Cheddar-Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is another true classic. Cheese lovers add a little pizzaz to your picnics or Memorial day  this year with Cheddar-Macaroni salad.

photo: Patricia Hinkel

 Make sure to keep the Cheddar-Macaroni salad chilled until ready to use. Don't like the added cheese in your salad then just leave it out.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry elbow macaroni

3/4 cup cubed Cheddar or American cheese ( 3 oz.)

1 stalk celery sliced

1 green pepper chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/3 cup onion, chopped

For Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

4 T. sweet pickle relish

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. milk

Directions:

• In a medium serving bowl mix cooked macaroni, Cheddar cheese, celery, green pepper,  frozen peas and chopped onion; set aside.
• Into a small bowl mix the dressing and incorporate into the  macaroni salad.
•  Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Serves 6

Baked Beans

Photo: Patricia Hinkel

Baked beans is a wonderful side dish and compliments many cookout dishes.

Serves 8 

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp.Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 pound dried navy beans, soaked in water overnight and drained

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 cups water 

2 tablespoons cider vinegar, put in at end of cooking.

Make it:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally until nearly crisp, add the chopped onion and cook until soft. Add  salt and pepper.Add the beans, molasses, ketchup, mustard and 5 cups of water to the pot and stir to combine; bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven. Bake covered until the liquid is reduced by half, around  2 1/2 hours.
• Uncover the pot stir and bake for 2 hours more. 
• Add the cider vinegar; stir and serve.

Cherry Cheesecake Bars

photo: Patricia Hinkel 

These Cherry Cheesecake bars will grow on you.   They will taste and cut the best when you leave them to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Preparation 25 minutes 

Bake 30 minutes

Cool 1 hour

Chill 4 hours

Oven 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

5 egg whites, slightly beaten

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan with foil, extending over the edges of the pan; set aside.
• To make the crust, in a bowl mix well the crushed wafers with the melted butter. Press in the bottom of the baking pan and Bake for 10 minutes.
• Drain cherries reserving 2 T. of cherry liquid. Finely chop the cherries.
• Beat the cream cheese with the sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the cherry liquid then add the egg whites and chopped cherries.
• Pour onto the top of the crust in the pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until set, up to 30 if need.
• Cool in pan for 1 hour. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Cut into bars. 

Makes 32 bars

photo: Patricia Hinkel

pappardelle pasta & chicken sausage

Preparation is easy. This pasta dish can also be served for a party. Makes 4 servings but can easily be halved for two. I found this recipe in food & family magazine, Kraft foods.

photo: Patricia Hinkel

What you need:

1/2 lb. pappardelle pasta, uncooked

2 cups of fresh broccoli florets

1 T. oil

1 lb. chicken sausage links, cut into 3/4-inch slices

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips, and halved crosswise

1 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup half-and -half

1 tsp. oregano leaves

1 cup Kraft Shredded Italian* Five Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia

2 T. Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping

Make it:

• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package but leave out salt. Add broccoli to the boiling water to cook until tender.
• Meanwhile, heat oil  in a  large skillet and add the sausage and red peppers to cook. Cook sausage until done and peppers are crisp tender.
• Drain pasta mixture, add to skillet along with broth, half-and-half and oregano; cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened. Top with cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

photo: Patricia Hinkel

Peach Pocket Pies

 Little pies are always a welcomed little treat or dessert for just about any time. The taste for this pocket pie today is Peach.

Photo: Patricia Hinkel

Issue 99 June 2013 Cuisine at home: Recipe page

This recipe comes from Cuisine at home magazine.
My recipe is slightly adapted from Cuisines recipe. I did not have the ginger, or sanding sugar.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh or frozen peeled and chopped peaches, thawed if frozen ( 4.5 oz.)

3 T. granulated sugar

2 tsp..cornstarch

1 tsp. minced lemon zest

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Pinch of Kosher salt

Piecrust:

1 purchased refrigerated pie crust, such as Pillsbury ( 9-inch)

1 egg beaten

sanding sugar or granulated sugar

If you have a piecrust you love use it instead, if you like.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix peaches, 3 T. granulated sugar, cornstarch, zest, lemon juice, ginger, and salt. 

Unroll crust on a lightly floured surface, then cut four circles with a round  4 1/2-inch cutter.  Cut the tops about 5 1/4-inches wide, a little larger. Use a slotted spoon and spoon 1/3 cup of  filling onto the center of the smaller round then top with the larger round and press edges together and crimp with a fork around the edges to seal. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar.Cut 2 to 3 slits in the tops of the pies. 

Bake pies until crusts are golden and filling bubbles, 25-30 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature. 

Yield: 2 pies. 

Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies by Patricia Hinkel

I like a big cookie and this one we have from time to time. Here is my homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe with a little peanut butter, a little rolled oats and the use of cake flour and bread flour together. They are sweet and salty and a bit soft in the middle.

photo: Patricia Hinkel

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 cup bread flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, optional ( I use if I have them)

1 cup Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips

Baking on Parchment lined cookie sheets 

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease pans and set aside.

1. Whisk together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl set aside.
2. In another large bowl at medium speed with electric hand mixer, mix butter, peanut butter,vanilla, sugars, then mix in egg; beat well. With a spoon mix in chocolate chips and oats. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until combined.
3. Use a large scoop and scoop onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes,  or until completely cooled. 

Yield: 1 Dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter-Banana Bread

I love Banana bread and this one is certainly different from others I've used. The peanut butter comes by way of a frosting for the top of the bread, which is very yummy. Allow the bread to stand overnight before frosting for best results. For the variation of banana bread with walnuts and no frosting add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the batter before baking. This recipe came from a magazine called Fall Favorites. It was among the best of the best bread recipes.

photo: Patricia Hinkel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas ( 4 to 5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
Note: For Banana bread without frosting add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Note: For Peanut Butter-Banana bread add 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional

1. Grease the bottom and  1/2 inch up the sides of one 9 X 5 X 3-inch pan or two 7 1/2 X31/2 X 2-inch loaf pans (s); set aside. ( I used one 9 X 5 X 3-inch pan). In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger together, make a well in the center and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl mix together, eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir until just moistened. ( batter will be lumpy) If using nuts fold them in now.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan (s); spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes for the 9 X 5 X 3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 2-inch pans or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
4. Cool in pan (s) on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan (s). Cool Completely. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 to 2 loaves ( 16 servings)

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 T. softened butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 T. milk, plus extra as needed for desired consistency

In a medium bowl mix peanut butter, butter   milk and vanilla, beat with an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add additional milk until consistency is achieved to spread over top of  bread.