Mock Apple Cobbler- Karlene Von

10 cups sliced, peeled, take out seeds of Zucchini
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 BIG tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. water

Bring these to a boil then simmer until soft (about 7-10min). Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of cinnamon on top of "apple mixture" and top with 1 box dry cake mix.(Yellows the BEST). Can add sliced butter chunks on top for added fattening about 1 stick.
 Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!!

Minestrone a La Milanese - Eileen Ostler

1/4 lb. bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, quartered
6 beef bouillon cubes
6 cups boiling water
1/2 cup peeled, sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup fresh green beans, cut in 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup peeled, sliced potatoes
1 cup sliced zucchini squash
1 cup shredded cabbage
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Place Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon is browned and crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Add onion and garlic to bacon fat in dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add bouillon cubes, water, carrots, celery, green beans, and potatoes. Reduce heat to low. Cover with vac-control valve closed. Simmer 20-25 minutes. Add squash, cabbage, tomatoes, parsley, basil leaves and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Crumble bacon and stir into hot soup. Serve with Parmesan, Mozzarella, or cheddar cheese sprinkled over the top. Makes about 2 quarts. Enjoy!!

Zucchini Boats - Linda Jackson

4 med. zucchinis (about 2 lbs.)
1/2 lbs. bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fine cracker crumbs
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme
Dash each of garlic salt and pepper

Cook whole zucchini in boiling salted water till barely tender 7-10 min. depending on the size (Don't over cook). Cool slightly. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop pulp from shells and mash. (I use a potato masher).
Cook sausage and onion; drain excess fat. Stir in mashed zucchini. Reserve 2 Tbs. cheese; mix in remaining ingredients. Spoon into zucchini shells; place in shallow baking dish. Sprinkly with reserved Parmesan Cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

Apricot Syrup - Shelly Taylor

2 lbs. fresh apricots, halved, pitted and cut up
1 cup water
4 cups white sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. light corn syrup or dark corn syrup

Puree about 1/2 apricots and 1/2 water in blender. Turn into large saucepan. Repeat with the second half of apricots and water. Add lemon juice, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir over med. high heat until sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Boil and stir for 5 min. Skim. Pour into hot sterilized half pint jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Place sterilized metal lids on jars and screw metal bands on securely. For added assurance against spoilage, you may choose to process in boining water bath for 5 min.

Italian Beef Stir Fry Shelley Taylor/ Eileen Ostler

1 lb. Beef cut into thin pieces (can use Pork or Chicken instead)
2 cloves garlic (I buy the chopped garlic at Costco and use that)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
2 med. zucchini sliced
1/3 cup reduced fat Italian dressing
2 cups hot cooked pasta
Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, and garlic in oil till beef is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Add zucchini and stir fry 2-3 min.  Return beef to pan and heat through, then add spaghetti and dressing, heat through again then add tomatoes. Serve and top with parmesan cheese.

7 Layer Salad - Karlene Von

1 head lettuce
3 stalks celery
1 onion (green or red)
10 oz frozen peas thawed
6 strips bacon cooked
3 eggs (I am guessing these are hard boiled...)
3/4 c mayo mixed with 1 Tbsp sugar, salt, pepper

layer in order and let sit for 4-24 hrs. mix before serving and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Fast Whipped Jello - Karlene Von

1/2 c boiling water
1 small pkg jello

blend these together for 1 min in a blender

add 1 tray ice cubes

mix well and pour quickly into a bowl. take out any un-melted ice cubes. refrigerate for 25 min.

Corn Bean Frito Salad - Lisa Mercer

1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
mayonnaise (start small it doesn't take much)
chili cheese Frito's

mix and serve immediately

This salad is deceptively simple and surprisingly tasty - try it before you judge on ingredients.

Pistachio Salad - Ashlee Von

1 small box pistachio instant pudding
1 lg can crushed pineapple with juice
1 8 oz tub cool whip
1/2 c chopped walnuts / pecans

mix together quickly and chill for 1 hr or more

Won Ton Salad - Stacey Kjar

1 head romaine lettuce
2 small chicken breasts cooked cubed
chopped green onions
sesame seeds
won ton skins fried to a light brown

Dressing:
1/2 c oil
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c red wine vinegar (plus a little more)
1 tsp salt

Bowtie Pasta Salad - Laura Mills

carrots cubed
chicken cubed cooked
tomatoes
cucumber
olives
uncooked broccoli
bowtie pasta cooked

toss with Italian dressing

Valentines Day Ideas

I know this is so late... Let me know if I missed anything else that we talked about that night.


Chocolate Dipping - Louise Day

Temper your chocolate by bringing it to 115 degrees gradually so that you don't scorch the chocolate. Take the chocolate off the heat and bring it down to 80 degrees by either letting it cool or adding un-melted chocolate. Bring the chocolate back to 87 degrees and it is tempered and ready to dip in.
Un-tempered chocolate will harden with a white dusty coating and will not look as nice.


Chocolate Bowls - Karlene Von

You are supposed to use a blown up balloon for this, but Karlene found that using a silicone baking cup was much easier. Dip your item in chocolate and lay down to cool and harden. Repeat until you have the desired thickness. Yum!

These can be used as part of a date night with a crazy menu. Karlene has the details if you are interested.

Tortillas - Louise Day

4 cups flour (use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 to 1 1/2 c hot water
1/4 c shortening or butter

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork until it forms fine crumbs. Gradually stir in water and press into a ball. Kneed on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 12 pieces and roll each piece out into a 6 inch circle. Cook over low heat without oil for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until the surface is speckled brown.

Lemonade - Lori Jackson

This is low cal low sugar.

2 quart pitcher
1/4 c splenda sugar blend (1/2 & 1/2 sugar and slenda)
1/2 c lemon juice

Tortilla de Patata - Lisa Mercer

Heat olive oil in a pan the size you want your omelet to end up. Do not use a pan larger than the largest plate you could flip it onto! Fry cubed potatoes with salt and garlic (powder or fresh to taste) in the oil until soft but not crunchy. While they are cooking beat the eggs until frothy.

• For the small tortilla I used a small frying pan, 1 1/2 small potatoes, and 4 eggs

When the potatoes are soft, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and add then to the whipped eggs. Check the pan to make sure there is a generous amount of olive oil in the bottom, add more if necessary. Mix the eggs and potatoes together and dump them back in the pan. Cook the mixture on medium-low heat until the top is only s bit sloshy. Giggle the pan to make sure the omelet is loose. Place a dinner plate on top of the pan and hold it there as you quickly invert the pan so that the omelet is on the plate. Then slide the omelet back into the pan to cook the other side. Use a knife to test for doneness.

You can add onions, ham and/or other ingredients to this and eat it alone. We like to eat it as is in a sandwich with bread, mayo and salsa.

Shrimp Stirfry - Noe Clark

Warm frying pan with oil enough to cover the pan and add:

• broccoli florets, snow peas, matchstick carrots

Cook in oil for several minutes and add 1c chicken broth and cook until the vegies are soft and pliable.

Cook Noodles: In a separate pan (large) warm oil (enough to cover the pan) and add the noodles. Noe used Yaki-Soba Japanese style pan fry noodles. Fry the noodles in the pan, they will turn from dull to shinny when they are done.

Add the cooked vegetables to the fried noodles and add:

• sliced, uncooked mushrooms
• more chicken broth

Mix the sauce and add it to the vegies and noodles, cook until the mushrooms are done:

• 1 c oyster sauce
• 3/4 c soy sauce
• ground pepper
  

Cook the shrimp, in the pan you used for the vegies, in oil and chicken broth. They will turn an orange-pink when they are done. When the mushrooms are done in the noodle pan add the shrimp, toss, and serve.

Asian Markets:
900 s 700 e SLC
Perez Polynesian Market in West Valley

'09 Christmas Dinner Recipes

Apple Bacon Nut Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing:

Romaine and Spinach lettuce
Gala apples cut into chunks
Bacon cooked and crumbled
Candied Walnuts

Dressing:
1 c mayo
1/2 c sugar
3 T apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 t poppy seeds
1 T red onion (optional)
put everything but the poppy seeds in a blender and blend on high til combined. add the poppy seeds and blend on low or stir in. refrigerate.


Parmesan Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/4 t garlic salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t season salt
parsley flakes (for color)
1 stick butter
1 T grated onion
1 T lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients. Melt butter and mix with onion and lemon juice. Pierce chicken with a fork all over to tenderize and dip in butter mixture. Roll in bread mixture and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 400 for 30 minutes.

Roasted Potatoes - Dave Prows

I still need to get this recipe from Cindy and Dave.

Banana Cream Pie - Karlene Von

Karlene - I need this recipe:)

Apple Crumb Pie - Linda Jackson

Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt
Mix these 3 ingredients together with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly

Mix together: 1 egg slightly beaten, 1/4 cup cold water, and 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until all is moistened. Divide dough into 3 balls. Roll out each ball on a generously floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough as well and on the rolling pin. The secret to good pie crusts is to roll out paper thin. Place in 9 inch pie pan. Cut dough off around edge of pie pan and flute edges. If you will be cooking the crust before adding the filling, poke the crust with fork in several places and bake at 425 degrees until lightly browned.

Apple Crumb Pie:

5-7 tart apples
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 3/4 tsp cinnamon

With pastry blender mix until crumbly:
1/3 C. sugar
3/4 cup flour
6 Tbsp. butter (not softened).

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Pare and core apples. Cut in slices. Arrange in pastry shell. (apples should be heaping because they shrink down when cooked). Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of apples. Then top with sugar/flour/butter mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until done. Let set 1/2 hour before serving.

English Muffins - Eileen Ostler

5 to 5 1/4 c. flour, approximately
1 pkg. quick-rise dry yeast (2 1/4 t)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. quick oats
1 c. dry milk
2 T. sugar
11/4 t. salt

Combine the above ingredients. Mix well.

2 c. water @ 125 degrees
1/4 c. oil

Add water and oil to dry mix. Blend until moistened. Beat 3 mins. on medium. Add sufficient flour to make dough. Knead. Let rise until double in bulk. Roll out on cornmeal and cut with biscuit cutter. Let rise in draft free area (I use oven) until double 3/4-1 inch thickness. Bake on lightly greased sheet @ 350 for 17 minutes. Good cut in half and toasted. Makes 20-30 muffins.