Blue Cook Book

Spinach Salad

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This is that old fashioned spinach salad from the 60’s.  Still one of the best!  It should be noted that certain family members sometimes left out ingredients they did not like, ie. mushrooms, or bean sprouts, or even Mandarin oranges.)

Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of salad (Nowadays we use the bagged stuff – about 4 cups should do it.)
  • 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled (You can cheat and use processed bacon bits but they are not as good.)
  • 5 oz water chestnuts, diced in good size pieces
  • 1 can Mandarin oranges
  • 4 mushrooms, raw, sliced
  • bean sprouts to taste – a hand-full or two

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 c oil
  • 1/4 c vinegar
  • 1/3 c ketchup
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/2 onion, grated (or dried onions)
  • dash of salt
  • shake of Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

  1. Mix dressing ingredients, chill.
  2. Mix salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Serves:   6

Source:   Pat Negus

 

Tomato Broccoli Salad

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This is a very different broccoli salad – no one at the potluck will be bringing the same thing.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb broccoli, cut into flowerlettes, stems sliced thin
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1 Tab  vegetable oil
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • cherry tomatoes

Directions:

  1. Place the broccoli in boiling, salted water.
  2. Simmer until barely cooked, about 5 minutes.
  3. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  4. Saute onions and garlic in butter and oil until onions are transparent,  about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, basil, and oregano.
  6. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft,  about 15 minutes.
  7. Cool slightly.
  8. Stir in mayonnaise.
  9. Combine broccoli and tomato mixtures.
  10. Refrigerate covered 3 – 4 hours.
  11. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Serves:  12

Source:  Donna Barasch, served at Connoisseur Caper

Stir and Drop Rolls

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If you insist on “from scratch”  these rolls could not be easier.  You can also add bits of cheese, rosemary, dill, etc to compliment your dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg yeast, dry or compressed
  • 1 c water, warm
  • 4 Tab sugar (1/4 c)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 3 c flour, sifted
  • 4 Tab oil (1/4 c)

Directions:

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
  2. Add sugar, salt, egg.
  3. Stir mixture well
  4. Let it stand while you sift the flour again.
  5. Add oil and half of the flour to yeast mixture.
  6. Beat until very smooth.
  7. Add remaining flour and blend well.
  8. Set dough in a warm place and allow to rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
  9. Drop dough by spoonful int small, well greased muffin pans so each cup is half full.
  10. Let rise until almost doubled in bulk.
  11. Bake in hot oven (400°) for 15 minutes.

Serves:    Makes 24 rolls

Source:  Sunset bread Book

Notes:

Variations (method 1)

  • 1/4 c pineapple, crushed, drained
  • 4 Tab raisins
  • 4 Tab juts, finely chopped
  • 1/4 c cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 c bacon, crumbled
  • 1 Tab cocoa mixed with 1 Tab sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  1. After the dough has risen, divide into four parts and place each part in a bowl with one of the ingredients listed.
  2. Mix each portion of dough with the added ingredient until well blended.
  3. Then proceed with he basic recipe.

Variations 9 Method 2)

  • 1 tsp poppy or sesame seed
  • 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp brown sugar, 3 pecan halves
  • 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp coconut
  • 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp jelly

After mixing the basic dough (and after you let it rise), put one of the ingredients listed in each greased muffin cup.  Half fill the prepared cups with basic dough and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.  Bake 400° for 15 minutes.

Whiskey Sours

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“I didn’t know bourbon came in cans.” to quote an Aunt Emma.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can frozen lemonade
  • 1 can bourbon
  • 1 can water
  • 1 lemon

Directions:

  1. Fill blender half full with crushed ice.
  2. Add lemonade, bourbon, water, and juice from the lemon.
  3. Frappe.

Serves:   5

Source:   Margie’ grandfather Kleerup  (BJK)

It’s never a good idea nor a safe idea to drink and drive. But if you do, you’d better know your limits.  See Blood Alcohol  Percentages in Beverages  in the Miscellaneous Information category and the Drinks category.

Rumaki – Some other Way

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For those of you who cant stand chicken livers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can whole water chestnuts (5 oz), or scallops, or pickled watermelon rind, or dates, or tater tots,  or just about anything you can get a half a strip of bacon around.
  • 12 bacon strips
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. cut whatever you have into a bite size piece.
  2. Wrap in half a strip of bacon.
  3. Secure with a toothpick.
  4. Arrange on broiler pan and bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
  5. Drain on a paper towel.

Serves:  Makes 24

Source:  Lots of parties.

Notes:   May be made ahead of time and reheated at 35o° about 5 minutes.

 

 

Unbaked Brownies

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A great early cooking experience for kids — no fire!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz vanilla wafers, crushed
  • 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 oz unsweetened, pre-melted chocolate packets

Directions:

  1. Combine wafers, walnuts, cinnamon.
  2. Stir in condensed milk and chocolate.
  3. Pat mixture into 8 inch square baking dish or on a sheet of heavy foil.
  4. Let sit for one hour.
  5. Garnish with extra walnuts if desired.

Serves:   32 1 inch x 2 inch brownies

Source:  Girl Scout Cookbook

Spritz

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  Grandmother Ortlund brought this recipe from Sweden when she came to the US – alone – at age 16.  It is part of the “take a pound of butter cooking school” Christmas cookie collection. Life is much easier now that you can buy grated almonds.  Save the egg white (they freeze) for meringue cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butter (yes, real butter)
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 c + 3 heaping Tablespoons floor
  • 1/2 c almonds, grated

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°
  2. Cream butter and sugar.
  3. Add eggs and extracts.
  4. Mix in flour and almonds.
  5. Form into rings with star tipped cookie press.
  6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until barely brown.

Serves:  Makes 5 dozen cookies

Source:   Anna Ortlund, Winifred Kleerups mother, Margie’s great-grandmother.

Orange Ice Box Cookies

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  Great because you make to dough and bake them later. One of the “Take a Pound of Butter Cooking School” recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c real butter (1/2 lb)
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • 2 Tab orange juice (I use undiluted frozen concentrate)
  • 1 Tab orange rind
  • 2 c flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 c pecans – coarsely chopped

Directions:

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add egg, orange juice and rind.
  3. Beat until smooth.
  4. Stir in flour sifted with soda.  (flour is consistent enough now you don’t need to sift)
  5. Add pecans.
  6. Shape into roll 1 1/2 – 2 inches wide.
  7. Chill overnight.
  8. Preheat oven 375°.
  9. Slice roll  into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices.
  10. Bake on ungreased greased cookie sheet 10 – 12 minutes. (I lightly grease)

Serves:  Makes 4 – 5 dozen cookies

Source:   Winifred Kleerup, Margie’s grandmother

Updated 9/2022 when I found the original recipe in Winnie’s handwriting.

 

Spiraled Herb Pan Rolls

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A recipe is a suggestion – make this one your own.  Anything goes!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb frozen bread dough (white or wheat)
  • 1 Tab toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 Tab parsley flakes
  • 2 Tab instant toasted onion
  • 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp fine herbs or Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 Tab melted butter  (not enough)

Directions:

  1. Thaw bread.
  2. Combine sesame seeds, parsley, onion, cheese, garlic, herbs, pepper.
  3. On a floured board, roll out the dough to a 12 by 18 rectangle.
  4. Brush with butter.
  5. Sprinkle with cheese-herb mix.
  6. Starting with the 18 inch side, roll up tightly.
  7. Pinch seam to seal.
  8. Cut dough into 1 1.2 inch thick slices.
  9. Place, cut side up, in a well greased 7 x 11 baking pan.
  10. Cover and let rise in a warm place until fluffy, about 1 hour.
  11. Brush lightly with melted butter.
  12. Bake in a 325° oven until brown, about 20 minutes.

Serves: Makes 12 rolls.

Source:   Sunset Magazine, January 1981

Note:  I used 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c grated American cheese, 1 Tab garlic powder with parsley (Lowery’s), 1 Tab parsley and 1/2 Tab onion soup mix.  Spread with lots more soft butter.

 

Sweet Salad Dressing

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I use this on spinach salad.  I also use it as a marinade the macaroni when I make a pasta salad.  It is very much like the old Milani 1890 French Dressing.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 c oil
  • 1/4 c vinegar
  • 1/3 c ketchup
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/2 onion, grated (or dried onions)
  • dash of salt
  • shake of Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

Mix and chill.

Serves: About 2 cups

Source:   Pat Negus