Delectable downloadings from Stella and Kristin's kitchen
Here is an unusual recipe from Kristin Sagers' kitchen that accompanies other main dishes and adds special oos and ahs to any festive dinner. She served it at a recent party, to everybody's delight.
2 large red onions, sliced
thin, separated into rings
12 green onions, chopped
2 large yellow onions, sliced
thin, separated into rings
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
10 ounces (about 2-1/2 cups)
grated Havarti cheese
3 tablespoons butter (margarine),
cut into small pieces
3/4 cup cooked chicken stock
While oven is heating to 350 degrees, grease a 9 x 13-inch baking
dish, then layer in half of the red, green, and yellow onions.
Sprinkle with half of the black pepper, then cover with blue
cheese. Smooth final layer of mixed onions and a sprinkling of
remaining pepper. Cover with Havarti cheese, then position
butter pieces evenly over cheese. Pour chicken stock over
casserole. Bake for 1 hour, or until onions are tender. Cover
with aluminum foil if the cheese browns too quickly. (If
prepared a day ahead and refrigerated, increase baking time to 1
hour 15 minutes.) Served hot out of the oven and spooned at the
table, this amount makes about 12 helpings. For a variety of
flavors, try a different kind of cheese, or something other than
chicken broth, or add other imaginative ingredients. If you can
make this even better, let us know, and we'll publish a sequel.
Grilled Chicken Cheese Tarts - delectably begin your dinner
Chocolate Orange Cookie Clouds - rain down a perfect dessert
Potato Casserole - a new variation of an old favorite
Stella's Birthday Cake - what we'll be
lighting a candle over
Old Fashioned Gingerbread - man to man,
a perennial pleaser
Pretzel Salad Torte - a summer fruit
salad, cool and creamy
Minted Butter - an unusual flavor for a
familiar spread
Banana Bars - a soft cookie, always an
Engstrom favorite
Southern Pecan Pie - the nutty way to
end any good meal
Broccoli Casserole - often brought to
WRC potluck dinners
Hawaiian Meat Balls - with a
sweet-and-sour oriental flavor
Broccoli Salad - a simply-prepared salad
for large parties
Zucchini Squash Casserole - published in
a Moscow newspaper
Yam Crisps - a homemade potato chip and
dinner-table novelty
Crab Dip - a party dip to satisfy your
crabbiest guest
Pumpkin Loaves - a pan of perfect
pumpkin pleasure
Torilla Pinwheels - a pretty,
prepare-ahead appetizer
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GRILLED CHICKEN CHEESE TARTS
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1/2 lb. chicken tenders
1/4 cup of your favorite balsamic
vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
Spray oil
Marinate the chicken tenders in the
vinaigrette for 4-6 hours in the
refrigerator. Remove papery skin from
the garlic cloves and place on top of
a square of foil. Drizzle the cloves
with the olive oil and seal the foil
to form a small packet. Preheat
grill. Blot chicken dry and coat with
a thin spray of oil. Place chicken
and garlic on the grill. Cook chicken
3 minutes each side or until cooked
through. Remove chicken and garlic
from grill and let cool. When chicken
is cool enough to handle, chop it into
medium-small pieces. Continue with
recipe.
1/2 lb. chopped grilled chicken
1 bunch green onions, chopped,
including tender green part
6 oz. mushrooms
5 oz. grated Havarti cheese
2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese,
shaved into 20 small slices
2 cans refrigerated buttermilk
biscuits (10 count each tube)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
8 cups washed baby greens
Favorite balsamic vinaigrette
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop
mushrooms and sauté in 1 tablespoon of
butter until the mushrooms brown.
Brush 20 compartments of 2 non-stick
muffin tins with the remaining butter.
Open biscuit cans and flatten biscuits
with your hands and then press into
and up the sides of the muffin tins.
In a bowl, mix recipe ingredients,
chicken through rosemary, until
combined, reserving 1/4 cup of green
onion. Divide this mixture evenly
among the 20 prepared biscuits. Top
each tart with a slice of Cheddar
cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until the
biscuit dough is golden brown around
the edges. Remove from oven and let
cool in tins for 5 minutes. In a
bowl, lightly dress the baby greens
with the vinaigrette and evenly divide
among 8 salad plates. Place one
chicken tart on top of each bed of
greens and sprinkle with reserved
chopped green onions. Serves 8 as a
first course, or eliminate the salad
and serve all of the tarts as a buffet
appetizer for a larger crowd. Freeze
remaining tarts in an airtight
container. Reheat defrosted tarts in
a 300-degree oven for 20-30 minutes
until heated through.
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Source: A Kristin original
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CHOCOLATE ORANGE COOKIE CLOUDS
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2/3 cup boiling water
1 package orange gelatin dessert
(4-serving size)
1-1/4 cups cold water with ice cubes
8 oz. frozen whipped topping,
thawed in the refrigerator
1 box orange-flavored chocolate
chip cookies
1 bar milk chocolate
Combine boiling water with orange
gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add
cold water and ice and stir until
thickened, then remove unmelted ice.
Whisk 2-12 cups whipped topping into
orange gelatin until smooth.
Refrigerate until thick, about 15
minutes.
Chop the candy bar. Reserve 6 cookies
and chop the rest. Fold chopped candy
into the orange mixture. Scoop 1/3
cup of orange mixture into 6-8 oz.
dessert bowls. Evenly divide chopped
cookies among 6 desserts and sprinkle
on top of orange mixture. Evenly
divide remaining orange mixture among
6 desserts and smooth on top of
chopped cookies. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Garnish each bowl with a dollop of
remaining whipped topping and a
cookie. Serves 6 as a dessert.
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Source: A Kristin original
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POTATO CASSEROLE
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2 lbs. frozen hash browns thawed
1/2 cup margarine or butter melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup,
undiluted
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups sour cream
McCormick instant minced garlic
Melt 1/2 cup of margarine in sauté pan
and add chopped green onions and 2 or
3 dashes of instant garlic. Heat over
medium/low heat for about 5 minutes
until margarine is fragrant with the
onion and garlic. Mix all ingredients
and put into a 3-quart casserole.
For the topping: Mix 1/4 cup melted
butter with 1-1/2 cups favorite bread
crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
cheese. Top casserole with crumb
mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1
hour. This casserole freezes well.
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STELLA'S BIRTHDAY CAKE
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1 18-oz. box yellow cake mix
1 4-oz. package instant vanilla
pudding mix
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
Combine above ingredients and beat with
electric mixer until well blended and
creamy. Stir in the following:
4 oz. German chocolate, grated
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan, then
spread batter evenly into pan. Bake at
350 degrees for 1 hr. 10 min. or until
toothpick inserted into center of cake
comes out clean. Serve thinly sliced
under a scoop of ice cream.
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OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD
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2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins, optional
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 325 deg. Grease and
flour a 10-inch Pyrex pie plate; set
aside. Into a bowl, sift flour with
baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; set
aside. In a large bowl, cream butter
with sugar; add molasses and mix well.
Add sifted dry ingredients alternately
with milk, mixing just until dry ingre-
dients are moistened. Fold in raisins
and nuts, if desired. Pour batter into
prepared pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or
until a cake tester comes out clean.
Makes 8 servings.
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PRETZEL SALAD TORTE
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8 oz. crushed pretzels
2/3 cup margarine or butter
3 tablespoons sugar
Mix above and pat in 9-in x 13-inch
pan. Bake 10 minutes at 325-350 deg.,
then cool.
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup)
8 oz. whipped topping
Blend cream cheese and sugar. Add
whipped topping, pour over crust and
let set.
16 oz. frozen raspberries or
strawberries
6 oz. raspberry or strawberry
gelatin
Dissolve gelatin in a cup of boiling
water. Add berries. Pour over top
before completely set. If using as a
dessert, add another layer of topping.
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Source: Ferra Bawden
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MINTED BUTTER
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1 stick of butter, softened
1 teaspoon dried mint (more or
less, to taste)
Mix together, then refrigerate. Serve
with fresh mint garnish. Great on a
basic white roll or bread.
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Source: Kristin
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BANANA BARS
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1 large banana, ripe
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla and
cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup flour stirred with 1 tea-
spoon baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts
In large mixer bowl, beat banana, mar-
garine, sugars, and flavorings at high
speed until well blended. Beat in egg.
Stir in flour mixture until well blend-
ed. Spread evenly in well-greased 13 x
9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with
nuts. Bake in preheated 350-degree
oven for 25 minutes or until pick in-
serted in center comes out clean. Cool
on rack. Cut into 30 bars. Best eaten
within a few days.
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SOUTHERN PECAN PIE
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1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter or
margarine, melted
1-1/4 cups pecan halves
1 unbaked 8-inch pie shell
In small bowl of mixer, beat well
sugar, syrup, salt, flour, and eggs.
Stir in vanilla, butter, and pecans.
Pour into shell. Bake in preheated
300-degree oven for 1 hour, 20 min-
utes, or until set. Cool thoroughly
before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Extra delicious when served with a
whipped topping, or vanilla ice cream.
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BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
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Cook as directed, do not drain:
1 pkg. frozen broccoli (chopped)
1 small jar Cheese Whiz (tm)
1 can mushroom soup (cream)
1 cup cooked rice (not instant)
Cook in butter until clear:
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 med. onion, chopped
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350
degrees until lightly browned. Serves
six to eight people.
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Source: Mrs. LeTourneau
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HAWAIIAN MEAT BALLS
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2 lb. hamburg
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
Mix above ingredients; shape into meat-
balls and brown. Drain juice from one
can chunk pineapple (1 lb. 4 oz.) or
crushed pineapple--add water to make
one and one-half cups juice. Combine:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat in saucepan until think and clear.
Add pineapple and one cup chopped on-
ion; add to meatballs and simmer 15-30
minutes. Serve over rice.
Note: If sauce becomes too thick, add
a bit more pineapple juice.
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BROCCOLI SALAD
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2 heads broccoli
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 small onion, sliced thin
Dressing:
Mix together one cup mayonnaise and
one-third cup sugar. Add one table-
spoon vinegar and mix well.
Note: Cauliflower can also be used
with the broccoli. Put dressing on
just before serving, if possible.
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ZUCCHINI SQUASH CASSEROLE
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1 large or 2 small zucchini squash
1 green pepper, diced
3 tablespoons margarine
1 pint canned tomatoes (16 oz.)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dice zucchini squash. Cook in salted
boiling water for five minutes. Dice
onion and pepper and brown in marga-
rine. Add tomatoes thickened with
flour; add sugar and salt. Place zuc-
chini in casserole and pour the tomato
mixture over it. Cover with grated
American or Cheddar cheese and top with
one cup bread crumbs browned in three
tablespoons butter. Bake 30-45 minutes
at 350 degrees.
One of Stella's most-asked-for dishes,
this one was recently included in a
column of recipes she submitted to the
"Moscow/Hamlin Villager," Moscow, Pa.
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YAM CRISPS
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2 eight-ounce yams
Oil for deep frying
Peel yams, cut in half lengthwise.
Slice halves in thin semi-circles,
about 1/8 inch thick.
Heat 1/2 inch oil in deep heavy skillet
over medium high heat. Fry yam slices
until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes,
turning over once. Drain on paper
towels. Fry in small batches. Yield:
8 to 10 servings.
Note: To make ahead, cook, cool, wrap,
and refrigerate. To serve, spread in a
single layer on baking sheet. Bake 5
minutes at 375 degrees, until hot.
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CRAB DIP
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1 pkg. crab meat, frozen or canned
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 tablespoon milk
Take cream cheese out of refrigerator
ahead of preparation, so that it will
soften. Defrost and drain the frozen
crab meat. Mix and blend.
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped onion, fine
3 shakes garlic powder
Sprinkle salt and pepper
Add and blend. Put in casserole, heat
in 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes,
uncovered. Serve hot with crackers.
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PUMPKIN LOAVES
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3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon round cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon double-acting
baking powder
1 16-ounce can pumpkin (2 cups)
2/3 cup salad oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten
Day ahead:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease
well two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. In a
large bowl, with fork, mix flour with
next seven ingredients; add remaining
ingredients and mix just until blended.
Turn batter into pans.
Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes;
remove from pans and cool completely.
Makes two loves.
If making 5 loaves in smaller pans,
bake for only 45 minutes.
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APPETIZER TOTILLA PINWHEELS
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Filling:
8 ounces dairy sour cream
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1 can (4 ounces) diced green
chilies, well drained
1 can (4 ounces) chopped
black olives, well drained
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Garlic powder to taste
Seasoned salt to taste
5 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Fresh parsley for garnish
Salsa
Mix all of the filling ingredients
together thoroughly. Divide the
filling and spread evenly over the
tortillas; roll up tortillas. Cover
tightly with plastic wrap, twisting
ends; refrigerate for several hours.
Unwrap; cut in slices 1/2 in. to 3/4
in. thick. (An electric knife works
best.) Discard ends. Lay pinwheels
flat on glass serving plate; garnish
with parsley. Leave space in center of
plate for small bowl of salsa, if
desired. Yield: About 50 pinwheels.
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