Okra Gumbo Plus, A Staple

Collections found in my T&T recipe box come from various website, cookbook, self creations, and family members who meals have been altered over time to suit my tastes such as this Okra Gumbo Plus. Okra Gumbo was a staple growing up as it was cheap and so easy to make even a child who had to stand on a chair at the stove to reach the pot could make it.

Originally mom's recipe was:
1 lb venison
1 can diced tomato
1 bag frozen okra
1 cup of rice
2 cups of water
Nature Seasoning to taste

Brown meat, add remaining ingredients and cook till done. Simple.

Over the years, I have tried various modifications. Fresh vs canned vs frozen veggies. Searing the okra in a hot skillet to keep it from becoming slimy. Nature Seasoning, Season-All, plain salt and pepper. Rice cooked together or separately. Venison, pork, and beef but not chicken or turkey as fat is needed to hold the ingredients together. Water, chicken, or veggie broth. On and on it went...

Modifications: In preparation, half of an onion is browned along side meat, preferably not venison. Okra and corn (fresh or frozen), one can with juice of petite diced salted tomatoes, 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and 1 Tablespoon of Tony Chachere seasoning are added next. Mix well and cook till desired tenderness of rice desired.

Scaled for Likability: Great
Of course this would be a a great since it came from the T&T collection. After all this time, I have decided that it is the Tony's seasoning that makes this meal. It offers a bit of heat to offset to sweetness of the corn. When money is tight, 2 cups of rice are added to stretch out the servings to offer left overs for lunch the next day. Another added bonus is that it is a year round meal! Perfect.

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almost tender. Green be

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add potatoes. Cover and reduc

Sour Cream & Chive Scalloped Potatoes

Can't believe the Month of the Potato is over. There are so many more potato recipes saved. Guess I will have to work them into another month. Last week's scalloped potatoes were one of the best new recipes during the month of potatoes. With today being the last day in the Month of Potatoes, I decided to go out with a bang by cooking another batch of scalloped potatoes but this time sour cream and chive. The Best Scalloped Potatoes , or so they said. Modifications Made: Recipe was reduced by half. Mayo was omitted and one entire package of chives were chopped and added to sauce before pouring onto layers. Scaled for Likability: Good Betty Crocker Sour Cream and Chive Box Scalloped Potatoes were the standard for this recipe. These were a family favorite for years but have long since been discounted. Bummer. Trying to replicate this seemed easy enough. Alas, it was not. These had a nice texture but were too oily from the cheese and did not contain enough onion, garlic,

Eating Waffles

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