French Onion Soup

I think I stole this one from Peter Rideout at the Moscow Hotel

2 gallons water
12 onions
1 cup beef base
2 tsp white pepper
10 cloves garlic - peeled
8 oz Courvoisier

Croutons & Parmesan Cheese

Slice onions thin. Put in water with beef base, pepper and garlic and boil 40 to 60 minutes. Add Courvoisier.

Serve hot portions in cup or bowl with croutons and parmesan cheese, melting the cheese on top in the broiler, if possible.

Van De Kamp's Seafood Sauce

So, I wasn't aware of it at the time, but Van De Kamp's used to put a brochure with some recipes inside their products' boxes. Van De Kamp's actually had restaurants in California when I was a child, and I remember dining there - loved the fish sticks. Here's their secret sauce recipe.

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 T sugar
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
3-4 drops hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Dash of garlic salt
Dash of Onion salt

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

Chicken and Chilies Cheese Ball

From the Lewiston Morning Tribune, September 1981

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken or 1 5 oz can boned chicken, well drained and chopped
2 to 3 T chopped green chilies, well drained
1 T finely chopped onion
1 tsp chicken flavor instant bouillon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except nuts; mix well. Shape into a ball, roll in nuts to coat. Chill. Serve with crackers.

Crab Lasagne

From Sula Keeling in the Lewiston Morning Tribune, ca 1980
1/4 pound lasagna
salted water
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 T butter
1 tsp basil
1-1/2 T flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
1/2 lb ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated swiss cheese
2 T chopped parsley
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 oz crab meat
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna in salted boiling water for 20 minutes, drain.
Saute onion in butter with basil. Blend in flour, then add milk.
Cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
Remove from heat and set sauce aside.

Combine egg, ricotta, swiss cheese, parsley and 1/2 tsp salt.
In a 2 quart baking dish spread a thin layer of sauce; add a layer of lasagna, one of cheese mixture, a little sauce, more lasagna, sliced tomatoes and crab. Repeat layers ending with sauce, sliced tomatoes, parmesan and chopped parsley.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Allow to set 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 to 6

Egg Beet Salad

1 can sliced beets
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 T sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, hard-cooked and shelled
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Salad greens

In a 3 cup round container or bowl, stir together the beet juice, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt.
Add the eggs, top with the onions, and then the reserved beets.
Gently press down so liquid at least partially covers beets.
Cover and chill overnight.
At serving time, arrange the beets and onion rings on salad greens; slice the eggs (their white rims will be a pretty reddish-pink color) and add.

Corn and Sauerkraut

Doris Finley's recipe from the Lewiston Morning Tribune, February 1981

Brown together `1-1/2 pounds lean bacon, cut into small pieces, and 1/2 cup diced onion.
Drain off fat.
In a large saucepan place 1 large jar kraut, undrained.
Add bacon and onion mixture, 2 cans whole kernel corn, undrained, and 2 cans button mushrooms, drained.
Salt to taste and simmer for 1 hour. (May add caraway and anise seeds for a different flavor if desired). May be served hot or cold.

Smokey Salmon Cheese Ball

From Bon Appetit by Mona Mitchell in the Washington Water Power newsletter, June 1981

1 can (l lb) red salmon
8 oz cream cheese
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp grated onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp prepared horseradish

Drain salmon, remove skin and bones.
Stir into softened cream cheese with remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly.
Chill for several hours. Serve either into a bowl for spreading on crackers or form into a ball and roll in 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans and 1/2 cup finely minced parsley. Server on plate surrounded by crackers.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Mom's recipe

1-1/2 cups Minute Rice in bottom of baking dish. Lay chicken pieces on rice, breasts and thighs for 6.
add 2 cans of soup (celery, mushroom, or chicken) mixed with 1 cup milk
Pour ovever chicken and sprinkle a little dry onion soup mix on top.
Cover with foil and bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

Grandma's Tuna Casserole

1 large can shoestring potatoes
1 large can tuna
1 4 oz can mushrooms, drained
1 can mushroom soup
1 can evaporated milk

Mix all together (it will be somewhat thin) Pour in casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Never Fail Pie Crust

4 c flour
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt
1-3/4 c shortening

Mix together 1 egg, 1 T vinegar, 1/2 cup water

Add all at once to flour mixture.

Dough will be sticky.
Let rest 10 minutes
divide into 6 chunks and roll out on floured board, turning often and adding flour

Yields 3 9-inch double crusts.

Gulliver's Creamed Corn

from Paul & Teresa Bradley

An old church pot luck recipe.

20 oz frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp MSG
6 tsp sugar
pinch of white or cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. flour

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Blend melted butter and flour together to make a roux, cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add roux to the corn mixture. Mix well to thicken, and then remove from heat. This much can be done ahead of time, and then thoroughly reheat the corn (covered in an oven) before the next step.

Place finished corn mixture in a 9x13 backing dish. Sprinkle with fresh shredded parmesan cheese and paprika. broil until evenly browned. Serve immediately.
Serves 8 to 10.

Pefernoss

Many years ago, when I worked in the restaurant business, I knew a waitress named Shirley. A bit of an ornery old character, but that gal could work circles around any three young waitresses. I remember one Sunday morning in particular when Shirley called to say that the opening cook hadn't showed up, so I went in to open up the kitchen. The dishwasher also was a no-show, and the second waitress that was supposed to work in the morning was running late for some reason. Shirley and I ran that place by ourselves the first few hours of a Sunday morning breakfast rush, and it was a thing to behold! Not a wasted movement as the two of us remained in a constant circuit between the dining room, dishwashing area, and kitchen.

Anyway, Shirley used to bring in an old (I thought it was German) traditional spiced cookie, called Pefernöss. I loved them, and one day managed to talk her out of the recipe, just in case. A number of years later, I found that Shirley had died of cancer, taking her recipe to the grave. But I found a copy in my files, and it's here in the cloud for posterity.

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (lard works wonders, too)
1 egg
1/2 tsp anise oil
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
3-1/2 cups of flour

Mix batter well.
Bake drop cookies - size by preference, but usually a around a tablespoon of batter each for 7 minutes at 350 degrees.
After they cool, dip them in powdered sugar.

Here's to you, Shirley. We miss you!

Crab Dip

From Bonnie Fuller "stolen from Bev Martin Orchards School 1975"

4-1/2 oz  can crab meat
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped green onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons water

Mix together the crab, cream cheese, celery, mayonnaise, and onion.
Heat undiluted soup, add water and gelatin.
Mix thoroughly and add to crab mixture.
Mold (or set) overnight.
Serve with crackers or may be used as a salad.

Note: Be sure to use Best Foods mayonnaise, as other brands may change the flavor adversely.

South of the Border Pie

2 slices bacon
1 small onion
1 lb ground beef
15 oz stewed tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1 T chili powder
dash salt
1 box cornbread muffin mix

Saute bacon until crisp and drain grease.
Brown onion and ground beef, stir in crumpled bacon, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder and salt.
Heat to boiling
Place mixture in baking dish.
Mix cornbread batter according to instructions on the box, then pour it over the mix.
Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Balsamic Chicken

(from Mike Gamblin)

6 chicken breasts
1 T canola oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
1/2 tsp pepper
3 chopped scallions
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in non-stick pan and sauté chicken 4 minutes each side or until brown.
Alternativly, grill chicken each side 3 minutes to brown. Remove chicken from pan and add garlic.
Stir 30 seconds, then add remaining ingredients.
Return chicken to pan, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes.
Salt & pepper to taste and serve with fresh vegetables and bread.

Turkey Curry Soup

(from Mike Gamblin)
3 T butter
1 chopped onion
3 diced carrots
2 diced celery stalks
3 tsp curry powder
3 T flour
6 cup chicken stock
2 diced potatos
1 shredded Granny Smith apple
2 cups shredded turkey breast
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked rice

Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat.
Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 5 minutes.
Add curry to flour and sprinkle over onion mix, cooking until fragrant and starting to brown.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Add potatos and apple, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in turkey, salt, and pepper, and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
Serve over rice in bowls.

Baked Chicken Reuben

Ingredients:
4 whole boned chicken breasts, halved
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
16 oz can sauerkraut
4-4"X6" slices of swiss cheese
1-1/4 cup Thousand Island Dressing
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Place chicken in bottom of greased baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drain the sauerkraut, then spread it over the chicken, top with swiss cheese.
Pour the dressing over the cheese.
Cover with foil.
Bake for 1-1/2 hrs at 350 degrees, or until chicken is fork-tender
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.