Cooking with KP: November 2010

Amanda's Asian Salad

Here is a delicious salad that Amanda makes for our teacher covered dish meals. Everyone loves it.

1 package of broccoli slaw
1 c of sunflower seed kernels
1 c. toasted almond slices
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
2 packages beef ramen noodles
1 c. vegetable oil
3 diced green onions

Remove the seasoning packs from the ramen noodles and set aside. Crush the ramen noodles well. Combine the following ingredients in a separate container: beef seasoning, sugar, oil, and vinegar. Mix well. Combine all other ingredients in large salad bowl. Pour dressing on and toss. Store in refrigerator overnight.

Pearl Onions in Creamy Cheese Sauce

I got this recipe from a bag of pearl onions. It is amazing and delicious. One of Amanda's favorite things.

2 bags (14 ounces) frozen pearl onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream/evaporated milk
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Place the onions into a colander and rinse them with cold water to separate them.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more.

3. Sprinkle the mixture with flour. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes.

4. Add the milk, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add Parmesan cheese and simmer 2 minutes. Pour into serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley.

Spicy Corn Casserole

I think most people have a corn casserole recipe. This is mine. When Father Henry was the priest at Annunciation, I would bring this for covered dish meals and he loved it.

Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 small can of green chilies
2 finely diced green onions
1 small yellow onion finely diced
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1.2 c. grated Monterrey Jack cheese (for a really spicy casserole, use part pepper jack cheese or all pepper jack cheese, depending on how spicy/hot you like things)
1/2 c grated cheese for topping casserole

Mix all ingredients but 1/2 cup of cheese in a large bowl. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes.

Kay's Cornbread Stuffing

I have made this cornbread stuffing most of my life. It is one I got from my mother. It is amazing.

First, make the cornbread:
2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 milk or buttermilk (buttermilk is best)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T melted butter

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a lightly greased baking pan or cast iron skillet. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake at 350 degrees .

While cornbread it baking, toast 8-10 pieces of bread (this is a great way to use leftover hot dog and hamburger buns). Cut toasted bread into 1/2 inch wide squares.

Once cornbread has cooled, crumble and place in a very large mixing bowl. Add toast cubes.

Also while cornbread is baking, boil 2-5 chicken breasts (depending on the size and how much chicken you like in your dressing) with just water until tender.
Chop chicken breasts into small pieces or shred. Add to crumbled cornbread

Saute in a skillet with one stick of melted butter or margarine
1 c. diced onion
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced bell pepper
1/2 c. diced fresh or dried parsley flakes
1/2 c diced green onion

Pour sauteed vegetables over cornbread.

Add to cornbread mixture
1-2 Tablespoons garlic powder (do not use garlic salt)
1/2 Tablespoon black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon seasoned salt (I don't use much because broth will add salt)
1/2 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
2-3 tsp. ground sage (I use 3 because we like sage)
1 c. chopped pecans
14 oz. bag of dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients well.

Pour on top of cornbread mixture 2-3 cans/boxes (8-12 cups) of low sodium chicken broth. I like my stuffing very moist so I use 3 boxes.

Place in large baking pan and bake covered for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove lid or foil and bake 10 minutes to brown the top. Enjoy.

Optional additions: We have added two chopped Granny Smith apples before and it is wonderful. We have also added on can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped and it add a wonderful crunch. You can add 1 tablespoon of orange peel as well. And, I have used walnuts instead of pecans. Finally, I have made this before with all the additions in one-cranberries, apples, chestnuts, orange peel, walnuts and pecans. Amazing!

Persimmon Muffins

As November comes to its zenith, persimmons come into season. I love them; so did my father and mother. Here is a great recipe for persimmon muffins. Amanda made some last weekend and they were so enjoyable. She made them mini-muffin style. I can't wait to get some egg nog and make a batch of these. A fire in the fireplace,warm, spicy muffins and a mug of egg nog--it is what fall is all about!

Ingredients
2 ripe persimmons,mashed
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in molasses. Stir in nuts and raisins.
Place in greased mini-muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

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Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.