"S" Recipes

Salmon Pasta Casserole/Second Time Servings/Secret Ingredients/Black & White Shortbread Wedges/Squash Relish
Squash Relish 2/Soda Crackers/Chunky Potato Soup/Minestrone Soup In Minutes/Stir-fry Lo Mein/Striped Delight/Watergate Salad

Salmon Pasta Casserole

1 Lb Salmon Fillets
salt & pepper
4 Oz can mushrooms
8 1/2 Oz can peas
1 Tbs butter
8 Oz Ziti
1/4 cup sherry
16 Oz jar Alfredo Sauce
1/4 C American cheese spread
Vegetable cooking oil  (Pam)
1/2 cup french fried onions  (you can't get too many of these.)
1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Fill saucepan 3/4 full water and bring to boil for pasta.  Boil pasta uncovered for 5 minutes... drain.  Meanwhile: Remove skin of salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Preheat sauté' pan on medium heat...   Add butter to pan and swirl to coat pan.   Put salmon in pan... cover and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.  Flake salmon, and mix well with sherry, alfredo sauce, cheese spread, & drained mushrooms.   Add pasta and peas... mix  gently.  Spray baking dish with cooking spray and spoon salmon  mixture into dish...  Top with onions and cheese blend.   Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Sent to me by Iva R.

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Savor Those Second-Time-Servings

A BUSY COOK can never have too many tricks up her apron “sleeve” for serving leftovers. So here are several family-proven ones:
TASTY MARINADE
When we have juice left over from a can of pineapple, I use it to make an easy marinade for chicken breasts. I add a little oil, soy sauce and garlic, then let the chicken marinate overnight. The next day, I bake it in the marinade. Yum!
CLEAN-THE-FRIDGE SOUP
Add almost any leftovers to a can of tomato soup. I’ve done this with macaroni and cheese, Spanish rice, pork and beans and leftover vegetables. It’s a great way to clean out your refrigerator and perk up tomato soup.
PARMESAN TOASTS
To use up leftover hot dog or hamburger buns, spread cut sides with butter or margarine, then sprinkle with seasoned salt and Parmesan cheese. Broil until they’re browned and the cheese is melted. I serve these toasts with chili, spaghetti, a favorite soup or salad. They’re a nice change from garlic bread.
SPICY FRIED RICE
When I have extra cooked rice and leftover meat, such as pork chops, steak or roast, I fix a fast fried rice. Just sauté an onion in butter, then add the rice and chopped meat. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook until everything is heated through. To add some zest, I serve it with picante sauce or taco sauce.
Chives Are Easy to Grow, Use
FOR color, aroma and zesty flavor, count on chives! A perennial herb with thin, pointy hollow leaves growing from tiny bulbs, chives have a sweet onion flavor and are high in vitamin C. This popular herb can be grown from seed for planting indoors or outdoors.
It takes 2 to 3 weeks to germinate. For faster results, start with a small plant or ask a neighbor to give you a clump from their plant. (Chives need to be divided every 3 or 4 years.) Sow five or six bulbs 6 inches apart in a sunny, well-drained location. After the leaves are 6 inches tall, some may be snipped. Leave 2 inches of growth and don’t take all the leaves at once. You’ll get the best flavor
harvesting before the plant blooms. The purple pom-pom flowers are also edible and make a fun addition to salads. Or, float them in soup when serving. To preserve chives, some readers recommend chopping the leaves and drying or freezing them. “Chopped fresh chives can be put into plastic freezer bags and frozen for handy use . “They keep color and flavor well in the freezer.” Unlike other herbs, chives can be used fresh, dried or frozen interchangeably and in the same amounts in recipes.
CABBAGE WITH HERB BUTTER
* 1 medium head cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into wedges
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
* 1/2 cup minced chives
* 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
* 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Place cabbage in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, combine the butter, chives, onions, parsley, lemon juice and thyme. Drain cabbage; transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the herb butter; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.
Looking for Lighter Fare?
Moist Garden Turkey Burgers get plenty of color and flavor from onion, zucchini and red pepper. “I often make the mixture ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator” . “Later, I can put the burgers on the grill while whipping up a salad or side dish.”
* 1 cup old-fashioned oats
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup finely chopped sweet red or green pepper
* 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add turkey and mix well. Shape into six 1/2-in.-thick patties. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Serve on buns. Yield: 6 burgers. Nutritional Analysis: One serving (prepared with ground turkey breast and without salt; calculated without the bun) equals 156 calories, 174 mg sodium, 37 mg cholesterol, 15 gm carbohydrate, 21 gm
protein, 2 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1 starch.

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“Secret Ingredients” Make Menus Special

WANT TO turn “ho-hum” foods into dishes that’ll have family members asking for more?
Sensational Salads - I add a bit of chicken bouillon granules and horseradish to my dressing for macaroni salad. This is one flavorful dish.
Tuna salad becomes lively with a couple tablespoons of salsa. The salsa complements the flavor of the tuna.
To perk up coleslaw, include chopped celery, green pepper, apple, banana, pineapple and black walnuts.
Best Burgers and Meat Loaf - We like the flavor of bacon in burgers and meat loaf , to save time, I mix packaged bacon bits into the meat before grilling or baking.
Super Sandwiches. Cold meat sandwiches get crunch with thinly sliced radishes. It’s a fun alternative to onion slices.
Better Baked Beans - To any canned baked beans, stir in about 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil.
Add a dash of cinnamon and ginger to your favorite baked beans. They get a new zing.
Very Fine Vegetables - cook peas in the juice from a can of pineapple along with margarine and onion powder, before serving, stir in the pineapple chunks.
When boiling carrots, add a chopped apple or pear and a bit of brown sugar.
Terrific Treats - When making a chocolate pie using a pudding mix, I give it extra richness by mixing in a handful of chocolate chips .
Several tablespoons of strawberry freezer jam make zucchini bread moist and delicious.

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Squash Relish

2 qts chopped squash
2 C. chopped onions
2 bell peppers chopped
1 (7 oz) jar pimentos chopped
2 C. sugar
2 C white vinegar
2 tps each of Mustard Seed, Celery seed & plain salt (hot peppers -optional)

Chop all ingredients. Mix well. Set aside for 1 hour. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Put in jars and seal. Process in water bath.

Doris R.

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Squash Relish 2

I developed this recipe many years ago and make 3 or 4 dozens pints every year. We have a nephew who wants at least a dozen
for himself. It's one you can play with as far as the ingredients go. I've used all different kinds of squash, zucchini, corn, cucumbers
and others. The staples are the yellow squash and onions.

This recipe is the basic 6-8 pint one.

5 lbs yellow squash crook or straight neck
2-3 medium sweet onions
1-2 medium green and red bell pepper

3/4 cp canning pickling salt
ice cubes

3 c 5% acid strength cider vinegar
3 c. sugar
2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp pepper

Slice vegetables into bite sized pieces. Combine vegetables and salt in a plastic or glass container. Cover with a good thick layer of ice
(one-half to one inch). Let stand 3 hours.
(Note:) you can also cover with ice and sit in refrigerator overnight.
Rinse the vegetables one or two times. Taste them to see if they are too salty or just right.
In a kettle add the vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables and reduce heat. Let the entire mixture cook just until it
comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add to pint jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 min.
Remove from bath and let cool. Make sure the jars are thoroughly cooled and your lids are sealed before you store them

Submitted by Joyce Gaston Reece

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Soda Crackers

Melt a stick of real butter and dip soda crackers in it and lay on a sheet pan.  Sprinkle a little kosher salt on top of them and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes.  Preheat oven from 400-425.

Linda P.

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Chunky Potato Soup

Ingredients  

3 medium red potatoes               ground black pepper
2 C. water                                 3 C. milk
1 small onion                             ½ tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter                           1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour             1 C. cubed cooked ham
Crushed red pepper

Method  

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Bring water to a boil in large saucepan.  Add potatoes and cook until tender.  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set aside potatoes.  Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.  Peel and finely chop onion.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.  Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes.  Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well.  Add cheese and ham.  Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.

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Minestrone Soup In Minutes

Mozzarella cheese is baked on top of this minestrone soup.
Preparation 10 min. 
Cooking 21 min. 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed, drained
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans beef broth
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning*
4 ounces (1 cup) uncooked dried elbow macaroni
1/2 cup croutons
4 ounces (1 cup) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded 

Instructions:
Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan; add water, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onion is tender (5 to 7 minutes).  Stir in beans, beef broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a full boil (10 to 12 minutes). Reduce heat to low. Add macaroni; cook uncovered until macaroni is tender and soup is heated through (6 to 8 minutes).
Heat oven to 400°F. To serve, place soup in individual ovenproof bowls. Top each with croutons and shredded cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
*Substitute 1 teaspoon each dried oregano leaves, dried marjoram leaves and dried basil leaves and 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage.
Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition Facts (1 serving)
Calories: 270
Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 15 mg
Sodium: 1180 mg
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 14 g

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Stir-fry Lo Mein

Tender morsels of chicken are combined with crunchy stir-fried vegetables in a flavorful sauce.

Preparation 15 min. 
Cooking 4 hrs. 30 min. 

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons Butter
* 1 (20-ounce) package boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
* 1 cup stir-fry seasoning sauce
* 1 (5-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
* 1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, sliced
* 1 (16-ounce) package fresh stir-fry vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli and pea pods)
* 1/2 cup whole cashews, if desired
* 1 (8-ounce) package lo mein noodles 

Instructions:
Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add chicken pieces. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned (5 to 7 minutes). Place in slow cooker. Add stir-fry seasoning sauce, water chestnuts and onion. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 4 to 6 hours. Increase heat setting to High 30 minutes before serving. Add stir-fry vegetables; stir. Cover; cook 30 minutes, stirring once, until vegetables are crisply tender. Stir in cashews just before serving, if desired. Meanwhile, cook lo mein noodles according to package directions. To serve, spoon stir-fry chicken and vegetable mixture over noodles.

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Striped Delight

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 4 hr 40 min
Makes: 24 servings, 1 squares each

Size It Up
Enjoy this dessert on a special occasion, but stick to the serving size of this rich treat.

Great Substitute
Prepare as directed, using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.

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Watergate Salad

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each

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