50+ Lifestyles

Ella’s Kitchen

I was sitting at my desk looking for inspiration for my choice of recipes for this month. Then it came! It was the article from Toni and Gail about family reunions. That is one of the great things about being part of the 50+ Lifestyles family: you get a chance to read the articles as they come in. I have put in some side companions to add to the usual picnic fare of potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, fried chicken, and ham.
Ella

[Ella can be contacted at ellaweeze@yahoo.com or Ella – 50+ Lifestyles, 804 W Lombard Street, Davenport, IA, 52804]

Marinated Mushrooms

1 bottle Italian salad dressing – non creamy style
( I usually use French’s)
1 bottle of Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 pints of fresh mushrooms, washed and
cleaned – (button mushrooms have been what I
have used, but I plan to experiment with maybe
two or three types of mushrooms combined.
If you use a bigger mushroom, cut into the
smaller pieces)
1 Tb of minced garlic
Dash chili powder or cumin

Place mushrooms in large bowl. Add other ingredients, gently stir and let stand at least a few hours. Mushrooms will darken due to the Worcestershire sauce, but they are oh, so good.

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Apple Chutney

8 C coarsely diced, peeled and cored, green
cooking apples (about 3 lbs)
2 C coarsely chopped onions (about 1lbs)
2 C seedless raisins (either dark or golden)
2 C dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 C malt vinegar
1 Tb mustard seeds, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground pickling spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

In a heavy 6 – 8 quart pan, combine the apples, onions, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil., stirring occasionally, then reduce heat, simmer for 2 hours or until it has cooked down half way and mixture is thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon. Stir it frequently to keep it from sticking to the pan. Remove from heat. At this point, chutney can be placed in sterilized jars for canning or put in small containers to refrigerate or freeze. Chutney has a long shelf life in the freezer.
This recipe takes time and some constant attention, but once made, you have it on hand for quite a while. It is well worth it. Excellent on ham or other meat slices. Good with crackers just to munch on. I have also cut the apples back to 6 cups and added 2 cups fresh cranberries.

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Fresh Peach Salsa

6 large peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped –
(I have used a combo of peaches and
nectarines, also.)
2/3 C orange marmalade
1/4 C sliced green onions
3 Tb cider vinegar
1 Tb crystallized ginger
1 Tb sugar or equivalent sweetener

In a medium bowl, mix together chopped peaches, orange marmalade, green onions, cider vinegar, ginger and sugar. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with chips or crackers or on a slice of ham. Has a refrigerated shelf life of 4 to 5 days.

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Corn Relish – Quick & Easy!

1 12oz can of whole corn
1/8 C dill pickle relish
1/8 C sweet pickle relish
2 Tb chopped bell pepper
1 Tb minced onion
1 Tb chopped pimiento
2 Tb French dressing
2 Tb fresh parsley

Mix all ingredients together. Chill and serve