425 oven.

Appleless Apple Pie

Growing up in the country, we had an ample supply of garden fresh fruits and vegetables so it wasn't uncommon to have pie for dessert on a regular basis. The one pie my mother made as an experiment in taste, was made with no apples but had the same taste and texture as a real apple pie.

INGREDIENTS

• Pastry for a 2 crust pie 8 inch pie


• 20 Saltine crackers


• 1 1/2 Cups sugar


• 1 1/2 Tsp. Cream of tartar


• 1 Tsp. cinnamon


• 1/4 Tsp. nutmeg


• 1/4 Tsp. allspice


• 1 1/2 Cups water


• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice


• 1/2 Tsp. grated lemon peel


• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425

Line 8 inch pie plate with pastry then break crackers into pie plate.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cream of tartar, and spices. Add water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and cook until mixture reaches soft-ball candy stage (236 degrees)

Remove from heat, stir in lemon peel and juice. Pour over crackers and dot with butter.

Cover with top crust, trim and flute the edges and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

New York Cheesecake

Most people like a nice rich piece of cheesecake and since this is one my wife's favourite desserts, I thought I would post it here.

INGREDIENTS

• One 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed


• 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature


• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar


• 4 eggs


• 1 cup sour cream


• 2 cups heavy cream


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


• Butter

GARNISHES

• 3/4 cup sour cream (optional)
  
• Sliced fresh strawberries and/or pureed strawberry sauce

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round baking pan with sides at least 2 inches deep.
Press the cookie crumbs onto the bottom and sides of the pan, coating evenly. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Add the eggs and beat well. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla seeds or vanilla extract;
beat until well combined and smooth.

Set the cookie crumb-lined pan into a larger pan. Carefully pour the mixture into the cookie crumb-lined pan.
Place the 2 pans on the top rack of the oven. Add enough hot water to the larger pan to reach halfway up the
sides of the baking pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned in spots.
The texture will be soft.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool to room
temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled through and set, at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve, spread the sour cream over the top of the cheesecake, if desired. Cut the cake into thin
wedges and serve with sliced fresh berries or in a pool of strawberry puree.

Szechuan Shrimp

As I stated in an earlier post, growing up in our house usually meant fish on Fridays. This recipe "kind of" keeps up with that tradition. It is a dish made with a creature of the sea after all. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Lb. Fresh Or Frozen Shrimp


• 3 Tbsp. Water


• 2 Tbsp. Ketchup (catsup for our American friends)


• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce


• 1 Tbsp. Rice Wine OR Dry Sherry OR Water


• 2 Tsp. Corn Starch


• 1 Tsp. Honey


• 1/2 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes


• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil


• 1/2 Cup Green Onions (sliced)


• 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)


• 1 Tsp. Fresh Ginger (grated)


• 2 Cups Cooked Rice Noodles

Peel and devein shrimp if necessary. Cut in half lengthwise, rinse, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Make a sauce by combining the water, ketchup, soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch, honey and crushed pepper flakes into a bowl. Set aside.

Pour oil into a large skillet or wok over a medium-high heat. Add green onions, garlic, and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Add shrimp and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque.

Stir sauce in bowl then add to center of pan mixing with the shrimp. Fry for 2 minutes until bubbly then serve over rice noodles.

Beef With Bok Choy

This one takes a little time but it is well worth it. The recipe calls for baby bok choy because the more mature plants can leave a bitter after-taste sometimes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Lb. Beef Round Steak Or Sirloin (thinly sliced)


• 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)


• 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper


• 1/2 Cup Milk


• 1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce (easily available at most Asian grocery stores or in the specialty aisle in your grocery stores)


• 1/2 Lb. Baby Bok Choy (cut into 2" lengths)


• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch


• 1/4 Cup Cold Water


• 1 Onion (I prefer sweet onions for this) (cut into wedges)


• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

In a bowl, combine the beef, 2 cloves of minced garlic, pepper, milk, and fish sauce. Mix well, cover, and set aside to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wash and clean the bok choy and cut into 2" pieces. Set aside. In a smal bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water and set aside.

Drain the beef "BUT" reserve the marinade for later. In a skillet, quickly fry the onion wedges and the remaining garlic in 2 Tbsp. oil. Add the beef and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the beef and onions to a plate and set aside. Using the same skillet, saute the bok choy in remaining oil for 2 minutes.

Add the beef mixture and reserved marinade to pan and saute with bok choy for 2 minutes. Slowly add cornstarch solution to pan until mixture thickens.

Serve over cooked white rice or cooked no-yolk egg noodles.

Egg Rolls

When people think of egg rolls, the first thing that comes to mind are those wrapped vegetables frying in a vat of hot oil. Talk about greasy. This recipe lets you make egg rolls that taste just as good as what you get from deep frying but a lot healthier and a lot less greasier. They are baked.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Dried Mushrooms (you can use fresh, just cut them into small pieces)


• 1 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (chopped)


• 1 Garlic Clove (minced)


• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil


• 2 Cups Bean Sprouts


• 2 Cups Cabbage (shredded)


• 1/2 Cup Green Onions (thinly sliced)


• 1/2 Cup Bamboo Shoots (sliced)


• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce


• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch


• 1 Tsp. Ginger (grated)

1/2 Tsp. Sugar (or artificial sweetener)1/2 Tsp. Salt.

• 1 Pkg. Wonton/Egg Roll Wraps

If using dried mushrooms, soak in warm water for 30 minutes, drain, chop and discard the stems.

Stir fry chicken and garlic in heated oil for 2 minutes. Add vegetables and fry another 3 minutes.

Thoroughly mix soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and salt with the corn starch and pour into chicken mixture. Cook until thickened.

Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool for awhile.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 Tbsp. of mixture in egg roll wrap. Brush edges of wrap with a bit of water and roll up.

Bake egg rolls for 20 minutes. For a browner egg roll, brush egg rolls with an egg wash (combine 1 egg with 1 Tbsp. water)

Easy Chicken Chow Mein

My Mother-in-law loves it when I make Chinese food and one of her favourite dishes is chow mein. After a few hit and miss recipes, I found this one which is very tasty.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Stalks Celery (cut on the bias into 1/2 inch pieces)


• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil


• 1 Cup Bean Sprouts


• 5 Large Mushrooms (or more) (sliced)


• 1 7-Ounce Can Water Chestnuts


• 2 Cups Diced Cooked Chicken


• 3 Tbsp. Cornstarch


• 1/4 Cup Cold Water


• 1 10-Ounce Can Chicken Broth


• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce


• Cooked Rice (Hot)


• Chow Mein Noodles

In a large pot, saute the celery in oil for about 5 minutes until tender crisp

Add bean sprouts, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water. Then add the chicken stock and the soy sauce. Mix well and pour over chicken and vegetables.

Bring to a boil stirring until thickened. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked rice and chow mein noodles.

A Taste Of The Orient

One of the things my wife and I have always loved doing was buying Chinese take-out (at least what passes for Chinese food in North America). Over the last few years though, the rising cost of buying it and the gradual decrease in quality of said food Plus you never know about things such as MSG, I've turned to making my own at home.

This week, I decided to add my interpretation of Chinese foods. I will add a different recipe for a Chinese food that I have made at home. Most are fairly straight foreward and simple to make.

Fortune Cookies

I thought I would start with the dessert end of the meal (Sorry but the child in me hasn't grown up yet).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Egg White


• 1/8 Tspn. Vanilla Extract


• 1 Pinch Salt


• 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour


• 1/4 cup White Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4" long X 1/2" wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.

Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.

Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.

Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.

Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until they cool and hold their shape.

Easy Homemade Tootsie-Rolls

One of my nieces was a big Tootsie-Roll fanatic growing up so I would get her some whenever we went for a visit. Since she got married and has a son of her own, I don't bother too much with getting her any. Instead, I make her some from a recipe I found, as sort of a joke. They're not too bad either.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar


• 1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup


• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Vegetable Shortening


• 4 Tsp. Cocoa


• 2 Tbsp. Evaporated Milk


• 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Mix the sugar, corn syrup, shortening, and cocoa in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture reaches soft crack stage at around 275 degrees F. Remove from heat.

When bubbling stops, add the evaporated milk and beat in pan with electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until mixture firms up.

Pour into well greased pan and allow to cool. Roll mixture into rope segments to a thickness of about 1/2 inch thick. Slice ropes 1 1/8 inches in length and let set overnight to firm up solidly.

Wrap pieces in either waxed paper squares or plastic wrap squares.

Olive Focaccia

If you like making your own breads and buns from scratch, this bread is worth checking out. If you don'y have the time to make the dough from scratch, you can always buy the pre-made pizza dough and just go from there. It still works out the same.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Teaspoon White Sugar


• 1 Pkg. Of Active Dry Yeast (Approx. 2 1/4 Tsp.)


• 1/3 Cup Warm Water (Not Hot-If Too Hot, It Will Kill Yeast Rendering It Useless)


• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour


• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil


• 1/4 Tsp. Salt


• 8-10 Olives(Chopped)

In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, blend the yeast mixture with flour and olives and stir well to combine. Stir additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time until all the flour is absorbed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a floured board and knead for about 1 minute.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover bowl with a damp cloth, leave in a warm place to rise until about double in size (about 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 475 F.

Deflate the dough and knead for about 1 minute. Roll out flat on a rectangular pan, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in oven for 10 - 20 minutes.

If a softer bread is desired, bake for 10 minutes. Longer for a crispier bread.

This recipe can be altered anyway you like. You can add onion, parsley, garlic or anything else your palette wants.

Homemade Coleslaw

Some things are just so simple to make in the kitchen that you can't help but wonder why anyone would need to follow a recipe. The answer is simple - to vary it so it's different from someone elses version.

The following is my version for a coleslaw that is similar to that from a very famous fast food outlet.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 Cups Finely Shredded Cabbage (About 1 Head)


• 1/4 Cup Finely Shredded Carrot (About 1 Med. Carrot)


• 2 Tbsp. Onion (Minced)


• 1/3 cup Granulated White Sugar


• 1/2 Tsp. Salt


• 1/8 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper


• 1/4 Cup Milk


• 1/2 Cup Mayo


• 1/4 Cup Buttermilk


• 1 1/2 Tsp. Vinegar


• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayo, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat until smooth.

Add cabbage, carrot, and onion and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Hot German Potato Salad

I found this recipe some time ago and found it to be very good. My problem is, I can't for the life of me figure out what part "German" has to do with it. It's a good salad. Period.

Ingredients

• 9 Medium sized red potatoes, scrubbed (About 4 1/2 Lbs)


• 6 Slices of bacon


• 1 medium onion (chopped)


• 2 Tbsp. flour


• 2 Tbsp. sugar


• 2-3 Tsp. salt


• 1/8 tsp. pepper


• 1/2 tsp. celery seed


• 3/4 cup water


• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Boil potatoes in enough water to cover until tender (25-30 mins.).

Drain and cool for 10 mins.

Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and set aside.

Fry bacon in large skillet. Crumble and set aside.

Cook onion in bacon drippings, stirring until tender. Add flour and the next 4 ingredients, stirring until blended.

Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in 3/4 cup water and vinegar, cooking until sauce has thickened and bubbly.

Layer 1/3 of potato and bacon in a 2 1/2 quart serving bowl, drizzle with 1/3 of sauce mixture. Repeat procedure 2 more times and serve.

Cup-A-Soup Eggs

Every once in awhile, a person likes to try something just a little out of the ordinary. The following is anything but ordinary and it is so simple to make and tasty as all get out.

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs


• 1 Packet Lipton Cup-A-Soup Soup Mix


• 2 Tablespoons Water


• Salt And Pepper To Taste


• Cooking Spray

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, salt and pepper, water and soup mix. It doesn't really matter what flavour soup mix you use as I have yet to find one that doesn't work in this recipe. Spring onion does seem to work the best though, in my opinion.

Preheat frying pan then spray with cooking spray. Add egg mixture to pan and fry until cooked to your liking.

Soup mix gives eggs a whole new taste. Sure beats plain fried or scrambled eggs any day.