Friday's Recipe Box

Happy Friday! Today, I am sharing with you 2 recipes that for me when I was younger were the height of  elegance and panache-but truly, what does an 8 year old know? These two recipes were my grandmother's go to dinner party recipes when family were over and I just thought they were divine!  She used to set out wooden bowls with Planter's mixed nuts (I always fished out the cashews and brazil nuts!) and usually a cheese dip with club crackers, and then she would start dinner out with a gelatin salad, and her house was the only place I ever had a veggie gelatin salad, and then the main course was always curried shrimp--again so many good memories of spending the day at my grandmother's house and how the house always smelled like Roses Roses by Avon and wood polish.

Basic Vegetable Salad

1 envelope Knox Gelatin ( she used tomato jello when it was available, but it has long since been discontinued)

1/4 cup cold water

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup mild vinegar (so maybe rice vinegar)

1 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1 or 2 T sugar--or more to taste

Dash of pepper

1 T finely minced onion

1 1/2 cup diced or shredded vegetables (raw or cooked) I remember celery, carrot and tomato and possibly cucumber as well. 

Soften gelatin in cold water and dissolve in hot water. Add vinegar, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cool. When mixture begins to thicken, fold in vegetables. Turn into one large mold or individual molds that have been rinsed n cold water first, and chill. When firm, unmold onto salad greens and serve with desired dressing--which at Grandma's was always shredded iceberg lettuce and a dollop of mayonnaise. 

Curry Shrimp

(Please note: this recipe is again by taste and is written on a piece of note paper and tucked into my mom's recipe box)

Cook 1 lb shrimp--16/20s are a good size to use--cover with water, and add oregano, garlic powder, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 3-5 minutes depending on size of shrimp. Save water shrimp was cooked in for sauce (strain) 

Make white sauce using chicken broth and reserved shrimp water. Add 1-2 teaspoons (or more) curry depending on how hot you want it to be. 

Use fresh mushrooms or canned (cook fresh in butter and vermouth) You will have to use your own judgement as to the amounts of servings and white sauce etc. Hope you can make this out. Serve over rice. Add sour cream 1/2 to 1 cup just before serving--do not boil. 

Serve with hot rolls and plenty white wine. Enjoy. Any ? use your own judgement. EO (Grandma's initials) Karen is a good taster :-) 

Truly one of my all time favorite meals. Brings back a lot of good memories of family times and playing with my cousins. I hope you enjoy these recipes!