|
Published: January 18, 2008 12:17 pm
Cookbook Corner: Enjoy the delicious art of cooking through the decades
Originally published in the January 11, 2008, print edition.
By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
All churches feed the soul; my favorite ones nourish the body, too. Witness this list of events the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Benson has sponsored over the years: “chicken suppers, klub suppers, soup and pie suppers, salad luncheons, meatball suppers and prime rib suppers … food sales and potlucks.”
The cookbook team dedicates their new cookbook, “Pilgrim’s Pantry,” to all those who baked, cooked, served, tasted and, yes, even washed dishes since 1876.
Added bonuses to this cookbook include a fun section on past cookbooks from 1908, 1920, 1951, 1962 and 1981; instructions for microwaving cakes and other microwave conversions; a fast-food calorie-fat-cholesterol-sodium chart, and a substantial substitutions chart. With all these helpful tips, “Pilgrim’s Pantry” would make an excellent cookbook for the beginning chef as well as for old pros. Here is a selection of recipes that caught my eye.
º
Spicy, creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip will please all the hot tamales in your family and is a great way to start a festive meal. The author suggests using Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, which has an excellent flavor and is not to be confused with Tabasco sauce. You control the heat by adding the amount you wish.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Submitted by Amanda (Peterson) Newberg
1 package chicken tenders
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup Colby Jack shredded cheese
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Tortilla chips
Heat oven to 350 F. Cook chicken and cut into small pieces. Spread cream cheese in bottom of 9x9-inch pan. Spread dressing over top of cream cheese (amount is up to you). Sprinkle cooked chicken over dressing. Top with hot sauce to taste. Sprinkle Colby Jack cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips. Note: To double this recipe in a 9x13-inch pan, double all ingredients except chicken.
º
Italian Tortellini Stew uses easy slow cooking to fill your home with the warmth and aromas of Italy. This simple meatless soup is full of vegetables and fiber-rich beans to fill you up without filling you out. Try it on a cold day … should be easy to find one of those.
Italian Tortellini Stew
Submitted by Marina Oglesby
1 onion, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced
32 ounces chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can Northern beans or lima beans
2 teaspoons basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces dry cheese-filled tortellini
Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, in a slow cooker for six hours. Turn on high and add tortellini. Cook for 45 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.
º
For pepperoni lovers (including my two sons, who eat it in omelets and sandwiches and anything else they can think of), Pepperoni Rigatoni will soothe their passions. This spicy, hearty entrée is perfect for our chilly days and frigid nights. Serve it with garlic bread and a tossed salad and, voila, you’re the queen or king of the kitchen.
Pepperoni Rigatoni
Submitted by Lisa (Slaughter) Shrouf
8 ounces rigatoni noodles, cooked
1 cup pepperoni, cubed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Layer half of ingredients in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 375 F.
º
Asparagus and Penne Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce is a classy dish that’s a snap to prepare. Use it as a side dish or as a light entrée. You can experiment with different types of pastas and vegetables, too.
Asparagus and Penne Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce
Submitted by Candy DeHaan
6 ounces (1 2/3 cups) uncooked dried penne pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1 (5 ounce) package (3 cups) fresh sliced mushrooms
6 ounces (1 3/4 cups) fresh asparagus spears, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry white wine or chicken broth
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh garlic
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, melt butter until sizzling. Add mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender, about two to three minutes. Add asparagus; continue cooking until asparagus is crisp-tender, about two to three minutes. Increase heat to high. Add wine or chicken broth and garlic; cook until heated through, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat. Add cooked pasta into the skillet; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings.
º
Funeral food! You all know what I’m talking about. You also know there had to be funeral recipes out there somewhere. Here’s one.
Filling for Buns (“Funeral Spread”)
Submitted by Lorraine Skarsten
3 pounds bologna
1 dozen eggs, hard-boiled
1 small jar sweet pickle relish
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 small onion (optional) Prepared mustard (optional)
Grind together bologna, eggs and onion. Add relish and enough mayonnaise or Miracle Whip to desired moistness. Add mustard for more zip.
º
The next recipe caught my fancy because it uses two ingredients not often found in cookies: Bisquick and cashews. Try them for you next cookie exchange, if you can get some out of the house without your family gobbling them up first.
Frosted Cashew Cookies
Submitted by Donna Force
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups salted cashews
Mix all ingredients and then add cashews. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake cookies at 325 F for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool one minute and remove from pan. Cool completely.
Frosting:
1/3 cup margarine or butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
Heat margarine in saucepan over medium heat until delicate brown. Stir in powdered sugar and then the vanilla and milk. Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.
º
Mandarin Cake brings the sunshine of summer into our dreary winter days with yellow cake flecked with chopped mandarin oranges and topped simply with a blend of whipped topping, pudding and crushed pineapple. The recipe couldn’t be simpler or the results more divine. I made it for an early Christmas gathering and it was the star of the tabletop. Four out of four “yums” from the Johnson crew.
Mandarin Cake
Submitted by Amanda (Peterson) Newberg
1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges (save liquid)
Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, chopped oranges, and juice from oranges mixed with water to equal one cup. Bake cake in a 9x13-inch pan as directed. Cool.
Frosting
1 (12 ounce) carton Cool Whip
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding, prepared
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
Mix together frosting ingredients. Place on top of cake and refrigerate.
“Pilgrim’s Pantry” is available for $15 plus $3 postage and handling from: Pilgrim UCC Church, 211 13th St. N., Benson, MN 56215.
• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
|
|
|
Photos
|
|
|
Print this story
E-mail this story
Discuss this story
