Church Ladies in the Kitchen

The title says it all - as the minister admitted yesterday during our church's UMW (United Methodist Women) recognition Sunday - this is where much work of the church gets done. Even though our church's men meet for coffee on Wednesday mornings, and claim to solve many of the world's problems, I'm think the discussions in the kitchen may bring about more change!
Besides being recognized for  mission work which happens around the world as well as out the kitchen serving window, our UMW was busy last week with a funeral lunch, planning a dinner meeting for 100 local cattlemen and cattle women, collecting for the World Thankoffering, and reading selected books which encourage members to think about critical issues.
So it seemed appropriate to see the stage production of the musical "Church Basement Ladies: A Mighty Fortress is Our Basement" with several other women from our church yesterday. This musical comedy is based on a book "Growing Up Lutheran", but seemed very Methodist (as well as Christian, Baptist, Catholic, etc) in many of it's story lines. As three women plus the daughter of one struggle with the changes happening in their church and community in a 1966 world, they find that friendship and food make it all seem better. My friends and I laughed through the show as we recognized ourselves and others in the characters. I remembered going to the church basement of my childhood hometown with my mom and seeing the same pyrex dishes come with jello salads and chicken noodle casseroles.
Here's one of my Mom's church salad recipes, it makes a lot - she noted "dessert - big" on the card! I'm not sure you can still buy Dream Whip, but Cool Whip is available and quicker.
Orange Supreme Salad
ingredients:
2 packages orange jello
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple (drain & save juice)
8-oz. can mandarin oranges (drain & save juice)
1 can frozen orange juice (undiluted, thawed)
3-oz package lemon pie filling (can use instant or cooked)
1 cup Cool Whip or package Dream Whip
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
Dissolve jello in water and cool. Add 1 1/2 cup juice from the pineapple and mandarin oranges and 1 can thawed orange juice. Chill until partly set.
Fold in pineapple and mandarine oranges. Put into a 9-in x 13-in pan  chill until firm. Prepare pie filling as directed on package, then fold the Cool Whip into it. Spread this mixture over the jello layer. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Whatever the year,  whatever the church or community - I believe that friendship and food does make it all seem better.

Happy Birthday, George

Whether or not George Washington really cut down a cherry tree as a child is a debated story. Many of us learned it as elementary students, a lesson to teach the moral value of honesty demonstrated by our first President. Since the early reading books by McGuffy made the story common legend, cherries have been associated with George Washington.

So, as co-hostess for this month's church circle meeting, I had a yummy French Toast casserole for the brunch planned. Instead of the original recipe's apple pie filling, the February choice is Cherry Pie Filling. A snowy day cancellation kept me from church circle, but didn't keep us from enjoying the casserole for supper at home.
The recipe calls for slices of French bread, it makes 10 large or 20 small (if slices are halved when serving) servings. I think that when I do make this for a group I will cube the bread for the bottom and top layers so it can be cut into 15 servings per pan.

Baked Apple/Cherry French Toast
Ingredients:
20 slices French bread (about 3/4-inch thick)
1 can (21 oz) apple or cherry pie filling
8 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Directions:
Arrange 10 slices (or half the cubes) in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread with pie filling; top with the remaining bread. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over bread.

Ready for the fridge overnight

Cherry Pie filling is colorful

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

top with brown sugar & nut mixture

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, place brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans and corn syrup. Sprinkle over French toast.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minute or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Into the oven

Can serve with whipped topping, maple syrup, and additional nuts. (I didn't think it needed any of those 'extras'. It would be good with a side dish of yogurt)

Pancake Day

Pancakes have been a popular food for breakfast or supper at our house for years. When our kids were in 4-H, preparing for foods demonstrations at   4-H day occupied much of the weekends and evenings in January and February. It was important to find a food for the demonstration that would show the      4-H'ers skill, be easy to demonstrate, be unique in some way - and because there were lots of practices - be tasty. We often ate the demonstrated food several times a week! One year Clint chose "Good Morning Pancake Mix" for his demonstration, and we still like it - 20+ years later.
Pancakes are traditionally a mixture of flour, milk, and eggs, and cooked on a griddle of a hot skillet. They may be called flapjacks, crepes, silver dollars, poffertjes (see blog Pancakes and Petals April 20, 2011) or blini, depending on your culture and country.
Often pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday (also called Fat Tuesday), the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Pancakes were a traditional food to use the rich ingredients of eggs, milk and sugar before the fasting of Lent begin.
Aunt Jemima made the first pancake ready mix in 1889 in Missouri, but we think this one with cinnamon, oatmeal and whole wheat flour is as good and even more nutritious.

Cinnamon Oat Pancake Mix
4 cups quick-cooking oats
4 cups whole wheat blend flour
(or 2 cups whole wheat flour + 2 cups white all-purpose flour)
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well. Yield is about 8 cups of mix, enough for 4
 batches of pancakes. Store in an airtight container. A bag of the mix also makes a nice gift with a special syrup and a pretty kitchen towel.


To make the pancakes: In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Alternately beat in 2 cups of pancake mix and 1 cup of water. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a heaping spoonful of batter onto the hot skillet. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface and begin to break (about 2 - 3 minutes). Turn and cook 2 - 3 minutes more or until golden brown. Makes about twelve 5-inch pancakes.

Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday) is next week, February 12, a good time to try these light but satisfying pancakes.

Lasagna - Better than it sounds!

Sometimes its better not to know the origins or a recipe of a name. When I checked food trivia for Lasagna, I found that the word lasagna started with the Greek lasanon which means 'chamber pot'! Later the Romans used the word to humorously refer to a 'cooking pot'. Only later did the Italians use the word lasagne (plural of lasagna) to mean a dish cooked in such a pot. The dish cooked in that pot was flat sheets of pasta layered with minced meat and tomatoes topped with grated cheese. Soon, the word lasagna was applied to the pasta itself.
I'm not sure I'll be able to think of lasagna as quite so appetizing again! But I have a recipe that can help dissolve those unappealing origins of the lasanon pot. This recipe uses the no-cook lasagna noodles, so its a quick and easy prep. It also includes spinach, a good way to get that nutritious veggie on the table. I doubled the ground beef and reduced the onion in this version which was originally from Taste of Home. You can make your own spaghetti sauce, or use a combination of jarred sauce and water/tomato sauce/spaghetti seasoning. Just make sure you have equal the amount of liquid (about 6 1/2 cups).

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

2 pounds ground beef

½ medium onion, chopped

2 jars (26 ounces each) meatless spaghetti sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

9 no-cook lasagna noodles

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella until combined.

Spread 1 ½ cups meat sauce into a greased 13-in.x9-in.x2in. baking dish. Top with three noodles.  Spread 1 ½ cups sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of the spinach/cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 – 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Happy Birthday Cake

I had a birthday this week - one of those celebrations that is a cause of joy (after all was MY day), and for adults, dread (am I really this old?). Birthday trivia tells me that I'm only 13 in dog years. I spent part of my birthday watching national news as President Obama took his first oath, then followed the next day with the festivities that a Presidential inauguration includes. I'm old enough to remember hearing President Kennedy say in his inauguration address "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".  So I have no trouble remembering which day the President's inauguration will be.
Birthday cakes are tradition. Possibly from the ancient Greeks who made round cakes to represent the full moon to honor their goddess of the moon, Artemis, and topped them with candles to look as if they were glowing like the moon. I have many special memories of birthdays - and yes, I was a spoiled only child, I still have the pink cake topper and candleholders that graced my birthday cakes as a child. This year I planned my own cake - a cranberry white cake I'd been wanting to try. We shared it as dessert after dinner  with close friends and cousins Marlen & Sharon.

Cranberry Layer Cake

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 pkg. 2-layer-size white cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)

1 cup water

⅓ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 Tbsp. finely shredded orange peel (I use jarred from the spice shelf)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1.     Rinse cranberries in cold water; drain. Coarsely chop cranberries; set aside. Grease and flour two 8 x 1 ½-inch round cake pans. (I think it helps to also line the pans with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.

2.     In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, the water, oil and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed just until combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in cranberries, 1 cup pecans, and the orange peel. Divide between prepared pans, spreading evenly.

3.     Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25–30 minutes for the 9-inch layer or 30-35 minutes for the 8-inch layer or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

4.     Place one layer on a serving plate. Spread with some of the Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with the second layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with the ¼ cup pecans. Serve immediately or cover loosely and store in the refrigerator. Let chilled cake stand at r4oom temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened; ½ cup butter, softened, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in enough powdered sugar (4 ¾ – 5 ¼ cups) to reach spreading consistency. Stir in ½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel. Makes about 3 ¼ cups.

Shrimp Risotto

We really don't always eat beef! And when we choose something else shrimp is a treat. Often we order it when eating out, and occasionally I fix a shrimp recipe at home. When a new 'sample' magazine came in the mail - Cuisine At Home - I was tempted with the Shrimp Risotto recipe. It even used arborio rice, which I had a partial package left from another recipe - a double winner. And this recipe is so good, I'll even buy the special ingredients to make it again. The magazine says four servings, but I increased the amount of shrimp and rice and we've eaten it for at least 8 servings! (as good as it is, we're hoping its almost done).

For the Shrimp Stock:
1 pound shrimp (unsure about measuring the shrimp before or after peeling and removing the tails, I bought 1 1/2 pound, cleaned them and used 1 pound 5 ounces)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use a concentrate called "Better than Bouillon". 1 teaspoon in 8 ounces of boiling water equals 1 cup of broth)
1 cup chopped leek greens (leeks? not in our small town store! Celery worked well)
9 black peppercorns
4 fresh parsley sprigs (its January in Kansas - I used about a tablespoon of dried parsley)
2 bay leaves
For the Risotto:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped leaks whites (celery again)
1 cup dry arborio rice
3/4 cup dry sherry (I substituted more broth mixture)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2  tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions: Peel and devein the shrimp; set shrimp aside. Place shrimp shells and remaining stock ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer stock for 10 minutes. Strain stock through a colander into a bowl; discard solids. Return stock to saucepan over low heat.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add leek whites (celery); sauté 2 minutes, then stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes more. Do not allow rice or leeks to brown.
Deglaze pan with sherry (broth), stirring until liquid evaporates. Add 1/2 cup of warm stock; stir until absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time until all stock is used and rice is tender, 20 - 25 minutes.

Stir in peas and shrimp; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 5 minutes. Season risotto with salt, cayenne, and nutmeg.
Off heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

The reheated leftover are just as good as the first time served! 

Red Velvet Cake

The name - Red Velvet - sounds like a mystery novel, or a steamy romance story! Well, this is a cake - but one with many stories about it. Here are a few I've found with my Internet research....

This creamy red decadent cake is usually thought of as a Southern speciality, but one theory is that the recipe was first baked in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. This story, around 1930, involves a woman who loved the cake so much she asked for the recipe, and after receiving it, she also received her hotel bill with an additional charge of $350 for the cake recipe! (Does this remind you of the Neiman Marcus $1000 Cookie recipe story?) 

The Southern origins of the cake are attributed to the love of cocoa, one of the main ingredients. The legend is that the ingredients of vinegar and buttermilk will turn the cocoa into a deeper red color. In all the recipes I've seen, the deep red color comes from an alarming amount of red food coloring. Thus another story develops, that of a spice and food coloring salesman in the depression who developed a recipe using a whole bottle of red food coloring to make the deepest red batter possible, and did very well with advertising his products in living color. Another story tells of bakers who during World War II could not get the red food color because of food rations, and used boiled red beets instead of food coloring for their secret recipes. This cake was even part of the story of the 1989 film Steel Magnolias - remember the armadillo-shaped red velvet cake served as the groom's cake? 

Whatever the stories are, this cake that may have first been considered a rich man's cake because of the once-expensive ingredients, is very affordable for us common folk now. My favorite recipe includes a Duncan Hines "Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix" that can be whipped up quickly without staining your fingers and counters with all that food coloring! 

Red Velvet Poke Cake

Ingredients:

1 box Red Velvet cake mix

ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)

1 (3.4 oz) box instant cheesecake-flavored pudding

2 cups milk

frozen whipped topping, thawed (1/2 - 3/4 tub)

10 Oreo cookies, crushed (optional)

red sugar sprinkles (optional)

Directions: Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13" cake. When cake is baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, with a wooden spoon handle, a spatula handle, or other utensil, begin poking holes in the warm cake.  

Make sure the holes are deep and large enough for pudding to get all the way to the bottom of the cake. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix with milk (the original recipes call for 2 pudding mixes and 4 cups milk. I think 1 mix + 2 cups milk is enough). Pour the pudding over the cake, pouring right into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out using the back of the spoon, gently pushing pudding into the holes. 

Put the cake in the fridge to set and cool, about 2 hours. When the cake is completely cool, spread whipped topping completely over the pudding layer. Top with crushed Oreo cookies and red sugar sprinkles. 

Remember to refrigerate this cake before and after serving. It makes a festive and moist cake. When I served it at a family dinner, many thought the pudding 'tunnels' were strawberries baked into the cake.