Home Chef Cooking Tips

Aunt Millie’s Chic Pea Salad

Last modified on 2009-03-11 02:29:30 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

This is the recipe that started it all for me. It was the first dish that I enjoyed so much I wanted to learn how to make it for myself. Once my aunt gave me the recipe, I made it as often as I could, sometimes having as a meal in itself, not simply the side dish it was intended to be. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Ingredients

2 cans chic peas, drained
1 6 oz jar marinated Artichoke Hearts
1 Cup of thinly sliced celery
2 Tbsp Italian Dressing
1 12oz jar olive salad, drained, and coasrely chopped

Combine chic peas with artichoke hearts and their liquid, celery and salad dressing in a medium sized frying pan. Heat until bubbly.

Fold chopped olive salad into artichoke mixture.

Spoon into bowl and serve warm.

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Molten Mushrooms

Last modified on 2009-05-15 02:44:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Growing up I didn’t really eat anything hot and spicy, aside from the occassional chinese take-out. Not until I went to college did I enter the world of hot sauces. It started simply enough with jalapeno peppers, and Tabasco sauce. Soon, if I wasn’t sweating, it simply wasn’t hot enough.

My Grandmother (Father’s side, from Northern Italy) would make this every once in a while, with the only heat being provided by a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. Once I got a hold of it, most of the tomato sauce was taken out and replaced with whatever hot sauce I had handy.

This dish can be served as an appetizer (as described below), or as a topping on burgers, hot dogs, and even pizza. It is also an excellent filling for Stuffed Mushrooms. Don’t worry if you can’t decide how to have it the first time, because you’ll want to make it again.

Molten Mushroom

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Olive oil
1.5-2 lbs Whole White Mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 med yellow onion, finely chopped
Dash of Salt
~1 tsp Pepper
~1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2C Tomato Sauce
~4 oz (or more) of Favorite Hot Sauce – to taste

Tortilla Chips or Plain Crackers to serve

Chopped Mushrooms in skillet

 

 

Preheat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add Olive oil and turn skillet to coat entire bottom. Add chopped mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

 

 

Fully evaporated & slightly browned mushrooms

Allow mixture to saute ~15 – 20 min (stirring occassionally) until all liquid
from mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms and onions start to brown slightly.

Adding Hot Sauce

Add tomato sauce (be careful since it will tend to splatter once it hits the hot pan). Mix to coat. Add hot sauce and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon. Remove from heat, scoop into serving bowl.

Serve either warm or cool – with tortilla chips or crackers.

Leftovers (if there are any) can be refrigerated and either reheated, or served cold.

NOTE: Mixture should have a chili-like consistency before removing from pan. If too ’soupy’ continue to heat until some of the liquid evaporates. If you’re adding more Hot Sauce to increase the heat, cut back on the tomato sauce slightly.
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