VEGGIE & FETA GREEN SALAD

~ Bethany Weathersby

spinach, torn

romaine lettuce, chopped

orange bell peppers, chopped

frozen corn, thawed

pea pods, sliced

feta crumbled

Fill serving dish with spinach and lettuce, then top with remaining ingredients. 

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

~ East Meets Vegan: The Best of Asian Home Cooking, Plant-Based and Delicious, written by Sasha Gill

2 1/2 T. vegetable oil
7 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. black or regular salt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
3 c. cooked rice, chilled (preferably jasmine)
1 T. + 1 t. soy sauce
1 t. sriracha
2 t. sesame oil
1 1/2 c. pineapple chunks
1/2 c. frozen peas
cilantro leaves for garnish
roasted cashews for garnish

Pour half the oil into a wok or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry tofu and turmeric in oil until dry and firm, similar to scrambled eggs. Add salt, then transfer to a plate.

Wipe pan clean. Add remaining oil and fry garlic, scallions, and ginger three minutes or until fragrant. Add rice and cook for two minutes, breaking up any clumps.

Stir in soy sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil. Mix in pineapple, peas, and tofu. Stir until well-combined, then cook for two more minutes to heat through.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and cashews.

Notes: Firm tofu works fine if that's all you have access to. If you've never pressed tofu, you need to remove it from the package, then wrap in lint-free towel or paper towels and place on cutting mat. Top with something heavy, like a skillet or baking pan, for 30 minutes to press out excess moisture. As always, I grate frozen ginger instead of chopping fresh. 

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TUNA CASSEROLE

~ Bethany Weathersby

pasta
tuna
veggies
sour cream or yogurt
seasonings
milk, if desired
grated or cubed cheese, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta until desired tenderness is reached, then drain. Saute any firm vegetables until tender. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into baking dish and bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Notes: There are countless ways to make tuna casserole, but I recently realized I don't have any posted. My approach is more method than recipe, so you can tweak it to fit your needs and preferences. I use one pound of shaped noodles and three cans of tuna, saute bunch of onion, celery, and mushrooms, thaw some frozen peas and corn, and add sour cream, seasoned salt, and pepper. Whether I thin it out with milk or add cheese varies from time to time.

ASIAN ORZO CHICKEN SALAD

~ Laura Bodine / Culinary Cravings

 9 oz. package frozen sugar snap peas
16 oz. orzo, cooked and drained
1 c. water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 c. diced, cooked chicken
3 green onions, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. hoisin sauce
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Cook sugar snap peas according to package directions; drain well. In a large bowl, combine sugar snap peas, orzo, water chestnuts, chicken, green onion, and red bell pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Pour over orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat. Stir in toasted almonds. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Notes: We always have regular, frozen peas in our freezer, so I use them instead of sugar snap peas. I just let them thaw before adding them. The flavor is really mild in this salad, so we often leave the hoisin jar on the table so people can add more to their portion.

POT PIE

~ Rebecca Sok

1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. butter
2 1/2 – 3 c. cooked chicken or turkey
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
10 oz. frozen peas & carrots
1 3/4 c. chicken or turkey broth
2/3 c. milk
two 9-inch pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop onion and sauté in butter. Add meat. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and broth. Simmer for a few minutes. Add milk and simmer a few minutes longer. Pour into a 9x13 pan or two pie pans, then cover with pie crust. Bake 35 minutes.

Notes: This recipe is just a guideline. I use fresh or frozen (depending on the item) peas, corn, chopped carrots, sliced celery, and/or cut green beans, and sometimes add various seasonings. I don't measure any of it, but I probably do close to three cups of  meat, double the produce, and make the amount of sauce that's called for. You could use whatever veggies you have on hand. I make enough crust for two 9-inch pies, place the meat mixture in a 9x13 pan, and lay the crust over the top.

SALMON SHELL SALAD

~ Marie McDermott
1 pkg. small shell noodles, cooked and drained
1 small can salmon
1 c. mayonnaise
2 c. frozen peas (don’t cook or defrost)

Mix all ingredients, along with your favorite spices. Set in refrigerator to cool before serving.

Notes: Possible seasonings include seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill and lemon juice.

PEA CHEESE SALAD

~ Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book

10oz. pkg. frozen peas
4 oz. (1 c.) cubed cheddar cheese
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 c. chopped celery
2 T. chopped onion
2 T. diced pimiento
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
6 medium tomatoes (optional)
leaf lettuce (optional)

Cook frozen peas according to package directions. Thoroughly drain and cool the peas.

In a large bowl combine peas, cheese cubes, hard-cooked eggs, celery, onion, and pimiento. Combine mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Add to pea mixture; toss to mix. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours. Stir mixture well.

If desired, cut each tomato into 8 wedges, cutting to, but not through, the bottom. Place tomatoes atop lettuce. Fill tomatoes with pea mixture.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Notes: I make this like a green salad, putting the pea mixture and chopped or sliced tomatoes on a bed of spinach and/or lettuce. 

CHICKEN VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

~ Lucille Schneider, my grandma

2 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. ground ginger
1 can veggie broth
1 T. soy sauce
3 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into strips
1 clove garlic
5 c. chopped and sliced veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, celery, green onions, snow peas, bean sprouts)

Stir together cornstarch, ginger, broth, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In skillet in 1 T. hot oil stir-fry half of the chicken until browned. Remove; set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. In remaining 1 T. hot oil stir-fry veggies and garlic until crisp-tender. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in broth mixture and reserved chicken. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

Notes: I double the ginger (at least), often skip the meat in favor of way more veggies, and like to sprinkle sesame seeds on top of my portion.