Ok, so I have some weird comfort foods…but when I tell people that I love “Frog Eye Salad”, it usually gets the best looks!
To give you a little background, my mom found this recipe and tried it…soon the whole family was demanding it at every gathering. My nephew asked her once what it was called, when she said “frog eye salad” he stopped eating and here is the exchange that followed>
“Frog eyes?” (nephew looks at his plate and gulps)
“Yup, I take my spoon,” (mom brandishes the magic spoon) “go down to the creek out back and catch a bunch of frogs.”
“You catch frogs?” (pushes plate away)
“And I take my spoon and pop their little eyes out into a bowl, all to make that for you.” (looking at him with, lovingly)
“Grandma! You blind frogs?!?”
“Oh honey, don’t worry, I have your grandpa carve them little white canes. They’re fine.”
BEST. STORY.EVAH…and it’s true. My mother is sick, but funny, I’ll give her that! So in honor of comfort and childhood traumas:
FROG EYE SALAD
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. pineapple juice (just drain the pineapple chunks from later in the recipe, you’ll be fine)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 qt. water
1 pkg. (16 oz.) Acini de Pepe
2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans (20 oz. each) pineapple chunks, drained (or other canned fruit -using fruit cocktail gives it that nice government cheese feel, so unless you like that, avoid fruit cocktail. That being said, Wegman’s tropical fruit cocktail works wonders! You can also cut up whatever left over fruit you have into chunks and that works as well — but you gotta add juice if you use only that.)
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. chia seeds
1. Combine sugar, flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.2. Gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs.
3. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until thickened.
4. Add 1 cup of marshmallows, make sure they melt completely.
5. Add lemon juice; cool mixture to room temperature.
6.Cook the Acini de Pepe according to package
7. Drain, rinse, drain again and cool to room temperature.
8. Combine egg mixture and Acini de Pepe; mix lightly.
9. Refrigerate overnight in airtight container.
10. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly but thoroughly.
11. Refrigerate until chilled in airtight container. May be refrigerated for as long as a week.
ENJOY!
