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.