“Who made the potato salad?” It’s a common question at family gatherings or dinner parties. If you’re a first-timer attempting this “delicacy,” all eyes might turn your way, wondering if your dish will make or break the meal. But if you’re already crowned the heavyweight champion of the family’s best potato salad, a collective sigh of relief, laughter, and perhaps a happy dance usually follows. Whether it’s potato salad, Aunt Mary’s shepherd’s pie, or Uncle Joe’s famous beef ribs, food has a special way of bringing people together.

From holidays and weddings to funerals, dates, and casual cookouts, food often serves as the nucleus of these social events. It’s how we celebrate, mourn, share, exchange, and learn. No matter who you are or where you’re from, food is a universal language.

I first fell in love with food while cooking with my grandmother who lived with us for a time during my childhood. She would let me add seasonings to a pot of her infamous mixed greens or carefully knead what would become the best Parker House rolls you could ever imagine. That sweet aroma of fresh baked bread would permeate throughout the house. By sharing her love and God-given gift with me, she passed down a passion that I now share with others.

Food has the power to evoke a myriad of emotions. Whether it’s a recipe handed down through generations or the first bite of a warm slice of sweet potato pie, food can transport you to a place of simplicity, happiness, cherished memories, and most of all, community.

In these uncertain times, it’s important to be intentional about connection. What better way to do that than to gather a few of your favorite people and enjoy an amazing meal? Check out these two simple recipes to get you started.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ground Turkey Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

 

Ground Turkey Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

 

Yields: 4-6 Rolls

Ingredients:

1 Cabbage (Leaves)

1 Smoked Turkey Leg

20 oz. 85% Lean Ground Turkey 

1/2 Onion (diced)

1/2 Yellow Pepper (diced)

1/2 Orange Pepper (diced)

2 Celery stalks (diced)

Handful Fresh Mushrooms (diced)

15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce

15 oz. Can Petite Diced Tomatoes 

2 Tbs. Granulated Chicken Bouillon 

1 tps. Complete Seasoning 

2 tps. Onion Powder 

2 tps. Garlic Powder 

1 tps. Black Pepper 

1 tps. Ground Ginger 

1 tsp. Ground Sage

Italian Seasoning (to taste)

Pinch of Granulated Sugar

Fresh Italian Parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit.
  2. Fill stock pot halfway with water.
  3. Add granulated Chicken Bouillon and Smoked Turkey Leg to the pot. Boil on medium high heat, for 15 minutes. 
  4. Carefully, peel off cabbage leaves one at a time. Add cabbage leaves to the boiling pot. Boil for 25 mins or until tender on medium-high heat. Set aside and allow to cool.
  5. In a medium frying pan add ground turkey, diced vegetables and 1 tsp. of each seasoning. 
  6. Fry until browned and vegetables are translucent. Set aside.
  7. In a small saucepan add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. of onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder and a pinch of sugar. Mix well and simmer for 7 mins. 
  8. Add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce to ground turkey and mix well. 
  9. In a medium, shallow pan add remaining tomato sauce (Reserve 1/3 cup for garnish)
  10. Take one cabbage leaf, fill with ground turkey mixture, fold short ends towards the middle of mixture, then fold over the long ends (If cabbage leaf is too thin or translucent, wrap with another leaf). Place cabbage roll, folded side down into a pan on top of tomato sauce. 
  11. Continue this method until all of the cabbage leaves or ground turkey mixture is gone. 
  12. Top cabbage rolls with reserved tomato sauce and Italian parsley, place in oven for 15-20 mins.

Serve immediately 

 

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sliders

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sliders with Creamy Coleslaw

 

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sliders with Creamy Coleslaw

 

Yields 10-12 sliders

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit 

12 pk. Hawaiian Slider Rolls

(2) 3oz. Canned Jackfruit (drained and chopped)

1/2 Onion (diced)

1 tsp. Complete Seasoning 

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Onion Powder 

1 tsp. Lemon Pepper 

1 tsp. Cumin

12 oz. Honey Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbs. Liquid Smoke

1 tsp. Yellow Mustard 

2 Tbs. Brown Sugar 

Coleslaw

14 oz. Coleslaw Mix

2 Tbs. Salad dressing (Miracle Whip)

1/2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar 

1/2 tsp. Granulated Sugar

1 tsp. Garlic Powder 

1 tsp. Black Pepper 

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl combine all coleslaw ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until it’s time to assemble sliders.
  2. In a medium saucepan add drained and chopped jackfruit and diced onions on medium heat. Add all seasonings and 1 tsp. of liquid smoke. Mix until jackfruit and onions are translucent. 
  3. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well, lower heat and cook until sauce thickens.
  4. Assemble sliders by adding jackfruit mixture to the bottom bun, top with coleslaw (optional) and top bun.