Saturday, September 3, 2011

Cooking : 30-Minute Minestrone

Ingredients
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian stewed or diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cubes beef bouillon
1 cup torn fresh spinach
2/3 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
In a 3-qt. saucepan, saute carrots, cabbage, celery, onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add water, tomatoes and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in spinach, macaroni and pepper; heat through.

Cooking : Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
6 Kaiser rolls, split

Directions
In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the turkey, water, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and paprika. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve on rolls.

Cooking : Aunt Faith's Clam Dip

Ingredients
1 (6.5 ounce) can minced clams, with juice
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 small sweet onion, minced
2 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco�), or to taste

Directions
With a fork, mash the cream cheese in a bowl, adding a little bit of the clam juice at a time until smooth. Fold the clams and onions into the cream cheese mixture until evenly mixed. Stir the hot pepper sauce into the dip.

Cooking : Broccoli with Poppy Seed Sauce

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons minced onion
20 ounces broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, and cook until the onion has begun to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 6 minutes. Drain.
When the onions have turned golden brown, remove the saucepan from the heat, and whisk in the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper. Place the cooked broccoli into a serving dish, and pour the sauce overtop. Sprinkle with chopped pecans to serve.

Cooking : Banana Layer Cake

Ingredients
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup 1% buttermilk
3 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
3 drops yellow food coloring

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks; beat well. Add banana; beat on low speed until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Coat two 6-in. round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour. Add batter. Bake at 375 degrees F for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, combine shortening and butter. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, salt and extract; mix well. Stir in banana. Beat in enough of the remaining confectioners' sugar to achieve desired spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.