Just when I think there's no way on earth anyone can create a new recipe, the internet surprises me. I own and regularly peruse many cookbooks, but similarly spend time checking out "trending" recipes online and on social media sites. Unbelievably, new and in some cases, recycled recipes pop up almost every day, including what seems like hundreds of ways to make salads, a favorite of Gen X cooks and fledgling chefs.
Speaking of salads, ideas that I've actually used include grating raw Brussels sprouts and kale to combine with tastier greens like iceberg and Romaine lettuce and using a mandolin to chop lettuce into small pieces reminiscent of restaurant salads. A simple yet "recycled" way to make a loaded salad includes laying a bowl with greens, protein, vegetables, dried cranberries, chopped fruit and favorite crunchy toppings like croutons and won ton strips, then shaking everything together in a sealed bowl after applying dressing.
Here are three of the best of many "recycled" recipes I've tried in the past week. After trying them, you'll probably agree that, "Everything old is new again."
2024's Take on Egg Sandwich
(Perfect breakfast sandwich "to go" or quick meal)
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs beaten
2 slices bread
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped ham
Cook and crumble bacon and set aside. Place butter into a small non-stick frying pan and heat over medium heat until melted. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and pour over butter. Cook eggs until almost done. Place 2 bread slices on top of the eggs and press into eggs, coating both sides. After cooking another minute or two, carefully flip the combined bread and eggs over.
Fold the overlapping egg onto the bread slices. Top eggs with shredded cheese and cooked bacon. Cook for a minute or two, pressing lightly with a spatula, until the bread is toasted on top and bottom. Serve immediately while hot.
30-Minute One-Pot Cajun Pasta
1-pound smoked sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon each: cayenne pepper, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, smoked paprika, thyme leaves, ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of it reserved in separate measuring cup
2 cups penne pasta
Slice sausage and place in large skillet or saucepan with a little vegetable oil; brown in oil over medium heat under done, then remove sausage from pan and set aside. In pan drippings, add chopped onions and garlic; cook over low heat until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth, cream, ¾ cup of cheese and all seasonings; stir well and then add dry pasta. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until pasta is done. Then add cooked sausage and top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Stir and serve.
Famous Fast-Food Burger Salad
Salad:
½ head (or more) of iceberg lettuce, sliced then and diced into small pieces or strips
Burger Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Heaping tablespoon honey Dijon mustard
3 finely diced pickles (or substitute 1-2 tablespoons of relish
1-2 tablespoons pickle juice (or relish juice)
Burger:
1-pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
1/2 finely diced onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Slice and dice iceberg lettuce and place it in a large bowl; refrigerate. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce and place in refrigerator. (double recipe if you want to serve extra sauce on the side).
In a pan on medium high heat, heat the oil. Add ground meat and brown until pink color is gone and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper and add onions and garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the cheese and turn heat off. Once the cheese melts, make the salad by topping lettuce with meat mixture, then the burger sauce.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer and travel agent from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
