Riverbend request would work for any summer picnic
Dear readers, welcome. Orange-olive-oil brownies and long-lasting Riverbend fare are the interesting requests that begin today’s discussion.
The latter is time-sensitive, so if you have an answer to the Riverbend request, please rush it back to me and I will get it to the requester, Barbara Walker.
“I am having a Riverbend party,” she wrote, “to begin at 8 p.m. We will stay to watch fireworks. What are some things to have that will withstand the heat and time?”
Although this is a Riverbend-specific request, it works for all the picnics of summer.
Secondly, Terry J. of Ooltewah read the recent orange brownie recipe.
“It reminded me that in Atlanta we were served some fabulous brownies made with a brownie mix and orange-flavored olive oil. The taste was subtle and rich, and I want to know where to find orange-flavored olive oil locally and how to make those brownies.”
EXCEPTIONAL EGGS
Brenda Locklear of Brainerd Hills really had no choice but to send her stuffed egg recipe, because she gets requests for the recipe whenever she serves deviled eggs and egg salad. (Egg salad is simply what happens when one’s deviled eggs fall apart; you get the potato masher and mix it all together.) Ms. Locklear always shares her recipe, as she does in the lines that follow.
Deviled Eggs
Boiled eggs, halved
lengthwise Sweet pickles, large, cut up (1 to 1 ½ pickle for 1 to 2 dozen eggs) Green olives (several, cut up, not salad olives; increase amount for 2 dozen)
Kraft mayonnaise
1 squirt spicy brown mustard for a dozen; double if you make two dozen
2 teaspoons sweet pickle juice
Mix together all ingredients. If too dry, add more mayonnaise and a little more pickle juice.
You use the same recipe for egg salad sandwiches except the eggs are chopped. Serve on both white and wheat breads, for variety.
TENDER PORK CHOPS
Carolyn Fox’s recipe looks easy and tasty. She wrote, “It was given to me by my friend Marg from Toronto. It’s easy and very good. They are very tender.”
Crock Pot Pork Chops
3 to 4 bone-in pork chops,
1⁄2 inch thick
Salt
4 onion slices
1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk of celery, chopped 1⁄2 red pepper, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped 1 can stewed tomatoes 1⁄2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons cider
vinegar
2 tablespoons brown
sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce 1 bouillon cube, beef or
chicken
2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water
1 cup rice
2 cups water
Salt the chops 1 hour before putting in the crock pot.
Place onion slices in bottom, then lay chops in the pot.
Mix the next 11 ingredients (through bouillon cube), and pour over chops.
Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 5 hours on low plus 1 hour on high.
Mix the cornstarch and water, and add to pot for the last hour.
Simmer the rice in 2 cups water for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Serve the chops and sauce over the rice.
TIME-SAVING TIP
We’ll have another naan bread recipe to share, but this week instead you get a time-saving tip from Margaret McNeil.
“A friend told me today that naan is sold at Costco near the bread and hot dog buns. She said it was partially cooked so I’d need to melt butter in a pan and heat it a little more. It never occurred to me to look at Costco.”
CHUNKY BROWNIES
When the discussion thread about candy-bar brownies came up, R. Maxey remembered the brownies she used to make, topped with Andes chocolate mints. “I found this recipe that is topped with both candy chunks and cookie chunks. I have never seen a mint brownie mix, so I am planning to try this one with a regular brownie mix that is on hand.”
Andes Mint and Oreo Brownies
1 box Betty Crocker mint chip brownie mix
(or substitute your favorite brownie mix) Water, oil and egg called
for on brownie mix box 1 package Andes crème de menthe mints (28 mints), unwrapped and halved
8 Oreo chocolate crème sandwich cookies, quartered
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8-inch square pan with nonstick foil, leaving enough hanging over sides of pan for easy removal.
Make brownie batter as directed on box, reserving mint chips packet for later. Stir in 36 Andes mint halves and 1/2 cup of the Oreo cookie pieces; spread in pan. Top batter with remaining 1/2 cup Oreo cookie pieces and sprinkle mint chips (from reserved packet) over top.
Bake 35 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes; top with remaining 20 Andes mint halves. Cool completely before serving, about 2 hours.
COOK’S COMPLIMENTS
We all know there is nothing nicer than a compliment to the chef, and Elsie Keith did just that today. She has high praise for a recent enchilada casserole.
She wrote, “A while back Barbara Cole sent in Michele’s Enchilada Casserole. I made this, and it is delicious. I also froze the half we could not eat, and found that it freezes and reheats beautifully.”
JUST A DASH
For a crowd at a beach house, R. Maxey offered a simple slaw.
“Buy a bag of coleslaw mix. Make a dressing of 2/3 mayonnaise to 1/3 pickle juice. Any pickle is fine; just choose your favorite. Mix dressing with slaw, adding some celery seed if you want. You may have to experiment based on whether you want a juicy slaw or one with just a little dressing. The juice makes the slaw perfect for those who don’t like slaw that is heavy with mayonnaise. It also works well with fish tacos; just add a little jalapeno to the slaw instead of the celery seed.”
You certainly have been good company, you at the other end of the line. Let’s keep up our long-distance relationship, shall we?