Salads, Appetizers

Cucumber Salad

Linda Schmidt

  • 2 cucumbers
  • Lawry's seasoning or Italian spices, or a pkg. of Italian-vinegar dressing mix 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup oil

Wash and thinly slice the cucumbers. Pepper them freely with the seasoning. Add vinegar and oil. Toss - Voila!

Carrot-7UP Salad

Linda Schmidt

Delicious and pretty, with plenty of vitamins.

  • 4-5 medium carrots
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups 7-UP
  • 3 medium apples

Wash, peel and finely grate carrots. Add 1 or 2 cups of 7-UP or other fruit soda-pop - lemon or orange, for example, but not red. Peel and roughly grate apples. Add raisins and sugar; use more sugar if apples are sour.

Helene’s Salad

Karen Bergman

  • 1 medium can of crushed pineapple
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 pkg. lemon Jell-O
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • Nuts
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 15 big marshmallows

Rinse and drain pineapple completely. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add pineapple juice and marshmallows. Cook over low heat until marshmallows dissolve. Cool in refrigerator until it can be whipped. Whip or beat with beater about four minutes. Add pineapple, sour cream, cottage cheese and nuts. Mix together. Chill until set and serve.

Tabbouleh

Karen Bergman

Tabbouleh is a cracked wheat salad that is best as an hors d'oeuvre.

  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup bulgur (cracked) wheat2 cubes chicken or veggie bouillon
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 3 diced tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup or less salad oil
  • Romaine lettuce or grape leaves
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh mint or 2 tbsp. dried mint

Pour 2 cups boiling water over bulgur wheat and bouillon. Stir and let stand 1-2 hours or until light and fluffy. Add mint, scallions, parsley and tomatoes. Beat lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder together and pour over bulgur wheat mixture. Toss lightly and chill.

To serve, place in a mound in the center of a platter surrounded with romaine lettuce or grape leaves. Scoop salad onto leaf and eat, holding between fingers.

Granola

Karen Bergman

  • 5 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup plain sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 cup soy flour
  • 1 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup honey

Mix oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flour, milk, wheat germ, almonds and coconut. Add oil and honey last. Mix again and bake at 250°F for one or two hours. Stir every 15 minutes while baking.

Tex Mex

Nancy Bergman

You will need a medium casserole dish. Bottom layer: 1 can refried beans, 1 lb. browned, crumbled hamburger meat. Second layer: 2 small avocados, sliced; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 1 tsp. lemon juice. Third layer: 1 cup sour cream; 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix; 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Fourth layer: 1 cup black olives, sliced; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; 1/2 cup diced green onion; 2 tomatoes chopped fine. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Assemble layers, then bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with taco chips.

Cheese & Sausage Roll-Ups

Marlene Adams

1 pkg smoked cocktail sausages 3/4 stick margarine or butter 1 cup flour 5-oz. jar Kraft Pimento Cheese Cut each link into 3 pieces. Blend flour, butter and cheese until mixture forms a dough that can be handled. If dough is too sticky add flour; if it is too stiff add butter. Pinch off a small piece of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place 1 piece of sausage in the center and roll into a small ball. Repeat until all sausage is used. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350° for 12 minutes.

French Onion Soup

Pete Enchelmayer

From Pete's Better Homes and Barracks, Okinawa, Japan. 3 large onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup butter 2 tbsp. instant beef bouillon or 6 bouillon cubes 4 cups hot water 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. salt 4 slices toasted French bread 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet cook onions in butter until translucent and lightly browned. In pot combine browned onions in butter with bouillon, water, "wooster," and salt. Cover and cook 4-6 hours in crock pot. Top each bowl with cheese and serve with bread. Yields 4 servings.

Dip-in Pumpernickel

Karen Bergman

4-lb. round loaf of pumpernickel bread 2 cups mayonnaise 2 cups sour cream 1 small onion 2 pkgs. frozen spinach, defrosted and drained 2 pkgs. Knorr's Vegetable Soup Mix, added at the last moment Hollow out the top, center of the loaf of pumpernickel. Cut bread pieces into dipping-sized pieces. Mix the other ingredients in a bowl, then place in the hollow of the loaf just before serving. Diners tear off bread and dip it in the spinach mixture.

Marinated Mushrooms

Karen Bergman

2 lbs. small fresh mushrooms 1 cup olive oil 1/2 cup dry white wine juice of one lemon 2 tbsp. minced onion 3 chopped garlic cloves 1 tsp. oregano 1 tbsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Put mushrooms into a large bowl, cover with other ingredients and stir. Let sit as long as you can before serving (at least 4-5 hours).

Green Bean Salad

Rosalie Bergman

VEGETABLES: 2 cans cut green beans 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 small can pimientos SAUCE: 1 tbsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup vinegar 1/4 cup vegetable oil Mix vegetable items and liquid items separately, then pour liquid mixture over bean mixture (covering the beans) and let stand overnight. Keeps well; serve as a salad or vegetable.

Super Sunshine Salad

Phyllis Adams

1 cup pineapple chunks 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1 cup flaked coconut 1 cup mandarin orange slices 1 cup sour cream Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently and refrigerate, preferably overnight. Serves 4-6.

Lo-cal French Onion Soup

Phyllis Adams

This is a lower-calorie, lower-sodium onion soup. Serves one.

  • 1/2 of a 10-1/2 oz. can beef consommé, undiluted
  • 1/4 of a can water
  • 1 tsp. butter 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 tsp. flour
  • 1 heaping tbsp. grated Swiss cheese 1 pinch garlic powder

Peel, wash and slice onions and separate slices into rings. Melt butter in skillet. Sauté onion rings over medium-low heat until glazed and tender but not burned. Stir in flour.

Cook 1/2 minute over low heat. Add consommé, water and garlic powder. Stir, put on high heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Place in soup bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese while the soup is still scalding hot. Serve immediately. Wanna splurge? Serving over a slice of dry French bread adds just 60 calories.

Broccoli Chowder

Pete, Kate Enchelmayer

1 10-oz. pkg. chopped broccoli 2 tsp. onion 1/2 cup boiling water 2 cups milk 1 can condensed cream of potato soup 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese Cook broccoli in water. Do not drain. Stir in onion, milk and soup. Beat thoroughly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Pour into blender, mix until smooth. Serves four.

Tasty Fruit Salad

Phyllis Adams

  • 1 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 1 cup orange sections, halved
  • 1 cup banana slices
  • 1 cup grape halves

Combine sour cream and cinnamon, mix well. Add marshmallows and fruit, mix lightly. Chill. Serves 6.

Variations: Substitute 11 oz. can mandarin orange segments, drained, for orange sections. And/or, omit cinnamon.

Easy Spinach Salad

Pete, Kate Enchelmayer

  • 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 scallions (with tops) minced
  • 1/2 tsp. salt Tabasco to taste
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Thaw spinach. Squeeze tightly to remove water. Mix with other ingredients. Serve with saltines.

Strawberry Fruit Salad

Pete, Kate Enchelmayer

  • 18 oz. Cool Whip
  • 1 8-oz. carton sour cream
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Add together in order shown above. Spray 9 x 13 dish with nonstick spray. Pour salad mixture in pan. Freeze. Will keep 6 months.

Cranberry substitute method: Crush 1 bag cranberries and cover with sugar. Let stand overnight. (Berries substitute for strawberries. ) Fold together and pour mixture into pan. Freeze.

Tomato & Onion Salad

Phyllis Adams

2 large (beefsteak) tomatoes 1 medium red or white onion 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tsp. oregano leaves 1 tsp. salt Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Slice the onion. Place vegetables in alternate layers in a shallow bowl. Mix together olive oil, oregano and salt. Pour over vegetables. Serves 4–6.

Grentner’s Caesar Salad

Marlene Adams

Grentner's in Miami is famous for its Caesar salad. This recipe is from the chef there. Serves four to six.

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup salad oil 2 cups day-old bread, cubed
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp. wine vinegar
  • 4-8 anchovy filets (optional)
  • 2 heads Romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Crush garlic in small bowl and cover with oil. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Put 1/4 cup of this garlic-oil in medium skillet, fry bread cubes until brown on all sides. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper - mix well. With a fork, mash anchovies around in the bowl. Tear Romaine lettuce into bite size pieces.

Drain remaining oil from garlic onto Romaine; toss to coat evenly. Break a raw egg over lettuce and pour on lemon mixture. Toss well. Add croutons and two tsp. Parmesan cheese. Toss well. Toss 1/2 tsp. of Parmesan over each serving.

Marco Lodge Salad Dressing

Marion Adams

1 can Campbell's tomato soup (Must be Campbell's) 1/3 can cider vinegar 2/3 can Mazola corn oil 1 tbsp. garlic salt 1 tbsp. oregano 1 tsp. sugar 1 pinch Accent (MSG) Shake well in a jar. Liverwurst & Rye Dig-Out Bob Adams 1 round rye bread, unsliced 1 pound braunschweiger liverwurst 4 tbsp. mayonnaise or soft butter

Tear pieces of rye bread out, starting from top center until you have hollowed it out to resemble a serving bowl. Put the pieces on the side of the plate. Mix liverwurst with mayonnaise in a mixing bowl until meat can be easily scooped up with a piece of the rye bread. Put the meat-mayonnaise mixture back into the rye bread. Serve with the pieces you tore out, to use in scooping out the meat. When these are gone, guests can begin tearing out the sides of the rye bread to use as scoops.

Chicago Hot

Judy Enchelmayer

This recipe will keep in the refrigerator up to four months. Makes 6 quarts. Peel and chop: 4 qts. fresh tomatoes (drained) 2 cups celery 2 cups onions 2 green peppers 2 hot peppers or 1 small can chilies In a large pot mix together with: 2 cups vinegar 2 cups sugar or 16 pkg. sugar substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup salt 2 oz. mustard seeds Pack in sterilized jars. Seal and keep refrigerated.

Ham & Cream Cheese

Cheese Bob Adams

3 1-lb. packages of sliced boiled ham 2 tubs of cream cheese Spread cream cheese on a slice of ham. Cover with a second slice. Spread cream cheese on second slice. Cover with ham slice. Do this until about five slices are used. Don't cover the top slice. Freeze on a plate. Cut lengthwise and crosswise to make about 18 pieces per set of five slices. Put toothpicks in each one. When party starts, serve cold with no other preparation.

Yorkshire Pudding

Bob Adams, Phyllis Adams

Bob: "When I was growing, my mother served Yorkshire pudding at least twice a month. We lived in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. My father was born in London, Walthamstow, E17, and it was his love of Yorkshire Pudding that caused it to be a mainstay for our beef dinners in America. The recipe that follows was passed from my grandmother (who was born at Bury St. , Edmunds, County Suffolk), to my mother, and to me."

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 tbsp. beef drippings or vegetable shortening
  • 2 cups beef gravy

Mix flour, eggs, milk and salt thoroughly until smooth. Grease eight-by-eight inch baking pan with beef drippings, or shortening.

Preheat oven AND PAN to 450°. Pour batter into pan and return to oven. Bake 25-30 minutes or until high dark-brown crust appears at the four corners.

When serving Yorkshire pudding to children, they are to be informed that this is the "uppity part. " Remove from heat, cut into four equal pieces and serve with beef gravy on the side. Knife and fork are used. Yorkshire pudding should be served on a full-sized dinner plate (the same as your meat course) and is served just prior to bringing out the main meat dish, vegetables or starches to the table. Serves four.

Guacamole

Robbie Adams

1 ripe (soft) avocado, peeled and seeded 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 clove fresh garlic, peeled, mashed 1 tsp. lime juice 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1/2 cup minced onion Salt and pepper to taste Mash and sieve the avocado or puree in a food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Serve with warm corn chips or broken taco shells.

Hummus

Robbie Adams

Hummus is a really addictive dip that can be eaten for breakfast. (In this case remember that your coworkers will thank you for omitting the garlic and adding a little more sesame instead. ) A co-worker, Mac McComas, provided the recipe.

3/4 cup Tahini (this can be purchased in ethnic stores, or see recipe below) 3 cups cooked chick peas 3/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup seeded black olives 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. cilantro hot paprika or red pepper powder pita bread Pour liquid off of chick peas and rinse them thoroughly*. Put tahini, lemon juice and other ingredients (except chick peas, bread and paprika) into blender on medium speed. Add beans slowly, grinding to a texture like yogurt. Add lemon juice a couple of tablespoons at a time if you want it more liquid. Sprinkle with hot paprika, serve with strips of microwaved or toasted pita bread. This keeps well as a snack food in the refrigerator, for about a week. It also will freeze for about a month. Use a resealable plastic tub.

* If you start with dry chick peas, soak them for six hours in a jar of water, then cook them slowly about 30 minutes in boiling water. Their volume will almost double. Tahini for hummus recipe 5 tbsp. ground sesame seeds 1 tbsp. sesame oil 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup water 2 cloves garlic, pressed Put sesame seeds into DRY blender on high for about 2 minutes. Shut off blender and add other ingredients. Blend again on high until mixed. Use as a dressing, or continue with humus recipe above.