Posts made by fancydude

Savory Mushroom Sausages

They are gluten free if you use the rice breadcrumbs…..

8 oz crimini mushrooms (the standard white ones) thinly sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup raw walnuts or pecans, coarsley chopped
2 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (pure only)
1 1/3 cups rice breadcrumbs or dry regular breadcrumbs

1.  In a large nonstick skilet, place mushrooms, onion and 2 tsp. olive oil, saute over medium heat, stirring often, 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add walnuts, sunflower seeds, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and black pepper, saute for 2 minutes longer.  Remove from heat, cool 2 minutes.

2.  Transfer mushroom mixture to food processer, add vinegar and maple syrup.  Process until completely smooth.

3.  Transfer mushroom mixtuer to medium bowl, add bread crums, stir well to combine.

4.  Flatten mixture into the bowl, with knife, cut into 8 equal wedges.  Place one wedge in your hand, form into a patty.

5.  Wash & dry skillet thoroughly.  Place 1 1/2 tsp olve oil into skillet, add patties, cook over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes until golden brown on bottom.  Flip, add additional 1 1/2 tsp oil, cook 2-3 minutes or until brown on other side.

*for the best chance of this resembling meat sausage, make sure your spices - esp. the sage - are fresh

Orange Cranberry Loaf

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I find just whole wheat flour fine, but if you like softer texture, use pastry)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Juice & zest of one orange
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Soy or other nondairy milk of choice
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup safflower oil (or oil of choice)
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup vegan powdered sugar (some sugars are filtered through char of animals bones)

1. Preheat oven to 375F, lightly oil a loaf pan (8x4x2-1/2 inch)

2. Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl.  Add orange juice and zest, 1 cup milk, syrup, oil and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.  Stir gently to combine, fold in cranberries.

3.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly before glazing.

4. Glaze: In small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 1 T milk, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Add more milk if needed to get consistency desired, drizzle over loaf. Or Omit glaze altogether and dust with powdered sugar.

• Vegan - means no animal products.

Dear Leatherbear:

Every little bit helps - (reduction in sodium and especially the saturated fat) but I'm so curious where all the sodium comes from in the "healthier version."  It is only reduced a little, same as with the calories.  Canned soup has thousands of mg.  So do canned beans vs. frozen.  It would have to be the sour cream, buttermilk powder and/or the wine, even the regular sherry. None of the other ingredients has hardly any sodium.

I use skim milk in scallopped potatoes and a bit more flour to add the thickness (everyone likes them) and one can get no-fat yogurt, the Greek style is quite thick and I think it has very little sodium.  Those two substitutions would work here.

I was watching a cooking show one Saturday and watched them make this soup from start to finish.  It looked intriguing, so I tried it and I must say it is delicious.  I also did the Vegan version with soy creamer, margarine and "chik'n" broth. That was delicious too.  The one thing that is strange about this soup - while it is tasty all the time, it is particularly good when served immediately before the flavors blend completely.

Please do not be put off by the long instructions, once you get going, this recipe is really not difficult at all

Gourmet Tomato Soup

2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes, packed in juice, drained to equal 3 cups, reserve juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (I used regular)
4 large shallots, minced (I used onions)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
Pinch of ground allspice
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons brandy or dry sherry (I left this out)
Salt & cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450F.  Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.  With fingers, carefully open whole tomatoes over strainer (colander) set in a bowl and push out seeds; allowing juices to fall into the bowl.  Spread seeded tomatoes in single layer on the foil.  Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.  Bake until all liquid has evaporated and tomatoes being to color, about 30 minutes.  Let tomatoes cool slightly, then peel off the foil, transfer to small bowl and set aside.

Heat butter over medium heat in large saucepan until foaming.  Add shallots, tomato paste and allspice.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until shallots are softened, 7-10 minutes.  Add flour and cook stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.  Gradually add chicken stock, whisking constantly to combine, stir in reserved tomato juice and roasted tomatoes.   Cover, increase heat to medium and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a strainer and into medium bowl; rinse out saucepan.  Transfer tomatoes and solids in strainer to blender, add 1 cup strained liquid and puree until smooth.  Place pureed mixture and remaining strained liquid in saucepan.  Add cream and warm over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes.  Off heat, stir in brandy and season with salt and cayenne pepper.  Serve immediately (soup can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to two days).  Warm over low heat until hot, do not boil.

One tip before you get started on this one - buy the best cinnamon you can, in small quantities.  I bought some McCormick's & compared it to the dollar store container - what a world of difference.  Sometimes I know the pocketbook can only afford the bargain products….The McCormick's cinnamon was over $5!

A nutrition note - calorie for calorie, the sweet potato is about one of the most nutrient dense foods in nature's garden AND has the added bonus of no fat, cholesterol, sodium etc.

Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes
2 medium tart apples
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons healthy margarine (not hydrogenated)

Wash & boil potatoes in their skins about 10 minutes, or until nearly tender.  Drain, cool, peel and slice.  While potatoes cook, wash and peel the apples.  Cut apples as desired, I prefer tidbit size pieces, but not too small, as apples shrink of course, when they cook.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place half the potatoes in the dish, and then half the apples.  Drizzle 1/2 the lemon juice over top.  Sprinkle with half the sugar and cinnamon.  Dot with half the margarine.  Repeat with other half of ingredients.  Bake 45 minutes or until the top is brown.

6 Servings
Calories 230
Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 66 mg
Carbohydrate 49 g
Fiber 3.5 g
Sugar 36 g
Protein 2 g

16 oz bag shredded coleslaw mix
  (or 4 to 5 cups shredded cabbage and 3/4 cup shredded carrots)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or Sicilia brand)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
(I just use black pepper, white pepper tastes milder, but still like pepper, you just don't have the black specks!)

1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, optional

Place coleslaw mix into large bowl, add lemon juice, chives and toss gently.

In small bowl, combine remaining except raisins and walnuts.  Add raisins and walnuts if using.  Mix into coleslaw, Serve immediately or cover and chill.

I just love coleslaw, but the regular kind is a lot more fattening and this is just as creamy.  If you don't have chives, chop a little bit of onion really fine.

12 Servings
43 Calories
1 g fat
0 g cholesterol
144 mg sodium
8 g carbohydrate
4 g sugar

1 cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped (about 4 oz)
3 heads garlic (about 36 cloves), peeled, ends removed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup lowfat sour cream
1 cup lowfat mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spread the almonds out in a shallow baking dish, and toast in oven for 6-8 minutes or until golden.  Remove and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300F, and position oven rack to the lowest third of the oven.  Place garlic in small baking dish and toss with oil.  Bake until garlic is soft and golden, about 30-40 minutes.    Remove from oven, transfer to blender and cool about 30 minutes.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard to garlic and blend until garlic is finely chopped.  Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.  Stir in the almonds, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, rosemary and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight, to mellow flavors.  Let stand at room temp for one hour.  Serve with assorted crackers, red & green pepper strips and snow peas, if desired.

Of course, you can use nonfat sour cream, nonfat mayonnaise if desired.  I have also used Greek style fat-free yogurt.  The yogurt is good for a change, but doesn't hold up over time if stored.  Then again, this is a party food and usually will be all eaten the day of the event.

144 Servings
15 calories
1 g fat
trace cholesterol & carbohydrate
4 mg sodium
0 g sugar
trace protein

3 cups toasted oat cereal (Cheerios)
3 cups Rice Chex
2 cups Wheat Chex
1/4 cup peanuts
2 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups small pretzel twists
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Preheat oven to 250 F.  In a large baking dish (like a roaster) combine cereals, pretzels and peanuts.  In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients with a whisk, pour over cereal.  Stir to coat.

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool to room temperature.  Store in airtight container.

20 servings
123 Calories
4 g fat
0 g cholesterol
259 mg sodium
19 g carbohydrate

You can, of course, reduce the sodium further by using unsalted pretzels.  This is also good adding 1/2 tsp onion powder.

2 Cups fresh or frozen red raspberries
Juice and zest of one orange
3 Tablespoons sugar
4 Cups water
3 Tea Bags, decaffeinated or not as desired
Lemon Slices for garnish

Puree raspberries in blender or food processor.  Strain through sieve into bowl, push through with wooden spoon.

Put the orange juice,  zest, sugar and water into 2 quart saucepan.  Bring to boil, continue for two minutes or until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat, add tea bags; let steep 3-5 minutes.  Strain the tea into the puree, stir and chill.

Serve over ice, garnish with lemon slices.

8 servings
41 calories
4 sodium
0 fat
11 g carbohydrate
6 g sugar

Wow, reply #4 by Capecodder, #6 in the blue jeans and #9 in the suit, HANDSOME faces…...VGL guys.  It drives me nuts when I hear some say Asian guys are not hot...........oh well, more for me....

Dear Timmy:

There is salt in the recipe but I'm not sure why there is no pepper.  And sour cream or applesauce served with potato pancakes is so automatic, I didn't even think to put it in the recipe!  THANKS

I'm so happy to know you enjoyed them; and next time I make them, I'm going to add a dash of hot sauce too!  It is also possible that blandness is inversely proportional to how hungry one is!  I read during the Great Depression of the 1930's a man wrote there was so little food in his house that he rinsed out an empty catsup bottle with hot water and called it tomato soup!

Dear Timmy:

There is salt in the recipe but I'm not sure why there is no pepper.  And sour cream or applesauce served with potato pancakes is so automatic, I didn't even think to put it in the recipe!  THANKS

I'm so happy to know you enjoyed them; and next time I make them, I'm going to add a dash of hot sauce too!  It is also possible that blandness is inversely proportional to how hungry one is!  I read during the Great Depression of the 1930's a man wrote there was so little food in his house that he rinsed out an empty catsup bottle with hot water and called it tomato soup!

A hobby of mine inherited from my maternal Grandfather is going to garage sales and auctions.  I picked up a book called "Recipes from America's Restored Colonial Villages."  The book was printed in 1975 and many of the recipes are for interest only - ingredients too hard to get or the method too laborious or sometimes even a bit dangerous (making soap with lye!)  I've only made a few recipes out of it, but they've been worth the effort.  If you like cookies, and molasses and ginger, it is hard to imagine you not liking these.  I think they're delicious.

The following recipe is from Old Bethpage Village, Long Island, New York.  Oddly, this is the one village in the whole book which is a re-created village, with genuine old buildings (but it was not an actual place in "Old" Long Island.) It is a working 224 acre farm, with cows, and horses, demonstrations in sausage making, candle dipping and such.  The era is late 18th and early 19th century.  The country fair runs through Oct 3, 2010 and in 2009 budget shortfalls put this in the list of potential closures.  I pass this info on to suggest if you thought about going, you may want to go while it is still open.  There are many other events currently held here as well.

In 1695 Thomas Powell bought 10000 acres from the local Indians and his farmhouse is the only original building that was on the site when Old Bethpage village was conceived. *  Women wearing 19th century calico farm dresses scurry about the kitchen, firing up the old brick oven, mixing the dough to make these cookies which are passed out to the many student visitors.

Brick Oven Ginger Cookies

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

3/4 cup butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together well the butter or shortening, sugar and molasses.  Beat in the egg.  Sift the flour, soda, spices and salt (sifting over a piece of wax paper makes an easy job of this) and stir into creamed mixture.  Chill dough until firm enough to shape with your hands.  Pinch off bits of dough and roll into small balls about the size of small walnuts.  Roll balls in granulated sugar, place about 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet and bake in moderate (350F) oven 12-15 minutes until nicely browned around the edges.  (the balls will flatten out as they bake).  With a spatula, lift cookies to wire rack to cool.

My question is how did they chill the dough without a refrigerator and the early 1800's even predated ice boxes.  My grandmother told me some people had cold springs in their basements on the farm.  One could have placed a bowl in the trough of cold water but certainly most people did not have a spring in their house.

*historical information about Powell house from the internet, not guaranteed accurate.  The rest of the information is from the book.

On the way home from work today was an inflammatory report about how dangerous pitbulls are on the radio - I have known only one well and she was sweet as pie. However when I got to my friend's house to make the stuffed peppers, her son's dog was over, a puppy pit bull, just starved for attention.  Gentle as all day long.  I will say, though the first one, Duchess, was pretty rough when she got ahold of a frisbee or rope. It would be scary to think of your arm or leg in her grip!

Anyway, I think I mentioned this before, many of my best recipes came off bags and boxes and here is one of them.  I'll give the original recipe and then the modifications for lower sodium, cholesterol etc.  My favorite grocery store had beautiful red peppers FIVE for a dollar over the weekend!

Rice Pilaf from the Jack Rabbit brand lentil bag

2 green onions or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced (scrape or peel first)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
optional (any or all:) 2 Tbps. or more sesame seeds,  2 Tbsp. parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter, margarine  (or olive oil, or oil of choice, I used 2 T canola oil and 1 tsp margarine for flavor)
10 3/4 oz. Swanson Chicken broth  (or use just a few granules bouillon and 2 Tbsp. low sodium broth mix Vegit is delicious and very low sodium)
2 cups water
1 cup dried lentils rinsed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup rice rinsed

• I put garlic in almost everything, so if you like it, definitely add to this recipe.

In medium saucepan, saute vegetables and sesame seeds if using,  in oil, or butter.  Add broth and water and bring to a boil.  Stir in lentils and black pepper. If using brown rice, add now also. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.  Add white rice if using, now, add garlic & parsley flakes,  cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

If using as a stuffing for peppers, reduce water to 1 1/2 cups, cook about 40 minutes total, and stuff into prepared red or green or yellow bell peppers. (to prepare, cut the top off pepper, 1/2 " down.  Remove stem if desired.  I like to leave mine on, friend who spent years in restaurant carefully cut out the stems.  Fill peppers level full, put caps back on.  Place in baking pan with 1 inch hot water. Does not need to be boiling, just warm out of the faucet is fine.   (put pan in oven, then add hot water if easier for you).  Bake 45 minutes at 350F.  DO NOT overbake, peppers become slimey.

My maternal grandmother had two cookbooks, one was Ruth Berolzheimer's American Woman Cookbook (it was first printed in the late 1930's - and spoke of how so many prefer mechanical refrigerators to ice boxes and mentioned a new product:  Instantaneous coffees!)  The other was the 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook - I admit it - I stole it.  There are all kinds of notes on the pages next to the recipes  "(aunt) Wendy's 14th birthday cake, a roast for Mother's day 1953…..etc.  There were two editions, hardbound and looseleaf notebook style; the latter was reprinted (in China where else) about 10 years ago.  You might still be able to find copies new.  I like it because it is the perfect balance of canned/prepared products and cooking from scratch.  And it is a picture cookbook, and showed you how to do things step by step, each with its own photo.

But I digress, back to the fudge, sort of .....my grandparents had a dog the exact color of this fudge, and they named her after the fudge - Penuche. (pronounced Penn-ooh-chee) Can you believe Penuche (the dog) would actually wipe her feet on the rug before she came in the house from outside?

I grew up just adoring this fudge.  It was something everyone in my family made at least once on summer vacation, for Christmas or other special occasions.

So, I went to Grandma's today for dinner, (she turned 90 two weeks ago, still drives, teaches Sunday School) and we made the fudge. (She also had a handwritten recipe which used powdered sugar, but I consider that cheating and anything else I've had with powdered sugar, I really didn't care for) I paid very close attention to everything we did and feel confident I can make it myself.  I should also say I got to have a little fun shopping for ingredients for this...  I went to my favorite market and there is a guy there who I know is Gay, and I like him unfortunately he's taken right now....  I walked into the store and said "Curtis, where are your nuts?"  The cashier knows us both and cracked up laughing.

Penuche Fudge - from the 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook

1 cup white sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer dark)
1 tsp. corn syrup (the recipe didn't specify but I used light Karo corn syrup)
2/3 cup whole milk
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla  (try it with almond extract for a really different flavor)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup broken nutmeats if desired

for Coconut Penuche, add two cups shredded coconut with the sugar.

Fudge can be finicky, I would recommend only using top quality ingredients such as Domino Sugar & Karo corn syrup.

Use a small saucepan, maybe 2 quart size.  I was at a friend's and she loaned out some stuff and all she had was a large frying pan.  It cooked too quickly all spread out; and hardened in the pan AGAIN.  It did taste good though.

Scald the milk over low flame; this is when the milk is hot enough to bubble and starts to form a skin on top.  Add both sugars, dash of salt and the tsp of corn syrup.  Stir until dissolved.  Clip candy thermometer onto side of pan, making sure that the bulb is not touching the bottom of the pan or you will get an incorrect reading.  Cook gently over medium-low flame, (it will bubble steadily but not vigorously) until it reaches the soft ball stage 236 degrees F.    For us, low humidity today, it took about 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally from the bottom.  The interesting thing, both my candy thermometer and Grandma's - it never got to 236.  It was about 1/16th of an inch from there maybe 234?    So after about 10 or 12 minutes, I would test in the cold water every couple minutes.  Get a small glass of cold water, and put a couple drops of the fudge in there and if it makes a soft ball, that sticks together, that you can roll it into a ball, then it is done.  We even put the spoon in the water, and the fudge that was on it  had definite substance when we were feeling it.   (What I'm trying to say here, is there is no doubt in your mind that it is done.  When you test and it is too early, for example, it looks like drops of brown syrup.  The cold water has no effect on it.)  Remove from fire.

Add 2 Tbsp. butter

Cool WITHOUT stirring until lukewarm.  Add vanilla.  Beat until thick and no longer glossy.  This is some pretty stiff stuff - for your own comfort, a wooden spoon or fork is best.   Add nuts if desired and turn onto waxed paper, form into a 12" roll, chill and slice.  Or spread into a buttered brownie-size square pan and cut into squares.

WARNING - Have all your ingredients assembled before you start…...I did not have the vanilla handy at the end and when I went to look for it, at Grandma's house - The fudge set up IN THE PAN.  Well, at least it set up; wasn't grainy etc.   But I had to chisel it out of the pan.  So now I have crumbles and rocks.  Not nice pretty squares of fudge.  It still tastes good of course.  I think I made this with half and half once it is richer still.

One last hint, make sure you have a decent sized saucepan, width-wise.  I used a tiny saucepan, not enough surface area; and it didn't set up.

PLEASE let me know how you like it.

A friend brought her electric fry pan to work several years ago and made this for the card players, of which I was one.  It sounds too simple to be as delicious as it is, but try it and you'll be surprised.

I made enough for several people, you may cut the recipe in half if you're only serving 2.

"Stir Fry Squash with onions & green beans"

2 large spanish onions, sliced, separated into rings or chopped, as you prefer
garlic to taste (5 cloves at least) minced
put this in one frying pan, with a mixture of oil (2 Tcanola or olive and a T or so of butter for flavor)  Simmer slowly with a lid on, add a few tablespoons of water if it doesn't seem to be softening up.  Turn occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the following:

2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" slices
2 yellow squash, sliced same way
1 lb fresh only green beans, snap off the stem end or cut with a knife, cut in half if real long

Start the green beans first, since they take longer, same thing, a couple T oil and a couple T of margarine or butter.  Add squashes after about 15 minutes.  Cook until desired degree of tenderness.

Remove to plates, and top with onions.

Vegit is a delcious low sodium seasoning avaliable in health food stores, in a green and yellow glass jar.  It seems to be in the process of being renamed low sodium Spike but is still in the yellow & green jar.  It is made of dehydrated mushrooms, garlic, parsley - everything good.  You won't even miss salt.

Serve with fresh tomatoes or salad and a baked sweet potato.

A very large sweet potato can be baked in the skin in about 15 minutes in the microwave.  I just sliced open the skin, peeled it quickly, sliced in half, put in a pat or two of butter, and then cubed.

This really makes a nice, light dinner.

For Dessert

Fresh Michigan Black or Queen Anne Cherries, ice cold.

My maternal grandmother had only one sibling (Uncle George) and his wife, my Aunt Madalynne, came from Vermont.  They have a reputation for being extremely frugal in that part of the country.  And I think it is true.  Aunt M used to iron wrapping paper and re-use it and her father put a block under the gas pedal so it would never go faster than 50 mph.  This was back in the days when gas was 18 cents a gallon!  Aunt Madalynne, being frugal, would almost always make something with Jell-O for dessert whenever she had family over for dinner.  And EVERYTHING went into it as well.  Most of the time it was good and sometimes it was awful.

How she stumbled on this really good corn casserole recipe, I'll never know, but we complimented it so highly, that she started making this all the time for family potlucks instead of Jell-O.  It is one of my favorites.

Corn Casserole

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 sm onion chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can whole kernel corn with juice
1 (14.5 oz) can creamed corn
1 (8 muffin pkg) Jiffy or other corn muffin mix
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms drained (optional - I don't think Aunt Madalynne ever used this)
2 eggs beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (cheddar is always good)

Melt butter, pour evenly into 9 x 13 inch pan.  Sprinkle onion over butter.  Pour in both cans of corn and mushrooms.  Sprinkle Jiffy Mix evenly. Mix lightly with fork.  Mix in beaten eggs.  Fold in lightly spoonsfuls of sour cream.  Sprinkle cheese over top.  Bake 30-40 minutes in 350 F oven.

Good hot, warm or cold.

This has got to be a gag.  A hole made that large by the bull's horn would have damaged this guy's equipment.

Still, it's pretty funny as long as it isn't me in the photo!

Well, Kissinghunk, I'm a good cook but not a food scientist or a master chef.  So I can only guess about the mayonnaise.  My feeling would be that if you only used hamburger, you wouldn't have a "pie" you would have crumbles.  So, the mayo, eggs, milk, cheese and cornstarch combine in a pleasing way, for taste as well as texture and for the mixture to stick together as any other pie would when sliced and served.

You're welcome Trenteviso.  Feel free to share your favorite recipes.  As you can see with Scrambled Potatoes or Cranberry Applesauce, they don't have to be fancy, or complicated, just tasty!