2003
Recipes of the Month for January, 2003
The time has come for reparation, the time for trying to ease the guilt over all we ate during the holidays.
Well, I'm not going to help you on that at all. The recipes this month are full of rice and pasta carbs and sugar. So, let the binge go on!!
The first two recipes use artichokes, and the last dessert one is chocolate all the way!
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A note from Barbara Barton in Oregon on AnneRose's Cranberry Bread that was in the December recipes:
"I mixed up two loaves of Annerose's Cranberry Bread this morning. I did it because it looked easy and it was. It also is very good. My neighbor and I had some with coffee this afternoon. Next time instead of softening the butter with hot water, I will use hot orange juice to provide a stronger orange flavor, which I like.
I liked leaving the berries whole. It's so good to get that burst of cranberry flavor when you bite into one.
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Barbara Barton also sent this salad along. She goes to a lot of potlucks and this dish, she says, always goes over well. It's one of her old stand-bys. Barb is Judy McCracken's aunt and is coming here to Florida this month for a visit. We visited Barb in Oregon last August, and she made Ann Tanenbaum's Vegetable Kugel and a Potato Kugel she got out of the paper for dinner one night. I'll be putting the Potato Kugel in some future Recipe of the Month.
ARTICHOKE RICE SALAD
1 box chicken Rice-a-Roni or equivalent
2 jars (6 1/2 oz. ea.) marinated artichoke hearts (Drain and reserve the marinade)
1/3 cup chopped green olives
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1//3 cup chopped green peppers
Cook rice as directed and cool a bit before adding all ingredients. (I cut the artichoke hearts a bit more) Stir in dressing and chill.
DRESSING:
Whisk together:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp curry powder
Reserved artichoke marinade
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We had this dish when visiting Ellen and Jim Shelton in Tallahassee this last September. The melted cheese adds so much flavor to the pasta! This is Ellen's own version of a commercial recipe. I saw the commercial recipe. Hers is better.
MEDITERRANEAN PENNE PASTA
fresh mushrooms to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. penne pasta
1 three oz. package sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c. pine nuts
1 six oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1. Cook pasta. Drain.
2. Pour boiling water over tomatoes and let stand 8-10 minutes to soften. Then chop them.
3. Chop artichoke hearts into quarters, reserving marinade.
4. Sauté mushrooms and onions in a large skillet.
5. Add feta cheese. When cheese begins to melt, add pasta and stir to coat noodles.
6. Stir in remaining ingredients, including artichoke marinade.
7. Heat and serve.
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Here's a recipe is from Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City. She writes: "This has been a family favorite ever since it was printed in the Kansas City Star. It will be (was) the birthday cake when we celebrate my mom's 86th birthday on October 27. (2002)"
From the Kansas City Star: "Fancied aromas from Luci Johnson' chocolate cake drifted over the country at the time of the summer, 1966, wedding of the President's daughter. This chocolate delicacy was the little bride's cake that topped the three-tiered summer fruit cake...The recipe originally was given to Mrs. Johnson by one of her bridesmaids, Mrs. Roy Falk Beal of Austin, Texas. The rich, moist loaf became the favorite of Mrs. Johnson. As Luci grew up, she called it her favorite, too."
LUCI JOHNSON'S WEDDING CAKE This recipe now has its own page.
1 stick butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour, sifted
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 c. hot water
1 tsp. soda
1. Melt chocolate in double boiler.
2. Cream butter and sugar well: add eggs.
3. Add sifted flour and buttermilk alternately.
4. Add just 1/2 cup of the hot water to the melted chocolate. Stir mixture thoroughly.
5. Put the other half cup water in a small pan and bring to an absolute boil (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.)
6. To this add the soda; the add it IMMEDIATELY to the chocolate mixture.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the batter, stir in the vanilla last.
8. Bake in a buttered loaf pan (Judy: I use an 8 1/2 inch angel food pan that was my grandmother's.) at 325 for 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of the pan.
9. Frost with chocolate glaze.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Chocolate Glaze
2 T. cocoa
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. white corn syrup
2 T. plus 1 tsp water
1 c. powdered sugar
Stir first 4 ingredients together over low heat until smooth. Then stir in sugar until smooth and shiny. Pour over cake and let run down the sides.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for February, 2003
Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee to ward off the winter's cold, and sit down to enjoy some recipe reading and maybe find something new to make for supper.
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Barbara Barton in Gresham, Oregon, is the big fan of the Spinach Kugel that Ann Tannenbaum gave me last winter. You remember I printed the letters exchange on the subject. We visited Barb in August in Gresham, and she made the Spinach Kugel for dinner. She also made a Potato Kugel recipe that she had cut out of the paper. It was the vote of the dinner guests (us) that the potato kugel was a keeper. So, here it is!
POTATO KUGEL
3 extra-large white or red potatoes, peeled (Barb used Yukon Gold potatoes, and didn't peel them.)
1 medium carrot
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (Barb used unsalted matzo meal.)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Shred potatoes, carrot, and onion
3. Put the shredded vegetables in a bowl. Sprinkle them with flour.
4. Add eggs, salt and pepper. Stir.
5. Stir in oil until well blended.
6. Spray a casserole with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in kugel.
7. Bake for one hour, or until done.
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If you spend so much time putting the kugel together that you want a fast meat to go with it (though the kugel can be a main dish in itself), here's a real quickie. I got this recipe from Jodee in Tucson, who got it from her friend Nancy in Michigan.
SPEEDY CHICKEN BREASTS
Lightly flour chicken breasts and brown in small amount of olive or vegetable oil.
Turn over and top with Worcestershire sauce to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until done, about 15-20 minutes.
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Here's another recipe from the lady writer's luncheon here in November. Dell French, who was the hostess, made this to go with a chicken recipe that I'll be putting in some other month. It's a little different kind of salad, and a real treat!
MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD
Curly lettuce, torn in small pieces
1 and 1/2 cups celery, chopped or sliced in Oriental fashion
1 bunch green onions, sliced in Oriental fashion
2 cans Mandarin oranges, drained (reserve juice)
2 pkgs. sliced almonds, carameled
To Caramel the Almonds:
In a Teflon pan, cover bottom of pan with sugar (be generous), add almonds
and stir constantly over medium heat. Be careful not to burn. You may have
to pick pan up from burner as the sugar burns easily. Keep stirring rapidly
until the sugar melts and almonds are a caramel color. Turn out onto wax
paper to cool. When cool, break in chunks.
The Dressing:
1/2 cup of Mandarin orange juice reserved from can
3 T sugar
2 T white vinegar
1/4 cup oil (peanut or corn oil)
Toss Together:
Toss curly lettuce, celery, onions, Mandarin oranges, carameled almonds and
dressing together and serve immediately. (Dell: Does not keep well with dressing
and almonds tossed on to salad. The almonds and dressing can be served
individually if you plan on leftover salad.)
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This final recipe is the dessert. It's from my sister Gail Maggiore in Chicago. She made this for a family gathering, and it was such a hit she made it again for a condo potluck dinner. It went over so well that she said that she could probably make some money making and selling these banana cheescakes out of her kitchen.
BANANA CHEESECAKE
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eight oz. pkgs. cream cheese
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 T. rum flavoring
1 8-oz carton dairy sour cream
1 cup mashed bananas(about 2)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, in a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in melted butter. Press onto the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs all at once; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in mashed bananas.
3. Pour filling into crust lined pan and smooth to sides. Bake for 30 minutes or until cente is set (a knife will come out with wet but firm like custard).
4.Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the sour cream, rum flavoring. Spoon the sour cream mixture over the cheese cake and spread evenly.
5. Return to oven for 5 minutes (sour cream layer may crack). Cool over night in refrigerator. Before serving generously sprinkle top with ground nutmeg.
Gail: I used low fat, etc., items when I could in the ingredients. It is SO delicious.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for March, 2003
Here's some recipes to cheer up the dregs of winter. This is the month of pies. There's Key Lime Pie to bring home some Florida sunshine. Then there's a Vinegar Pie to give you something to do on those long gray afternoons. It's a play and experiment recipe. Finally, if you really want to do things the old-fashioned way (sort of), there's a killer Apple Praline pie.
There's a last minute recipe for cauliflower, too. I tried this last night and it was so good I had to include it.
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I got this recipe from both Judy McCracken and Jodee Linta. Judy winters near me in Florida, and summers in Michigan. Jodee is in Tucson, AZ. She and I used to teach together.
I have had some of this pie at Judy McCracken's home, and it's really delicious. Pie at 148 calories a slice is a real treat, anyway!
1 box (3 oz.) sugar-free lime gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
2 containers (8 oz. each) key lime light yogurt
1 container (8 oz.) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared 9 inch reduced-fat graham cracker crust
1. In a large heat-resistant bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. With wire whisk, stir in yogurt. With wooden spoon, fold in whipped topping.
2. Transfer mixture to prepared crust; refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
148 calories
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This unusual recipe comes from Gloria Adkins in Louisville, KY. Gloria is Judy McCracken's sister. I'll let her tell you about the pie in her own words. (Morgan is her husband.)
"Morgan found this recipe when he was researching 20th century logging camps. He gave it to me as a ha-ha and I joking said I'd fix it someday. Thanksgiving was the day! When I told my kids and our other guest that we were have Vinegar pie for dessert, you all should of heard their responses (of course I also had Pecan pie and cherry pie, just in case this wasn't good).
VINEGAR PIE
3 eggs
1/3 cup vinegar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup cornstarch
Dash of nutmeg
3 tablespoon butter
Baked 8" or 9" pie shell
1. Separate eggs and beat the three egg yolks together.
2. Stir the first five ingredients together and cook until clear and thick.
3. Stir half the mixture into three beaten egg yolks; add mixture to remaining mix in saucepan and stir until combined; let rest off burner for one minute.
4. Stir in a tablespoon of butter until melted. Pour into a baked pie shell.
"Mrs. Russell Wood, Kalkaska (MI), cooked vinegar pie in northern Michigan lumber camps. This recipe is adapted from one she used. Her recipe directions conclude, "If you wish to be fancy, just in case the girls are going to drop in, make the usual meringue (using the left-over egg whites). But lumberjacks were happy to have the pie without the fringe on top.)"
We were all very surprised when we tasted this pie and it was very good. Give this a try, you should have all the ingredients in the pantry."
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Apple Praline Pie is one of Dell French's favorite recipes. Like the Vinegar Pie, it is a very different sort of pie. Dell is in the same local Writers' Guild here in Florida that I am.
APPLE PRALINE PIE
1 (15-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (or any other
Filling
6 cups sliced peeled apples (I use Granny Smiths)
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp. Cinnamon (I use approximately. 1 and1/2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice)
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Butter or Margarine
Topping
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
1. Prepare pie crust as directed for two-crust 9 inch pie.
2. In large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt; toss gently to mix.
3. Spoon mixture into crust-lined pan. Dot with 2 tablespoons margarine.
4. Top with second crust and flute; cut slits in several places in top crust.
5. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden
brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes to
prevent excessive browning. (Dell: I do this at the beginning as I don't wish to
burn my hands taking out a hot pan and working with it.)
6. Remove from oven
The topping:
1. In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup margarine. Stir in brown sugar and
milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in pecans.
(I do all this while the pie is baking-it does not harden as it sits.)
6. Spread mixture over top of hot pie, and return to oven; Bake an
additional 2 to 3 minutes or until topping bubbles. Cool at least 1 hour
before serving.
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This recipe comes from a weekly e-newsletter I get from Wegman's food store chain, that's full of recipes each week. Cooked cauliflower to me is boring - even with cheese. This method really makes it sparkle. Comments in the parentheses are mine.
CAULIFLOWER WITH BLACK OLIVES AND PINE NUTS
• 2 Tbsp sea salt (I used less.)
• 1-1/2 lb cauliflower florets
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (generous)
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts (I used more)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives (or just regular sliced black olives)
Directions:
1. Add sea salt to 4 quarts water; bring to boil. Add florets and lemon juice; cover and simmer 2-3 min or until tender. Drain.
2. Heat large skillet on MEDIUM-HIGH. Saute pine nuts (do not add oil) until toasted and lightly browned; transfer pine nuts to small bowl and set aside. Remove skillet from heat and let cool.
3. Pour olive oil in skillet. Add about 2 Tbsp boiling water (or hot tap water) to skillet. Return skillet to heat; add cauliflower to skillet along with pine nuts and olives. Season with black pepper. Saute until heated through, about 5 min, spooning pan juices over cauliflower.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for April, 2003
Hello Everyone! Spring is almost here! If spring is here, can rhubarb be far behind? I have been saving two great rhubarb recipes all winter just to send them out now. Make them, enjoy them, and save a piece for me. To serve with your rhubarb dish, there is also a new and delicious way to use up some of those chicken breasts you have in the big bag in the freezer that you bought from Sam's.
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Judy McCracken passed this one along to me from her friend Ann-Rose White. I sent out Ann-Rose's Cranberry Bread earlier this year, and had several folks write and tell me that they had had good success with it.
RHUBARB BREAD
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2/3 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1 C buttermilk (or sour milk)
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1 C raw rhubarb, cut into small pieces, or 1 C chopped apples
Topping
1/2 C sugar
1 T butter
1. Stir together all ingredients on order given.
2. Mix your topping until it looks like crumbs, sprinkle over bread dough.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 min.
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Last summer we visited the Michigan lakeside home of an old friend we hadn't seen in years, who invited some other old friends over while we were there for a sort of a reunion. We had grilled chicken kabobs and lots of good things, and Kathy Holgrefe brought this dessert. Everyone loved it. I had two pieces, myself.
RHUBARB DESSERT
Crust:
1. Melt 1 c oleo, cool
2. Mix in 2 cups flour and 2 T sugar
3. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until done.
Fruit:
Spread 6 cups of chopped rhubarb in baking pan over crust.
Custard:
6 egg yolks
1 cup half and half
2 cups sugar
5 T flour
a little salt
1. Mix together and pour over rhubarb.
2. Bake 50 minutes at 325 degrees, or until set.
Meringue Topping
1. Beat 6-8 egg whites with a little cream of tartar and 12 T sugar.
2. Spread over rhubarb custard, and brown lightly under the broiler.
Kathy says that the crust and filling always take longer than 50 minutes in her oven.
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Here's the promised chicken recipe. Dell French served it at that luncheon she had for the lady writers in our retirement park. It makes a nice light entree, good with just a salad.
SWISS CHICKEN ROLL-UPS
1. Pound chicken breasts until thin, but not ragged.
2. Then marinate them in blue cheese or ranch dressing for 2 hours
3. Wrap the chicken breasts around thinly sliced Swiss cheese. (I like deli-Boar’s Head)
4. Roll the wrapped breasts in finely chopped/grated pecan nuts
5. Place in shallow broiler pan. Broil on low broil, on middle oven rack, until done. Turn half way through if you want the roll-ups crispy on both sides.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for May, 2003
Ah, May. Fill a May basket with violets on May Day and hang them on the front doors of friends and lovers. When I lived in Michigan, I was always disappointed that few violets were out in May, and May Day was nearly always cold, windy, and rainy - definitely not weather for tripping around hanging May baskets on doors.
Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City just sent me an article about the personal cookbook of a Lillian Meyer, now deceased. The book was a black binder filled with clipped and hand written recipes. On her recipe for a chestnut puree mold she added the following: "Throw over crystallized violets if you can get them, or crystallized rose petals.... I use African violets a lot in my cookery. I know how to grow them...."
None of the recipes for this month calls for violets, but if you have African Violets or fresh wild violets, you might try dressing up your cookery with a few violets as a garnish. A restaurant, The Burning Tree, that we used to frequent in Otter Creek, Maine, garnished all their dishes with edible flowers from their gardens that were just outside the restaurant and visible from the restaurant windows. It was very special.
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Kitty Letsch, who walks to exercise class with me three mornings a week during the winters, gave a neighborhood cocktail party recently. Three of the h'ors d'oeuvres she served were big hits, so she is passing them on.
Kitty and her daughter Kathy were talking about what might be served, and they kind of just made up this recipe together.
MOCK BUFFULO CHICKEN WINGS
Cut chicken breasts into strips and sprinkle with spice of your choosing
(something spicy and red like BBQ spice or mix up paprika/salt/cayenne -- I
used a McCormick spice) and sauté in olive oil.
Place on plate with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Serve with
bottle of hot sauce on the side for those that want them hotter.
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This one is from Kitty's daughter Laura
PESTO DIP
Soften 8 oz block of cream cheese on low setting in microwave on plate from which you plan to serve
Top with basil pesto about 1/2 cup (from jar) and heat in microwave on low setting - just to warm pesto and cream cheese
Decorate with a 2-3 chopped plum tomatoes
Edge plate with Wheat Thins (Laura says they must be Wheat Thins!)
Kitty: My guests ate it all up and wanted the recipe.
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And this last one is from Kitty's daughter Kathy
Slice French bread in circles (about 1/2" thick)
Brush both sides very lightly with olive oil (I used an oil sprayer gadget)
Toast til lightly browned
When ready to serve, top with mixture of
Chopped Roma (plum) tomatoes
garlic (or garlic salt)
Feta cheese, crumbled
Herbs (basil or parsley)
Kitty: Guests wanted this recipe also!
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Jodee Linta in Tuscon got this from The Great Lakes Cookbook, and sent it to me some time ago. It's a killer recipe for Pea and Peanut salad, one of my favorites. It's a good "durable salad." It will do for a lunch salad for a couple of days for Bob and me, or it will keep in the frig to have on hand when you have house guests and need to fix a quick meal.
PEA AND PEANUT SALAD
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. dill weed
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. sugar
tsp. vinegar
Dash of salt
1 cup Spanish peanuts
1 package frozen green peas
Heat peas in a small amount of water until they just begin to boil. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
Blend all ingredients, folding in peas and peanuts last. Chill. 4 servings.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for June, 2003
Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City sent me this recipe. She can't remember whether she got it out of a cookbook or a magazine, but no matter. It's a good one.
I (Ruth) have made it, but I cheated and used Reduced-Fat Bisquick for the topping. The Bisquick recipe for cobbler/pot pie topping follows this one. (The recipe topping, with all that butter and heavy cream, sounds elegant, but I'm too lazy to do it from scratch.) I also just used vegetables I had around (potato, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, parsnips - and the parsley), and the results were delicious!
ANYDAY VEGETABLE COBBLER
1 white turnip, peeled and cut into bite-size wedges
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 celery root, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
Topping
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the turnip, potato, celery root, onion, carrots and parsley in a
13 x 9 x 2-inch ovenproof glass baking dish. You should have about 6 cups
of vegetables.
3. Add a little of the chicken broth to the cornstarch, mixing until well
blended, then stir in the remaining broth. Pour over the vegetables and
mix well. Season with salt and pepper and stir to blend. Dot the top of
the vegetables with the butter.
To make the topping:
1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large
mixing bowl and stir with a fork to blend.
2, Put the pieces of chilled butter into the flour mixture and rub quickly with your fingertips until
the dough resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Using a fork, slowly stir in the cream until roughly mixed.
5. Gather the dough into a shaggy mass and knead 5 or 6 times. Roll the dough
out on a lightly floured board until it is the size of the top of the baking dish. The dough topping should be about 1/4-inch thick. Place the dough on top of the vegetables.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and the
crust is browned. Test for doneness with the tip of a knife or a skewer.
Recipe from the back of the Reduced Fat Bisquick box.
1 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Drop by spoonfuls evenly over vegetables
NOTE: double this recipe for a 9x13 pan. Use 1 and 1/2 cups Bisquick, 3/4 cup skim milk and an egg for a 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
Ruth: Watch the baking. I didn't bake it as long as the recipe said.
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Last month my Newcomers' Club of Leesburg went to lunch at La Hacienda, a restaurant in the Mission Inn conference center. It was a buffet, and the hit of the day was the broccoli salad. So our First Vice President, Marilou Ross, got the recipe for the club ladies, and here it is for you, too. Watch the amounts. This recipe is of restaurant proportions. Cut it down to your size.
HACIENDA BROCCOLI CRANBERRY SALAD
3 heads broccoli
1/2 lb. cooked bacon
1 red onion - diced
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar (or mayonnaise & sugar to taste)
1. Cut broccoli in small pieces, add cooked bacon, onion, cheddar cheese and
cranberries.
2.
Mix mayonnaise and sugar together - mix into
salad.
3.
Top with extra cheddar cheese.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for July, 2003
Summertime! The Fourth of July is sun, hot weather, food, fun, and all the good things of summer.
We spend ours in Ohio with our family. Last year we had a family campout. This year everyone is moving into new houses, so we'll be celebrating by unpacking moving boxes. But you can believe there'll be time to grill up a thing or two and kick back with a Coke or beer for the Fourth. You have a fun Fourth, too!
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Zucchini time is here! How many thousand do you have in your garden? Well, this is a way to use up some of them! Judy McCracken, who winters down here with us, but is now at her summer home in Gladwin, Michigan, passes this one along.
ZUCCHINI BARS
FILLING:
6 cups zucchini peeled and sliced
2/3 cup bottled lemon juice
Cook together unil tender
ADD
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon and simmer until just done
Add 1/2 cup of crust mix to thicken- -see below
CRUST
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oleo
1. Mix until crumbly.
2. Pat 1/2 mixture into ungreased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.
3. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
4. Put cooled filling on crust. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon to remaining crust and sprinkle on top of filling. 5. Bake at 375 degrees for an additional 30 minutes.
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Our daughter Amy got this recipe from her neighbor, Robert Sievert, and made it for us last Christmas here in Florida. It's a real treat, and makes a lot. So have it when a gang is around.
CARAMEL CORN PUFFS
1 and 1/2 stick oleo
1 and 1/2 c. brown sugar
scant 1/2 c. light Karo syrup
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 bag puffed hulless popcorn
1. Boil oleo, sugar, and syrup for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and soda. (Mix should puff up.)
3. Pour syrup over popcorn puffs that have been put into a large pan.
4. Bake in oven for 1 hour at 250°. Stir every 15 minutes.
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for August, 2003
Vera Mangaudis and I were next-door neighbors for 10 years in North Port, FL. Then she moved to Venice, and I moved to Leesburg. But we still email each other several times a week. Her husband Al is the family cook. He made this dish and it was so good that Vera wrote down the recipe and sent it to me.
MEXICAN BREAKFAST OMELETTE
6 slices of bread, crust removed (optional). Al didn't remove them, making it a little harder to cut. I liked the crusts on, can't see wasting them & it made it a little more substantial.
1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1 7oz can green chilies, chopped
6 eggs beaten
1 13-oz can condensed milk
salt & pepper to taste
1. Place bread in bottom of 9 x 13 buttered casserole.
2. Sprinkle with cheeses. 3. Spread green chilies over cheese.
4. In separate container, beat eggs & milk together. Mix real good.
5. Pour over chilies. Salt & pepper.
6. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min.
I think Al cut the recipe in half as he put it in an 8 x 8 dish. It was really good.
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Judy McCracken got this recipe from Kate Scott. Judy winters in a recreational vehicle park in Florida near us. Kate is from Houghton Lake, Michigan, (where she is now) and winters in a fifth-wheel trailer next door to Judy.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH BAKE
1/3 c. softened butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 five oz. can evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla
2 c. mashed butternut squash
1. Combine sugar and butter.
2. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla.
3. Stir in squash. Mix will be thin.
4. Pour into greased 11x7x2 baking dish.
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°
6. Make a topping mix by combining:
1/2 c. Rice Krispies cereal
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 T. melted butter
7. Sprinkle topping on squash. Bake 5 or 10 minutes more.
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I, with my Michigan friend Jane Arndt, went to an historical society dinner this last June on Mackinac Island. It was a ritzy affair, and after a tour of an historic mansion on the island, dinner was served in the Grand Hotel. I just had to enclose the menu as written on the menu cards at our place settings to give everyone something to think about.
(Course 1) Crabmeat and Woodland Mushroom Tartlette
Creamy Toasted Seame Seed Vinaigrette (This was julienned jicama with the sharp dressing to offset the richness of the tart.)
(Course 2) Roasted Pumpkin Lobster Soup
(Course 3) Tossed Field Greens with Roasted Beets and Chevre
Aged Balsamic Dressing
(Course 4) Parsley Crusted Whitefish Filet and Charbroiled Beef Tenderloin (Yes, you got both!)
Green Peppercorn Sauce
Golden Yukon Potato Cake
Asparagus
Roasted Peppers
(Dessert) Grand Marnier Cheese Cake, Vanilla Bean Cream, Glazed Fruits (To die!)
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for September-October, 2003
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You get a bunch of recipes this month, because it's going to have to do you for the next two months, and even into November some. We're leaving on September 3 for Great Britain with side trips to France and Italy, and won't be back until October 30. That is, we fly into Orlando on October 30. I probably won't get any computer work done until some days after that. So the November recipes will be late. However, if you make all these recipes, you'll be amused for some time. :)
Ruth
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To begin, here's a couple of "quickie" recipes. Good food that takes very little preparation.
We visited at our godson's house this spring in southern Florida. While we were there, he "threw together" these breakfast sandwiches - had never made them before. They turned out delicious, and the idea was voted definitely a keeper.
1. Slice croissants in two.
2. Pile deli ham and cheese on one half, then put on the other half to make a sandwich.
3. Place sandwiches a on cookie sheet and heat in a 300 degree oven until cheese melts.
4. Serve with fruit and juice.
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APPLE SNICKERS SALAD
Also this spring, we spent a day up in Jacksonville having work done at Sharrod, the van conversion company that did our van. We spent a good share of the day in the employee lunch room/lounge. So we chatted with the employees. I got to talking recipes with one of the gals, Danielle, and she gave me this quickie. She said it was a hit at employee gatherings, and the others in the room seconded that.
1. Slice 4-6 apples.
2. Chop 2 Snickers bars into a small dice
3. Stir in Cool Whip
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We visited our friends in Tallahassee in July, and I always pick up good recipes there. Both Jim and Ellen have the touch for concocting delicious dishes that are a bit out of the ordinary. This is an olive dip Jim made for our visit this time. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I not only slathered it on crackers for cocktail hour, but the next day I piled it on bread at a picnic lunch we had on a boating outing.
JIM'S OLIVE DIP/SPREAD
2 pcksg. neufchatel cheese
2 T mayo
1/4 sweet onion (like Vidalia) grated
2-3 tsp. Lousiana Hot Sauce
1/2 jar sliced olives, drained
juice of one lemon
Mix together and chill.
Jim says he's made it with smoked fish, too, and that's good.
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While we were in Michigan in June, my long time friend Jane Arndt, the gal I went to Mackinac Island with, made this for us. It's another simple recipe that you can't get enough of.
SPINACH PIZZA
one 12 inch prepared pizza crust (Parmesan is nice.)
one 12 ounce carton prepared spinach dip
some chopped water chestnuts
one 8 oz. package shredded cheese
1. Spread the spinach dip on the pizza crust.
2. Sprinkle chopped water chestnuts to taste.
3. Heat the pizza in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over pizza.
5. Return to oven and heat until the cheese melts.
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My daughter Amy's neighbor, Ted Rebert, passed this on to me. He said it was really good and a hit when he makes it for family gatherings. Sure looks good, and easy to make, too.
TED'S PEANUT BUTTER PIE
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
12 oz. Cool Whip
2 8-in graham cracker pie shells
1. Blend peanut butter and powdered sugar.
2. Add cream cheese and blend.
3. Add Cool whip and blend
4. Pour into the graham cracker shells.
5. Top with Cool whip and sprinkle with choppednuts or chocolate chips.
6. Chill before serving.
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And last, a final dessert. While I was in Michigan in July, Sharon Manning had a group of artists sitting around in her yard doing drawings and paintings of her lovely gardens. I was visiting her cousins and neighbors, Art and Judy McCracken, at the time. Art teaching being my thing, I wandered over to talk to the artists. From there I wandered into Sharon's kitchen. She was just taking this cake out of the oven.
CHOCOLATE CHIP DATE CAKE
Step One:
8 oz. pitted dates (Use small pckg.)
Place in blender with 1 and 1/2 cups warm water and zap twice.
Add 1 tsp. soda and zap once more.
Step Two:
Beat together:
2 eggs beaten
1 stick butter or oleo
1/2 cup sugar
Step Three:
Add date mixture to egg mixture.
Step Four:
Blend in:
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. soda
dash salt
Step Five:
Pour into 9x13 greased pan.
Step Six:
Mix topping:
1/2 cup sugar (+)
1/2 cup walnuts chopped very fine - Sharon says she uses 3/4 cup
6 oz. package chocolate chips - Sharon says she uses 8 ounces.
Spread topping evenly over raw cake mixture.
Step Seven:
Bake 35-40 minutes at 350°
Until November—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for November, 2003
The Holidays Are Coming!
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Check your liquor cupboard, because these are all holiday recipes with a punch to them. Now is the time to make your fruitcakes, too, and wrap them in wine or rum-soaked clothes to season.
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I have been saving this recipe since last spring, just for the holidays. It's from Martha Decker, who is probably now back in her winter condo here in Florida from her Michigan summer home. Deckers and we go 'way back, from our college days together. This cake sounds absolutely wickedly wonderful. You can believe I am going to try it.
MARTHA'S RUM CAKE
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 c water
1/2 cup pecans
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup rum
small amount of brown sugar (optional)
1. Mix first 3 ingredients of each column together. Then add the pudding mixture to the cake mixture.
2. Spray bundt pan with oil. Put nuts and brown sugar in bottom.
3. Spoon mix over nuts until covered, then pour rest in.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 min.
5. About 10 min before cake is done, mix together in a small sauce pan the following:
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2/4 cup rum
1. Boil for 3 min.
2.
As soon as cake comes from oven, pour mixture over cake. I usually use a spoon for this step.
6. Let cake sit for 1/2 hour before taking out of pan. Cover and let set for two days before serving.
Martha: I usually use coconut rum and have also used Amaretto liquor instead of the regular rum.
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Delores Mazzeo is in my Writers' Guild. She writes children's books about a little orange salamander, and poetry. She also is a good cook that uses a lot of traditional and ethnic recipes.
HOLIDAY CRANBERRIES
1. Put into a 9x13 pan: 4 cups washed cranberries and 2 cups sugar.
2. Cover with foil and bake at 300° for an hour.
3. Remove from oven and pour 1/2 cup brandy over all.
4. Cool, put in a jar, and refrigerate until needed.
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Does anyone besides me remember the Cherry Kijafa Cake fad? Must have been the sixties or seventies. Cherry Kjafa is a Danish cherry flavored liqueur. I loved the cake and made it many, many, times. Then, like a lot of recipes, it faded from view and sat for years in my recipe box. I just remembered it and found the recipe, written in pencil and much faded. Here it is, and I'll bet it's still delicious. If you can't get Kijafa in your neighborhood, you can on the net. I just checked it out, and it's not particularly expensive to order. Go to Google and type in Cherry Kijafa.
CHERRY KIJAFA CAKE
1. Dissolve a package of cherry Jell-0 with 1/2 cup of hot water.
2. Mix: the Jell-O, 1 Devil's Food Cake Mix, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup salad oil, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
3. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until done.
4. While cake is baking, mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with 1/2 cup of Cherry Kijafa.
5 As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, prick the top immediately with a fork.
6. Pour the Kijafa mixture over the cake. Cool.
Until next month-
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for December, 2003
'Tis the season for sweets, and here's a few recipes for you to add to your own stock of Christmas cookie and treats recipes. These will give you something new to take to the Cookie Walk, and a there's a cake rich enough to entertain a king — or your neighbors, whichever comes first.
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Pat Henson is in my Writers' Guild. Every once in a while the gals in the guild get together and have lunch. At the last get-together, we got to talking food, and Pat said these are absolutely melt in your mouth cookies. She makes them every Christmas.
CRESCENT COOKIES
1/2 lb. crushed almonds
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add flour and almonds. Mix well.
3. Roll into balls and form into crescents.
4. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.
5. When cool, shake gently in a bag with powdered sugar.
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You remember the Diet for a Small Planet cookbook, that paragon of healthy eating that came out years ago and is still selling? Well, forget the healthy eating. This is the Fear of the Black Planet, an icon to rich, wicked, unhealthy, wonderful eating experiences. Jodee Linta from Tucson sent it along. She has made it a couple of times, with great success.
FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET CAKE
Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
Batter:
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup hot water
2 and 2/3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1. To make filling: Beat together cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until fluffy. Fold in chocolate chips and set aside.
2. To make batter: combine cocoa and hot water in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and cream again. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in cooled cocoa mixture.
3. Fold in the buttermilk and dry ingredients and blend until just mixed pour 2/3 of the batter into greased 9 x 13- inch pan. Drop the filling onto the batter by tablespoons, taking care to distribute it evenly. Pour the remaining batter over the top, and with a spoon or spatula, cover the filling completely. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Took longer in my oven).
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The last two recipes for Lebkuchen and New Year's Butter Cookies are from my sister Gail, who used to live in Chicago, but now, as of October, lives just a little ways from me here in Florida. Last holiday season she sent both of these cookies to us from Chicago, and we thought they were terrific.
LEBKUCHEN
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped citron (or mixed candied fruit)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tblspn fresh lemon juice
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.Lightly grease 9x12 baking pan and line with
parchment or wax paper to fit bottom and up the short sides.
2. In medium bowl, stir together flour, spices, baking soda and almonds. Stir in
fruit and set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl beat honey, brown sugar, egg and lemon juice until
smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Add Stir in 1/2 of flour and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour and beat until smooth.
5. Spread batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until center feels slightly firm.
6. Cookie batter will rise and fall. Cool for five minutes. Using a thin knife, loosen
cookie from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes.
GLAZE: Mix 1 cup powered sugar and 2 tblspns fresh lemon juice. Drizzle or
spread on cookies. Decorate with candied fruit and almonds.
1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 tspn salt
1. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy.
2. Add egg and beat.
3. Add flour and salt. Mix gradually and well.
3. Roll into rolls a little larger than a quarter.
4. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate over night. DO NOT grease pans.
5. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until cookies are brown around edge.
Variations to basic dough: cut candied cherries, chopped nuts, small sized chocolate chips and mix into dough before rolling OR roll dough rolls in colored sugar or finely chopped nuts.
Until next month-
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipe for December, 2003
This recipe is from Ruth Cotich, who is a writer also. She, along with Delores, Pat, and Dell and I, meet every now and then for lunch and to hear each other's work. Ruth is originally from Australia, and got this from her sister in Australia. I love the name of these treats, and they sound delicious.
HEDGEHOG: A nice, easily prepared sweetmeat to serve over the holidays.:
4 ozs of walnut pieces.
1cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa
Few drops of vanilla essence
1/2 lb plain tea cookies
4 oz butter
2 eggs
Method: Put butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla & beaten eggs in saucepan and bring to boil for a few minutes. Chop walnuts and crush cookies. Mix well. Add to boiled mixture and stir thoroughly. Put into greased log tin or oblong pan (such as used for meat loaf) and store in refrigerator overnight. Cut in fine slices as wanted.
Happy Holidays!
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