Garden Vegetable Medley

 Summer Veggie Medley--1st photo

Using a wavy vegetable cutter, slice 2 -3 zucchini and 2-3 yellow summer squash and add a diced onion to melted butter or olive oil in a frying pan. Stir fry and steam (with lid on) until veggies are tender.  Salt and pepper and add grated cheese of your choice.  Cheddar or Parmesan are both very good.

Variation--2nd photo

I used zucchini, mushrooms, onions sauteed in butter and added chopped tomato toward the end.  Salt and pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Just use your imagination---and your garden veggies!

Sweet Potato Souffle

Cook and skin about 12 cups yams.  Melt 1/4 c. margarine (or butter buds) in 9"x13" cake pan.

Add: yams, 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 c. sugar,  and 2 eggs.

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. margarine - soft, but not melted
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

This has been a Monson family tradition since we lived in Provo at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Creamy Corn

One of my friends made this a few years ago and I tried it out yesterday for Thanksgiving meal... Yummy and easy! (But terribly unhealthy, I'm sure..)

Ingredients:

2 cans corn
1 large sweet onion (chopped)
1 T olive oil
4 oz. cream cheese
Red pepper (to taste: I used about 1/2 T)
Seasoning salt (to taste: I used about 2 t)

Directions:

First,   saute the onion in the olive oil - use medium or medium-low heat, so the onion won't brown but become translucent. This might take 10-15 minutes, but is worth it.
Meanwhile, drain the corn and mix with the cream cheese in a medium pot.  When the cream cheese has melted, and the onions are ready, mix in the onions and seasonings.  Enjoy!

Ellen's Chinese Chicken Salad

Whisk together dressing:
2/3 c. oil
5 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper

Pour over 1/2 head of chopped cabbage, some diced green onions, 1 cup of frozen peas, and 1/2 package of smashed uncooked Ramen noodles (seasoning package not needed). Chill in fridge until ready to eat. Add in some leftover shreds from a cold Rotisserie chicken to make it a main dish on a sweltering summer's eve.

Oven-Roasted Butternut Squash

This is my favorite way to prepare butternut squash! Cut butternut squash up into 1/2" cubes. Place in bowl and drizzle with 1-2 T. Olive Oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Mix well to evenly coat. Spread evenly onto baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes (mixing half way through) until easily speared with a fork.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges or 1/4" sticks. Soak in water with 2 tsp. salt for at least 15 minutes (the longer, the crispier they'll be, science and osmosis sort of thing).

Spray foiled baking sheet lightly with some oil. Spread on sweet potatoes and spray with a little oil as well. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and/or other seasonings of your choice. (Not too much salt, though.)

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until crispy on the outside, flipping half way through for even cooking.

Dip in fry sauce (famous pink mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish from Utah) and eat!

Potstickers

Thayne loves potstickers! So I learned how to make them! These take some prep time but are actually quite fun to make and delicious! They go well alongside some stir fry or even as their own main dish with a little rice. This recipe comes from the back of a potsticker wrapper package.

1/4 ground pork (or you can go vegetarian and skip along)
1/2 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1/8 cup green onion, diced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 TBSP dry white wine or vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cornstarch
Dash of pepper

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and place a small spoonful of the mixture in the center of one round potsticker wrap. Moisten the edge of the wrap with water on your fingers (not too much but not too little) to help stick together when you fold it up. Make a few pinches to help it stay together during the cooking process and to make it look fancy so people will be amazed by your cool handiwork.


Heat 2 TBSP oil (or thin layer) in skillet over medium heat. Add potstickers and lightly brown the little sucker's bottoms (slight maniacal laugh, sorry, it's dark and stormy outside today). Pour in 1/4 cup of water (or less, too much and you'll have soggy butts, seriously) and cover the pan tightly with a lid. Turn the heat to low and cook until the water is gone.

Serve while hot on a platter with a small cup of soy sauce and enjoy!

Momma Mackay's Cheesy Potatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream (use less if trying to be healthy)
2-3 cups shredded cheese
green onions, sliced finely (optional, for color)
1 bag frozen hashbrowns (shredded or cubed)
Leftover ham, cubed (optional)

Mix it all together in a large bowl and spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until it's all bubbly and you can't control your drooling any longer.