garden salad with pesto dressing
Posted: August 16, 2020 Filed under: salads, sides | Tags: basil, chicken, green beans, green bell pepper, lettuce, olive oil, parsley, pepper, red bell pepper, salt, spinach, tarragon, tomatoes, vegetable oil, zucchini Leave a comment
Fresh ‘n Tasty
The scan of the Mom’s original recipe clipping (below) hails from a Family Circle Magazine recipe from 1978. I don’t remember eating many salads in my younger years (hooray!) so I definitely dodged a bullet, as a lover of carbs.
Family Circle was one of my Mom’s go-to reads and I thought it was still in circulation. Sadly, it is no more but it had a good run of it from 1932 – 2019. You can read more about Family Circle Magazine here.
This salad is super versatile. You can add veggies or a protein and make it a mouth-watering meal. We added some grilled chicken to the salad and it was delicious!
We made the salad and pesto just a few days before departing on our 2020 Covid getaway to Colorado.
Foodie Tips
❤ For just two people we cut the salad and pesto recipes in half. If you are OK with leftovers for another meal, go all the way.
❤ A little pesto goes a long way. You don’t have to glob it on like a pasta sauce. If you love pesto you should try our family favorite that is a 100% legit basil pesto.
❤ I saw no evidence for what the asterisks were pointing to in the original recipe for parsley and basil. I can only presume the author meant to include “USE FRESH HERBS ONLY” because using dried parsley and basil sounds like a culinary disaster.
❤ We seasoned our chicken with a gift from a friend who makes it by hand – JB’s Special Blend is a staple in our home!
i. Time
Total prep: About 90 minutes (includes chilling time).
ii. Ingredients
for the dressing:
½ cup | olive oil or vegetable oil
¼ cup | tarragon vinegar
1 cup | parsley clusters
1 ½ teaspoons | fresh basil leaves
1 clove | garlic
½ teaspoon | salt
⅛ teaspoon | pepper
2 tablespoons | fresh parmesan cheese, grated
for the salad:
3 cups | lettuce, hand torn
3 cups | spinach, hand torn
1 | red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 | green pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 cups | zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup | raw green beans, slivered
3 | tomatoes, cut into wedges
iii. What To Do
1. For the pesto: Combine all of the ingredients (except the cheese) using an electric blender or immersion blender until smooth. Hand-stir in the cheese. Chill 1 hour to let the flavors mingle.
2. For the salad: Line a serving bowl with the lettuce and spinach. Arrange your chosen vegetables on top and chill until serving time. Serve tossed with the pesto dressing.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Clipping From 1978
I included the back of the recipe pointing to the origin of this recipe plus a surprise for a tempura batter recipe.
cornbread con chili
Posted: October 29, 2018 Filed under: appetizers, sides | Tags: chili con carne, corn bread, parsley, tabasco sauce Leave a comment
Two Treats In One
I often enjoy my corn bread alongside a piping hot bowl of chili.
This recipe cuts to the chase by adding chili con carne to the corn bread mix – it’s the perfect mashup of these two food groups essential for any Texan!
Perhaps the secret weapon in this recipe is that of good ol’ Tabasco. Mom always had a bottle of it in our kitchen pantry and she had a love for the spicy that was passed on to my tastebuds!
Love Tobasco, too? While your cornbread is baking why not check out some of the vintage ads I included below that celebrate the spicy good stuff!
Foodie Tips
❤ Don’t do what I did – make sure and add the parsley flakes to the batter before baking! #Doh!
❤ While I’m sure Mom used curly-leafed parsley, I’m a devoted lover of Italian flat leaf parsley. It’s a texture thing for me but this post credits the Italian variety with being more flavorful.
❤ Hungry for more chili and cornbread recipes? Treat your tastebuds to my award-winning chili and homemade spicy-stuffed cornbread recipes!
i. Time
Total prep: Less than an hour.
ii. Ingredients
8 ounce box | corn bread mix
1 teaspoon | tabasco pepper sauce
1 tablespoon | parsley, chopped
1 ~ 15 ounce can | chili con carne
iii. What to do
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl prepare the cornbread per the box directions.
3. Add the Tobasco, parsley, and the chili. Mix everything until well blended.
4. Pour the chili batter into a greased 8″ x 8″ baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. I had to bake my cornbread for a tad longer than 25 minutes – it may have had something to do with my Texas-shaped baking dish (Central Texas took a little longer to bake).
Serve Warm: With fried chicken, pork chops, meat loaf… or just because. I like my cornbread on top of chili ‘n cheese, please!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Recipe For “Cornbread With Chili”
shrimp victoria
Posted: August 20, 2018 Filed under: appetizers, seafood | Tags: butter, flour, lemon juice, mushrooms, onion, parsley, pepper, rice, seasoned salt, shrimp, sour cream, toast, worcestershire sauce 3 Comments
Tales From The Sea
I found this recipe folded in my Mom “Betty’s” index card holder. I recognized her handwriting immediately.
There’s no doubting Mom’s love for seafood as this recipe is one of several shrimp recipes I’ve discovered in her cookbook (surf the shrimp recipe archive).
While I tell a few funny stories on this food blog about my dislike for most types of seafood, this recipe is delicious, proving once again that my distaste for seafood is waning. Mom would be proud.
The Write Stuff
I look closer at the paper containing the recipe and notice the phone number “CA6-4141”. I was time-warped back to an era when phone numbers began with exchange names. Exchanges were phased out in the 1960s and 70s, so this would date the origin of this recipe back about 50 years ago. The number CA6-4141? “CA” stood for “Capitol” which translated to “22” so the full phone number would have been 226-4141. Confusing short-code, huh? Today San Antonio has 10-digit dialing like most large cities. The city’s newest area code 726 went into effect in 2017 and made me smile because 726 is my birthdate, July 26th.
Also on the paper recipe (below) I see The Clegg Company. A quick Google and this San Antonio Business Journal article popped-up in sight. I was surprised to learn that the then 104-year-old retailer was purchased by Herman Miller – the maker of the iconic Herman Miller Aeron chair. This very chair was one I sat on during my days working for a large internet consultancy that went belly up after the dot-com bust. That’s another long twisty, turbulent story for another day!
While stories like these likely don’t mean much to folks outside my family I include them here as an example of the amazing ways we are connected to the past if we’re open to it. All this from a Shrimp Victoria recipe scribbled on a notepad… and tucked away for more than 50 years!
Foodie Tips
❤ The rice was good but believe it or not I’m trying buttered toast on the next go (we were out of bread)!
❤ Not sure how to clean and devein your shrimp? I’ve included a couple of YouTube videos below that will show you how easy it is!
❤ I thought I was being fancy by letting my shrimp marinate overnight in the fridge. Turns out that it’s not really necessary! My online sleuthing showed that a 30-minute marinade should be fine but with an acid-based marinade (this recipe has lemon juice) the shrimp can turn “mushy” as the acid can start to break down the shrimp. I didn’t experience this with my dish, however!
❤ While stores may not be consistent in how they classify shrimp, when you’re at the seafood counter there’s a method to the madness for how many shrimp typically come per pound (this is indicative of their size). Resources that will be helpful include the Certi-Fresh Shrimp Sizing Guide you can print, and keep with your cookbooks (score!)… and the Farm to Table guide that provides some detail on larger-sized shrimp. Now you’ll be able to decipher shrimp-like code like PUD, P&D, U/15, and 61/70!
i. Time
Total prep: About 30 minutes.
ii. Ingredients
½ cup | unsalted butter (my grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Falfurrias)
1 ½ pounds | cleaned, raw shrimp
½ cup | onion, chopped
1 cup | fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons | lemon juice
1 tablespoon | worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons | flour
1 ½ teaspoons | seasoned salt
dash | fresh cracked black pepper
1 ½ cups | sour cream
1 tablespoon | fresh parsley, chopped
to serve | rice or buttered toast (optional)
iii. What to do
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter. Cook shrimp and onion, stirring until the shrimp is almost tender, about 5 minutes.
A Mound Of Sour Cream? Texans “Yee Haw” About This!
2. Add the mushrooms, lemon juice and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the flour, seasoned salt and black pepper. Then the sour cream. Return the skillet to the heat and cook over low heat stirring until hot, but not boiling.
4. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve at once over rice or buttered toast.
Yields 6 servings
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Shrimp Victoria Recipe ~ Note The Suggested Pairings
For The Perfect Meal (see bottom of recipe)
minestrone soup
Posted: October 29, 2017 Filed under: soups | Tags: beef broth, cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic, green beans, kidney beans, macaroni, oil, olive oil, onion, parmesan cheese, parsley, peas, pepper, sage, salt, tomato paste, vegetable broth, water Leave a comment
My Mainstay, Minestrone
This is the third minestrone recipe I’ve discovered in my Mom “Betty’s” cookbook so there’s no doubt this was one of her favorites. This soup’s signature ingredients of beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes will not disappoint. Plus, there’s pasta and cheese!
I’m glad to be reminded that this dish hails from Italy. And not just Italy but ancient Italy (think BC, folks!).
I’ve kidded a few times here at Betty’s Cook Nook that my family must have had poor roots as many of the recipes we ate growing up are considered peasant foods. This is one of them; minestrone belongs to a style of cooking known in Italy as “cucina povera” (literally “poor kitchen”). All I have to say is bring it on — I love my peasant foods as they are hearty and the very origins of comfort foods rely upon them! True story: I once made and devoured an instant mashed potato on sliced white bread sandwich proving my forever love for carby sustenance.
Macaroni For Me … Macaroni For You!
As a lover and former resident of Italy, one thing I’ve learned is that Italians do not rush in the kitchen. They really don’t rush outside the kitchen, either, unless it’s from behind the wheel of a fast sports car or when horse racing at revered events like Siena’s Palio.
In similar fashion, please don’t hurry this recipe — let the ingredients mingle and get to know one another. While cooking time takes about an hour and a half it’s well worth the wait. You’ll be treated to wonderful smells from your lively kitchen and rewarded with a savory soup that has withstood the test — and taste — of time.
foodie tips
❤ Back in the day “oil” likely meant Crisco vegetable oil. Since this dish has Italian roots we used olive oil — a kitchen staple. As fan of a great olive oil, for several years I’ve fostered an Italian olive tree living on a farm gracing the hills outside Montalcino, Tuscany. Each year after the Il Palazzone harvest my eyes grow as wide as dinner plates when 3 bottles of pure gold arrive at my door. That’s amore!
❤ Make sure and check out Mom’s other two minestrone recipes here and here. I’m not sure which version I like best as each has its own merit. In a pinch you could make the one that makes best use of the ingredients you have in your kitchen.
❤ Wacky about minestrone? Wiki’s got you covered with more interesting facts about this zesty soup!
i. ingredients
½ cup | olive oil
1 clove | garlic, minced
2 cups | onion, chopped
1 cup | celery, chopped
4 tablespoons | parsley, chopped
6 ounce can | tomato paste
10 ½ ounce can (~1 ½ cups) | beef or vegetable broth
9 cups | water
1 cup | cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 | carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons | salt
¼ teaspoon | freshly cracked pepper
⅛ teaspoon | sage
1 pound can | kidney beans
1 cup | green beans or peas (we used beans)
1 cup | elbow macaroni
to taste | grated parmesan cheese
ii. what to do
1. In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and parsley and cook until soft, about 7-9 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and the next 7 ingredients (the broth, water, cabbage, carrots, salt, pepper and sage). Mix well and bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer slowly 1 hour.
5. Add the kidney and green beans (or peas) and the macaroni. Cook 10-15 minutes more or until the macaroni is tender.
6. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. That’s right — grated cheese makes the world go ’round!
Yields 8 servings. Keeps well in the refrigerator and reheats nicely!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Here’s A Scan Of Mom’s Actual Recipe Card
crunchy tuna salad
Posted: July 23, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, salads, seafood, sides | Tags: celery, chow mein, dry onions, french dressing, lettuce, mayonnaise, parsley, white tuna Leave a comment 
It’s Time for a Chow Mein Chow Down
One of the interesting things about being a self-proclaimed nostalgic food blogger is when I run across food items that are no longer available. Looking for something that isn’t there can turn me into an angry shopper at times but I often find a workaround, like when I made my own madrilène for what I thought was going to be a simple bowl of cold avocado soup.
In just a single lifetime serving sizes have become larger and in tandem food is sold in larger sized containers. Supersize Me. As is the case with this recipe, “Tasteez Fried Chow Mein” is no more. I can’t even find a trace of it performing one of my usually successful Google image searches! So that means it was likely gone way pre-pre-Internet.
Like many of my other posts, I will give you a taste of what it was like back in the good ol’ days with some vintage chow mein commercials, albeit from other brands like La Choy, which seems to have survived the taste test of time. After you’re done with the recipe, scroll down below where I’ve curated some of my favorite videos from YouTube. 享受! (that’s “enjoy” in Chinese).
foodie tips
❤ I wasn’t very familiar with what “dry onions” were. Maybe something was lost in translation so I used Spice Islands Dry Minced Onions, which was all I could find at my neighborhood store. I think I got this correct!
❤ A word about parsley: While my Mom “Betty” would likely have used curly-leaf parsley, I’ve learned through the years that it’s a little too tickly for my tongue. I’m usually hugging tight to the Italian flat-leaf parsley because I don’t find it wrestling my tastebuds on the way down.
i. ingredients
1 cup | tuna
½ cup | celery, chopped
¼ cup | dry onions, chopped
handful | lettuce, chopped
¼ cup | mayonnaise
2 tablespoons | french dressing
1 cup | la choy fried chow mein noodles, lightly crushed
to present/serve | lettuce leaf (optional)
to garnish | parsley, chopped
ii. what to do
1. Mix tuna, celery, dry onions, and lettuce.
2. Stir in the mayo and the French dressing.
3. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but here is where you could chill your tuna salad (totally optional). When ready to serve add the chow mein to the salad mixture and stir to coat.
4. Arrange the tuna salad on your lettuce leaf and garnish with parsley.
Yields 4-6 appetizer-sized servings.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A scan of Mom’s Crunchy Tuna Salad recipe.
This recipe is on a waxy kinda paper – likely a cutting from the Tasteez chow mein package itself!
Now on to the vintage videos!
YUM YUM YUM – Crunchy Tuna Salad’s In Da House
shrimp remoulade
Posted: June 5, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, meats poultry and fish, seafood | Tags: celery, egg, green pepper, mustard, onion, paprika, parsley, salad oil, salt, shrimp, tabasco sauce, vinegar 2 Comments
let’s applaud this remoulade
Prior to making this recipe, I didn’t know much about shrimp remoulade.
- I couldn’t spell “remoulade” correctly.
- Roots to France? No wonder I couldn’t spell it!
- As a younger Patrick if a shrimp-like object was placed before me I would have run for the hills, arms in air. So making this recipe *and eating* the end result involved a bending of my typical seafood predispositions; I have found certain select seafood fare that I enjoy, although don’t tell that to my Tex-Mex and Italian foodie favorites.
foodie tips
❤ Shrimp tip! While stores may not be consistent in how they classify shrimp, when you’re at the seafood counter, there’s a method to the madness for how many shrimp typically come per pound (this is indicative of their size). Resources that will be helpful include the Certi-Fresh website, which gives great detail plus the Certi-Fresh Shrimp Sizing Guide you can print, and keep with your cookbooks (score!)… and the Farm to Table guide that provides some detail on larger-sized shrimp. Now you’ll be able to decipher shrimp-like code like PUD, P&D, U/15, and 61/70!
❤ While shrimp remoulade is technically an appetizer, you can enjoy it with a variety of sidekicks. I can squarely picture my Mom “Betty” eating these marinated shrimp straight off a Nabisco saltine cracker. Other accents can include a bed of tender greens, jasmine rice, toasted crostini or simply by fork (I’m guilty of by fork – it was that good).
i. ingredients
½ cup + 2 tablespoons | salad oil
¼ cup | mustard
3 tablespoons | vinegar
1 teaspoon | salt
¼ teaspoon | tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons | paprika
1 | egg, hard cooked, separated into yolk and white and chopped
½ cup | celery, minced
2 tablespoons | onion, grated
2 tablespoons | fresh parsley, snipped
2 tablespoons | green pepper, minced
1 pound | shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked (P&D&C)
ii. what to do
1. Beat the oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, Tabasco, paprika, and egg yolk with a rotary beater until thick.
2. Fold in the celery, onion, parsley, green pepper, and chopped egg white.
3. Stir in the cleaned and cooked shrimp.
4. Cover and chill in the fridge, stirring occasionally. I let my shrimp and remoulade mingle for about an hour.
Shrimply delicious!
Yields up to 4 servings, depending on the size of the shrimp and how you’re serving it (appetizer or main course).
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A scan of Mom’s original Shrimp Remoulade recipe!
Let’s enjoy some vintage cracker commercials!
Who knows how many sleeves of crackers I’ve polished off in my lifetime. Now we can enjoy a nod to crackers throughout the years!
vegetable dip
Posted: February 1, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, sides | Tags: garlic, green onions, mayonnaise, parsley, spinach, vegetables Leave a comment 
Dippity Do
My Cousin Julie is a fantastic host.
When there’s a gathering at her house – whether simple or grandiose – the tastiest of foods are always at the ready. It’s like Christmas for the taste buds!
Cousin Julie’s veggie dip is easy to make and doesn’t require resting. Smooth and creamy with a natural green color, this is one of my favorite flavors that reminds me of home.
foodie tips
❤ Leftovers store well in the fridge. However, I have it on good word that being in possession of veggie dip leftovers is actually a misdemeanor here in Texas. Just sayin’. :)
❤ While typically dunked by sliced veggies (see below), this dip is also good on toasted or fresh-cubed bread, corn chips… you get the idea.
❤ I might sneak in some minced garlic into this on my next makin’ of this mighty dip recipe. Did you know that since garlic has leaves it’s actually a vegetable and not an herb?
❤ I can think of many ways to enjoy this dip: On a burger, by the fire, just because, and above all else… to show others how much you care!
i. ingredients
1 cup | mayonnaise
½ cup | fresh spinach
handful | fresh parsley (we used Italian flat-leaf)
3-5 | green onions, chopped
to serve | your favorite vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, peppers, radishes, etc.)
ii. what to do
1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and you’re ready to let ‘er rip.
3. Dip to your heart’s content!
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Recipe
In my blog posts I typically include a nod to yesteryear. Let’s celebrate this time-honored dip with a flashback to some “Dippity Do” commercials from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Enjoy!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
parmesan dressing
Posted: January 30, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, sides | Tags: bread crumbs, onion, parmesan cheese, parsley, vegetable oil, water Leave a comment
A Tale of Two Dishes
When I first picked this recipe from Mom’s cookbook, I thought I’d be making a creamy salad dressing chock-full of grated parmesan.
I was so very wrong!
A few minutes into the prep for this recipe and I knew to set my salad aside.
I was making dressing. Or was it stuffing?
Turns out I wasn’t sure the differences of either.
I grew up loving me some Stove Top Stuffing. Not that my Mom “Betty” regularly made it – I did. My love for stuffing started and swelled during my college years and since I’ve polished off more than a few boxes of the stuff like it was a main course … and a dessert.
A Foodie War Rages On
After a little bit of online research I was left even more conflicted about the differences between dressing and stuffing.
Some posts I found noted that the only difference was whether you prepared and served the dish from inside a bird (hence stuffing) vs. from the side of the bird (or dressing).
Another post said it was due to differences in dialect as in the south dressing was a more “genteel” way of referring to stuffing. Reading this made me feel like I time-warped back into a scene from Gone With The Wind.
Others posts pointed to stuffing being super moist and dressing more like a special combination of sticky-pillowy soft with a hint of crisp – this is the style I am used to.
All I know is based on this Butterball survey, the various regions of the country do have differences in preference. No wonder my confusion! As a Texan, I live in a region where the popularity of “stuffing” vs. “dressing” is an arm-wrestle more evenly matched than anywhere else in the nation! Heck, even in this Paul Deen video, the Southern Queen of Comfort Food herself uses the terms interchangeably… yet her end result looks more like porridge than what I’m used to. Heck, y’all, if Rachael Ray was weighing-in here, she’d probably call this dish “druffing,” as she’s known for inventing words that are a made-up mish-mash of food itself!
So, what does your family call it?
I simply call it “get in my belly!” And just like the war over chili with or without beans, I’ll leave it to you to make and enjoy the very best of your favorite recipes!
foodie tips
❤ A word about parsley … While I’m fairly certain that in the good ol’ days any reference to parsley implied the curly-leaf kind, today I’m a lover of Italian flat-leaf parsley because I find it less “grassy” and “scratchy” on my palate. The good news is you can pick whichever variety you like!
❤ Step 3 below is optional, but I tried the dressing before and after and preferred the dressing with a slight toasting.
i. ingredients
1 large | white onion, chopped
4 tablespoons | vegetable oil
3 cups | soft bread crumbs
½ cup | parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup | fresh parsley, chopped (Italian flat leaf suggested)
2 tablespoons | hot water
ii. what to do
1. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, sauté the onions.
2. Add the onions to all the other ingredients and mix well.
3. This step is extra (from me)… I transferred my dressing into a 350°F preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes to toast it up a bit. I added a bit more freshly grated parmesan on top to give it a little punch.
Enjoy!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Parmesan Dressing Recipe Card
A few more vintage Stove Top commercials from me to you!
~ ~ ~
Stove Top Stuffing: Creepy, Remarkable, or Somewhere in Between?!
Listen to this NPR spot about the origin of Stove Top Stuffing and its creator, Ruth Siems.
After listening to this I gained a greater appreciation for the culinary convenience of Stove Top Stuffing as well as the time-tested art of conventional stuffing!
~ ~ ~
minestrone
Posted: December 4, 2016 Filed under: soups | Tags: basil, beef bouillon, beef broth, cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic, green beans, green peas, navy beans, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, salt, tomatoes, vegetable oil, water, white onion, zucchini Leave a comment
Souper Trouper
This isn’t our first time at the minestrone rodeo! In 2012 we made this minestrone recipe and Mom must have surely loved this soup because I think I’ve found 3 different minestrone soup recipes in her cookbook.
While the formal definition of minestrone calls for a thick soup with bits of pasta, this recipe – sans the pasta – is just as tasty as our first find, which included dittalini. With Italian origins, this tasty soup warms you up on a cold day! It’s good all by itself or partnered with some fresh baked bread and a salad. For those who don’t know me, a side of wine is a given. :)
foodie tips
❤ I used red cabbage for a pop a’ color.
❤ I was concerned at first sight by the mass quantity of soup. But when I later did the math I realized it’s perfect for a party of eight. Or 4 days of 2 bowls each. :/~ You can also bag and freeze leftovers for a quick meal when you’re short on time.
❤ “Navy beans” are referred to by many a name. Haricot. Pearl Haricot. Pea Bean. This high fiber bean isn’t navy blue in color – rather white – and prized for its cholesterol-lowering health benefits plus its ability to retain an oval shape after being cooked tender. Navy beans received their nickname after being a popular staple of the U.S. Navy in the early 20th century.
i. ingredients
2 cups | navy beans
4 quarts | cold water
5 | beef bouillon cubes (or beef broth)
2 tablespoons | vegetable oil
1 ½ cups | onion, chopped
2 cups | celery, sliced
2 cloves | garlic, minced
3 tablespoons | parsley, chopped
1 pound can | tomatoes, chopped (including juice)
1 teaspoon | basil, crumbled (or a few fresh leaves, torn by hand)
½ teaspoon | oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons | salt (we prefer kosher salt or grey sea salt)
¼ teaspoon | pepper, freshly cracked
1 cup (3 medium) | carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups (4 small) | unpeeled zucchini, sliced
10 ounce package | frozen green peas
10 ounce package | frozen cut green beans
¼ head (2 cups) | cabbage, sliced
to serve | parmesan cheese, grated
ii. what to do
1. Wash the navy beans. Place beans, water and bouillon (or broth) in a large pot. Bring slowly to boil and simmer, covered 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are soft. While the beans soften now’s a good time for a little wine rest break! #LongDay
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the beans and broth.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. To serve, sprinkle each serving with the grated parmesan cheese and ENJOY!
Yields: About 8-9 servings (~2 cups each, in size). Nutritional info is below in the original recipe scan!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Betty’s Original Minestrone Soup Recipe
barbequed shrimp
Posted: April 30, 2016 Filed under: appetizers, seafood | Tags: basil, catsup, garlic, parsley, pepper, salad oil, shrimp, wine vinegar Leave a comment
Checking The Box
As I sit to write this post I think to myself “How well do I really know things about shrimp?”
Turns out not very well!
Why? Well, as a child of 8 who had an unforgettable unpleasant experience with oysters, I’ve since found seafood literally quite fishy, meaning I typically run from it. Batter it up, fry it, and top it with some fresh squeezed lemon or tartar sauce and I’ll come running back. While crab, grilled salmon, Luby’s fried fish, lobster mac and cheese, even some ceviche are right at home in my belly, my list of “no thank yous” include shrimp cocktail, seafood salad, and the likes of anything resembling octopus and squid. Don’t even get me started about a fish served with a head and a glaring, glazed eye. N.O.
So in the end my knowledge of seafood is what I’d call a short story. Two ships that passed in the night. An un-love affair.
A Fish By Any Other Name
When I established this cooking blog I wanted to organize it identically to how Mom organized the sections in her cookbook. Despite my goal there have been recipes that break convention and this recipe is one of them; the only possible two categories this recipe would likely fit under is “appetizers” or “meats poultry and fish.” So I thought: “Check meats poultry and fish!”
Not. So. Fast.
I turned to Google and started researching to find out what, really, is a shrimp?! I came across posts that:
- Criticized shrimp as being “bottom feeders” that are high in cholesterol
- Praised shrimp for being a healthy alternative to meat and poultry
- Described shrimp as being more closely related to spiders, grasshoppers and crabs than to fish
- And one post that skewered shrimp for exacerbating climate change. Wow, really?
In the end a shrimp is factually a 10-legged crustacean. And since saying “I’m eating crustacean tonight!” sounds plain ol’ #awkward, most people just settle on referring to shrimp as seafood. So there we go … *POOF* … I just created a seafood category box at right!
Shrimping On The Barbie
Before we dive into Mom and Dad’s shrimp recipe below, let’s watch a memorable throwback with this 1980s commercial featuring Paul Hogan who is better remembered as Crocodile Dundee. The phrase “slip another shrimp on the barbie?” It came from this: * Caution: the “shrimp” on the barbie at the end of this commercial is monstrously ginormous. But maybe it’s a prawn? And is a prawn a shrimp? Oh, that’s a foodie research story best served for another day. :)
foodie tips ~
❤ Don’t watch the above video with closed captioning tuned on … unless you want a good laugh.
❤ You probably know who had the bright idea to cloak his shrimp in bacon in the picture above. That’s right!
❤ Do not overcook this shrimp, per Mom’s note below!
i. ingredients
1 cup | salad oil
1 teaspoon | salt
3 tablespoons | parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon | dried basil leaves
2 cloves | garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon | catsup
1 teaspoon | pepper
1 tablespoon | wine vinegar
2 pounds | shrimp, shelled and deveined
ii. what to do
1. Combine the first eight ingredients above to make your marinade. Pour over the shrimp and cover. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
2. Thread shrimp on skewers and place on the barbie. Grill 3 minutes over coals, basting with the marinade.
3. Turn and grill 5 minutes more, basting several times.
Mom said my Dad always got raves from guests for this dish. Enjoy!
~ Patrick
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Mom and Dad’s Original Barbequed Shrimp Recipe
Betty's Cook Nook 
