Maple Bacon-Helen Horton

1 lb thick sliced bacon

1/3 c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay bacon on paper and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 10 minutes and drain off the fat.  Then bake for 6-7 more minutes until crisp.  Serve.

Chao Mien (Real Chow Mein)-Helen Horton

½ lb sliced pork or chicken

1 ½ T soy sauce

1 t cornstarch

 Combine and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes

 3 c cooked homemade noodles (or use cooked fettuccini)

 Heat 3 T oil in wok on high heat.  Add noodles to wok spreading into a ‘pancake’ of noodles.  Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.  Do not stir.  With 2 spatulas, flip the noodles and cook 5 more minutes to brown other side.  Remove noodles to a large round platter.  With kitchen scissors, cut into serving size bunches but leave in a large flat circle of noodles.  Makes it easier to serve.

 1 t chopped ginger

1 t chopped garlic

1 c cabbage, hand break into 1 inch pieces

¼ c sliced thinly sliced white onion

¼ c coarsely grated carrots

¼ c bamboo shoots

¼ c snow peas cut in half, or fresh green beans sliced on angle

1 c bean sprouts

2-3 T mushroom pieces (prefer dried shitake reconstituted)

½ t salt

½ t sugar

1 t soy sauce

Heat 1 T oil on high heat in wok and stir fry meat until light brown.  Put back in bowl.  Heat 1 T oil on high heat in wok and stir fry ginger and garlic for just a few seconds so garlic doesn’t burn.  Add vegetables one at a time from hardest to softest stir frying each addition.  Add seasonings.  Put the meat back and stir to combine. 

¾ c chicken broth mixed with 1 T cornstarch

Bring meat and veggies up on the sides of the wok to create well at bottom of pan.  Add glaze slowly and stir until it thickens.  Pull the meat and veggies down from sides and combine.  Pour all over the noodles and serve immediately.

Stir Fried Rice-Helen Horton

4-5 c cold cooked sticky rice (cook extra the day before and chill over night)

½ c diced ham or cooked pork

3-4 T frozen peas

1/3 c diced white onion or scallions (whatever you have)

3-4 beaten eggs, beat well until frothy with 1/8 t salt

Salt and Pepper to taste

Soy Sauce

Heat wok with 1 T oil on high heat.  Pour in the eggs and turn over carefully a few times until almost cooked.  Put on plate and chop/slice with stir fry paddle.  Add 1 T oil in same wok and fry ham, peas, and onion until meat is warmed through, peas are heated and onion is softened.  Won’t take too long.  Remove to plate with eggs. 

Add 2 or 3 T of oil to same wok and add rice turning and breaking up rice clumps as it will stick together when it chills.  Once it is heated through add plate of eggs, meat and vegetables and mix together.  Add salt and pepper to taste and a little soy sauce. 

You can also add any other leftover veggies if you like.  I like to finely grate a little carrot and stir fry with the vegetables.  Whatever veggies your family likes will work. 

Although this is a sort of leftover quick fix dish, this is one of Russell’s favorites.

Soy Sauce Spareribs-Helen Horton

3 ½ -4 lbs spareribs, have the meat counter person cut a slab of ribs into 3 pieces against the bones then cut them into 2 bone sections so they are short small pieces

1 T oil

1 clove garlic

2 slices ginger

6 T soy sauce

2/3 cup boiling water

1 ½ T sugar

1 Chinese star anise or ¼ t. anise seed, don’t use powder

½ t peppercorns

 Heat oil in a large wok on high heat.  Add ginger and fry for a few seconds, then add garlic and put spareribs in and fry each piece on both sides until they are browned. 

Add soy sauce and turn to coat meat. Turn heat to medium-high, cover and cook for 6 minutes turning meat over once half way through.

Add boiling water (must use boiling water so you don’t draw out meat juices-I get some water boiling while the meat is cooking).  Also add sugar, anise and peppercorns.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for about 15 minutes turning meat every few minutes.  The juices should thicken.

Reduce to low heat and salt to taste.  Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.  Put meat on platter and pour sauce over all or put in bowl. Sauce is delicious on rice.  Serve with hot sticky rice.  Serves 4-5.

This is a Chinese recipe that our family has had for special and everyday meals many times over the years.  It is a favorite of Brig and Russell who have ordered it many times for their birthday dinner.

Pearl Balls-Helen Horton

Rice:

1 c of glutinous rice (cake rice, or sweet cake rice)

Soak in cold water for 30-60 minutes. Drain water. If you use Calrose rice, soak for 3 hours.

Meat Mixture:

1 lb ground pork

2 T water

1 T soy sauce

2-3 T finely chopped water chestnuts

1 t minced ginger

½ t salt

½ t sugar

2 t cornstarch

1 egg

Dash of Black pepper

Combine meat mixture ingredients. Make 25-30 meatballs. Roll balls in rice to cover well. Steam for 15 minutes in bamboo steamer sprayed with oil. Serve with Hot Sauce.

Hot Sauce:

3 T soy sauce

3 T white vinegar

½ – 1 t chili paste with black beans

Combine.

Freezing: I usually make a quad recipe. I use 1 6 oz can of water chestnuts. I freeze the balls on a cookie sheet and then put them in a freezer bags. When you cook them, you don’t have to defrost and you still steam them for 15 minutes.

Caesar Pasta Salad-Jen Medeiros

Salad:

1 lge. bag rotini pasta, cooked

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

2 sml. cans sliced black olives, drained

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 bag shredded parmesan cheese

Pepper, to taste

Dressing:

1 bottle Kraft Caesar Vinaigrette dressing

Combine all salad ingredients in large bowl and chill. When ready to serve, toss with salad dressing to desired taste.  Serves 8-10

Optional: Add shredded chicken or cubed ham for a more filling salad.

Helen’s Eggs Benedict-Helen Horton

8 eggs, whipped and scrambled in larger pieces (don’t stir but lift and turn)

8 english muffins, toasted

8 slices of ham or canadian bacon

Cheddar cheese sauce-recipe below

Build by putting 2 english muffin halves on a plate, add a slice of ham and some eggs.  Pour cheese sauce generously over all. 

Cheese Sauce:

4 T butter or marg

4 T flour

2 c milk

2 c grated cheese, cheddar or whatever you have

Lawry’s seasoned salt

Pepper

In a sauce pan, melt butter then add flour and stir for a minute or so to cook off raw flour taste.  Pull off the heat and very slowly at first, add the milk until thoroughly combined.  Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.  Put back on the heat and stir constantly until it boils and thickens.  Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste. 

Our family had Eggs Benedict twice a year on conference morning for many years.  We would all help make it and eat while watching Music and the Spoken Word before the first session began.  It was something that always made conference weekend special and another reason to look forward to it.

This is a favorite breakfast menu of Brig’s.

Wild Rice Stuffing-Norma Horton

WILD RICE

3 1/2 c CHICKEN STOCK

2 c WILD RICE BLEND SAUSAGE

1 lb sausage (chicken or turkey)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 white onion (finely diced)

2 celery stalks (finely diced)

ADD-INS

1/3 C parsley (finely chopped)

1/3 C almonds (slivered)

1/3 C Parmesan cheese (grated)

Bring stock to a boil in saucepan. Stir in rice, reduce heat, cover & cook 25 minutes or until done. In a skillet, cook sausage until brown. Add garlic, onion & celery. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from heat & drain excess grease. Toss with add-ins & rice. Salt & pepper to taste.

From Enid Enniss

Pesto Pasta de Piccolino-Lindsay Call

1 lb pasta (can use most types of curvy pasta, but I prefer Farfalle/Bowtie)

4 medium red potatoes, cubed

1.5-2 lbs green beans (fresh are best, but frozen works too)

1 pkg hot Italian sausage (approximately 1.24 lbs. in 5 links)

 In medium pot, boil cubed red potatoes until cooked through (will be tender, but not mushy). Remove from heat and drain.

 In large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about halfway done. Add green beans.  Cook until pasta is tender (green beans should be tender, but not mushy). Remove from heat and drain.

 If using sausage links, take off skin. Separate links of sausage into bite-sized pieces (just tearing it with your hands) and put into frying pan. While boiling pasta and potatoes, brown Italian sausage in the pan.

 When pasta is cooked and drained, add potatoes, Italian sausage (including the drippings from the sausage), and pesto (see below). Mix together gently and serve.

 Pesto

I usually use a pre-made, store-bought pesto sauce because of my aversion to cooking.  But it is definitely MUCH better with fresh pesto.  This is a generic basil pesto recipe from http://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/sauce/pesto.htm.

 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.

Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.

Process basil pesto until it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. (Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months).

 Lindsay’s notes: I prefer Johnsonville’s Italian sausage, but it is the most expensive, so other types can also be used. But HOT sausage is essential (it doesn’t end up tasting too hot when it’s all mixed together).

 A greater proportion of green beans to pasta/potatoes can be used for more vegetables and fewer carbs. This usually makes 8 medium-sized portions for us and keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

 This is by far the most delicious dish I’ve ever made…maybe ever tasted.  The name is sort of made up, based on the name of my friend Matt Piccolo who taught me how to make it.  He is of Italian descent and learned it from his Italian relatives when he served his mission in Italy. It’s absolutely authentic; hence, it doesn’t even have a proper name!

 I met Matt at Institute when I lived in Washington, D.C.  We became the best of friends very quickly and even went on a few dates, testing the waters. But that changed when I met his very hermit-ish roommate. I was quite taken with him even after our brief meeting; he was uber-intelligent, funny, and very attractive. I kept coming around to eat Matt’s delicious cooking and coax this isolated roommate out of his alcove.

 Two and a half years later, BAM! Neal and I got married. We lived happily ever after with Matt’s recipe (and we both stayed friends with dear Matty).

 Two and a half years later, BAM! Neal and I got married. We lived happily ever after with Matt’s recipe (and we both stayed friends with dear Matty).

Cranberry Pork Loin – Norma Horton

1 2 lb pork loin

Basting Glaze:

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

2/3 C orange

2 tsp orange zest

3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring basting glaze to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat & simmer 15 min. Divide glaze in 2 bowls; one for basting & one for serving. Place pork on a greased roasting pan & bake 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve pork sliced with remain sauce.

This recipe was given to us by a cousin, Enid Enniss