One Dish Meal: Classic Greek Moussaka

Here’s a recipe that combines my some of favorite vegetables — eggplant, potatoes and onions — with other ingredients to make a one-dish meal. I ate a wonderful version of this dish, Beef Moussaka, at Lebanese restaurant in Niagara Falls, Canada, of all places. It has been five years since we took the trip to Canada and I’ve made many attempts at duplicating the recipe. With eggplant in season in the summer, I’m trying again and here’s my final recipe.

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Dreamer’s 7-Up Pound Cake

Dreamer’s 7-Up Pound Cake is a very traditional Southern cake recipe. It is tender, moist and very sweet. More than a cake, it’s a Deep South cultural tradition. The cake is often served for Sunday dinner or other celebrations such as the Fourth of July when family and friends come to visit at a large afternoon meal.Dreamer's 7-Up Pound Cake - IMG_9836

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Mrs. Bankston’s Lemon Meringue Pie with Meyer Lemons

Have you tried cooking with Meyer lemons? They are very large and are mild, sweet with a lemony flavor. I want to start the new year in 2016 by cooking with some new foods as well eating more fruits and vegetables. Thirteen lemons ripened on my backyard Meyer lemon tree this fall and am excited about the things I can cook with this citrus fruit. Meyer Lemons on Plate - IMG_6600_1 Continue reading

The Perfect Glass of Iced Tea

A perfect glass of iced tea should be soothing, slightly sweet, chilled and with none of the bitter tannin taste of the tea leaves. We drink lots of tea the year around at our house and I have a pretty good recipe for making iced tea. Tea in general has some very interesting potential health benefits as I learned at the FNCE conference.

Iced Tea - 3 - IMG_0523

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Lebanese-Style Stuffed Yellow Squash

Every now and then I’ll find a recipe that just absolutely “wows” the main ingredient. Such is the recipe, “Mrs. Elias’ Stuffed Yellow Squash.” Yellow squash is plentiful in the summertime; I’ve been looking at it in the grocery stores for a while now. It’s a good vegetable to include in meals while in season.

Lebanese- Inspired Stuffed Yellow Squash - IMG_6145_1

 

There are so many creative ways to cook yellow squash–beyond boiled. A local Lebanese diner serves stuffed baby yellow squash on their cafeteria-style menu every day. I’ve always been curious about how the squash dish was made. I found a similar recipe in a saved newspaper clipping and tried it; the recipe was delicious–one of the best I’ve made in a while.

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