«  
  »

July 2021 “In My Kitchen”

By Eliot, on July 5th, 2021

I believe I skipped the last couple of months of “In My Kitchen” and while I didn’t gain a lot of new gadgetry in the kitchen, I still wanted to check in and share.

First, I was thrilled to announce on July 1st that I am a finalist in a Taste of Home cooking contest.   Please vote for me here.  (You can vote once a day).  The recipe is Maple-Chai Pumpkin Muffins.  I appreciate your support!

I made this recipe again recently and made six giant muffins.

Family was here for the July 4th weekend.  We went to the lake BEFORE the 4th and had a great time motoring around and swimming.   We tend to avoid the lake on three weekends out of the year:  this one, Labor Day and Memorial Day (lots of amateurs and just too many boaters out to be enjoyable), so for the weekend we just hung around the house and watched the nephews shoot off fireworks.

I really didn’t go all out but I did find a great recipe and created another.  Here’s a brief rundown of our holiday menus.

For a simple but delicious and beautiful dessert for Independence Day, try these colorful rice cereal treats.

I found the recipe in the July edition of Southern Living.   Just stir in 3/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries and 3/4 c. freeze-dried blueberries to the regular rice cereal treat recipe.

For another dessert (and to celebrate a birthday), I made Blueberry Skillet Cobbler.

We fried up a bazillion fish fillets (hybrid bass) that The Hubs had caught on a early June fishing trip.  We just coated them with cornmeal, Cajun spice, a little sugar, and salt and pepper.  We had so much fish we ate on them for at least three meals.  The first night was simply the fillets.  Then came the Po-Boys, and finally just simply cold on a grazing board.  (Sorry, no photos.)

To go along with the obligatory hot dogs and brats, I created this macaroni salad.  I based the dressing on Rodney Scott’s potato salad.  I added whatever veggies I had in the fridge.

Macaroni Salad

Debra

Based on “Potato Salad”(148) from Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 c. elbow macaroni
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • 2 T. yellow mustard
  • 2 T. vinegar (I used a chive vinegar.)
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1 t. sugar
  • 1-2 t. black pepper
  • 1/4 t. red pepper flakes
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 c. pickle relish
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/4 c. white onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, diced

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni. Drain and rinse.
  2. While macaroni is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, sugar, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Whisk until smooth. Then, stir in the relish, celery, onion, carrot and bell pepper. Set aside.
  3. After macaroni is cooled a bit, place it in a large serving bowl. Stir in dressing. Carefully fold in the eggs. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Yield: 8-10

Of course, there’s more books.  I did buy another cookbook/memoir, Midnight Chicken.  I am hosting the December/January edition of Cook the Books and chose this book.  

(I just realized that the August/September selection is Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe.  Ironic.  You can read about all the upcoming books here.  Please join us!)

Thanks to Culinary Adventures with Camilla, I received a copy (which I just dove into last night) of What’s Good  by Peter Hoffman.  

So far, I am more than intrigued.

I hope that everyone here in the States had a great Fourth.   Be safe and well, all!

“In My Kitchen” is hosted by Sherry’s Pickings.  Please drop by her site to see what’s going on in kitchens around the world.  

For my curveball, I’m sharing a photo of hot air balloons.  They were above our neighborhood right before dusk on July4th.  They landed about a mile away from our house.

I’m also sharing with Marg’s Weekend Cooking.  I haven’t linked up there in ages as well.

I’m also linking up with Deb’s Souper Sunday (at Kahakai Kitchen).

Clubs and Blog Hops, Recipes   , , , , , , ,  
«  
  »

24 comments to July 2021 “In My Kitchen”

«  
  »