These recipes originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of Mature Living Magazine.
Simple Red Beans and Rice
1½ cups long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
14-ounce package kielbasa sausage, fully cooked
15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Cajun seasoning, to taste
Cook rice according to package directions while preparing the sausage and beans. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery and cook, stirring for two minutes. Slice kielbasa into ¼-inch slices, and add to pan in a single layer. Cook a few minutes before turning, allowing to brown on one side. Flip sausage pieces. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add beans to the pan. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning to taste, and cook until beans are warmed through. Serve over rice with extra Cajun seasoning for sprinkling. Serves 4.
Sweet Beet and Heat Salad
1 red beet
¼ cup pecan pieces
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ head green leaf lettuce
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Roast the beet by trimming off the long top, wrapping the beet in foil, and baking at 425 F for about one hour. Test for doneness by pressing the flesh — if it sinks in a little, it is done. Let cool. Remove skin, and slice. Place pecan pieces in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and cayenne, and toss. Cook and stir until sugar has coated the pecans. Remove from heat. Chop lettuce. Add vinaigrette ingredients to a jar and shake. Start with ¼ cup olive oil and add more to get to desired consistency; dressing should still be tart. On salad plates, layer the salad greens, beets, candied pecan pieces, and goat cheese. Drizzle with dressing. Serves 2.
Pineapple Casserole
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
5 slices bread, cubed
20 ounces crushed pineapple
Grease a 1-2 quart casserole dish, and preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in egg whites. Stir bread cubes into butter mixture. Add pineapple, and fold together. Pour into casserole dish, and bake for one hour, until casserole is set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.
Mini S’mores Pies
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4½ teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups milk
1 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
6 mini graham cracker crusts
3 large marshmallows
In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Stream in milk while whisking. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Let boil one minute, then remove from the heat. Add butter and vanilla, and stir until incorporated. Unwrap graham cracker crusts and place on a cookie sheet or oven-safe tray. Pour pudding into crusts. Refrigerate for one hour or until pudding is set. (Press plastic wrap over the top of the pies to prevent a skin from forming on the pudding.) Cut each marshmallow in half with kitchen shears. Place one half, cut side down, in the middle of each pudding pie. Set oven to broil. Broil two inches from heat for 20-30 seconds, just until marshmallows are browned. Serves 6.
