Swedish Pancakes

A long time favorite in my family.

2 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted (can reduce this to 3/8 c. with no problem)
4 eggs well beaten
1 c. flour
2 T sugar
1/2 t. salt

Mix milk, butter and eggs together in a large bowl. Add in flour, sugar and salt. Beat together until smooth.

Pour mixture by 1/3 cupfuls into heated, greased skillet. Cook on one side until browned. Carefully flip over and brown other side. Serve with butter, powdered sugar, jam, applesauce or, of course, lingonberries. Best served warm.

Pumpkin Corn Bread

Here is the easy version!

2 packages of Jiffy Mix corn bread mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 Tablespoons honey
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit,  Heat a small amount of butter, about 1 tsp, in a cast iron skillet.   Lightly whisk the pumpkin pie spice into the Jiffy mixes in a large bowl.  Whisk together the pumpkin, honey, eggs and milk.  Gently stir into the dry ingredients until just mixed.  Pour into the hot skillet.  Put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is set and the top is slightly golden.

--c

Mini Quiche

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
2 Tablespoon milk
2 cups shredded chedder
salt & pepper

**Optional ingredients:
ham, bacon, green onions, mushrooms

Bake in muffin tin at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

S'more s'mores

Ingredients:

2 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup butter/margarine
7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate pieces

Preheat over to 350.  Lightly grease 12x9 baking pan (NOTE: I used a 9x13).

Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  Add butter and blend well until crumbly.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups oat mixture for topping and set aside.  Press remaining oat mixture evenly onto bottom of pan.  Bake crust 15 minutes.

Remove pan from over.  Drop spoonfuls of marshmallow creme in rows across crust.  Place back in over for 1 minute to soften marshmallow.  Spread creme to within 1/4 inch of edges.  Sprinkle chocolate pieces evenly over marshmallow creme.  crumble reserved oat mixture evenly over chocolate pieces.  Back 25-30 minutes or until topping is light golden brown around the edges.  Cool on wire rack 30 minutes.  Cut into bars while warm.

Nutritional information (cut into 24 pieces): 213 calories, 11 grams fat, 26 grams carbs, 3 grams protein, 0 chlosterol, 176 mg sodium, 47% calories from fat

Whole Earth Salad

Whole Earth Salad

The Hungry Hollow Co-op

Rhoda Kahn Nussbaum

Cook:

1 cup uncooked red quinoa (approximately ½ of a 12 oz. box), follow package instructions

Combine (in your favorite salad bowl)

1 bunch kale, cut away stems, roll leaves lengthwise and slice into fine horizontal silvers

1 small head of green cabbage, cut away stalks, roll leaves lengthwise and slice into fine horizontal silvers

2 carrots, coarsely grated

1 cup tamari almonds, chopped

1 10-oz. package of Tofulin, marinated baked tofu, cut into ¼" cubes or 2 chicken breasts*, cooked

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

Hot cooked quinoa; mix into above ingredients and let cool

Blend

1 cup olive oil                                            1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 whole lemon                            Tamari sauce, to taste

1 tbsp Dijon style mustard                       Herbamare, to taste

Add dressing to cooled salad and adjust seasoning prior to serving

*NOTE:  Poach chicken breasts.  In a large skillet, bring to a boil enough water to cover boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the juice of a lemon, a bay leaf and a teaspoon of table salt.  Add chicken breasts, cover and let simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Turn the breasts over and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let the chicken breasts cool in the poaching liquid, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Prayer Flags

A part of our annual camping retreat is to work on a craft project to bring back to the church and share with the congregation.  This year we made prayer flags.

Prayer flags come from the Buddhist tradition.  They write their prayers on flags and hang them from high places like the tops of mountains.  They are not designed to call down their wishes on the land.  Rather they are hanging there to waft their prayers far and wide. 

We gathered this weekend at our retreat, mindful of the solemn remembrance of the day.  Making prayer flags was one way we marked its passing.  

Artichoke Dip

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20

The time I spend at Bible Study is always precious.  The snacks we share are always yummy.  The conversations are rewarding.  My soul is warmed each time I am enfolded in the welcome of my church family. And tonight was no exception. 




1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
About 2/3 cup mayonaise

 Mix together until smooth.  (You can use the mixer when you forget to get the cream cheese out of the fridge early enough to soften.  Just be sure to start with the cream cheese alone and beat it until it is soft.  Then add the mayo.)


Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (Use the best cheese you can afford but the shredded, not grated, stuff in the bottle works well.)

Drain one bottle of artichokes in oil.  (Use two bottles if you love artichokes or just buy the giant Costco jar and spoon out what you want.)  Use a small spoon to scoop the choke part out of the center of each artichoke section and throw it away.  Do the same with the toughest outer leaves.  Roughly chop the rest.  Stir into cheese mixture.

Spoon into a shallow baking dish (about at 2 cup size dish).  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until it is bubbly around the edges and lightly browned on top.  Serve with crackers, sliced french bread, veggies, tortilla chips, whatever you prefer. 

Chocolate Cookies

Here is the cookie recipe I made for Bible Study last week.

 

This recipe is from the Martha Stewart "Cookies" cookbook.  A great cookbook to have on hand.  Everything I've made from this cookbook has turned out well.

 

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

 

2 cups plus 2 T flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temp.

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

 

sugar for rolling

 

1.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat to combine.  Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, beat to combine.  Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape dough into balls. Roll each ball into sugar.  Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cookies set on cookie sheet a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

Enjoy.  I rolled my cookies in coarse sugar.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake

1 1/2  cups  sugar
1/2  cup   butter
1  egg
1  cup  sour milk (1 tsp vinegar stirred into sweet milk)
2-3  cups rhubarb, finely chopped
2   cups  flour
1  tsp  baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar:  add egg and vanilla.  Add the milk, then add the flour and baking soda all at once.  Blend thoroughly.  Fold in the chopped rhubarb.

Topping

1/3  cup  sugar
1  tsp  cinnamon

Combine and sprinkle evenly over top of the cake batter before baking.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.

Stuffed Jalapenos

Always a big hit at potlucks and parties.

Ingredients:
12 to 15 jalapeno peppers
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup parmesan cheese
12-oz breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean roll)
Garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

1. Wash jalapeno peppers, slice in half lenthwise, and remove ALL of the seeds.

2. Brown and drain the sausage.

3. Mix cream cheese and sausage in a mixing bowl. Add parmesan cheese. Add garlic salt, black pepper, and/or cayenne pepper to taste. Sausage-cheese mixture should be a little bland since the peppers will add heat.

4. Spoon mixture into pepper halves and place on a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes at 400° F or until the top of the stuffed peppers is browned.

Sausage-cheese mixture can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Black Bean & Vegetable Salsa

A simple and light side dish for summer picnics.

Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 (15.25 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can white hominy, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c chopped celery


1. In saucepan combine oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt & pepper. Bring to boiling; cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. In bowl combine beans, hominy, green onions, onions, tomatoes, green pepper and celery. Pour sugar mixture over beans; gently stir.

Cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips.
I have also added zuchinni, avocado, & cilantro to it.

Russian Apple Pancake

This is an adaptation of a recipe 'collected' by Connie A...

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown Sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
2 cups flour
6 tart apples (granny smith) peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup nuts (optional)


Mix eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla until light in color and fluffy.  stir in baking powder and flour until the batter is smooth.  Gently stir in apples.  Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Bake at 375 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. 

This comes out with a sweet crunchy crust and a cake-like interior filled with apples. --cmw

Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs and Veggies on the side

This is a best guess recipe...  use the following as a guideline rather than an absolute rule.  I don't think you can mess these up no matter what you do.

1 1/5 lbs ground turkey
1 cup crushed pineapple (or one cup chunks and juice mashed up the food processor)
about 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Teriyaki or Soy Teriyaki sauce^
1/2 tsp chili garlic paste (optional)*

Mix well.  Shape into balls.  Put into lightly sprayed baking dish.  Top with remaining pineapple and juice.  Add additional teriyaki sauce.  Bake 350 degrees F for about an hour until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink.  Serve with rice.

This goes really well with a quick stir fry of veggies. Peppers and onions are particularly nice but you can use whatever veggies you have (mushrooms, bean sprouts, pea pods, broccoli...)  Just give it a very quick very hot toss in a tiny bit of olive oil until the veggies are crisp tender.  Deglaze the pan with a small amount of dry sherry and add additional teriyaki sauce.  Serve over rice with the meatballs.  (If you want you can just cut up all the veggies and throw them in with meatballs and bake them all together.  I didn't do that because I like my veggies crisp!)

^I use Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce or the very similar SoyVey brand.
*You might choose to put onion powder, pepper, fresh herbs like coriander leaves, fish sauce, dried chilies into the meatballs.  Give it the flavor you like.  

New Summer Salads

I was paging through my cookbook from Grandma's church in tiny Halma, Minnesota (pop. 64) and came up with a few interesting possibilities for this summer!  As a Minnesotan Lutheran, I feel it it my duty to become more familiar with the different uses of Jello in potluck food.  Watch for these at a picnic potluck near you!

SEA FOAM SALAD

Recipe from Eidsvold Millennium Cookbook

Salad Ingredients:

1 (#1) can pears

1 pkg lime Jello

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 Tbsp cream

Honey Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp lemon juice

*Drain pears, reserving liquid.  Heat 1 cup pear juice and pour over lime Jello.  Mash cream cheese with 1 Tbsp cream and add to hot Jello.  Cool  Which thick, add mashed pears and fold in whipped cream.  Set until firm.  It can be garnished with just mayonnaise or the honey dressing.  Serves 8.

BRIDAL SHOWER SALAD

Recipe from Eidsvold Millennium Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 large container large curd cottage cheese (1 1/2 lbs)

1 - 6 oz pkg Cherry Jello

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 can crushed pineapple, well drained

1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1 container Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients together.  The Jello is sprinkled in.  DO NOT MIX WITH WATER. Chill at least 5 hours.

7-UP SALAD

Recipe from Eidsvold Millennium Cookbook

1 package lime Jello

1 cup hot applesauce

1 bottle 7-Up

Dissolve lime Jello in hot applesauce.  Add the 7-Up and refrigerate

VEGETABLE SALAD

Recipe from Eidsvold Millennium Cookbook

Ingredients:

I pkg lemon Jello

1 pkg lime Jello

1 envelope Knox gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 cup Cool whip

1/2 cup salad dressing

1 cup cottage cheese

2 med carrots, grated

1 green pepper, diced

Dissolve the lemon Jello, lime Jello and Knox gelatin in the boiling water.  let set until the Jello is jelly like.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Pour into mold and chill until set.  Keeps 10 days in refrigerator   

MACARONI SALAD FOR 300

(who doesn't need this recipe?)

Recipe from Eidsvold Millennium Cookbook

2 bunches celery

1 quart salad olives with pimento

1 1/2 cup chopped onion

2 lbs grated carrots

9 dozen hard boiled eggs

24- 5 oz boxes macaroni

2 1/2 gal Standby salad dressing

2/3 cup mustard

3 cups sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Two days before you are to serve this, you can dice real fine the celery, olives and onion.  Grate carrots.  Store in separate containers in refrigerator.  One day before, cook and peel eggs.  Cup up and refrigerate.  Cook macaroni; rinse in cold water and refrigerate.  The day it is to be served, combine salad dressing, sugar, salt and pepper.  Add celery, olives, onion and carrots, mixing well.  Stir in macaroni and eggs.  Cubed meat and/or cheese may be added if you like.  Cheese should be added just before serving.  Makes 300 servings.

Sweet Basil Salad Dressing

Sweet Basil Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/8 tsp pepper

*Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes for flavor to marinate.  Yields one cup dressing.  

**Dressing is especially delicious over garden fresh greens with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese.

*** Recipe is from Spice Island Trading Company 

Popcorn Salad

More! Salad!  This recipe is from my Great Aunt Bonnie, a wonderful cook.  It has many unique ingredients and makes quite a splash at a summer picnic potluck.

POPCORN SALAD

(serves many)

Salad Ingredients:

2 cans water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup table onions*

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

-Mix dressing and refrigerate.  Stir dressing and salad ingredients together before serving.  Add one 6.5 oz bag of Old Dutch Gourmet Popcorn just before serving.

*Onions are listed as "optional" in original recipe.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Tonight it is hot and humid, which makes me starting thinking about all the fresh produce that will soon be available!  During the summer, we eat a lot of salad as we try and keep the house cool into the evenings.  Could this be the beginning of a summer salad series?  Are we up to the challenge?

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD*

Salad:

1 package baby spinach

1 quart fresh berries (any kind or mixture will do)

Dressing: (best if made 1 day before serving)

1/3 cup of sugar*

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

2Tbsp sesame seeds

2T Tbsp poppy seeds*

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp green onions*

Mix dressing ingredients the day before and refrigerate.  Shake well before serving (make sure lid is tight, lesson learned) and pour over berry/spinach salad.   

*1. I got this recipe from my mom.  She got it from a coworker.  It is not of my own creation.

2. I have substituted the sugar with the sugar replacement, Splenda, with good results

3. I usually don't have poppy seeds, so they usually aren't in the salad

4. I also don't like green onions.  But, the dressing really isn't the same without them.  Thus, I personally do not eat this salad.  But, everyone else raves about it, so it must be good.

Easter Breakfast 2011

Each year, the confirmation class cooks breakfast for the church.  They do it with a LOT of help from the Youth Group, the Second Sunday Club and parents.  This post won't be terribly interesting to some one looking for a recipe to serve on Easter morning, but it will stand as a record of what to do if you want to serve breakfast to somewhere between 75 and 100 people on Easter morning. 

Supplies
 The quantities supplied below were purchased for the 2011 breakfast.  They have been pretty consistent for the past 6 years.  I have added a few recommendations for the future.  


10 lbs pancake mix (Krusteaz)  Save any residual for the camping retreat in the freezer although we used more mix this year and had far fewer pancakes leftover.  If you are worried you might consider buying a few smaller boxes of mix that could be donated to the food pantry if they are not needed.
210 sausage (2011 came from Aldi's,  We used them all.  You might consider adding a few more packages.)
3 gallons of milk (2011 only used 2) in plastic pitcher
4 gallons of juice (2011 used almost all) in plastic pitcher (a couple cans of frozen juice as a reserve might be a good idea for 2012)
15 dozen eggs (2011 probably could have gotten by with 13 dozen)
1 qt half and half to mix with eggs.  put small pitcher next to coffee.
syrup (Do NOT get the double big bottles from Costco.  A couple family sized bottles from the grocery will do)  Freeze leftovers for camping retreat.  Put into squeeze bottles on tables.
Sugar free syrup... one small bottle
Butter.  1lb butter plus one med container margarine.  (Put on serving table only)
salt and pepper (from kitchen next to eggs)
catsup, small bottle
salsa, small jar
danish/pastries  3-4 packages from Costco work well
Fruit.  cut up.  pineapple.  Box of strawberries, cut up oranges, melon.  Two trays.
salad oil (small bottle for griddles)

coffee
ice water
hot water and tea bags

small plastic cups for juice
plates
foam cups
table covering (really important!)
knives and forks
food safe gloves

Equipment


Pancake cooking on counter under window
Unplug the big coffee maker next to the sink.
2 large griddles for cooking pancakes
2 silicon brushes,
2 mugs with oil,
2 teflon safe spatulas,
1 tray for transporting cooked pancakes to serving table. 
2 pitchers for batter,
1 extension cord from plug on mural wall tape down or secure over door!

Batter mixing on counter between the sink and the refrigerator
1 large pitcher for mixing batter
1 stick blender for mixing batter
measuring cups for water and batter


Cooking eggs on counter to the left of the sink.
1 large electric skillet for cooking eggs
1 pitcher for eggs
1 teflon safe spatula
1 GLASS dish for transporting eggs to serving table

1 electric skillet with lid for reheating sausage
teflon safe tongs or spatula for stirring
cup or glass of water to steam/keep them from sticking

Mixing Eggs on center table
mugs for breaking eggs into
big container for egg shells
half and half
stick blender or large whisk
pitcher for mixing eggs and half and half

Beverage table in front of kitchen window but not tight against wall
3 nice plastic pitchers for juice, milk and ice water
cups
hot water for tea
tea bags
coffee set ups
extra napkins

Coffee table (small table set up to use plug on the West side of the entrance doors or out in the Narthex)
coffee pot for regular
coffee pot for decaf
cups

Serving tables along wall under mural
NOTE:  warmers on the serving tray need to be sterno or some other fuel-based heat source. 
1 steam tray for pancakes
1 steam tray for sausage
1 GLASS chafing dish or steam table for eggs,  MUST BE GLASS or the eggs will turn lovely shades of green
trays for fruit
trays for pastry
silverware
plates
napkins
condiments (other than syrup) salt pepper, catsup, butter,
serving utensils

Decorations.
SSC live grass in square ceramic dishes
chickens (directions and some material in the coat closet)

Schedule
One month out
Plant grass, make sign, put in bulletin, recruit chicken makers if making chickens

Two weeks out
set schedule for helpers.
Youth group train/supervise Confirmation class
YG and CC cooking
SSC out front serving beverages, clearing tables,
Assign some one to keep track of food out front and let the kitchen know what is needed also to fill beverage pitchers and keep silverware and cups supplied

Saturday
10 am  Set up and cover tables, set up cook stations, wash and set up serving dishes, warmers etc, decorate

Sunday
7:30 - 8:30 start up and first shift
8:00 serving starts
8:30 - 9:30 Second shift and clean up
9:30 Serving ends
9:15 - 9:55 Clean up crew
After service 30 minutes clean up crew

I hope this helps.  Please feel free to add in the comments!

ALLELUIA

He is Risen indeed!

Apricot-Ham Patties

2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups soft bread crombs
1/2 cup finely snipped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 pound ground fully cooked ham
1 pound ground pork
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, dried apricots, onion, parsley and dash of pepper.  Add ground ham and pork; mix well.  Shape meat into 8 patties.  Combine brown sugar and flour; sprinkle in bottom of 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  Place patties in pan.  Bake in 350 oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Transfer patties to serving platter.  Stir pan juices and spoon over meat.  Serves 8

These are the greatest (and easiest) ham patties.  I used pork sausage instead of ground pork.  Yum! These would be a gread way to use up your left over Easter ham.

Thrifty Meatballs for the Boys

       2 pounds ground beef
       2 eggs, beaten
       1 medium onion, chopped  (I used to grind it
                                    in the small Cuisinart.)
       1 cup cracker crumbs
       2/3 cup milk
       1 teaspoon salt    (I never put this in.)
       1/4 teaspoon pepper     (probably skipped this for the boys)

       Combine above ingredients; mix well.
       Shape into small balls and place in Pam-
       sprayed 9x13-inch baking dish.


       1 can cream of chicken soup
       1/2 cup milk

       Dilute soup with milk and pour over top of
       balls.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

                      from the Wood County Extension Service

Spicy Garlic and Ginger Udon (Noodles)

These noodles can be as quick as you want to make them. Fresh Udon cooks in about 3 minutes. Dried Udon, takes as long as fettucini or spaghetti.

Mix up the sauce first.

• 2 – 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (used reduced sodium or cut down a bit)
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar (this adds a lot of salt)
• About 1 inch of fresh ginger minced

• very scant1/4 cup salad oil (most recipes call for peanut oil. Salad oil works. I would not use olive oil or any other strongly flavored oil unless that is really what you are going for here.)
• 1- 3 Tbsp mirin or sake
• Sesame oil to taste
• 1 – 3 tsp chili garlic sauce
• pepper, cilantro to taste
• 2 – 3 thinly sliced green onions
• You may want to add a Tbsp of honey 

Set the sauce aside so that the flavors start to blend.

Stir fry some chicken. Add a bit of the sauce near the end to flavor it. Set aside on plate.

Quickly stir fry sliced carrots, broccoli, red peppers or any other veggies that you like. You just want them to be crisp and warm. Add to plate and set aside. Don’t cover the veggies. you do not want them to continue to steam while you are waiting for the noodles to finish.

Cook noodles in hot water as per the package instructions. Drain. Toss the veggies, meat, noodles and sauce together. Enjoy.
Garnish with some lime, cilantro or fresh bean sprouts.

Apple Dapple Cake

APPLE DAPPLE CAKE

(Judy Bartels)

2 Eggs                              1 Tsp. Salt

2 C. SUGAR                       1 TSP. CINNAMON

1 1/2 C. OIL                      1/2 TSP. NUTMEG

2 TSP. VANILLA                1 C. COCONUT

3 C. FLOUR                        1 C. NUTS

1 TSP. SODA                      3 C. DICED APPLES

PREHEAT OVEN TO 300 DEGREES. LIGHTLY GREASE AND FLOUR A 9 X 13

BAKING PAN.

CREAM EGGS, SUGAR, OIL AND VANILLA.  SIFT TOGETHER FLOUR, SALT, SODA  AND SPICES.  ADD COCONUT, NUTS AND APPLES TO CREAMED MIXTURE.  FOLD IN DRY INGREDIENTS.  (BATTER WILL BE THICK.)  BAKE 60-65 MINUTES.

TEST WITH TOOTHPICK TO SEE IF DONE.

ICING

1 C. BROWN SUGAR

1 STICK MARGARINE

1/4 C. MILK

COOK MARGARINE, SUGAR AND MILK IN SMALL PAN UNTIL SMOOTH.  COOK ADDITIONAL 4 MINUTES.  POUR ON CAKE WHILE HOT.  POKE HOLES IN CAKE WITH A LARGE FORK.

Lemon Chicken

This is a quick dish to throw together for dinner.   Pounding the chicken allows it to cook quickly.  The flour you dredge the chicken in makes the sauce thicken without any hassle.  And the flavors adjust easily. 

5 chicken breasts. Pound thin between sheets of plastic wrap. Dredge in flour. Saute in butter and olive oil over high heat until browned on both sides. Set aside on plate. (Chicken will not be cooked all the way through. That is OK. It will finish cooking later.) Do not overfill the skillet. Cook 1 or 2 pieces at a time until they are all browned. You may need to add a bit of butter and olive oil as you go.

In the meantime, chop 4-5 cloves of garlic. Wash and thinly slice half of one lemon, enough to get 5 slices. Thinly slice 6-8 large button mushrooms. I do mean thin on the lemon and mushrooms. Paper thin.

One the chicken has all been browned, add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir over medium heat until just starting to release their juices and soften. Add garlic. Stir and saute until fragrant and softened being careful not to brown or burn the garlic.

Add about a cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup white wine and about 2 Tbsp lemon juice from the unsliced half of the lemon. Stir to loosen the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add a dash of thyme and a sprinkle of cracked rosemary. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. 

Serve over noodles (Trader joe’s lemon pepper fettuccine works well). Add a side of asparagus. 

Oriental Chops and Rice

4 pork chops, cut 1/2 inch thick
2 beaten eggs
1 2-ounce can chopped mushrooms
2/3 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules

Trim excess fat from chops; in skillet cook fat trimmings until 2 tablespoons of fat accumulate.  Discard trimmings.  Brown chops in hot fat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set chops aside; reserve drippings.  Combine eggs and 2 tablespoons water.  Cook eggs in reserved drippings in skillet until set.  Invert skillet over baking sheet to remove cooked eggs in one piece.  Cut eggs into narrow strips.  Drain mushrooms.  In same skillet cook mushrooms, rice, onion, and water chestnuts in hot oil until rice is golden; stir constantly.  Stir in soy, bouillon granules, and 1 3/4 cups water.  Bring to boiling.  Remove from heat; stir in egg strips.  Turn mixture into a 2 quart casserole.  Arrange chops atop rice mixture.  Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.  Bake, covered, in 350 oven about 35 minutes or until chips and rice are tender.  Remove shops; stir in rice.  Makes 4 servings.

Cheese -it's Soup

This is a soup supper soup.  It can be tossed together in short order from pantry ingredients.   It is called Cheese it soup because the little ravioli look like the little cheese crackers. 

Brown 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb mild pork sausage. (You can get away with one pound of either if you aren’t feeding 3 teenage spuds.)

Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder. (As always, if I had the time I’d use fresh, but we need to eat in short order!)  Drain the fat.

Add about 2 cups of beef broth. Preferably low sodium. Scrape up the yummy brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce.  Add about 1 jar of water to rinse out the rest of the sauce and give enough water for the sauce. (You may need to add another jar depending upon the type of pasta you use. Keep track and add as you see fit.)

Add about 1 tsp Italian herbs (or oregano, basil…. whatever you like)  Add about 1 cup red wine. (Tonight I used more of the white zin, but I would typically use the 3 buck chuck Merlot from TJ’s)
Bring to a boil. Add pasta. I used an entire package of dried cheese ravioli from TJ’s. You can use less if you want it to be more like soup and less like stew. I’ve made this with tortellini. I usually use cheese-filled and dried. You can use meat filled and fresh. You can use any pasta you like, but if you want it to look like little cheese crackers floating in a rich tomato broth you need to use the ravioli.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve when the pasta is al dente. Top with a good parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

As always, this is a very flexible roadmap. Feel free to add fresh veggies… some carrots, celery and onions as you brown the meat. Skip the meat entirely. Use leftover chicken. Add some cayenne pepper  or red pepper flakes to give it some spice.

Top O the Morning to Ye: Corned Beef and Cabbage

It is Lent and that means that Wednesday Soup Suppers have started.  Expect to see lots of tasty soup recipes here soon!!!   Seeing how it is also the week of St Patrick's Day we had to have a bit of the green for dinner last night.  While not technically a soup, it does have a bit of broth in the bottom of the pot so I count it close enough.

1 corned beef roast (any size that fits your pot)
enough boiling potatoes to fill your bellies
1 green cabbage

Rinse the beef under cold water.  Throw away the package of pickling spices (OK, you can keep them if you absolutely must have pickling spices on your corned beef and cracked mustard seeds stuck in your teeth.  In which case, don't rinse your beef and throw the spices in the pot as well.)  Cover the beef in cold water.  Bring to a low boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer.  All afternoon.  For hours.  As long as you can stand it.  Until an hour before dinner.

Then, cut up your boiling potatoes (I like red skin potatoes because they seem to hold together better than baking potatoes.)  Add the potatoes to the pot.  At this point you can sink the potatoes in the broth and let the roast rest on top.  Boil.  Gently.  Some more.  An hour.  Because, of course, dinner will be in an hour. 

In the mean time, put your feet up and read a few blogs.  There isn't much else to do since your entire meal will be in one pot.  Oh, and wash, core and cut up the the cabbage.  I didn't say chop.  We're not making cole slaw here.  Just cut it into wedges and then cut the wedges in half.  Big chunks.  Do NOT boil them.  Let the cabbage sit by the side of the stove soaking up the lovely cooking beef and potato smells that waft past on their way to making the rest of the house hungry

 About 2 minutes before dinner, tip the cabbage into the pot.  Cover and let it steam.  DO not boil for any more hours.  You just want the cabbage to get warm and slightly soft (unless you are a fan of soggy slimy cabbage in which case you can boil away to your hearts content).  Take a minute to slice the beef across the grain and pop it back in to the pan.  Quickly set the table, because of course, you've been reading lovely blogs like this one and forgot to do it before now.   A bowl, a spoon and a fork will be all that you need.  Then call the family and enjoy.  Just be sure to remind the family that you have been cooking it ALL afternoon, just for them.

Any questions?

• Yes, I am sure you can use red cabbage. 
• Yes, I am sure you can do this in a slow cooker, but don't ask me about times and settings because I am sure I haven't a clue.
• Yes, you can use whatever potatoes you have around.  
• No, you really can't skip the cabbage.  Just put in a tiny amount.  Think of it as decorative parseley.  You need it for the taste and a little will go a long way but it won't be corned beef and cabbage without it.  They don't call it corned beef and potatoes now do they.  If they were going to call it corned beef an potatoes it would be hash which is what you can make tomorrow morning with the leftovers.  Assuming there are any. Which there shouldn't be, unless you arrived at the store too late to buy a small one and they only have the ginormous (is so a word spell check didn't even blink) one left.
• Yes you can add onions.  Just be sure to put them in after the potatoes and before the cabbage so you get soft edible onions that aren't mushy.
• Garlic?  Is suppose if you must.  I never would.
• Still here?  Go.  Read something else.  I have corned beef and cabbage to eat.

Zucchini Casserole

4-medium zucchini, sliced 1/2-in. thick (I cut smaller)
3/4 cup pared and sliced carrots
Water, salted
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2-1/4 cups *Herbed Stuffing Mix
1-(10-3/4-oz) can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream

In a medium saucepan, put zucchini and carrots in enough boiling, salted water to cover them. Cover pan and simmer about 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Drain. In a large saucepan, saute onion in 4 tablespoons of the butter or margarine until tender. Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the Herbed Stuffing Mix, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Gently stir in zucchini. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 1-1/2-quart casserole. Put mixture into casserole. Melt remaining butter or margerine on a small saucepan. Add remaining Herbed Stuffing Mix to butter or margarine. Toss gently and sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Herbed Stuffing Mix
30 slices firm-textured bread, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons instant minced onion
3 tablespooons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put bread cubes in two 13"x9" baking pans. Toast bread cubes in oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Stir in oil, onion, parsley flakes, garlic salt, sage and seasoned pepper. Lightly toss bread cubes with seasoning to coat cubes. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a  cool, dry place. Use within 3 to 4 months. Makes about 12 cups of Herbed Stuffing Mix.

White Chicken Chili & Swedish Cornbread

Hi! I'm Kelly and I'm part of the women's group at Christ the King.   I'm a busy mom with a four year old and two year old in the house, which mean almost everything we make is kid friendly.  On top of challenge of cooking for kids, my husband and I are both picky eaters.  I won't bore you with the details, but cooking can be an adventure when one of us doesn't eat fruit (him) and the other doesn't care for vegetables (me).  As a cook, I'm not a huge recipe follower.  If I don't like something, I omit it.  If I have more or less of something the recipe calls for, I go with it.  I cook by how the food smells and looks, not only by the measurements on the recipe.


It is thirty degrees and snowing here.  A day that makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a book all day and only come out for a hot bowl of soup at dinner time.  Here is what I wish were cooking at our house tonight:

Lewis and Clarks Famous White Chili

Serves 6-8*

 Ingredients:
3 lbs cooked Great Northern Beans (canned or bottled)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves *

2 medium white onions*, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground oregano

2   4 oz cans chopped mild green chilies*

4 cups chicken stock or canned broth

20 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Place chicken in large sauce pan.  Add cold water to cover and bring to simmer.  Cook until tender, approx. 15-20 minutes.  Remove from sauce pan and shred into bite sized pieces.  Discard water and heat oil in the same pan over medium heat.  Add onions until translucent.  Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano and cloves.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken, beans, stock and 12 oz cheese.  Let simmer for 15 minutes or longer.  Ladle into large bowls and top with cheese.  Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, Swedish corn bread and chopped jalapeno peppers.* 

*NOTES*

I got this recipe from a coworker several years ago.  I don't have any idea where she got it - but it isn't of my own creation.

One time, I came in first in a chili cook off with this recipe.  

I almost always double or triple this recipe because it heats up well in the microwave and everyone in the family will eat it without complaining.  Word to the wise, if you are tripling the recipe you're going to need a BIG pan (a lesson I keep learning over and over again).

I like garlic.  So, I put more in.

I don't really like onion, so I usually use one medium or half of a large onion.

I sometimes skip the green chilies altogether.  If I use them, I only put one can in. I don't ever use the jalapenos.

SWEDISH CORNBREAD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

3 Large Eggs

2 Cups Water

2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended.  Add eggs and beat until well blended.  Beat in 2 cups water and cornmeal.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt into small bowl.  Add to cornmeal mixture; stir just until blended.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until bread is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer dish to rack and cool corn bread slightly.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cool bread completely.  Cover with foil and store at room temperature.)  

Recipe can be baked in two smaller size pans for easier serving.  Bread freezes well for future use.

*NOTES*

I got this recipe from another member of the Christ the King women's group, Judy Bartels.  She is a WONDERFUL cook!

We like to cook these up as mini muffins because it is easier for the kids to eat with less mess.

Recipe for Fun

Take one room full of happy people. 

Mix in a boat load of prizes from sponsors like
Francesco's on Church Street, Stephaninas Pizzaria, The Hair Syndicate, Red Robin, Hatfield and McCoys, Evanottonave, Greenway Network, Inc and Premiere Mortgage! 

Add in three quilts made just for the purpose by Angi and Kelly, and a huge pile of other prizes collected by Jean and Judy. 

Toss in a pinch of LAFF.

Stir together with 10 rounds of tricky trivia by Jim. 

Bake until Kathy the judge says is is done and you have one fantastic evening of fun. 

And you raise a whole lot of money to support VBS and other kid-centered outreach activities. 

What a great evening.  Thank you to everyone who helped and who came to play in our sandbox. 

Prayers for Japan

Our hearts go out to the people of Japan.  We will keep you in our prayers.

Handy Pecan Pie

This recipe from Pioneer Woman makes a fantastic pecan pie muffin. 

From my notes after making them for the first time...

A few changes for the next batch. Make sure to use salted butter or add a dash of salt. Add a splash of vanilla. While they were good and simple and come in under the 5 ingredient rule, they need something to brighten or intensify the flavor.

The recipe calls for mixing the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately and then gently mix them together. The tricky bit is to make sure that the butter is not too hot or to temper the eggs. If you pull the melted butter directly out of the microwave and dump in the eggs you will get scrambled eggs and not in a good way. Melt the butter first and then allow it too cool. If you are impatient you will need to temper the eggs, but mixing small amounts of hot butter into the eggs SLOWLY. It will be easier to wait.

Do NOT skimp on greasing the muffin cups. Like pecan pie, these can be sticky. The amount of butter in them helps but…

Another thing, you need to keep mixing the batter slightly as you put it into the muffin cups. Just like in a pecan pie, the pecans float to the top and if you aren’t aware of how you are distributing them you will end up with lots of nuts in the first muffins and few in the last.

I used 350 degrees for 22 minutes with normal sized muffins in silicone pans. it made 12 good sized muffins rather than the 8 described in the recipe. I will try them in the mini pans at some point in the future.

Welcome. May I Pour You Some Coffee?

Hello,  Welcome to the community blog of Christ the King Lutheran Church in St Peters, MO.  We are a friendly group of people who celebrate our faith through fellowship.  Every gathering ends with "and don't forget to give us the recipe." 

We've written recipes on notecards and napkins.  We've printed cookbooks.  We've emailed and remailed.  Now it is time to put our favorites out there where we can always find them.

So pull up a chair.  Pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy our recipes and partake of our fellowship through the comments.    We are glad you are here.  

Lord be with you.