Vickie Sutherland
Vickie Sutherland of Bruce says she doesn’t cook as much as she used to, but loves to cook when her kids come over. Vegetables are among her favorite things to cook, and homemade lasagna is a family favorite that is requested the most.
“The kids always loved the breakfast casserole. It was a big Sunday morning get-together dish that has something for everyone in it. It’s a good ‘sit down to the table’ breakfast dish. And it’s also simple,” she said.
This is the first year for her and husband, Tim, to try container gardening. She grows her own herbs and loves to cook with Rosemary. “It’s so delicious in so many things,” she said. When her kids married, she gave them a basket of herbs and spices, and says she does that a lot of times for wedding gifts.
Vickie enjoys posting recipes on Facebook for things she thinks look yummy and good, and also things she’s tried. She says she gets lots of ideas from there. Besides the internet, she also gets many recipes from her friends at Mt. Comfort Church, and says she probably buys more church cookbooks than anything else. She is a big fan of Rachel Ray and The Chew. She loves to try new things, and says Tim, who is pretty good about cooking, will try anything once.
Cornbread was the first thing Vickie ever cooked. Her mom told her and her sister how to make it, but the first pan was not good. Their mother made the whole family taste it before she threw it out to the dog. She said they weren’t paying attention when she gave the instructions, but they listened after that and the second batch “was delicious.”
For church dinners Vickie usually makes the tomato, basil and broccoli chicken, roast, salads or casseroles, and usually a sugar free pie or other dessert. She loves to experiment with salads and to try new ones out with the church people as her “guinea pigs.”
The brownie trifle is the most requested recipe she has. She describes it as a refreshing dessert and probably the simplest thing she’s ever made in her life. “With the brownie trifle, you are almost guaranteed to come home with an empty bowl from any gathering!”
Brownie Trifle
1 box favorite brownie mix (13×9 pan)
1 container Cool Whip
Chocolate syrup (like you use on ice cream or to make chocolate milk)
1 cup pecans toasted and chopped
Bake brownies according to package directions. Allow brownies to cool. Cut into bite size pieces and place half in trifle dish, add as much or as little chocolate syrup as you like and almost half the chopped toasted nuts. Put in half the Cool Whip. Place the rest of the brownies in the dish, add more chocolate syrup, add almost all of the nuts (reserve a few for garnish) and then add the rest of the Cool Whip. On top swirl a little chocolate syrup and sprinkle the few nuts that you saved. Put the dish in the freezer for a couple of hours to get really cold and then it is ready to serve. Can be kept in freezer or refrigerator.
Tomato, Basil & Broccoli Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1 package (6.9 ounces) Rice-A-Roni Chicken Flavor
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle bite size chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In large sauce pan or skillet melt margarine or butter. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. In same sauce pan, sauté rice vermicelli mix in reserved drippings over medium heat until vermicelli is golden brown. Stir in 2½ cups of water, contents of seasoning packet and basil. Place chicken back in pan, bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Top with broccoli and tomato. Cover. Continue to simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add half the cheese. Stir. Put in 8×8 casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand a few minutes and serve.
City Farmer’s Breakfast
Link sausages
Hash brown potatoes ( I like the grated kind)
Eggs (6)
Grated cheese (1/2 cup)
Oil, salt and pepper
Use a black skillet or your favorite, and brown the links, then remove them. Add oil (just enough to keep hash browns from sticking), then add hash browns, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until they are almost done. Pack hash browns down to make your bottom layer. Place link sausage around like the spokes in a wagon wheel and leave six spaces (can put two links together.) Break eggs into the open spaces (the steam coming up from the hash browns will cook the eggs) and sprinkle with the cheese. When the eggs are cooked and cheese is melted, the breakfast is done. Slice like pie and serve.
Rosemary & Sea Salt Potatoes
3-4 medium white potatoes (Sliced thinly. I like to use my mandoline so they are sliced uniformly.)
Extra virgin olive oil (just a small amount added and tossed with potatoes to help the salt and rosemary stick to potatoes)
Sea salt to taste (remember it does not take as much Sea salt as regular salt)
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut potatoes and toss in olive oil. Add sea salt and rosemary and toss again. Place potatoes in single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-45 minutes depending on how crunchy you want the potatoes. At 45 minutes they are almost like potato chips.
