By Peggy Guntis
Here we are in the dead of winter and hungry again! Don’t you wish we could be more like the bears and give up eating for a few months? After sitting a lot more than I should have last summer, I’m trying to take some pounds off and being surrounded by holiday desserts didn’t help any. I’m trying to get my mind in the right track by thinking VEGETABLES.
I wish I were a lover of cooked vegetables (just love those raw ones) but I’m not—maybe it’s because they are so good for you. I do have a few recipes for you though that I actually like.
First is a favorite from a very special person, Bonnie Kenyon. If I haven’t given you this one before I should lose my job because Bonnie’s Zucchini Pancakes are the best, bar none. First you must understand the word zucchini and the word ZUCCHINI. A “zucchini” is the kind I get at home that are about 5-6” long and about 1 ½” in diameter. A “ZUCCHINI” is the kind that come from her garden that are at least 24” long and at least 5-6” in diameter. Bonnie and I can split one and each get a couple of meals!
BONNIE’S ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 tablespoon parsley (freshly-cut parsley is the best!)
½ cup flour
1 egg, well beaten
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
Mix all ingredients (except the oil) and drop like pancakes into a pan of hot olive oil. Use just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry the pancakes until golden brown on both sides. Makes 10-12 pancakes.
(Note from Bonnie: I wish I could take full credit for this delicious recipe, but it is found in one of my favorite cookbooks called, “Cooking Alaskan by Alaskans.” The recipe was submitted by Mamie Jensen of Juneau. Rick and I eagerly watch our zucchinis grow so we can flip these pancakes onto our dinner plates.)
MY MOM’S EASY BAKED BEANS
I always keep the ingredients around for these beans. Jim loves them and they are a nice side-dish during winter or summer.
2 16-18 oz. cans pork and beans (I always use Campbell’s because that’s what she used)
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
6 slices bacon cut up into pieces
½ cup ketchup (I always use Heinz because I’m from Pennsylvania and because Mom used it.)
Mix all the ingredients and bake at 325 degrees for 2 ½ hours. I partially fry my bacon a little so I can throw away some of the grease but she never did! This recipe is supposed to serve 8 but you know my Jim!
