Maybe Capo's Curry Pineapple Salad Dressing

Capo's Cafe in the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta served a delicious Curry Pineapple salad dressing. Years of searching the internet has only turned up a single salad dressing recipe that combines curry powder with pineapple juice. This recipe seems similar to Capo's, but my recollection is foggy. I usually gobbled down the salad, already a bit foggy from sangria enjoyed while waiting for the table, and overly eager for the Capo's Split of Chicken Diablo and Fettuccine Alfredo. Recipe feedback and adjustments are welcome.

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the wet ingredients and minced garlic in a bowl.

Whisk in 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Brands vary in potency, add more to taste.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and Refrigerate.

From: savorthebest.com

Capo's Sangria

After years of searching, a long sought recipe has finally popped up! Capo's Sangria was such a treat. We often had a glass while waiting for a table, and always when we enjoyed the Capo's Split of Chicken Diablo and Fettuccine Alfredo. Capo's will always be a positive memory, and recreating some of their best recipes is a great way to celebrate those days. Big thanks to Debi Loftis for posting the original full batch recipe on Facebook. 

The full four gallon batch is good for a group, but the table below scales it down for smaller volumes, e.g. 1/4 scale for one gallon, 1/5 scale for 100 ounces using minimal whole fruit, and 1/10 scale for a 50 ounce pitcher. Please enjoy responsibly. Cheers!

Also try Capo's Split of Chicken Diablo and Fettuccine Alfredo:

http://myfavoritecomfortfood.blogspot.com/2016/04/capo-chicken-diablo-and-fettucine.html

California Settler's Stew

California Settler's Stew was a family recipe I grew up with. It's a simple comfort food stew of ground beef, potatoes, in a tomato base. The key secret ingredient is Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt, it's the main seasoning. My family's not settlers or from California lol, I think the name was chosen to make something simple seem more adventurous.

This super quick, slightly concentrated recipe can be made as fast as 30 minutes. The number of servings in the pot are maximized, just add 1-2oz water to each bowl served. Cento brand preferred for canned tomatoes.

Ingredients:

     - 1-1.5 pounds 85/15 Ground Round Beef, 

     - 28oz can Peeled Plum Tomatoes, 

     - 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes, 

     - 2 russet potatoes med-large,

     - ½ white onion med-large, 

     - 2.5 tablespoons Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt, 

     - ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 

     - ½ teaspoon oregano, 

     - optional chopped Parsley

     - 1-2 cups water

Directions:

 1. Season and cook ground beef in 3.5 quart stew pot over medium heat. 

     Draining fat after browning is optional, keep for better taste, simplicity.

     (original recipe specified Meatballs, but loose ground beef is quicker+easier) 

     - 1-1.5 pounds 85/15 Ground Round preferred, 

     - 1 tablespoon Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt, 

     - ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper. 

 2. Simultaneously peel+dice potatoes, spread on microwave-safe/paper plate, 

        Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes until tender.

     - 2 medium-large russet potatoes diced, 

 3. When beef is browned, add tomatoes and more seasoning:

     - full can 28oz Peeled Plum Tomatoes ADD FIRST AND BREAK UP, 

        (break up tomatoes into bite sized pieces carefully, they'll squirt!) 

     - full can 28oz Crushed Tomatoes

     - add diced potatoes cooked tender from step 2 above, 

     - ½ teaspoon oregano, 

     - 1.5 tablespoons Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt, 

     - optional chopped Parsley

 4. Slice, dice, and microwave Onion on HIGH 3-4 minutes until tender.

     - slice two 3/4" thick "onion pucks", 

     - then dice the rings of each puck into pieces, spray with oil, 

     - microwave then add to stew.

 5. Add 1-2 cups water, more Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt to taste.

P.S. DO NOT LEAVE HAMBURGER ON THE COUNTER FOR THE DOG

          - Col. Russell 'Red' Reeder, 1945

Jalapeno-Banana-Applesauce Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill “Coarse Grind” corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur brand)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar/alternative (optional?)
2/3 teaspoon kosher salt (optional?)
1 egg
1/4 cup corn oil (OR canola for the unsaturated fats)
3/4 cup lactose-free 1% milk/alternative
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1 overripe banana, mashed (ripen until easily squishable)
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely diced fresh jalapenos (1-2 peppers, remove seeds/membrane before mincing, wash hands with soap afterwards) -OR- canned diced jalapenos (drain/press out water)
1/4 cup ground flax (optional, boosts fiber and unsaturated fats)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°
Blend dry ingredients thoroughly, then mix in wet until smooth
Use greased/sprayed 9x9” non-stick gray pan (Crisco No-Stick Butter Spray)
Bake at 400° for about 25 minutes, until toothpick in center comes out cleanly
Before slicing, let cool (and carryover cook internally) for 10 minutes

Crust should come out dark brown but not burnt.

Nutrition Details

Fiber:
24g Coarse grind corn meal
16g Wheat flour
  1g Applesauce
  1g Jalapeno
  3g Banana
45g Total Fiber,  sliced 3x3 = 5g Fiber per Slice

Calories:
400 Wheat flour
440 Corn meal
480 oil
110 milk
  50 egg
200 sugar   (optional)
  50 applesauce
100 banana
  10 Jalapeno
1840 Total Calories,  sliced 3x3 = 205 calories

Julia's Shortbread Squares

Shortbread Squares by Julia McCutchen

These shortbread squares are a special homemade treat! I recommend making 3x this recipe for a good quantity. The shortbread is, of course, delicious to eat, but also fun shopping for ingredients (how often do you buy that much butter?!) 

Ingredients:

4 sticks regular salted butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups flour

Optional ingredients:

Chopped ginger, currents, pecans, etc.

Directions:

    Set out butter to reach room Temp (I leave it out overnight)

    Preheat Oven to 325 degrees

    Grease two 8x9 baking pans

    Beat ....  4 sticks of regular salted butter until fluffy

    Add....1 cup sugar. Beat until fluffy

                 scant 1/4 t of salt

                 1 tsp. vanilla

       Keep scraping batter from sides of the bowl.

      

      Add....4 cups of flour...all at once

      Use mixer to reach all of the flour ....especially the flour on the bottom of the bowl. Beat just until large crumbs appear. If beaten too long the batter turns into a big rubber ball.

        You can add chopped ginger...currents...pecans...etc.

      Dump into two 8x9 greased pans (or large rimmed cookie sheets for bigger batch of dough).

      Dry hands

       Place a dry paper towel on top and pat crumbs down until firm.

      Bake at 325   25-35 minutes until very light brown.

       WHILE STILL HOT....cut into squares and prick each square two times  ::

       Cool in pan...store in a tin or wrap well and freeze.
   

      Enjoy and make enough to share!

It Takes Moo To Mango Burgers

This is based on a recipe from my late cousin Vee, via her daughter Jane.

Ingredients 1 cup - Ripe mango, diced 1/2 cup - Onion, diced/minced 1 Tbs - Teriyaki sauce 1/2 tsp - Black pepper 1.5 lbs - Ground beef, prefer 85/15 ground round Directions Dice ripe mango into peanut-sized pieces. If your mango is ripe, this gets a little juicy/messy. Dice/mince sweet Vidalia onion into pieces smaller than the diced mango. I prefer minced, otherwise the onion is still too crunchy for my liking. Also can pre-nuke larger onion pieces. Add teriyaki sauce to onions, mix to coat. Add teriyaki+onions, mango, and pepper to ground beef. Avoid over-mixing beef, makes results chewier. When possible, let rest/marinate in the fridge for juices to be absorbed. (over-ripe mango might need some bread crumbs to be firm enough for patties, or sometimes I drain off mango juice if there's an excess). Form hamburger patties, this recipe makes 7-8 quarter-pounders pre-cooked weight. Place patties on wax paper for easy transfer to grill, or back to fridge if desired. Ripe mango can make this step a bit messy too lol. Grilling is preferred, else pan-fry, bake, or even steam.

Muy Rápido Black Beans

Ingredients

1 can black beans

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup diced sweet onion (nuke separately, add last)

1 Tbs Goya Recaito

1 Tbs Garden Gourmet Cilantro, or fresh chopped

1 tsp Haberno Iguana Gold sauce or similar

1 tsp apple cider vinegar, else red wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp sage

dash or more cayenne pepper

dash oregano

dash salt to taste

Blend everything but onions in microwave-safe glass / ceramic

- microwave high 5 minutes

- stir

- continue microwave 2 minutes more

- stir

- continue microwave 1 minutes more

For perfect doneness, cook onion separately and add/stir at the end

- Spray oil on 1/4 cup diced onion

- microwave 1 min

- stir into beans

Enjoy.