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Published: May 29, 2008 03:02 pm
Cookbook Corner: Uff da! It’s a collection of easy-to-make recipes
Originally published in the May 30, 2008, print edition.
By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
My idea of a great dinner involves anything I don’t have to cook or clean up. You can serve whatever you like and I’ll love it if I don’t have to scrub the pots. In my perfect world, I would have loyal minions do my shopping and chopping, and I would laze around buffing my toenails and popping bonbons in my mouth like a Nile queen.
Short of all this fantasy (quite short), I’ll settle for making the easy stuff whenever I can get away with it. Single-pot meals, dishes that require few ingredients, and convenience foods all play important roles in my culinary theatre — it’s usually a comedy, of course, except when it’s a tragedy.
I found dozens of great time-saving ideas in the new cookbook from Jackson Lake Lutheran Church in Amboy: “Uff Da! It’s Our Second Edition.” Of course, there are plenty more complicated recipes in the book, but this month I want to highlight foods that taste fantastic but won’t eat up your time. This hefty cookbook has an excellent variety of recipes with a particularly good dessert section and, thrillingly, some lovely Spam recipes.
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With grilling season here, what could be better with your perfect steak than a heaping side order of tender mushrooms slathered in seasoned butter? You can make a whole pile of them in advance in your slow cooker if you follow this easy recipe.
Mushrooms (Slow Cooker)
Submitted by Dan Lloyd
3 pounds mushrooms (6 boxes)
mailto:editor@thelandonline.com1 pound butter, melted
2 packages ranch dressing mix, powdered
Put all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook three hours or more on high. Serve with slotted spoon.
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Speaking of outdoor eating, try a backyard picnic featuring Dump Dinner, a traditional crab boil that gets dumped on the table for everyone to grab what they want: sausage, sweet corn, peas, shrimp and potatoes simmered in a piquant broth until tender. Don’t forget the napkins.
Dump Dinner
Submitted by Lael Starkweather
For every three people:
3 ounces crab boil seasoning
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 ring kielbasa, cut in pieces
3 ears sweet corn, cut into thirds
1/2 handful pea pods or sugar snap peas
1/2 pound unshelled, uncooked shrimp
6 to 9 red potatoes, even sized
Fill large pot two-thirds full of water. Bring to a boil; add seasonings; boil 5 minutes. Add sausage and potatoes; cook 20 minutes. Add sweet corn; cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook until shrimp turns pink (3 minutes). Add pea pods; cook slightly. Drain and dump onto newspapers or plastic tablecloth. Give guests napkins, salt, pepper, butter and cocktail sauce. All eat from the pile.
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Here’s a recipe to keep on hand for a top-notch fajita seasoning blend you can whip together whenever the mood strikes. It will serve double duty on beef and chicken. Add sautéed peppers and onions and some warm tortillas and you’ve got a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Fajita Rub
Submitted by Dr. Sarah (DeWitz) Anderson
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons pure chili powder
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
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When the walleye are biting, serve the fillets with this honey-and-butter-kissed coating to really impress your anglers. They’ll appreciate the flavor, and you’ll appreciate the ease.
Honey Walleye
Submitted by Shannon Juergens
1 egg
2 teaspoons honey
2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers, about 45 to 50
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 walleye fillets, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1/3 to 1/2 cup cooking oil
In a shallow bowl, beat egg; add honey. In a plastic bag, combine crackers and salt. Dip fish in egg mixture, then shake in bag until coated. In a skillet, cook fillets in oil for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until golden and fish flakes easily with a fork.
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Every cookbook has a comedian, and looks like Olav Haugen has a pretty good sense of humor with his unique recipe for apple pie.
Potluck Apple Pie
Submitted by Olav Haugen
Drive to grocery store. Go to frozen food department. Pick up a frozen apple pie. Go to checkout stand; pay for pie. Drive home. Read directions on back of carton. Cook per directions. Take to potluck and graciously accept compliments.
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Marbled Top Meltaways are quickly prepared by first baking a simple buttery crust, then topping it with two flavors of baking chips and giving them a swirl. They’re as pretty as they are delicious, and the recipe is kid-friendly as well. I tried them out on my family and (no surprise here) got four out of four “yums!”
Marbled Top Meltaways
Submitted by Kirsten Phelps
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts
Mix all ingredients together. Spread in ungreased pan, 13x9x2 inches. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Spread them around like frosting.
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If you like almond bark, Black ‘N’ White Pistachio Bark should be just your cup of tea. It looks dramatic and tastes sinful and I think I love it. All you need is your microwave and four ingredients.
Black ‘N’ White Pistachio Bark
Submitted by Lucy DeWitz
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pistachios, divided
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup pistachios and cranberries. Spread in a thin layer on prepared baking sheet. Melt vanilla chips and drop by teaspoon over chocolate layer. Cut through with a knife to swirl. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios. Chill until firm. Break into pieces. Yield: 3/4 pound
“Uff Da! It’s Our Second Edition” is available for $16 plus $3 for postage and handling from: Lucille Sorenson, 700 Agency Trail, Unit 314, Mankato MN 56001-6555, or at Tom’s Hardware and U S Bank in Amboy.
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