CHERRIES JUBILEE

2 cans (16 oz ea) pitted dark cherries
3 tablespoons currant jelly
1/4 cup orange juice
3 strips orange peel
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup brandy

drain cherries, reserving 1 cup juice. in medium saucepan, combine jelly, orange juice and peel, and 3/4 cup cherry juice. simmer until jelly has dissolved, about 5 minutes. mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup of cherry juice and stir into mixture. cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. add cherries. spoon ice cream into individual serving dishes. in small saucepan, heat brandy until hot but NOT boiling. pour onto hot cherries and ignite with a long match. (WHOOSH!) pour over ice cream.

RISOTTO STUFFED PEPPERS

4 large red bell peppers
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

RISOTTO FILLING:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely minced
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound chicken livers, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

to make risotto filling, heat the oil in a saucepan. add onion and bacon and cook over moderate heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. add rice, reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. add broth and tomato paste to the pan. stir well. bring to a boil, stirring. cover the pan tightly and turn heat to lowest setting. cook gently for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed. meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. slice off tops of peppers and remove seeds. cut a thin slice from base of each pepper, if necessary, so it will stand upright. carefully lower the peppers into the boiling water. return to a boil and boil gently for 3 minutes. drain the peppers well and stand them upright in a heat-proof dish. melt the butter in a small saucepan. add the chicken livers and cook over moderate heat for 4 minutes, stirring, until just cooked ( the livers should the browned outside, but still pink inside). when is the rice is cooked, stir in chicken livers together with butter in which they were cooked. season to taste and spoon into the peppers. top each pepper with grated cheddar cheese. bake for 30 minutes.

RICE KRISPIES CHICKEN

1 1/2 cups rice krispies, coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 cup butter OR margarine, melted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb)

in a shallow bowl, combine cereal, flour and seasonings. place butter in another bowl. dip chicken in butter, then into cereal mixture. place in a greased 11″x7″x2″ baking dish. drizzle with remaining butter. bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until juices run clear.

4 servings

OVEN FISH ‘N’ CHIPS

CHIPS:
2 tablespoons olive oil OR vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium baking potatoes (1 lb), peeled

FISH:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup crushed corn flakes
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound frozen haddock fillets, thawed

in a medium bowl, combine oil and pepper. cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2″ strips. add to oil mixture; toss to coat. place on a 15″x10″x1″ baking pan that has been sprayed with pam. bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

meanwhile, combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish. in a second dish, beat egg and water. in a third dish, combine corn flakes, cheese and cayenne. dredge fish in flour, then dip in egg mixture and coat with crumb mixture. place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with pam. bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. serve with “chips”.

4 servings

MARINATED GRILLED MUSHROOMS

20 fresh button mushrooms
20 fresh crimini mushrooms
10 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

trim and clean mushrooms and place into a large bowl. season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and olive oil. toss well. allow to marinate 30 minutes (or longer).

place one of each mushroom on a skewer with 1/2 sage leaf between the two mushrooms. place on a preheated grill and cover with a pan to smoke the mushrooms. cook until the mushrooms have become brown with grill marks, if possible.

EASY SUNDAY CHICKEN

chicken
1 cup rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon parsley
3 cups water
salt and pepper

combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl and mix well. put in a 9″x15″x2″ baking dish sprayed with pam. lay chicken on top. sprinkle with pepper and a dash of poultry seasoning (optional). cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 3/4 hours. remove cover and brown lightly.

NOTE: this also works well with pork chops

COUNTRY-FRIED STEAK

1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup crushed saltines
4 cubed steaks (1lb)
3 tablespoons oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk

in a plastic bag or bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. place buttermilk in a shallow bowl. place saltine crumbs in a plastic bag or bowl. coat steaks with flour mixture, then dip into buttermilk and coat with crumbs. in a large skillet over medium- high heat, cook steaks in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. remove and keep warm. add soup and milk to skillet; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. serve gravy with steaks.

4 servings

COATINGS FOR OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

BASIC COATING
2/3 cup bisquick
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

ITALIAN COATING
mix in 1 tablespoon italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder with the bisquick.

MEXICAN COATING
decrease bisquick to 1/2 cup. mix two tablespoons cornmeal and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder with the bisquick.

ORIENTAL COATING
omit paprika and pepper. mix in 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel, 2 teaspoons parsley flakes, and 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder with the bisquick.

CITY CHICKEN

2 pounds boneless pork, cut into cubes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter OR margarine
3 tablespoons oil
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
1 cup water

thread pork on small wooden skewers. combine flour, garlic salt and pepper on a plate; roll kabobs in flour mixture until coated. in a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. brown kabobs, turning frequently; drain. sprinkle with soup mix. add broth and water. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. remove kabobs and keep warm. if desired, thicken the pan juices and serve over mashed potatoes.

4-6 servings