Vegetable / Other: Oksana's Chole

From Shelly Carey
Chole is an Indian dish made with Chick peas. It is a different dish, but really good and full of protein, too!

Ingredients
1 lb dry chickpeas
Chicken broth (enough to cover and boil chick peas in)
2 Tablespoons oil
2-3 teaspoons mustard seeds
1-2 cumin seeds (aka coriander)
1 diced onion
3 fresh Tomatoes, chopped or 1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained))
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon ground Coriander
1 teaspoon Turmeric (or Curry)
1 teaspoon Ginger (1-2 inches if using fresh)
1 ½ teaspoons ground Cumin
2-3 cloves garlic (or 1 ½ teaspoons minced)
1/8 teaspoon Cloves
¼ teaspoon Pepper
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
1-2 bay leafs
Salt, to taste

Directions
Soak chickpeas overnight or bring to a boil and soak for 2 hrs. Drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until done. If a lot of water is left after cooking, drain most of it.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Cover and fry until mustard has stopped popping (like pop corn). It may smoke a little—that’s OK. Add onion and cook until softened. Add the other spices and tomatoes and cook 5-10 min longer. (If using fresh tomatoes, cook longer). Then stir this into the beans, add salt, and cook 10 min. Taste and adjust the seasonings in the meantime.

Note: All measurements are approximate—adjust amounts, skip ingredients altogether, or add your own according to taste.

Vegetable / Other: Stuffed Onions (Michigan State Fair Blue Ribbon Recipe)

From Shelly Carey

Ingredients
4 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons KC Masterpiece honey barbecue sauce
1 lb. breakfast pork sausage
4 Tablespoons parsley
2 apples, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups herbed stuffing mix
sautéed apples and squash for garnish

Directions
Scoop out center of onions leaving 3 rings of onions (on the outside); set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the other ingredients. Stuff mixture into hollowed-out onions. Bake 375° for 50-60 minutes. Garnish with sautéed apples and squash, if desired.

Vegetable / Other: Squash Casserole (Like Boston Market)

From Shelly Carey

Ingredients
4 ½ cups zucchini, diced
4 1/2 cups yellow squash, diced
1 ½ cups yellow onion, chopped
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (prepared as directed on box)
1 ½ sticks of butter
8 oz. American processed cheese, diced (not Velveeta)
3 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions
Prepare Jiffy mix as directed and set aside to cool. Place zucchini and yellow squash in a large sauce pan and add just enough water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat just until tender; remove from heat. Drain squash; reserve 1 cup of water for casserole.

On medium- low temperature, place all of the butter in large sauce pan and sauté the onions until the onions turn clear. Add chicken bouillon cubes and garlic to onions; stir. Add drained squash and diced cheese; stir. Crumble corn bread in squash, add the reserved cup of water and mix well. Place squash mixture in a (9x13 inch) baking pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray.

Cover casserole and place in a preheated oven at 350°. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove cover the last 20 minutes of baking time.

Vegetable / Other: Pearl Onion Marmalade Side Dish

From Shelly Carey

Ingredients
1 pound frozen pearl onions
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup white wine
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken stock

Directions
Place all ingredients in saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick.

Note: I originally served this as a garnish over some shrimp and crab cakes, but think it would be a great accompaniment or side dish with any main meat dish (chicken, fish or beef). (For the original recipe look-up “Wild Georgia Shrimp and Crab Cake with Pearl Onion marmalade" on-line).

All of these ingredients seem like a hodge-podge of different things, but when you taste it, I think you’ll agree it’s great!

Vegetable / Other: Cornbread Dressing

From Shelly Carey

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 soft white breadcrumbs (just tear white bread slices into smaller pieces)
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons ground sage
3 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 2/3 cups chicken broth
Cornbread ingredients
2 cups self-rising corn meal mix
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 scant cups regular milk + 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup butter

Directions
First prepare cornbread: Bake cornbread ingredients at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Let the cornbread cool. Crumble the cornbread into pieces.

Combine all dressing ingredients. Add crumbled-up cornbread. Stir. Cover in a bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight (but never more than 24 hours).

Remove from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before baking, so it will return to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch pan. Pour cornbread mixture into greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.