2008
Recipes of the Month for January, 2008
I have a lot of recipes for you this month. Holidays absolutely breed recipes! So, as I have done before, I’m splitting them into two mailings. For this first mailing, you’d better brew some coffee or pour some wine before you start, because there’s a story in here, too! Ruth
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This first recipe is from Jane Hahn, who is in my exercise class. We had a birthday party for the class leader, and Jane made this for a “birthday cake.” It was a big hit and a nice change from the regular “birthday cake.”
SECRET INGREDIENT PUMPKIN BREAD This recipe is now on its own page.
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pkg instant butterscotch pudding mix (4-serving size)
1 pkg instant lemon pudding mix (4-serving size)
5 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or canned puréed pumpkin
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1. Sift together first 8 ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, dry pudding mixes).
2. Beat eggs well in another bowl.
3. Add oil, sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla to the eggs and mix well.
4. Combine wet mixture with flour mixture gently by hand, pressing out any large lumps with your spoon, just until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Pour into 2 loaf pans (greased and floured) and bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (or when they test done with a toothpick).
6. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack.
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The next recipe is also from my exercise class, from Ann Cunningham. If you’re looking for something different to take to a party, this recipe is for you!! (Especially if you love rhubarb like I do.)
RHUBARB CONSERVE
3 cups of fresh or frozen rhubarb
(do not thaw frozen rhubarb)
1 cup sugar or Splenda
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon peel
2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp water (Omit if using frozen rhubarb.)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Brie wedge or cream cheese 8oz block
Shortbread cookies or crackers
1. In medium saucepan combine first 9 ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 30 mins or until mixture has thickened. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Cover and chill about 2 hours. Stir in nuts. Serve with (pour over) cheese and serve with crackers or shortbread cookies.
3. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze in freezer container up to 2 months. Makes about 2 cups.
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On the party theme, here’s one your friends will never guess—how you made them, that is. This is from Claire Groenevelt up there in frozen Michigan. Notes are Claire’s.
CROCK POT PEANUT CLUSTERS
2 pounds (2 - 16 ounce jars) dry roasted peanuts, salted*
48 ounces almond bark white chocolate
4 ounces sweet German chocolate
10 - 12 ounces dark chocolate**
1. Place all ingredients in crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 3 hours. Don't touch.
3. Turn pot off and let sit for 20 minutes.4. Cover a large surface (about 3 square feet) with waxed or parchment paper.
4. Stir mixture completely
5. Drop by teaspoons full (I used iced-tea teaspoons) onto paper.
6. Let harden and store in airtight containers.
*Betty's recipe originally called for 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted dry roasted nuts. I much prefer using all salted nuts.
**Using almond bark tends to make the chocolate nuts very sweet. To tone-down the sweetness and increase the chocolate-flavor, I used dark chocolate.
I wrote Claire and asked who “Betty” was, she sent me back this email.
Actually this came from my friend Barb Nelson. I saved the e-mail to a file and couldn't find it. So I went on line and found it under about.com and that is what I sent you. But this is the correct recipe although they are similar. Another friend made them Friday night and she got 130 of them, but Barb got 175.
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Also from Michigan (my home state), Roberta Brown sent this recipe. The Browns summer at their home in Hubbard Lake, MI, but hide from winter down here in Florida with the rest of us. Roberta got this recipe from her good friend Elinor in Charlotte, MI. The comments are Elinor’s.
MEATBALL MINESTRONE
1 Pkg. (10 oz.) chopped spinach (thawed)
1 l/2 # lean ground beef
l/3 C. fine bread crumbs
1 egg
1 t. salt (omit)
l/3 t. pepper
2 T. salad oil
1 small onion chopped
10 C. water
10 beef bouillon cubes
2 - 14 l/2 oz. cans whole tomatoes, cut up
1 can kidney beans
1 C. each sliced carrots and celery
1 C. rotelle or other pasta twists
1. Press water out from spinach.
2. Mix spinach, beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.
3. Shape into 1" balls. Brown meatballs.
4. Remove. Cook onion in drippings.
5. Stir in water, bouillon cubes, (we dissolve them first before adding,)
tomatoes AND their liquid. Cover, simmer 10 minutes.
6. I cook carrots and celery l/2 way separately before adding to above.
Cover and cook 20 minutes.
7. I cook pasta l/2 way and add LAST with meatballs. Simmer 30
minutes.
Original recipe calls for 1/4 t. oregano and 1/4 t. dry basil. (Much
stronger taste.) I don't add salt because of the bouillon cubes.
Sprinkle serving of soup with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.
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Now for MY comments. What we find we have to be careful of, is
not overcooking the carrots and pasta, with all the various simmerings
it tells you to do. Use your own judgment on the 'timings,' and try
to keep the carrots with a little bit of crunch, and don't let the pasta
get mushy. That really ruins it. Otherwise, it's a GREAT soup for
'healing.' We actually call it "Get Well Soup," when we take it to
sick folks....that's because Wayne enjoyed it so much when he was
recuperating from his heart surgery. Our kids love it too...surprisingly.
Elinor
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Here’s the promised story. My good friend Judy McCracken has a sister named Gloria Adkins. Both were raised in Michigan, but Gloria moved to Kentucky when she got married many years ago, and has lived there ever since. This happened to Gloria shortly before Christmas:
I'm sure you remember that I spent a couple of Christmases with Granny Adkins in Eastern KY when I first got married. Well, she always made Jam Cakes for friends for Christmas. I remember that one of these cakes weighed 5 pounds something. She made the cakes around the first of November. I don't recall how she wrapped them (probably in cotton flour sack material). I do recall that once a week, until the cakes were delivered, they were soaked in bourbon.
“I hadn't remembered about Jam Cakes until I went to the post office to mail packages to Alaska. I was in line and two sisters were in line in front of me; they looked like they were about 80 years old. They had three packages, and they went to the counter together. The clerk asked them if there were any dangerous things inside the package, and also asked if they were sisters. (It was fun listening to their comments.) Anyway, one sister said they were sending out Jam Cakes to a brother-in-law and to friends for Christmas. One of the ladies did mention that there were a lot of calories in the cakes.”
Gloria went home and hunted up the recipe for Jam Cakes. She sent it to Judy and Judy sent it to me, and now you get to have this traditional Kentucky holiday recipe.
KENTUCKY JAM CAKE This recipe now has its own page.
1 cup raisins
1 can crushed pineapple (8 ounces), undrained
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup seedless blackberry jam
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
confectioners' sugar
1. Combine raisins and crushed pineapple in a small bowl; refrigerate and let soak for several hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
1. Into a bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
2. Cream shortening and butter or margarine in large bowl with an electric hand-held mixer.
3. Gradually beat in sugar; beat until fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; blend in jam.
5. Alternately add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk to the creamed mixture, ending with dry ingredients.
6. Blend in pineapple, raisins and chopped pecans.
7. Pour batter into prepared 13x9x2-inch pan.
Bake jam cake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done.
Dust Kentucky Jam Cake with confectioners' sugar and cut in squares.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Bonus Recipes of the Month for January, 2008
A gentleman named Dick Saporita moved into our neighborhood last April. He was so happy with his new home and friends that he gave a party in December. He made all the buffet foods himself!!! He’s a great cook. When I found that out, I was right there asking for recipes. He sent me three of his favorites the very next day! Here they are:
Dick served this one at his buffet, and people raved over it.
SHRIMP AND RICE CASSEROLE
2 lbs. large (or colossal) shrimp
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup flour
1and 1/4 cups milk
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup sharp grated cheese
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Sauté vegetables in butter until translucent.
2. Add milk and blend in flour and seasonings gradually, stirring constantly. When thickened and smooth, add the shrimp and remove from heat.
3. Arrange in a buttered, 2 quart casserole, in layers: ½ the rice, then shrimp, then cheese, and repeat, ending with cheese as a topping.
Bake 25 minutes, or until heated through and golden.
Can be prepared ahead of time and baked when needed. Also, scallops may be substituted or combined with the shrimp.
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The shrimp casserole was the rave of the entrées, but his centerpiece dessert was the biggest rave, because it was so beautiful—as well as delicious. Dick made his Cherries Jubilee in a footed clear glass trifle bowl. In fact, here’s the recipe exactly as he sent it to me:
CHERRIES JUBILEE TRIFLE
This is incredibly good!!! And beautiful in a glass bowl!
1 medium size angel food cake
2 -8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 package Dream Whip (whipped topping)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk
1 can cherry pie filling
1. Make up the package of Dream Whip according to package directions. Store in refrigerator.
2. Soften cream cheese to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Then gently mix in the softened cream cheese. (It’s OK to have a few small lumps in the cheese or you can make it smooth.)
4. Fold in the Dream Whip.
5. In a large serving bowl or trifle dish, break the angel food cake into bite-size pieces. Layer 1/2 of the pieces on the bottom, cover over with 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture, make another layer of cake and cover with the balance of the cheese mix. Top with the can of cherry pie filling and refrigerate overnight.
A further note: Dick had his party on a Wednesday night. Jan Shultz, who was there, made this recipe on the following Saturday. She served it to her Mah Jong group on Monday, and said it was perfect. It keeps, refrigerated, very well. She said her husband finished it up the following Wednesday, and it was still good.
Jan wondered if the effect would be prettier if you also layered the cherries. She found the Dream Whip, incidentally, in a Super Walmart. I, (Ruth) am wondering if Cool Whip would work as well as the Dream Whip.
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This is Dick’s third “Favorite Recipe.” It’s got cinnamon and nutmeg in it, so it’s got to be extra good!
BEST EVER CARROT CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Del Monte Golden Raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cream sugar and oil.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
4. Toss raisins and walnuts with 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients.
5. Stir the remaining dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and mix well.
6. Fold in the raisins, nuts and carrots.
7. Pour into greased and floured 9 X 13 pan.
Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 lb. sifted confectioner’s sugar
Blend cream cheese with margarine or butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.
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After I sent out the January Recipes of the Month, I got a testimonial on the Kentucky heritage of Jam Cake. Bernice Lightfoot, who was born and raised in Kentucky, sent me the following:
“All the ladies in my family that cooked made jam cakes every Christmas. They were delicious!!!”
Boo
Bernice, better known around here as Boo, put in the qualification about ladies who cook, because she doesn’t cook—at all. R
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This last recipe is perfect for this time of year north of the Mason-Dixon Line. It’s from my niece Cheryl Young in Ohio. It’s a crock-pot recipe. I love crock-pot recipes. Fix it in the morning and forget it.
CHERYL'S TACO SOUP
1 lb of ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
1 medium onion diced
1 15 oz. can of mild chili beans
1 can of Fiesta or regular kernel corn (drained)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14-15 oz. can diced or petite diced tomatoes
1 .4 oz. can diced chiles
1 envelope of mild taco seasoning mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 and 1/2 cups of water
Combine all of the above and cook in crock pot 5-6 hrs on low. Before serving sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. You can also top the soup in a your bowl with Fritos.
This is really good and it warms you right up.
We love it!!
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for January, 2008: a cream tea
I had my annual Red Hat Tea for twelve ladies at my home on January 12. This is a yearly event, and like anywhere there’s food, it generated some new recipes. Above, on the table you see Anne’s Apricot Nut Bread, MarriAnne’s Scones, and (to the right of the scones) Sheila’s Scottish Shortbread. Knowing how I collect recipes, MarriAnne came into the house with her basket of scones in one hand and the recipe in the other.
Menu
The Scarlet Women
Afternoon Tea
Currant-Amaretto Scones
Apricot Walnut Bread
Scottish Short Bread
Hand-dipped Chocolates
Fresh Florida Strawberries
With
Traditional Table Cream
English Lemon Curd
Strawberry Jam
Beverage
Tetley’s British Tea
Sugar
Fresh Lemon
Cream
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MarriAnne Fedorchak based her scone recipe on a recipe from a cookbook from King Arthur Flour.
CURRANT SCONES
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 T butter or margarine
½ cup raisins plumped in milk or water (MarriAnne used currants and plumped them in Ameretto.)
1 egg
½ tsp lemon extract
less than ¼ cup milk
sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)
Preheat your oven to 425° F
1. Combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Rub in the butter or margarine with your fingertips.
3. Add the raisins, egg, and lemon extract.
4. Add just enough milk to make it soft, but not too sticky.
5. Drop BIG tablespoons of batter onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Sprinkle the top with sugar if you want a sweet finished scone.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on size.
MarriAnne says she got 8 small scones from this recipe. She made three batches for the tea.
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You can find this recipe, from Anne Federowicz, in the 2004 December Bonus recipes. This is its second time in Recipes of the Month, and it’s a recipe well worth repeating. Anne says it’s an old New England recipe handed down through her family. I talked with her about it at the tea, and she says the bread good toasted. I’m going to try that! She also says that it will keep weeks in the refrigerator and months in the freezer. You can pull it from the freezer and slice it immediately, which is great if you only want a slice for breakfast or lunch.
(I want to say to make the walnut pieces a good size. Anne had them at a quarter or half a nutmeat, and that added a lot to the bread. Ruth)
APRICOT NUT BREAD
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup boiled water
4 tbs. margarine
1and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup walnut pieces
2 eggs
3 cups flour (measure before sifting)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1. Mix apricots with boiled water. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Cream margarine with sugar. Add eggs and beat.
3. Sift flour with baking soda and salt into a separate bowl.
4. Add sifted flour to margarine and sugar. Mix with water from apricots in small amounts until well blended.
5. Add apricots and walnuts to the batter.
5. Grease and flour a long loaf pan 12x3 1/2" or two smaller loaf pans.
6. Test for doneness with a toothpick.
7. Top of loaf should be brown. Top may split.
Prep: 1/2 hour. Cook: 1 hr. 20 min. at 325 or 1 hr. 10 min. for 2 pans.
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Sheila Jeppesen was born and raised in Scotland. Though she has been in the U.S. for many years, she still carries on the holiday Scottish family traditions. She summers north of Seattle, WA, and winters here in Florida. This Christmas she planned to make the traditional shortbread, but found she had left her recipe in WA! I went on a shortbread hunt. After reading through lots of Americanized shortbread recipes, I finally found three that were Scottish style. Sheila pronounced one of them satisfactory, and went to work making shortbread. She brought some to the tea, and it was delicious! Here’s the recipe:
FORFAR SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD
1 and ½ pound plain flour (4 and ½ cups)
3 oz rice flour or ground rice (1/3 cup)
1 lb butter
4 oz (1/2 cup) castor sugar (called SuperFine sugar in U.S.markets. Granulated sugar can be used, though it is harder to blend in.)
1. Combine flours and rub in the butter.
2. Stir in the sugar.
3. Turn on to a floured board.
4. Knead the mixture thoroughly with the hand into a smooth dough.
5. Shape into rounds and notch the edges with the forefingers and thumbs. {Or cut into bars or triangles (petticoats)}
6. Bake in 350 degree oven until golden brown.
Sheila has promised to bring us her own favorite recipe shortbread next winter!
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for February, 2008
A Testimonial…
from Bernice Lightfoot here in Florida
“I made the Trifle (Dick Saporita’s Cherries Jubilee) you sent the recipe for awhile ago for my mahjong group yesterday and it was a great success!!! There were only three servings left (8 ladies ate here) and one wanted to take some home for herself and I sent two servings home with two ladies for their husbands. Thanks so much. They told me I could make it every time I had mahjong if I wanted to -- they enjoyed it that much!!!”
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Diane Toman lives in my native Michigan in a big old farmhouse full of antiques. She also has a cabin on the river, an old one she and her family are fixing up. That’s where we stay in the summer when we visit them‑at the cozy cabin. This is a favorite dessert and snack in her family. Use sugar-free pudding, and it’s a super snack for a dieter or diabetic.
DIANE'S PUMPKIN FLUFF
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 3 oz. box of French vanilla instant pudding mix
8 oz whipped topping
half tsp. vanilla
half tsp. cinnamon
1 fourth tsp. allspice or pumpkin pie spice
1. In a bowl blend dry pudding mix and pumpkin till light.
2. Add spices, mix to distribute.
3. Mix in whipped topping.
4. Refrigerate until serving.
Enjoy!
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Jane Arndt in Michigan went to her cousin Marie’s place for Christmas dinner. Marie served a pound cake that was to die for, Jane says. Marie actually got the recipe from her husband, Norm. A co-worker of Norm’s bragged about his wife’s pound cake, so Norm got the recipe and brought it home. Jane got the recipe from Marie, and now here it is for you!
This is a big cake, not the low heavy cake one associates with pound cake, Jane says. You need a full-size angelfood cake tin to hold it.
MILLION DOLLAR POUND CAKE
3 c sugar
1 pound softened butter
¾ c. milk
6 eggs at room temperature
4 c flour
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1. Cream sugar and butter
2. Add eggs one at the time, beat well after each addition.
3. Add four and ilk alternately to creamed mix. Beat well after each addition.
4. Stir in flavorings - mix well.
5. Pour batter into greased and floured angelfood cake tube pan - 10” high
6. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and 40 minutes.
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Here’s something new and different from Ellen Shelton in Tallahassee, Florida. Ellen and Jim used to live next to us when we all worked at Acadia National Park. Jim made us Whiskey Macs, a great cocktail from Scotch whiskey and ginger brandy, and Ellen baked bread. Bob still uses Ellen’s bread recipe a lot. It’s fail-proof.
Here’s what Ellen says about this recipe:
“I have included one from a good friend of mine. I left the anchovies out of some of the peppers, and my friend said she did not rinse or soak them when she made this. I put some chopped black olives in the ones without the anchovies, but my friend did not, and they were great as is.”
SUNNY BAKED PEPPERS WITH TOMATOES
3 red bell peppers
3 yellow bell peppers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
24 anchovy fillets, soaked in water for 1/2 hour and rinsed (optional)
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
24 ripe red cherry tomatoes
24 ripe yellow cherry tomatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons drained tiny capers
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
1. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise; carefully
remove the core and seeds.
2. Oil a large baking dish and arrange the peppers
cut-side up. Brush the peppers with oil.
3. Arrange 2 anchovy fillets in an "X" on the bottom of each pepper, if desired.
4. Place 4 garlic slices in each pepper. Place 4 red cherry tomatoes in each
yellow pepper half and 4 yellow cherry tomatoes in each red pepper half.
5. Sprinkle 4 or 5 capers and some thyme in each.
6. Drizzle each with the 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 35 minutes.
To serve, place 1 red pepper half and 1 yellow pepper half on each of 6 plates;
drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar.
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You’re going to love just reading this recipe! It’s the candid recipe creator at work!
And what a quick and easy way to fix Broccoli Cheese soup! The creator is Candy Little of Kansas City, Kansas. Candy loves to cook, and used to cater the luncheons for one of her women’s clubs.
CANDY'S BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
2 cans Healthy Request cream of chicken soup. Use just 1 1/2 cans. Pitch the rest.
1 1/4 cup milk
2 cups broccoli florets (C & W bag of frozen broccoli florets or Bird's Eye frozen florets are the best to use because they do not contain those disgusting tough stalks.) Cook according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
1/2 cup EACH regular Cheese Whiz and Velveeta (Buy the smallest size of each that you can.) Microwave together on low until just melted.
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Heat over low heat until cheese is thoroughly melted. Stir frequently so cheese does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
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I think I’ve mentioned before that on Wednesday nights my knitting bag and I go down the block ten houses to Jean Pettit’s house to knit and chat. Jean helps beginners and knitters with problems. I mostly just sit there, drink tea, and socialize as I knit. It’s a nice relaxing evening. Last Wednesday Jean asked me if I had her Peanut Butter Pie recipe.
Well, no, I didn’t even know she had a special peanut butter pie recipe. She emailed it to me just in time for this month’s Recipes. Listen up, all your diabetics out there. This is a sugarless Peanut Butter Pie.
JEAN'S PEANUT BUTTER PIE
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 C Splenda
2/3 C peanut butter
1/2 C milk
8 oz. Cool Whip
a graham cracker crust
1. Beat cream cheese and Splenda until smooth.
2. Add peanut butter and milk and beat until smooth.
3. Mix in the Cool Whip. Pour into crust.
This pie may be frozen until ready to serve. If not frozen, it should be chilled before serving.
Jean: I add more Cool Whip or whipped cream as garnish. It looks pretty and tastes yummy.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for March, 2008
Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns!
Did you ever sing this old nursery rhyme?
My mother used to make Hot Cross Buns at Easter, and so did both of my grandmothers. It is a fine old custom, which many people still practice today. At least, there are hot cross buns for sale in our local super market at Easter season, so someone must buy them.
Basically, Hot Cross Buns are a breakfast bread that must contain spices (cinnamon, maybe nutmeg and cloves), currants (not raisins, currants) maybe citron, and certainly have a cross marked on the top of each bun with icing. Traditionally, they are eaten on Good Friday, but are delicious any time!
Here’s my favorite breakfast-bread recipe, one that I have used for years.
RUTH'S BASIC BREAKFAST BREAD modified for Hot Cross Buns
Icing: Mix ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 t. vanilla, and 2 tsp milk together. Vary sugar and milk as needed to get the consistency you want.
1. Scald one cup of milk.
2. Add: 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of margarine, and a dash of salt
3. Cool
4. Add 1 T dry yeast (or one packet), 1 beaten egg, the spices, the currants, beat well.
5. Fold in 2 cups of flour.
6. Cover and refrigerate two hours to two days.
7. Remove from refrigerator and allow to warm a bit.
8. Shape into rolls.
9. Cover and let rise until doubled.
10. Bake at 375 until lightly browned.
11. Cool and brush or trail an icing cross on each bun.
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In February, I went on a “Cousins Outing” with five other gals, all of whom are related. We do this every February. This year we went to Shirley’s home in St. Augustine and sailed on a schooner, goggled at gators at an alligator farm, shopped and ate…and ate. Cousin Chris Gazella, from Sturgis, MI, made this tasty chili for us.
CHRIS’ WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
This makes a large batch. Can be halved.
4 large or 5 smaller chicken breasts
48 oz chicken broth - low sodium
Spices: cumin, white pepper, chili powder to taste
5 sixteen-ounce cans of Great Northern or other white beans
2 sixteen-ounce cans of whole kernel corn, or the frozen equivalent
1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed with spices to taste
1 bunch chopped scallions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. Cook chicken breasts in enough broth to cover and the spices to taste. Remove when done, save broth.
2. Shred chicken and set aside.
3. Mash one can of beans.
4. To the cooking broth, add the remaining broth, chicken, corn, sautéed onion, mashed and whole beans, and spices to taste.
5. Simmer to blend flavors.
6. Serve with chopped scallions and shredded cheese for toppings.
Chris: You might want to add that the
cheese can be flavored, like the Mexican style or
chipotle shredded that Sargento makes now. (We had this
and is very good as it adds another dimension to the
taste.)
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Our Writers Guild put on a literary afternoon, The Gathering, on February 23, with readings and “meet the author” events. Guild members brought cookies, etc. for refreshments. You can believe I was there sampling and collecting recipes. The next three recipes are from The Gathering.
Dayle Haas read a selection at The Gathering for her brother, who was in New York at the time. He is writing an adventure novel. She brought these delicious layer bars.
DAYLE’S LAYER BARS
This recipe is quoted directly from Dayle.
“This is so easy it's sinful. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 13x9" pan, sprinkle 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips (I use a little more) over crumbs, drizzle 1 can sweeten condensed milk over chips, sprinkle 1 cup shredded or flaked coconut over milk and then a cup of chopped walnuts over coconut, do not stir.
Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Cool and cut into squares, store in fridge in warmer weather.
And there you have it, and it takes all of 5 minutes to make.
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The next two recipes from The Gathering were made by Ann Entsminger. She read from memoirs she is writing for her family.
I had several of these. They taste like German lebkuchen that my mother used to make at Christmas. Yum!
ANN'S SPICY SQUARES
1 c. raisin
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
dash of salt
1/2 cup nuts
2 cups flour
3/4 t baking soda
Boil together all ingredients except flour and baking soda for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and baking soda while mixture is hot. Pour into greased 9 x 13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
ICING:
Blend together 1 c. sifted powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk and 1/2 t. vanilla. Pour over cake while still warm.
********
This recipe is now in the recipe box.
The classic caramel and chocolate combo - you can’t miss with this. It’s everyone’s favorite!
2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. pecans
TOPPING;
2/3 c. margarine
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Mix flour, sugar and margarine in bowl with mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes.
2. Press firmly into an ungreased 9 x 13” pan.
3. Arrange pecans evenly over crust.
4. Combine topping margarine and brown sugar in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over pecans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 – 22 minutes until bubbly.
6. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top. Let stand about 3 minutes. Spread chocolate chips evenly over top.
7. Cool completely and cut into small squares. Freezes well.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit
Bonus Recipes of the Month for March, 2008
First off, another testimonial for Dick Saporita’s Shrimp and Rice Casserole that was in the January Bonus Recipes of the Month. It’s from Wanda Moran at Acadia National Park in Maine. We worked nine summers in the park, and that’s where Recipes of the Month got its start. The park employees have frequent potlucks, and I used to collect recipes from them, print them out, and put them in employee lunch rooms.
Wanda said:
“I made a double batch of the shrimp/cheese casserole that was in the Jan. recipes for the Mardi Gras lunch here at the park yesterday. Jonathan organizes it every year. (and supplies the beads!) Whoever gets the piece of the king cake with the baby has to bring the one for next year. Everyone brings a southern/Cajun dish to share. I think my casserole dish was licked out, that's what a big hit it was! I added red peppers, too, and some cayenne pepper to spice it up! I also had only Maine small shrimp and they were delicious in it. So thanks for the recipe. I guess you could say that you're still participating, although indirectly, in Acadia's potlucks!”
*************
On to the recipes! Sue Gibson, Texas, who also worked at Acadia for a couple of summers long ago, has kept in touch over the years. Her pecan tree never bore more than a handful of nuts, and she was about to take it down. Then, in the fall of 2007, it went nuts (pun intended). She figures she got more than a hundred pounds of pecans off that tree this year, and she sent me several pounds of them in November. Talk about manna from heaven….
I made several pecan pies from Sue’s recipe (November 2002 Recipes of the Month) for the holidays. I also experimented with lite sugar or sugarfree pecan pie. My sister and husband, who can eat very little sugar, thought it was excellent. One thing: the pecans will not rest on top of the filling as in a regular pecan pie. They sink in, and thus are scattered throughout the pie. But the flavor is the same as if they had all been on top.
RUTH’S LITE PECAN PIE
4 eggs
1 cup sugarfree or lite corn syrup
5-6 packets of sugar substitute
2 T powdered milk
1/4 cup butter
1 and 1/2 c pecan halves, or as many as you want
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
1. Place crust into pan. Sprinkle some of the pecans on the bottom of the crust.
2. Mix syrup, sugar substitute and butter in saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from stove to cool at little.
3. Beat whole eggs until thick.
4. Fold powdered milk into eggs.
5. Pour hot syrup mixture into eggs and stir gently.
6. Pour filling into crust. Gently scatter the rest of the pecans into the filling.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes at 400 F (205 C)
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Sue sent her pecans to me in November, and then in February, followed them to Florida. She and her husband, Don, made their first-ever visit to the Sunshine State. While she was here, we all trekked over to Mt. Dora to spend a day with Sue’s cousins, the Joneses. Nancy Jones is a talented watercolorist, and also is a recipe reader and a cook. She was about to make this dessert for a neighborhood event, and gave me the recipe.
MARY’S DESSERT
Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1. Prepare a Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Put it in a jellyroll (15x11) or other similar pan and bake about 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool.
2. Mix one 8-oz pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese with one 3-oz pkg vanilla instant pudding and 1 cup of milk.
(Nancy: I use half and half with about ¼ skim milk.) Blend with mixer. Spread over cooled cake.
3. Drain two 20-oz cans of crushed pinapple well. Spread over the creamed mixture.
4. Whip 1 pint whipping cream or you can use two 8-oz cartons Cool Whip. Spread over the pineapple.
5. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the top.
6. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Overnight is good.
7. To serve: cut in squares (should make 20 squares). Put a half of a maraschino cherry on top of each serving for the utmost in desserts!
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As well as the dessert recipe, Nancy Jones also gave Sue her Beef Stragonoff recipe. This is a good make-ahead dish for dinner guests.
NANCY'S BEEF STRAGONOFF
1 lb round steak
2 T butter
1 c sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 3-oz can mushrooms (undrained)
2 T ketchup
2 T dry wine
1. Cut meat in very thin strips. Brown in hot fat.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and add to meat.
3. from Nancy: I cooked two hours, simmering. Served on Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice with Seasonings.
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Last Thursday night I went to a concert by our park’s women’s barbershop harmony choir, then to the Afterglow. Members of the choir and friends brought dishes for the Afterglow. My husband latched onto these dessert bars, and wanted the recipe. So I found Mary Griffin, who had brought the bars to the party, made a new friend, and got another version of the popular “no name” dessert bars. Using the soda crackers gives a toffee-like effect to the bottom layer.
MARY GRIFFIN’S DESSERT BARS
1 sleeve soda crackers, broken up. Mary says she just crushes them up by hand in the sleeve before she opens it.
1 stick butter or oleo
1. Melt the oleo in a 9x13 pan. Spread the crushed crackers evenly over the oleo.
2. Spread on 6 oz chocolate or butterscotch chips.
3. Spread on 1 cup chopped nuts.
4. Sprinkle coconut for the next layer.
5. Pour one can of evaporated milk over the top.
6. Bake at 350 until coconut is lightly browned.
7. Cool. Refrigerate.
****************
My friend Barb Lloyd in Michigan has a friend up there, Sandy Hill. I have published Sandy Hill recipes that Barb has sent me before. This is a fun one that gives you a chance to be creative.
Here is what Sandy sent Barb:
Sandy: You asked about the seasoned popcorn that I brought to the party. I used to make it a lot. It keeps well, probably because it is baked. It was something I could have on hand at the cottage when parties were frequent and spontaneous in our younger years and people seemed to like it. I couldn't remember how much popcorn Jiffy Popcorn made. I have a hot-air popper and just
guessed. It could be improved on.
SEASONED POPCORN
1 Jiffy Popcorn, popped
Add to popcorn:
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt or powder
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
*************
While I was on that Cousins Outing to St. Augustine that I mentioned in the regular March Recipes of the Month, Judy McCracken brought frozen margaritas, which were a slush, for us to enjoy while playing Mexican Train. That got us on the subject of slushes, and Chris Gazella (Chris’s White Chicken Chili) said she had a great brandy slush recipe, which she would email to me. She did and here it is.
"To simplify some I bought a jug of brewed tea instead of brewing my own. I also made the syrup with Splenda instead of sugar.
Enjoy, Chris”
BRANDY SLUSH
1. Take 7 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Mix, boil & let cool
2. Steep 4 black tea bags in 2 more cups boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then cool.
3. Mix in 2 – 6 oz. Cans frozen orange juice, 2 – 6 oz cans frozen lemonade, 2 Cups plain brandy
4. Add the first ingredients & mix well. Put in large container & freeze.
When serving, fill tall glass 2/3 full with mixture & rest with 7-Up or Sprite.
I countered with a gin slush that our family always liked.
GIN SLUSH
1. Fill a blender cup with crushed ice.
2. Pour in a can of (thawed) frozen lemonade.
3. Fill the can with gin and pour in also.
4. Blend briefly, pour and enjoy.
Chris then countered with the Bullfrog.
BULLFROG
“Thanks. Sounds good.
Here's another we used to make called a Bullfrog: equal parts of frozen limeade, vodka and water or Sprite soda. Freeze for slush. Yummy!”
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for April, 2008
I was at an alumnae luncheon in early March, and our table got on the subject of houseguests. If you live in Florida, you’ve got houseguests, lots of them. The gals chatted about dishes they like to use as basic dishes/menus to serve guests. Pat de Lettre said she relies on the following to present an elegant meal as easily as possible.
PAT’S METHOD
She buys Delmonico or ribeye steak, enough for half a steak for each guest. Her husband cooks the steaks on the grill. She also buys a big side of salmon, the thick part, and has the butcher skin it and cut it into serving-size chunks. This she bakes with McCormick’s lemon-dill butter sauce.
She serves this surf-and-turf entrée with a mixed lettuce salad and asparagus spears. She cooks the asparagus, then flavors it with butter, lemon juice, and salt. The potatoes for the meal come from Sam’s, their prepared Duchess (or twice-baked) potatoes that only need heating.
For dessert she serves a sorbet, or a piece of cake covered with fruit, decorated with trails of dulce de leche, and topped off with a dollop of whipped cream. You can buy tinned dulce de leche in the Spanish section of your super market, or you can make your own. See recipe below.
************
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
1. Pour Eagle Brand Milk into 9 inch pie plate.
2. Cover with foil and place in a larger shallow baking pan. Pour hot water into larger pan to depth of 1 inch.
3. Bake 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored.
4. Remove from oven and beat until smooth. Cool 1 hour.
5. Refrigerate until serving time.
**********
Normajean Stone sat next to me at the luncheon, and she told us her recipe for a quick meal that’s nice for guests:
NORMA JEAN’S CHICKEN
Chicken breasts or thighs
Cream of mushroom soup, one can
Half a soup can of white wine
Chopped tarragon
Cooked rice
1. Sauté chicken by your favorite method.
2. Mix the mushroom soup and the wine together. Pour over chicken. Heat.
3. Serve on a bed of rice. Sprinkle with tarragon before serving.
4. Serve with a green vegetable.
****************
This last Monday Bob’s cousins Bob and Carolyn Lenington from Mass came in for their spring visit. I couldn’t serve them my favorite house guest Pork and Sweet Potatoes Crock Pot, (Nov 2007 Bonus Recipes), because I welcomed them with that dish on their last visit. Bob said they wouldn’t remember. But just in case……I made something else. I put together an easy spaghetti casserole that went over really well. It’s something that can be kept warm in the oven if necessary. I served it with Chicago hard rolls and tossed salad.
RUTH'S SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE DINNER
Casserole One
Enough slightly undercooked spaghetti for your casserole dish
A large jar of chunky mushroom and green pepper spaghetti sauce, or your choice
8 oz shredded cheese of your choice
1. Put spaghetti into casserole.
2. Stir in enough spaghetti sauce to moisten the pasta well.
3. Cover the top with a thick layer of the shredded cheese.
4. Bake uncovered until casserole is hot, and cheese is slightly browned around the edges.
Note: I made it the dishes in the morning, and put them in the oven about 4:30 at 300 to warm slowly. We didn't eat until 6, as it turned out, so I turned it back to 250 after they were hot. Time and temperature depend on whether the dishes are cold or at room temperature.
Casserole Two
Enough cooked Italian sausage (or meatballs) for four or six.
Canned spaghetti sauce
I put the sausage in a smaller casserole and poured sauce over it. I heated that dish with the lid on at the same time as I heated Casserole One.
Note: When serving the casseroles, also offer a pitcher of heated spaghetti sauce.
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This last weekend we traveled with visiting cousins Carolyn and Bob over to Melbourne Beach here in Florida to visit my husband Bob’s and Carolyn’s cousin Judy and her husband Charles Koenn. Get all that? Anyway, Judy put on a delicious lunch for us, dishes we’d never had before. Of course I asked for her recipes, and here they are for you.
Judy said she rather “made up” the salmon dish from similar dishes she’d had in the past. She served asparagus spears as the side and poured sauce on them, too. It made a lovely presentation.
JUDY'S BAKED SALMON
For six
Filet of salmon large enough to serve six
Lemon
Lemon pepper
English muffins – one for each guest
A packet of Béarnaise sauce mix (Judy used Wagner’s)
Scant 1/4 cup white wine
1. Cut salmon into serving-size pieces and place in 9x13 pan.
2. Cover salmon with very thin slices of lemon. Sprinkle on lemon pepper.
3. Bake salmon at 375 degrees until pink and flaky. (10-15 minutes.)
4. While salmon is baking, make Béarnaise sauce by package directions, adding the white wine.
5. Toast English muffins.
6. Place two toasted halves of muffins onto plate. Put salmon pieces (including lemon slices) on each half, and pour Béarnaise sauce over all.
******************
For dessert, Judy served a molded Italian Cream topped with huge fresh blackberries. It was beautiful and wonderful. Any fresh fruit could be used, of course, and the cream flavored accordingly, if desired.
ITALIAN CREAM
1 pkg unflavored gelatin
3/4 c sugar
½ c water
1. Mix the above in a sauce pan. Let set for 5 minutes. Then bring to a boil.
2. Add to the above mixture:
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 and 1/2 c sour cream (1/2 c fruit-flavored yogurt can be substituted for 1/2 c of the sour cream)
1t vanilla
3. Pour into a ring mold. Chill 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
4. Remove from mold onto a serving platter. Top with fresh fruit.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for May, 2008
BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
1 T butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 c carrots, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz grated sharp cheddar
1. Sauté the onion in the 1 T butter. Set aside.
2. The roux: cook melted butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add the half and half, stirring consistently and slowly.
3. Add the chicken stock, whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4.Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, for 20-25 minutes. The soup should be thickened by now.
5. Pour in batches into a blender and purée.
6. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until well blended.
7. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.
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Tarpon Springs, on the Florida coast, has a large waterside Greek settlement. The Greeks fish and dive for sponges - and run wonderful Greek restaurants. We discovered a different one last time we were there, in April. Apparently the restaurant has been there for over twenty years. It’s a bit beyond the cluster of tourist shops/eateries on Dodecanese St., the main street of Greek Town, and we had never noticed it.
It was Plaka’s Restaurant, that looks like nothing special from the outside. That almost insures good food inside. A hand-made poster in the front window showed photos of the restaurant owners making gyros meat. Another sign of good food. Handmade instead of canned gyros.
As we were leaving the dining room after a delicious meal, we passed a kitchen counter with a big pan filled with tzatziki (cucumber/sour cream sauce) on it. I remarked on “all that wonderful tzatziki.” The owner, who was at the register, immediately became enthusiastic and talkative. He told us they make 2 or 3 large tubs of it at a time. When I said again how delicious their sauce was, he told me their “simple” recipe. For a small batch:
PLAKA’S TZATZIKI
A carton (8 oz) thick sour cream
A cucumber, grated and drained well
Finely chopped garlic to taste (he said, “Use lots of garlic.”)
Lemon juice to taste
1. Mix ingredients.
2. Now here is the key to great tzatziki, which I didn’t know. After it is mixed, allow the sauce to sit three or four days to blend flavors and thicken.
*************
Here’s one more restaurant recipe. Well, not really a recipe, sort of a “how to.” My sister Gail, my niece Cheryl, and I went for lunch in Mt. Dora at a tea shop called The Garden Gate. I had been there a couple of times before, and remembered that the food was wonderful. I was not disappointed. They had a five-bean salad with a dressing for which I would love to have the recipe. But I didn’t get it. However, I can tell you about our sandwiches, which were also above delicious.
GARDEN GATE ASPARAGUS SANDWICHES
1. Steam small asparagus spears until tender/crisp.
2. Cut a slice of dark pumpernickel bread in half. Fit 3 or 4 cut asparagus spears on each half. Spread asparagus with thousand island dressing.
3. Lay a slice of a good cheese on the asparagus.
4. Cut another slice of bread in half, and assemble the two half-sandwiches..
5. Heat in microwave until the cheese melts slightly.
**************
Leaving the restaurant world, we go to the world of my early-morning exercise group. There’s 5 or 6 of us gals that walk to and from the class, and food is always a big topic as we plod along. The other day Jane Hahn gave us this quick recipe for baked onions.
JANE’S BAKED ONIONS
2 sweet Florida or Vadalia onions
2 knobs of butter
2 packets of boullion powder
1. Core the onions
2. Sprinkle a packet of boullion into each onion core.
3. Put a knob of butter in the top of each onion core.
4. Microwave for four minutes on high.
Serves 4 as a side dish
***************
Judy and Art McCracken winter down here in Florida, and summer in Michigan. They have been friends of ours for years and years. Art’s side of the family has a family potluck in St. Augustine each year for Christmas dinner. Judy brought back this recipe from this last year’s (2007) Christmas.
BLACK EYE PEA SALAD "SOUTHERN CAVIAR"
5 C black eye peas
1/2 C chopped green olives
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C red pepper
1/2 C chopped Scallions
1/2 C Pace Picante Sauce
1/2 C red wine vinegar
2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and allow to season for a few hours before serving.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for June, 2008
Here is a very special recipe. Jeanette Burton, who now lives in Largo, Florida, is another friend from my days of working at Acadia National Park. She is an outstanding cook. I’ve told you before about the big dinners she used to turn out in her little travel trailer kitchen. She wrote me some time ago saying she was working on a recipe, and would send it if she could get it perfected. It did and she did. Read on….
Jeanette: This recipe is a winner! I finally fixed (perfected) it and we both love it-even better
than a hamburger for us. Here it is:
AMERICAN VEGETARIAN “HAMBURGER”
Pear Mayonnaise (prepare first)
l ripe pear
2 T mayonnaise
1 T lime or orange juice
1. Peel and chop pear.
2. Sauté in a small pan with l T lime juice or orange juice.
3. Cook ‘til soft & mushy. Mash or purée.
4. Let cool.
5. Add mayonnaise.
“Hamburger”
l lb. cleaned, destemmed portabella mushroom caps,
finely chopped and left to drain on paper towels
l/3 c. walnuts, finely chopped
7 Tb bread crumbs
2 Tb finely chopped onion
l/4 tsp salt l/8 tsp pepper
4 Tb crumbled bleu cheese
l beaten egg
1. Mix all together shape into patties.
2. Grill or fry in pan.
To serve, place each burger on a roll or bun. Cover with pear mayonnaise. I add a little more blue cheese and a relish. You can add lettuce, sprouts, tomato, avocado, cucumber if you wish.
I just add the mayo mix, tomato relish and blue cheese.
Dick is crazy about this. Hope you enjoy this as much as we have.
Jeanette
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Dell French is in my Writers Guild. She is another great cook! She sent along this recipe for folks who don’t want the fat of restaurant fried onion rings. The recipe is by Tiffany Taylor. Dell sent it to me to try. I haven’t yet. But it looks like a good alternative to fried onion rings.
by Tiffany Taylor
from Dell French
TIFFANY'S BAKED ONION RINGS
Serves 5.
2 large, sweet onions (Vidalia or similar, about 8 ounces each)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1/4 cup skim milk
3-1/2 cups cornflakes
1/4 cup fat-free Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking
spray.
1. Cut onions into 1/2-inch slices; separate into rings. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, egg substitute, and milk in a shallow bowl; stir with a
wire whisk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Place cornflakes, Parmesan, and pepper in a food processor or blender;
process into fine crumbs. Transfer mixture to a shallow dish.
4. Dip onion rings in milk mixture; turn to coat well. Then dip rings in
cornflake mixture.
5. Arrange rings on baking sheet; spray lightly with
cooking spray.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until crisp and brown.
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Don Polly, the fellow who got the Alice’s Restaurant Cookbook signed by Arlo Guthrie for my sister and me, is also in the Writers Guild, as is his sister, Dayle Haas. Don recently had a birthday party, and Dayle brought this artichoke dip, which was a big hit! Delicious. I had to have the recipe.
DAYLE’S ARTICHOKE DIP (notes are Dayle’s)
1 cup mayonnaise (don't use light for this)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (coarsely ed.)
dash garlic powder
1. Mix together and put in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly and lightly browned on top.
I have had it with a small can of mild chilies chopped into it and that's very good also, if you like a little spice with it. The original recipe says to serve it with small slices of crusty bread which is good, but I prefer crackers or tortilla chips.
I doubled the recipe for Don's party.
Dayle
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My sister Gail and I celebrated Mother’s Day and our mutual birthdays (only a week apart) at Gail’s house on Mother’s Day. She made, of course, and outstanding meal. The thing that Gail is very good at, which I am careless about, is presentation. You don’t just get a platter of pot roast from Gail, you get a platter of roast decorated with rosemary sprigs and onion rings. She just has that touch. This is the salad from our Mothers’ Day meal, a very light and delicious one – without lettuce!
LIGHT MEDITERRANEAN SALAD
3/4 cup thinly sliced seedless cucumbers
1 diced green bell pepper
3 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 T chopped fresh dill
1. Put all in a strainer and drain for several hours.
DRESSING
1/2 T plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste
from Gail: I made double the dressing, and I think it could have had more.
**************
Pat Henson was in the Writers Guild until the moved to Alabama last year. But we still keep in touch, and she may even come back this year for a visit! We all miss her. Here is the email she sent with this recipe.
Ruth...Dell.........This is the very best dessert I've never had and you know how much I love my desserts!!!!!!!!!
Nina, my neighbor, fixed this in a 9x13 inch glass casserole dish, then cut in squares. This was our after dinner dessert and I was very impressed. It also looks great in the clear glass dish....just don't think about the calories, and share it with friends.............this served 12 people with some left over.
Pat Henson
NINA'S DESSERT
A box of ice cream sandwiches
A jar of caramel sauce
1/2-3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
Large carton of Cool Whip
1. Layer ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a dish.
2. Then spread a jar of caramel sauce over them and a cup of chopped pecans (toasted).
3. Put about 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip over it.
4. Then another layer of ice cream sandwiches, some more Cool Whip and about another 1/4 cup of pecans.
5. Freeze it for at least 2 hours. Set it out about 5 minutes before serving. Voilá!
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for July, 2008
I talk a lot about the Grand Hotel with the assumption that everyone knows of it. But I don’t think that’s necessarily true. The historic hotel has 386 rooms, a huge lobby designed by Carlton Varney, and a bar in the cupola on top. No cars are allowed on the island, only horse-drawn vehicles.
I spent three days on the island in June, as I do nearly every summer. This time just Jane and I went to the island. We again attended a grand soirée, the historical society’s fundraiser, the G. Mennan Williams Celebration. The affair begins with cocktails at one of the island mansions. Carriages then carry the partygoers to the Grand Hotel for dinner. I’m listing this year’s dinner menu with my annotations. Perhaps you can get some recipe ideas from the descriptions. If not, you can just enjoy the reading a menu from a 5-star restaurant. Commentas are mine.
Diningroom, Grand Hotel
Basil Infused Shrimp and Scallop Martini
Peanut and Jicama Slaw
Lime and Chili Sauce
This was delicious! The slaw was in the bottom of a large martini glass. Several shrimp and a large scallop were arranged on top of the slaw. The flavor tastes more lime in the slaw and chili-like with the shellfish. Mixed together, the two flavors really complemented each other.
White Onion Bisque
Truffle Oil
Smooth, rich bisque with a light overlay of mushroom
Boston Bibb Lettuce
Oven Dried Tomato Petals
Aged Balsamico
Another name for a tossed side salad
Grilled Beef Medallion with Shiitake and Chevre Croutons
Whitefish Filet
Sweet Potato Pavee, Baby Vegetables
Merlot Demi Glace
I could have had lots more of the demi glace – though I do think the demi glace served with lamb at The Goblin restaurant in Mt. Dora, FL, is richer.
Trio of Créme Brule
Chocolate, strawberry, and original – flavored brulées in individual little pots with properly crystallized topping
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Now, on to this month’s recipes. I have picked up and been sent a lot of recipes since we left home on May 31 for two months in Michigan and Ohio. There are five in this letter with more to come in August and probably a bonus mailing. So make a cup of coffee, sit down, and enjoy.
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I think I got this one from Dell French, my writing club friend. If I’m wrong, I’ll print a correction. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t write down the source when I copied the recipe off an email. It’s quick and easy and has a “secret ingredient” that makes it really good. Serve it with rice.
CROCK POT LEMON CHICKEN
6-8 boneless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
6 oz frozen lemonade concentrate (do not dilute)
Brown the chicken lightly and place in crockpot with sauce made from rest of ingredients. Cook 3-1/2 hours on low.
***************
Jeanette Burton, and old friend from my Acadia NP days, and a terrific cook, sent me this recipe. It’s a rich and attractive dish to serve when you have friends over for dinner.
PARTY CHICKEN
3 T butter, softened
1/4 c flour
chicken breasts (I used 4)
1 can mushroom soup
l/2 c mayonnaise (I use light)
1 and l/2c panko crumbs
l c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Place flour in zip top bag. Place chicken in bag and shake well to cover chicken.
2. Place chicken in baking dish
3. Combine soup and mayo, spread evenly on chicken.
4. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing ‘til crumbly.
5. Top chicken with cheese mixture.
6. Cover with foil. Bake 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove foil Bake l0-15 minutes more, ‘til top is golden.
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Every summer when we go to Michigan, we visit Judy and Art McCracken. We were there in June this summer. Judy made up this salad, which was a hit for summertime lunches. Serve with crackers and applesauce for a light hot weather meal.
JUDY’S SALAD
1. Shred cabbage for slaw.
2. Shred and stir in fake crab.
3. Moisten with lite slaw dressing.
4. Allow to sit overnight before serving.
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Pat Henson was for several years a member of my Writers Guild. At that time the group was very small and there were just five women in the club, Pat, Felicia, Dolores, Dell, and me. We were very close and often met for lunch and writing activities. Dolores has passed away, and Pat moved away. But Pat keeps in touch with the rest of us and promises to come back to visit. She sends me recipes every now and again.
I have tried a number of recipes for roasted vegetables, and have not been satisfied with any of them. Most of them call for overcooking the vegetables, and none of them have much flavor. This one looks like a winner! I’m going to try it as soon as I get home.
Pat had these vegetables at a friend’s house, and got the recipe for us.
RON’S ROASTED VEGETABLES
Marinade and Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 and 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper
1. Stir together and pour over your choice of vegetables. Let marinate 30 minutes.
2. Roast under broiler or on grill. DO NOT OVER COOK. You want the vegetables to be
tender but crunchy.
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Diane Kraft is in my Macintosh computer club in Florida, and loves to make desserts and sweets. She sent me this recipe, which would be great for a gang or a gift.
CHOCOLATE PIZZA
8 oz. white chocolate divided. (Some use melting chocolate from Wal-mart)
8 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 c. each: salted peanuts
mini marshmallows
rice crispy cereal
coconut
red and green cherry halves
1. In a heavy sauce pan on top of a double boiler (or microwave, I use 50% power and stir every couple of minutes), melt 6 oz. white chocolate and 8 oz. chocolate chips.
2. Stir in peanuts, marshmallows, and cereal.
3. Pour onto a greased 10" pizza pan or a 10" circle of cardboard cover with foil. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle with coconut then top with the cherry halves.
4. Melt the remaining white chocolate and drizzle over the pizza.
5. Chill until set.
6. Cut or break into pieces.
These are also fun to do in personal pan pizza size and wrap with colored saran wrap.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for August, 2008
June Smith made this and the following recipe for the graduation party pigroast at the cabin in Michigan in June. Then, by popular demand, she made them again for the Toman family Fourth of July celebration.
JUNE'S TACO SALAD
1 large head of lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz. shredded cheese
1 onion, chopped
a bottle of thousand island dressing (or catalina)
a bottle of mild taco sauce
a bag of Doritos, coarsely crushed
1 lb hamburg
1 pckg of taco seasoning
1. Fry the hamburg with the taco seasoning. Drain and cool.
2. Combine meat and all other ingredients in a large bowl.
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This is the second recipe from June Smith. It is best when it’s made the day before, she says. It is so good that you can’t keep out of it. I had (ahem) several helpings.
OREO COOKIE DESSERT
1 bag Oreo cookies, crushed
1 stick of butter, melted
2 boxes instant chocolate pudding made up with 1 and 3/4 cups of milk.
1 quart of vanilla or chocolate ice cream, softened
1 16 oz tub of Cool Whip
1. Mix the cookies (save some out for topping) and the butter, and spread in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
2. Mix the milk and the ice cream with a beater.
3. Pour the ice cream mix over the cookie mix, and stir it all up.
4. Spread the Cool Whip on top, and sprinkle with the reserved cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate until serving time.
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Our first stop in Michigan this summer was a weekend with our friend Jane Arndt in Big Rapids, MI. Later in the summer Jane and I made our jaunt to Mackinac Island.
There is a coffee shop, Florida Porch, in our hometown of Leesburg, FL, that makes a curried chicken salad to die for. The owner will not divulge the recipe. I’ve tried to get it, believe me. Jane absolutely loves that salad and a pilgrimage to Florida Porch for curried chicken salad is always on the program when she comes to FL to visit.
When we were visiting her in MI this summer, she made us a curried chicken salad she had devised, and it was delicious! Here it is.
HONEY CURRIED CHICKEN
enough chicken nuggets for three people
1/3 cup melted oleo (Do not use oil.)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp curry powder (Jane recommends McCormick’s.)
1. Spread the nuggets in the bottom of a baking pan.
2. Mix the oleo, honey, and curry powder. Spread over the chicken.
3. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Cool or chill.
curried chicken nuggets from above
1 avocado
shredded cheese to taste
1. Chop the chicken in bite-sized pieces.
2. Layer in a dish or on individual plates chicken, chunked avocado, and shredded cheese.
3. May moisten with dressing (your choice) if desired in single dish, or put dressing as a garnish on individual servings.
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While we are talking about avocados… We were visiting Barb and John Lloyd in Montague, MI, this summer, we all went to a concert by the Scottville Clown Band. It was great fun. On the bottom of the back of the program, there was this very brief recipe. I guess they just wanted to fill up the space. However, if you ever want to make guacamole for a crowd, this is it.
GUACOMOLE FOR 12
10 ripe avocados
1 bottle picante salsa
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
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This chicken wrap is from Dell French, my Writers Guild buddy in Florida. Dell is also an outstanding cook! As of July 15, when she sent me this recipe, she hadn’t tried it yet. However, it looked very good and she may have made it by now. You can try it for yourselves. If you have any feedback on this recipe, I’d be happy to get it!
From Dell: “I shall try this with a steamed wrap instead of a tortilla-thinner, more bendable and less fat. Like a tomato-basil wrap that I like. Dell”
CHICKEN WRAP (serves 4)
2 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
3 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped (or blanched first if desired)
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
4 medium tortillas, flour, fat-free, 6 inches each
8 pieces lettuce
1. Combine chicken, mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon and snap peas together in a large bowl; mix until chicken is well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Lay tortillas on a flat surface. Place 1/4 of chicken salad in center of each tortilla; top each with 2 lettuce leaves and roll up, folding in ends.
Yields 1 wrap per serving.
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This recipe is taken from a recipe on the front of a Mackinac Island postcard (© Northwest, Inc.). It is a compilation of the “secret” recipes of many shops, reduced to household batch size. You will need a candy thermometer.
MACKINAC ISLAND FUDGE
2 c sugar
1 c half and half cream
2 1-oz squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T lite corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 T butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c coarsely chopped nuts
1. Combine sugar, half and half, chocolate, corn syrup and salt in 2 qt saucepan.
2. Stir constantly over medium heat until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved. Cook to 235° F.
3. Remove from heat. Add butter and cool mixture to 120°F without stirring.
4. Butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Set aside.
5. Add vanilla to warm mixture and beat until mixture is no longer glossy.
6. Quickly stir in nuts.
7. Spread mixture into pan. Cool until firm.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for September, 2008
In July we had a Williams family reunion at a summer trailer in a resort campground on Lake Erie in Ohio. We are a small family; there were thirteen people at the reunion. One had died since the ’07 reunion, and three couldn’t attend. Three others had gone home before the photo was taken. For the reunion entertainment, we took the ferry to Kelly’s Island in Lake Erie for lunch and a tour of the island. Back at the trailer, we enjoyed a sumptuous fish fry dinner; then played dominoes for the rest of the evening. It was a grand day, and I came away with two new recipes this year.
Both of these recipes come from niece Cheryl Young, who hosted the event with her husband Ken at their campsite. The picnic cake is irresistible, and the cole slaw a nice change from the ordinary. Comments are Cheryl’s.
NUTTY CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I put a bit more in.)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 Box Super Moist Devils Food Cake Mix
water, oil, and eggs per cake mix
1. Mix chocolate chips, nuts, and brown sugar and set aside.
2. Make cake according to box directions, sprinkle chocolate chip mixture on top of cake batter before baking.
Bake 350 degrees at time according to cake mix. Store tightly covered.
**********
1/2 cup of Hellman's light mayo
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 package of coleslaw
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 c of real bacon fried and broken up or real bacon bits.
1. Mix dressing, sugar and vinegar in large bowl, add remaining ingredients, toss to coat, chill 1 hour.
Comments from Cheryl: You might have to add a bit more dressing then what it calls for depending on the size of bag of cole slaw you get. If you get an 8 oz bag it should do the trick but anything bigger and you have to do the dressing in full one time then half it and add that to the mixture and you will be good to go.
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May Writers Guild good friend Dell French sent me this new idea recipe for chicken. I made it, and it was a delicious change from the ordinary.
CROCK POT HUNGARIAN CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
1 sprays cooking spray, or enough to coat skillet
2 cup mushroom(s), coarsely chopped
1 small onion(s), chopped
1 small garlic clove(s), minced
1 small sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.
2. Stir in paprika, salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds more.
3. Spoon mixture into a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; add broth.
4. Cut each chicken breast into 4 long strips; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours.
5. Stir together flour and sour cream in a cup; stir into chicken mixture. (Note from website: We stir flour into the sour cream to prevent the cream from curdling in slow-cooked dishes.)
6. Cover and cook on low until the mixture is thick and hot, about 10 minutes more.
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Many years ago, while I was still teaching, Jodee Linta, who taught in the room next to mine, gave me a recipe for Jezebel Sauce. I absolutely loved it, and made batches of it pretty regularly for some time. Then, new things came along, and the recipe gradually faded into the past, but not forgotten.
This last spring Ann Entsminger, another friend from Writers Guild, gave me a copy of a cookbook (Our Kitchen Traditions) of her old family recipes she had done. I do enjoy reading cookbooks, and as I was reading through hers, there was a recipe for Jezebel Sauce! I went to the kitchen to find my recipe for Jezebel Sauce to compare them, and my recipe was gone! Three times I went through that old recipe box, but no Jezebel Sauce.
The next step was to hit the computer and write to Jodee, now living in Arizona, to see if she still had the recipe. At first she didn’t even remember what Jezebel Sauce was, but she dived into her recipes and hunted. She found it! Then she remembered that her husband had been given the recipe by his secretary years ago, and Jodee brought it to school and passed it around. The sauce had to have had great popularity at one time. Ann got her recipe years ago in Minnesota. Jodee’s came from Michigan. Both recipes are almost identical.
Cooks, myself included, have a way of “doctoring” up recipes to suit their whims. It’s amazing that the Jezebel Sauce recipe remained “pure” when it passed through the kitchens of many cooks. Here are both recipes, Ann’s and Jodee’s. Ann says she still makes it. Guess it’s ‘bout time I mixed myself up a batch.
JODEE’S JEZEBEL SAUCE This recipe is now on its own page, titled Jezebel Sauce
18 oz. jar apple jelly
18 oz. jar pineapple preserves
1 small can dried mustard
1 small jar medium strength horseradish
1 teaspooon cracked pepper.
1. Mix and put in jars. Store in refrigerator.
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ANN’S JEZEBEL SAUCE This recipe is now on its own page, titled Jezebel Sauce.
1 5-oz jar prepared horseradish (or less depending on taste)
1 T dry mustard
1 18-oz jar pineapple preserves
1 18-oz jar apple jelly
1.Combine horseradish and dry mustard. Add pineapple preserves and apple jelly. Mix well.
Makes about 5 cups.
Ann’s comments: This is a wonderful accompaniment to ham, beef, turkey, or pork. I keep some in the refrigerator aat all times. It also makes a delicious appetizer by spreading it over an 8 oz block cream cheese and serving with your favorite crackers. Keeps for months in the refrigerator.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for October, 2008
We’ll start this autumn month with some goodies first. Claire Coon in Green Valley AZ sent me the menu she had served for guests a while back. Claire loves to cook, and frequent hosts last-minute dinners as well as ones she plans ahead. The menu sounded so good I asked for two of the recipes. Here they are:
STICKY BUNS
Claire: Here is the recipe for the sticky buns. I used the basic dinner rolls recipe under the dough mode for my bread maker. I varied it a bit: This recipe made a dozen rolls.
1 1/2 cups of bread flour
3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
3 TBS. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/1/2 tbs. butter or margarine (I used butter)
5/8 cup skim milk
1 beaten egg.
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast (generous)
When the bread maker had done its job, I punched the dough down and let it rise until almost double. While that was rising, I prepared the 9x11 baking pan as follows: (heating on top of the stove and blending until sugar is all dissolved).
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 TBS corn syrup and 1/2 TBS water.
Roll out the dough in a rectangle, butter it generously and sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll it up and cut it into 1 inch slices.
Place the rolls on top of the mixture in the baking pan (at least an inch apart) and let the rolls rise until double.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
Hint: I sometimes help the rolls rise by putting them in a warm oven.
******
Marinade:
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
6 sprigs rosemary leaves, chopped
2 TBS. fennel seed I didn't have any on hand so omitted that )
Spread the marinade on the pork, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning--scrape off the marinade and brown the pork roast on all sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a crock pot with equal parts of brown sugar and bourbon.
I start the crock pot on high for about an hour then turn it down to low--it cooked all day --was nice and moist and delicious. I turned the pot to "warm" about 5:30 and we ate at 7:00.
This was served with a sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole and green salad with fruit. Dessert was a Kahlua Mocha Pie in Kahlua Pecan Crust.
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This salad is from Jodee Linta in Tucson, another star from the West. Jodee and I worked together for many years teaching high school kids.
The Broccoli Salad she sent is from Hannibal's Catering in Sacramento, as printed in The Sacramento Bee.
HANNIBAL’S BROCCOLI SALAD
Ingredients
3 bunches broccoli (florets only)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped real bacon (I used Hormel's Real Bacon Bits)
1 cup diced red onion
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
3 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Combine salad ingredients. Combine dressing ingredients. Toss salad with dressing. Chill and serve.
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This was sent to me from my sister Lynne on Whidbey Island, in the far west off the coast by Seattle, WA. It has been going around on the internet. I think it would be fun to try! If anyone tries it, let me know. How well does it come out of the mug? Did it run all over in your microwave?
DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG
1 large coffee mug
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain not self-rising)
4Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa (*if one wanted to make another flavor, omit choc and add 1/2 tsp of desired flavored extract)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
Small splash of vanilla
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional but it's better with chips
1. Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.
2. Add egg, mix thoroughly.
3. Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.
4. Add chips, if using
Put mug in microwave and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts
Cake will rise over top of mug -- do not be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little; tip onto plate if desired and EAT.
This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.
***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!*****
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Here’s two recipes from my sister, Gail Maggiore. She has been raving about these chicken legs for weeks. I guess she makes it fairly often, and it’s quite tasty. She can make a batch, then set a serving of them out for her husband when he comes home to eat. His hours are very irregular at work.
STICKY CHICKEN LEGS
Following is seasoning mix for a quick chicken dinner
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp granulated sugar or equal of 1/2 tsp sweetener.
Five chicken legs or thighs
Mix seasonings and put into a sprinkling jar or a small dish.
Remove all skin from chicken pieces. Rinse and pat off excess water. Generously sprinkle or pat seasoning on all sides of chicken. Lay in a glass dish and leave uncovered.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for one hour.
Gail: I make a double mix of the seasoning. One batch will do more than five pieces. I use it for other meats too. This makes an economic and easy meal for the family. Baking potatoes can share the oven, toss a salad and your meal is done.
******
This second recipe from Gail is a quick and easy chicken dip.
One small can shredded chicken
3 oz. pkg cream cheese
season with salt, pepper, and dill or parsley
*************
I sent this recipe out in the February Recipes of the Month. Now that it’s pumpkin time, I thought folks would like to be reminded of it. It is quick and delicious. It’s from Diane Toman, a good friend in Michigan and a fellow antique and thrift shop hound. The day she sent this to me last winter, her teen-age son had come in from ice fishing, whipped up a batch of Pumpkin Fluff, and attacked it.
PUMPKIN FLUFF
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 3 oz. box of French vanilla instant pudding mix
8 oz whipped topping
half tsp. vanilla
half tsp. cinnamon
1 fourth tsp. allspice or pumpkin pie spice
1. In a bowl blend dry pudding mix and pumpkin till light.
2. Add spices, mix to distribute.
3. Mix in whipped topping.
4. Refrigerate until serving.
Enjoy!
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for November, 2008
I have two new cake recipes for you. There’s also some entrées, just so you don’t have a sugar high. Cakes are good now, with the holidays coming up. So tie on your apron and get baking!
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Have you still some zucchini in the frig that need to be eaten up? What better way than in a cake? Shirley Beccue sent it along from Maine. Shirley is retired from being a ranger at Acadia National Park, where I did my ranger bit. She’s an artist and a gardener, as well as a great cook!
CARROT-ZUCCHINI CAKE
one 8-oz can crushed pineapple (drain and save the juice for glaze)
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 c. sugar or less
1 and 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
1 and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. coarsely shredded carrots
1 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. salad oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1. Combine both flours, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; mix well, set aside.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice for glaze. In another bowl, combine pineapple, carrots, zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Add pineapple mixture to flour mixture, stirring until evenly moistened. Spoon batter into a well-greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until wooden pick inserted in thickest part comes out clean 50-60 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.
Loosen edges and carefully invert cake onto a platter. Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, prepare Pineapple Glaze.
Combine 1 c. of powdered sugar and 2 T. of the pineapple juice; mix until smooth.
Drizzle over cooled cake.
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My friend Sue Gibson lives in the little town of Hamilton, Texas. It’s a homey and pleasant little town, the kind where people all know each other and they don’t have to lock their doors. There’s a liquor store in town called Blue Dog Liquor. Sue got this recipe off one of their ads. She made it, and says it’s moist and very good.
BLUE DOG COCONUT RUM CAKE
1 c chopped pecans
1 box white cake mix
1 small box instant coconut pudding mix (sugar/fat free is ok)
4 eggs
1/2 cold water
1/2 c vegetable oil
½ c coconut rum
1 and 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour cake pan.
1. Sprinkle nut over bottom of pan.
2. In large bowl, mix all cake ingredients together and beat well.
3. Pour batter over nuts.
4. Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Invert onto serving plate with raised rim while hot.
6. Prick top. Spoon glaze evenly over top and sides.
Glaze:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/3 c coconut rum
1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar.
2. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the rum and spoon over prepared cake.
5. Allow cake to cool before serving.
Sue made her cake in a bundt pan. She says to be sure and turn the cake out onto a plate with raised edges, as the glaze is runny. She’s thinking that maybe next time she’ll pour some glaze onto the plate before she turns the cake out, to get the flavor all through the cake.
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Remember the “Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake,” that you baked in a mug in the microwave? It was in the October Recipes of the Month. It circulated around the internet a couple of months ago as either the Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake, or the Best Chocolate Cake. Several have tried it. Here’s a testimonial and some tips from Ann Entsminger about it. Ann is in my Writers Guild.
Ruth.....Thanks for the October recipes. I look forward to getting them each month. I received the recipe for the "Best Chocolate Cake" several weeks ago and was so fascinated I just had to try it. It turned out pretty good. I used a really large mug because I did not want a mess in the microwave. It puffs up above the mug but does not over flow.,,,NO mess! It was moist, a little heavy but quite tasty. I just went around the inside edge of the mug with a knife and it came out easily. Try it...you'll like it! And it makes plenty for two.
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My sister, Gail, is married to an Italian from Chicago. Over the years, she has become quite an Italian cook. We went over to their house for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and she served the Italian Stuffed Peppers. They were wonderful!
ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS
4 to 6 green bell peppers
salt to taste
1 # sweet Italian sausage, bulk or links with meat separated from casings, cooked
1 TBLSPN olive oil
1 medium onion chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 tsp each dried oregano and basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce.
1. Heat skillet over medium heat and brown the sausage. Add onion and spices and cook until onions are tender.
2. Pour 1 cup of sauce over cooked sausage.
3. Cut and clean peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Place pepper halves in baking dish and mound the sausage mixture in the halves.
4. Pour the remaining sauce around mounded peppers.
5. Heavily sprinkle cheese over sausage.
Cover baking dish and cook 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until peppers are tender.
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I got this from Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City a couple of weeks ago. She was living in chaos, everything in the house was everywhere. They were having the kitchen cupboards redone and new windows put in throughout the house. I’ll let Judy tell you about this recipe: (Note that she served it with corn bread ‑ perfect!)
I did this for dinner tonight......not fancy, but it worked for us, having the house torn up with the burly window guys today. It truly is a "no-brainer."
NO BRAINER CHICKEN
1 lb. frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (do not thaw!)
2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (10-oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 cup frozen corn
Fresh chopped cilantro
Fat-free sour cream
1. In a 3-qt or larger slow cooker, combine chicken, beans, tomatoes and corn. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.
NOTE: To make less spicy, use one can of mild chili tomatoes and 1 can of regular tomatoes.
Serves 4. (I halved the recipe for the two of us, so as to not have any leftover.) Chicken was very tender, and we liked it. I also made corn bread to go with it.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for December, 2008
FISH CHOUDER, 1751
First lay some Onions to keep the Pork from burning
Because in Chouder there can be no turning!
Then lay some Pork in slices very thin
Thus you and Chouder must always begin.
Next lay some fish, cut crosswise very nice
Then season well with Pepper, Salt, and Spice;Parsley, Sweet-Marjoram, Savory and Thyme.
Then Biscuit next which must be soaked some Time.
Thus your foundation laid, you will be able
To raise a Chouder high as Tower of Babel:
For by repeating o’re the Same again,
You may make Chouder for a thousand Men.
Last bottle of Claret, with Water eno’ to smother ‘em
You’l have a Mess which some call Omnium gather ‘em.
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The method of making Fish Chowder has evolved over the years. The best fish chowder I’ve ever had was in Bass Harbor, Maine. The local fire department put on a fish chowder dinner as a fundraiser every year. We were always there! When I make fish chowder, it’s a by guess and by gosh recipe. I add and taste until I pronounce it done. I sat down and translated my guesswork into a readable recipe, and when I tested it, it was fine. So here’s...
RUTH’S FISH CHOWDER 2008 and beyond This recipe is now in the Recipe Box.
1 rib celery, thinly sliced
2 T butter
1 pound haddock fillets (I prefer cod, but it’s hard to get.)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste (I use coarse-ground pepper, generously.) (Clam juice is briny, so be careful on the salt.)
1 tsp dried thyme or to taste
1 c dry white wine
1 c clam juice or to taste
1-2 c whole milk
1. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Add onions and celery. Cook until onion is soft, stirring frequently.
3. Add fish, potatoes, bay leaf, salt, thyme, pepper, wine, and clam juice.
4. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until fish is cooked. Break fish into chunks.
5. Add milk and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; heat through.
Take out bay leaf and serve.
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The next recipe is from Agnes Kleman in Ohio. I’ve known this lady for many years. She is sister to Vi Weis, who is married to Jerry Weis. Jerry was an assistant football coach to my husband back in our salad years in northwestern Ohio. Agnes is an outstanding cook whose farm kitchen is always warm with baking and canning.
Agnes sent me an email a few days after she sent me the recipe saying that she had made the
Coconut Cream Pie that morning. She had used a 9 inch commercial crust, which is small. She had some filling and coconut topping left over, so she made a tart with it for her husband for lunch for a treat.
AGNES’ COCONUT CREAM PIE
a home made or commercial graham cracker crust
8oz cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1/2 c butter
7 oz shredded coconut
1 c pecans, chopped
1. Beat the cream cheese, Cool Whip, and condensed milk together.
2. Pour into 1 graham cracker crust.
3. Put the butter, coconut, and pecans into a skillet.
4. Heat, stirring until toasty brown. ,
5. Drain on paper towels.
6. Crumble on top of pie.
Serve cool.
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Last Friday Felicia Cotich, Dell French, and I went out to lunch after Writers Guild meeting. At lunch Dell invited us to her house for some freshly made Key Lime Cake. Felicia and I almost beat Dell to her own front door. We’d never had Key Lime Cake. Dell served us a slab of cake and a cup of coffee. The cake is moist and flavorful. It needs no icing. Dell served it with a dollop of Cool Whip on top.
KEY LIME CAKE
CAKE
1 box lemon supreme cake mix
1 4-oz box lemon instant pudding mix
1 cup water
4 beaten eggs
1 tablespoon key lime juice (available at your super market)
1. Mix and bake cake in tube, bundt, or rectangle cake pan- 55 minutes at 350° (I use 9x13 rectangle cake pan at 350° for approximately 35 minutes. Cooks faster and has more area for liquid topping.)
LIQUID TOPPING
1 c confectioners sugar
1/2 c water
2 T key lime juice
2. When cake is cool, punch holes in cake with large fork and pour or spoon Liquid Topping over cake.
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While Ann Tanenbaum and I were walking to exercise group between 6:15 to 6:45 a.m. last Friday, we talked about durable salads. She told me about this black bean salad recipe, and it sounded so good! So she emailed it to me and I immediately put mandarin oranges and black beans on my shopping list. The glory of salads like this is that you can keep it in the frig for days, and pop it out when you need to assemble a quick meal. Comments are Ann’s.
BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CITRUS DRESSING
1/4 c oil (I use canola.)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/3 c orange juice
two 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
15-oz can whole kernal corn, drained
1 red pepper, large dice
1 green pepper, large dice
1 small onion, diced
one 11-oz can of mandarin oranges, drained
1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, and orange juice.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
For best flavor, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours or refrigerate overnight. If chilled bring to room temperature before serving.
Ann: I usually refrigerate the salad, since I like to make it ahead of time. It’s easy and usually a big hit since it’s colorful, tasty, and healthy.
Happy Holidays!
Bon Appétit!
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