Cooking Recipes

By Sheri

MAKE A YELLOW CAKE ORANGE-FLAVORED

I don’t know about you, but Summer isn’t the time I like to bake for hours. It’s Winter when I’ve been known to happily spend the better part of a day making sugar cookies decorated creatively in 4 or 5 different tints of icing. It’s still fun to have a nice, iced cake once in a while in the Summer for dessert. If you buy cake mixes and canned frosting on sale to keep in the cupboard, you can whip up dessert in the morning (on a weekend if you work during the week!) when it’s still cool.

Many people like yellow cake and you can flavor it up with oranges for a refreshing dessert perfect after a casual Summer barbecue. Decorating the vanilla frosted, yellow orange-flavored cake is fast and easy with canned mandarin orange segments, but make sure you drain the oranges really well by patting them dry on paper towels first. Make room in the fridge to keep the cake until dessert time as the whipped topping in the filling will need to stay chilled.

QUICK ORANGE YELLOW CAKE

2 greased and floured 9inch cake pans

yellow cake mix prepared as per package
directions – but use orange juice instead
of the water, plus add 2 Tablespoons
grated orange peel (zest)

canned vanilla frosting for a 9inch layer cake

8 oz tub whipped topping

3 Tablespoons grated orange peel (zest)

1 can (or more!)  mandarin orange segments – very well drained!

1.  Mix the cake batter as printed on the package directions, but making the changes I’ve noted above. For the orange juice, you can squeeze it from a fresh orange, since you’re going to be using a lot of grated peel in the recipe anyway, or you can use prepared frozen orange juice.

2.  To make the cake filling, simply mix in the well-drained mandarin oranges into the whipped topping. Be sure to save some orange segments to decorate the finished cake. You may want to use more than one can of mandarins so you’ll have more for decoration.

3.  When the cake is completely cool, add the whipped topping and mandarin filling to the top of one layer. Add the second layer. Using the canned vanilla frosting, frost the sides and top of the layer cake. Decorate with mandarin pieces and immediately place the cake in the refrigerator until serving time.

By Sheri

ONIONS ADD WONDERFUL FLAVOR TO MANY DISHES

Like many cooks, I’m seldom without onions in my kitchen as they’re so versatile. Although I rarely make heavy stews in the summer, I use onions a lot in lighter fare such as salads, dips and cheese dishes. Even storing onions in a dark, cool cupboard may not be enough to keep them from going bad rather quickly if you live in a humid climate. Buy only what you can use up in a few days.

The best way to store onions is in a clean pantyhose leg hanging in a dark, cool cupboard. Simply tie a knot in between each onion and have some scissors handy to snip the onions free as you need them. Storing onions and potatoes in the same bin together can make them rot sooner. Use nice, fresh onions without growths, soft spots or signs of mold.

Baked Onion Dip

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 clove garlic – minced

¼ tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients and place into a baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Take care not to burn it. Cool and serve the dip with tortilla chips or raw veggies. You can make this dip in the morning and keep it covered in the refrigerator until serving time.

Rice-Crusted Onion Quiche

7 eggs (2 for crust, 5 for filling)

½ tsp oregano (¼ tsp for crust, ¼ tsp for filling)

½ tsp paprika (¼ tsp for crust, ¼ tsp for filling)

salt and pepper

1 ¼ cups cooked brown rice

3 onions – thinly sliced

cooking oil

1 – 2 cloves garlic – minced

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk

1 ¼ cups grated Swiss cheese (or a blend of sharp cheeses)

1.  Beat 2 of the 7 eggs and mix them, along with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika, into the rice. Grease a 9 inch pie plate and press the rice mixture into the pan to form a crust. Bake the rice crust about 15 minutes in a 375F oven.

2.  Saute the onions in cooking oil in a frying pan until soft and golden brown. Saute the garlic in with the onions for a few minutes. Turn the heat down when needed to avoid burning the onions and garlic.

3.  In a bowl, beat the remaining 5 eggs. Add salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, milk and cheese. Stir in the sauteed onions and garlic; pour the mixture into the rice crust.

4.  Bake the quiche in a 375F oven approximately 35 – 40 minutes until the top is golden and a knife tip inserted in the center comes out clean.

By Sheri

STAY COOL AS A CUCUMBER THIS SUMMER!

Chilled cucumbers can be so refreshing during the summer. They not only make great sides to sandwiches, but are excellent in summer salads and wraps. Here are 3 delicious easy cucumber recipes to enjoy:

Fresh Oregano Cucumber Salad

1 lb cucumber – thinly sliced

1 medium red onion – thinly sliced

1 large tomato – chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1.  Place cucumber, onion and tomato into a bowl. Set aside.

2.  Stir the oil and vinegar with the oregano, salt, pepper and garlic power. Mix this dressing into the vegetables. Marinate in the refrigerator several hours before serving. This salad is excellent with garlic bread and a glass of wine!

Cucumber Chicken Wraps

6 flour tortillas

about 30 spinach leaves – torn into pieces

about 2 ½ cups cucumber – thinly sliced

2 lbs cooked chicken breast – in bite-sized chunks

1 cup ranch or blue cheese salad dressing

pepper to taste

1.  Place the spinach pieces, cucumber slices and chicken breast chunks into a bowl. Toss with the salad dressing and pepper to taste.
2.  Divide the filling between the 6 tortillas. Roll up to serve.

Garbanzo Cucumber Salad

2 cups canned garbanzo beans – drained

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1 medium onion – finely chopped

2 tomatoes – chopped

¾ cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp garlic powder

fresh oregano to taste – or use dried

salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup feta cheese – crumbled

1.  Place the garbanzo beans, cucumber, onion and tomatoes into a bowl. Set aside.

2.  Whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic power, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean and vegetable mixture and blend well. Chill for several hours.

3.  Place into serving dishes and top with crumbled feta cheese. Crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment.

By Sheri

ENJOY THE HOT DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!

New York City

Start with great, all beef kosher hot dogs, like Hebrew National or Empire National, then grill them to perfection. If you’d rather boil instead of grill that’s okay too. Use lightly toasted buns and top the kosher New York hot dogs with good quality mustard and lots of sauerkraut You could add relish too if you like.

Chicago

Use Vienna beef hot dogs and poppy seed rolls. Serve the hot dogs “dragged through the garden” meaning with lots of veggies such as fresh, chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions. Don’t forget to add a lengthwise spear of pickle! Use relish, mustard and a sprinkling of celery salt but NEVER top a Chicago hot dog with ketchup! (The fresh tomato is even better anyway, so you won’t even miss it!)

Cincinatti

A Coney Island Chili Cheese hot dog is packed with wonderful flavor! Yes, Coney Island is in New York, not Ohio, but Cincinatti’s variation is a winner. The secret is to spoon on thick chili spiced with cinnamon and chocolate over the hot dog in the bun. Then add lots of melty grated cheddar cheese and chopped onions to perfectly compliment the chili and meat. The only thing left to add for the best Cincinnatti Coney Island Chili Cheese hot dog is Ohio’s famous Bertman Ball Park Mustard – but if you can’t get that, just use your favorite quality mustard and enjoy!

Georgia

A Scrambled Dog is a yummy, messy creation that you need a knife and fork to eat. You spread out a hot dog bun on a plate and add chopped hot dog, chili, grated cheese, oyster crackers, chopped onions and coleslaw. The Georgia Scrambled Dog is different and fabulous!

West Virginia

Also super-popular in the Carolinas, Slaw Dogs start with a steamed bun spread with a layer of yellow mustard. A grilled hot dog is added and topped with rich chili and/or creamy coleslaw. If you choose both chili and coleslaw, you’re having your hot dog “all the way.” There are many different variations on the West Virginia or Carolina Slaw Dog such as just using chili sauce and chopped onions rather than actual chili stew.

Michigan

The Mush Puppy features sliced, cooked mushrooms in a melted cheddar cheese sauce. Sooo good! Seriously – mushrooms in cheese sauce on a hot dog, yum! Use a beef hot dog and a steamed, cheddar bun. The Detroit Coney hot dog has lots of chili and onions, plus a nice stripe of mustard down the center.

Seattle

Thanks to Seattle’s popular seafood restaurant, Ivar’s, the Cod Dog or Fish Dog became popular. You use a piece of battered fish rather than a hot dog in the bun and top it with coleslaw. Before adding the fish and coleslaw, mix up a great tartar type of sauce with mayo, ketchup, relish and mustard – use one or more of these to your taste. For a Seattle Salmon Dog, toast a hot dog bun, spread it with cream cheese, add a piece of barbecued salmon and top with sauerkraut.

By Sheri

CANTALOUPE IS A GREAT SUMMER ADD-IN TO MACARONI SALAD!

I remember when I was about 10 years old and visited relatives who had made a fruit salad with perfectly rounded scoops of melon in it. I was fascinated and immediately had to know how it was done. Ah ha! A little scooping tool with two different sizes of scoops! I’ve since learned that regular measuring spoons – preferably metal ones because they’re stronger than plastic – will work too.

Anyway, I like to make scoops of cantaloupe ahead of time and keep them chilled in a bowl in the fridge. For something different, yet refreshing for the Summer, cantaloupe scoops added to a chilled macaroni salad just before serving can be wonderful! As an alternative to scoops, the cantaloupe could be chopped into bite-sized chunks. Adding leftover cooked chicken pieces is the perfect way to create a cold meal for a hot day!

CANTALOUPE & CHICKEN MACARONI SALAD

6 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni

1 ½ cups plain yogurt

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ tsp celery salt

¼ – ½ tsp paprika

Dash garlic powder

pepper to taste

1 large onion – finely diced

3 celery stalks – chopped

2 tomatoes – chopped

1 green bell pepper – chopped

2 cups cooked chicken breast pieces

1 ½ cups cantaloupe – in bite-sized scoops or chunks

1.  Prepare the cantaloupe and keep it in the refrigerator until just before it’s serving time for the macaroni salad.

2.  In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon, celery salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked macaroni with the onion, celery, tomatoes, green pepper and chicken pieces.

4.  Add the yogurt sauce to the macaroni mixture and mix well. Keep covered in the refrigerator at least 3 – 4 hours or overnight. Stir in the cantaloupe pieces, or add them to individual bowls, just before serving.

By Sheri

SWISS CHEESE IS DELICIOUS ON A CLUB SANDWICH!

I love the nutty, rich flavor of Swiss cheese added to a club sandwich. Swiss cheeses include Gruyere and Emmental – you can use any type or combo of this type of cheese. I prefer using yogurt to mayonnaise to highlight the zingy flavor of the Swiss cheese even more. Dijon is the perfect mustard as it also has a nice edge to it, but you could use a spicier type or a sweeter, honey-mustard if you prefer either of those.

Using long party style toothpicks is necessary as there are 3 layers of bread in each sandwich. If you have trouble finding these, you could cut wood skewers to size. Black and green olives are the classic (and cutest!) touch to add to the tops of the wood picks. One of these hearty chicken, Swiss and bacon club sandwiches, with some carrot sticks and a glass of milk, can make a satisfying no-cook Summer meal. If you cook the bacon ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator, plus use leftover, cooked chicken breast from another meal, putting the sandwiches together will be a breeze!

CHICKEN, SWISS AND BACON CLUB SANDWICHES

(Makes 4)

12 slices whole wheat bread – lightly toasted

¾ lb cooked chicken breast – sliced

¾ lb Swiss cheese – sliced

12 slices cooked bacon

2 – 3 tomatoes – sliced

spinach leaves – washed

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ tsp minced garlic

pepper to taste

16 wood picks

16 black and/or green olives to garnish picks

1. Mix together the yogurt, mustard, garlic and pepper. Divide the mixture between the 12 pieces of bread after lightly toasting them.
2. Divide the cooked chicken between 4 bread slices. Follow with spinach leaves. Top these 4 with another slice of bread each.
3. On that bread slice, add sliced Swiss cheese, tomato slices and bacon slices on top.. Add the final bread slices on top of each of the 4 sandwiches.
4. Secure each sandwich with 4 wood picks with olives on top. Place the picks between the middle of the sandwich and each straight edge. Slice each sandwich from the corners into 4 triangles.

By Sheri

STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF IS EASY TO MAKE

After a heavy meal, Strawberries Romanoff is a light, yet satisfying dessert. Since it’s basically just fruit and cream without cake or anything though, it works when only a light dessert is wanted. To give it more substance, using half vanilla ice cream and half whipped cream is a good idea; this also increases the flavor.

Strawberries Romanoff is a classic dessert first created for Tsar Nicholas I by his chef, Marie Antoine Careme. The most elegant way to serve it is in champagne glasses with the strawberries and creams in alternate layers plus a garnish of fresh mint and slivered almonds. The same ingredients can also be “dressed down” by placing the fruit in a dessert bowl, then adding the creams followed by the garnishes.

Another way to vary the dessert is to use either orange juice or orange-flavored liqueur. This way you can prepare a Strawberries Romanoff for family dinners or dinner parties for adults only. The dish is easy to prepare, but chilling the strawberries for at least 3 or 4 hours is a must because they marinate in the orange flavor and need to be cold like the ice cream and whipped cream.

SUMMERLICIOUS STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF

4 cups ripe strawberries – washed, hulled and quartered or sliced

¼ cup sugar (or more to taste if you prefer)

3 ½ Tablespoons orange juice or orange-flavored liqueur

the grated rind (zest) of one orange

1 ¼ cups vanilla ice cream (good quality with real vanilla is best)

1 ¼ cups heavy cream – whipped and chilled

(slivered almonds and fresh mint sprigs for garnish – optional)

1. Place the prepared strawberries in a bowl with the sugar, orange juice or liqueur, and the orange zest. Blend well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 – 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Prepare and chill the whipped cream.
3. At serving time, either place the marinated, chilled strawberries in serving dishes and top with the creams, or alternate layers of berries, ice cream and whipped cream. Garnish with slivered almonds and fresh mint if desired.

By Sheri

TURN PLAIN BANANAS INTO YUMMY MUFFINS

It’s no secret that bananas make great baked goods when they’re used nice and ripe. Brown spotted bananas are the best for banana bread as well as these muffins. The flavor from ripe bananas is much stronger and this adds much more taste to baked goods. Of course, don’t use moldy bananas — throw those out! — but short of that, the riper the better for baking.

Chock full of healthy vitamins and minerals, bananas aren’t just high in potassium. They contain calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, B vitamins and vitamin C. Even a large banana is only about 140 calories – plus, it offers around 4 grams of fiber.

These muffins are excellent for quick breakfasts, snacks on the go, work lunches and summer picnics.  They’re also handy to have on hand in the freezer. To enjoy the banana nut muffins warm, simply heat them for a few seconds in a microwave before adding butter — mmmmm!

EASY BANANA NUT MUFFINS

½ cup soft butter

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 large bananas – mashed

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice stirred in

¾ cup walnuts – chopped

1.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs before stirring in the mashed bananas.

2.  In a second bowl, blend together the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

3.  To the banana mixture, add some of the milk with the lemon juice alternating with some of the blended dry ingredients. Keep alternating the ingredients and stirring just until mixed.

4.  Blend in the vanilla and nuts.

5.  Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the centers are done and the tops are golden brown.

By Sheri

MAKE A POTATO SALAD AHEAD FOR A BARBECUE

If you make up a potato salad either the morning before an evening barbecue, or the night before, you’ll have it all ready to go while also giving the flavors time to blend well with the potatoes. Using fresh dill is well worth the effort even if it takes visiting a few supermarkets to find it. Many supermarkets carry fresh packaged herbs in their produce departments in the summer.

(Mmmm, while I’m thinking of that, you could also buy some fresh basil and tomatoes. I love sliced tomatoes topped with chopped fresh basil, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. They take only a few minutes under the broiler to get golden brown and bubbly. The sliced tomatoes are great as a side for barbecued meat or even as an extra ‘kicker’ with grilled cheese sandwiches.)

Anyway, back to the potato salad… Other than using fresh dill, my potato salad secret is to toss the still-warm, cooked potatoes with some Italian dressing. Don’t go too overboard on it, or you’re really going to up the sodium, but rather drizzle on a little and toss it in well with 2 forks.

PATIO POTATO SALAD WITH FRESH DILL

3 lbs potatoes

Italian dressing – a few tablespoons

1 large onion – chopped

7 hard-boiled eggs – peeled and chopped

1 ¼ cups celery – thinly sliced

about 1/2 tsp garlic powder or more to taste

pepper to taste (and salt, if needed)

about 2 ½ Tablespoons fresh dill – chopped

about 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise (light or regular)

1. Scrub and remove the eyes from the potatoes. Boil them whole with the skins on for about 15 – 20 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain well and let the potatoes cool enough to be handled.
2. Cut the potatoes in chunks about the same size. Using 2 forks, toss the warm potato chunks with the Italian dressing. Set aside.
3. Mix the dill, pepper, salt and garlic powder in with the mayonnaise. Set aside.
4. Add the eggs and celery to the potato chunks and blend well. Stir in the mayonnaise mixture.
5. Refrigerate at least 5 hours, or overnight in a covered bowl.

By Sheri

LUSCIOUS AND LEMONY CHICKEN!

Lemony baked chicken and pea pods combine for a light, refreshing dinner. Honey added to the dish compliments the sour lemon with rich sweetness. The chicken should be marinated in the fridge at least 5 hours or overnight before baking the dish in the oven. This lemon chicken is closer to the Greek way of cooking than the Oriental method.

Hot cooked rice or oven roasted potatoes do work equally well served with the Baked Lemon Chicken. I love to add tarragon and oregano to the dish, but a little rosemary as well as paprika would also work. This is a good dish to make when you’re working in the kitchen on other projects as you’ll need to take it out of the oven after baking it several times in 30 and 15 minute intervals.

BAKED LEMON CHICKEN

5 lbs chicken pieces

¾ cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoons grated lemon peel

2 – 3 cloves garlic – minced

salt and pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried tarragon

2 Tablespoons honey

2 cups pea pods

2 lemons – well-washed and sliced thinly

1/3 cup butter – melted

1/3 parsley – chopped

1.  Place the chicken pieces in one layer in a large, shallow baking dish.

2.  In a bowl, mix together the lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, tarragon and honey. Pour this over the chicken and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight, or at least 5 hours. Turn the pieces occasionally.

3.  Before cooking the marinated chicken pieces, remove the excess marinade from the pan and save it in a bowl. Brush the chicken pieces with the melted butter. Bake uncovered at 400F for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove the pan of chicken from the oven. Brush on the saved marinade. Return the pan to the oven and bake 15 minutes more.

5.  This time when you remove the pan of chicken from the oven, cover the chicken with the lemon slices. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 15 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice or with roasted potatoes. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with chopped parsley before serving.