Southern Grape Salad

                            

 

 

 This is another easy throw together dessert that is perfect for your next summer event. There are actually many versions of it across the interwebs, but this one from Southern Living seemed to hit all the right notes, so I gave it a try. Omg it's so good!! Who knew?? It was cool, and refreshing, just like a fruit salad should be, but this one was also sweet and creamy, which just ticks all the right boxes. It sort of has an Ambrosia kind of vibe, but thankfully without the marshmallows. (No thank you very much!) Full disclosure, I halved the recipe because I didn't need such a big batch, but you make it to suit your needs. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve, and I promise it'll beat the hottest summer day! 

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs red seedless grapes
2 lbs green seedless grapes
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups toasted chopped pecans

In a large bowl, beat together, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and salt until smooth. Stir in vanilla then fold in grapes. Transfer to a serving dish. 
In a medium bowl, stir together, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over grape salad in serving dish. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve. 


Tips:
I must say my favorite part of this dish is the brown sugar and pecan topping. You think it's gonna be too sweet, but it's not, and the crunch is everything!
If you have more of the cream cheese mixture than you need, use it as a fruit pie topping or for topping for any other fresh fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, or peaches would be fabulous, just sayin'!

Creamy Grape Salad

  When I first saw this recipe, it reminded me of your good old fashioned Southern type of recipe. Lots of sweet juicy grapes in a sweet creamy dressing.. it sort of has that "down home country" thing goin' on. I'm not even sure whose recipe it is because I've seen this exact recipe on many sites. But here's the thing.. whenever I see the SAME recipe posted over and over on different websites, that usually means it's a great recipe that everyone makes the same way. I mean, I suppose everyone tweaks the amount of sugar, and that's fine, but still, it's the same recipe. That's good enough for me!

  So exactly what is a grape salad? Is it a side dish? Is it a dessert? Well, TBH, it can be anything you want it to be. When I first read it, I pictured it as a sweet cold side dish.. kind of like applesauce with pork chops, or cranberry sauce with turkey. But when I first TASTED it, I immediately got the fruit and yogurt with granola vibe. Perfect for a light summer breakfast or brunch. But then I read a few of the comments and tweaks on different sites... and many people said they like to chop up frozen Snickers or Milky Way bars and sprinkle them over the top. Or do the same with a candy toffee bar. Well, now we've taken it in a whole other direction! That clearly crosses over into dessert territory. So I guess it's up to you how ever you'd like to serve it.

 The point is that it's really tasty and everyone will love it! Personally, I'm not one to add candy bars to my fruit salad, but hey, you do you! For me, the kicker is the addition of the brown sugar and chopped pecans over the top. SO GOOD! The brown sugar makes it just sweet enough, and the pecans add just exactly the right amount of crunchy texture! It's the perfect bright and refreshing thing to bring to a summer family event. It's a great do ahead too, so make it the night before, and then serve it nicely chilled. I promise it'll be a big hit!

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 lbs seedless red grapes

2 lbs seedless green grapes

3 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs chopped pecans

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until blended. Add grapes and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans just before serving.

Tips:

ok, so, a few things...

It seems to me that this recipe makes quite a lot. If you don't need FOUR POUNDS of grapes., just cut the whole recipe in half. Then again,  I don't think leftovers would be a terrible thing in this particular case.

Speaking of cutting things in half, I wanted a smaller bite, so I decided to cut all the grapes in half. It's actually a pretty good idea, especially if you have little ones who might try to swallow a whole grape.
If you're not a fan of pecans, try any kind of chopped nuts. You could even do granola instead of nuts, if you're so inclined.

If you'd like to lighten it up a bit, try using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It works quite well! (especially if you're doing granola!) Another thing that works quite well is adding or substituting a different kind of fruit. How about pitted fresh cherries? (I've tried it.. they're fabulous) Or fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries? I bet it would also be great to add some diced apples to the grapes. Mmmm... Might need to try that next time!

Cranberry Grape Compote

 For me, it is just not Thanksgiving unless you have home made cranberry sauce. I mean, yes, I know many of you are a fan of the can, but for a day as special as Thanksgiving, it's time for something fresh and homemade. Many many years ago, I asked my Mom how she made her cranberry sauce, and now I'm happy that I get to make it for my family every year. But I still like finding other versions and variations! (frankly, I've never met a cranberry sauce I didn't like) And that brings us to THIS recipe from Martha Stewart.
 This is what I like to call "stupid easy." Like, I don't even think it could be any easier. You literally just throw everything into a sauce pot and let it simmer. That's it. Done. How awesome is that?? And as with everything Thanksgiving, we all know that doing as much as you can in advance is the best option. You could make this DAYS in advance, so it's really a no brainer.
 So lets talk about the most important thing.. how it TASTES! I would venture to say that if you are not usually a fan of cranberries, then maybe give this one a try. The grapes mellow out the tartness of the cranberries and it's a perfect blend! Kind of like if grape jam and cranberry sauce had a baby.
 If you've ever felt intimidated by the thought of making home made cranberry sauce, this is the recipe for you!! And if you love cranberries as much as I do, then you absolutely MUST give this one a try!


12oz bag of cranberries (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw)
3 cups seedless red grapes
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt


In a large sauce pan, over medium high heat, bring cranberries, grapes, sugar, and 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the grapes are falling apart, about 10-15 minutes. Remove heat. Add salt and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature (compote will thicken as it cools.) Serve at room temperature.



Tips:
Because of the amount of natural pectin in the cranberries, the sauce will gel firm when you refrigerate it. I think it looks prettier as more of a loose sauce, so I gave it a quick stir just before serving.
Serve leftovers as a spread on bagels with cream cheese or heat it up and serve it warm over vanilla ice cream!

Mom's Grape Juice

  People ask me all the time, "where did you learn how to cook?" or "did you go to a culinary school?" And the answer is always the same: I learned from my Mom. Seriously, the only cooking classes I've ever had were watching my Mom work her magic in the kitchen on a daily basis when I was growing up. Not only did she make everything taste AMAZING, (like, seriously, I'm not even kidding), but also she was absolutely brilliant when it came to stretching a meal. With 11 hungry children to feed, she had to find ways to get as much bang for her buck as possible. So believe me when I tell you it was nothing short of sorcery how she could take one small chicken and turn it into enough stew to feed the entire family. Or she'd take one little packet of dried beef, and suddenly there's breakfast for everyone. Crazy right?
 So imagine it's a hot summer day, and we're all outside playing with the neighborhood kids and riding our bikes, etc. Then we'd come home dying of thirst and wanting something to drink. Most times, Mom would give us a tall glass of her home made iced tea, but other times it was this grape juice. But here's the thing.. instead of constantly buying bottles of fruit juice (which can be expensive when it all adds up) she would use this recipe to turn one pitcher of juice into two. Clever, huh? Its brilliance is in its simplicity. And frankly, I think this tastes better than the original. And suddenly our thirsts were quenched and we were all running back outside for the next neighborhood game of kickball. She always told us she did it this way because the flavor of the bottled juice was too concentrated, but really she was just getting as much out of it as she possibly could. I swear someone should have just followed my Mom around and taken notes.
 So give this a try if you have a gang of kids who are constantly asking for more juice, or if you just like to stretch a buck. Add this to the neverending list of amazing things my Mom did for us!


2 qts Welch's grape juice
2 qts cold water
1 cup sugar
1 orange

Stir together the juice and water. Add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add the juice of the orange, and then slice the orange and float the slices in the pitcher. Chill or serve over ice. It's best when it's served ice cold on a hot summer day! Oh, and one more thing... the best part is when the juice is gone and you eat the orange slices!  OMG SO good!!


Tips:
 My sister, Cathy, remembered that Mom did this with lemons instead of oranges. My Jeanie remembered that she used peaches. I absolutely specifically remember her using oranges, but I have no doubt that she probably also used lemons and peaches at one time or another. She made use out of what she had available! Words to live by! If you decide to use lemons, just be sure to remove the lemon slices from the pitcher after a few hours because they can make the juice too bitter.
Not a fan of Welch's? Use your favorite brand!

Mr. Man's Chicken Salad

 One of my favorite people on the planet is my good friend, Anthony (aka Mr. Man.) He's just one of those people who is always upbeat, always optimistic, always has a positive thing to say, and he'll do anything for you. He's taught me SO much about health and fitness and has truly changed my life. And I know he hates it when I tell him how much of a hero he is to me, but seriously, he really is. So whenever I can return the favor and help HIM for a change, I'm always glad to do whatever I can.
 He recently told me he was interested in switching over to the Paleo way of eating, and asked me if I would help him with some Paleo cooking. Basically the idea is to eat the way a caveman would, meaning just animal proteins, fruits, vegetables, and no processed foods. I'm certainly not a nutritionist, but it surely seems like a more healthy way of eating. And actually, the more I looked into it, the more I realized I was already practically doing that myself! Fans of the Paleo diet always say to just shop around the perimeter of the supermarket (which is where you'll find all of your eggs, meat, fish, and produce) and not to go into any of the aisles. Makes perfect sense to me!
 So anyway, when I was searching for different foods for Mr. Man, I thought of making a chicken salad. Yes, I know it's mayonnaise based, and mayonnaise is a processed food, but when you make it home made like I always do, it still falls within the Paleo guidelines. The only problem was that I always use vegetable oil when I make home made mayo, which is not considered to be Paleo. So then I had the aha moment. What if I were to use rendered bacon fat instead of oil to make the mayo??!! And there it was. The perfect solution!! I know I'm not the first person to ever think of it, but I'm still considering it a moment of brilliance. I mean, come on.. BACON MAYONNAISE. How awesome is that??? And seriously, bacon makes everything better, doesn't it??? I made it for Mr. Man and he gave it a big huge thumbs up! He said he can't get enough of it, and now eats it for lunch everyday! He also loved the addition of the fruit, which was a game changer as far as chicken salads go.
 So even if you're not choosing the Paleo way of eating, give this recipe a try. It's REALLY delicious!  I'm so glad you like it, Mr. Man!!!

1 rotisserie chicken
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 apples, cored and diced
2 cups seedless green grapes, halved
1 cup bacon mayonnaise*
3 strips crisped bacon, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste


Pull all the chicken from the bones and remove any bits of fat and skin. Pull the meat into shreds or chop to bite sized pieces. Add the remaining ingredients. Give it a good stir and adjust seasoning, if desired. That's it!

*to make the bacon mayonnaise:
Place one whole egg, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 tbs lemon juice or cider vinegar in a food processor. With the processor running, SLOWLY drizzle in one cup of rendered bacon fat, (or half bacon fat and half olive oil or even coconut oil).
Here's my How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise video that I did with with my friend, Kelsie (who just happens to be Mr. Man's sister!) Basically, the bacon mayo recipe is half of the recipe in the video, and I've substituted bacon fat for the vegetable oil. I've also omitted the sugar, but you could add 1/2 tsp or so of honey if you like a sweeter mayo.

Tips:
If you don't want to go through the trouble of making bacon mayonnaise, you can just used purchased mayo. It won't be Paleo, (and the bacon flavor is really amazing here) but it'll still be delish.
I usually don't peel the apples, I just wash them and then core and dice them. If you'd prefer to peel them, go for it! You do you!
For a little extra added crunch, try adding chopped pecans and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Reen's Chicken Ala Clementine

 I've often said that my sister Reen is The Queen of Substitutions when it comes to cooking. She'll take any recipe and substitute an ingredient here or there, depending on what ingredients she has on hand. I remember once upon a time that she changed every single ingredient in a recipe and wound up with something entirely different. Now THAT's talent! If I know Reen, she probably said something like "Boy, this was a great recipe, I'm gonna have to make this again!"
Well, staying true to form, Reen has done it again. She sent me this note along with the recipe. It's simple and quick and PERFECT for a mid week supper. Thanx again Been!


Joey Joey,
I had a bunch of clementines and some grapes. I saw a cooking show
where they made duck with clementines. Need I say more? I made
something like that sauce, but changed it to chicken, and added
grapes and onions and other flavorings. Voila! Billy loves it.
I made it with roasted potatoes, but it would probably be better
with rice.  
Reen
 

4 chicken cutlets, sliced through the middle to be 8 thin cutlets
Olive oil
3 garlic gloves
2 onions, chopped
1 small can chicken broth
10 clementines (squeeze juice from 5, and segment the other 5) *Can
substitute with tangerines or  mandarin or regular oranges.
Handful of seedless grapes
Thyme (fresh or dry)
2 tabl. Butter
Sprinkling of sugar (if needed)

Brown chicken cutlets in oil. (Doesn't have to be cooked all the
way through.) Remove chicken to a plate. Saute garlic and onions in
pan with more oil, if needed. Add juice, segments, grapes, thyme
and broth to onions. Cook until it reduces to saucelike
consistency. Return chicken to pan. Add sugar if the sauce tastes too
tart. Season with salt and stir in butter.

Tip:
Even though Reen didn't say to do this....when I made it, I dredged the chicken in flour before browning them in the pan. It makes them nice and golden, adds a little texture to them, and also helps the sauce to thicken! Oh, and I also sliced the grapes in half and added a little salt and pepper. Yum!