Buttermilk Fudge

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Put buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, soda and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Then cook to 238 degrees on a candy thermometer, or when a small amount of mixture forms a soft ball when dropped in very cold water.

Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Beat until mixture begins to thicken and loses its gloss. Quickly stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Cut in squares when firm but still warm. Makes about one and a half pounds.

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Apple Date Strudel

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
Butter or margarine
1/2 cup ice water
3/4 cup Zweiback crumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 pounds cooking apples
8 oz. pitted dates, finely snipped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Oven: 400 degrees

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the egg and a 1/4 cup melted butter. Add the ice water. Stir until blended, then knead to a smooth ball on a lightly-floured board. Cover with a towel and let rest at least a half-hour.

Meanwhile, saute crumbs in 2 tablespoons butter until lightly toasted. Add nuts and set aside. Peel and core apples, cut in wedges, then cut in thin slices crosswise. Mix with the dates, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.

Roll out dough on a lightly-floured board into a 24x16-inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle with crumb mixture to within one inch of the edges. Spread evenly with apple mixture. Then roll from the long side as for a jelly roll and seal ends.

Shape into a horseshoe and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Melt 1/4 cup butter and brush some on the strudel. Bake for about forty minutes, brushing occasionally with butter. Serve warm in thin slices.

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Sweet And Sour Red Cabbage

3 tablespoons margarine
6 cups sliced red cabbage
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/16 teaspoon cloves or cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Slice the cabbage fine, especially the core section. Melt margarine in a heavy kettle. Add cabbage, sprinkle with vinegar and water and mix together. Cover, and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook slowly until the thickest pieces are pierceable, about thirty minutes.

Mix in the salt, pepper, spice and sugar. Add the lemon juice. Correct seasoning if necessary to ensure a sweet-sour flavor, and serve hot. Serves six.

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Coconut Honey Spice Doughnuts

Home-made doughnuts take some work, but these are sweet and spicy, and you can't find anything as good in a store.

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, spices, and salt onto wax paper. Beat sugar, eggs, and shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in milk.

Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in dry ingredients (from wax paper) until well-blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate at least two hours.

Place dough on a lightly-floured pastry board and roll to a half-inch thickness. Cut out with a lightly-floured doughnut cutter. Fill a large, heavy saucepan two-thirds full with vegetable oil. Heat to 370 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer.

Drop doughnuts, two or three (no more than that) at a time into the hot oil. Fry, turning once, three minutes, or until all golden. Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle coconut onto wax paper. Heat honey slowly to boiling in a medium saucepan. Dip doughnuts, one at a time, into the honey, turning to coat well. Dip half of each doughnut onto coconut. Makes about 16 doughnuts.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Doughnuts Coconut Doughnuts Honey Doughnuts Spice Doughnuts Pastry

Baked Chicken and Sausage

Another quick recipe with only a few ingredients needed.

1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons water
6 whole chicken legs, with thighs
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 tablespoon snipped parsley

Oven: 450 degrees

Sprinkle onion, oregano, and water over the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Arrange chicken legs on onion, side by side, crosswise of dish. Cut sausage into one-inch diagonal slices and lay on chicken.

Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender, turning sausage once. Baste with dish liquid occasionally. When done, transfer chicken to a sevring platter, with sausage as garnish. Skim fat from liquid in baking dish then pour liquid over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves six.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Chicken Sausage Baked Chicken Meat Dishes Poultry

Hamburger In Sour Cream

A simple but filling dish for when you don't have time for a lot of cooking.

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 cup dairy sour cream
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley or paprika
Hot cooked rice or noodles

In a skillet, cook beef, breaking up meat with a fork, and onions, until meat loses its red color. Add sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat slightly if necessary and sprinkle with parsley or paprika. Serve immediately over rice or noodles. Serves four.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Hamburger Sour Cream Beef Meat Dishes

Blueberry Apple Crisp

Fruit is always great for dessert, and this recipe is fast.

1 pint blueberries
2 cups sliced, peeled tart apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream

Oven: 350 degrees

Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Put fruit in the bottom. Sprinkle with lemon juice and brown sugar. Mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking power and salt.

Stir in egg and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Top with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with cream. Serves six.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Fruit Blueberries Apples Blueberry Apple Crisp Desserts

Pepper Relish

An easy way to perk up any meal.

6 red peppers
6 green peppers
6 onions, peeled
2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon celery seed

Split peppers and remove seeds. Chop peppers and onions coarsely. Cover vegetables with boiling water. Let stand five minutes and drain. Cover again with boiling water. Let stand ten minutes and drain.

Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and boil five minutes. Add vegetables and boil ten minutes. Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes about four pints.

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Mocha Chocolate Walnut Pie

Something rich and delicious for that special occasion.

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely broken walnuts
Unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1/2 cup walnut halves
Whipped cream

Oven: 375 degrees

Cream the butter with the sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Dissolve coffee in a few drops of hot water. Add chocolate, dissolved coffee, and rum to the mixture. Stir in flour and broken walnuts. Turn mixture into pie shell.

Sprinkle with walnut halves and bake about twenty-five minutes. Cool. Top with whipped cream and serve. Makes one 9-inch pie.

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Veal Cordon Bleu

Fancy dishes don't always need a lot of work.

12 veal scallops (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 slices Gruyere cheese
6 slices boiled ham
Flour
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup butter

Flatten veal slices with a mallet. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place one slice of cheese and one slice of ham on each of six veal slices. Cover with remaining veal slices and pound edges together to seal.

Dip veal slices in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Saute in heated butter until golden brown on each side, about four minutes per side. Serves six.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Veal Veal Cordon Bleu Meat Dishes

Sesame Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe takes some work, but the result is a hearty bread you just can't buy in a store.

1 package active dry yeast
Warm water
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 3/4 cups stone-ground 100% whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
Sesame seeds
2 tablespoons brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold-pressed corn, safflower, or other oil
1/4 cup raw wheat germ
Milk

Oven: 350 degrees

Put 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle with dry yeast. When softened, stir in another 1/2 cup of warm water, the molasses, one cup of flour and the dry milk. Beat well, cover, and let rise in a warm place thirty minutes, or until light and spongy.

Then add six tablespoons warm water, two tablespoons sesame seeds, and the remaining ingredients except the milk. Gradually beat in enough remaining flour with a wooden spoon to form a soft but firm dough.

Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead about ten minutes, or until dough is elastic and doesn't stick to the board. Put in a greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise one hour, or until doubled.

Punch down and shape into a loaf. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and sprinkle sesame seeds on the bottom. Put dough in pan, cover, and let rise thirty minutes, or until light and slightly above pan. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake about forty-five minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a knuckle. Turn out on a cake rack to cool.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Bread Whole Wheat Bread Healthy Bread Baking Whole-Wheat Bread

Raspberry Mold Dessert

You don't need a lot of ingredients or work to make a tasty dessert!

1 package frozen raspberries, thawed
1 package raspberry gelatin
1 cup sweet white wine
Whipped cream

Drain raspberries. Measure liquid into a one-cup measure. Add water to make one cup. Heat liquid in a saucepan to boiling. Dissolve gelatin in boiling syrup. Cool.

Add wine. Chill mixture until syrupy. Fold in raspberries. Turn mixture into a three or four-cup mold. Chill until firm. Unmold and serve with whipped cream. Serves four.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Raspberries Desserts Raspberry Mold Fruit

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Having a party? Try these as an appetizer.

16 large fresh mushrooms
6 ounces sweet Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup water

Oven: 350 degrees

Wash mushrooms. Remove stems and chop fine. Removing casing from sausage and put meat in a skillet with the chopped stems, garlic, and one tablespoon of oil. Cook, breaking up meat, until lightly browned.

Add one tablespoon oil, the parsley and cheese. Fill mushroom cavities with the mixture, rounding up tops. Place in a shallow baking pan. Put remaining oil and the water in the bottom of the pan. Bake about twenty minutes. Serve hot.

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Parmesan Chicken

Grated Parmesan cheese makes this dish a snap.

1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
2-1/2 to 3 pound broiler-fryer, cut up
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Oven: 350 degrees

Combine cheese, flour, and seasonings. Combine egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then coat with cheese mixture. Place meat in a 12x8-inch baking dish and pour melted butter over pieces. Bake one hour. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan. Serves four.

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Hamburger and Eggplant

1 medium eggplant
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons margarine
3 medium onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 egg whites
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Sauce

Oven: 350 degrees

Wash eggplant but do not peel. Cut lengthwise in slices about a half-inch thick. Brown in oil and set aside. In the same pan, put the margarine and onions. Saute onions until yellowed. Add garlic, beef, seasonings, tomatoes and wine.

Bring to a boil, stirring with a fork. Cover and simmer about a half-hour. Cool. Mix in egg whites and a quarter-cup of the crumbs. Butter a baking dish and sprinkle sone of the remaining crumbs on the bottom. Arrange eggplant and meat mixture in layers. Top with sauce and remaining crumbs. Bake about one hour. Serves six.

Sauce: Melt two tablespoons butter and stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Add one and a half cups milk and a half-teaspoon salt. Cook until thickened. Stir gradually into two egg yolks and add one-eighth teaspoon nutmeg.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Hamburger Ground Beef eggplant Hamburger and Eggplant Beef

Lemon Cream Meringues

Takes a little work, but the results are worth it.

3 egg whites (at room teperature)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pint fresh strawberries
2 or 3 tablespoons fine sugar

Oven: 250 degrees (yes, very slow oven here)

In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar, a tablespoonful at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat until a very stiff, shiny meringue is formed.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of meringue on the sheet, leaving ample space between each. Shape meringues with a spoon, hollowing out the center and building up the sides. Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and cool on the foil on a rack. When completely cooled, peel off the foil.

Beat the egg yolks in the top half of a double boiler. Beat in the remaining quarter-cup of sugar and the lemon juice. Place over hot water and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature.

When the meringues have been thoroughly cooled, beat the heavy cream in a bowl until stiff. Carefully fold cream into cooled lemon mixture, using a cut and fold motion, with a rubber spatula. Spoon mixture into meringue hollows and chill thoroughly, several hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, rinse strawberries and drain on paper towels. Remove caps and slice into a bowl. Stir in fine sugar to taste and stir further to create a juicy sauce. Top off each meringue with a spoonful of sauce. Serves six to eight.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Meringues Lemon Meringue Lemon Cream Desserts

Tapioca Cheese Souffle

Looking for something different? Try this!

1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of fresh-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Dash of hot pepper sauce
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup lightly-packed shredded Cheddar cheese
4 eggs, separated
Grated Cheddar cheese

Oven: 350 degrees

Combine tapioca and seasonings. Stir in milk and let stand about five minutes. Then cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Stir into mixture and blend thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Pour into a well-buttered one-and-a-half quart casserole lightly dusted with grated cheese. Bake about 35 minutes. Serves four to six.

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Milk-Cooked Oatmeal

A quick and hearty breakfast that's easy on the budget.

3 cups reconstituted dry nonfat milk
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Chopped nuts, raisins, coconut, sliced fruits, etc.
Light cream (optional)
Honey (optional)

Put the milk and oats in a heavy saucepan. Cook, partially covered, over medium heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with your choice of toppings, or plain sweetened with honey and a little light cream. Serves four.

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Frozen Honey Mousse

Quick and different.

3 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts

Separate two eggs. Beat the whole egg with the two yolks until light. Then beat in the honey. Put over hot water and cook, beating, until thickened. Cool, then chill.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into honey mixture, then fold in whipped cream. Put into a pan and freeze several hours or overnight. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with nuts. Makes six servings.

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Quick Onion Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1 can condensed beef broth
1 can condensed chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
6 one-inch thick slices French bread
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup grated Romano, Gruyere, Swiss, or Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in a large saucepan and saute onions until golden and tender. Sprinkle with flour. Gradually stir in chicken and beef broths. Add water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, fifteen to twenty minutes. Ladle soup into serving bowls.

Toast French bread and rub slices with garlic. Place a slice of bread on top of each bowl, and sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is golden. Serve immediately. Serves six.

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Devil's Food Cake With Cocoa Frosting

Once in awhile, you just have to let go and enjoy something rich and delicious.

1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1 pound dark-brown sugar
3 eggs
3 oz. bitter chocolate, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Chopped walnuts

Frosting

1 pint heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Oven: 350 degrees

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and buttermilk. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat in vanilla and boiling water. Batter will be thin.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 8-inch layer-cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Unmold and cool.

In a bowl, mix together the frosting ingredients and chill for at least two hours. Beat until very thick. Spread frosting between layers and around sides and top of cake. Garnish with chopped walnuts. Makes one 8-inch triple-layer cake.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Chocolate Cake Devil's Food Cake Desserts Cake Baking

Indian Lamb With Spinach

Lamb is a traditional dish for Easter, but it doesn't have to be a huge leg. This recipe provides a spicy change of pace and also needs no oven roasting.

2 pounds boneless lean lamb, in 2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound fresh spinach, finely shredded
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of crumbled dried thyme

In a large skillet with a cover, quickly and lightly brown the lamb in two tablespoons of butter. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in skillet. Add onions and saute until just limp.

Return lamb to skillet and add the coriander, ginger, turmeric and chili powder. Saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, fifteen minutes. Sprinkle with the spinach, yogurt, mustard seed, salt and thyme. Mix well.

Cover and cook lamb over low heat forty-five minutes, or until lamb is tender, the spinach is like a puree, and the liquid completely cooked down. Stir occasionally during cooking, and add water, a little at a time, as necessary. Serves four.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Lamb Spicy Lamb Meat Dishes Indian Lamb

Buckwheat Banana Biscuits

1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup milk

Oven: 450 degrees

Combine flours, baking powder, soda, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add remaining ingredients and stir just to moisten dry ingredients.

Turn out on a lightly-floured board and knead ten turns. Roll gently to a half-inch thickness, prick with a fork, and cut into 2-1/4-inch rounds. Reroll scraps and cut until dough is used up.

Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake about 12-15 minutes, or until well-browned. Split and serve warm with butter and cheese, or jam. Makes about eighteen biscuits.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Biscuits Buckwheat Biscuits Banana Biscuits Buckwheat Banana Biscuits Baking

Honey Crunch Cookies

Crunchy and delicious, these cookies need no baking.

2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups corn flakes
1/2 cup bran flakes
1 cup flaked coconut

In a large saucepan, combine the honey, butter, evaporated milk, salt, and vanilla. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling three minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Blend in the corn and bran flakes. Add the coconut, mixing well. Using two teaspoons, drop mounds of the mixture on wax paper-lined baking sheets. Cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about two dozen.

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Curried Honey Chicken

Quick, and delicious. Good for that last-minute dinner party.

2 frying chickens, about 3 pounds each, cut up
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder

Oven: 375 degrees

Wash and dry chickens. Mix all remaining ingredients, and roll chicken pieces in the mixture. Put, meaty side up, in roasting pan. Bake about one hour, basting occasionally with the drippings. Goes well with rice. Serves six to eight.

Technorati Tags: Recipes Food Chicken Curried Chicken Poultry Meat Dishes