Monday, October 25, 2004
Darken up your Halloween menu
When it comes to decorating for Halloween parties, black and orange are popular colors. But many holidays revolve around food, and Halloween is no different. From children’s parties to adult parties to school parties, food is often the focus of the event. Whether you are trying to serve fun foods or scary foods, few things are as festive for Halloween as food and beverages that are as black as the Halloween night—and fit well with black and orange decorations.
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The colors of grape and orange drink mixes combine to make a deep, dark and scary punch.
Black Halloween Punch
1 .13-ounce envelope unsweetened grape drink mix, such as Kool-Aid
1 .13-ounce envelope unsweetened orange drink mix, such as Kool-Aid
2 cups granulated sugar
12 cups cold water
1 liter ginger ale
Stir together grape soft drink mix, orange soft drink mix, sugar and water until solids are dissolved. Combine with chilled ginger ale just before serving. Makes about 32 servings.
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To easily make a cup of strong brewed coffee, add 1 tablespoon instant coffee to 1 cup hot water.
Black Magic Cake
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9x13-inch pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired. Makes 24 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Gummy worms are a great addition to any Halloween party. For creepier beverages, fill ice cube trays with water and add a gummy worm to each cube. Freeze until solid. Simple cupcakes become Halloween treats when gummy worms are crawling out of them.
Turn store-bought white frosting into Halloween orange frosting with food coloring. For every tub of ready-to-spread frosting, add 4 to 5 drops yellow food coloring and 3 drops red food coloring. Mix well.
The Practical Pantry ©2004 Tammy P. Olson
Beverages • Desserts and Treats • (0) Contributions • Permalink
Monday, October 18, 2004
Melt some Swiss cheese to make a hearty sandwich
Sometimes a sandwich just isn’t a sandwich without a slice or two of cheese in it, especially a sandwich served hot. Although cheddar and American cheeses often come to mind first, don’t forget about Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese melts well and adds flavor to almost any hot and hearty sandwich. Just remember to melt Swiss cheese over low or medium heat as high heat can cause the cheese to become rubbery.
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Reuben Sandwiches
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
8 slices rye bread
8 slices deli corned beef
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing, regular or reduced fat
Spread butter lightly on one side of each bread slice. Spread dressing on non-buttered sides. On 4 bread slices, layer 1 slice cheese, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and 2 slices corned beef. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out. Grill sandwiches in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until both sides are golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes per side. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.
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If you don’t have horseradish mustard, substitute your favorite deli-style mustard.
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish mustard
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
4 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices deli cooked ham
4 sandwich buns
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter, mustard, onions, poppy seeds and dill. Spread mixture on insides of buns. Place a slice of cheese and a slice of ham inside each bun. Wrap buns in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet. Bake until cheese melts, about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Swiss cheese is an excellent choice for grilled cheese sandwiches. Add sliced ham, thinly sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onion or cooked bacon before grilling to make the sandwich more filling.
If stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, blocks of Swiss cheese will keep up to two months and sliced Swiss cheese up to one month. Freezing Swiss cheese may cause it to become crumbly, but it will keep frozen up to six months.
Gruyére, Emmentaler and American Swiss cheese may be substituted for Swiss cheese in most recipes. American Swiss cheese is not aged as long as other varieties and has a more mild flavor.
The Practical Pantry ©2004 Tammy P. Olson
Monday, October 11, 2004
Use inexpensive eggs at any meal
At a cost of well under a dollar a pound, eggs are an economical choice for more than just Sunday breakfast. And since eggs are high in protein and always available, let them make an appearance at lunch or dinner in one of the following tasty recipes, adapted from the American Egg Board at http://www.aeb.org.
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Honey Mustard Scramble
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 pita breads, halved
Additional honey mustard
Lettuce leaves
In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and peppers. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. In medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper until blended. Pour over vegetables and continue cooking. Move eggs around with a spatula until eggs are thickened and cooked through. To serve, spread each pita half with mustard, line with lettuce leaves, and spoon in about 1/2 cup of egg mixture. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
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If you don’t have a skillet with an ovenproof handle, remember to be very careful removing the skillet from the oven.
Fajita Frittata
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup thinly sliced green pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped tomato
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 tablespoons shredded low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
Salsa, optional
Sour cream, optional
In a 10-inch omelet pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pepper, onion, chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pepper is soft and onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped tomato; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; set aside. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and water until blended. Pour over vegetables. Cook until eggs are almost set, about 6 to 8 minutes. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle with cheese. Broil about 6 inches from heat until cheese is melted and eggs are completely set, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into wedges. Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
To preserve uncooked egg whites, freeze them in ice cube tray compartments. Once frozen, pop them out of the tray and store in freezer bags for up to six months.
The Practical Pantry ©2004 Tammy P. Olson
Monday, October 04, 2004
Don’t save sweet potatoes for the holidays
Sweet potatoes may be available nearly all year long, but this time of year is when they are at their best. Maybe that’s why so many people associate this moist and sweet vegetable with fall and winter holidays. But sweet potatoes are versatile, nutritious and colorful enough to make an appearance on the dinner table much more often.
Although you still might want to save your recipes for marshmallow-topped casserole and sweet potato pie for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add mashed, baked or fried sweet potatoes to everyday meals. The canned and frozen varieties make a good substitute during those few times during the year that fresh sweet potatoes are difficult to find.
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Tropical Sweet Potatoes
4 large sweet potatoes (about 3-1/2 pounds)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons brown sugar
In a large saucepan, cover sweet potatoes with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl; mash. Add the pineapple, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer potato mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Combine saltines, brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons butter; sprinkle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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Baked Sweet Potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into cubes about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in size. Place the cubes in a baking dish and drizzle with oil; turn potatoes until evenly coated. Sprinkle with oregano, pepper and salt. Bake until potatoes are soft, about 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When buying sweet potatoes, look for potatoes without bruises, spots or extended roots.
Do not wash sweet potatoes before storing. Sweet potatoes keep best in a dark, dry location. Refrigeration, however, will cause the flavor to decline and is not advised. They don’t keep as long as regular potatoes, so try to use them within a week of purchasing them.
You can sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in most recipes and squash in many recipes.
The Practical Pantry ©2004 Tammy P. Olson