California Club Croissants & Cucumber Salad

I just love these sandwiches. They are so easy and delicious! I usually make them in the summer, but I needed a change so I made them a few weeks ago. The cucumber salad is really yummy, too, and makes an easy side dish for sandwiches or burgers.

California Club Croissants

4 deli croissants, large size

12 slices deli turkey

4 slices deli cheese (I like muenster, havarti or provolone)

1 avocado, sliced into 12 slices

Cut croissants in half. On bottom of each croissant layer 3 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese, and 3 slices avocado. Top with other half of croissant. Eat cold, or microwave for about 30 seconds each to melt cheese (we like it this way). I serve them with cucumber salad and fresh fruit salad.

Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber

onion salt

mayonnaise

real bacon bits, optional

Peel cucumber. Slice into thin slices. In bowl, sprinkle with onion salt to taste. Let sit for 1/2 hour or longer (cucumber should soften a bit, and there should be liquid in the bowl). Drain off excess liquid, add enough mayo to coat and bacon bits, if desired. Serve cold. You can add more cucumbers to make enough for a picnic or potluck. You can also add sliced tomatoes if desired, I do this only in the summer when I have good garden tomatoes.

Real Comfort Food!

I love chicken noodle soup, or turkey noodle soup. When I'm sick, when it's cold outside, or just whenever I feel like it. It only takes about 30 minutes, and once you've made it yourself, the canned stuff just won't do. So here's my own recipe, after much experimentation to make it the very best. We all love it, and it's always the first thing I make with leftover turkey (along with turkey/cranberry sandwiches). I usually just make a basic chicken or turkey noodle soup with leftover cooked meat, but I sometimes add variations to make it a creamier soup, so I'll add those at the end of the recipe. Try it!

Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup

2 tb. butter or canola oil

4 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and chopped 1/2 inch

1/2 med. onion, chopped

1/2 lb. baby carrots, cut in half

2 c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey

8-10 c. chicken broth (I use 10 c. water + 3 tb. bouillon granules)

1 tb. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 oz. (1/2 package) egg noodles

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute celery, onion and carrots in butter/oil for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, parsley and pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender. Add egg noodles and cook 7-8 minutes more. Add chicken or turkey and heat through. Serves about 6-8 hungry people.

*Variation for Creamy Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup: Prepare as directed, adding 1 can cream of chicken soup or 2 c. homemade turkey gravy with the meat at the end. Heat through. If you need a good turkey recipe, just ask. I've got one that makes the best, most juicy, tender turkey and fabulous gravy. And it's easy!

Beautiful Brown Bananas

Most things are bad when they go bad, right? Except bananas! When bananas get over-ripe you can make the yummiest things! My 2 favorite things to make for snacks (or breakfast) when my bananas go brown are banana bread and chocolate-banana milk. I actually make banana pancakes, too, but I haven't made those in a while, so I don't have a pic. I have had many banana bread recipes over the years, but this is my favorite. Dustin brought some home that an old lady patient of his had made, and it was the best I'd ever had, so I told him he had to get the recipe. The secret is butter instead of oil, and 4 bananas instead of the typical 3. When I only have 1 or 2, I make chocolate-banana milk, my own recipe.

Best Banana Bread

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

4 mashed bananas

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch salt

3 tb. buttermilk (I mix 3 tb. milk and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and let it sit a few minutes)

Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas and eggs. Add dry ingredients, then buttermilk. Pour into greased loaf pans (1 large, 3 small, or 24 muffins). Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes (large pan). 3 small pans takes about 25-35 minutes, muffins take about 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Banana Milk

4 c. milk

1-2 bananas

chocolate syrup (as much as you like)

Mix all in blender until smooth. Serves 4. YUM!

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

This is the copycat recipe of Red Lobster's Coconut Shrimp. I got it from Todd Wilbur's cookbook Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. I've been wanting to try it for a while now, but neither Dustin nor I wanted to go to the liqueur store to get the necessary rum for the recipe. So while we were in El Paso, I asked Ray to get me some. Sarah and I tried the recipe that night and, oh my, was it delicious! Dustin, Sarah and Ray all proclaimed it as good as the original.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

For the pina colada dipping sauce:

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. pina colada mix (liquid)

1/4 c. crushed pineapple

2 tb. sugar

For the shrimp:

6-10 c. canola oil (enough to deep fry)

12 lg. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 c. flour, divided

2 tb. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. milk

2 tb. Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

1 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 c. shredded coconut

Mix all pina colada sauce ingredients together, put in refrigerator to chill. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Butterfly the shrimp by making a cut about 2/3 of the way through the shrimp where the vein was. Put 3/4 c. flour in 1 bowl. Mix other 3/4 c. flour, sugar, salt, milk and rum in 2nd bowl. Let rest 5 minutes. Mix panko and coconut in 3rd bowl. Dip shrimp in flour, then batter, then coconut/panko mixture. Fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pina colada dipping sauce. YUM!

Mandarin Spinach Salad

I love making this salad as a side, but it's also great with meat in it as a full meal. I served it with home-made bread and jam. You can use any meat you like, and whatever fruit is in season. I usually make a home-made fruit viniagrette with jam, olive oil, red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper, but you can also buy a fruity viniagrette in the salad dressing section.

Mandarin Spinach Salad

1 bag baby spinach

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 c. chopped apples or pears, sliced strawberries, or whole blueberries or raspberries

1/2 c. glazed almonds, pecans or walnuts

1 c. chopped ham, chicken or turkey

Your choice fruity viniagrette dressing

Mix baby spinach, fruit, meat, and nuts in large bowl. Place on plates and top with dressing. Serve with bread or rolls. For a side dish you can just leave out the meat. It is very yummy!

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

I love whole-berry cranberry sauce, and it's even better home-made! So yummy on turkey sandwiches, too! It only takes about 15 minutes to make.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. water

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil , turn heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes, or until most skins are cracked on cranberries, stirring occasionally. Cool, store in refrigerator to set up.

Peanutty Asian Noodles

I got this recipe from my friend Sara Muir, and I added the edamame to the recipe. The kids love it and it's chock-full of veggies and protein! Plus it's easy!

Peanutty Asian Noodles

8 oz. spaghetti (I use whole grain), cooked and drained,

reserve 2 tb. cooking liquid

1 lb. chicken, cut into cubes & sprinkled w/ salt

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

2 tb. sesame seeds, divided

1 tb. brown sugar

2 tb. rice vinegar

2 tb. soy sauce

1 tb. lime juice

1/2 tsp Tabasco

2 tsp. canola oil

2 c. matchstick carrots

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 c. shelled edamame, cooked

Heat oil in large fry pan or wok. Meanwhile, combine broth, p.b., 1 1/2 tb. sesame seeds, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice and Tabasco. Cook chicken in hot oil for about 3 minutes. Add carrots and green onions, saute 3 minutes more. Stir in sauce, pasta, edamame, and reserved 2 tb. cooking liquid. Toss and heat just until sauce thickens. Top with remaining sesame seeds.