Welcome to the wacky ingredient file – also known as “Cool Stuff I
Stole from Other People.” It’s a sad fact that sooner or later, I
will pester you for a recipe, no matter who you are or how we met.
Are you changing a tire at twenty below? Let’s talk soup! Chasing
your overtired kids around the store at 5:30 on a Saturday? Tell
me your favorite cake recipe right now! Once, after tasting a
potato dish that was so good it knocked me sideways, I hauled out
a pen and notebook then and there to scribble down the recipe. Did
I mention this was during a formal wedding reception, complete
with tiny baby orchids, tuxes and a full orchestra? Clearly, I
have recipe issues and the only way to deal with it is to of
course, find even more to share with you. Thank goodness I still
have friends in Delta I can steal ideas from on a regular basis.
Cheeseburger Soup
Stolen with a smile from Eileen Herman, who served this during our
last Bunco fest at her pretty house out on the river. Twelve of us
had no problem lapping up bowl after bowl of this tasty and
filling soup and we almost lost our ambition to play the game by
the time we’d finished supper. Who knew cheeseburgers in a bowl
could be so tasty? Belated congrats to Martha Kimball, Bunco Queen
Bee Winner of the night!
1 pound lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon basil
¼ cup sour cream
salt and pepper
Brown beef and onion together in large heavy soup pot, like a
Dutch Oven. Drain and set aside. Saute onion, carrots, celery and
basil in same pan about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and add broth,
potatoes and beef.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15
minutes.
Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese
melts.
Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Keeps nicely in a
crock-pot for hours and good with some hearty bread on the side.
WACKY CAKE
This recipe is as old as the hills, which might even be older than
I am, considering how I've been creaking around lately. I first
ran into it years ago in the I Hate To Cookbook by Peg Bracken,
the patron saint of busy moms and aspiring food writers
everywhere. It never fails, and it’s a lifesaver when you run out
of eggs but must produce a cake for some function or other.
Through the magic of vinegar and soda, I promise your cake will
rise!
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon cocoa
1/3 cup melted shortening or oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water
Preheat oven to 350..
Sift dry ingredients into a well sprayed 9 x 9 inch pan. Mix well
with a wire whisk. Make 3 holes, one for vinegar, oil and vanilla.
Pour water over all. Mix well with fork. Do not beat.
Bake for 30 minutes. Leave in pan and frost while still warm with:
WACKY CAKE TOPPING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 stick butter
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
CHICKEN WITH CASHEWS
I was resistant to using nuts in anything but cookies or quick
bread for a very long time. But then this recipe came into my life
courtesy of another college pal, Mama Lori, who we all adored and
still do, since she’s a second grade teacher with endless patience
and a mega wattage smile. She was a whiz in the kitchen and
dreamed up all kinds of good things on a regular basis. She was
very fond of cashews, so this recipe was an immediate hit, and I
became a cashew chicken convert at once.
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced thin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small chopped onion
1/2 pound mushroom, trimmed and sliced
1 small cabbage head, shredded
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups cashews
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 ounces Chinese noodles
Place chicken, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch
in a bowl; let stand for 15 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons oil with
salt in wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Add chicken and
stir-fry until white and firm. Add onion and mushrooms and
stir-fry until vegetables are soft.
Remove from pan.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok. Stir in cabbage and sugar. Stir-fry
3 or 4 minutes until cabbage is crisp tender. Return
chicken-vegetable mixture to wok. Add cashews and toss to combine.
Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1/4 cup soy sauce. Stir into
chicken-cashew mixture. Cover and steam 1 minute. Uncover and stir
until sauce is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with Chinese fried
noodles before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Company Carrots
Cooked carrots are one of my top three favorite veggies, and I
don’t ever find them boring, especially when they come tossed with
a bit of butter, salt and pepper. The first time my college pal
Sara Jane made this recipe, I had a hard time believing so much
intense flavor came from such simple ingredients. You’ll believe
it, though, and enjoy the results.
1/3 cup water chestnuts, sliced
2 Tablespoons butter, divided and melted
2 c. carrots, cooked, drained and sliced
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. dried mint leaves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Sauté water chestnuts in 1 tablespoon butter for 5 minutes.
Combine with carrots and place in 1 quart casserole. Add remaining
butter. Combine sugar, mint and cinnamon. Sprinkle over carrots.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring frequently.
Serves 4.
Corn And Walnut Dip
I ran this in the column a couple of years ago and happily swiped
it from our dear friend Patricia Smith, who recently moved back
East. (We miss you, Pat!). She loves a spicy treat and the crushed
chilies in this are adjustable to your liking. Here’s more nuts
used to give this interesting spread a great texture.
16 oz cream cheese; softened, (Two 8 ounce packages)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
dash of pepper
1 cup walnuts; chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon crushed red chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
One 8 3/4 oz corn; whole kernel, drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
Beat all ingredients except corn, walnuts and onion in a large
bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth. Stir
in corn, walnuts, and onion. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 4
cups of dip.
Holiday Potatoes
This is the recipe mentioned above that I scribbled down during
the wedding reception. It’s so easy and so good and so full of
calories that you probably shouldn’t make it too often. But you
probably will anyway.
2 packages frozen hash brown potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon dry onion soup mix
2 cups sour cream
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, diced
1 can evaporated milk
Pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Paprika
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish and add
the frozen hash browns. Mix the soup, onion soup mix, sour cream,
cream cheese and milk and pepper. Pour evenly over the spuds. Top
with Cheddar cheese, then Parmesan cheese and finish with a
sprinkle of paprika. Set baking dish on a foil lined cookie sheet
to catch spills, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes until top is
well browned. Let rest fifteen minutes before serving.
Surprise Fudge
Cheryl Helkenn knows me well, and actually offered this recipe
before I even asked for it! She says it’s very tasty and you can’t
even tell it’s made with beans, which give it a creamy texture and
satisfying mouth feel. It makes a huge pan and you’ll end up with
80 pieces if you cut them into 1” squares. If you’re with us on
the Weight Watchers Team, each piece is just half a point!
15 oz can pinto beans rinsed & drained
1 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
7 1/2 cups powered sugar
4 tablespoons peanut butter
Mash beans well with fork till smooth. Cover & microwave for 1 ½
min. Add cocoa, butter, vanilla, & peanut butter. Then slowly add
sugar (will be thick). Press in "Pam" coated 9 x 13 pan. Cover,
refrigerate till firm. Cut into 1" pieces. Yields about 80 pieces.
Equals 1/2 point per piece
