recipe

Lentil Loaf

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This recipe doesn’t freeze particularly well, so it never ended up in one of my cookbooks. But this is what I make when I want meatloaf (or in my case, it’s usually meatloaf sandwiches I’m craving). Along the way, I developed a severe sensitivity to beef, so this is a reasonably good substitute.

  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 2 cups cooked, drained lentils
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup broth or water
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.
Saute onion in oil until softened and clear.
Mix cooked lentils and other ingredients, and place in a greased loaf pan.
Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil.
Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Let sit for five minutes.

Grandma’s Sour Cream Potato Salad

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My dad asked me to make my grandmother’s potato salad for a family dinner. The only problem with that request was that I’d misplaced her recipe! Oops. I dug around through her books and papers and found this potato salad recipe in the cookbook she used most often. The recipe had some notes in her handwriting — always a good sign it was a well-used recipe. So I tried it an it turned out well. Felt familiar. My dad liked it, so all is well.

From my grandmother’s copy of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook:

Sour Cream Potato Salad

  • 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
  • 7 medium potatoes, cooked in jackets, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3/4 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions
  • 4 hard-cooked eggs
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dill

Pour Italian dressing over warm potatoes; chill 2 hours. Add celery and onion. Chop egg whites and add to potato mixture. In separate bowl, crumble egg yolks, mix with mayo, sour cream, mustard, salt and dill; fold into salad. Chill 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with small amount of paprika and dill. Makes 8 servings. Optional: serve with deviled eggs.

Gazpacho

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This is a long time family recipe. So what I learned making this cold soup is don’t snack on it or sample it until it’s had time to sit in the fridge for several hours. It was way too vinegary when I sampled it, but after the flavors had a chance to blend, it was much better. Cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.

Gazpacho
6 to 8 small servings

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely minced
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and finely minced
  • 1 cup tomato juice or V8
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, stir ingredients together.
Chill soup until icy cold (several hours or overnight).
Serve cold.