This Guy can Cook, and Shoot, and Dance, and Benchpress a Basket Load of Groceries

Joe Coury can cook, just ask his wife and his son! He might bench press more than most; shoot a target quicker than most; dance better than most; know more football plays than most; and he might be a better storyteller than most; but make no mistake, Joe knows his way around the kitchen. He's a natural born entertainer and host. He's comfortable with a roomful of third graders, laughing with Navy SEALS, discussing metalurgical data and Bigfoot encounters, or dining with military leaders on a far-away continent. He's an American and a Southerner at heart, even if he was born and raised in Pennsylvania, one of ten children. Home now is in western Tennessee, and it suits him just fine. At home, he cooks and everyone has favorites - lasagna, beets, sweet potatoes, spinach salad with berries, grilled sausages, burgers with lots of hot peppers, and the list goes on and on. There's not much he's afraid to try in or out of the kitchen - Joe Coury cooks!

 Situ’s Green Beans

Over five generations of the Coury family have served this dish. My paternal grandmother, Selma “Situ” Coury, brought this recipe which belonged to her mother in Lebanon to the United States. It is a very old family favorite which we still enjoy and I have passed this recipe on to my son, Clay.

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 white onion, peeled, halved, and sliced

Put in curved frying pan and heat oil to medium. Place the onion slices in pan and stir with fork to separate the sections into slices. Lightly brown the onions.

2 (14.5-ounce) cans French cut green beans

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Drain the green beans and place in pan on top of the onions. Do not mix and set heat to simmer. Add the remaining ingredients, mix, and cover. Stir every two minutes for ten minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Joe Coury, Jackson TN

BaBa’s Beets

My maternal grandmother, Katherine “Baba” Misko, brought this recipe with her from the Ukraine and it’s long been a family favorite. Making it brings back lots of wonderful memories for me.

2 (14.5-ounce) cans of whole beets (or sliced if preferred)

1 (8-ounce) jar of prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon of light brown sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Drain the beets and place into the blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend to a liquid paste. Place in a bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Joe Coury, Jackson TN

Joe’s Spinach Salad

1 bag of baby spinach

1 box of fresh strawberries, caped and halved

2 quarts of fresh blackberries

Place spinach in a large salad bowl and top with the berries.

Dressing

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup extra virgin light olive oil

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

Place dressing ingredients in a bottle that you can shake. Shake ingredients well and pour over the salad mixture. Chill twenty minutes and serve. Joe Coury, Jackson TN