Cooking Outside the Box

Here's my favorite recipe for a vegetarian sandwich along with a few others.

Toast two pieces of wheat bread. Choose and slice your favorite vegetables. Cucumbers, purple onions, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and raw spinach.One slice of cheese will do. Include pickles and hot peppers if you're a fan. Sprinkle ground pepper and pour a little bit of olive oil over your veggies.You can even put in fresh herbs such as basil and cilantro. Light mayo is optional with mustard. I ate these delicious sandwiches for two summers. They're great for lunch.

A New Spin On Chef Salad

In addition to the contents usually found in a salad you can also enjoy just about any vegetable. For example, alpha sprouts, fresh herbs and greens of all kinds from spinach to mustard greens and kale are all welcome additions. Make a salad with a variety of extra veggies with or without incorporating the chef salad concept. If you want to create a whole meal consider baked or grilled chicken strips, boiled eggs and your cheese of choice from feta to shredded cheddar. You can also crumble fried bacon and throw it into the mix if you want to walk on the edge. Now, add spices such as onion and garlic powder.Croutons or sunflower seeds make this recipe just as much fun. Options for dressing include olive oil, low fat ranch and Italian. Enjoy!

Note: The healthiest cheeses are softer varieties such as feta and mozzarella.

Spinach Salad

All you need is spinach from the garden or produce aisle and Italian dressing. Spice it up anyway you wish. Just experiment.

Onion Soup

Follow the directions on a box of Chef Swagger's Onion Soup and Dip Mix. After you've placed your soup on the stove top, add sliced onions even though the boxed directions don't tell you to do this. Keep it pretty simple this time, but you can celebrate your mountain heritage by putting in some fresh garlic if you desire. If you're not from the mountains, celebrate my mountain heritage.

Note: Any onion soup mix will do. I just happen to be using Chef Swagger's right now.

Make Your Own Pickles The Quick and Easy Way

A few weeks ago my husband had a craving so he went into the kitchen and came out in a pickle. It was the most pleasant pickle he's ever been in. Here's how you do it. Ingredients consist of two or three thinly sliced cucumbers, half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of water, a teaspoon of salt, three tablespoons of finely chopped dill, two pinches of garlic powder or minced garlic.

Add all ingredients except cucumbers and heat on medium heat until boiling. Add cucumbers in a single layer and cook until they turn translucent. Turn frequently. Repeat until you've used all the cucumber slices.

Note: Don't peel the cucumbers.