2 cups frozen french-style green beans
1 tbs chopped onion
1 tbs margarine
1 tbs flour
1/2 cup plain yogurt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded american cheese
place beans in a microwave-safe baking dish; microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes, or until tender. set aside.
in a saucepan, saute onion in margarine for 1 minute. stir in flour until smooth; cook & stir for 1 minute. stir in yogurt. add beans & pepper. top with cheese & let stand until melted.
4 servings
10 medium potatoes
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup sweet pickles, chopped
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
3 tsps sugar
2 1/2 tsp vinegar
2 tsps yellow mustard
2-3 tsps salt
5 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
paprika
in a covered saucepan, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 25-30 minutes, or until tender; drain well & transfer to a large bowl. peel & cube the potatoes. add the celery , onion, & sweet pickles. in a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, & salt. add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes & toss lightly to coat. carefully fold in the chopped eggs. (if desired, you can save one egg, thinly sliced, to decorate the top of the potato salad). sprinkle with paprika. cover & chill thoroughly before serving.
1 lb lean ground beef
1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup thick & chunky salsa
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
3/4 cup (4 oz) shredded taco-seasoned cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
sour cream, if desired
cook beef in a 10″ skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
stir seasoning mix, water, salsa & corn into beef. heat to boiling; stir in rice. boil 1 minute; remove from heat. cover & let stand 8 minutes.
fluff rice mixture with fork; sprinkle with cheese. cover & let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. sprinkle lettuce around edge of skillet; sprinkle tomato in circle next to lettuce. serve with sour cream.
5 servings
One-dish meals are flavorful in & of themselves, but if you’d like to add more zip or zest to casseroles, skillets, soups or salads, try the following add-ins & toppings:
add plain or flavored feta cheese to a salad.
sprinkle shredded swiss cheese over individual servings of soup.
intensify the flavor of veggies by seasoning them with balsamic vinegar or soy sauce.
use a flavored pasta sauce instead of plain.
sprinkle canned french-fried onions over the top of casseroles.
add a dash of soy sauce to skillet & stir-fry dishes.
stir a tablespoon or two of pesto into a pot of soup.
substitute flavored mayo for plain in pasta salads.
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, & cut into chunks
2 cups mixed dried fruit, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 scallions, minced
1/4 sugar OR a natural sweetener
2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
place all ingredients in a 3 1/2 qt slow cooker, stirring to combine. cover & cook on LOW for 3-4 hours.
remove the lid & let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator in glass jars or other tightly covered containers, where it will keep for several weeks.
makes about 4 cups
Okay. Let’s try this again. For Pamela (and whomever else could not access the link) here is the recipe for Berry Bavarian Cream:
BERRY BAVARIAN CREAM
1 (3 oz) pkg strawberry jello
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup ice water
1 (10 oz) pkgs frozen strawberries in juice
2 cups whipping cream, whipped (cool whip works too)
angel food cake
GLAZE:
1 cup strawberry juice
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp soft butter
dissolve jello in hot water. add ice water & whip until slightly congealed. beat until light & fluffy. drain berries & reserve juice for glaze. fold in strawberries & whipped cream. with a fork (actually, I just use my fingers!), tear angel food into pieces. DO NOT USED BROWNED EDGE! alternate cake pieces & jello mixture into mold. (or, you can mix the cake pieces & jello together & just dump it into the mold. that’s what I do!) chill until firm. unmold on plate. drizzle with glaze. chill.
GLAZE: blend cornstarch with juice gradually. put mixture into a saucepan & cook until clear, about 3-5 minutes. remove from heat & add butter. cool & drizzle over mold.
1 (11 oz) pkg pretzels
1 (10 1/2 oz) pkg miniature peanut butter filled butter flavored crackers (such as ritz bits)
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter OR margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tbs vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 (10 oz) pkg plain m&m’s
1 (18 1/2 oz) pkg candy corn
in a lg bowl, combine pretzels, crackers & peanuts, in a lg saucepan, combine sugar, butter & corn syrup. bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 5 minutes. remove from the heat; stir in vanilla & baking soda (mixture will foam). pour over pretzel mixture & stir until coated. pour into a greased 15″x10″x1″ baking pan. bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. break apart while warm. toss with m&m’s & candy corn. cool completely. store in airtight containers.
makes 16 cups
CUPCAKE BATTER
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
LEMON CURD
(recipe follows)
10x sugar, for sprinkling over cupcakes
preheat the oven to 350°. line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
sift the flour & the baking powder into a medium bowl. set aside.
in a lg bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. set aside.
in a lg bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter & sugar until light, about 2 minutes. add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. the batter should be smooth. beat in the vanilla & nutmeg. fold in the egg whites.
spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups 3/4 full. bake in the center of the oven for 16-20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
to assemble, cut off the dome of each cupcake & set aside. with a tablespoon remove a spoonful of cake from the center of each cupcake. fill each cavity with lemon curd, & spread the top of the cupcake with more lemon curd. cut each cupcake dome in half & lay the two halves on top of a cupcake, cut side facing out, to resemble butterfly wings. sprinkle with 10x sugar.
makes 12 cupcakes
EASY LEMON CURD
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
in a medium heavy saucepan, whisk together the eggs & sugar. whisk in the lemon juice & butter. cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 6-8 minutes. do not let the lemon curd come to a boil.
pour the lemon curd into a heatproof bowl & cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper. refrigerate until chilled & thickened, about 4 hours.
ALUMINUM
PROS – Conducts heat well; moderately priced; lightweight & sturdy
CONS – Can react with acidic ingredients; finish can scratch
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ANODIZED ALUMINUM
PROS – Extremely hard metal surface; low-stick; available in chip-, stain- & scratch-resistant finishes; good for freezer; can go from stovetop to oven
CONS – Finish can spot & fade in dishwasher
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CAST IRON (REGULAR)
PROS – Retains heat well; fairly inexpensive; has a nonstick finish after seasoning; doesn’t react with or absorb food flavors (after seasoning)
CONS – Doesn’t conduct heat well; often lends a metallic taste to foods; tends to rust
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CERAMIC/STONEWARE
PROS – Retains heat well; available in many styles & motifs; most can go from freezer to microwave or oven to dishwasher
CONS – May discolor over time
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COPPER
PROS – Conducts heat well; heavy duty; lined with tin or stainless steel to keep it from interacting with certain foods
CONS – Very expensive; not nonstick; requires polishing; needs to be relined about every 10 years
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EARTHENWARE
PROS – Retains heat well; hard & durable; can be washed in dishwasher
CONS – Doesn’t conduct heat well; must cool slowly & completely before washing to prevent cracking
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ENAMELWARE (CAST IRON OR STAINLESS STEEL)
PROS – Durable; flameproof & ovenproof; good for freezer; can go from stovetop to oven; enameled cast iron conducts heat well; easy to clean; doesn’t react with acids
CONS – Enamel can chip; enameled stainless steel does not conduct heat well; light-colored enamelware may not brown foods as easily as dark-colored & may discolor; may crack if overheated
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GLASS
PROS – Retains heat well; economical & practical; coordinates well with other tableware; microwave & dishwasher safe; nonreactive to acids; easy to clean
CONS – Doesn’t conduct heat well; can break easily with sudden temperature changes
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STAINLESS STEEL
PROS – Doesn’t react with acidic or alkaline foods; corrosion resistant; extremely durable; easy to clean; doesn’t easily scratch or dent
CONS – Doesn’t conduct heat well; can burn food in spots
Hot drinks do not raise body temperature.
