Blue Cook Book

Avocado Ring

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This was a favorite for “Lady Luncheons” of another era.  Makes a good molded salad for something different.

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz pkg lemon gelatin
  • 1 c water, boiling
  • 1 c sour cream
  • 1 c Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise, if you must)
  • 1 c avocado, mashed

Directions:

  1. Pour boiling water over gelatin and stir until disolved.
  2. Cool.
  3. Add sour cream, mayo and avocado.
  4. Turn into ring mold or 9 small molds.
  5. Serve on lettuce garnished with watercress, red grapes, apples, frozen strawberries or, at Christmas time, cranberry sauce.

Serves: 12 (when served with other salads as a luncheon plate – more likely 6-8 as a main dish)

Source:  Winnifred Kleerup

Pasta Salad

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Try this with the flavored noodles – spinach, tomato, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pasta – shells, spiral, etc.
  • 5 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 cucumber cut into small pieces
  • 3 tomatoes diced
  • 1/2 red onion diced
  • 1/4 lb mushrooms sliced
  • 12 olives, sliced (green or ripe – your choice)
  • 1 bottle Bernstein’s Italian dressing

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta.
  2. Mix with vegetables.
  3. Marinate it all in the dressing, making sure you have plenty of dressing – enough to puddle in the bottom of the bowl.
  4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves: 6-8

Source:  John and Susan Nitta

Lucia Buns – Lussekatter

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Around Christmas time in Sweden, one of the biggest celebrations is St. Lucia’s Day (or St. Lucy’s Day) on December 13th. The celebration comes from stories that were told by Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden. St Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred, killed for her faith, in 304. Traditionally, the eldest daughter plays “St. Lucia,” donning a white robe, red ribbons, and a crown of candles and lingonberry greens, meant to symbolize new life in the darkest days of winter. She carries Lussekatter, sweet buns flavored with saffron and studded with raisins, to her family.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c whole milk
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1/2 c warm water (105° to 115°)
  • 2 packages of yeast (1/2 oz or 4 1/2 tsp)
  • 1 egg
  • 4 c flour
  • raisins,
  • red and green candied cherries
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 Tab milk
  • pinch of saffron

Directions:

  1. Scald milk. (Heat just until bubbles form around the edge. You can substitute canned evaporated milk and not have to scald but heat enough to melt butter.)
  2. Stir in sugar, salt, butter.
  3. Cool to lukewarm.
  4. Measure warm water into a large bowl that has been rinsed with warm water to heat it.
  5. Sprinkle in yeast.
  6. Stir to dissolve.
  7. Stir in egg/milk mixture and half of the flour.
  8. Beat until smooth.
  9. Stir in the remaining flour and saffron.
  10. Cover tightly with foil/plastic wrap.
  11. Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours. (Dough will keep up to 3 days!)
  12. To use – punch down the dough.
  13. Roll into 1/2 inch ropes.  (or shape into rolls)
  14. Cut into 6 inch length.
  15. Coil and use to shape a Christmas tree, star, etc on greased cookie sheet.
  16. Top each coil with a raisin or candied cherry.
  17. Cover.
  18. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  19. Brush with egg yolk/milk mixture.
  20. Bake 400° for about 12 minutes – until golden brown.
  21. Devour or freeze for Christmas morning.

Serves:  Makes 5 small trees

Source:  Fleischmann’s Yeast Cookbook

Broccoli Salad III

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A rather different broccoli salad – made mostly the day befor.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch green onion, sliced thin
  • 1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2-2 lbs)
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 c cheese, grated
  • Italian dressing

Directions:

  1. Separate the broccoli into bite size pieces – slicing the stem thinly.
  2. Blanch the broccoli in boiling water about 4 minutes.  You want it still crisp.
  3. Drain broccoli and add green onions and beans.
  4. Marinate in Italian dressing over night.
  5. Just before serving, add tomato and cheese.

Serves: 6

Source:  Karen Eckardt

 

Marinated Roast Beef

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You can use this on a salad or on bruschetta.  Great way to used leftover roast beef or steak. (Dreamer!)

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 c vinegar
  • 2 Tab salad oil
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • leftover roast beef

Directions:

  1. Mix.
  2. Chill for at least 3 hours.
  3. Turn, stir meat if not covered.

Serves:  Depends on how much beef.

Source: Gerrie Hastings

Lamb or Beef Kabob Marinade

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You can use beef or lamb in 1 inch cubes.  Alternate on skewers with green pepper, onion, tomato and mushrooms.  I will frequently put the vegetables on their own separate skewers as they take different cooking times.  You can also microwave the peppers and onions to shorten cooking time.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c ketchup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tab steak sauce
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 2 Tab vinegar
  • 2 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 c water
  • 2 Tab oil

Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients in saucepan.
  2. Heat to boiling.
  3. Add meat.
  4. Let stand several hours or overnight.
  5. Reheat marinade for sauce.

Serves:  4 using 1 1/2 lbs meat

Source:  Gerry Hastings

Chicken Cacciatore

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If you make this with boneless breast and thighs you can cut the cooking time to about half an hour.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken, cut in pieces (or 3 small boneless breast and 3 boneless thighs)
  • 3/4 c flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 6 Tab oil
  • 2 onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 can Italian tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 green pepper, sliced in strips

Directions:

  1. Wash chicken.
  2. Dry and shake with flour, salt, pepper to coat.
  3. Brown in oil.
  4. Remove from pan.
  5. Saute onions until soft.
  6. Saute garlic for a minute or two.
  7. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, basil, thyme.
  8. Heat to boiling.
  9. Return chicken to pan.
  10. Spoon sauce over pieces.
  11. Lay green pepper slices on top.
  12. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hr. (1/2 hr if boneless pieces)
  13. Baste several times.

Serves:  4

Source:  Jan Skopecek at KOA Kings Canyon

 

German Potato Salad

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Summer at the cabin in Wisconsin.  German Potato Salad – always there.  And always “discussions” on the ONE TRUE  potato salad.
Ingredients:

  • 5 lb potatoes
  • 1 lb bacon
  • 4 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c prepared mustard
  • 1 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 9 eggs, hard boiled (save one for garnish)
  • 1 green onion (optional)
  • paprika

Directions:

  1. Peel, quarter and slice  potatoes into 3/8 inch slices.
  2. Cook in boiling salted water until just tender.
  3. Drain.
  4. Place in large bowl.
  5. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces.
  6. Place bacon in a skillet and fry until almost crisp.
  7. Remove bacon from pan add onion.
  8. When half cooked add celery, cook until tender and transparent.
  9. Remove excess fat from pan.
  10. Add sugar, mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard
  11. Heat a few minutes to blend.
  12. Add back the bacon, onion, and celery.
  13. Quarter and slice eggs. (except one for garnish)
  14. Place in bowl with potatoes.
  15. Pour dressing over potatoes.
  16. Stir gently to mix.
  17. Correct for salt.
  18. Garnish with sliced egg, green onion, and paprika.
  19. Serve warm.

Serves:  18

Source:  WMK

Cheese Cake – Cheese Torte (with Zwieback)

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Not your traditional cheese cake – no cream cheese.  This is one of Jim’s favorite cakes – usually his birthday cake.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg Zwieback (6 oz)
  • 2 c sugar (divided)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 c butter, melted
  • speck of salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juice and grated rind
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 pt cream (1 c) or canned milk
  • 1 1/2 lb cottage cheese (24 oz)
  • 1/4 c flour (4 Tab)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 c pistachio nuts, chopped (optional-never used)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300°
  2. Roll zwieback fine. (food processor works great)
  3. Mix with 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
  4. Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture to sprinkle over top.
  5. Butter a 9 inch spring-form pan well.
  6. Spread and press mixture on bottom and sides of spring-form pan. (or spread fresh unmelted butter on the bottom and sides of the form, and press cinnamon and zwieback mixed, into the butter.)
  7. Beat unseparated eggs with remaining cup of sugar until light.
  8. Add salt, lemon, and vanilla.
  9. Stir the cream in well.
  10. Then add cheese and flour.
  11. Mix all together.
  12. Strain through a sieve (I never do this).
  13. Stir until smooth.
  14. Pour into zwieback lined pan.
  15. Sprinkle remaining mixture over the top.
  16. Add nuts.
  17. Bake in 300° oven 1 hour.
  18. Turn off heat and let stand in oven until cooled. (overnight).
  19. Remove rim of spring form pan place tin bottom on serving plate.

Serves: 12

Source: Winnifred Kleerup – contributed to the Kenilworth Cookery (original edition)

Revised 9/2022 when I discovered the original typed recipe, almost unreadable, in a book.