Cookbook Perusings

Moving time for this blog!

2009-05-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided to move this blog over to my more widely read blog Rochelle's Vintage and Frugal Recipes. It is more trouble to post on several different blogs and they both feature recipes so why not combine them? Eventually I will delete this blog as I believe Google frowns on duplicate posts. I will label the cookbook posts on the blog as Cookbook Perusing. Thanks to all who have viewed this blog.

Kitchen Fare Vegetable Cookbook

2009-04-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Fare Vegetable Cookbook

ISBN-10: 0895427028 ISBN-13: 9780895427021
Publisher: Kitchen Fare - 1980-01-01
Format: Paperback

I am not familiar with Kitchen Fare but it is very similar to Ideals Magazine. I have several of their cookbooks and they have poems and lovely colorful photos along with the recipes just like the Ideal cookbooks.
The vegetable cookbook packs a lot of information in a sixty page book. There are sections on growing, freezing, canning and preserving by making relishes.

This is their recipe for a neglected vegetable: parsnips

Scalloped Parsnips
5 or 8 medium-size parsnips
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup parsnip water
1/2 cup rich milk or cream
Buttered crumbs
Scrub parsnips. Cook until tender in slightly salted water. Drain, scrape off skin and split the parsnips lengthwise. Pull out woody cores if present.
Place parsnips in a shallow pan or baking dish. Cover with white sauce made with the butter, flour, milk and parsnip water. Sprinkle crumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sunday Supppers- Pear Picadillo

2008-11-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Americans are cooking differently these days: Hearty, tasty, healthy, simple home cooking is back. Here is a cookbook that features fabulous recipes that are tempting, imaginative, and easy to prepare.
Combining the best ethnic touches with wholesome American food, SUNDAY SUPPERS offers recipes for such delectable dishes as Spicy Seafood and Sorrel Gumbo, Southern Fried Chicken Salad, Renaissance Philly Cheese Steak, and Upper-Crust Chicken Potpie. All are perfect to Sunday, the day to relax with family and friends at the table or any other day when tasty meals are welcome.
The recipes are clear and uncomplicated; the authors' tone is professional, helpful, and reassuring. Best of all, the food is simply delicious.
SUNDAY SUPPERS is designed to be used & enjoyed again and again; it belongs in the kitchen right next to the salt, pepper, & other staples.

This a large hardback by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard. It was published by Prentice Hall in 1989.

This is an interesting variation on Picadillo from the book. Is sounds to good I am planning on trying it.

Pear Picadillo

2 pounds lean round chuck

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large ripe but firm pear, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1 16-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained, with liquid reserved and tomatoes coarsely chopped

1 4-ounce can mild green chilies, chopped

1 fresh or canned jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs, removed, finely minced

2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup chopped mixed dried fruit, or golden raisins or currants, or chopped dried pears, apples, or apricots

1/3 cup toasted chopped or slivered almonds

Cooked rice or warmed, buttered flour tortillas or cornbread

Brown the ground beef in a heavy skillet or saucepan. When the meat begins to lose its red color, add the onion and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes. Spoon or pour off any excess fat.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the almonds. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, and stirring often, for about 30 minutes. If the mixture seems to be getting dry, add some of the reserved tomato liquid.

3. Just before serving, stir in the almonds. Spoon over rice tortilla's or cornbread.

Note May be prepared except for adding almonds up to 2 days ahead or frozen up to 1 month.

Buy it here.

Make Your Own Convenience Foods

2008-09-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today I received a book that I am quite excited about: Make Your Own Convenience Foods. I have a collection of this type of book but I had never seen this one before. I came across it on Ebay quite by accident. It is an oldie but goodie from 1978. Some of the chapters are Cheese, Luncheon Meat ( includes how to make a bacon substitute), Snacks, Starches from scratch and many more.

Quite a few of the recipes call for their version of extended butter. Here is the recipe:

Extended Butter "How would you like a spread that tastes like butter, looks like butter, spreads soft, contains no chemical additives, is high in ploy unsaturated fats, contains less salt, and costs one-third less than butter?"
1 cup vegetable oil (use a good unsaturated one such as safflower or corn oil)

1 teaspoon liquid lecithin

5 ounces (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) water

1 pound room-temperature butter

Place the steel blade in a food processor. Then cut the butter into chunks and distribute them evenly around the food processor container. Secure the lid in place, turn on the processor, then slowly pour the remaining ingredients down the chute in this order: vegetable oil, liquid lecithin, water. Process until smooth and fluffy.

This is their recipe for Tuna Helper, they call it Tuna Assister.

To make it ahead they suggest this method: "Tear off as many sheets of waxed paper, each about 1-1/2 feet long, as the number you wish to fix of make-ahead packages of assister. Arrange them on a table. Go from sheet to sheet, piling one set of ingredients on each in turn. Then dump each sheet into a separate plastic bag, seal with a twist tie and voila! You're in the food manufacturing business!"

Tuna Assister

8 ounces uncooked egg noodles

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons dried celery leaves

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

To cook, bring to a boil:
4 cups water
Add: 1 package of mix. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Then add: 1 6-1/2 ounce can tuna. If you use water packed tuna, add: a pat of butter. Let simmer, stirring, for 5 more minutes, or until the noodles are done.

This is their version of Fettuccine Alfredo

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine noodles. Cook until al dente, then drain and set aside in the saucepan.

Place in a blender:

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, get a good brand or grate it yourself

2 tablespoons extended butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon basil

Blend thoroughly, then pour the mixture over the cooked noodles. Stir- and keep stirring over low heat until the noodles are covered with a savory, creamy sauce that would make Alfredo jealous. Serve at once.

Deliciously Easy Appetizers and Snacks with Herbs

2008-07-20T01:52:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered an interesting little booklet in one of my cookbook boxes: Deliciously Easy Appetizers and Snacks with Herbs by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good published by Good Books, Intercourse, Pennsylvania. It is one in a series of eight books, some of the others are: Soups with Herbs, Main Dishes with Herbs, Vegetables with Herbs etc. The recipes are all from herb shopkeepers and their customers. All the recipes have amounts for both fresh and dried herbs. This would be a great series of books for anyone with an herb garden.
Here are some of the recipes:

Baked Herb Cheese Spread

From Danielle Vachow- Busha's Brae Herb Farm

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (5 tsp. dried) choose one or any combination of, thyme, oregano, rosemary, dill, tarragon, basil, parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Beat together cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add sour cream and mustard. Fold in herbs, garlic, and pepper. Spread mixture into greased 2- 2 1/2 cup mold or 2 8"-springform pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until center is firm. Cool. Unmold onto serving dish. Cut each round into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Garnish with fresh herbs or edible flowers. Serve with whole wheat or water crackers.

Herb Toastettes

From Maryland Massey- Maryland's Herb Basket

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons sesame seed

3/4 teaspoon fresh marjoram (1/4 tsp. dried)

3/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary (1/4 tsp. dried)

3/4 teaspoon fresh chives (1/4 tsp. dried)

8-oz. loaf of party rye or other flavored bread

Mix together butter, sesame seeds, and chopped herbs. Spread on bread slices. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, until slightly browned.

Green Dip

From Jacoba Baker & Reenie Baker Sandsted- Baker's Acres

3 cups Swiss chard leaves, packed

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup minced green onion

freshly ground pepper to taste
In blender, mix together chard leaves, basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, feta cheese, and walnuts until a paste forms. Stir in whipping cream, onion, and pepper. Use as a dip for fresh vegetables.

The Louisiana New Garde- Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce

2008-06-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

The Louisiana new Garde is an oversize glossy paperback based on the Television Series Great Chefs: the New Garde. They are not so new anymore as the book was published in 1995. The chefs were from some of the famous hotels and restaurants in New Orleans and the neighboring areas.

This is an interesting verse from Mark Ulrich Hollger of Santa Fe Restaurant, New Orleans:

We may live without poetry, music, and art;

We may live without conscience and live without heart;

We may live without friends; we may live without books;

But civilized man cannot live without cooks.

He may live without books--what is knowledge but grieving?

He may live without hope--what is hope but deceiving?

He may live without love--what is passion but pining?

But where is the man who can live without dining?

New Orleans is famous for bread pudding and the book contains several recipes. This one from Frank Brigtsen is described as a cross between bread pudding and Bananas Foster.

Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce and Whipped Cream

6 cups bite-sized pieces of day-old French bread

3 large eggs

3 cups milk

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 large very ripe bananas

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup seedless raisins

1/2 cup roasted pecans

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Bananas Rum Sauce

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 large ripe bananas, quartered

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons dark rum

2 tablespoons banana liqueur (optional)

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the French bread pieces into a 90by-12-by 2-inch baking pan and set aside. In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, 2.3 cup of the sugar, the bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Pour this mixture over the French bread pieces. Fold in the raisins and pecans and let the mixture set for 20 minutes. Top with small pieces of the butter.

Cover the pudding with foil and place the pan in to a larger pan. Add warm water to a depth of 1 inch in the larger pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until set.

In a deep bowl, whip the cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla . Whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill.

To make the sauce: Heat a large saute pan or skillet over low heat. Add the butter, sugar, bananas, cinnamon and nutmeg. Moving the skillet back and forth, cook until the butter and sugar become creamy and the bananas begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from heat and add the rum and optional liqueur. Return the pan to heat. Tilt the pan, avert your face, and light the liquid with a long match. Shake the skillet until the flames subside. Add the vanilla, remove from heat, and keep warm.

To serve: Place a large scoop of bread pudding in the middle of each serving plate or bowl. Place 2 slice of banana on each plate and top with about 3 tablespoon of sauce. Spoon the whipped cream over the bread pudding and serve immediately. Serves 12.

Stuffed Spuds 100 Light Meals In A Potato

2008-06-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Spuds 100 Light Meals In A Potato is by Jeanne Jones the well known healthy cooking author. With the cost of food skyrocketing now days the humble potato is a real bargain.

Here are a few of the recipes:

Deviled Ham Stuffed Spud

These are good served hot, warm, or cold. They make excellent picnic or brown bag lunches and are also wonderful for a cool supper on a hot night.

2 baked potatoes

1 (4-1/2-ounce) can deviled ham

1/4 cup nonfat, cholesterol-free mayonnaise dressing

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

Cut a thin slice from the top of each potato. Remove the pulp from the potatoes, being careful not to tear the shells. Place the potato pulp in a mixing bowl and mash. Set the shells aside.

Add the deviled ham to the potatoes and mash thoroughly. Add the mayonnaise and pickle relish; stir until well-mixed. Heap into the potato shells. Two servings at 455 calories.

Irish Taco

Serve this international approach to sandwich-making with extra taco sauce and chopped fresh cilantro.

2 baked potatoes

2/4 cup hot cooked lean ground beef

1/2 cup taco sauce

1/2 cup 20% fat-reduced grated cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Split the tops of the potatoes. Scoop the pulp from the potatoes, one at a time, and place the pulp from one of the potatoes in a plastic bag in the freezer to use at another time. Mash remaining potato pulp in a mixing bowl. Flatten the 2 potato shells to form "taco shells" and keep warm.

Add the cooked ground beef to the mashed potato and mix well. Add the taco sauce and cheese, and mix thoroughly. Place the mixture into the potato shells. Top with shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Serves two at approximately 485 calories.

Buy the book: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ1488288QQtgZinfo

The New Pasta Cookbook- Fresh Herb Fettuccine With Smoked Salmon and Asparagus

2008-05-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a Rosemary plant and I killed it already. I wish I could grown herbs as I have always been interested in them.
This information and recipe is from The New Pasta Cookbook by Johanne Glynn.
"Pasta flavored with fresh herbs makes a wonderful base for light, fresh sauces. Herbs and vegetables that are in season at the same time, like basil and asparagus in this recipe, often make perfect partners and require little else to flavor the dish. Along with the taste, the attractive apperance of green herbs through the pasta is reason enough to serve it with just melted butter and grated cheese. Try basil pasta with a cold sauce made from fresh ripe tomatoes, or fettuccine flavored with fresh sage coated with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce."

Fresh Herb Fettuccine With Smoked Salmon And Asparagus

Pasta:

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

pinch salt

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 eggs

Sauce:

3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, peeled and halved

2 tablespoons butter

5 oz. sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips

1 cup cream

freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare pasta: Pile flour and salt on a work surface and make a well in the center. Add hervs and eggs and begin to incorporate into the flour, using a fork. When you have loosely coherent dough, use you hands and knead it, adding a little flour or water if necessary, until it is smooth and elastic. Knead for a least 6 minutes and then let stand, coverd with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, for 30 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into two and roll each half out into a thin, even sheet using a rolling pin or a hand-cranked pasta machine. Let stand, covered, for ten minutes. before cutting the sheet into fettuccine. Set aside. Cover only if the pasta will have time to dry out and crack before cooking.

3. To prepare sauce: In a large saucepan of boiling water put the bottom halves of the asparagus; boil for a minute before adding the tops and continue to cook until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, cut each half in half again, discarding any woody sections. Top up the pan of water and bring back to the boil. Add fettuccine.

4. In a large fryring pan melt butter and add smoked salmon. Saute gently for 30 seconds before adding cream. Increase the heat a little and cook to thicken, then add black pepper generously and toss in asparagus.

5. When pasta is al dente, drain and transer to the pan with sauce. Toss, then serve with freshly grated Parmesan and the pepper mill. Serves 4.

365 Ways To Cook Chicken- Tomato-Apple Chicken

2008-05-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my favorite library book store. I was surprised that I only found one cookbook I wanted: 365 Ways To Cook Chicken. Usually they have a really great cookbook section.
This recipe from the book sounds rather unusual but good.

Tomato-Apple Chicken

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 medium onion, sliced

1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

2 small apples, cored and cut into eights

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes a side, until lightly browned. Scatter onion slices over chicken.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine tomatoes, brown sugar, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and Worcestershire sauce; pour over chicken. Top with lemon slices and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Add apples and cook 10 minutes more, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and apples to a platter and keep warm.

3. Stir dissolved cornstarch into liquid in pan. Cook over high heat, stirring until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Spoon over chicken and apples. Garnish with parsley.

Lemons A Country Garden Cookbook- Pappardelle with Lemon and Asparagus

2008-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from one of the books my husband bought the other day- Lemons A Country Garden Cookbook by Christopher Idone. It is full of lovely photos of lemons in various settings and the recipe photos are very attractive also. It feature lemon recipes from every dinner course. This recipe seems like a delicious Spring meal. Lemons are so versatile I wish I had planted a tree in my yard years ago. Instead I have an orange tree that never produces anything but sucker shoots and a half dead miniature grapefruit tree.

Pappardelle with Lemon and Asparagus

"No peeling, no fuss. When pencil asparagus are available at the market, this makes for an easy pasta supper."
1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, approximately 32 asparagus
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound fresh or dried pappardele
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lemon, cut into julienne
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Cutting on the diagonal, trim the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut the asparagus into 3 or4 even pieces on the diagonal. In a nonreactive kettle of lightly salted boiling water, cook the asparagus for 2 minutes or until just crisp. Save water for pasta. Blanch in cold running water and drain.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cream. Allow to cook at low simmer.
Cook the pappardelle in the kettle of salted boiling water until al dente and drain well. While the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet and add the blanched asparagus. Add the hot cream mixture and fold in the lemon juice. Season with pepper. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss well. Divide among 4 or 5 warm soup plates and sprinkle with juilienned zest. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4 to 5.

Hunt's Simple Meals For Busy Days- Festive Skillet Chicken

2008-05-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Hunt's Simple Meals For Busy Days. This is a great little cookbook with 65 recipes that you would actually make, no unusual ingredients, just foods you are likely to have on hand. Of course they all call for Hunt's tomato products.

Festive Skillet Chicken

2-1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoon oil
1 14-1/2 oz. can Hunt's Choice-Cut Diced Tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chili peppers, drained
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 to 3 cups hot cooked rice
Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Combine flour, the 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and the chili powder in a paper or plastic bag. Shake chicken, a few pieces at a time, in flour mixture until well coated. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in the hot oil about 10 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, turning to brown evenly. Drain off fat.
Meanwhile, combine undrained tomatoes, chili peppers, green pepper, onion, olives cilantro, and the 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder in a small mixing bowl, mix well. Pour tomato mixture over chicken in skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 6 to 8.

The Garden Variety Cookbook More Than 500 Vegetables and Fruit Recipes for Nonvegetarians

2008-04-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

The other day I discovered another thrift store in my area, of course I picked up a few books. One was The Garden Variety Cookbook More Than 500 Vegetables and Fruit Recipes for Nonvegetarians. As promised it has a lot of ideas I have not seen before. Here is a recipe for carrots that is like a hot carrot salad:

Carrots With Raisins

1 tablespoons mild, light-flavored olive oil
1-1/4 pounds carrots, sliced
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder.
Steam the carrots until almost tender. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the carrots for 2 minutes. Sprinkle Brown sugar over carrots and add raisins. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients. Stir into carrot mixture in skillet.

Here is their Fruit Tart recipe:

Fresh Fruit Tart

1 cup granola
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup regular stick margarine, containing less than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, melted
1/4 skim or low-fat milk
5 cups sliced fresh fruit ( see possibilities below)
1 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine granola, crumbs, cinnamon, sugar, margarine, and milk and blend.
3. Press the mixture onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 25 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Fill shell with sliced fruit. Top with the yogurt around edge.
5. Chill for several hours before serving.
Fruit Possibilities
Blueberries and peaches
Strawberries
Apricots and blackberries
Nectarines and raspberries

Cooking The RealAge Way- Smoked Mozzarella and Veggie-Stuffed Pizza

2008-04-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Cooking the RealAge Way is another book I picked up the other day. I have participated in the RealAge program quizzes online but I didn't really pay that much attention to see if they were also promoting a book. Guess I didn't pay attention because the RealAge program questions really make your bad eating and exercising habits stand out and I have plenty of those.
Anyway I like this book because it is divided into seasonal sections and breakfast, lunch and dinner. The recipes also have a lot of variations and substitutions you can make. Here is a recipe for a healthful pizza.

Smoked Mozzarella and Veggie-Stuffed Pizza- "one huge slice has less than 300 calories but plenty of lycopene and potassium, making your RealAge younger by 10.0 days"

1 pound fresh, cut stir-fry vegetables (packaged or from the salad bar), such as broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, bell peppers and julienned carrots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoon olive relish, olive paste, tapenade or olivada
2 tablespoon sun-dried tomato bits
1 (12-inch or 10 oz.) prepared thin pizza crust, such as Boboli
1/4 cup chopped mixed green herbs such as chives, thyme, parsley and basil
1/2 cup (2 oz.) finely shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high he4at until hot. Coat with cooking oil spray; add vegetables. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Combine tomato paste, olive relish, and sun-dried tomato bits. Spread over pizza crust; top with cooked vegetables, herbs, and cheese, in that order. Bake the pizza directly on the oven rack for approximately 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese melts.

Cooking With Three Ingredients- Chocolate Flan

2008-04-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

My latest acquisition from Paperbackswap is Cooking With Three Ingredients by Andrew Schloss. Most of the recipes included some type of premade sauce as a way to get around having too many ingredients. But this recipe caught my eye as being different. This is what he says about it. "This is a miraculous recipe. As it bakes, the chocolate in the milk sinks to the bottom, which becomes the top once the flan is inverted for serving. The result is a shimmering milk chocolate discus, glazed in caramel and lacquered with dark chocolate."

Chocolate Flan

1 cup sugar
1 quart chocolate milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, start stirring and continue stirring until the sugar melts into a pale golden caramel, about 2 minutes longer. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. Immediately pour the caramel into a 9-inch round baking dish. Carefully tilt the dish so that the caramel covers the bottom of the dish in a thin even sheet. Work quickly because the caramel will stop flowing if it cools. Set aside.
2. Add the chocolate milk to the sauce pan. Any caramel clinging to the pan will immediately solidify. Heat the milk to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Any solid caramel will melt into the milk. Stir the hot milk slowly into the eggs, mixing constantly. Pour the custard into the caramel-lined dish and set in a larger pan of water.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with just a speck of custard clinging to it. Cool on a cooling rack to room temperature and refrigerate for several hours until thoroughly chilled.
4. To serve, run a knife around the perimeter of the custard and cover with a large rimmed tray. Invert onto the tray. Shake lightly to release the custard. When the custard drops, lift off the dish, allowing the caramel sauce to run over the top of the flan and down onto the tray. Serve the flan in slices with a bit of sauce spooned on top. Serves 8.

Duncan Hines Deliciously Simple Desserts- Lemon Chiffon Cake

2008-04-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago on another of my blogs I did a post about chiffon cakes. They seem like a lot of trouble to make. Today I came across a way to make an angel food cake mix into a lemon chiffon cake. It is from Duncan Hines Deliciously Simple Desserts, a Favorite Brand Name Recipe booklet.
Lemon Chiffon Cake
1 package Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix
1 cup water
3 eggs
2/4 cup Crisco oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
1 container (16 oz.) Duncan Hines Vanilla Layer Cake Frosting
2 teaspoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Lemon slices, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cake, combine egg white mixture (blue "A" packet) from mix and water in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1 minutes. Beat at high speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until stiff peaks form; set aside.
Combine cake flour mixture (red "B" packet) from mix, eggs, oil, flour, 1 tablespoon lemon peel and vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat at low speed until blended. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Fold in reserved beaten egg white mixture. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run knife through batter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool following package direction.
For frosting, combine vanilla frosting, melted butter and 2 teaspoon lemon peel in medium bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. Frost sides and top of cake. Garnish with lemon slices.

The Gourmet Gazelle- Herbed Chicken Legs

2008-03-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe to promote my quest to bring back the use of other parts of the chicken besides breasts. . This one uses leg quarters which are very reasonably priced. The recipe is from The Gourmet Gazelle Cookbook by Ellen Brown, a healthy/light cookbook.. Here is the description: "While slightly higher in calories and fat, the dark meat of chicken is also more succulent and flavorful than the white meat. This easy dish keeps in all the moisture, and the juices released during baking form a light herbed sauce. May be prepared up to six hours ahead and refrigerated, if refrigerated add 5 minutes to cooking time."

Herbed Chicken Legs

6 chicken leg quarters (thigh and drumstick), skinned
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably unsalted
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (any combination of parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, or 1/8 teaspoon if using slated canned stock
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the chicken and pat it dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, then place each piece in a square of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose it. Combine the remaining ingredients. Divide the mixture on top of each chicken leg quarter and seal the foil by crimping the edges tightly, starting at one corner and working clockwise.. Place the packages on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes in the center of the oven. Remove and cut a slit in the package to release the steam. Unwrap carefully and place each piece on a plate, using the juices as a sauce.

Favorite Brand Name Recipes, Great Vegetarian Meal Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

2008-03-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

I use to buy a frozen single serving white vegetable lasagna that was very good. They don't make it anymore and I have thought of making it myself. Lots of vegetable lasagnas still have a tomato sauce but this recipe seems like it would be like the frozen brand with one exception. I definitely would not use canned mixed vegetables, I seriously dislike them, I always use frozen mixed veggies. The recipe is from Great Vegetarian Meals, it is a Favorite Brand Name Recipes grocery store booklet.

Three-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained
1 can (16 oz.) VEG-ALL Mixed Vegetables, undrained
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 cup vegetable broth
2 eggs, divided
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
Place cooked lasagna noodles in cold water until ready to use; set aside. Drain vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Melt butter in saucepan; add onion and cook and stir until softened. Blend in flour. Gradually add reserved mix vegetable liquid and broth. Cook and stir until thickened; set sauce aside. Combine 1 egg, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and mixed vegetables in medium bowl; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup sauce, remaining 1 egg and spinach; set aside. Place a small amount of remaining sauce in bottom of lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish cover with three noodles. Layer with spinach mixture, 1/2 cup sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Layer with three more noodles; spread with ricotta mixture and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining 3 noodles; top with remaining sauce, remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Dinner Doctor- Ham and Cheddar Not-So-Impossible Pie

2008-03-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

For the recipe today we have Ham and Cheddar Not-So-Impossible Pie. This is a variation of the Bisquick Impossible pie from The Dinner Doctor by Ann Byrn of Cake Doctor fame. Basically the only difference is she uses Cheddar instead of Swiss cheese. I am sure I am not the only one with leftover ham to use and a person can only eat so many ham sandwiches.

Ham and Cheddar Not-So-Impossible Pie

1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 cup pre-shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup biscuit mix, such as Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mist a 9-inch glass pie pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Sprinkle the ham, then the Cheddar cheese over the bottom of the pie pan. Whisk together the biscuit mix, milk, and eggs in a small bowl, then pour this evenly over the ham and cheese. Bake the pie until it is golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut it into wedges and serve. Serves 6
Tags: ham

Pike Place Market Cookbook- Barbecued Salmon

2008-03-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today I received a very interesting book from Paperbackswap, Pike Place Market Cookbook . I have been interested in the market since I read the book Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results that featured Pike Place Fish. The cookbook gives a history of the market and talks about the seasonal variations in merchants and items available. It features recipes that were submitted to the author by the various merchants.
Here is the recipe submitted by Pike Place Fish.

Barbecued Salmon

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
5 pounds salmon, cut into book fillets
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 lemons, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
Mix garlic powder, pepper and salt (if used) in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fish. Place onion and lemon sliced evenly over seasonings on flesh side of fish. Place salmon skin side down on grill (coals should be at 350 degrees), cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of fish and the way you like it cooked. If you don't have a barbecue grill, you can still try this dish by baking instead of grilling it. To bake fish,place fish skin side down in a shallow baking pan that has been lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick corn-oil or olive-oil spray. Prepare as above and bake about 10 to 15 minutes without turning, depending n the thickness of the fish. Serves 8.

Pillsbury's Picnics & Potlucks- Spring Chicken Tortellini Casserole

2008-03-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Pillsbury booklet Picnics & Potlucks 2003. It calls for prepackaged cooked chicken but you could quickly and easily saute your own while waiting for the water to boil for the tortellini. Fresh asparagus could also easily be used. I think my parents would like this and I'll make it for them next week.

Spring Chicken Tortellini Casserole
1 (19-oz.) package frozen cheese filled tortellini
1 (9 oz.) package Green Giant Frozen Asparagus Cuts
1 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 (9 oz.) package frozen diced cooked chicken breast, heated as directed on package
1 ( 16 oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce (reduced-fat OK)
2 tablespoons shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in Dutch oven. Add tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add asparagus; simmer 3 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt margarine in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs; stir to coat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Place cooked tortellini and asparagus in 2-quart serving bowl or casserole. Gently stir in chicken and Alfredo sauce. Top with bread crumbs; sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6

365 Favorite Brand Name Casseroles & One-Dish Meals

2008-03-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

In case anyone is planning on making a corned beef this weekend or on Monday this would be a good recipe for any leftovers. It is from 365 Favorite Brand Name Casseroles & One-Dish Meals.

Corned Beef, Potato And Pepper Hash

1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup each chopped red, yellow and green bell peppers
12 ounces cooked corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Bring water to a boil in large saucepan; add salt and potatoes. Return to a boil. Cook 5 minutes; drain well. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in cast-iron or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and bell peppers. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; remove from pan. Add corned beef, potatoes and parsley to onion mixture; mix lightly. Combine half-and-half, wine, mustard and pepper. Add to corned beef mixture; mix well. Wipe out cast-iron skillet with paper towel; place over medium heat until hot. Add remaining butter. Add beef mixture; press down firmly. Cook 15 minutes or until browned; turn with spatula several times.

Fresh Ideas Spices- Spicy Chicken Meatballs

2008-03-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Fresh Ideas Spices. It features ground chicken, you don't see too many recipes using it. I can buy it in a frozen chub at my local Ralph's Grocery Store. It seems a little odd to me to have a plain cream sauce with a spicy meatball. I would expect some type of tomato based sauce.

Spicy Chicken Meatballs

2 pounds ground chicken
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon each of following spices: cayenne, turmeric, ginger powder, black pepper, basil, thyme leaves, oregano, paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 minced garlic clove
3 tablespoons safflower oil
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup half & half cream
Thoroughly combine chicken, onion, bread crumbs, egg, seasonings and garlic. Shape into small balls. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat balls. Drain all the oil. Transfer the meatballs to a casserole dish. Heat the butter in a sauce pan, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add the stock and cream, simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cover the dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Serves 6.

Pillsbury's Cooking with Ground Beef- beef and cabbage pita's

2008-03-17T00:46:00.001-07:00

This recipe is from Cooking with Ground Beef, a Pillsbury booklet from 2000. I like the sound of it and am going to make it this weekend.It reminds me of stuffed beef and cabbage buns my Mom made when I was a child. I will use ground turkey and I think I'll add a generous amount of black pepper.

Beef and Cabbage Pitas

2 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
4 cups purchased coleslaw blend
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3 (6 or 7-inch pita breads, cut in half heated
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add ground beef; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add coleslaw blend and onion. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until ground beef is thoroughly cooked and cabbage is tender, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and water; blend well. Stir vinegar mixture into beef and cabbage mixture. Cook until thoroughly heated. Spoon mixture into warm pita halves.

Pillbury's Great Fast Meals- Spinach Chicken Bonnets

2008-03-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

This chicken recipe sounds to me like it would be very good. It is from a Pillsbury booklet Great Fast Meals. Each main dish has a menu selection. This chicken recipe has a rhubarb dessert so I will post that too.
There are several choices for the chicken given: 2 (2 1/2 oz.) packages thin chicken slices, four slices of leftover chicken or four flattened and sauteed chicken breasts.

Spinach Chicken Bonnets

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons oil
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 slices of chicken
1 (4x4) slices mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In medium skillet, saute onion in oil; remove from heat. Stir in spinach, ricotta cheese, eggs and pepper. Divide chicken slices into 4 equal servings; place in ungreased 8 or 9-inch square pan. Top each serving with 1/4 of spinach mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Top each bonnet with 1 slice mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional minute or until cheese is melted. 4 servings.

Cherry-Rhubarb Crisp
1 cup diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
21-oz. can cherry fruit pie filling
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup butter
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange rhubarb in 8-inch square pan; top with pie filling. In medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 6 servings.

Easy to Elegant Dole

2008-03-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

I has been cold, gray and rainy here for the last few days. I was digging in a box of books and found my misplaced Dole pineapple book. It reminded me of several vacations in Hawaii. Even when it rains there is usually on the warm side and there always seems to be a beautiful rainbow after wards. Wish I could go back someday.
Anyway, here are some recipes from the booklet. It is a Favorite Brands book and they are usually good.
Aloha Joes
1 can (20 oz.) Dole pineapple tidbits
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Drain pineapple. In large skillet, brown meat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is soft. Drain and discard fat. Sprinkle meat mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in tomato sauce, Worcestershire and chili powder. Simmer uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in pineapple. Remove from heat. Spoon onto buns.
Kamaaina Spareribs
4 pounds lean pork spareribs
Salt and pepper
1 can (20 oz.) Dole crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup catsup
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Have butcher cut across rib bones to make strips 1 1/2 inches wide. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place ribs close together in single layer in baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour. Uncover; pour off and discard drippings. In bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Spoon sauce over ribs. Grill over hot coals 15 minutes or bake, uncovered, 30 minutes longer or until ribs are tender and glazed. Makes 6 servings.

Betty Crocker- In Love With Chocolate- Bonbon Cookies

2008-02-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from another of my many chocolate books: Betty Crocker In Love With Chocolate. Is a little supermarket booklet. These cookies don't seem too hard to make and would be nice for a tea party. It seems like tea parties are definitely back in vogue.

Bonbon Cookies

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dates, nuts, semisweet chocolate chips and candied or maraschino cherries
Powdered Sugar Frosting
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and chocolate. Work in flour and slat until dough holds together. (If dough is dry, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.) Mold dough by tablespoonfuls around date, nut, chocolate chips or cherry. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set but not brown; cool. Dip tops of cookies into frosting. Decorate with coconut, nuts, colored sugar, chocolate chips or chocolate shot if desired. About 2 dozen cookies
Powdered Sugar Frosting
Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Stir in few drops food color if desired. Or increase milk to 2 tablespoon and stir in 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled.

Herb & Spice Cookery- Neopolitan Tomato Sauce

2008-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe from my British herb cookbook, Herb & Spice Cookery. I chose it because I love the photo of all the herbs and seasonings. This book is different in that each recipe is listed with two separate ingredients lists. One for Imperial measures and one for American.

Neapolitan tomato sauce

"A thick tomato sauce is particularly good with spaghetti, macaroni, Tournedos, or any meat requiring a piquant sauce."

1 large clove garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons warm water
1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes
1/2 small sweet green pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
Small sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
12 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Crush the cove of garlic without cutting it and heat in the oil without browning. Remove the garlic and saute the chopped onion in the oil. Dilute the tomato puree with the warm water and add to the oil with the can of tomatoes (cut the tomatoes roughly removing the cores) and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered , for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf before serving.

Herb & Spice Cookery- Potato Chervil Soup

2008-02-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

What to post, what to post. My husband just reminded me I have five boxes of cookbooks purchased in the last month that I have not blogged about. Well I told him I could blog eight hours a day and not get to them all :).
One of the books he has be bugging me about is Herb & Spice Cookery by Monica Mawson. This is a British book. He wants me to look at it so he can put it on eBay when I am finished with it, so here goes.
I had to look up chervil. It is a relative to parsley that adds a faint herbal-anise flavor to food.

Potato Chervil Soup

"A particularly delicious soup to serve as a supper dish or as a "warmer-upper" after an evening's outing. The time and trouble can be cut considerably by using an instant potato powder, in place of the raw potato. For this method, increase the stock to 5 cups and simmer for 10-15 minutes only, then sprinkle the contents of a large ( 5-oz.) packet of instant potato on the boiling liquid and stir thoroughly. Finish off as below. The chervil must not be cooked or it will lose much of its flavor, so add it only after the soup has been removed from the heat."

1 lb. potatoes, after peeling
1 small onion, peeled
2 tablespoon butter
3 3/4 cups white stock
1 small bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
2/3 cup coffee cream or milk
Salt, pepper to taste
6-7 tablespoons chopped chervil
Slice the potato and onion,. Melt the butter and sweat the vegetables gently with the pan covered, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Pour in the stock. Add the bay leaf and mace and simmer, covered, for 45-50 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and put the soup through a liquidizer. Stir in the cream or milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat, then remove from the heat and stir in the chervil. Serve with fried croutons, if liked. Serves 4-5.

Favorite Recipes of Home Economic Teachers- New Holiday Cookbook

2008-02-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from the Valentine's section of New Holiday Cookbook, Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers. There a lots and lots of home economist recipe books and I think the recipes tend to be good because like a community cookbook the contributor is giving their name with the recipe. It makes sense that they would only choose a recipe they knew was good.

Rolled Chicken Breasts

6 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
Salt to taste
1 6-oz. package Swiss cheese
6 thin slices ham
Flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
1 3-oz. can sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup sauterne
Toasted almonds
Place chicken breasts, boned side up, on cutting board. Pound chicken lightly with wooden mallet to make 1/4-inch thick cutlets. Sprinkle with salt. Place cheese slice and ham slice on each piece of chicken; tuck in sides and roll up, pressing to seal well. Coat with 1/4 cup flour. Heat butter in skillet; brown chicken in butter. Remove to 11x7x1 1.2 -inch baking pan. Combine 1/2 cup water, bouillon, mushrooms and sauterne in same skillet; heat, stirring to remove crusty bits from skillet. Pour over chicken; cover. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender; transfer to warm serving platter. Blend 2 tablespoons flour with 1/2 cup water; stir into liquid in baking pan. Cook stirring, until thickened. Pour small amount over chicken; garnish with almonds. Pour remaining gravy into sauce boat; serve with chicken Yield 6 servings. Viki Ann Sommers Roosevelt Jr HS, Coffeyville, Kansas.

This is an easy punch recipe from the same chapter:

Valentine Fruit Punch

1 package cherry Kool-aid
1 package strawberry Kool-aid
2 cups sugar
3 quarts water
1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 6-oz can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 quart ginger ale
Mix Kool-aid, sugar and water. Add orange juice and lemonade; mix until thawed. Add ginger ale just before serving. Yield: 25 servings of 3/4 cup. Mrs Dorothy Smith Virginia HS, Virginia, Illinois.

Choclate Lover's Collection- Chocolate Cherry Torte

2008-02-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day makes me think of chocolate but it doesn't need to be just candy. This torte is a fairly simple to make but impressive looking dessert. It would make a nice Valentine's day dessert. I have seen this recipe in a Duncan Hines recipe booklet but I found it again in Chocolate Lover's Collection. This a little stand up easel type book and boy does it have a lot of yummy sounding recipes.

Chocolate Cherry Torte

1 package Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
Prepare, bake and cool cake following package directions for basic recipe. Combine cherry pie filling and almond extract in small bowl. Stir until blended. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1 cup whipped topping, then half the cherry pie filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining pie filling to within 1 1/2 inches of cake edge. Decorate cake edge with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with sliced almonds

Classroom Favorites Take-to-School Treats-Valentine's Treats

2008-02-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

Today I received a little book I had ordered from paperbackswap, Classroom Favorites Take-to-School Treats for Every Holiday by Leigh Ann Michael. I don't have any grandchildren or work with kids anymore but it sounded like an interesting book and it is. Lots of quick and easy recipes that would be great to use at home too. Not for those that are into low sugar and no food additives though :) lots of sugar in there. Here are some of the treats from the Valentine's section.

Cupid's Cups

Valentine cup cake liners
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup oil
24 mini-peanut butter cup candies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan. Prepare cupcakes according to package direction, except bake the cupcakes for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven. Place 1 peanut butter cup candy in the center of each cupcake, return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

Be Mine Butterfinger Pie

1 large box chocolate pudding
1 large container whipped topping
3 Butterfinger candy bars, cut into bite sized pieces
1 ready made chocolate pie crust
Mix pudding according to package directions. Add whipped topping and candy pieces. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Pour into pie crust. Chill and serve.

Disappearing Mini Cheesecups

1 box cheesecake mix (Jello brand type)
vanilla wafers
1 can strawberry or cherry pie filling
Prepare cheesecake according to package directions. Put 1 vanilla wafer into bottom of a muffin tin. Pour cheesecake mixture over wafer. Top with pie filling. These will not last long.

Favorite Recipes- Kikkoman Oriental Cooking, Fish

2008-02-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

I keep telling myself I need to eat more fish meals but never seem to get around to fixing it. I like fish with an Asian flare so I will make myself put one of these recipes on my menu. I think I might be able to grind the sesame seeds in my mini food processor. These recipes are from the now unPC titled Favorite Recipes Kikkoman Oriental Cooking.

Imperial Sesame Fish

2 teaspoons sesame seed, toasted
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 pounds fish or thawed fish fillet, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 green onion and top, chopped
Measure sesame seed into blender container; cover and process about 120 seconds, or until finely ground. Add soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and sugar; cover and process about 15 seconds, scraping down sides once. Remove 3 tablespoons sauce mixture from blender container; combine with water in small saucepan and set aside. Generously brush both sides of fish with remaining sauce. Broil about 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Meanwhile, blend cornstarch with mixture in saucepan. Bring to boil; cook and stir until sauce thickens. Stir in green onion. Just before serving, spoon sauce over cooked fish. Serve with assorted vegetables. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ginger Fish Fillets

1 pound fresh or thawed fish fillets
1/4 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon slivered fresh ginger root
1 large green onion and top, cut into 1-inch lengths and slivered
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Place fillets in single layer in shallow baking pan. Combine teriyaki sauce, oil and sugar; pour over fish. Turn fillets over to coat well. Marinate 20 minutes, turning fish over occasionally (If fillets are very thin, marinate for only 10 minutes.) Sprinkle ginger and green onion evenly over each fillet. Bake in marinade at 350 degrees 6 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Remove to serving platter and keep warm; reserve 1/4 cup pan juices. Blend water and cornstarch in small sauce pan. Stir in reserved pan juices. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. To serve, spoon sauce over fish. Makes 4 servings.

Wild Game Cookbook- Vagabond Venison

2008-02-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

Recently I was pursusing The Dover Publications site looking for vintage clip art. I noticed that they had some cookbooks in their online catalog. Somehow it had escaped me that they published cook books. While at The Cook Book Store today I picked up the Wild Game Cookbook by John A. Smith, 1986. I am sending this to my brother-in-law who lives in Alaska. No venison around here. After getting home and looking at it I see that is a Dover book.
This recipe certainly makes sure that none of your game goes to waste:

Vagabond Venison

1 deer heart
1 deer tongue
1 tablespoon lard or bacon grease
2 medium onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can mushroom caps with brine
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Cut heart and tongue into bite sized pieces. Melt the lard in a Dutch oven. Saute the onions until golden. Add the heart and tongue and stir for a minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushroom caps with brine, sherry and rum. Stir and cover. Cook over medium heat for 35 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2-3 hours until tender. Sprinkle with paprika and serve hot over noodles.

Louisiana Creole & Cajun- Chicken Rochambeau

2008-02-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I bought a little cookbooklet Louisiana Creole & Cajun by Margaret Maring. It is an American Cooking Guild book. Today is Mardi Gras so it is appropriate to post a recipe from it. This recipe doesn't really seem Creole or Cajun, but I like the name. The scan above is from the booklet.
I visited New Orleans about twenty years ago and have always wanted to go back. It almost seemed like a foreign country compared to where I live. Everything was so different and the seafood was so reasonable. Even though I live on the coast seafood as always been expensive.

Chicken Rochambeau

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped green onions with tops
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons flour
1 cups chicken stock, heated
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine, Burgundy or Claret
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
Salt to taste
4 chicken breast, boned
1 tablespoons flour seasoned with salt and pepper
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons oil
4 slices Canadian bacon
4 Holland rusks or toasted English muffin
1 recipe standard Bearnaise Sauce (may be prepared ahead)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter until it foams. Add the green onions and the garlic and cook until they are soft but not brown. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in the hot chicken stock and return to heat and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the wine, Worcestershire, cayenne and salt. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and taste for seasoning.
Wash and dry the chicken breasts; coat with the seasoned flour. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. Add floured chicken and saute until golden brown on all sides. Place in a shallow oven-proof dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until done.
To assemble and serve: Broil the Canadian bacon until hot. Arrange Holland rusks on serving plates. Warm the mushroom sauce. Place a slice of Canadian bacon on each Holland rusk, cover with the mushroom sauce. Place chicken breasts over the sauce and spoon 2-3 tablespoon Bearnaise sauce over all. Pass extra Bearnaise sauce at the table. 4 servings

Pillbury's Party Fun- Crunchy Veggie Dip

2008-02-06T01:28:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a variation of the infamous Knorr Spinach Dip. I really love that dip. When I have some leftover I use it as a sandwich spread and more than once it was the sandwich filling. This version is from a little Pillsbury supermarket booklet Party Fun published in 1987. I suppose you could make this with low-fat versions. One time I made the classic spinach dip with low fat sour cream and nonfat mayonnaise and it was OK but not as flavorful. I think that was the fault of the fake mayonnaise not the sour cream.

Crunchy Veggie Dip

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/4 oz.. package dry vegetable soup mix
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover; refrigerate several hours to blend flavor. Serve with assorted vegetable dippers, chip or cracker. 3 1/2 cups.

Hot Sourdough-Clam Dip- Desserst & Party Foods Cookbook

2008-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

2008 sure has got off to a fast start I can hardly believe it is February already. With the Super Bowl coming up I will post some snack ideas for the next few days. I enjoy clam dip and this sounds like a good hot version.This takes awhile to warm so you could make it up ahead, put it in the oven when the game starts and it would be ready at half-time. It is from Beta Sigma Phi International- Desserts & Party Foods Cookbook. This is an interesting cookbook because it includes party menus for various holidays and functions including Founders Day, Rush and Ritual of Jewels.

Hot Sourdough-Clam Dip

1 round loaf unsliced sourdough bread
2 (7 oz.) cans minced clams
1/2 cup clam liquid
2 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Slice top off bread loaf. Hollow out inside. Cut removed bread into 1-inch pieces. Combine the remaining ingredients in bowl, mixing well. Pour into hallowed-out loaf. Wrap in foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until heated through. Serve with warmed bread pieces.

365 Favorite Brand Name Casseroles & One-Dish Meals

2008-01-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

365 Favorite Brand Name Casseroles & One-Dish Meals is a nice large hardcover with yummy photos. It has lots of chicken recipes and several featuring RICE-A-RONI. It seems like I always have several boxes of it in my cupboard. Just the other day I tried the Spanish Brown Rice version and it was good. It will take me a while to get use to the texture of brown rice but I know it is better for you so I am going to try to eat it more often. These recipes call for the white rice version, but one uses reduced salt.

Lemon-Garlic Chicken & Rice

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (6.9 oz.) RICE-A-RONI Chicken flavor
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Sprinkle chicken with paprika, salt and pepper. In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook chicken 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside, reserving drippings. Keep warm.
In same skillet, saute rice-vermicelli mix in reserved drippings over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in 2 1/4 cups water, lemon juice and seasoning packet contents. Top rice with chicken; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes; Stir in red pepper and lemon peel. Cover; continue to simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is done. Makes 4 servings.

Orange Ginger Chicken & Rice

1 package (6.9 oz.) RICE-A-RONI with 1/3 Less Salt Chicken Flavor
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orange juice
3/4 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups broccoli flowerets, or 1 1/2 cups short, thin carrot strips
In large skillet, saute rice-vermicelli mix and butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until rice is golden. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, ginger,red pepper flakes and contents of seasoning packet; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli. Cover, continue to simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Makes 4 servings
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Most Memorable Meals- Tomato-Green Pepper Dressing

2008-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from a Reiman publications book; Most Memorable Meals. The recipes are presented as 48 menus listed by season. In the back index they are listed by regular categories such as soup, salads etc. That is how I found this recipe. There are plenty of the great photos Reiman is known for.

Salad with Tomato-Green Pepper Dressing

"The longer this dressing is refrigerated, the more flavorful it becomes. The bright red-orange is a sharp contrast to salad greens, At my house, it's everybody's favorite salad topping." Virginia Broten

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
1 teaspoon ground mustard
12 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salad greens and vegetables of your choice
In a blender,combine the first 10 ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Serve over tossed salad
Store leftovers in the refrigerator; shake before using. Yields 4 cups dressing.

Food Network Kitchens, Making It Easy- Salami & Provolone Panini

2008-01-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can't believe the bargains at the Friends of Library book store. They always have very nice high quality books that average $1.50. Today I got a like new $24.95 food network kitchens making it easy for $1.50. Here is one of the recipes:

Salami & Provolone Panini

8 slices (about 3/8 inch thick) country-style white bread
1/2 cup prepared onion jam
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
4 ounces slice hard salami, such as soppressata or cappicola
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the pan
Heat a sandwich press or a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Spread one side of all the bread with 1 tablespoon onion jam. Top half the bread with a few slices of provolone and them some salami. Spread 1 teaspoon mustard over the salami and top with the remaining bread, jam side down.
Rub both sides of each panini with the garlic clove. If using a sandwich press, cook the sandwiches, 1 or 2 at a time, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted about 4 minutes. If using a grill pan or skillet, brush it lightly with olive oil, add 1 or 2 panini, and cook, pressing with a spatula, for about 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and cook pressing, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Halve and serve immediately.

The Quaker Oat Bran Book- Oat n Corn Bread

2008-01-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Quaker Oat Bran Book is another book I got last week. Oat bran has received a lot of good press for its cholesterol reducing abilities. This book explains a lot about soluble vs. insoluble fiber. After I went to the thrift store I stopped at a local health food market that I have wanted to go to for some time. They have a huge amount of bulk barrels of baking supplies, beans, rice etc. They also have many bulk spice jars. Anyway I bought some oat bran and am going to try some of the recipes in this book.This is their Corn Bread recipe:

Oat n Corn Bread

1 cup oat bran, uncooked
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg white, slightly beated
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray 8 to 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray or oil lightly. Combine oat bran, corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; add milk, oil and egg white, mixing well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

The book says you can replace up to half the flour in a quick bread recipe with oat bran. This is their banana loaf recipe:

Banana Bran Loaf

1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oat bran, uncooked
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray or oil lightly Combine bananas, sugar, margarine, egg whites and milk, mix well. Add combined flour, oat bran, baking powder and baking soda, mixing just until moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Globe Mini Mag- Slimming Soups

2008-01-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

These recipes are from a Globe Mini Mag- Slimming Soups. Those are the little 3x5 inch magazines you see at the checkout counter. This booklet has a lot of quick and easy homemade soups. Only a few start with a canned soup base.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

"Amazingly, this soup has only 1 gram of fat and 71 calories per serving."

1 package frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules
1/4 cup shredded low-fat processed American cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Spices, to taste: salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning
In a saucepan, combine vegetables and onion. Combine flour, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper stirring well; add to vegetables and stir to coat. Combine water and milk; add bouillon granules, stirring until granules dissolve. Add to vegetable mixture, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (5 minutes) or until mixture is thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and mustard, stirring to blend. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Red Rice Soup

This soup has only 2 grams fat.

4 cups vegetable stock
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
1 green pepper, diced
3 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups stock and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add rice and green pepper. Stir to combine. Return to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. While rice is cooking, add sesame oil to a large stock pot. When hot, add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Cook over medium heat until onions are transparent and spices are aromatic. Add remaining vegetable stock and cilantro. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Add cooked rice to stock mixture. Stir to combine and simmer gently for 5 minutes to combine flavors.

Muffin, Scones and Cakes- Chocolate Carrot Cake

2008-01-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

Wow I really hit the cookbook jackpot last week! There is a Salvation Army store about four blocks from my house and I pop in about once a week in hope that I will find some bargains. Usually I am disappointed. Their book and jewelry selection has really gone down in the last year. Las week we stopped in on the way back from the grocery store with only six dollars cash between us. I could not believe the amount of great cookbooks they had. Of course my husband had to go to the bank next door to the store to get more cash. But the best thing is that all hardcovers are only $1.50 and softcovers are less. Someone must have unloaded their collection. We got a bunch of Taste of Home annuals, Bon Appetit annuals, BHG annuals plus other assorted Reiman publications. These are all real nice hardcovers. Some of them have that new book cracking sound when you open them. We also got a Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook which I have not seen before. We also got a slow cooker book, Wok book and really too many more to mention. My husband said it was like having Christmas again. I like to make muffins and quick breads so I also picked out a little booklet Muffin Scones & Cakes. This is a recipe from that:

Chocolate Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground allspice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup shredded coconut
3 eggs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted
3 cups shredded carrot
Icing
6 ounces cream cheese
3 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, and spices. Stir in walnuts, raisins, and coconut. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and oil till well combined. Whisk in melted chocolate. Fold in shredded carrot. Fold into flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven about 45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in center comes out clea. Cool in pan on a wire rack. For icing, in a large bowl beat cream cheese till smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Beat in sugar till smooth. Chill icing till cake is cool. Spread over cake. Garnish with carrot sliver, if desired. Cut into squares to serve.

Green Giant Rush Hour Recipes- Lasagna Skillet Dinner

2008-01-27T15:45:00.000-08:00

Green Giant Rush Hour Recipes & Quick Dinner Ideas is a really nice book to have if you are trying to eat more vegetables every day. Of course the recipes are for their frozen varieties. But not many of us have the time to shop at the local farmers market and then prepare fresh vegetables dishes daily. I know I can only eat so many meals of plain seasoned vegetables before I get sick and tired of them. These are some of their ideas for adding veggies to your diet:

Stir peas into pasta salad.
Add corn to salsa for a chunkier version.
Add peas or broccoli to Macaroni and cheese.
Liven up tomato or chicken noodle soup with carrots, corn peas, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower florets. (I did this just this week. I added some veggies brought home from a restaurant meal to some canned chicken soup, it was very tasty.)
Top baked potatoes with Green Giant vegetables in cheese sauce.
Microwave Green Giant frozen corn-on-the-cob for a healthy afternoon snack.

This is little variation on the skillet dinner theme:

Lasagna Skillet Dinner

6 oz. (3 cups) mini-lasagna noodles (mafalda)
1 pound ground beef
1 (16 oz.) package Green Giant American Mixtures Santa Fe Style Frozen Corn, Broccoli and Red Peppers
1 14 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
3 oz. (3/4 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cook noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; keep warm. In large skillet, brown ground beef; drain. Stir in frozen vegetables and spaghetti sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cooked noodles; cook until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until cheese is melted. 4 to 5 servings.

Taste of Home Annual 1994- Broccoli with Red Pepper

2008-01-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is a healthy vegetable recipe I found in one of my new thrift store finds, Taste of Home Annual 1994. I love the Reiman publication books because they have great food photos and the recipes are practical not far out. Last week the grocery store had red bell peppers for only 50 cents each I was amazed considering it is winter. This seems like a good recipe to use them. When we served hot lunch at my day care center the only way we served broccoli was stir-fried with garlic. The kids loved it, they would gobble it up and ask for more. They always called it little trees.

Broccoli with Red Pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger or 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
In a skillet, heat oil over high heat. Stir-fry broccoli, ginger and garlic until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper and water chestnuts; stir-fry just until heated through. Serve immediately. 4 servings.

Oriental Cooking by Kikkoman- Chinese-Style Pot Roast Chicken

2008-01-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe the other day and thought it would be ideal for a cold weather meal. It is fairly simple to make and sounds flavorful. It is from Oriental Cooking by Kikkoman one of the Favorite All Time Recipes series. These are the small spiral bound books sometimes found at the checkout counter.

Chinese-Style Pot Roast Chicken

3 pounds frying chicken pieces
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 clove garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
2 green onions and tops, cut into 1-inch lenghts
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towel. Rub chicken thoroughly with 1/4 cup soy sauce; let stand 15 minutes. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and brown slowly in hot oil. Add sherry and garlic; cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add celery and green onions to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Combine water, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sugar; stir into pan and cook until thickened. Serve sauce and vegetables over chicken

BHG'S A Passion for Chocolate

2008-01-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

It is threatening rain today so I went out to the post office and grocery store before it hit. Of course I also had to make my stop at the Salvation Army and see if they had any more good cookbooks like last week. Got about six today. A Passion for Chocolate is a BHG's book but a new fancy edition with spiral binding, a large cut out on the cover, and yummy photos. This recipe sounds delicious and extremely rich. I guess that is why it serves 8 to 10.

Nut and Chocolate Chip Tart

1 recipe for single crust pie
3 eggs
1 cup light-color corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped salted mixed nuts
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces (optional)
1 tablespoon shortening (optional )
Prepare pastry for single-crust pie . Ease pastry into a 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim pastry even with the rim of the pan. Do not prick pastry.
For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat eggs slightly with a fork. Stir in corn syrup. Add brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in nuts and the 1/2 cup chocolate pieces. Place pastry-lined tart pan on a baking sheet on the oven rack. Pour filling into pan. Bake pie in a 350 degree oven about 40 minutes or until a kmife inserted near the center comes out clean; cool.

Cooking With Style- Women's Circle Home Cooking

2008-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from a Women's Circle Home Cooking book- Cooking With Style. These are the paperback books that you see quite often in thrift stores. They are compiled from reader submitted recipes in Home Cooking magazine.

Chinese Roll-Ups with Hot Mustard Sauce

1 pound ground beef
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 package onion and mushroom soup mix
1 tablespoon beef bouillon
3 packages crescent rolls
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons horseradish
Brown ground beef. Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place 1 tablespoon meat mixture in center of each crescent triangle. Pull corners over meat mixture; pinch together to seal. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until browned. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate until serving time. Serve hot mustard sauce over roll-ups while still warm. May be frozen for use later.

Around the World Low-Fat Meals in Minutes

2008-01-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Around the World Low-Fat & No-Fat Meals in Minutes. As the name implies this book has recipes that are a little different than the standard low-fat cookbooks.
This particular recipe is supposedly from Indonesia but it doesn't seem too authentic to me. It does sound like it would be good though.

Pineapple Coconut Bread Pudding

Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups cubed white bread
15-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained, reserve juice
3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut juice (note: it calls for juice not milk)
Lemon yogurt for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10"x6" baking dish with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in the pan. Spread drained crushed pineapple over the bread. In a medium mixing bow, beat eggs until they foam. Stir in brown sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, salt, pineapple juice, and coconut juice. Pour over the bread cubes and pineapple. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then cut into 12 squares. Garnish with a dab of lemon yogurt, if desired. 162 calories per serving