Egg and Tomato Salad for one

Tomatoes are once again in season here in New England and it's wonderful.  On a recent hot summer day wanting something quick and light for just me I came up with the following recipe. 


Egg and Tomato Salad for one

1 hard boiled egg, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup diced tomato
1 tsp mustard 

In a small to medium sized bowl, gently toss ingredients to mix.  Serve as desired.  Store any leftovers in air tight container in refrigerator. 

Egg and Tomato Salad 

served on lettuce leaf

White Bean Dip

As noted in my hummus recipe, I've come to enjoy eating beans on a regular basis. On several shopping trips, I noticed pre-made, ready to eat white bean dip recipes. Knowing such existed, I decided to try to make my own.

This is a combination of the multiple recipes I read. A single recipe makes enough to be served as an appetizer for 4 with crackers.


1 ½ cups OR 1-15 ounce can of white beans (white kidney or great northern recommended)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup shallot or red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic

If using canned beans, drain and rinse beans. If using dried beans, soak and cook beans according to package.

In a large bowl, mash beans with a potato masher, fork or beater of a hand mixer. Add olive oil, garlic, shallot or onion. Using either fork or hand mixer on low to medium speed, mix until blended.

Serve. Store unused portion in air tight container in refrigerator.

White Bean Dip on 

Imperfect Crackers

Curried Chicken or Tuna Salad (serves 4)

Curried Chicken or Tuna Salad (serves 4)

In going through my recipes recently, I came across the recipe which was the inspiration for the below. Having made this many times with many variations, this is a quick recipe which can be made a day or two in advance, served as a sandwich, over a salad or by itself.

Curried Chicken or Tuna Salad (serves 4)

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked, de-boned and shredded or 1 6 ounce can white tuna, drained and broken apart with a fork

½ medium onion, diced (red onion recommended)

1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced

¼ cup raisins (golden recommended)

½ cup mayonnaise, plus extra, if needed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon curry powder

Salt and black pepper, to taste (optional)

In a bowl, combine chicken or tuna, onion, apple and raisins. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, curry powder to chicken or tuna and combine until well blended. If needed, add additional mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon to get desired consistency. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve or refrigerate in airtight container until ready to use.

Imperfect Oatmeal Crackers

Every store bought cracker I've ever eaten out of the package has been the same crispness, size and thickness if not broken. These crackers are none of these. They are not store bought and may not be the same size, thickness or crispness as others in the same batch.

This is a variation of the “Oatmeal Crackers” recipe my 13th edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook which describes these as having a nutlike taste.

Imperfect Oatmeal Crackers (yield: about 18 crackers)

1 ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I use quick cook rolled oats)

¼ cup + ½ tablespoon cold water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt or table salt

Non-stick cooking spray

Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 275 degrees farenheit.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and then spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium-large bowl, stir 1 cup oatmeal together with water. Let dough rest for 1 minute to let oats absorb the water. Resume stirring until dough holds together in a mass where oats have begun to dissolve.

Sprinkle center of prepared cookie sheet with ¼ cup oatmeal and turn dough out on top of it. Measure/cut piece of wax paper which will cover majority of cookie sheet. Spray one side of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray. Place sprayed side of wax paper atop dough as it will prevent dough from sticking during rolling.

Using rolling pin or 14.5 oz – 15 oz can of tomatoes, pumpkin puree, chick peas, etc. on top of wax paper roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Gently lift and re-situate non-stick wax paper occasionally to prevent folds. If dough cracks or splits while rolling, push it together with your fingers. This can be done with the wax paper between your fingers and the dough.

When rolling is completed, gently lift wax paper from dough. Sprinkle salt over the top. With a knife score the dough, without cutting through, into approximately 1 ½ inch squares. End pieces may be rounded and that's okay.

Bake for 30 minutes, turn dough over with 1 – 2 spatulas and bake for 10 – 20 minutes longer. Dough will curl and that's okay.

Remove from oven and cool. Break into individual crackers. If breaks don't occur on the score lines made before baking, that's okay.

Serve as you would any other cracker. Stored any unused crackers in an airtight container. 

Imperfect Oatmeal Crackers

ready for eating 

Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus or Apple and Hummus Triangle Pita Sandwiches (makes 16 sandwiches)

In going through my recipes recently, I found a Hummus Roll-Ups recipe from which became the inspiration for this recipe. The original print version uses a lavash bread, the on-line version, pita bread. Both, though, give instruction for a roll-up. Knowing I neither possess the time nor skill to make a roll-up sandwich, I modified this recipe.

With three ingredients and no cooking, this is a great recipe if you are having company any time of the year.

Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus or Apple and Hummus Triangle Pita Sandwiches

4 pita rounds, 8-inch diameter
1-16 ounce, 2-8 ounce container(s) of plain hummus or one batch of homemade hummus
1 can or jar roasted red peppers, thinly sliced (if making red pepper version)
1 medium granny smith apple, thinly sliced (if making apple version)

Using either a pizza cutter or knife, slice pita rounds into quarters, or a triangle where the short side is partially rounded, not flat. You should have 16 triangles.  

Spread the rough insides of each pita triangle with a thin layer of hummus. Add either the roasted red peppers or apples to the inside of each pita triangle. Serve.

Roasted Red Pepper and Hummus

Pita Triangles Ready to Eat

Fancy Turkey Burgers

This is a variation of a Sun Dried Turkey Burger recipe I picked up somewhere in my travels several years ago but only tried it for the first time last year.  Me being me I altered this recipe by substituting red onion for shallot, spicy brown mustard for dijon mustard, dried basil for fresh.  My personal preference is to omit the sun-dried tomatoes as I think it overwhelms the other flavors and can make the burgers a bit challenging to form. 

Fancy Turkey Burgers  

1 pound ground turkey 
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 ½ teaspoons spicy mustard

In a medium bowl combine turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, basil, garlic, onion and mustard.  Form into patties.  Grill, pan sear or bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven until done throughout. 

Fancy Turkey Burgers

with 

Oven Roasted Baby Carrots

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

In a recent thumb through my recipes, I came across this one which I used to make regularly when the bananas in the house ripened before they could be eaten as is.  I don’t if it’s good or bad but it’s been a while since a banana in my house has gotten too ripe to eat. 

Whole Wheat Banana Bread  (yield: two loaves)

1/3 cup canola oil

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

(approximately) 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour

(approximately) 1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Place oven rack on medium rung and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease two 9 ½” x 5” x 3” loaf pans.

In a medium to large bowl, mix oil, sugar and eggs.   Add 1 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix.  Add honey.  Mix.  Add bananas mix.

Gradually continue to add flour, about 1/8 cup at a time, until batter is dough like, but not dry. Depending upon the amount of banana and honey, more or less than the 1 ¾ cup flour listed will be used.  Dough should be thick and require slight effort to stir.  Add walnuts (optional). Mix.

Pour into well-greased 9 ½” x 5” x 3” loaf pan. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until fork comes out clean.  Reomve from pan; cool on rack.