Family Favorites...Old Fashioned Almond Pear Cake

This cake from the Taste of Home’s Baking Favorites was a hit with my family as they ate it and asked for seconds. We did have it warm as the recipe suggested and will try it cold later tonight for a snack. At least that is what Lyle is planning.

  I had 4 pears which was just right. A cup apiece. I did dice them in larger pieces instead of slicing, as I didn’t want them to disappear. The combination of the pears with the crystalized ginger was very good. I have, for some reason, quite a bit of the ginger on hand so it was good to use some of it up.

Cooling on rack

  As you can see by the pictures, my springform pan is square. I do have a couple of round ones, but like this pan better. The sides fit into the bottom instead of the bottom into the side. Really helps to keep the batter in the pan and I don’t have to wrap it or put it on a cookie sheet. 

Side removed

  Don’t be afraid of the amount of liquid in this recipe, quite a bit of butter and eggs. Also the pears and lemon juice. It worked out just fine, even though I wondered about it. When I took it out of the oven, there was a small amount of butter on top, which disappeared quite quickly. The cake is moist, but not soggy and baked in the 35 minutes in my oven.

Old Fashioned Almond Pear Cake

4 cups sliced or diced fresh pears

¼ cup finely chopped crystalized ginger

¼ cup lemon juice

4 eggs

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup butter, milted

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup sliced almonds

  In a large bowl, combine the pears, ginger and lemon juice; set aside.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, confectioners’ sugar, butter and extract until blended. Combine the flour and baking powder; gradually beat into the egg mixture until blended. Stir in by hand the pear mixture.

  Put into a greased 9 inch springform pan; sprinkle with the almonds. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing sides of pan and cutting. Serve warm.

Ina's Lemon Bars

This recipe is for the serious lemon lovers out there. My tasters thought they were great and while I thought they were a trifle thick they said you can never have too much lemon.

 This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa and they remind me of a very good lemon pie. The filling is tart and just as good as pie filling. They will not set up as stiff as regular lemon bars (or at least mine didn’t) but a marvelous texture and flavor. If you don’t like yours as tart, just cut back on the amount of lemon zest or leave it out altogether. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Crust

½ lb. Butter at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

⅛ teaspoon salt

Filling

6 extra-large eggs (I used regular size and an extra yolk I had on hand)

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light with an electric mixer. Combine the flour, salt and with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well floured board and garter into a ball. With floured hands press into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, building up a ½ inch edge on all sides. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

 Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

While crust is cooling whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is set. Cool to room temperature.

When cool cut and lightly dust with confectioners sugar.

From the Garden...Southwest Cheese Soup

This nice hot soup is quick and easy – simple enough to prepare while the cornbread is baking.  I used home canned corn and black beans.  We thought the amount of cheese could be halved; I made it again that way, and we liked it much better.  Just the thing to heat up after a blustery afternoon outside.

Southwest Cheese Soup

  1    Pound  Velveeta -- cubed (I used 1/2 pound)

  1    Pint  Corn -- whole kernel, drained (or 15 oz. can)

  1    Pint  Black Beans -- rinsed and drained (or 15 oz. can)

  10  ounces  Rotel Tomatoes -- undrained

  1    Cup  Milk

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, mix all ingredients.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and soup is hot.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Serve with hot cornbread.
4 Servings

  "Betty Crocker Soups and Breads p24"

Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce

We really like to keep dried tortellini on hand; shelf stable and delicious.  This recipe is a very nice side dish with fish, as we enjoyed it, or with pork chops, steaks, meatloaf or chicken.  It’s so much better than making an Alfredo dish with the thick, chemical-filled purchased sauces, and, I think, actually easier to prepare.    The cream is necessary to thicken the sauce properly.    I use either Barilla dried tortellini or Priano dried tortellini I have purchased at Aldi’s; both are excellent.  They are usually found with the other dried pastas.
Make this dish your own; add your own additions depending on what you want to use up, or make it a main dish with the addition of a little cooked meat or poultry.              

                       Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce

  12        ounces  dried Tortellini

  3          tablespoons  onion peeled and diced

  6          teaspoons  extra virgin olive oil

  1          cup  Peas -- fresh or frozen

  1 1/2   cups  heavy cream

     1/2   cup  black olives -- halved

  6          tablespoons  Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded

     1/2   tablespoon  fresh parsley chopped

              salt and black pepper to taste

BRING a large pot of water to boil, add salt

COOK tortellini according to the package directions.

SAUTE onion with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until translucent, about 4 minutes

SEASON with salt and pepper.

REMOVE a couple of tablespoons of hot pasta water and reserve for sauce.

DRAIN tortellini over the peas in a colander and toss with cream and onion in the cooking kettle, adding reserved pasta water if needed.

STIR in black olives and cheese before serving.
6 Servings

Use It Up…Wild Rice

Myrna and I both like wild rice, having spent our growing-up years in Minnesota.  As you probably guessed, wild rice is a grass seed, not a grain.  When cooked, wild rice expands to three to four times its original size.  We usually cook plenty and freeze some for other recipes because it takes up to 50 minutes to cook.  I always cook mine in home-canned chicken or turkey broth for freezing so I have that delicious flavor.

A less expensive alternative that also takes much less time to cook is a long-grain, wild rice mix.  A couple of the recipes you might want to try using the mix are at the bottom of the recipe list.

COOKING WITH WILD RICE

To cook wild rice, combine 1 cup uncooked wild rice with about three cups liquid (such as water or broth) in a 2-3 quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35-50 minutes. Wild rice bursts open when it’s cooked, so you can tell at a glance when it’s done. As with all grains, taste a few morsels and keep cooking a few minutes longer if it’s not tender enough for your taste. Fluff with a fork and serve. Yields 3-4 cups.

Storage and freezing. Because it’s extremely low in fat, uncooked wild rice will keep almost indefinitely in a dry, airtight container. Cooked, drained, and tightly-covered wild rice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to six months.

Try some of these recipes featuring wild rice:

 

Byerly’s Wild Rice Soup

Shrimp with Wild Rice 

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

Orange and Pecan Wild Rice

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Wild Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots and Pine Nuts

Wild Rice and Tomato Salad

Wild Rice and Ham Chowder

With Wild Rice Mix

Sherried Wild Rice

Cashew Rice and Chicken Casserole

Sunday in Iowa...

Goats in the pasture on an Amish farm

Near Stringtown, Iowa on Ia. Highway 1

Cookbooks Reviews...Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cook Book

I’m on my second copy of the original Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cook Book, first published in 1954.  The first one, purchased when I was in college, simply gave out, and lost its cover, because it was used so much. The book has been revised several times, but I still like the old one, which uses minimal mixes and convenience foods. 

The book has the basics, and I mean basics, like how to make coffee and bake a potato, as well as a real variety of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and entertaining.  I like the menu ideas scattered throughout the book and lots of suggestions for dressing up and adding variety to basics like fruit and vegetables.  

We moved to Germany right after we got married, and I used this cookbook constantly those years – as I learned to cook for two instead of the institutional cooking I was used to.  At home, our mom only had a few cookbooks – a 1940’s Red Plaid, and a church cookbook is what I remember.  I had my 1970’s Red Plaid and this book the first 5 years, until we returned to the states and I started collecting cookbooks. 

Some of our family favorites over the years are from this book…recipes I still make.  It wasn’t hard for me to find recipes in this book…some of them are below.

Molasses Baked Beans

Macaroni Sauté

Orange Onion Salad

Janette's Pork and Noodles

Scrambled Eggs

Family Favorites...Honey Roasted Peanut Crisps

  Peanuts are something I associate with the South. When I saw the recipe for Honey Roasted Peanut Crisps in the Southern Living Homestyle Cooking, I knew I would have to try them. I have made cookies with peanuts before, but these call for Honey Roasted instead of salted. 

  I like cookie recipes calling for half butter and half shortening. They make a nice crisp cookie which we all like. Just be sure that you are using all vegetable shortening.

  With their brown sugar and honey peanuts, they got great reviews from my tasters. Lyle said with his first bite, “you can make these again.” always a good thing when you have tried something new.

  I use cookie scoops instead of rolling into balls, much faster. Be sure to lightly grease the bottom of the glass you are using to flatten the cookies or the sugar won’t stick to the glass and the cookie will. Also, leaving the cookies on the sheets for a few minutes will let them brown a little more so keep that in mind. If you don’t leave them, they tend to fall apart. Of course, the broken ones are for the cook.

Honey Roasted Peanut Crisps

½ cup butter

½ cup shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 cups honey-roasted peanuts (I used a 12 ounce can, which was plenty of nuts)

2 tablespoons sugar

  Heat oven to 375°. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. 

Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer or by hand until creamy; gradually add the cup of brown sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mix well. Stir peanuts in by hand.

  Shape dough into 1¼ inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with flat bottomed greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 375° for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire rack to cool.

Yield: about 4 dozen

Veggie Hamburger Rice Skillet

Noodles on left  Cheese on right

 Tonight is cold and raw so made a casserole I had been wanting to try.

It is for a larger amount than we would eat so my daughter and grandson stayed to help eat it. I made a loaf of Herb batter bread so the house smelled so good and the oven on warmed up the house.

 The casserole is made in one skillet, easy to make and easy to clean up. 
There was a variation so I topped the casserole with cheese on one half and chow mein noodles on the other half. The vote went for the noodles as the best. Use what your family likes best. 
I didn’t have instant rice and as I rarely use it I used some rice I had left from dinner at our Chinese restaurant. I had put it in the freezer and there was enough for the casserole. Sure saves time. If you don’t have any on hand already cooked I would use the instant rice for the texture and the timing. It needs 2 cups cooked rice. 

Veggie Hamburger Rice Skillet

1 pound lean ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup water (omit if using already cooked rice) 

1 cup uncooked instant rice (this makes 2 cups cooked rice)

1 (14 to 16 oz) package frozen stir fry vegies broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts and red peppers

 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

1 (10 ¾ ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

4 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese or ¼ cup chow mein noodles

 In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add water, rice, frozen vegetables, garlic powder and seasoned salt; mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in soup and tomato sauce. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with cheese. Cover and let stand 2 to 3 minutes to melt cheese. If using chow mein noodles, it is nice to heat in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes to heat noodles and crisp them. You could also use cashews as a topping.

From the Garden...Scalloped Corn

  Lyle had been requesting scalloped corn. This recipe, from the Taste of Home Holiday Recipes 2003 is for a basic scalloped corn. Lyle and Bettie both thought it was just like they had growing up and so were very pleased with it.

  I found it quite easy to make using frozen corn and will make it again for them.

This is scalloped corn like Grandma or Mom made. Still a good simple vegetable to feed your family and inexpensive to prepare.

Scalloped Corn

4 cups fresh or frozen corn

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk (I would use 1 1/4 cup next time)

1 cup (about 30) crushed saltine crackers, divided

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

Salt and pepper to taste

  In a medium bowl combine the corn, eggs, milk, 3/4 cup crushed crackers, butter, sugar, salt and pepper and onion. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and bake uncovered, at 325° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield 6 servings

Corn and Rice Chowder

Bacon is the flavor boost in this different but delicious corn chowder.   The second time I made this I used cooked rice I had leftover and frozen…even quicker!  I used plain corn and some diced garden red and green peppers I had in the freezer.

I could envision using browned chopped ham instead of bacon, and perhaps adding a little American cheese for a different soup, perhaps with some cumin instead of thyme.  I found this recipe in a March, 1993 Pillsbury booklet Pasta, Rice and Beans.

We enjoyed this with Date Muffins and a chopped salad.

Corn and Rice Chowder

  4        Slices  Bacon -- cut up

     ½    Cup  Onion -- chopped

     ½    Cup  Celery -- sliced

  3        Tablespoons  Flour

  3        Cups  Milk

  2        Cups  Corn With Red and Green Peppers -- canned or frozen (thawed slightly)

     ½    Cup  Rice – uncooked (or 1 ½ cups cooked)

            Salt and Pepper -- to taste

     ¼    Teaspoon  Dried Thyme

Cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve on tablespoon drippings in pan; add onion and celery and cook until crisp-tender.

Stir in flour; cook until bubbly.  Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.  Add vegetables, rice, and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer 20-30 minutes until rice is tender.  Crumble bacon and stir into chowder; heat thoroughly.

**If using already cooked rice, simmer 7-10 minutes until heated thoroughly.

  4 servings      "1 Quart"

Use It Up…Rice in Sweet Puddings and Salads

Here are some more recipes for using rice that are sweet instead of savory.  The first three call for already-cooked rice, and are a good opportunity to use rice from your freezer.  The last one is more traditional, and uses dry rice that is cooked along with the recipe.

We think you’ll like any of these delicious ways to use rice.

Rice Pudding

Rice Delight

Fruity Rice Salad

Baked Rice Pudding with Lemon Sauce

Sunday in Iowa...

An Iowa Skyline...

In South English, Iowa

on Highway 22

Population 210

Cookbook Reviews...Home Baking with Robin Hood Flour

Home Baking with Robin Hood Flour was a happy find when our local antique mall moved and marked down a lot of their merchandise.  That made me search though some piles of cookbooks in one of the booths, where I found this one.  Printed around 1980, the booklet emphasizes “Coolrise” yeast breads, which rise overnight in the refrigerator.  However, you can use whatever method you like, and with current instant or bread-machine yeasts, doughs rise much more quickly at room temperature today. 

The book also includes quick breads, cookies, cakes and pies, main dishes like pizza and biscuit-topped casseroles, and desserts like cobblers and crepes.  I have used a variety of recipes from the Robin Hood flour bags, so I know they are successful.  

I baked for years with Robin Hood flour before I realized the company was Canadian.  Their website says that it was started in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1909.  Their flour was certainly being sold throughout the Midwestern US since I can remember starting to bake as a preteen. 

Here are some Spring baking ideas from Robin Hood that Myrna and I were excited to try, and I can say, the recipes are as good as they look.

Pumpernickel Big Buns

Crunchy Orange Muffins

Seven Hearts 

Breakfast Ring

Two Tone Rye Twist

Rye Pan Rolls

Family Favorites...Oatmeal Honey Bread

This is a little different from my usual oatmeal bread, with the yogurt.  I changed the directions to use instant or rapid-rise yeast.  Check out our mixer bread information HERE.  Remember, you can also make this recipe by hand too, the way I did for years.
Luckily, I had a 7 ½” loaf pan because I use it for my husband’s favorite lemon nut quick bread.   This is a nice sandwich-style loaf and it also makes excellent toast.                   

Oatmeal Honey Bread

  2 1/3   Cups  Flour, All-purpose

  1          Cup  Quick Cooking Oats

  1          Package  Instant Yeast

  1          Teaspoon  Sugar

  1          Teaspoon  Salt

     1/4   Teaspoon  Baking Soda

  3          Tablespoons  Honey

  1          Cup  Plain Nonfat Yogurt

     1/2   Cup  Water -- 120°-125°

  1          Tablespoon  Honey -- For top of loaf

Combine flour, oats, salt, baking soda, yeast and sugar in mixer bowl.

Heat yogurt and water to 120-125°.  Add 3 tbsp. of honey.  Add to flour mixture gradually while beating on low speed with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes..

Change to dough hook and knead 4 minutes or until elastic.

Cover and let rest in a warm place 10 minutes. 

Punch down and turn out on lightly floured surface.  Knead lightly 4 or 5 times.  Roll into a 12 x 5" rectangle.  Roll up dough, starting on short side and shape into a loaf; pinch ends.

Preheat oven to 400°.  Place in greased 7 1/2 x 3" loaf pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until 1" above the pan (about 25 minutes).  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350° and bake 20 minutes.  (An instant read thermometer should read 195-200° when inserted into the end of the loaf.) Remove from pan immediately and brush with 1 tablespoon honey.   Cool on a wire rack.

You can bake this in a 8 x 4" pan, it will make a flatter loaf and bake in a little shorter time.

  "Southern Living Homestyle Cooking"

  "1 Loaf – about 12 slices"

Per Serving: 149 Calories; 1g Fat (4.2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 220mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.