PORK BRAIN SANDWICHES

Don't laugh now....when I was a child in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the return of cool Fall weather definitely meant that 'hog killing' time was not far away. My grandmother, 'Mama Joe' to all of the grandchildren, always requested the brains of the dead critters to mix with her breakfast scrambled eggs. Of course all of the little ones turned up their noses and ran from the kitchen when she was preparing this favorite dish of hers. Her logic behind this 'strange happening' was that eating the brains of the animal would in turn help to make her smarter, and yes, she was a very smart woman. So just maybe you might want to be standing at the front of the line the next time 'hog killing' season spins around. 

12 ounces cleaned pork brains
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 big egg
salt & pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
6 to 8 quality hamburger buns

Wash the brains in pieces under cold running water, removing as much of the thin membrane as possible. Knead the brains with your hands to break them into small lumps. Combine the brains, flour, baking powder, egg, salt and pepper in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium-low speed until smooth. (Some lumps may remain in the batter.)
Pour the oil into a skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat until hot but not smoking. Drop about 3 tablespoons of the batter at a time into the oil. Fry for 5 minutes or until the batter bubbles and begins to look dry. Turn and fry for 5 minutes longer or until the edges are crispy and golden brown. Serve on the buns with burger type accompaniments.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."~ Dalai Lama

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SANDWICH

Memorial Day weekend requires the use of the grill and this recipe will be fabulously accommodating to the 'thrill of the grill". This sandwich will literally melt in your mouth!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 (6oz.) portobello mushroom cap
2 slices Swiss cheese
1 kaiser roll-split
mayonnaise
1 slice red onion
2 slices fresh tomato
lettuce leaves
salt & pepper

Combine the olive oil, garlic and basil in a bowl, mixing well. Brush both sides of the portobello with the olive oil mixture. Place on grill rack on preheated grill. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once. Top with the Swiss cheese and continue grilling until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Grill both sides of the roll then spread the mayonnaise over each grilled side. Place portobello on 1 side of bread, top with onion, tomato and lettuce; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with remaining half of roll. Serve with vegetable chips. 1 sandwich

"I never met a portobello mushroom that I didn't like!"~Adele Forbes

REUBEN ROLLUPS

If you love a Reuben sandwich then these individual rollups should flip your trigger!

8 oz. can crescent rolls
cooking spray
Thousand Island dressing
4 oz. corned beef deli

4 to 8 slices Swiss cheese
sauerkraut, shredded canned, drained and squeezed dry

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

 Preheat oven to 375°. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; separate dough into 4 rectangles, gently pressing perforations down center of rectangles to seal. Spread Thousand Island dressing over each rectangle. Layer 1 slice corned beef, 1 or 2 slices cheese and 2 tablespoons sauerkraut on each rectangle; sprinkle each with 1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds. Roll up each rectangle, starting with short edge,  pinch seam to seal. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll evenly into 4 slices. Place slices, cut sides up, on pan.. Bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and  puffed. Cool on pan a few minutes. Serve warm with additional Thousand Island dressing.
Yield: 16 Rollups

"I never met a Reuben I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

EASY BEEF SLOPPY JOES

If you like Sloppy Joes, you will love this recipe. Onions, ketchup, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, paprika, and brown sugar all combine together to give this sandwich filling its panache. Serve with coleslaw and chips.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
4 onion buns or toast
shredded cheese

Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet until beef is crumbly and no longer pink, drain.

Stir in ketchup through brown sugar, season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low hear for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Divide the mixture among the hamburger buns. Top with cheese if you like and serve with coleslaw either on the bun or on the side.

Serves 4

GRILLED HAM & GRUYERE CHEESE SANDWICHES

This very impressive sandwich stars Gruyere cheese paired with sour cream, mustard and kirsch. Kirsch is German for "cherry water" and is a clear fruit brandy. It is traditionally made from double-distillation of morello cherries. It is not sweet like a cherry liqueur, but has a refined taste with subtle flavors of cherry and a slight bitter almond taste that is derived from the stone. It compliments the Gruyere which is made from cows milk and is sweet but slightly salty as well as creamy and nutty.

1 cup finely grated Gruyere plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling the sandwiches
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
3/4 teaspoon kirsch
8 slices of homemade-type white bread
4 thin slices cooked ham
1/2 stick butter, softened


In a bowl stir together 1 cup of the Gruyere, the sour cream, the mustard, and the kirsch and spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture evenly over each bread slice. Arrange the ham on 4 of the bread slices and top with the remaining bread slices, spread side down. Remove the crusts with a sharp knife and spread the tops of the sandwiches lightly with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Invert the sandwiches into a large skillet, spread the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and grill the sandwiches over medium-high heat, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and broil about 4 inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is nicely melted.
Serves 4

"I never met a cheese I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

BATTERED CHEDDAR-BACON SANDWICHES

It does not get much better than this! The ham & cheese sandwich gets 'battered' up and fried in butter. Not for the faint of heart....

1 cup coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 oz. Canadian bacon, sliced
4 slices firm white bread
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Arrange half of cheese and then all of bacon on 2 slices of bread. Top with remaining cheese and bread.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, turning over and pressing down until all of egg mixture is absorbed.

Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook until browned nicely on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over, pressing lightly, and cook until golden brown on bottom.
Serves 2

"Kissing [ex-boyfriend Dwight Yoakam] is like eating a dirt sandwich."~Sharon Stone.

AVOCADO TURKEY MELT

The velvety texture of the avocado blends with mayonnaise and garlic powder to form the base for this most delicious sandwich.

2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 slices nutty wheat bread
thin sliced turkey
tomato slices
red onion rings
bacon slices, cooked
mozzarella cheese slices
softened butter

Stir together avocado, mayonnaise, and garlic powder. Spread avbocado mixture on 1 side of 4 bread slices. Top evenly with turkey, tomato, onion, bacon, cheese, and remaining bread slices.

Spread half of butter on 1 side of each sandwich. Place, buttered sides down, in a large hot nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat 6 minutes or until golden.

Spread remaining butter on ungrilled sides; turn and cook 6 more minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure for remaining sandwiches.
Yield: 4 sandwiches

"Give your cats something other than already established houseplants to play with, ... Avocado pits make excellent toys . . . and felines find them fascinating because the lopsided seeds never roll the same way twice.”~Barbara Kelly

AVOCADO SANDWICH

I love this sandwich.

2 slices bread
mayonnaise
6 slices avocado sprinkled with a little lemon juice
1/3 cup small mushrooms-sliced
3 slices tomato
3 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella
1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds

Preheat broiler. Spread bread with mayonnaise. Layer remaining ingredients over one slice. Broil until cheese melts and seeds are slightly toasted. Top with other bread slice, cut in half and Enjoy. Serves 1

"Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans."-Betty Talmadge

ROOKIE REUBENS

Mini Reuben sandwiches are always a hit, anytime, anywhere. Bump and Run them at your Super Bowl party and they will be an Automatic Extra Point!

1/2 cup sauerkraut, well-drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces thinly sliced corned beef, chopped
(1 cup) Swiss Cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
30 slices cocktail rye bread
Chopped fresh parsley


Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except bread and parsley in large bowl; mix well. Spoon 1 tablespoon mixture onto each slice cocktail bread. Place onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is hot. Garnish with parsley. Serve warm.

FREEZE AND BAKE LATER METHOD Prepare mini reubens as directed except do not bake. Layer between sheets of waxed paper in a resealable plastic freezer container. At serving time, heat oven to 350°F. Place desired number of mini reubens onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is hot. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

30 appetizers


"The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity."~ Lewis Grizzard
Lewis Grizzard

ELVIS PRESLEY'S GRILLED PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICH

Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley are welcoming Elvis fans from all over the world, Jan.7-10, in celebration of his 75th birthday. It is expected to be the largest crowd to ever 'grace' Graceland.

2 slices of white bread
2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
1 small ripe banana mashed
2 tablespoons bacon fat

Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the mashed banana on the other. Press the slices gently together. Melt the bacon fat over low heat in a small frying pan. Place the sandwich in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Eat it with a glass of buttermilk.

It is said that Elvis ate 12-15 of these sandwiches at one sitting! So belly up!

"Well, it's one for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
Now go, cat, go.

But don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my Blue suede shoes."~Elvis Presley

ANNA'S FISH PO' BOYS

Happy Birthday to Anna Lee Stanley!

2 (11oz.) pkgs. frozen Gorton's Southern Fried Country Style Breaded Fish Filets
2 (12-inch) French bread loaves
1 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. creole mustard
1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp. dried
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
lettuce leaves

Bake fish fillets according to directions on package. Set aside and keep warm.
Cut bread in half crosswise. Split each half lengthwise and toast.
Stir together mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients. Spread mixture evenly over cut side of bread halves. Place lettuce and fish on bottom bread halves; top with remaining bread halves. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

"I will probably begin with a very classy first line... something like: say, sweet thing, can I buy you a fish sandwich?"-Leon Phelps