TACOS IN THE SHELL

  • 3 T. salad oil

  • 1 large onion finely chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic minced

  • 1 small green pepper finely chopped

  • 2 # ground chuck

  • 1 t. salt

  • ½ t. pepper

  • 1 T. Chile powder

  • 1 t. oregano

  • 1  6 oz can tomato paste

  • ½ T. brown sugar

  • 3 T. vinegar

  • 1 T. prepared mustard

  • 1 ½ cups water

  • 24 Taco shells

Heat oil in heavy skillet.  Add onion, garlic, and green pepper.  Sauté until onion is brown.  Brown beef in skillet.  Add rest of ingredients and simmer until hot.  Serve in Taco shells.

SWORDFISH STEAK

  • Eight 6 ounce swordfish steaks

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 5 T. Dijon mustard

  • ½ stick soft butter

Brush steaks with lemon juice.  Spread steaks on one side with mixture of
mustard and butter.  Grill steaks over hot coals, butter side up for 20 minutes.
Serve with sauce:

  • 6 T. melted butter

  • 3 T. fresh lemon juice

  • 2 T. Dijon mustard

SWEDISH TEA LOG

  • 1 package of active dry yeast

  • ¼ cup warm water

  • 2 ¼ cups flour

  • 2 T. sugar

  • 1 t. salt

  • ½ cup butter

  • ¼ cup evaporated milk

  • 1 egg

  • ¼ cup dark raisins

Sprinkle yeast over warm water to dissolve.  Mix flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter.  Add milk, egg, and raisins.  Then add yeast and water mixture.  Knead once or twice.  Refrigerate overnight.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out each half to 9 x 12 rectangle.  Spread with filling.

FILLING

  • ¼ cup soft butter

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar

  • ½ cup chopped pecans

  • ½ cup flake coconut

Roll up jelly roll style.  Place on greased cookie sheet seam side
down.  Let rise one hour.  Bake 20 minutes 325 – 350 degrees.  Top with mixture of 2 T. butter melted, 1 cup powdered sugar, and ¼ cup evaporated milk.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

  • 1 # mushrooms

  • 2 T. bacon drippings

  • ¼ cup chopped onion

  • 1 minced clove garlic

  • ½ cup finely chopped ham or bacon

  • ½ cup bread crumbs

  • 2 T parmesan cheese

  • 1 egg

  • 1 T parsley chopped

  • ½ t oregano

  • ½ t salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

Pour boiling water over mushrooms.  Let stand 15 minutes then remove stems.  Actually, I try to remove stems dry so they don’t get too watery.  Chop stems.  Sauté onion, garlic, ham/bacon and mushroom stems in oil.  Add bread crumbs, cheese, egg and seasonings.  Stuff caps.  Bake 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

STRAWBERRIES IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR

  • 2 # of strawberries

  • 4-6 T. Granulated sugar

  • 2 T. balsamic vinegar

Wash berries, remove stems, cut large ones in half.  About an hour before serving, add sugar and toss.  Just before serving add vinegar and toss.  This makes berries which are hard and whitish looking mellow up real well.

SPRITZ

  • 2 ¼ cups flour

  • ¼ t. baking powder

  • 1 cup butter

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 t. almond extract

  • Green food coloring

Sift flour and baking powder.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and almond extract, along with a couple drops of green food coloring.  Add dry ingredients gradually.  Press out of cookie press.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

SPINACH NOODLE KUGEL

  • 2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach

  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup

  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 pint sour cream

  • 12 oz. wide egg noodles

Defrost spinach and squeeze dry.  Mix spinach with soup.  Lay one layer of cooked noodles in a 9 x 12 Pyrex dish.  Spoon spinach soup mixture over noodles.  Sprinkle ¼ of cheese over soup mixture.  Spread sour cream over cheese layer.  Lay another layer of noodles over the sour cream.  Put remaining cheese over second layer of noodles.  Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes.

ITALIAN SPINACH FROM RAVINIA

  • 20 ounces spinach stems trimmed

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 8 oz. mushrooms sliced

  • 2 T. butter

  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled or 7 slices prosciutto in thin strips

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup sour cream

  • ¾ cup plus 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

  • 1 medium tomato diced

  • ¼ cup dry bread crumbs

  • 2 T. butter melted

Cook spinach 1-2 minutes until just wilted.  Drain and chop.  Sauté onion and mushrooms in 2 T. butter until onion is soft.  Combine with bacon.  Combine mayo, sour cream and ¾ cup Parmesan.  Spread chopped spinach over bottom of lightly buttered 6 cup baking dish.  Cover with onion-mushroom mixture.  Spread with mayonnaise mixture.  Cover with tomato.  Sprinkle with remaining 3 T. parmesan cheese.  If desired, combine crumbs and 2 T melted butter.  Sprinkle over cheese.  Bake in 325 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Serves 4-6

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

  • Two 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach squeezed dry

  • Two 8 oz cans artichoke hearts

  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced

  • 6 T. butter

  • 1 T. flour

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1/8 t. garlic powder

  • ½ t. salt

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Sauté mushrooms in 4 T. butter.  Make a cream sauce with 2 T. butter, 1 T.
flour and milk.  Stir until thick.  Add white sauce to spinach and mushrooms.  Make a sauce by mixing mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.  Use a 9×12 Pyrex dish.  Spread artichoke hearts on bottom.  Add spinach mushroom mix.  Pour sour cream sauce over top of that.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.