Celery
Celery is a member of the carrot family. It is low in calories, high in fiber and a fair source of Vitamins A and B. To pick good celery look for fresh healthy leaves and crisp green stalks. One good lesson to learn about celery is how to strip off the strings. Take a knife to one end of the celery stalk, pull strings out from top to bottom. Do not discard the strings in your garbage disposal, they will cause problems. Celery should be refrigerated in a plastic bag and placed in the crisper for up to two weeks. If the ribs are wilted, separate the ribs and place them in a bowl of ice water for several minutes before use.
Stuffed Eggs with Celery
-6 Hard-boiled eggs
-1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
-1/4 cup onion, minced
-1/4 cup ham, minced
-1/4 cup celery, minced
-1/4 cup bread crumbs
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon paprika
Take a sharp knife and slice the hard-boiled eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put into a small bowl. Into the yolks, mix the mayonnaise (or salad dressing), onion, ham, celery, breadcrumbs, and salt. Using a teaspoon, stuff egg whites with mixture and garnish with the paprika.
Minestrina Tricolore: Potato Soup with Carrots and Celery
-1 pounds potatoes
-2 tablespoons butter
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-3 tablespoons onion, chopped fine
-3 tablespoons carrot chopped, fine
-3 tablespoons celery, chopped fine
-5 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus additional cheese at the table
-1 cup milk
-2 cups Basic Homemade Meat Broth, OR 1/2 Cup canned beef broth diluted with 1 cups water
-Salt
-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
-Crostini, fried bread squares
Peel the potatoes, rinse them in cold water, and cut them up in small pieces. Put them in a soup pot with just enough cold water to cover, put lid on the pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, then puree them, with their liquid, through the large holes of a food mill back into the pot. Set aside. Put the butter, oil, and chopped onion in a skillet and turn on the heat to medium. Saute the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold. Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well. Don’t cook them long enough to become soft because you want them noticeably crisp in the soup. Transfer the entire contents of the skillet to the pot with the potatoes. Turn on the heat to medium, and add the grated Parmesan, the milk, and the broth. Stir and cook at a steady simmer for several minutes until the cooking fat floating on the surface is dispersed throughout the soup. Don’t let the soup become thicker than cream in consistency. If that should happen, dilute it with equal parts of broth and milk. Taste and correct for salt. Off heat, swirl in the chopped parsley, then ladle into individual plates or bowls. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crostini on the side.
Whipped Celery Potatoes
-2 lbs. Yukon Gold or red potatoes
-3 cups water
-1 teaspoons salt
-1 cup butter or margarine, divided
-1 cup finely chopped celery
-1/4 cup finely chopped onion
-1/4 cup milk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon pepper
-1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine potatoes, water, and 1 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until tender, and drain potatoes. Cool 5 minutes; peel and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet; add celery and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Add to potatoes; beat at low speed with an electric mixer until potatoes are mashed. Add remaining ingredients, and beat at high speed until whipped. Serve immediately.
Crunchy Celery
-4 c. celery, sliced 1″ thick
-1 (10 oz.) can condensed celery soup
-1/2 c. milk
-3/4 c. chopped pecans
-1/2 c. melted butter
-2 c. crushed Ritz crackers
Blend soup and milk, add pecans and celery. Mix. Place in greased 11/2 qt. Casserole dish. Combine melted butter and crackers. Sprinkle on celery mixture. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Keep refrigerated.
Overnight Layered Salad
-3 cups Shredded lettuce
-2 cups Shredded spinach
-1/2 cup Sliced radishes
-2 cups Cooked cubed chicken
-1/2 cup Celery cut diagonally
-1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
-2/3 cup Mayonnaise
-1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-1/4 tablespoon Dry Mustard
-2 Tablespoon Sliced green onions
In salad bowl, layer ingredients in following order; half lettuce, half spinach, radishes, chicken, celery, remaining spinach and cheese. Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Spread evenly over top of salad. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Garnish with sliced green onions. Toss just before serving.
Buffalo Style Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese and Celery
Hot Sauce:
-6 ounces Louisiana Red Hot Sauce or other brand like Tabasco
-1/2 stick butter
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 tablespoon white vinegar
-2 tablespoons sugar
-2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1/2 teaspoon salt
Blue Cheese Dressing:
-8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
-1 cup mayonnaise, Hellmann’s
-1 tablespoon white vinegar
-2 tablespoons water
-1 teaspoon sugar
Wings:
-2 pounds of wings with the small tips cut off
-1 cup flour
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon white pepper
-3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Hot Sauce:
Combine ingredients in sauce pan and heat to a simmer, then cool.
Blue Cheese:
Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Refrigerate until needed.
Wings:
Cut the small tips off the wings and wash in cold water. Dry with paper towels. Combine the flour, salt and pepper. Toss the chicken wings with the flour mixture in a plastic or paper bag coating the wings well with the flour. Deep fry wings, until golden and crispy in several batches. Watch out for the hot fat as it may sputter and pop due to the moisture content of the wings.
Place the cooked wings on brown paper to drain, then keep the wings warm in a 200F oven until they are all cooked.
Place in a large bowl, pour on the hot sauce and shake well, covering with foil or plastic wrap so you don’t splash the sauce all over. Place on an ovenproof serving platter and re-heat in a 325F oven for 5 minutes, then serve with celery sticks, blue cheese dressing, fresh soft white bread, and your favorite hot sauce.
