Spring planting season is underway and with the much needed rainfalls, I’m sure the season brings its challenging moments. Not only are the farmers busy but farm wives are being kept busier with preparing their vegetable gardens, assisting with hauling supplies and running necessary farm errands, and preparing meals and tending to family while balancing the farm chores. A couple of suggestions for meals would be the Quick Hamburger-Potato Casserole dish and Pig Salad.

Quick Hamburger-Potato Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound lean hamburger

4 tablespoons dried onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 cups uncooked diced potatoes

or frozen hash brown potatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/4 cups milk

Instructions

Brown hamburger, onion and celery in a large skillet. Drain the grease off the hamburger. Stir in potatoes. Add soup and milk. Simmer on the stove until potatoes are cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. For variety, add 1 can of drained green beans with soup and milk.

Pig Salad

I’m not sure why this is called Pig Salad, but it must be because of the bacon bits. This would be a great salad for those hard-working farmers who are committed and dedicated to getting the farm work completed each year.

Ingredients

1 10-ounce package frozen peas

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup cashew halves

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup bacon bits

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

Instructions

Mix peas (thawed, but not cooked), celery, cashews, onion and bacon bits. Mix in another bowl the sour cream and Miracle Whip. Combine the mixed ingredients together. Let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour to help flavors mix together before serving.

Fillets Magnifique

Recently I read and learned about the ever popular Mediterranean diet plan. It includes lots of vegetables and fruit and less processed foods. I realized that we have been using more processed foods than I could have imagined. Fish and salmon are recommended at least twice a month, as well as less red meat. In a nutshell, I guess we are now follow half Mediterranean diet and half regular diet in our household. On a positive note, we are more mindful of what we are eating.

Ingredients

2 fillets of haddock or cod fish

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons minced onion

1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Place 2 fillets of haddock or cod into a single layer of aluminum foil large enough to fold over the fillets and to seal in all ingredients. Melt 1/4 cup butter.

Mix the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together. Next, add the melted butter and mix well. Pour all ingredients over the fillets.

Fold and seal the aluminum foil tightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fish is done. It will flake when probed with a fork.

Crunchy Oven-Fried Tilapia

Tilapia fish are a good choice for any diet. It is considered to be a healthy fish with a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, particularly vitamin B12. Depending on how the fish is prepared, it is relatively low in calories and fat.

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

2 egg whites

1 pound tilapia fillets

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift the flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish and set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites until white and frothy. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs with cornmeal and basil.

Dip the breaded fillets into the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then into egg whites and then the bread crumb mixture.

Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay fillets in the dish, tucking under any thinner ends or edges for more even cooking. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Loretta’s Tips

1. Rub lemon juice on fish before cooking to enhance the flavor and help maintain a good color.

2. Cook pasta for salads al dente (slightly chewy to the bite). This allows the pasta to absorb some of the dressing and not become mushy.

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 38 years of newspaper experience. If you have any favorite recipes you would like to share, email them to krahling93@gmail.com.