Green Peas in Dill Cream Sauce-Eating the Alphabet

The letters for the Eating the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic are P, Q, and R.  I had planned to make a pea salad.  However due to recent extensive dental work, I am needing to eat soft food.  Fortunately, I had a pea recipe in my drafts that I have not yet posted

Adding a cream sauce is one of my favorite ways to fix many kinds of vegetables.  I used dill as the main flavoring ingredient this time, but I have also used curry powder and many other herbs, spices and spice blends.  The seasoning is limited only your the imagination.  I love having a good basic, easy changeable recipe on hand to use when making vegetables.

Cooked fresh or frozen vegetables or drained, canned vegetables are interchangeable in this recipe.  Some people prefer one over the other.

Green Peas in Dill Cream Sauce
1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen peas or about 3 cups
2 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dill weed
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt

Cook and drain peas.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring for a minute or two.  Slowly add milk, stirring well with a whisk.  Stir in garlic powder, dill weed, pepper and salt.  Mix well.  Add peas and heat through.  Makes 4 to 6 servings

There are still a few letters left.  You can find all about how to join in the fun by visiting Brenda's Eating the Alphabet information page.

Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings

Happy Monday.  Welcome to my new followers.  Thank you all for stopping by my blog and reading my posts.  It is so nice to have you here.  Hope that you find the information I post useful.

Although it is still warm here, I recently was hungry for stew.  Pork is more tender than beef so it cooks more quickly.  This makes it a good choice for making stew in the summer.  Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings fits the bill.

Either pork shoulder or loin may be used, but the shoulder will be slightly more flavorful.  As with all stews, the vegetables can be changed to suit personal preferences.  Although I usually use frozen peas for this dish, the stew in the photos has drained, canned peas in it.  I had some of those left over in the fridge that needed to be used up.

Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings
1 to 1 1 /2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c. flour
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
2 T. or more vegetable oil
3 medium/large potatoes (about 1  1/2 lb.) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
2-3 medium carrots (1 c.) cut into 1x1/4-inch matchstick pieces
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch bias slices
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas
Dumplings
1 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried dill weed
1/3 c. milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg

Place flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a plastic bag and shake to combine.  Add pork cubes and shake until the cubes are coated.  Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven.  Add pork cubes, but do not let them touch.  (You may need to do this in two batches.)  Brown cubes on all sides.  Remove and set aside.  Continue until all cubes are brown, adding more oil if necessary.  Return pork to Dutch oven and add potatoes,  onion, carrots, red pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic.  Stir in remaining flour.  Pour in chicken broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.  While stew is cooking, prepare dumplings.  In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and dill weed.  Stir to mix well.  Combine milk, vegetable oil and egg in a small bowl.  Add to flour mixture and stir just to  moisten dry ingredients.  Add peas to stew and bring back to a low boil.  Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoonsful into hot stew.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.  Makes 6 servings.  Store dumplings and stew separately if there are leftovers.

Linking to these great parties:
What'd  You Do This Weekend
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Busy Monday

Dilly Red Onions and a Salad Idea-Eating the Alphabet

This is a month when the 15th and the third Thursday occur on the same day, so I am posting for each of the challenges I participate in.  We are up to the letters M, N and O in the Eat the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic.  Since I love onions, I jumped right past M and N and went to O.

I also like dill so Dilly Red Onions are "right down my alley" as they say.  Although I did use red onions because they are so pretty, regular yellow or white onions can be used, and sweet onions, such a Walla Walla Sweets, are great in this recipe.

Although they need to chill a few hours, these are very easy to make and very versatile.  Use the onions in salads, as a topping for hamburgers and sandwiches, and I love to just eat them on their own.  The onions do become a bit soft so are best eaten within a day or two.

Cut the onions into rings if you prefer.  I just find it easier to cut the onion in half.

Dilly Red Onions
1 large red onion, cut in half and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. dried dill weed
1/4 c. water

Place sliced onions in a medium bowl that has a lid.  Combine sugar, salt, dill weed and water.  Mix until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over onions.  Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours, stirring every half hour or so.  Drain onions with a slotted spoon.  Use in salads, on hamburgers and sandwich or just enjoy eating as is.

One of my favorite things to do with the onions (other than just eating them like popcorn) is to combine them with red pepper rings and sugar snap peas and serve them on a bed of lettuce with a simple dressing of mayonnaise and dill weed.

Dilly Red Onion, Red Pepper and Sugar Snap Pea Salad (ingredients for a salad for one person, increase accordingly if serving more)
1 or 2 head lettuce leaves
3 or 4 slices red pepper rings
handful of sugar snap peas
big spoon full of drained Dilly Red Onions
a couple tablespoons mayonnaise (may use sour cream or yogurt instead, if desired)
dash of dried dill weed

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a salad plate.  Combine the red pepper rings, sugar snap peas and Dilly Red Onions in a small bowl.  Mix together the mayonnaise and dash of dill weed and stir well.  Add mayonnaise to the vegetables and mix until vegetables are covered with dressing .  Fish out the red pepper rings and place on the lettuce.  Do the same things with the sugar snap peas.  Top red peppers and peas with the onions.  Makes one serving.

There is still time to join the Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  Brenda has all the details in this post.

To see what other bloggers in the challenge have made with M, N and O, check out the links below.

Now that you have been good and eaten your salad, come back later for Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cookies.

Linking to these great parties:

Thursday's Treasures

Fantastic Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

Tasty Thursday

Showcase Your Talent

Catch a Glimpse Party

 

Sorta Montreal Steak Seasoning

I have several recipes that I will be posting soon that use Montreal Steak Seasoning in them.  A commercial brand of Montreal Steak Seasoning can be used, but it is no secret that I like to try making my own herb and spice blends.  I, therefore, give you Sorta Montreal Steak Seasoning.  This does not taste exactly like the commercial product, but I like that I can control both the salt content and the amount of heat of the seasoning.

Coriander may be a spice that you don’t have in your pantry.  The seasoning mix can certainly be made without it, so I am listing coriander as optional in the recipe.  Use regular paprika if smoked is not available.  If you don’t have Kosher salt or coarse ground black pepper, reduce those amounts by half.

Besides steaks and other meats, I use this in soups, hamburger steaks, and casserole dishes.

Sorta Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 T. Kosher salt
1 T. coarse ground black pepper
1 T. dried minced onion
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 T. dried thyme
1/2 T. dried rosemary
1/2 T. fennel seed
1 t. ground coriander (optional)
1 t dill weed
1 1/2 t. paprika (preferably smoked)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Place in a spice grinder (it may take two batches) and grind until desired consistency.  (I like mine still kind of coarse.)  Store in a zip-top bag or an airtight container.  Shake bag or container before measuring.  Use about 1 T. per pound of meat.  Makes about 1/2 cup.

Sharing at these great parties:
Cast Party Wednesday 
Whimsy Wednesday

Cheesy Green Bean Wontons-Eating the Alphabet

The idea for this recipe came from a post for Asparagus Pockets by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain.  She used asparagus and crescent rolls.

This month’s letters for Eating the Alphabet Recipe Challenge, hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic, are G and H.  I knew that I wanted to make something new with green beans.  When I saw Sheryl’s post, I thought “Why not green beans and why not wontons?”  Thus, this recipe for Cheesy Green Bean Wontons was born.  Thanks, Sheryl, for the inspiration.

You could, of course, use cooked asparagus here instead of green beans.  Chopped broccoli and shredded carrots are another option.  Adding some cooked, finely chopped chicken, turkey or ham could turn the wontons into a main dish.  I am adding some chopped ripe olives next time I make these.

I used well-drained, canned green beans because that is all hubby will eat, but I think that crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans would be even better.

I think dill goes well with green beans so I used that.  If you are not a dill person use something else.  Italian herbs would be good also.

The wontons can be served as an appetizer or a side dish, with or without a dip.  I made about 36 wontons and have been eating the remaining filling on toasted Sandwich Thins.

Cheesy Green Bean Wontons
1 (12 oz.) pkg. wontons
1/2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. minced red pepper
1/3 c. finely sliced green onion
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, well softened (can be regular or low fat, and I used whipped cream cheese)
1 t. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 (16 oz.) can cut green beans, well drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces or 1 1/2 c. crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
olive oil

Heat olive oil in a small skillet.  Add red pepper, green onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  combine cream cheese, dill week and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Stir in pepper/onion mixture and green beans.  Mix well.  Place wontons on a foil-lines baking pan.  Place a heaping teaspoon of green bean mixture in the center of each wonton.  Moisten edges of wontons with water and bring them together to form a triangle.  When the baking pan is full, brush wontons lightly with olive oil.  Bake at 375 degrees 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the wonton’s are lightly browned, turning the wontons over at about 7 minutes.  Makes about 36 to 48 wontons.

Sharing at these great parties:

Cast Party Wednesday

Wednesday Whatsits

Work It Wednesday

Wow Me Wednesday

Show and Share Wednesday

Check out the links below to see what creations other bloggers have shared today.

Crazy Cooking Challenge-Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

I am so glad that Tina over at Mom’s Crazy Cooking is continuing to host Crazy Cooking Challenge.  I have so much fun with this every month.  If you would like to join in the fun, just click on over to get the details and to see what the challenges are for the next several months.

This month’s challenge is Ranch Dressing /Dip.  I suspect that most cooks have their own special recipe for this, and I am sharing a variation that is one of my favorites.  I wanted to change my basic Ranch Dressing Mix recipe up a bit; so, since I really like dill, I decided to add dried dill to the rest of the ingredients.  I guess I could say it turned out well, I am tempted to eat it by the spoonful.

To vary this when using it as a dip, I sometimes add some finely chopped dill pickle, some finely chopped black olives and some finely chopped red pepper just because I like them.

The dry mix ingredients can be kept tightly sealed for a long time if stored in a cool, dry place. Because of the paprika, the dressing/dip is a light pink color and not white like most ranch dressings.

Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix
3 T. dried minced onion
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried minced garlic
2 t. paprika
2 t. sugar
1 t. coarsely ground pepper
1 t. tarragon
1 T. dried dill
1 t. salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place.  Makes about 7 to 8 tablespoons of mix, enough for 7 to 8 batches of dressing/dip.

To Make Dressing/Dip
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 c. buttermilk or regular milk (add more for dressing, less for dip)
2 T. dill pickle juice
1 T. Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk or milk and the dill pickle juice.  Mix well.  Add dip mix and mix until well combined.  Place in a covered container and chill at least a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.  Makes 1 3/4 to 2 c. dressing or dip.  Serve as a salad dressing or as a dip with crackers, pita chips, or veggies for dippers.  I like to put this on baked potatoes, too.