Archive for Cooking

Thanksgiving Turkey

November 21, 2013 · Filed under Baking, Cooking, Family, Turkey

It’s turkey time.

November 1980

Thanksgiving is coming up this month and that usually means roasting a turkey for the holiday dinner. Elaine Broadhurst of Broadhurst Turkey Farm has cooked a lot of big birds in her time and they always turn out moist and succulent.

 

Roast Turkey

Choose either a hen or tom turkey since both have equally good meat. Rub the exterior of the turkey with fat. I prefer rendered bacon fat, but butter can be used instead. Use generously. Then rub salt inside the big cavity, the neck cavity and the outside of the bird. A 20 to 22 pound turkey takes 2/3 cup salt while a 10 to 14 pound one requires 1/3 cup of salt.

Place turkey on a rack in the bottom on a large roaster. Put on lid, but leave the vent open. Bake at 325°F oven 6 ½ hours for a 20 to 22 pound turkey and 4 ½ hours for a 10 to 14 pound turkey.

Set giblets to boil in 2 or 3 cups water and cook until tender. Cut into small pieces. One hour before the roasting time is completed pour off the broth that has collected in the bottom of the roaster. Remove roaster lid and bake the remaining hour uncovered so the bird will brown.

Make dressing with part of the broth and make gravy with the rest. To make the gravy use 3 cups of hot broth or broth and milk mixed. Combine ½ cup of flour with an additional cup of cold milk. Add this flour paste to the hot broth and stir and cook until thick. If it gets lumpy, beat with an electric mixer. Add the giblets. Season to taste. Keep hot until serving time.

Take turkey out of oven at correct time and let it stand 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving. (Lift turkey from the roaster with the rack supporting it.)

 

If you want a different pumpkin dessert to finish off the big dinner, try this cake roll. It requires no last minute work. It also makes a nice dessert for a club meeting or a party, I got the recipe from Eleanor Schirer after she brought one to work. Her father, Calarence Schirer, farms north of Sedgwick

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Cake:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

 

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

6 ozs. Cream cheese

4 tablespoons margarine

½ teaspoon vanilla

To prepare cake beat 3 eggs for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in one cup of sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients.

Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Spread on greased and floured 15” x 10” x 1” inch jelly roll pan. Top with the nuts.

Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Turn out on towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll towel and sake from narrow end. Cool. Unroll. Spread with filling. Roll and chill. Slice and serve.

 

Advertisement

Leave a comment »

Potatoes

November 15, 2013 · Filed under Cooking · Tagged , ,

I have been getting a lot of potatoes from my CSA right now and these recipes will come in handy.

November 1983

Now that cooler weather is here it is more fun to cook, and the warmth given off when something is baking in the oven is welcome.

Since restaurants featuring elegant baked potatoes are finding a good reception from the eating out public, this might be a good time to try a few baked potato ideas on your family.

Potatoes are the new darlings of nutritionists, being praised for both their high food fiber and low fat content. If you are looking for economy, they invariably are a good buy for your money.

A medium size potato (about 3 per pound raw) has 90 calories. It is 75% water and has 3 grams of protein, only a trace of fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 9 milligrams of calcium, some thiamine and riboflavin, and is a good source of niacin and vitamin C. A potato this size has one third as much Vitamin C as a medium size orange.

These recipes feature baked potatoes that become the main source of protein, as well as carbohydrates, for a meal.

With raw carrot sticks, whole bread, and applesauce or a fresh apple for dessert, they make a satisfying and nutritionally sound meal for a crisp fall or winter day.

Pizza Potato

2 baked potatoes

2 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon pepper

1 cup Pizza sauce

1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Bake potatoes at 400° for 1 hour. Do not use foil. Cut in half. Cut slits one-half inch apart in the edges of the shell and flatten the potato halves to form a base for the pizza. Put on cookie sheet. You will have four bases.

With a fork work in one-fourth of the oil, in the pulp on each potato half. Spread one-fourth of the pizza sauce on each base and top with the Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes. For variations add pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper or any other topping you like on top of the cheese.

Pizza Sauce

2 cups tomato juice

2 tablespoons vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 medium- sized onion, sliced

1 teaspoon oregano

Mix all ingredients except oregano. Bring to boil. Simmer one hour. Add oregano and simmer 30 more minutes.

Yield: 1 cup

Taco Potatoes

2 baked potatoes, large

1 cup cooked hamburger

1 cup taco sauce

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

½ cup diced tomatoes

Bake potatoes at 400° for one hour. Do not use foil. Cut off thin slice. Scoop out pulp. Mash and keep warm.

Add beef, taco sauce and cheese and then mix. Put mixture in shells. Top with shredded lettuce and diced tomato.

Potato Lasagna

2 baked potatoes, large

1 medium- size onion, chopped

½ cup ground beef

¼ cup milk

¼ cup tomato sauce

1 small tomato, peeled and chopped

¼ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese

¼ cup ripe olives, sliced

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Bake potato at 400° F for one hour. Do not use foil. Cut a thin slice from top of each potato. Scoop out pulp. Add milk. Mash and keep warm.

Heat skillet. Add beef and onion. Stir and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Add tomato sauce, tomato and seasonings. Add the potato pulp and stir. Add cheese, olives and Tabasco sauce. Heat. Heap into shells and garnish with parsley.

Dried Beef Baked Potatoes

1 large baked potato

1/3 cup dried beef, torn into pieces

2/3 cup medium white sauce

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Bake potatoes at 400° F for one hour. Do not use foil. Cut off a thin slice and scoop out potato. Mash. Keep warm. Combine white sauce and dried beef and cook until mixture comes to boil. Add the mashed potato and pepper. Heat through. Scoop into shells and garnish with parsley.

Leave a comment »

Simple Foods

November 7, 2013 · Filed under Cooking · Tagged , ,

November 7, 1985

Appetites are perking up with the cool fall weather. It’s time to get out the big kettle and cook some simple food that takes a while to be done. You’ll warm the kitchen and get supper ready at the same time.

The recipes today are all meatless, but they are still high in protein and low in fat. Also high in fiber and low in cost.

The Mung Bean Dal and Lentil Soup are authentic recipes I got from an Indian friend who babysits my Connecticut grandchildren, Kaberi Chakraborty.

Lentil Soup

8 ounces dry lentils

Water to cover

2 onions, chipped

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups grated zucchini

2 quarts canned tomatoes

Cook beans in water 20 minutes. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook 30 more minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes and cook 15 more minutes.

Any kind of dry beans may be substituted for lentils. Adjust cooking time so they are tender before adding other ingredients.

Makes 4 large servings, 300 calories each.

Mung Bean Dal

1 cup mung beans

4 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 hot yellow or green pepper

4 tablespoons ghee

Cook beans and next 5 ingredients until beans are sot. Add chopped pepper and cook five more minutes. Add ghee Mix and serve. Makes four servings.

In India the chapati (a form of bread) is dipped into the dal and eaten with the fingers.

Butter may be substituted for the ghee.

Refried Beans

2 cups cooked pinto beans with juice

1 six ounce can tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons oil

Mash beans. Add tomato paste and chili powder. Saute onion in oil.

Stir in beans and cook, stirring frequently until beans are hot. Serve with flour tortillas and cheese, if desired.

Mexican Rice and Beans

1 pound red kidney beans

3 quarts water

2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

4 tablespoons chili powder

4 teaspoons oregano

4 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces brown rice, raw

1 tablespoon oil

Soak beans in water overnight. Cook till tender. Saute onions and garlic in oil. Add tomato sauce and spices. Simmer 15 minutes. Add to cooked beans. Add rice and stir. Cook one hour. Makes eight serving. 350 calories per serving.

White rice may be substituted for the brown rice.

Comments (1) »

Apples

October 18, 2013 · Filed under Baking, Cooking, Farming, Kansas, Nutrition, Pie · Tagged

Last weekend was my birthday and as usual I got treated with apple dumplings. Despite all the nutritious value found in apples that my Grandmother describes below, those dumplings should probably not be enjoyed more than once a year, though they are quite delicious.

October 1982

As my farmer and I sat on the porch this morning eating our breakfast between the dark of the night and the light of the day there was an unmistakable feeling of fall in the crisp air.

The rising wind sighed through the windbreak and rustled the leaves of the little spring- planted cottonwood tree into an early morning song. Gleaming dull gold, the milo field stretched to the south while across the road George Miller’s cattle grazed in the tall Sedan grass, silhouetted in the misty haze.

Four young robins winged in from the vegetable garden and settled in the driveway to busily run about in search of grain, looking for all the world like plump Dutch matrons hustling about their morning chores.

Out west the last of the apples hung high on the tree where they had escaped all my efforts to reach them with a ladder and a grappling hook. The sparrows and the blackbirds are pecking away at them for an early snack.

The apple tree is old and broken and each year we say, “This crop will surely be the swan song for that tree.” It was planted soon after our marriage and for over 35 years has kept the family supplied with apple pies and cobblers, apple crisp and apple sauce, as well as apple dumplings.

The children used to eat so many green apples I just knew they would have a stomach ache, but they never did. This year two small grandchildren took up the green apple eating tradition with no ill effects.

Each April the old tree blossoms into a beautiful halo of flowers and sets on a crop of apples that grow plump and red by August. Then, we begin making applesauce for the freezer.

My farmer and I spend many companionable evenings removing the worms and bad spots from the raw apples, cooking them and pushing them through a colander before sacking the sauce in plastic bags for freezer or, if it is full, canning them.

Applesauce sprinkled with black walnuts or pecans, with light cream poured over the top is a delightful winter dessert after a heavy dinner.

Sliced raw apples freeze well and can be used in any recipe the same as fresh ones. Incidentally a food processor makes fast work of slicing them.

The good news about apples is that nutritionists are rediscovering what your grandmother knew – apples are not only good, they’re also good for you.

Apples are high in fiber. Fiber is the name for a quite a few indigestible substances namely cellulose, lignin, pectin, hemicellulose, and gum. Apples contain lots of pectin.

Quite a few authorities think fiber reduces the incidence of some types of cancer. It is also suggested that fiber may help to protect people from heart disease by its effect on cholesterol- lowering effect on the body.

While this research on heart disease, cancer, and diet is still in the beginning stages and not conclusively proven it looks as if you can enjoy apples with a clear conscience. These recipes make the most of the apple’s juicy, tart flavor.

Cheese Crumble Apple Pie

Topping:

½ cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons butter

Filling:

5 cups apples, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese

4 teaspoons flour

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Make one 9-inch pie crust with a high rim using your favorite recipe. For the topping combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Set aside.

For filling, toss together apples and lemon juice. Mix cheese, flour and nutmeg; toss with apples. Arrange this fruit mixture in the crust. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 375° for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

 

Apple Dumplings

1 ½ cups white flour

1 cup lard

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

1/3 to ½ cup cold water

½ teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in lard with pastry blender until size of peas. Add the smallest amount of water in driblets that you can and still have the dough stick together. Roll out ¼ inch. Cut into 6 or 7 squares. Set aside.

Core and partially peel 6 apples of a large and juicy variety. Then prepare this syrup:

Syrup:

1 cup water

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Boil for 3 minutes. Place apples on each pastry square. Fill cavities of apple with mixture of:

½ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Bring opposite points of pastry up over the apple. Overlap, moisten and seal. Place separately in shallow baking dish. Pour hot syrup around dumplings.

Bake at once at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes until brown and apple is tender. Serve warm with the syrup and Half and Half.

Leave a comment »

Pork

September 26, 2013 · Filed under Cooking · Tagged , ,

Here are some great pork recipes.

September 1982

With the coming of fall the family will enjoy heartier food so pork is lean and packed with good nutrients. It has complete protein, vitamin B6 and B12, iron, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. The flavor of pork is delectable and enhances many different types of dishes.

Pork Chops Supreme

4 pork chops

1 can tomato soup

½ cup water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon oregano

6-8 small potatoes

4 carrots, split lengthwise

Brown chops in skillet. Pour off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer covered for 1 hour or until tender.

Serves 4.

Sweet Sour Sausage

1 pound pork sausage

3 cups finely chopped cabbage

1 large onion, sliced

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Brown sausage. Fry cabbage and onion in small amount of margarine for about 5 minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer covered 45 minutes. Serve over noodles

Serves 4

Bacon & Cheese Bake

6 slices white bread

1/3 pound bacon or ham, fried

1/3 pound cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

3 eggs, well beaten

2 ¼ cups milk

¼ cup bacon fat

Salt to taste

Break bread in small pieces, crumble bacon or cube ham and mix in cheese, bacon grease, mustard, salt eggs and milk. Pour into greased 1 ½ quart casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 8 hours. Bake at 350° for one hour. Resembles quiche in flavor.

Serves 6.

Pork Chop Suey

1 ½ pound pork

1 tablespoon fat

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

2 cups diced celery

1 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon molasses

½ teaspoon soy sauce

1 can drained bean sprouts

Cut meat in small cubes and brown in fat. Add salt, soy sauce and water. Simmer 1 ½ hours. Add onions, celery, and molasses and cook until tender.

Mix cornstarch and cold water. Add to first mixture, stirring constantly. Serve with cooked rice and Chinese noodles.

Serves 6

Barbecue Sauce

½ cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup vinegar

1 cup tomato juice

¼ cup catsup

½ cup water

Combines all ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes before pouring on ribs.

Serves 6.

Leave a comment »

Salads from the Garden

August 22, 2013 · Filed under Cooking, Gardening, Nutrition · Tagged ,

Salads are always a good go to meal when the garden is flourishing.

August 2, 1884

I haven’t had much time for trying out new recipes or thinking up a topic for Eating Naturally. The garden here has been over producing. We ate roasting ears for 3 solid weeks and are now on a cucumber, tomato and zucchini diet with a pot of green beans thrown in for good measure.

With all the fresh vegetables available it’s easy to put a pan of garden- fresh vegetables on the stove and overcook them. This results in a once vitamin- rich food reaching the table with most of the vitamins gone.

So eat all the vegetables raw that you can. Try cucumber sticks crisped in ice water as an out- of-hand snack. Zucchini slices are a good addition to a tossed salad. And don’t forget the old reliables, green onions, radishes, carrots and celery that have long been favorites eaten raw.

If you cook the vegetables try gourmet cooking techniques to preserve the vitamins and minerals. To retain the nutritive content, decrease the cooking time.

Also, vitamin leaching (the dissolving of the nutrients into the cooking liquid) is particularly serious, so it’s wise to use the smallest amount of water possible when cooking vegetables.

Water soluble vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and C, are preserved by cooking leafy vegetables using only the water clinging to them after they are washed. Be careful they don’t burn. The night we had our last pitch party I cooked Swiss Chard this way for supper. After turning the burner on high, I got busy chasing some dirt that had eluded me and forgot the Swiss Chard until the odor of charring greens permeated the whole house. The smell was overpowering but was even worse after I tried to get rid of it by spraying room deodorant all around. The smell lingered on through the whole party and for several days afterward.

For green beans, peas, carrots or beets a fourth to a half cup of water is suggested for best results. Cook only until crispy tender for maximum vitamin retention. Here, too, care is needed to avoid burning them.

A garden salad is a super way to use raw vegetables. Croutons are nice served with them but they are expensive. Here is a recipe for home made croutons. Of course, you can use white bread if you prefer.

Whole Wheat Croutons

Cut 3 slices whole wheat bread in 1/2 inch cubes. Spread out in a pan and toast in oven until crisp, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs or with curry powder. Put in a plastic bag and seal.

This recipe produces a product similar to Eagle Brand that is called for in so many recipes and is so expensive.

Condensed Milk

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered milk

Blend or beat until smooth. Will thicken later. Makes 1 pint.

Leave a comment »

Garden Vegetables

August 15, 2013 · Filed under Cooking, Farming, Gardening · Tagged ,

Summer is winding down and the garden is flourishing. Here are some recipes for those garden vegetables.

August 1979

After all the long, hot days of harvest, haying, and truck driving it is exhausting to even think about continuing to cook 3 good meals a day for the rest of summer. Then, just when you feel you are too tired to hustle one more time, the garden goes into high gear and turns out bushels of produce. So it is time to rev up your failing motor and push through the picking, preparing, freezing, and canning chores.

While the garden bonanza is flourishing, let’s review the best method of cooking vegetables for the table. A good principle to remember is the fresher the food the better it tastes. If it is not to be eaten raw, cook it quickly in a small amount water to conserve the nutrients. Here are some recipes that will dress up your own garden vegetables for a little variety.

 

Sweet and Sour Swiss Chard

6 Cups torn or cut raw Swiss chard or spinach

3 slices bacon

½ cup sliced green onions

4 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons flour

1/3 cup water

¼ cup vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Place chard in large salad bowl. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, keeping ¼ cup bacon fat. Crumble bacon. Cook onion in the ¼ cup bacon fat. Blend in sugar, flour and salt. Pour over chard, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve at once.

Makes 6 servings. 45 calories each.

 

Zucchini Casserole

3 medium zucchini

1 cup rice

¾ pound cheese

1 can mushroom soup

½ cup milk

3 slices bacon, cut in inch squares

Combines soup and milk. Layer zucchini, rice, and cheese in 8” x 13” casserole. Pour soup over. Place bacon on top. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes.

Serves 8 or 10

 

Skinny Carrots

6 medium-size carrots, grated (3 cups)

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. butter flavored salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. Butter

Measure carrots, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper into lightly greased one-quart baking dish. Mix well. Dot with butter. Cook covered in 350° F oven for 25 minutes or until carrots are cooked as desired.

6 servings. 30 calories each.

 

 

Leave a comment »

Eat Fresh

July 24, 2013 · Filed under Cooking, Motherhood, Nutrition · Tagged ,

This article from July 1982 discusses the dangers of eating processed food. Eat fresh whenever possible.

July 1982

“Eat, drink and be wary” summarized the nutritionist on the last segment of Channel 10’s series on food additives that was aired last month. “I wouldn’t panic if my child ate a weiner now and then, but I wouldn’t give him wieners everyday,” was another piece of her advice.

Perhaps it is time to re- evaluate what is in the food we serve our families. Since 1972 we have been buying more processed foods than fresh foods. We spend more than 60 billion dollars annually for convenience foods including TV dinners, snack foods and pop.

With these foods Americans consume on the average 4 pounds of chemicals, preservatives, stabilizers, colorings, flavorings, and other additives each year. Their use has doubled in the last 15 years. Today, more than 3,000 chemicals are deliberately added to our food.

How much do we know about the hazards to human health from these chemicals? They may be affecting our health but, even more scary, they may affect the health of future generations. Presently, more than a thousand of these chemicals have never been tested for chance of causing cancer, genetic damage, or birth defects.

The FDA is in charge of the purity of our food. In 1960 the “Generally Regarded as Safe” or GRAs list of substances was formulated. There were 674 substances on this list. They had been in use for some time and were generally regarded as safe. They were exempted from the Delaney Amendment passed in 1958 which said, “no additive shall be deemed safe if it is found to produce cancer when ingested into man or animal or if it is found, after tests which are appropriate for the evaluation of the safety of food additives, to induce cancer in man or animal.”

At the present time no tests are required for the mutagenic testing of food additives.

Because of testing, several of the substances on the original GRAs list have had to be removed. It is difficult to know what to do about the problem of food additives.

What is a mother to do to insure food as safe as possible is on her family table? Remember, you are in charge in your own home. You are the expert. Do not allow TV commercials to determine what your children eat. It is up to you to teach your children what to eat.

They are growing and need to eat more often than adults. They should be given nutritious snacks such as vegetables, fruits, popcorn, or bread and butter.

For the main meals serve simple, unprocessed foods as much as possible. Grow your own vegetables and fruits. Save some wheat and grind your own cereal. Make your own bread using whole wheat flour. Cook your own soup and make your own granola. Grow your own beef and pork and have them butchered, cut and wrapped the way you want them. Make your own jams and jellies, pickles and relishes.

When shopping for groceries at the store, select unprocessed items such as beef, pork, fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, simple cheeses, milk, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, dry milk powder, plain breads, soda crackers, oatmeal, shredded wheat, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, fresh fruit and vegetables, and frozen juices.

As much as you possibly can, avoid buying foods such as: fish sticks, wieners, lunch meat, potted meat, pot pies, frozen dinners, and other entree type food, chocolate milk, breakfast supplements, ready made topping, canned puddings, nondairy creamer, snack crackers, colored or sweet cereals, toaster tarts, sweet rolls, pizzas, cakes, cookies, 20% fruit chunks, Tang, Kool- Aid, jams and jellies, prepared salads, maraschino cherries, potato chips, snack crackers, pickles, sauced frozen foods, most salad dressings, sandwich spread, canned or frozen fried soups, seasoned salts, curing salts, jello, pop, MSG, pies, and candy.

If, as mothers we could have one wish for our children we would probably choose a good life. Teaching them what to eat can help them have a full, active, healthy life.

Leave a comment »

« Previous Page
Next entries »