This may seem like a pretty simple question, since there are so many ways to eat raisins, but I’d like a few new ideas.  Since I get tired of baking sweets with them, and putting them in cereal, and just snacking on them, I guess it’s time I learned a few good recipes to use them up in a main dish or salad.

One way I have used raisins in something other than sweets is one of those fabulous potluck salads you all have probably partaken in at some point in your life.  It’s the combination “Broccoli-Raisins-Bacon- Salad.”  Let me see if I can find my recipe.  That would be a good start.

Okay, here we are with one of my concoctions:

Crunchy Broccoli and Raisin Salad

• 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli (see * below)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup onion (depending on how strong it is)
• 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
• 8 to 10 slices of bacon, diced then browned until crisp
• 1 cup sunflower seeds (salted)
• 1 cup raisins

• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp cider vinegar

Put the first ingredients in a big bowl and toss together well.  (* I normally put my broccoli in the microwave for just a few seconds, then let cool in the refrigerator.  Blanching them quickly like that brings out the flavor, but be sure you don’t let them get soft!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until well blended.  Pour the dressing over the salad, mix together until everything is coated, then cover lightly and put in the refrigerator until all the flavors come together, at least a couple hours.

That’s my simple salad to use up a whole cup of raisins.  Another thought which comes from a fond memory of a restaurant meal from some years ago, is for a raisin sauce to serve over salmon.  That was very good, but I’ve never attempted to make it.

Do you have any favorite recipes in which you use up some raisins?  Even recipes like the raisin sauce which actually features raisins as the main ingredient would be nice.  I’d sure like to hear from you!

On a road trip our family took recently, I discovered the convenience of making wraps for the travels.  We used to make regular sandwiches all the time, but you know how sandwiches get to look after an hour or two in a cooler.  Not very appetizing.

I bought a supply of small and large corn tortillas so that we could experiment with a variety of wraps and roll-ups.  We found both to be quite a bit easier to eat on the road, as well as holding up better than sandwiches.  The experiment was a success, but now, of course, I have a couple packages of corn tortillas in the refrigerator, waiting for some inspiration to hit.

We do like making enchiladas and will certainly use some of the corn tortillas up that way.  My recipe is pretty basic.  I just mix up a batch of red sauce using tomato paste, tomato juice, ground beef, and lots of spices like garlic, onion, cumin, chili powder, and hot sauce.  Then I stuff the corn tortillas, roll them up in a baking pan, pour the rest of the sauce over, top them with shredded cheddar cheese, and bake them.  Pretty basic.

I’ve also run across a few recipes that use corn tortillas in layers forming casseroles, sort of like lasagna noodles, only using Mexican spices and ingredients.  Has anyone ever made a really good casserole with tortillas?  Any other ideas for wraps, or enchiladas, or any more unusual dish would certainly be appreciated.  I’d love to see what kind of ideas you come up with!

Okay, trick question.  I don’t suppose there is much you can actually “make” with sardines, but how would you serve them if, say, you had dozens of tins of the little guys in your pantry?  Rather than eating them on crackers every night for a month or more, how would you get rid of them?

Not that I don’t like sardines, it’s just that I have so many of them!  Seems my husband was preparing for hurricane season again, and went overboard on the canned sardines.  I still insist that, when we are left without electricity or water for a week, the last thing we’re going to want to eat will be sardines, but he can’t see my logic.  So, here I am with my pile of sardines, hoping someone has a brilliant dish to make that will use up some of these tasty treats.

I’m actually tempted to try mashing them up with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, maybe a little lemon juice, and use them to make an antipasto dressing for penne pasta and olives.  Does that sound good?  They can’t be that much different than using anchovies or anchovy paste, can they?

Anyway, just a thought.  I’d be happy to hear from anyone out there that has a solution to my dilemma, hopefully before my husband stocks up for the next hurricane season!

My pantry is now home to four boxes of assorted croutons.  We have a partial box of garlic flavored, some herb flavored, some plain, and even some Parmesan croutons.  My family likes croutons on their salads, but we’re beyond our quota at this point.  Before they get stale, I would like to know if there’s anything I can make with them.

Sometimes when a casserole calls for a buttery breadcrumb topping, I’ll just grab a pile of croutons, crush them up, and use those instead of breadcrumbs. Since my croutons are normally flavored, they make a great topping for oven-baked vegetable dishes.  A nice, cheesy broccoli casserole is the perfect dish to top with these croutons.

What do you think about using crushing up croutons for a crunchy coating for fried fish or chicken?  If you use the really flavorful ones that should be delicious, right?

Now, if all this talk about garlic and herb flavored croutons has you craving them, I do happen to have a recipe to make your own.  Give this a try the next time you’ve got to have croutons and, unlike me, don’t have a pantry full!

Skillet Croutons:

Dice up bread into tiny, bite size squares.  Think about 1/4 to 1/8 inch squares.  You can use any kind of bread you wish, even rye or pumpernickel.  In a big, heavy skillet, brown the bread pieces in a bit of butter mixed with canola oil.  Drain on paper towels, but while they’re still hot, sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning you wish, like garlic powder, onion powder, or crushed thyme, or even curry powder.

These are very yummy.  I think I’ll make a batch once I figure out how to use up the ones I’ve already got… Help please!

It appears I have a whole box of saltine crackers left in my pantry from over the holidays.  They are still all sealed so they’re fresh, but I sure don’t foresee sitting down and snacking on that many crackers any time soon. I definitely need a little help with this one.

There are some casserole dishes I’ve eaten that have used saltines as the “base”.  These recipes may have been family favorites because I have not come across any printed recipes that include saltines as part of a casserole.  Have you ever designed a casserole dish that uses saltine crackers? 

What are your thoughts about creating a “mock pie crust” for a chicken pot pie, perhaps by mixing in some egg?  I know there must be some inventive ways to use up extra saltine crackers, but I sure need some help here!  I’ll be anxious to hear from you.

Pretzels are one of those snacks that are always welcome in my house.  They are low in fat and taste really great!  So, what’s not to love?  I like the twisted shaped ones, the thin straight ones, and the fat ones.  They’re all welcome any time!

I’ve wondered what I could do with a whole bag of pretzels that would turn them into a really special treat for the whole family.  Yes, I’m happy to sit down with just an open bag of plain pretzels on my lap, but wouldn’t it be fun to have a big bowl of special pretzels for special days?  Think of game day or movie night…

I do like to make chocolate dipped pretzels on occasion.  They are simple to make – just follow the instructions on a bag of chocolate chips or melting chocolate coating to melt the chocolate, dip the pretzels in and lay on a piece of parchment paper to cool.  Put them in the refrigerator if you can’t wait.  The salty and sweet flavor is incredible.

Do you have any ideas for improving on the classic pretzel?

I don’t normally stock up on cashews since they are rather expensive, but my husband loves them so we have a couple cans sitting in the cupboard.  I’d really like to surprise him with a fabulous dish highlighting the cashews, but can’t think of anything new.

One of my favorite ways to use cashews is in a chicken salad that I like to make.  I’ll give you a rough idea of how to make it, but I normally make this without any recipe.  So, here’s my best attempt at describing my “Sweet and Tangy Chicken Salad”.

Sweet and Tangy Chicken Salad

Mix together in a big bowl:
chopped up cooked chicken meat (white or dark is fine)
chopped green onion
chopped red bell pepper
chopped celery
sweet green or purple grapes, cut in half lengthwise
cashews

Make a dressing by whisking together:
some balsamic vinaigrette
a little yellow mustard
a little drizzle of honey
drizzle of olive oil until desired texture
salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over chicken mixture until it’s nice and flavorful and moist.  Then scoop little piles on top of whole romaine lettuce leaves.  Great combination of sweet and tangy flavors, and the crunch of the cashews is splendid!

Yes, I could probably be very happy to just keep making that salad, but I sure would like to try something a bit different.  Have you used cashews in any unexpected ways in some of your recipes?

Almost a month after the Holidays, and I’m still staring at a pantry full of food. The strangest item I have stockpiled is Triscuit crackers.  I must have really had a hankerin’ for ‘em!  I’m finding it difficult to coax my family into snacking on even one more plate of cheese and crackers .

Triscuits are a bit different than other crackers.  They sort of remind me of Shredded Wheat cereal, only really, really salty and crunchy.  Yes, they are tasty, but what can I do with three boxes?

I had a couple thoughts that I’d like to throw out there.  Has anyone ever used Triscuits for a coating for pan fried fish?   How about coating chicken pieces and putting them on a baking sheet in the oven?  Do you think the Triscuits would be tasty?  How would you get them to stay on?  An egg dip?  Or how about a crunchy top for a casserole, perhaps a tuna casserole. 

I sure would appreciate any recipe ideas you’ve either tried or can imagine trying.  My Triscuits aren’t going anywhere until I hear from you!

Once again, I’m in charge of bringing the scalloped potatoes to our family Holiday meal, and once again, my husband and I both went shopping for the ingredients.  OOPS!  We have on our hands a pile of shredded cheese in all different styles and flavors.  My husband was none too particular when he chose his cheese variety, so we have quite an assortment with which to experiment. 

I would like to use up the cheese in a dish to bring to our Holiday meal so we can share it and make it disappear quickly, without there being yet another vegetable dish on the table.  I have this really incredible Cheese and Wine Spread which I’ll make.  It looks pretty and tastes wonderful.  I like it because it’s not another Cheese Ball covered in nuts.  You may want to give this a try even if you don’t have a pile of cheese to get rid of. 

Here’s how I make my Cheese ‘n Wine Spread: 

In a glass bowl, blend together with a fork 1/2 cup softened (NOT melted) butter, 3 cups of assorted shredded cheese (cut it up if it’s too coarse), 3 tablespoons of a heavy bodied wine, and a dash of cayenne pepper.  Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, sort of mashing it until it looks spreadable and all the colors are mixed.  Spoon into a pretty glass serving bowl or container, cover the container tightly and store in refrigerator until time to serve.  Put out on table with small cheese knife or spreader along with some crackers or small bread pieces.  A pretty little piece of parsley is nice as a garnish when served.

I like those nice, new shredded cheese blends you can find now.  And now that we’ve got a mountain of them, I would like to do something creative with these delicious cheeses. 

If you have any tried-and-true uses for LOTS of cheese, I’d love to hear them! 

I had a lot of questions about artichokes, besides what to make with them.  Like what are they and how do I prepare them?  They are so pretty and elegant, I wanted to find out how to serve them to my family and friends.  So, I did a little research and found out a few things, like they are actually not a vegetable, but a blossom bud belonging to the sunflower family. 

So, now how do I cook them?  It’s not as difficult as I thought, really. Cut off the bottom stem, cut off the top a little, and stand it up in a big pot of enough water to cover the artichoke completely, and add some lemon or vinegar to keep the color bright.  Bring water to a boil and gently boil the artichoke, covered, for around 30 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke.  Pull it out and put it upside- down to drain.  When drained and cool enough to handle, turn it over, gently spread the pedals out a little and give the top “plug” a tug, discard, and scoop out any loose purplish stuff inside.  This cavity is where you would put some nice sauce for dipping.  You can have your serving dish and eat it too!

Simple enough.  But then comes the intimidating part… how to eat it.  I had to watch somebody eat an artichoke before I would try it.  I was in a restaurant and discreetly, I hope, peered over my husband’s shoulder to observe the fascinating technique.  Again, relatively simple… just pull off the pedals one at a time by grasping the end and gently tugging down, dip the end that you pulled off into the sauce or butter provided, put pedal in your mouth and pull out between your clenched teeth.  How funny is that!  You get all the pulp off the pedal, the yummy stuff, and discard the little pedal skeleton. 

Now for the dipping sauce.  From my understanding, this is where you can go wild.  There are Thai dips, Mustard dips, Seafood dips, and the list goes on.  I haven’t tried any of the recipes I’ve found yet because I’m a little leery.  I’m wondering if anyone has a favorite.