Cranberry Cashew Coleslaw!

I love coleslaw and I like to try variations and different recipes for it.   This "Cranberry Cashew Coleslaw" is a wonderful blend of several things I happen to really like so for me it was a big winner!  It's also easy as can be.

  Here is what you will need:

1 (16 oz.) bag of coleslaw mix

1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin, including the green blades

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup cashew pieces (could substitute chopped pecans or walnuts)

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbs. cider or white vinegar

2 Tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. celery seeds

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Place the coleslaw mix, green onions, dried cranberries and cashew pieces in a mixing bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seeds.  Pour over the coleslaw and toss to coat all of the ingredients.  This will seem almost a little dry, but as it sits the water in the cabbage makes it moister.  Cover and sit in the fridge for about an hour and toss again and it will be perfect!

This is so good with chicken and turkey or even barbeque and pork!  This is a good summer recipe, but would be great for the holidays also!  





Nelda's Cabbage Casserole!

This "Cabbage Casserole" is just a good old country recipe.  It transforms cabbage into something that even some who are not so crazy about cabbage will eat!  Every time I make this casserole, I think about a sweet friend of mine I grew up with in church, who passed away a few years ago.  She was not well most of her adult life, and when she would not be feeling well or would seem down, I would ask her what I could do to help her out.  She sometimes would ask if I would cut her hair and fix it for her, but  most of the time, she would ask if I would just make her this cabbage casserole.  Of course, I would say yes and even if I offered to cook her something I thought was more filling or more of a meal, she would say no, she just wanted the cabbage casserole.   I decided it only fitting to name this, "Nelda's Cabbage Casserole" in honor of  her!

Here is what you will need for this casserole:

1/2 head of a large green cabbage or 1 whole small cabbage, chopped in bite size pieces (not too fine)

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 (10.5 oz.) can of cream of celery soup (can substitute cream of chicken)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, divided (1 stick)

6 slices Velveeta Cheese or 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

Layer the shredded cabbage in a 2 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle the top with the diced onion.  Sprinkle with the seasoned salt and the black pepper.  In a separate bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and 1/2 of the butter that has been melted. 

 Spread this mixture over the top of the cabbage and onion covering it all to the edges of the dish.

Lay the slices of Velveeta over the soup layer.  If you are one of those people that thinks Velveeta is the devil or it's 'disgusting'...lol, use shredded cheddar cheese instead.  However, I will tell you that the Velveeta makes this better, because when it melts it's so creamy! 

Sprinkle the top with the crushed Ritz crackers over the top and dot with the rest of the butter.

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.   The top will be brown.  If it starts to brown too much just lay a piece of foil on top toward the end. 

This is really good with pork chops, pinto beans and cornbread!  Are you hungry yet?





Good Luck Soup!

This "Good Luck Soup" is another recipe courtesy of my Aunt Ann.  She says she makes this for New Year's Day  most years, because it has all of the elements of the southern tradition of eating for good luck on New Year's Day...the black eyed peas, the cabbage, the pork and add cornbread, you have the perfect good luck meal.

 I got the recipe a little late for New Year's, but this soup is good anytime and since we are headed into March and St. Patrick's Day and the "Luck of the Irish", it still makes a great recipe for this time of year also.  Besides that, it's just plain good and it's good for you.  It's also easy to make and you can even put this in your slow cooker to cook all night or day while you are at work.

Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 lbs. ground sausage
1 large onion, chopped or about 1 cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 cups cabbage, chopped
2 cups water
2 (14.5 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes
1 Tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1 Tablespoon molasses or honey  ( you could substitute brown sugar)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, brown sausage along with onion and garlic.  When the sausage browned add all of the other ingredients and mix well.  Bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

If you want to do this in your slow cooker.  Brown the sausage with the onion and garlic first in a skillet.  When browned place the meat with the other ingredients in a 5 - 6 quart slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 

This is one of those soups that just gets better as it sits and the flavors blend.  It's perfect with either Cornbread Hoe Cakes or Aunt Vel's Sour Cream Cornbread!