2006
Recipes of the Month for January, 2006
The first recipe of the New Year is an attractive, nutritious, salad that is great for the holidays, but useful all year around. My sister, Gail, brought it to our family Christmas Dinner, and it was a real hit. The salad is a deep red, and Gail surrounded it with parsley to serve it, which made a really festive presentation.
RED BERRY CHEESE MOLD
3 small packages of sugar free Jell-O (red fruit flavors)
3 cups boiling water
8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
one bag frozen or 2 cans bing cherries (drained lightly)
one cup frozen or canned raspberries
1 carton orange cranberry sauce
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1. Mix Jell-Os with 3 cups boiling water. When well mixed, add 2 cups of ice cubes and stir until cubes are melted.
2. Put in refrigerator until it begins to gel.
3. Cut Philadelphia Cheese into small pieces about the size of a marble.
4. Fold all berries and nuts into Jell-O, and then gently fold cheese cubes into Jell-O.
5. Pour in mold or pan and let set.
This recipe will fill a 5 cup mold (with extra for the cook ) or a 9x11 cake pan.
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Sandy Kruse, who is in my Wednesday night knitting group, sent this recipe to Bernice Lightfoot, who is also in my knitting group. Bernice sent it on to me. We had been talking about cookies one night while we knitted, and I had said I could use some good recipes. Well, here's one!
Comments are Sandy's.
This is a recipe that every mother and grandmother should have (or anyone else who has cereal in a box that doesn't seem to be eaten).
PEANUT BUTTER RICE KRISPIES COOKIES
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2C White Sugar
1 C Karo Syrup
1. Bring to full boil.
2. Remove from heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 C rice crispy cereal (or any cereal) My favorite is the Rice Krispies.
3. Drop on waxed paper. Allow to set.
This is a family favorite and anyone who eats then says the same thing. It is wonderful and a terrific way to get rid of little bits of different cereals.
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Donna Archambault is also in the knitting group. She had a holiday party to which everyone brought a snack type refreshment. Donna put out fruit (among other treats), and made a bowl of this dip. It was so good that I, of course, had to have the recipe. Once you've dipped a strawberry into this, you'll never look back.
DAIRY DELICIOUS DIP
1 8-oz pkg low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 T sugar-free maple syrup
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, and syrup. Beat until smooth.
2. Chill.
3. Serve with fruit
Yield: 2 cups
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As long as we're on fruit, how about some poached pears? Jodee Linta, from Tucson, sent me a newspaper section from her paper about tea. Featured in it were poached pears from the Chantilly Tea Room in Tucson. Jodee took Jane Arndt, Barb Lloyd, and I to the Chantilly Tea Room when we were in Tucson last February.
A unique thing about the Chantilly Tea Room was selecting your tea cup. Tea cups are on display on shelves on many of the walls of the several rooms that make up the tearoom. You stroll around and admire the display, and choose from it the cup you wish to use that day at tea. The cup is brought to your table by the server, and is your "cup for the day."
Back to the poached pears. I made them, and thought they were a very special dessert. Comments below on the recipe are mine.
PEARS POACHED IN TEA (from the chef of the Chantilly Tea Room)
1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used a little more)
3 c. boiling water
4 T masala chai tea (I didn't have. Used one Givalia tea bag and one Twinings Blackberry tea bag.)
3 pears (semi ripe, but still firm)
1/2 cup sugar (I used Sugar Twin)
whipping cream (I used Cool Whip)
pound cake or ice cream (didn't use either)
1. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over cranberries.
2. Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the tea and let steep 5-7 minutes.
3. Peel and core pears and slice into 1/2 inch slices.
4. Strain tea into saucepan (if you used the leaves).
5. Strain the cranberry liquid and add to the tea.
6. Add sugar and bring mixture to a boil.
7. Add pear and simmer until pears are tender, but not mushy.
8. Remove pears from liquid. Boil liquid down for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened. (I couldn't do this with the Sugar Twin, so I added a bit of cornstarch.)
9. Cool sauce and pour over pears.
10. Serve on pound cake or ice cream. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle on a few cranberries.
I mixed the cranberries in with the pears after I took them from the liquid. When the liquid had cooled, I just poured it over the pears and cranberries in a big dish. I served pears, cranberries, and sauce in a small saucedish with a dollop of Cool Whip and some chopped walnuts on top. It was absolutely delicious. I do believe I got three nights' desserts for the two of us out of it.
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Back to the knitting group now. Jean Pettitt started the group, and we meet every Wednesday at her house. She teaches beginners to knit, helps people with their projects, copies patterns for us when we want one. She also likes to cook. This is her recipe for an easy and elegant, rich bundt cake.
JEAN'S BUNDT CAKE
1 chocolate cake mix
1 tub of coconut-pecan frosting
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
1. Stir all ingredients together until just mixed.
2. Pour in greased bundt pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.
This recipe can also be made, Jean says, with lemon cake mix and lemon frosting. She recommends, if you do lemon, to add a little lemon extract to boost the lemon-y flavor.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for February, 2006
Here are some cake tales that prove the durability of a good recipe! (Mary's Red Velvet Bundt Cake )
First, an email from Bobbie McBride of the Knit Wits:
"Just a note- I tried to make the Red Velvet Cake in two 9" round cake pans. Don't do it. I had cake all over my oven- same probably goes with Jean's (Pettitt) two recipes (Chocolate and Lemon Bundt Cakes - January Recipes). However, I rescued it as best I could. Everyone loved it ! Bobbie"
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Then last night at computer club, Judy Rankin told me, Ruth, that she had made the Red Velvet Bundt Cake in regular layer cake pans. It didn't run all over her oven, but the cakes rose up - then fell in the middle. She said she just split the layers and filled it all with frosting, and folks loved the cake. She thought it was really delicious and moist.
and more on bundt cakes...
At the last get-togther of the Knit Wits, Jean Pettitt served the lemon version of her bundt cake. It was wonderful. It is moist and rich, and needs no frosting. Jean just dusted it with powdered sugar, and that was perfect!
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There's five recipes this month. That's more than I usually send at once. I debated breaking it down into two letters, a regular and a bonus, but then decided just to cram them all in this one letter. So pour yourself a glass of wine, and sit down to some delicious reading.
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How about dessert first? When we used to go to church suppers in Maine, the desserts, nearly always home made (yum) pies, were set out on a table when we came in the door. We, and others, would pick up a piece of pie on the way to our tables and often have dessert first — just like the saying, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." I got this recipe from Barb Lloyd in Montague, MI, who says the dessert is spectacular. Barb got the recipe from Sandy Hill who is in several clubs with Barb.
Sandy: Here's the super-easy dessert that I made for our last PEO meeting. It is taken from the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan cookbook and was contributed by the Standale Garden Club.
CREAM PUFF DESSERT
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 cans Thank-You vanilla pudding
12 ounces Cool Whip
1 bottle chocolate syrup (suggest Saunders Fudge Topping)
Step 1: Boil water and butter and add flour while very hot. Take off the burner and beat in one egg at a time until all the eggs are added. (use fork to add eggs)
Step 2: Grease a 9" x 13" cake pan. Spread mixture on bottom of pan.
Step 3: Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Dough will puff up. Cool.
Step 4: Spread vanilla pudding over crust. Spread Cool Whip on the pudding. Drizzle top with chocolate syrup.
Sandy: It cuts and comes out of the pan easily as Becky can attest. I made it the day before the meeting, and we finished up the remains 2 days later and it was still good.
A friend of mine in Grand Rapids makes a similar dessert but the filling is as follows:
2 small boxes French anilla pudding
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups milk
Mix together cream cheese and 1 cup of the milk. Gradually add the pudding and the rest of the milk. Beat until thick. Pour over the crust and top with Cool Whip. Drizzle with chocolate.
Sandy Hill
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Are you ready for something on the easy gourmet side? My sister Gail, who lives near me here in Florida, made this for us one night. It was wonderful. With a glass of red wine......Um-m-m
Gail: I didn't have any steaks on hand, so I made it last week with ground beef. I made hamburg steaks, pressed them in some coarse pepper I already had, and went on from there. I know it was good, because afterwards I caught my husband in the kitchen with a scraper and the frying pan, just-a scraping and a-lickin' up all the sauce he could get.
GAIL'S STEAK AU POIVRE
4 beef steaks equaling approximately 1 1/2 pounds
1 tblspn kosher salt
2 tblspns whole black peppercorns
1 tblspn olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into four pieces
1/2 cup Cognac (or any brandy)
3/4 cup heavy cream
*Preheat oven to 200 F.
1. Rinse and pat steaks dry and season both sides by pressing in kosher salt.
2. Coarsely crush peppercorns in a sealed plastic bag with a meat pounder, then press pepper into both sides of steaks.
3. Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot, about 3 minutes, then add oil, swirling skillet, and saute steaks in two batches, turning once, about six minutes per batch for medium-rare.
4. Transfer steaks as cooked to a heatproof platter and keep warm in oven while making sauce.
5. Pour off fat from skillet, then add onions and half the butter (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until onions are well-browned all over, 3-5 minutes.
6. Add brandy slowly and boil, stirring until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2-3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices from heating platter and boil sauce, stirring occasionally until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until butter is incorporated. Serve sauce with steaks.
(note: Both Gail and I poured some sauce on the steaks before serving, and then put the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat on the table. )
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You know how scone recipes begin: "Sift flour, sugar and salt in deep bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in..."
Well, being numbered with the world's lazy cooks, I decided to skip that part, and started with boxed prepared biscuit mix. Apparently there's a lot of lazy cooks, because I found myriad versions of prepared mix scones on the 'net. Here's the one I used last Sunday for a Red Hat tea, and the scones were very good - expecially with thick table cream and lemon curd.
RUTH'S QUICK SCONES
2 c prepared biscuit mix
3 tb sugar
1/3 c Milk
1 Egg or 1/4 c egg substitute
Milk
Sugar
Heat oven to 425F. Grease 2 round layer cake pans. Mix biscuit mix, sugar, milk and egg until dough forms. Knead 10 times. Pat dough into 8 inch wide circle in cake pan. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 8 wedges (petticoat tails) BEFORE BAKING. Bake about 14 minutes or until golden brown. Recut wedges. Serve warm.
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A note on cream: I was hunting for ingredients to make my own "scalded "- "clotted" - "Devonshire or "Cornish" cream for my tea scones. It was impossible. All the milks and creams available in the grocer's dairy case were "ultra-pasteurized." You need cream with at least some bacteria in it to thicken the cream. In desperation, I tried the shelves where the canned milks were. Bingo! There is a product called Table Cream. It is canned, made by Nestlé, and is a product of Brasil!! It is (when kept cold) the perfect consistency for scones and such, and smooth and delicious.
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Here's another recipe from my sister Gail. She was going through her old recipes and found this old friend. She said that this coffee cake was a favorite in her family for years. With the cheese, nuts, and wheat germ, it's nutritious as well as delicious.
OVERNIGHT COFFEE CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 15-oz. carton ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 up granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs
2 Tblspns. toasted wheat germ
Method:
1. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan, set aside.
2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp.salt, set aside.
3. In a 4 quart mixing bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Beat in cheese. Beat in as much of flour mixture as you can. Stir in any remaining flour with a spoon.
4. Spread batter in prepared pan.
5. In bowl combine nuts, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan.
6. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Uncover coffee cake and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm. Makes 15 servings.
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This is from Jane Fisher, who was at one time Queen of my Red Hats chapter. She ran away from us to South Carolina, but we all email back and forth a lot, and so she really hasn't left. I'm sure it was better with her home-cooked chicken than with canned chicken, but wouldn't it make a great quick and easy meal with the canned? I've got some turkey meat and stock frozen, and I'm going to use that to make it.
HEALTHY CHICKEN CHOWDER
1 c milk
6 T flour
1 10 oz. can chunk white chicken, undrained
1 15 oz. can cream style yellow sweet corn
1 15 oz. can yellow sweet corn, undrained
2 C frozen southern style hash browns
2 14.5 oz. cans fat free/reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
Note: I cooked a chicken breast for the chicken, and used the broth from that, also used green peppers due to cost of red.
Blend together milk and flour in 4 qt. pan. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Heat, simmering for 15 minutes or until hot and thick. Stir occasionally, add salt and pepper to taste. 6 servings.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for March, 2006
This first recipe was sent by Barb Lloyd up In Montague, Michigan, where it will be winter for a while yet. It's another recipe from Sandy Hill. Remember last month Barb passed along the recipe for Sandy's Cream Puff Dessert. This month it's a Chicken Tetrazinni, which would be a great potluck dish. Barb and Sandy are in three different women's clubs together.
CHICKEN TETRAZINNI
3/4 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (Sandy: I didn't use)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sherry
1 - 7 oz. package of spaghetti, cooked
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 - 3 oz. can mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook until it bubbles slowly. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in broth and milk. Heat until boiling stirring constantly and boil and stir for one minute.
3. Remove from heat, stir in wine, cooked spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms.
4. Put in ungreased 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
Bake 350 degrees for 30 min. or until bubbly.
Sandy: For the broth, use 1 cup of water with one chicken bouillon cube or canned chicken broth. The recipe is easy to double and just put in a 9 x 13 pan.
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As long as we're on entrées, here's one from myself, Ruth. I made it while I was up in Ohio a couple of weeks ago, at our daughter Lisa's place. The family really liked it. It's a combination of two recipes with a few of my own touches.
RUTH'S CROCK POT PORK TENDERLOIN
1 pork tenderloin desired size (one and a half to three pounds)
1 ring cooked smoked turkey sausage
1 cup cranberry juice
1 apple, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small onion, sliced
small amount of flour to thicken gravy
1. Rub the pork tenderloin with seasoned pepper, garlic salt, thyme (chopped leaves) and tarragon (chopped leaves) and sear it in a large frying pan.
2. Put sweet potato chunks in the bottom of the crock pot.
3. Put tenderloin into the pot.
4. Pile onions and apple on top. Sprinkle with more tarragon and thyme.
5. Pour the cranberry juice over all.
6. Cook on HIGH for an hour. Turn to LOW and cook for 6 or 7 hours.
7. At the beginning of the last hour of cooking, cut turkey sausage into chunks and pile on top of the food in the crock pot. Cover and finish cooking.
8. Remove meats and sweet potato from the pot. Cover and keep warm.
9. Pour the hot pot juice (including any remaining onion and apple pieces) into a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil and thicken it with flour (mixed in water).
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Barb Lloyd also sent along another recipe this month. This one is not from Sandy Hill. This is from Barb, herself, and do they sound delicious!!!
GOOD ROLLS
1 - 11 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated breadstick dough
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp salt
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat over to 375.
1. Unroll dough and separate into pieces.
2. Stretch each piece into 10" long rope, tie into knot.
3. Place knots 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
4. In microwave-safe bowl combine butter, garlic, and salt.
5. Microwave on high until melted about 30 sec.
6. Brush dough with butter mixture and sprinkle with cheese and parsley.
Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden.
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I made these veggies just tonight for supper. I got the idea from a Wegman's Markets food newsletter. But again, I changed it quite a bit along the way. For one thing, I have no luck with roasting vegetables at 450 degrees, as the recipe called for. They get too brown, even charred, and dried out, at that temperature in my oven. I find 400 degrees, or even 350 degrees works better. I served the yams and Brussels sprouts with turkey sausage and sliced fresh tomatoes. Dessert was chunked bananas and frozen (thawed) strawberries with a dollop of Cool Whip on top.
ROASTED YAMS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1 lb. yams
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lite Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste
1. Trim and halve Brussels sprouts.
2. Peel yams and cut into cubes
3. Toss veggies in oil and dressing, salt and pepper
4. Spread on a baking sheet.
5. Roast at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until done and a little browned.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for April, 2006
Here's a delicious dessert from Ruth Cotich, a fellow Writers Guild member. Ruth is from Australia, and her recipes have an English touch to them. Note that the full recipe serves 20 people! A smaller version of the recipe follows. The full version would be good for a family dinner or a potluck. Here's Ruth's comments on it.
Ruth: I came up with the smaller version of the gingerbread trifle, but I have only made it in the larger amount myself (for my Book Discussion group) I think in the smaller version it might not need the half cup of brown sugar -- it could be cut down to quarter cup. But on the other hand, it might not matter.
PUMPKIN-GINGERBREAD TRIFLE
Serves 20
2 (14 oz.) pckgs gingerbread mix
1 (5.1 oz) pckg cook-and-serve vanilla pudding
1 (30 oz.) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12 oz.) container whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps (optional)
1. Bake the gingerbread according to package directions, cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool.
3. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding.
4. Crumble one batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl.
5. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread.
6. Add a layer of whipped topping.
7. Repeat with the remining gingrbread, pudding, and whipped topping.
8. Sprinkle the top with crunched gingersnaps, if desired.
9. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.
Smaller version
1 pckg gingerbread mix
1 pckg cooked vanilla pudding - use half of it for the trifle
a 15 oz can of pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup brown sugar or less
1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom
half of a 12 oz. container of Cool Whip
gingersnaps for topping
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We just got back a few days ago from a 10-day trip to southern Florida to visit relatives and friends. When we were visiting Vi and Jerry Weis, friends for over 40 years, Vi tossed together this snack for our cocktail hour. It's quick, easy, and there were no leftovers! She didn't have a name for her creation, so I named it Crab Rollups.
VI'S CRAB ROLLUPS
sun-dried tomato tortillas
cream cheese, softened enough to spread easily
Louis Kemp Crab Delights (or any other crabsticks)
1. Spread about a quarter inch of cream cheese all over a tortilla.
2. Lay the a crab stick at the edge of the tortilla.
3. Roll up.
4. Slice into 1 inch rounds
5. Chill before serving
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A couple of weeks ago my sister Gail invited us over for dinner. She made these tomatoes as a side dish, and they were so good we almost fought over them. There were no leftovers here, either.
Brio Tuscan Grill is an Italian chain restaurant found usually in upscale malls and shopping areas. Gail got this recipe from the Brio in Winter Park down here in Florida.
BRIO ROMANO CRUSTED TOMATOES
5 Romano tomatoes
Vegetable oil for frying
Wondra flour
2 beaten eggs
creamy horseradish or sauce of choice to offer when serving tomatoes
Romano breading:
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs in most grocery stores in ethnic food)
1/2 cup each freshly grated Romano and Parmesan cheeses
1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley, plus additional for garnish
coarsely ground salt and pepper to taste
1 envelope dry ranch dressing
1. Slice tomatoes and remove centers, set aside
2. Combine bread crumbs with parsley, salt and pepper, parsley, cheese, dressing mix. Pour mixture in shallow dish or pan.
3. Heat about 3/4 inch oil in frying pan.
4. Dust tomatoes with flour. Dip into beaten eggs. Dredge tomatoes in bread crumbs, filling in cavity and pressing on sides and bottom.
5. Carefully place in heated oil and fry until bottoms are browned. Gently turn over and fry until tops are brown and crunchy. Drain on paper towels.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for May, 2006
Our first recipe comes from Claire Coon in Green Valley, just south of Tuscon, AZ. I love crab cakes. My husband gets exasperated because I always order crab cakes if they're on the menu. These crab square are crab cakes with an attitude.
CRAB BRUNCH SQUARES
4 eggs
2 and 2/3 cups milk
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
6 ounces Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/4 inch squares
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 and 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 pound crab meat
Red Pepper Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
paprika
2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1. In a large bowl place the eggs, milk, and mustard. Beat the ingredients together.
2. Add the Brie, olives, onion, Worcestershire Sauce, rice, and crab. Stir the ingredients together.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cut into squares and serve with the Red Pepper Cream Sauce.
7. Sprinkle with the paprika and garnish with the chives.
RED PEPPER CREAM SAUCE
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1 large ripe red pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 and 3/4 cups milk
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1. In a medium saucepan, place the butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the red pepper and green onion and sauté them for 2 minutes.
2. Add the flour and sauté it for 3 minutes on low heat.
3. Blend in the salt and white pepper.
4. Gradually whisk in the milk and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Pour the sauce into a blender and purée it for 2 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are blended.
6. Put back in saucepan and keep warm to spoon over the Crab Brunch Squares.
This can be made with bacon, sausage, other meat of choice instead of crab.
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I got this from Diane Kraft, who lives about 20 miles north of me in a huge park called The Villages. Diane and I belong to the same Macintosh computer club. Scott is her son.
She sent me this recipe months ago, and I've been saving it for peach season. Georgia peaches are in season right now down here, and those northern peaches shouldn't be too far behind. When the season starts, you'll have the recipe and be ready!
SCOTT'S APPLE-PEACH PIE
4 cups of peeled, sliced apples
2 cups of peaches, sliced
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup of corn starch
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 Tbs of milk
Crust
1 cup shortening
3 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
5 Tbs water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1. Mix shortening and flour in bowl until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add egg, salt, water, and vinegar. Roll into a ball, then form pie crust with rolling pin.
3. Place filling in pie.
Filling
1 Slice apples and peaches.
2. Place in large mixing bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, milk, and cornstarch to bowl. Mix.
3. Place filling in pie crust. Cut slits across top of pie.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
5. Eat until you feel sick, then you know you are full! Enjoy!
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When I made supper one night this month, I did one of those "wing it as you make it" dishes, and this one turned out really good. So I wrote it down before I forgot what I did, and here it is. Of course, you have to like curry and spicy foods, which we do. If you don't, just pass on to the next recipe. :)
RUTH'S CURRIED CAULIFLOWER
one medium head of cauliflower, cut in largish bite-size pieces
20 fresh whole almonds, unpeeled
1 cup orange juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 package dry mix for chicken gravy that makes one cup of gravy
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tsp Patak's Curry Paste, Medium, or your favorite curry seasoning to taste
2 T olive oil
1. Sauté the onions, pepper, and celery in the olive oil until onion is transparent
2. Add the juices and curry seasoning. Heat and stir to mix.
3. Add the chopped cauliflower. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is firm/soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Mix the gravy powder into one cup of water.
5. Pour the gravy into the cauliflower mix, bring to a boil, and stir until somewhat thickened.
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This last recipe group is from Candy Little in Kansas City. Cooking is Candy's thing, and she does catering every now and then. Here's what she says about the recipes:
Hi! My women's group is putting together a cookbook, and a friend and I are testing appetizer and drink recipes. Here are two that would serve a big group, perhaps a Memorial Day of 4th of July gathering.
OLIVE DIP OR SPREAD
2 (8 oz) packg of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (5 and 3/4 oz) green olives, stuff with pimento...save the juice.
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 (4 oz) packg pecan pieces
1. Add olive juice to the cream cheese and the Worcestershire sauce.
2. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
3. Chop the olives and add along with the pecans.
4. cover and chill several hours. Serve with sturdy crackers and/or raw veggies
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
1 packg dry Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix (Do not use the dip mix.)
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
1 (8 oz) can beer...open and let it sit about one hour to reduce the bubbles.
1. Beat together with an electric mixer.
2. Cover and chill several hours.
3. Serve with Snyders of Hanover small square grid pretzels.
Different kinds of beer will result in different flavors of dip...experiment and enjoy!
Until next time…
Bon Appétit!
Recipes for June, 2006
Here's a couple of recipes from my sister, Gail. She is an excellent cook, a natural. I have to plod along by comparison. These two recipes are from an Easter dinner she prepared for us. The first is the salad, unusual and tasty. The second is a "different" way to prepare roast lamb, which came out tender and delicious.
ORANGE AVOCADO SALAD
2 large naval oranges
1 large ripe avocado
dice above into 1/2 inch pieces
1 TBLSPN fresh lime juice
1 tspn honey (to taste)
course salt and pepper
mix together
METHOD
Place fruit in bowl
Carefully pour dressing over fruit
Refrigerate until serving - on greens
Sprinkle with Pistaschio or Macadamia nutmeats and
a mint leaf for garnish
serves four
ROASTED LEG OF LAMB
1 6-7 pound leg of lamb
2 T olive oil
2 T fresh minced rosemary
1 T finely grated lemon peel
1 minced clove garlic
Method
1. Mix the above and rub into lamb
2. Place lamb, fat side up in large roasting pan.
3. Sprinkle with salt, rub oil rub over lamb.
4. Place seasoned lamb into a preheated oven of 400 degrees
for about one hour or 130 degrees on a meat thermometer.
After first thirty minutes turn lamb over in pan.
5. Turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees and continue to cook
for 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on your choice of rare, medium, or well done.
6. Remove lamb from oven and tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes
before carving.
Place carved lamb on serving plate and pour pan juices over meat.
Lay rosemary sprigs over for garnish.
_
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Judy and Art McCracken, our friends for many years, are snowbirds. They spend December through April here in Florida, then "fly" up to Michigan for the summer months. This year on their way to Michigan, they visited Art's cousin Marilyn Garber in Texas. (Don't ask me if Texas is on the way from Florida to Michigan. Maybe it is if you take the Great Circle Route.)
Marilyn served them this banana bread, which Art and Judy said needs to be eaten to be believed. It's that good.
MARILYN'S BANANA BREAD
1 and 1/4 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup plus 1 T of buttermilk
(I use yogurt if I don't have buttermilk.)
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp banana extract, if you have it
1/2 tsp salt
Oven should be at 325 degrees.
1. Butter and flour your loaf pan.
2. Mix all ingredients in a mixer, and pour into the loaf pan.
3. Cook time is one hour and 20 minutes.
THIS RECIPE HAS WON 1ST PLACE IN THE MONTEREY COUNTY FAIR FOR 9 YEARS.
Marilyn Garber's notes:
I increased flour to one and one-half cups, and I used pecans.
The bread finishes dark and flat on top.
Until next time…
Bon Appétit!
Recipes for July, 2006
Here's a recipe from a women's club. Jane Fisher, who started our Red Hat chapter and then moved to Seneca, South Carolina, sends this recipe, It is from a meeting of her book club up there. Sounds like a fun thing to do!!
DUMP SALAD RECIPE
16 oz. cooked pasta (bowtie or corkscrew)
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1.5 cups celery, sliced
1.5 cups green pepper, chopped
3 apples, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 large can pineapple bits
2 cups green grapes
1 can cashews
1 cup Marzetti coleslaw dressing mixed with 3/4 cup mayonnaise.
Combine in a BIG bowl and serve.
Jane's note: I found the salad not too colorful, I'd use red grapes, and more green or red pepper.
***************
Barb Lloyd, of Montague, Michigan, sent this recipe. We're heading up her way in a little over a week. I will be sitting on her long porch rocking, gazing at the bayou (pond), and chatting with her and our friend Jane soon.
After she sent me the recipe, I wrote and asked her some questions about it. Here's her answer!
Yes, I've made the apple bread, truly yummy! Our friend Bob Prezewlocki (the restorationist from St. Charles) was here and devoured an entire loaf. Banana bread can't hold a candle to it!
FRESH APPLE BREAD This recipe has its own page now.
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cups peeled finely chopped apple
1 cup salad oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1. Mix sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add apples and toss by hand.
2. Add salad oil, eggs, vanilla. Mix well.
3. Add nuts. Mix till blended. Batter will be very thick.
4. Pour into greased loaf pans. Makes 2.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until done. It will take an hour or more. Keep checking. Cool 5 minutes, turn out.
Barb notes: Greased pan=grease with margarine then spray! This recipe freezes well. (The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups salad oil and 2 eggs.)
*************
At the end of March Bob and I traveled further south in Florida to visit friends who winter down there. We spent a few days with Vi and Jerry Weis in Fort Myers. They are friends of many years from when we lived in Ohio in the 60s. Vi made the Hot Citrus dressing, and served it to us on a mixed lettuce salad. It was delicious! She said she makes it every now and then and just keeps it on hand for salads.
The original recipe was for a Spinach Salad with the dressing. So when Vi sent me the Hot Citrus Dressing recipe, she included the Spinach Salad. Here it all is.
SPINACH SALAD WITH HOT CITRUS DRESSING
2 lbs fresh spinach
4 oranges peeled and sectioned
1 lg purple onion thinly sliced and separated into rings
3 ozs goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1. Remove stems, wash and pat-dry
2. Arrange on salad plates, drizzle hot dressing
HOT CITRUS DRESSING
1 6 oz. can frozen orange juice, thawed
1 small onion, diced (Vi uses dried onion flakes)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 T. grated orange rind (Vi doesn't do this, but says it would probably be good)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 cup peanut oil (Vi uses olive oil)
1. Process first three ingredients in blender.
2. Add brown sugar and beat well.
3. Add next four ingredients and blend on high.
5. Add oil in a slow, steady stream.
6. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook over medium heat for ten minutes.
Cool before serving. Dressing will keep for a few weeks in the frig. Just warm it and shake well before serving.
*************
And finally, a couple of cold dessert recipes that are simple to make and great for this hot weather!
**************
This first one is from my sister Gail's daughter Tracey who lives in California. Tracey says it's her favorite cake.
PEA PICKIN' CAKE This recipe now has its own page.
A sweet, cool treat after a hot afternoon of picking peas!
Preheat oven to 350
Batter:
1 18.5 oz box yellow cake mix
1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges (use juice, too)
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
Grease and flour three 8" or 9" cake pans
1. Beat in eggs with cake mix
2. Add Mandarin orange juice
3. Stir in oil
4. Fold in oranges using a mixer to break up the oranges
Divide evenly into cake pans and bake 25 minutes. Cool and remove from pans
Icing:
1 12 oz Cool Whip
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (use juice, too)
1 5 1/4 oz instant vanilla pudding
Mix all ingredients, and then ice cooked cake.
Refrigerate until you serve - store in fridge - Enjoy!
**********************************************************
And the last one is from Jeannette Sosinski right here in The Plantation. Jan is one of the gang who walks to exercise class in the wee hours of the morning three days a week. It's a half-hour walk each way, so we get a lot of talking done!
PEANUT BUTTER SQUARES
Melt 2 sticks margarine,
Add 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar or (2 cups), 18 oz.smooth or crunchy peanut butter.
Mix together -
1. Line 18 x 9 pan with alum. foil. Pour above in pan.
2. Melt 1 stick margarine and 12 oz. bag chocolate chips. Pour over peanut butter mixture.
3. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Before cutting, let stand room tem. 1 hour. Enjoy
Until next time…
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes for July, 2006
I've already picked up several recipes, so rather than accumulate them, you are getting a July Bonus Recipes mailing. .
*************
Our first stop on our trip North this summer was the home of Ellen and Jim Shelton (with whom we were park rangers at Acadia National Park in Maine) near Tallahassee, Florida. It takes about three hours to get from our house to theirs, so we timed our arrival just before lunch. :)
While we were there, Ellen made the following delicious dish for a supper.
We took the leftover pasta dish with us to eat on the road North. We didn't get to it, though, so I contributed it to a supper at Diane Toman's cabin on the Muskegon River in Michigan. They really liked it, especially one son who ate hardly anything else.
LEMON-HERB PASTA WITH ARTICHOKES AND GREEN BEANS
1 c packed fresh parsley leaves
1/2 c fresh dill sprigs
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
2 T plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 7-oz pkg. frozen artichokes, thawed and quartered
1 10 oz. pkg. fresh green beans
1 lb. fettucini
1 6-oz bag baby spinach
2 c low-sodium vegetable broth
1 T lemon juice
1 and 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c grated fresh parmesan
1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Blend parsley, dill, garlic, and 2 T oil in food processor.
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté artichokes 2 minutes, or until heated through. Set aside.
4. Add green beans to boiling water. Simmer 5 minutes, then remove from pot with slotted spoon. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions, or until al dent; drain.
5. Return pot to stove. Add spinach, 1 cup broth, lemon juice and zest, artichokes, pasta, beans, and herb mixture. Cook 3 minutes, or until spinach wilts, moistening with remaining cup of broth as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among serving plates, sprinkle with feta cheese, and serve. (Ellen put some fresh grated parmesan on first, then the feta.)
*************
For dessert, Ellen served the following Lemon Cheesecake. She got the recipe from Louisa Gendron. Louisa was a volunteer at Acadia National Park, and she and Ellen Shelton worked together at the visitor center for a while.
LEMON CHEESECAKE
1 8-oz. cream cheese (lo-fat cream cheese does not set up as firm as full-fat. Ellen uses 1 and 1/2 packages of sugar-free pudding to offset using low-fat cream cheese.)
2 c milk
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding, or 1 and 1/2 packages if you are using low-fat cream cheese.
1. Beat cream cheese.
2. Add milk and pudding. Mix well.
3. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill.
**************
My sister's (Gail, who lives near me) husband, John Maggiore, meets every Wednesday morning at McDonald's for coffee and Danish with a group of Italian friends. They call themselves the Romeos (Retired Old Men Eating Out). One of the fellow's wife sent this recipe to the group to take home to their wives. Gail hasn't made this yet, but sent it along as it sounds like a good filling basic casserole.
INSIDE OUT STUFFED PEPPERS
2 # ground meat, browned, drained, and rinsed
1 c diced onions
Worchestershire sauce to taste
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 c long grain rice, uncooked
1 c water
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded cheese
1. Mix together all ingredients except the cheese.
2. Pour mixture into a 2 quart casserole and cover with foil.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the cheese.
5. Return to oven, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and browning around the edges.
Serves 6
************
Now here's a "different" salad, and a good one for summer. It is from Judy McCracken. As a matter of fact, we're at Judy's home on the shores of Lake Lancer in Michigan as I write this. Judy's friend Polly brings this to the potlucks and parties around Judy's park. It's her basic "Potluck Dish," and people look forward to it.
GRAPE SALAD
2 # seedless green grapes
2# seedless red grapes
1 eight-oz carton of cream cheese, softened
1 eight-oz carton of sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
Topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c chopped pecans
1. Wash grapes and dry thoroughly.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then gently fold in the grapes.
3. Combine topping ingredients and spread over grapes.
Until next time-
Bon Appétit!
Recipes for August, 2006
First off, an excellent side dish. Gail made this to go with the lamb for our Easter dinner this spring. I had about four helpings, it was so good. I've made it myself since then, and it's a nice change of pace.
CREAMY MASHED CAULIFLOWER (also known as Fautatos)
1 head cauliflower or one bag frozen cauliflower heads, 10 oz.
5 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese
1/2 cup mild onion chopped
garlic powder to taste
1 pkg Ranch dressing powder
Method
1. Microwave cauliflower heads about 8-10 minutes or until very mushy.
Set in drainer until well drained
2. Place cauliflower heads in a bowl and beat until quiet smooth (will be a little lumpy)
(If using a food processor use s-blade)
3. Beat in remaining ingredients, move into serving dish and keep warm until serving.
*************
Back during the sixties and seventies there were recipes that were almost a fad for a time, then they'd disappear. Remember Tiger Salad? How about Duchess Potatoes? The cakes I can recall as being very popular during those years were the Cherry Kijafa Cake, Fruit Cocktail Cake, Red Velvet Cake, the Mayonnaise Cake, Tomato Soup Cake and the Sauerkraut Cake. Other than the Fruit Cocktail Cake and Tomato Soup Cake, they were all chocolate. The Red Velvet Cake is having a renaissance, and is now again the "Cake of Choice."
The Sauerkraut Cake is a very good, moist, chocolate cake. I think I still have my old recipe for it. If you didn't have it in your area years ago, the idea is not appealing - gross, even. That was the case with Dell French, who sent it to me. Dell is one of the Lady Writers. She thought it was a joke. Here's what she said.
Ruth, I don't believe you will want to use this in your Recipes to send out....sounds yukkie--but I do like sauerkraut. Dell
As you read through this, you'll realize that it's an old recipe - sifted flour? electric beater?
SAUERKRAUT CHOCOLATE CAKE This recipe is now in the recipe box.
This cake is unbelievably moist. The sauerkraut makes you think of coconut, with a hint of chewiness that is not only interesting, but delicious.
2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1/2 cup cocoa
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sauerkraut, drained and chopped coarsely
1 cup water
1. Cream shortening and sugar with an electric beater on medium for 10 minutes.
2. Add vanilla, salt, and cocoa.
3. Continue beating 5 minutes on low speed.
4. Add eggs and blend 5 minutes until light.
5. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.
6. Add alternately with water, using low speed.
7. Wash and chop sauerkraut. Add to mixture.
8. Mix thoroughly and bake in a greased and floured 9x13x2 pan at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
9. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.
***********
This is a recipe I made recently. Since my husband and I are fond of ginger, we really liked this salad. I try to always have a "durable" salad on hand for lunches, and this is a good one.
GINGER GREEN BEAN SALAD This recipe now has its own page.
1 box frozen cut green beans (not julienned-style beans)
1/3 c sliced almonds
1 T dry mustard
2 tsp water
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar (I used sugar substitute)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 and 1/2 tsp soy sauce (I used the lite sauce)
1 T grated fresh ginger (I used more ginger)
1. Cook beans until barely tender. Drain and pat dry.
2. In medium bowl, combine beans and almonds.
3. In small bowl, whisk together the mustard and water to make a paste. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger.
4. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. (I think it's better if it sits overnight)
*************
Here's another salad, this one from Claire Coon in Green Valley, AZ. She sent the Crab Squares that were in the May recipes. This is a "California" type salad, I would say. It would be nice to serve to guests.
MANDARIN AVOCADO TOSS
1⁄2 cup sunflower kernels
1⁄2 cup silvered almonds
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1.2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon cloves
4 cups torn leaf lettuce
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 to 2 green onions, chopped
1. In a small skillet, sauté sunflower kernels and almonds in butter. Cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mustard and garlic; shake well.
3. In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, oranges, avocado, onions and sunflower/almond mixture.
4. Drizzle with dressing.
Serve immediately.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
************
Marianne Jones, Jodee Linta, Jane Arndt, and I taught school together in Big Rapids, MI, for many years. So we're all about the same vintage. We used to lunch together in Szot's Bar nearly every day. Dar Albauchton was the cook there, and a super cook she was. Her meatloaf and split pea soup could not be beat.
Anyway, we eventually all retired. Jodee went to Arizona. I went to Florida. Jane and Marianne are still in Big Rapids. Beginning on April 28 of this spring, and for the next 23 days, Marianne walked 300-plus miles from Big Rapids, Michigan, to her childhood home in Greenville, Ohio. Her purpose was to raise awareness of Senior Centers and Hospice.
Marianne has a sister, Becky, who lives in Lima, Ohio, so she stopped in on her way by. Becky fixed her the French Toast recipe below and Marianne said she "licked the plate," it was so good. On her way back to Big Rapids (not walking) she stopped in to see Becky again and to have more of the French Toast. Now you can try it, yourself!
FRENCH TOAST with STRAWBERRY SAUCE
1 (16 oz.) Challah bread (cubed) (a sweet Jewish bread, often braided)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (cubed)
1/4 C. maple syrup
6 large eggs
4 C. half and half
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 C. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 10 oz. jar strawberry jam
1. Arrange bread (1/2) in buttered 9 X 13 pan. Sprinkle with cubed cheese and top with remaining bread.
2. Whisk together eggs, half and half, and butter. Pour
over bread to absorb eggs.
3. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
4. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
5. Heat preserves over low heat. Add berries. Serve over toast.
Light version
8 oz. light cream cheese
1 1/2 C. egg substitute
4 C. fat free Land of Lake cream or low fat milk
Until September…
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes for August, 2006
These bonus recipes come from two sources, Candy Little, the Kansas City caterer, and from the Williams family reunion July 15 weekend.
Enjoy!
*************
First, a couple of recipes from Candy. Since I'm a curry lover, I will try the first recipe as soon as I can after I get back home. But you don't have to be a curry lover...here's what Candy has to say about that...
"Hi, Ruth! Here is the curry chicken pizza recipe as promised. I would hope that the non-curry lovers would give it a try as the amount of curry can really be adjusted to individual tastes. It is an excellent appetizer when cut into small slices or squares and is also good as a main course along with a tossed salad and fruit."
CURRY CHICKEN PIZZA
one 16oz. pkg. Boboli thin crust pizza dough
1 and 1/2 cups cooked chicken tenders, cubed or shredded
1/3 cup roasted cashews
2 green onions, finely chopped
4T. mayonnaise
4T. plain yogurt
2T. apricot jam
1-2 tsp.curry powder or to taste
2T mango chutney
1-2 T. chopped cilantro
1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425°.
1. Combine chicken, nuts, and green onions.
2. In a separate bowl, mix mayo, yougart, curry powder, jam, chutney, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
4. Spoon on top of the pizza crust. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.
****************
And here's just what you need to please your guests on a hot summer's evening. Best of all, most of the work can be done ahead and kept on hand for unexpected guests or yourself when you have a whim for a cool drink. I can see myself sitting in a porch swing and sipping Sangria...
Hi! I am sending you the white sangria recipe which was originally a punch version as well as a version that can be kept on hand for a smaller group or your "Happy Hour." (You might double check the math for reducing the ingredients!!)
Candy Little
WHITE SANGRIA PUNCH Yield: 20 6oz. drinks
3 bottles (total of 75 ounces) dry white wine such as Gallo Chablis Blanc
1 and 1/2 cups (12 ounces) Triple Sec or Cointreau
Approximately 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
1 quart chilled club soda
2 lemons and 2 limes, sliced for pitcher or punch bowl
1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the club soda and the fruit several hours in advance to allow the sugar to dissolve. (Clean pitchers or other covered drink containers work well.)
2. Just before serving, add the fruit and the club soda. Stir gently.
HAPPY HOUR WHITE SANGRIA Yield: 6-7 6oz. servings
1 bottle white wine
4 ounces Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 to 1 and 1/2 T. sugar or to taste
8-10 ounces chilled club soda
lemon and/or lime slices
Combine all but the club soda and fruit. This is the "base" that can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. To serve, transfer to a large pitcher and add soda and fruit slices.
For a single drink, pour about 6 ounces of the "base" over ice and add 1-2 ounces soda. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime.
*Note: Even as a punch, it is better to serve over a couple of cubes of ice. It tastes better when chilled.
**************
Next, the family reunion. We're a small family. Fourteen of us gathered at our niece Cheryl and husband Ken Young's trailer on Lake Erie in July for lunch. We ate well! After lunch, we took a ferry over to Kelley's Island in Lake Erie to play for the afternoon.
To start at the end, that is, with dessert, Cheryl made the Lemon Cheesecake that was in the July Bonus Recipes from Ellen Shelton. Cheryl, however, used everything low whatever. She used fat-free cream cheese, sugar free pudding, skim milk, and even found a sugar-free graham cracker crust for it! The results were terrific. Using the lo-cal ingredients didn't affect the consistancy or taste at all.
(She did use the extra pudding mix as Ellen suggested, though.)
Since we're on desserts, here's another recipe Cheryl made as a dessert or snack.
2 8 oz. cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls,
2 8 oz. pkg. fat free cream cheese, softened,
1 t. vanilla,
1 egg, slightly beaten,
3/4 cup sugar or you can use sugar substitute,
2 T. cinnamon
1. Unroll 1 can of rolls, press on bottom of greased 13 x 9 pan to form a crust. Firmly press seams together to seal.
2. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg, and 1/2 cup sugar with electric mixer. Spread on crust.
3. Unroll other can of rolls onto wax paper. Pat out dough to form 9 x 13 rectangle, pressing seams togethe to seal. Invert over cr. cheese mixture to form top crust.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and sprinkle over squares once they have cooled and before cutting into squares.
24 servings.
**************
Also from the reunion, here's a recipe that our niece-in-law Millie Williams made that was a big hit! You can use it as an appetizer/snack, or even for a main dish for a light meal.
MILLIE'S DIP
2 pkgs 8-oz cream cheese
two-16 oz tubs ricotta cheese
2 cans chopped chili peppers (green chilies)
2 T. Lipton Herb and Garlic Soup mix
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup sliced pepperoni
2 T shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1. Blend cream cheese, rocotta cheese, chili peppers, Lipton mix, and half a cup of the mozzarella cheese. Set remaining mozzarella cheese aside.
2. Chop half cup of pepperoni. Add to blended cheeses mix. Save remaining pepperoni for topping.
3. Pour into a 9x13 pan.
4. Top with the spaghetti sauce.
5. Sprinkle remaining mozzerella cheese on top.
6. Then cover with Parmesan cheese and sliced pepperoni.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers or nachos to dip.
Until next time-
Bon Appétit!
Recipes for September, 2006
On to the first recipe for this month. The first two are from my niece Cheryl Young. These are more recipes from the family reunion in July, which Cheryl and her husband hosted.
BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD
1 small head chopped broccoli
1 small head cauliflower
1 small red onion, chopped
2 small boxes of raisins or 1/2 cup
1 pkg real bacon bits, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Hellmans Lite or Fat free mayonaise
3 T cider vinegar
1. Combine vegetables, onion, raisins, and bacon bits.
2. Mix mayo, sugar, and vinegar and let stand 1 hour to blend & chill in refrigerator.
3. Pour dressing over veggies 30 minutes before serving.
************
one 1oz. envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
one 16 oz. container of fat free sour cream
3 cucumbers peeled and sliced
1 medium onion diced
1. In a large bowl, mix dressing mix and sour cream until combined.
2. Stir in cucumbers and onion until well coated. 3. Chill until ready to eat.
***********
Candy Little of Kansas City sent this one along. Remember that she caters occasionally, and so her recipes have been tested by a number of people! Here's what she says about this one:
“This is a wonderful chicken salad recipe with no mayo dressing. Ingredients can be adjusted to the number of people you are feeding. There is enough hot weather left to give this a try!”
CORNUCOPIA CHICKEN SALAD
*This version serves 4-5
2T. sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 of a small head green leaf lettuce
1/2 of a small head Romaine lettuce
3-4 green onions, chopped
1(11oz.) can mandarin oranges, well drained
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 Gala apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Craisins or dried currents
1/2 crumbled blue cheese (optional but tasty in the salad)
3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken (can use chicken from a rotisserie chicken which gives the salad additional flavor)
1. In a frying pan, put sugar and almonds. Do not add oil or margarine. Put heat on medium and stir constantly until almonds are coated, about 6-8 minutes. Do not let the sugar brown or burn. Remove almonds with a slotted spoon and set aside.
SALAD DRESSING
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 T. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley
4 T. sugar
4 T. white wine vinegar
1. Combine all ingredients in a covered jar. Shake before using. Pour desired amount over the salad when ready to serve.
Reserved dressing does not need to be refrigerated. (If making a smaller salad, probably 1/2 of the salad dressing recipe would be enough.)
2. Just before serving, add the apple, avacado, and almonds.
3. Add blue cheese or pass it separately.
4. Add desired amount of salad dressing and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
************
Donna Archambault is in my Red Hats group, my knitting group, and - right now - in Maine for the summer. She will return in October. But she's not idly sitting on the lakeshore up there all the time. Sometimes she cooks, and she sent me these two recipes in July.
CHEESEBURGER PIE
l-lb ground beef (I used 97% fat free ground turkey breast)
1 cup chopped onion
l/2 tsp. salt
l/4 tsp. pepper
l cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat)
l l/2 cups milk (I used skim)
l cup Bisquick (used lite/heart healthy Bisquick)
3 eggs (used egg beaters)
1. Heat oven 400; grease 10-inch pie plate
2. Cook and stir meat/onion until brown; drain
3. Stir in salt/pepper.
4. Spread in pie plate and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth in blender or on high one minute with electric hand beater.
6. Pour over meat/cheese mixture in pie plate.
7. Bake until golden brown and knife comes out clean-about 30 minutes. 6-8 servings.
************
(This is a salad I make also, only we call it “FLUFF.” Interestingly, I learned about and began to make this salad when I worked in Maine in the '90s. Now it comes to us from Janice Weaver in Maine again, and this time, you all can try it!)
FLUFF FRUIT SALAD This recipe now has its own page
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 pkg.orange Jell-O (I used sugar free); would use two pkg's next time
Mix cool whip and Jell-O together in a large bowl
ADD
l lb. small curd cottage cheese
Small can mandarin oranges (drain)
15 l/2 oz. pineapple chunks (I used a 20 oz.)-drain
Stir well and refrigerate briefly (from Ruth: This is what I call a “Durable Salad.” It will keep for several days in the refrigerator.)
(May decorate with nuts, cherries.) I did not.. I made the fruit salad and my husband won't leave it alone!! Best Wishes from MAINE!
(Note on Fluff Fruit Salad: Do not use fresh pineapple in the salad. In a few hours it causes the salad's consistency to break down and become very runny.)
Until next month-
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes for September, 2006
My sister, Gail, is, as I have mentioned before, a much better cook that I am. She has the patience to put together those elaborate recipes in magazines that I love to read, but would never try to make. Every now and then she invites us over to dinner. Here is a dinner that I thought was interesting because the foods were prepared in unusual ways, and were really, really, delicious. The style of the meal was Italian. She served a Beef and Sausage meat loaf and presented it with a fresh basil leaf, as you can see in the photo. The plates hold a Spinach Fusilli and an Italian Olive Salad. Dessert was a Tangerine Granita.
Recipes are below. Put on your apron and whip up something special for tonight!
BEEF AND SAUSAGE MEAT LOAF WITH MOZZARELLA from Bon Appétit magazine
serves 8 - This is a big recipe
2 lbs lean ground beef (15% fat)
1 lb coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
1 lb sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
2 cups chopped fresh basil
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 mediuim onion, chopped
1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 and 1/2 T dried oregano
2 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 c dry red wine
Preheat oven to 375°
1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Gently mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, eggs, and wine.
3. Place meat mixture on large rimmed baking sheet and shape into a 16 by 4 inch loaf. Brush with remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce.
4. Bake meat loaf until cooked through and the thermometer inserted in the center registers between 160 ° and 170° (About 1 hour, 15 minutes.)
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FUSILLI WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND GOLDEN RAISINS
4 servings
1/2 lb fusilli (or rotini or bow-tie pasta)
1 T olive oil
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach—thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 scallions, thinly sliced (1/3 c)
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c toasted pine nuts (optional)
1. Cook the pasta accroding to the label directions. Drain and return to pot.
2. Add the olive oil, spinach, scallions, raisins, and basil, and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and balsami vinegar, stir. Add to the pasta mixture and toss lightly. Top with the Parmesan and pine nuts.
NOTE: This is best served at room temperature. If you are serving it right away, try to let it rest for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors develop and meld.
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2 medium fennel bulbs (about 1 lb each)
1 c large green olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 c chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1/3 c olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1. Trim any brown spots from fennel and cut a thin slice off base of bulb. Discard green stems. Cut fennel in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thin slices.
2. Combine fennel, olives, and parsley in a large bowl.
3. Dressing: (Gail says to double the amount of dressing.) Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and red pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Add dressing to fennel mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours.
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Here is the cook, Gail, with a serving of Tangerine Granita in her hand.
TANGERINE GRANITA WITH VANILLA BEAN CREAM
serves 6
3/4 c whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 T plus 2/3 c sugar
3 cups fresh tangerine juice
1. Place cream in small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean.
2. Mix in 2 T sugar. Cover bowl and refrigerate vanilla cram for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Combine tangerine juice and 2/3 c sugar in 8-inch square metal baking pan; whisk until sugar dissolves.
4. Freeze 1 hour; stir well.
5.Cover and let freeze until solid, at least 3 hours or overnight.
6. Spoon 2 T vanilla cream into each of 6 bowls or martini glasses.
7. Using fork, scrape granita into flakes. Mound granita into glasses and serve.
Bon Appétit!
Recipes for October, 2006
This first recipe is from Jodee Linta out in Tucson. Anything with asparagus in it has got to be good!
5-6 boneless chicken breasts, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
15-oz. can asparagus spears (I used the cut asparagus because it's so much cheaper) (Drain, save the liquid)
1/3 cup sherry or chicken broth
10 3/4 oz. can mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
16-oz. pkg. angel hair pasta, cooked (I used whole wheat linguine)
1. Sauté chicken in olive oil until juices run clear when pierced with a fork;
2. Add asparagus liquid, sherry or chicken broth, soup and garlic powder.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until creamy, about 20 minutes.
4. Add cheese and asparagus spears; heat for 10 additional minutes.
5. Serve over warm pasta. Serves 6.
Note: May substitue shrimp or scallops for chicken
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Here's a note from Chris Gazella in Owasso, Michigan, on the White Sangria. Remember the White Sangria Punch from Candy Little that was in the August recipes? The note's about simple syrup, which I haven't even thought of for years. I used to use it all the time on fruit dishes. Here it is in Chris' words.
Hope you had a good summer. Seems strange that it is over already! Just to add a note to the sangria recipes--in order to assure that the sugar dissolves, I make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water and boil then cool. For one bottle of wine I would probably use 1/2 cup of each. Works for red or white.
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Here's a chicken casserole recipe from Diane Kraft. Diane is in my computer club here in Florida. She saw the recipe, lost it, found it, and then made it. She says, "give it a try, it's pretty good."
4 cups cubed chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup butter
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1. Mix cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup together.
2. Add 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup slivered almonds.
3. Then add the 4 cups of cooked cubed chicken breasts.
4. Pour into baking dish.
5. Melt 1/2 cup oleo and stir 1 roll of crushed Ritz crackers into oleo
6. Sprinkle the crackers on top.
7. Sprinkle 4 T poppy seeds on top
Bake uncovered 30 minutes at 350.
You can use chopped pecans instead of almonds to put on top.
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Here's a simple recipe from my sister Gail. She says it is delicious. In fact, she's told me that more than once. She really likes this recipe!
1. Arrange fish fillets over thinly sliced onions in baking pan. ( I made sure to slice enough onion to cover bottom of pan)
2. Top with minced garlic, chopped olives, drained capers, and red hot pepper flakes.
3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
4. Cover, or wrap in parchment and place in pan. Bake at 350 degrees untill fish flakes when tested with fork.
5. The ingredients will come together and create a delicious sauce. I poured juice in pan over fish before serving.
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And we'll go out in a blaze of glory with chocolate!! Big time chocolate!! from Barb Lloyd in Montague, Michigan. Barb is one of the Mackinac Island crew. She says, "Very yummy give it a try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
CHOCOLATE PASSION BOWL
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg (4-serving size each) chocolate flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip - thawed
1 baked 9 inch, or 9x13, pan brownies...cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups raspberries or sliced strawberries...(I think blueberries would be good too)
1. Pour milk into a large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of whipped topping.
2. Place 1/2 of the brownie cubes in 2 quart serving bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining whipped topping, repeat all layers. (Or just wing it like I do and make several layers :)
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator. Makes 16 servings, 2/3 cup each (Yeh, RIGHT!!)
Enjoy!
Happy Hallowe'en
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes for October, 2006
This week Wednesday The Lady Writers again met a Dell's for lunch, for the first lunch of this winter season. Dell is a really good cook, and she loves to cook. She's not afraid to improvise in the middle of preparing a meal. Although she really didn't plan it that way to begin with, the theme of the lunch was mushrooms and oranges. This set of bonus recipes is the complete menu of Dell's sumptuous lunch.
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We began the occasion with bubbly Asti Spumanti and cheese, grapes, and crackers while we talked about books, writing, and what we had done over the summer. That is, Ruth, Dolores, and I talked. Dell got in a few words between runs to the kitchen to prepare lunch.....which follows.
THE SALAD
Dell had a plate of sliced avocado artfully arranged with manadarin oranges to pass, and this salad on the table when we sat down.
FANDANGO SALAD
1 package of field greens; wash again even if package says greens have been washed
3/4 cup sliced celery
grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced thin and segments separated
1 bunch green onions, chopped with tails
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup syrup from mandarin oranges
1 T peanut oil
1/4 tsp white vinegar
1 packet of Splenda
Combine greens and veggies. Combine salad dressing ingredients and pour over salad and toss. Top with walnuts.
THE ENTREE
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Splenda
1 T cornstarch
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (reserve syrup for salad dressing)
4 T sliced almonds
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1. Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add chicken breasts and brown on each side until done. Set aside.
2. In small saucepan, add orange juice, Splenda and cornstarch, mix well. Heat over medium heat until sauce thickens, add mandarin oranges and simmer until oranges are just heated through.
3. Place chicken breasts on plate and spoon the sauce and oranges over the top. Sprinkle with almonds and fresh parsley.
For this luncheon, Dell also sprinkled a few pieces of sautéed potabello mushroom over the chicken presentation.
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DELL'S PORTABELLA PUFF PASTRY ROLLS This is Dell's original recipe. She made it up for this luncheon.
1/2 pkg frozen puff pastry - thawed, but still cold.
(This one square of 2 to a pkg-is enough for 6 pastries)
portabella-or other mushroom-about 1 cup (Sauté together in butter-lightly.)
onions or leeks-about a half cup.
2 tbsp. soft cream cheese-or enough to spread on each of six pieces.
1. Top each pastry with cream cheese
2. Spread the cheese with mushroom/onion mix-(about 1 tbsp.)
3. Fold and crimp corners together on each pastry.
4. Bake on lightly-buttered cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
THE DESSERT (served with coffee)
BURNT CREAM This recipe is from Horatio's in Seattle. Dell lived on the West Coast for some years.
1 pint whipping cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. granulated sugar PER custard cup or ramekin for topping
1. Heat cream over low heat until it bubbles around edges. (I put in glass or plastic container and micro for a few minutes.)
2. Beat egg yokes and sugar together until thick (about 3 minutes).
3. Gradually beat cream into eggs.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour into custard cups-place cups in baking pan that has 1/2 inch water in the bottom.
6. Bake until set-about forty five minutes.
7. Remove custard cups from water and refrigerate until chilled-and remove from refrigerator.
8. Sprinkle each custard with about 2 tsp. Granulated sugar.
9. Place on top rack under broiler and cook until topping is medium brown. (Watch during this process and turn off heat JUST BEFORE desired brownness.
10. Chill before serving
(NOTE: Dell topped our custards with a few fresh raspberries before serving. It was so elegant!!)
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for November 2006
Thanksgiving Dinners are over, but the memory—and the recipes—linger. Here are a few from our own Thanksgiving celebration, and some pumpkin recipes that I received from folks this week. Pumpkin is definitely the fruit of choice this time of year! If you didn't get enough pumpkin at Thanksgiving, you've got another chance.
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We had our Thanksgiving Dinner over at my sister Gail's place. I brought sweet potatoes, olive plate, cranberries, and a Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie that you'll find the recipe for below. Gail did the rest. When I asked her for the recipe for the gelatin salad, she said she just threw things together. When I whined and begged, she said, "OK, OK, I'll write something down." So here it is.
GAIL'S HOLIDAY JELL-O MOLD
1 pkg. Jell-O in a citrus flavor
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 T creamy horseradish sauce (Boar's Head)
1. Make Jell-O according to directions, using only 1/2 cup of cold water.
2. Mix in other ingredients until smooth and place in refrigerator to chill.
3. Serve with Cool Whip smoothed on top.
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This one's from Gail, too, from our Thanksgiving dinner. It's roasted vegetables with élan! (and delicious, too).
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH PECAN GREMOLATA
8 servings
1 pound medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, then crosswise
1 pound medium parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, then crosswise
1 pound turnips, halved, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
1 1/4 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
the gremolata
3/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz.)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 TBLSPNS fresh lemon juice, divided
1 TBLSPN finely grated lemon peel
1 small garlic clove, minced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Toss carrots, parsnips, turnips, brussels sprouts in large bowl with 3 TBLSPNS oil.
2. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet(s), sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Roast until vegetables are tender, tossing often, about 1 hour. They should be browning.
4. Transfer vegetables to large platter; cool.
5. Using on/off turns, chop pecans in processor until coarsely ground.
2. Transfer chopped pecans to small bowl; stir in grated cheese, parsley, 1 TBLSPN lemon, lemon peel, and garlic, and 1 TBLSPN oil. Season gremolata to taste with salt.
3. Drizzle vegetables with remaining 2 TBLSPNS oil and remaining 1 TBLSPN lemon juice. Sprinkle gremolata over vegetables and serve immediately. If not serving immediately, hold gremolata untill serving time and then sprinkle over vegetables. (Do not put it on early! It will lose its flavor. -Gail)
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Now! Into the pumpkin patch...
Jane Arndt sent me a sackcloth dishtowel in October with jack o-lanterns, corn shocks, and other fall scenes on it - and two pumpkin recipes worked into the design. I made the Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious, not too sweet, you could taste the cream cheese along with the pumpkin. In fact, I would call it a Pumpkin Cheese Cake. But whatever you call it, it is delicious and elegant.
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESECAKE
Make or buy a graham cracker crust - at least 9 inch. If you make your own, put some cinnamon in it.
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
9 oz. cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (I used 3/4 cup)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
topping:
1 cup sour cream
a little cinnamon and a little sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees
1. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add the cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until mixed.
3. Stir in the pumpkin and spices.
4. Bake 45 minutes or until done in the center.
Heat oven to 450 degrees
1. Mix sour cream, sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Spread over the top of the pie.
3. Bake for 5 minutes at 450.
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Judy McCracken sent along this easy pumpkin bread from Michigan shortly before they left to come down here to Florida for the winter.
JUDY'S PUMPKIN BREAD
3 1/3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 t. soda
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin (no more)
Beat eggs, add liquids, beat, add dry ingredients. Beat.
Makes 3 bread tins or also makes 5 or 6 mini tins.
Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Easy, moist and delicious!
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And the last one, from niece Cheryl Young. Got it just this morning. Note that the ingredients (except for the Twinkies) are all lo-cal.
LAYERED PUMPKIN DESSERT
1 box (10 ct) Lite Hostess Twinkies
1 8 oz softened FF cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz container of FF Cool Whip
2 small pkgs of sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup 1% milk
1. Slice Twinkies in half lengthwise and place cream side up in single layer in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Using mixer, blend cream cheese, sugar and 1/2 Cool Whip until smooth.
3. Spread evenly over Twinkies.
4. Combine pudding mix, pumpkin, pumpkin spice and milk. Whisk until blended and layer over cream cheese mixture.
5. Carefully spread remaining Cool Whip on top. Lightly sprinkle with chopped nuts or some pumpkin spice.
6. Chill.
9-12 servings.
until next time—
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes of the Month for November, 2006
This first one is from my sister, Gail, who loves to try new recipes. She's particularly creative about her presentations.
Gail: This is a recipe for chicken breasts and eggplant. I found I needed more oil than called for to properly brown the breasts and brown the egg plant. The eggplant really soaked up the oil. A no-stick pan would work best to eliminate some of the extra oil. Tasted good, though. In fact, we really enjoyed it. It made three meals for the two of us.
CHICKEN RUSTICA
2 T all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts halves
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic sliced thinly or minced
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1 inch blocks
1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 oz.)
3 T drained capers (yes, that's correct)
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
Method:
1. Combine flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
2. Coat chicken breasts in flour and brown in hot oil 5 minutes per side.
3. Set breasts aside and cover. To skillet add garlic and eggplant.
4. Cook and carefully turn until egg plant is browned, about 8 minutes. (More oil may be needed).
5. Add tomatoes with juice, capers, remaining salt and breasts to skillet.
6. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, simmering for 8 minutes.
7. Stir in basil and serve.
This is a very pretty dish to place on your table. I held out some of the basil to decorate the serving dish.
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Next is a side dish from Pat Henson. Pat is one of the Lady Writers - in absentia. She ran away from us and moved to Alabama. However, she plans to come back for a while in the winters and be a Lady Writer again. This is worth making, just for the name. But they do sound good!
Pat: I found this recipe in an old Southern Living magazine, made them and enjoyed. Thought I would share with you.
SQUASH PUPPIES
3/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (ground)
6 medium size yellow summer squash, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 small onion, minced
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Stir together squash and next 3 ingredients; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring until blended.
3. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a deep cast iron skillet; heat to 350 degrees. Drop batter by tablespoons, in batches, into oil. Fry 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Yield: 20 squash puppies.
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Cheryl Young, who lives in Ohio, is my niece, and a good down-home cook who watches the fat and calories. Here's a great low-fat dish, so tasty you won't know that it's low-calorie.
EASY TACO PIE
1 lb browned ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion mixed with ground turkey when browning
1 envelope of taco seasonings mix
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup 1% milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick
3/4 cup shredded FF cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1. Grease 9 inch pie plate after browning turkey and onion drain and stir in taco seasoning mix.
2. Spoon into pie plate and top with chiles.
3. Stir milk, eggs and Bisquick until well blended and pour into pie plate on top of ground turkey mixture.
4. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
5. Sprinkle with cheese then and bake additional 8-10 minutes longer.
6. Cool 5 minutes and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Great for just 2 people, you will have some left for lunch the next day. If you have kids and a family you just double the recipe.
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This recipe is not only loaded with heart-healthy high fiber grains, but is low in carbohydrates. What carbs there are, are "good" carbs. I got the recipe from Anne Cunningham, who walks to exercise at before-dawn with me three mornings a week. If you're diabetic, and love pancakes, this recipe is for you! If you're not diabetic, it's still better for you than white-flour pancakes!
OAT BRAN PANCAKES
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp splenda or sugar
1 and 3/4 cups nonfat milk. Anne uses soy milk, and so do I.
1/4 cup fat free egg substitute or 2 egg whites lightly beaten
1. Combine oat bran, flour, baking powder and sugar in a medium bowl, mix well, add milk and eggs and stir with a wire whisk until well mixed.
2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of the batter. Cook until golden brown
Anne says you get the best results if you let the batter sit a while before cooking the cakes. The baking powder does its thing while sitting, and you get lighter pancakes.
Happy Holidays!
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for December 2006
Happy Holidays to all of you cooks out there, whether you're cooking for Hanukkah, Christmas, or Yule. This is your time to shine. Get out the roasters and cookie tins. Dust off Grandma's recipe for ginger cookies. People are waiting for all the good things you'll be making. Go for it!!
In addition to a couple of holiday recipes this month, there are a couple of heart and tummy-warming down-home recipes for cold winter nights. Enjoy!
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Here's a real warmer-upper to start. In fact, it might put you in orbit. It's chili like you never met before. Steve Matava is in Writers Guild with me, and he's always bragging on his chili. He says when he starts to make it, the neighbors can smell it and start lining up at the door. It took me a while, but I got his recipe. I haven't had time to make it yet, but you can believe I'm going to. I've never seen chili with these ingredients before, and I've got to try it.
Steve has published two historical novels, Legacy of a Priest, and Legacy of a Dream. You can learn more about them on The Plantation's in-house website: http://www.palhoa.com. On the home page click on Clubs-Groups in the left column. On the next page up click on Writers Guild, and there you are.
In a large pot, sauté until transparent,
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large green peppers, chopped
6 large onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
Then add,
1 and 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 lb sausage
1 large can crushed tomatoes
3 cans of water
2 cans tomato sauce
5 tablespoons of chili powder
2 tablespoons of oregano
1 cup BBQ sauce
4 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash, 1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup of A-1 Sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper,Tabasco and salt to taste
Boil for 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, then add 2 (12 ounce) cans kidney beans (drained) and simmer for another half an hour. Leftovers may be frozen in individual servings to be used as needed.
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Steve says he makes a mean Fish Chowder, too. And here it is!! Sounds good to me.
STEVE'S FISH CHOWDER This recipe is now in the Recipe Box.
In a large pot, sauté until transparent
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Add: 1 Large can crushed tomatoes
1 can water
3 beef boullion cubes
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans tuna fish, drained
2 cans clams, drained (any type)
Spices to suit your taste
1/4 cup parsley
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
Ssalt and pepper
hot pepper (optional)
Cook until thick. Steve says it usually takes about an hour.
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These would certainly go over good at a holiday cocktail party!!
TOMATO BACON CUPS
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated
into 10 biscuits
1. In a small bowl, combine the tomato, mayonnaise, bacon bits, cheese, onion and basil; set aside. 2. Split each biscuit into three layers;
3. Press each layer into a greased miniature muffin cup.
4. Spoon the tomato mixture into each cup.
5. Bake at 450 for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm. Yields 2 1/2 dozen.
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I got this recipe out of the Sunday Orlando Sentinel Sunday magazine, USA Weekend. It is a Jean Carper recipe. I first made it for Thanksgiving dinner, and liked it so well that I've made it since then, too. Below is the intro Jean Carper had with the recipe, which is quite informative. I know almonds are super good for you, and we try to eat a small handful of raw almonds every day.
Jean Carper: This delicious side dish is packed with nutrition. Sweet potatoes, onions and almonds are powerhouses of antioxidants and other nutrients -- in fact, almonds are among the most nutrient-dense foods, containing high concentrations of vitamins and minerals per calorie. Plus, olive oil and almonds contain monounsaturated fat -- the good type.
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
6 servings
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions, cut in 1-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (Ruth: I also put in dried oregano and crushed bay leaves.)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (Ruth: Didn't use salt. Used coarse grinder pepper.)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (Ruth: I used more.)
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss first 6 ingredients in a shallow medium-sized baking dish.
3. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 minutes more. Sprinkle with almonds
(I also put a sprig of fresh rosemary on the top when I bake them. Ruth)
Copyright 2004 Jean Carper. Printed first in USA WEEKEND. All rights reserved.
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ANOTHER sweet potato idea: (from Roberta Brown)
Roberta Brown says that she always puts crushed pineapple along with a LITTLE brown sugar between layers of canned sweet potatoes when she heats them to serve with a meal. This sounds good, especially so if serving spiral sliced ham.
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This recipe is from Roberta Brown who summers on Hubbard Lake in Michigan, and winters down here in Florida. Like Gail's Jell-O Salad in the November Holiday Recipes, Roberta just put some things together for a meal (as we so often do) and it turned out especially good. So she passed it along. It looked so tasty to me that I thought everyone should have a chance at it. It doesn't have a name, so I'm calling it
ROBERTA'S PORK CHOP DINNER
Email from Roberta to me: You might want to try this simple one pan meal I prepared yesterday for us - IT WAS DELICIOUS
If you want sufficient food for two meals, brown four loin pork chops instead of two.
Perhaps I should list ingredients first:
3 or 4 loin pork chops
1 can or jar of drained and washed sauerkraut
1 medium/large SWEET onion, sliced
3 or four medium/large Russett potatoes - peeled and sliced (depending upon how many chops you are using and if you want additional food for the next day.
METHOD:
1. Brown two to four loin pork chops in a frying pan (pan and lid oven safe) in just a LITTLE olive oil.
2. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with McCormick's seasoned pepper.
3. Drain, then wash thoroughly a jar or can of ordinary sauerkraut.
4. After chops are browned, place on plate.
5. Leave drippings in frying pan, place a layer of drained and washed sauerkraut.
6. Peel and slice three or four medium/large Russett potatoes (depending upon how many chops you are using), then layer the potatoes over sauerkraut.
7. Peel and slice a good sized SWEET onion. Over the potato slices place a layer of sliced SWEET onion. Sprinkle potatoes and onion with just a LITTLE salt and a LITTLE seasoned pepper.
8. Then another layer of sauerkraut.
9. Place chops on top layer - salt LIGHTLY, then final layer of sauerkraut and remaining sliced SWEET onion.
10. Add water to the pan to barely cover the potato layer. Bring to a boil on stove top.
11. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.
Roberta: If you are watching your salt intake, simply eliminate any added salt. Kraut is still somewhat salty AFTER washing.
This produced a delicious, tasty, somewhat tangy dinner. We both loved it. I prepared 3 chops - there is plenty of the potatoes, one chop and kraut for Evans to have for dinner today.
When I wrote Roberta that I wanted to put the recipe into Recipes of the Month, she sent along this note.
If you really intend to forward my 'throw together' sauerkraut/pork chop dinner to your recipe fans, please indicate that McCormick's seasoned pepper should be used SPARINGLY because it really is spicy, however, provides the needed 'spark' to give the special touch to this easy one pan meal. Also, we had a can of corn along with our pork chop dinner. . . the sweetness of the corn seemed to compliment the tartness of the sauerkraut.
NOTE: Referring to Roberta Brown's Pork Chop Recipe, Janice Weaver (Janice and I worked in the same office for 9 years!) in Maine writes: I make a similar pork chop casserole, but add tart apples to the layering, and mozzarella on top. We make it even more often with spicy smoked sausage and either sauerkraut or cabbage. It's a great quick and yummy casserole that can be done on top of the stove (by adding some water after browning) or in the oven.
Until next time...
Bon Appétit!
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