Recipes

3-4 large cans yams / sweet potatoes

½ stick butter or margarine

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup cream sherry

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2-3 packages Emerald Brand® candied walnut or pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat sweet potatoes and butter or margarine until smooth, scraping bowl constantly with rubber spatula. Add brown sugar, sherry, salt and pepper. Increase speed to medium, beat 2 minutes longer or until mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in one package of candied nuts and mix thoroughly. Pour into 9 x 13 casserole and top with additional candied nuts. Place in oven until heated through; approximately 15-20 minutes.

Carole says: So light and fluffy; perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner. Make plenty; everyone will want to take some home!

OCTOBER 2008

Easy Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Here’s a fast and easy casserole that is perfect for fall evenings (and for anxious trick-or-treaters who need to “eat and run!”)

I cup cooked chicken

1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of mushroom soup

½ cup milk

2 tsp yellow mustard (like French’s)

1 bag frozen broccoli flowerets, thawed

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (unseasoned)

2 tsp. melted butter

Stir chicken, soup, milk, mustard, broccoli and cheese in 1 ½ quart casserole. Combine breadcrumbs with butter in bowl and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

CAROLE SAYS: If I’m really pressed for time, I’ll start out with already-cooked chicken from the grocery store and pre-shredded cheese found in the deli section. Add butter croissants on the side and you’re all set!

SEPTEMBER 2008

TOUCHDOWN CHILI

It’s FINALLY FALL and time for sweaters, fireplaces and FOOTBALL SEASON – and what goes better with football than this awesome (and super-easy) chili recipe. Thanks to our good friends at McCormick & Company for this recipe that gets me out of the kitchen and in front of the TV with family and friends FAST!

1 lb lean ground beef (I prefer no more than 15% fat)

1 cup chopped onion

I pkg chili seasoning

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked through, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in seasoning and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

CAROLE SAYS: Have bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onion on hand for topping. This goes great with corn bread and a huge side of the Dallas Cowboys!!!!

AUGUST 2008

Since I’m still in a “Salad State of Mind” (apologies to WWS members from New York and to Billy Joel for messing with a song title!), I’m sharing yet another super-favorite of mine. This recipe was given to me by a longtime dear friend and “Mentor Extraordinaire” after my ranting and demanding that she share the recipe… or else!

BROCCOLI SALAD

2 large heads of broccoli, chopped extremely fine
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1 large carrot, grated.

FOR THE DRESSING, MIX TOGETHER:

1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sugar,
2 tbsp rice vinegar

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and toss. Just prior to serving, add 8 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon and 1 cup sunflower seeds.

CAROLE SAYS: You can substitute turkey bacon or REAL bacon bits, found in the condiments section of your grocery store. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any!); it tastes even better the following day!

JULY 2008

SUPER-COOL COLESLAW

I don’t know about you, but the last thing that I want to do in the summer months is turn on an oven. Actually, I really don’t even want to be in the kitchen any longer than it takes to make this awesome salad! This is one of my favorite “quick and out” recipes; perfect for a light lunch – and it’s healthy too!

1 bag coleslaw salad mix (or 1 head cabbage shredded, but I like to take the shortcut with the bagged variety)
1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
¼ cup regular peanuts (not dry roasted)
¼ cup raisins
Bottled coleslaw dressing (I prefer T. Marzetti brand)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy

GOES GREAT WITH: Iced tea and lemon. For a dessert treat – serve sugar cookies!

JUNE 2008

CHICKEN TURNOVERS

This is a “Fleet Family Favorite”, going all the way back to Kendall’s pre-school days!

1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 8 oz package crescent rolls (found in the dairy case)
1 cup seasoned croutons, crushed (note: I put the croutons in a Ziploc bag and roll over the contents with a rolling pin).

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix cream cheese, butter, chicken, pepper, onion and coutons together. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of croutons to top crescent rolls. Set aside. Unroll crescent rolls and use two rolls for each turnover (pinch the seams together to form one sheet). Fill each sheet with chicken mixture; taking care not to overfill. Fold in half and crimp edges together. Top with reserved croutons. Place on foil-covered cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until dough is golden brown.

GOES GREAT WITH: Mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables

MAY 2008

“QUICKIE-CHICKIE’ SALAD

As the weather becomes warmer and schedules get even busier, we’re all looking for quick, easy and leaving the oven OFF! The following chicken salad is fast, easy and you can use already-cooked chicken found at your grocery store deli.

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbs mustard (I use honey-dijon for extra “tang”
2 cups cooked chicken; chopped
2 ribs celery; sliced
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup pine nuts (pignolis)

Stir mayonnaise, mustard, milk and pepper together till blended well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

You can serve this alone or on a bed of romaine – yummy!

APRIL 2008

TORTELLINI CAESAR SALAD

Spring is here and our thoughts turn to lighter fare – but it’s still has to be quick and easy, right? This salad is fast, yummy and makes a great main-course!

Prepare one 9 oz. package of refrigerated cheese tortellini (I use the spinach kind) according to instructions. In a bowl, combine the cooked tortellini, a bag of chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup of Caesar salad dressing and a ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (the deli case variety is better than the canned variety). Toss to coat and top with 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes, 1 cup croutons and ½ cup diced olives.

HAPPY PASSOVER CHAROSET RECIPE

Happy Passover to all of our Jewish members and visitors. Want a Charoset recipe that your family will actually EAT rather than just stare at on the Seder plate? Here’s my favorite – and yes, my family actually eats it!

CHAROSET

3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp potato starch
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
3-4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4-1/2 cup golden raisins
Cinnamon
Wine to taste

Mix water, potato starch, sugar and honey in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thick and clear. Cool. Prepare apples and nuts. Mix with honey mixture. Add cinnamon to taste (I use a lot of cinnamon). Just before serving mix in wine by Tablespoon. Mix all of the above together. Makes two cups.

March 2008

SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP

This has been a family favorite for about 10 years and so yummy on a cold winter night. It’s not only super-easy to prepare, you can freeze the leftovers!

1 lb mild Italian sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh sliced carrots, peeled
1 28 oz. can tomato puree
1 14.5oz can fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
2 cups water
2 tsp dried basil
1 9 oz. package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini (found in the deli case)
3 cups frozen broccoli cuts

Instructions

1. In Dutch oven, combine sausage and onion. Cook over medium heat 8
minutes or until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. (HINT FROM CAROLE: I rinse the mixture in a strainer under hot water until the water runs almost clear – this virtually eliminates the “greasy top” when re-heating leftovers)

2. Add carrots; cook and stir 1 minute.

3. Add tomato puree, broth, water and basil. Bring to a boil.

4. Add tortellini; return to a boil. Add broccoli and reduce heat to medium.

Cook 6-8 minutes or until tortellini is tender.

GOES GREAT WITH: Cucumber salad and sourdough bread

Speaking of cucumber salad – this is one of our favorites and was created by Kendall

KENDALL’S SUPER-COOL CUCUMBER SALAD

KENDALL SAYS: All I do is take 2 cucumbers and add 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and blend. It tastes really good and is so healthy too. Plus it goes with everything!

CAROLE’S EMBARRASSINGLY EASY RECIPE OF THE MONTH

“CHICKEN WHIP”

I thank you all deeply for the incredibly flattering responses that I have received in response to previous recipes; especially the response sent by WWS “Wonder Woman” Sandy H. in San Diego, California.

The following recipe is truly a grand testimony to my laziness as a cook. Named “Chicken Whip” by my daughter when she was two years old, I thank our good friends at Kraft Foods for providing me with the following recipe that has bailed me out of the “what am I going to make for dinner” blues for almost 20 years. It’s fast, easy and tastes great!

1 cup Miracle Whip (or Miracle Whip Light) Dressing

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. oregano

2-3 pounds chicken pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet or roasting pan with foil. Place chicken skin side down on pan. Mix all ingredients and baste chicken. Bake for half-hour and turn chicken skin side up. Baste again and continue baking. Add baste as desired until chicken is cooked through (registers 160 degrees on easy read meat thermometer.

GOES GREAT WITH: Cucumber salad and rice

HAPPY NEW YEAR RECIPE OF THE MONTH

How about a quick and easy bread for New Years morning that you can enjoy with the parades and football games – and WON’T keep you in the kitchen for hours. Here’s our very favorite – so easy that you don’t even have to SLICE it!

EASY PULL-APART BREAD

4 cans refrigerator biscuits (such as Pillsbury)

2 tbsp cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan (I prefer to use a spray-on, such as Mazola to grease the pan). Put a brown lunchbag inside a plastic bag (those seams “leak”!) and mix together both sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut the biscuits into quarters and put a few quarters at a time into the bag and shake. Layer the biscuit pieces, excess sugar mix and nuts in pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes and cool thoroughly before removal from pan.

Serve with a hazelnut blend coffee, orange juice – or treat yourself to a mimosa!

HOLIDAY RECIPES OF THE MONTH

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Everyone has their main dishes all figured out – so let me help you with “before and after”. The following recipes include a favorite “appetizer” that is so EASY to make (and tastes fabulously complicated!) and one of my family’s favorite cookie recipes ever. You’ll need to plan the cookies ahead of time as they need to “set” overnight…but they are well worth the wait!

ONION “PATE’ ”

½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. soy sauce
¼ lb. fresh mushrooms
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese; cut into quarters

Sauté onions and mushrooms in hot oil in skillet over a medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and blend well. Add Parmesan cheese and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until chilled thoroughly.

Carole says: I serve this in a crystal dish with water crackers, Melba toast and garlic toast rounds (found in the grocers’ deli section)

SNOWDROPS

3 egg whites at room temperature (Note: For easiest separation, separate the eggs right out of the refrigerator, then let the whites sit out for about 45 minutes)
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
½ cup sugar (placed in a small bowl)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips OR chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Prior to combining ingredients, clean your mixing bowl with white vinegar to ensure that the egg whites will form properly.

Line two large cookie sheets with foil. In bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beating at high speed, GRAUDALLY sprinkle in sugar with teaspoon; two teaspoons at a time, beating until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla, continue beating until meringue stands in stiff, glossy peaks. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in chocolate chips or walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Place cookies in 200-degree oven for 10 minutes, then shut oven off. DO NOT OPEN OVEN. Leave cookies in oven overnight and remove from oven the following day.

Carole says: This cookie is so hugely popular in our house that I usually wind up making several batches because they disappear so quickly!

THANKSGIVING RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Happy Thanksgiving! To help out with your Thanksgiving preparations, I’m pleased to share one of our family favorites…a great “twist” on traditional sweet potatoes that I know you’ll love.

SHERRIED SWEET POTATOES

3-4 large cans yams / sweet potatoes
½ stick butter or margarine
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup cream sherry
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2-3 packages Emerald Brand® candied walnut or pecans

Carole says: So light and fluffy; perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner. Make plenty; everyone will want to take some home!

October's RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Because this is the month of Halloween and your kids are going to want to get out the door FAST to go goody-collecting, here’s a super quick and tasty hot meal that will please your littlest “ghosts ‘n goblins” before heading out to a night of (safe) fun. This recipe comes to us courtesy of our friends at www.campbellsoup.com:

HEARTY CHICKEN & NOODLE CASSEROLE

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, any style

½ cup milk

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken and noodles in 1 ½ qt. casserole. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir.

Top with Cheddar cheese.

Carole says: This goes great with a mixed green salad and garlic toast!

September's PORK “N NOODLES

Serves four

Four pork chops, ½’ to ¾’ thick; about 1 ½ lbs 1 tbsp oil

1 clove garlic, minced

SAUCE

2 tso, oil

4 tbsp dry sherry or broth

4 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

16 oz. large noodles, prepared according to package directions

Prepare noodles and drain. Set aside on platter.

Trim pork chops of fat. Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet. Brown chops on both sides. Remove and add more oil if needed.

Saute’ garlic for one minute. Combine oil, sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper in bowl. Place chops in skillet and pour sauce over chops. Cover tightly.

Simmer over low heat until chops are cooked through and tender (about 30 minutes), turning once. Add a little water if sauce is cooking down too much.

Remove chops to plate and stir in cornstarch dissolved in water. Cook until thickened.

Place chops on cooked noodles and pour sauce over both. YUM!

CHERRY DESSERT

Serves 16

2 sticks butter or margarine

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 can (21 oz size) cherry pie filling (or blueberry if you prefer)

13 x 9 “ cake pan, greased

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add almond extract. Sitr in flour and baking powder and mix until smooth. Turn mixture into the pan. Spoon the pie filling into the mixture; spacing 4 spoonfuls evenly in each direction.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Filling will sink into the cake while baking.

Cut, serve and enjoy warm with vanilla bean ice cream!