Tuna or Salmon Salad

                               
8 oz. Tuna or Salmon

2 Tbsp Miracle Whip                                     ½ sm Onion chopped

1 scant tsp Mustard                                         dash Lemon Pepper

2 stalks Celery                                                1 tsp Dill weed or seed

2 Tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish                             ½ dash Garlic

2 - 3 Boiled Eggs diced                                 Salt & Pepper

In sealable container, mix eggs, celery, relish, and onion. Toss gently, then add Miracle Whip, mustard, and spices, blending again. Gently fold in fish, until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate. Will last refrigerated for up to 3 days. Makes great sandwiches or dip for crackers. Also makes a wonderful stuffing for a fresh tomato.

Barley Kale

In light of my recent discover of GMO rice, I decided to research a few less popular grains that maybe weren't yet tampered with.  Barley, oats, and milo remain relatively untouched, so . . .

I tried boiling barley and using it like rice.  It actually was a little heartier than rice, and took longer to cook, but in the end results I found very little difference.  Now, I tried this with barley from the feed store, but it is available on the grocer's shelf.  

In 3qt. Sauce pan
1 Cup Barley, screened and cleaned.
2 1/2 C Water
Dash of Salt
Soak 2-3 hours

Bring to a boil, then cover simmer for 1 hour.
I added fresh Kale, replace the lid and turned off the burner
In one sauce pan I had both side dishes
Chicken breast on the grill.
Dishes were a snap!

Kung Pao Chicken

I don't know about the rest of you, but MSG wreaks havoc with my nervous system . . . So, as much as I enjoy Chinese Cuisine, at least the American version with which I'm familiar, I pretty much have to enjoy Chinese food at home.

Kung Pao Chicken is a favorite and of course except for the rice, all goes in one pan.  I don't have a wok any more, so I use a skillet.

3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Red Peppers cut or broken in half
Tad of Garlic
2 Boneless Chicken breast cut in small pieces
1 medium Onion sliced lengthwise
3 stalks of Celery chopped
1 small Zucchini sliced
3 Cups vegetables.  I have used kale, snow peas, radish pods, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots. 
(I get creative with what I have on hand)
1/2 C Peanuts

Heat oil in skillet with red peppers and garlic.  When piping hot, add chicken pieces.  Stir in hot oil til just browned, add onion and celery.  Cover and cook 5 minutes, stir and cover for 5 more minutes of cooking.  Turn heat down to medium and leave cooking 10 minutes.  Add vegetables and peanuts with a bit of water.  Simmer 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender but not soft.

Serve over rice. 

BBQ Ribs

For those who are new to keeping kosher, and searching for new entrees for the BBQ season, let me share the deliciousness of beef short ribs.  When I was a kid, we'd always get to have our favorite meal for our birthday and my request was BBQ short ribs.  I was truly saddened and dismayed when years later I was offered those odd little slab ribs that looked so greasy and didn't appear to have any meat on them . . .

Beef short ribs are wonderful, they just require a bit of cooking before the grill.  I've even prepared them completely in the oven.

5# Beef Short Ribs
Water
Liquid Smoke
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Ground Mustard
Dashes of Ground Turmeric
Salt & Pepper
Favorite BBQ Sauce

Preheat oven to 300°.  In oven safe pan that will hold 5# of ribs, place just enough water to cover the bottom.  Add a few drops of liquid smoke.  Sprinkle spices on each piece of meat and arrange in pan, leaving room for steam to saturate the meat.  Cover and bake for 4 hours.  Turn off oven and leave pan in to cool about 30 min.
Remove from oven.  If you want to finish cooking in the pan, drain liquid and cover in BBQ sauce.  Place back in oven in covered pan for 2 hours @ 250° or place in outdoor smoker for 2-3 hours.  Meat will fall off the bone . . . 

Kale Chips

I realize I'm running amok with this kale, but it truly is wonderful stuff and grows so easily and abundantly. It makes a simple side dish or as I've already shared, can be worked right into the main entree. This time, though, I had to try the kale chips. It sounded easy enough and obviously healthier than potato chips. Every year about the end of May, I just crave hot dogs. There are some wonderful kosher hot dogs available these days, so I feel quite free to indulge every now and again. Even though hot dogs are made from beef or turkey, they still contain a ton of things I don't need to be eating, so I indulge the craving.

Here's the recipe. I'm thinking this might be one of those things, even anti-veggie kids would consider trying if they got to help make them!

One bunch of kale - washed, stemmed, and drained
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt
Cookie Sheet

Preheat oven to 400°. Tear kale into large pieces. I make two to three pieces of each leaf. Place on cookie sheet in a pile. Drizzle olive oil over the leaves, gently toss the leaves to cover in oil and spread out over the cookie sheet. Place in hot oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip and bake 5 more minutes. Let cool and enjoy. This entire recipe contains fewer calories than one serving of regular potato chips. And they are good for you!