4/8/21 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

 

Yummy Lemon Desserts

 

I was going through my recipe boxes the other day trying to put my dessert recipes in some sort of order. As usual, the ones I wanted were hiding.

 

Spring has sprung and I was specifically searching for a light, lemony dessert. My filing was not cooperating. I kept coming up with all things chocolate, pumpkin or pecan. Finally, an envelope of lemony ideas surfaced that just hit the spot.

 

Why lemons? Well, I’ve read that the favorite American pies are Apple, Pumpkin, Chocolate Cream and Cherry. All of which I am fond of but there’s just something special about tart and sweet lemony desserts that can’t be beat.

 

The dictionary says that lemons are “an acid fruit that is botanically a many-seeded, pale yellow, oblong berry and is produced by a stout thorny tree.” Hmm. On paper it sounds boring and not very appetizing. But put together with a little sugar in a pie or cake recipe and lemons are delicious!

 

For 25 years, Chuck and I raised our family next door to a lemon orchard. Literally. At that time, Ventura county, California, hadn’t been discovered by the rest of the world. Our housing development was in the middle of nearby artichoke and strawberry fields along with avocado and citrus orchards.  We also had orange and lemon trees in our backyard.

 

So, you can imagine that I was always looking for ways to use our own homegrown fruit. Later, as the chief dessert maker at Kaiser’s Country Diner, I quickly discovered that our customer’s favorite desserts were things that they remembered from their childhood.

 

Apple pie may be America’s favorite dessert but things like lemon meringue pie and puddings would fly off the shelf almost before the doors opened!

 

Today’s lemony desserts are two of my favorites. They’re easy to make, old-time recipes that I found on store packages long ago. The pie base is a Jell-O lemon pudding mix topped with meringue.

 

The basis for the other dessert is a Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix. I bake it in a Bundt pan but you can also put it in other sizes of cake pans. I especially like it with a quick and easy glazed topping, that slips down the sides BUT frosting works too. Trust me. If you like lemon, you’ll like these recipes. 

Enjoy!

 

 

LEMON PARTY PIE

 

1 (one) baked and cooled 9-inch Pie Crust.

 

Pie Filling

Jello Lemon Pudding Mix

2/3 cups sugar

¼ cup water

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter.

 

Meringue Topping

3 egg whites

6 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425º

 

In a saucepan, combine the lemon pie filling mix, sugar and ¼ cup water. Add the egg yolks and 2 cups water, mixing well.

 

Cook and stir the mixture to a full boil; about 5 minutes. Remove pan from the stove and cool 5 minutes. Add to the mixture, lemon juice and butter. Mix well and pour into the pie shell. Set aside while you make the meringue.

 

Prepare Meringue topping:

 

In a mixer, beat the 3 egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat mixture to stiff peaks. Spread over the filling.

 

Bake in a hot oven 5-10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool before eating. Serves 6-8 depending on appetites!

 

DUNCAN HINES LEMON SUPREME POUND CAKE

 

1 Lemon Supreme Cake Mix

1 small package Instant lemon Pudding

4 Eggs

½ Cup Canola Oil

1 cup water

 

Glaze Topping

1 ¾ cup Powdered sugar

¼ cup lemon Juice with zest

1 teaspoon butter

Preheat oven to 350º GREASE sides and bottoms of pan(s) and flour lightly. I bake it in a Bundt pan but you can also bake in layer or cupcake pans or a 13x9-inch pan. See cake box for baking times.

Blend cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs in mixing bowl at low speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter in pan(s) and bake in center of oven, about 30 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely if frosting.

 OR: Instead of frosting, while the cake is cooling make the glaze topping recipe and pour it over the top of the cake when it is barely warm. Serves a lot!

  

 

 

 

 

OLD RECIPES FROM THE SPICE RACK

3/11/21 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

 

                                    Old Recipes from the Spice Rack

 

Last weekend, I decided to organize my spice rack(s). That’s a tedious job at my house because I am overloaded with spices. Looking in my cupboards you would think that I’m seasoning food for an army.

 

It seems that I have always been feeding large groups. My obsession  began with our restaurant, Kaiser’s Country Diner, in Ventura, Calif. Feeding hundreds of people weekly, constantly introduced us to different foods and seasonings for the public palate.

 

At home, our three teenagers could always bring a friend to our Saturday night taco feed. We were active in fund raising dinners for our church and the local food bank. So, somewhere along the line, I became addicted to trying new spice combinations. Some were winners and some made their way to the back of the cupboards.

 

Recently, while organizing the spice racks, I found some really old TIN and plastic spice cans in an outside cupboard. There are 8 of them and each one holds from 0.5 to less than 2 ounces. And some of them are full!

 

Back in the day, I had filled and refilled some of these containers for years beginning as a newlywed and probably into the 1990s. Six of them are labeled Schilling. One is a Crown Colony and another Colman’s. 

 

Some have no dates and others are dated 1977. Some even have price tags on them. Schilling’s Bay Leaves cost me 57¢ and their Stick Cinnamon cost 73¢. Today, you can find the same antique containers (a little worse for wear) selling online from $4 to $9.99.

 

Written in tiny little letters on the sides of the old containers are ways you can use the product. On the can’s other side most of them print a recipe with just a few ingredients. They are simple enough that they won’t take up your whole day and you can add to them if you like.

 

I hope you enjoy my sharing them with you. Oh, Yes! One more thing: I’m printing them just as they are on the cans, so read them a couple of times before you start. There are 7 of them. Enjoy!

 

#1 COLMAN’S MUSTARD

Combine 1 to 2 teaspoons each Colman’s Mustard and water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir into 1 cup mayonnaise. Try it on tuna, ham, chicken and potato salads. Coleslaw, too.

 

#2 CROWN COLONY Cloves Whole

Surprise: Stud a pork roast with cloves before cooking. Serve with baked apple slices.

Spicy Seafood: Use 10-12 cloves in water for boiling shrimp. Cloves cut the fishy odor and shrimp is delicious.

Try a Clove Studded onion in baked beans, pot roast or beef stew.

 

#3 SCHILLING WHOLE BAY LEAVES (LAUREL)

Use in tomato sauces, steamed seafood, salad dressings, casseroles, marinades, tomato aspic, pot roast and soups.

 

TOMATO STEW

(Makes 2 quarts)

Dredge 2 lbs. beef chunks in 2 tblsp four.

Brown in 2 tblsp oil.

Add 16 oz. can tomatoes, 2 cups water, 1 bay leaf, black pepper and 1 tsp Italian seasoning.

Simmer 1 hr. covered. Add 2 tblsp Instant Chopped Onion, 3 potatoes and 4 carrots cut in eighths.

Simmer 1 hr. longer.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

 

#4 SCHILLING CURRY POWDER

Use with lamb, fish, beef, seafood, poultry or rice; ½ teaspoon in 6 stuffed eggs or ½-1 teaspoon in 2 cups seafood salad.

CHICKEN CURRY

Chop and crisp-cook: 2 slices bacon. Reserve.

Sauté 1/2 chopped green pepper. Stir in 3 tbsp flour.

Add 1 tsp curry powder, 1/3 cup coconut, 1 tbsp Instant Minced Onion, ½ tomato, chopped, ¾ tsp garlic salt and 2 cups cooked chicken.

Cook until thickened. Stir in bacon. Makes 3 cups.

 

#5 SCHILLING STICK CNNAMON

Use in pickling apple dishes, stewed fruit, hot chocolate, mulled wine and as stirrers in hot beverages.

 

MARINATED PEARS

Drain a 28 ounce can pear halves, reserving 1 cup of the syrup.

Combine syrup, 3 inches stick cinnamon, 6 whole Allspice and 4 Peppercorns. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

 

Pour over pears. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Makes about 7 pear halves.

 

#6 SCHILLING: SWEET BASIL

Use in tomato recipes, stuffing, rice, meats and fish dishes; pizza, salads, vegetables and barbecue sauce. 1/8-1/4 teaspoon in 2 tablespoons butter for basting fish.

 

CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

Combine 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Garlic Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper and ½ teaspoon BASIL LEAVES.

 

Wash and cut 1 pint cherry tomatoes in half. Pour dressing over tomatoes. Chill 30 min. Serve on salad greens. Makes four ½ cup servings.

 

#7 SCHILLING POULTRY SEASONING

Use in making stuffing for chicken, turkey, wild fowl, fish and pork chops. Excellent as a seasoning for creamed meats, roasts and soups.

 

STUFFING

¼ each chopped onion and celery         

¼ cup butter

4 cups bread crumbs

1 ½ tsp Schilling Poultry Seasoning

1 tsp sat                 

 ¼ tsp schilling Black Pepper

 

Sauté onion and celery in butter until brown. Add bread cubes and remaining ingredients. Toss lightly until well blended. Makes 4 cups.

 

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner

 email bchatty@bettykaiser.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheese Cake for your Valentine

2/11/21 Cook’s Corner

From Betty Kaiser                                                                         

 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Thank goodness. A day filled with hugs, kisses, chocolates and Cupid, is perfect to offset this year’s dreary, pandemic, winter blues.

 

Much has been written about why we celebrate Valentine’s Day. The reasons range from honoring the Roman God of Fertility to the Aztec’s love of chocolate as an aphrodisiac. Personally, I think it’s a mixed bag of traditions that have evolved over centuries and Cupid is also a great excuse to eat chocolate!

 

Right this minute, in stores around the country, bright-red, foil-wrapped, heart-shaped boxes are filled with chocolates saying, “Buy me, buy me!”  You can’t miss them sitting alongside greeting cards and fancy jewelry.

 

Some of my favorite Valentine’s Days were in elementary school. We kids decorated shoeboxes with doilies, hearts and flowers, in anticipation of all the valentine cards and candy hearts we would receive. After the card exchange, we took them home and cherished them for weeks. The day was a celebration of friendship, innocence and joy.

 

Today with our adult kids and grandsons living far away, our celebrations are still simple. Chuck and I exchange funny, silly or sweet cards. He brings me a bouquet of flowers and I whip up his favorite dessert. Unfortunately, unlike in the magazine ads, no diamonds or new cars are exchanged.

 

Hands down, Chuck’s favorite dessert is cheesecake. He’ll eat almost any kind that you put in front of him, but his favorite is “Jeannie’s Fabulous Cheesecake.”

 

For many years, we belonged to a dinner group with a half dozen other couples. It was called “Squat and Gobble.” (Thanks, Harry!).

 

Every year we all celebrated Chuck’s September birthday at our house on Labor Day weekend. After a rousing game of badmitten or Croquet we chowed down on dinner and dessert.

 

Jeannie is famous for her fabulous cheesecake and she shared the recipe with me.  Well, one year when I was in California greeting a new born grandson, Chuck got hungry for Cheesecake. He found and baked Jeannie’s recipe.

 

After years in the restaurant business the man knows how to cook. But it’s usually not dessert and this recipe could have killed him. (This was before he knew he had diabetes!) It is full of butter, sugar, eggs, whipping cream, 3 pounds of cream cheese, etc.  So, he made the dessert and ate it all before I came home! Oy!

 

I, however, am not that crazy about cheesecake. I like it but it’s a little boring for my taste buds. So, I found another recipe with a topping that features crunchy pecans and apples. It sounds yummy but I haven’t tried it yet so let me know which one you like. Enjoy!

 

 

JEANNIE’S FABULOUS CHEESECAKE

 

CRUST

1/4-pound butter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

 

Preheat oven to 350° F. Melt butter. Add sugar, egg yolk and flour. Pat 1/2 of mixture on bottom of 9” Springform pan and the remaining half up sides. Bake 10 min. or until golden brown. Remove from oven and increase heat to 450° F.

 

FILLING

3 pounds cream cheese (six 8-ounce packages)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup whipping cream

Juice of one lemon

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons almond extract

 

Slightly warm cheese to soften it. Add all ingredients and beat with mixer until smooth. Pour into pan. Set timer and bake for 12 min. Turn heat off and leave the cake in the oven for 2 hours. Do not open oven door. No peeking! After two hours, remove from oven and heat oven to 350° F.

 

TOPPING

1 pint sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Spoon onto baked cheesecake and spread evenly. Bake an additional 8 min. Let cool and then refrigerate 1-2 hours or until serving time. Serves 12 (or more).

 

APPLE PECAN CHEESECAKE

(Source unknown)

 

Crust:

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

 

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Mix crumbs, butter and sugar; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min. Remove.

 

Filling:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 pounds (4-8 ounce packages) Cream Cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

 

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in mixer until blended. Add sour cream, blend; Add eggs on at a time, mixing on slow speed after each just until blended. Pour into crust.

 

Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 cups chopped, peeled apples

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle over batter. Bake 1 hour or about 65 min. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Makes up to 16 small servings.

 

• Read Betty's columns bi-monthly in the Cottage Grove Sentinel
  

 

 

 

 

Betty Crocker Cookbook Custards

1/7/21 Cook’s Corner by Betty Kaiser

Last week, I opened my ancient Betty Crocker Cookbook and it fell apart. Literally. I really don’t know why I was surprised. It’s old, well-used and cared for and I have others that are in better shape. But this is the one that I love even when the binding came off and the pages are torn.

 

We have history.

The first print of the Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book was published in 1950 with an initial run of 950,000 copies. It sold for $2.95. Betty Crocker was not the author. That’s a fictional name. The 2,161 recipes for the book were developed by 50 chefs at the General Mills test kitchens. More than 75 million books have sold.

 

My cookbook is the 1956 revised deluxe binder edition. It was a wedding shower gift in 1958 and is literally falling apart from years of use.  It has since been joined by at least 100 other cookbooks including another revised Betty edition that is holding on. 

 

Betty's final demise happened while I was looking for an egg custard pudding recipe. Fortunately, I was still able to find the recipes that I wanted. Of course, I could go online to find such recipes but I enjoy seeing things in the old format.

 

Among other things, these old cookbooks feature photographs, weekly menus, handy hints, and a glossary that explains cooking terminology. They even offer instructions for using those new appliances from that era like electric ranges and refrigerators!

 

So, why a custard recipe? My wonderful neighbor Delia raises chickens. They are the most beautiful fluffy little critters that I have ever seen and she generously shares their eggs with us.

 

Recently, they laid eggs in abundance. So, these days, in addition to omelets, cookies and muffins, I am also making custards and puddings.

 

Custards are pretty easy to make, but they need a little tender loving care when they bake. Slow cooking and gentle heat in a water bath helps to prevent curdling. The trick is getting a pan of hot water in the oven and then putting the pan(s) of custard in and out of the water. I have spilled the hot water more than once. Ugh. Sometimes I heat water in the tea kettle, put the empty pan in the oven and pour the water into it. Then, I place the pudding in the pan to bake. However you do it, be careful! Hot pads required! Enjoy!

 

BAKED CUSTARD

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Set out a 1-1/2 qt baking dish (I use a round Pyrex) OR 6 custard cups into a pan of hot water (1”) deep.

Beat slightly to mix:

4 Eggs

½ Cup Sugar

¼ tsp Salt

Scald or heat in microwave 

4 Cups Milk (Use glass measuring cup)

Stir milk into egg mixture and add 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

Pour into baking dish or custard cups and evenly sprinkle a little nutmeg over the top. Bake just until a silver knife inserted 1” from edge comes out clean (center sets as it stands. Immediately remove from heat and cool.

My 60-year-old cookbook recipe suggests unmolding if you like and then passing grape or other fruit juice to pour over. I prefer garnishing with whipped cream and a cherry on top! Serves 6-8.

 

CARAMEL CUSTARD

1/2 cup sugar

3  eggs, slightly beaten

1/3  cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8  teaspoon salt

2 1/2  cups very warm milk

Ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°F.

Heat 1/2 cup sugar in heavy 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and golden brown. Divide sugar syrup among six 6-ounce custard cups; tilt cups to coat bottoms. Allow syrup to harden in cups about 10 minutes.

Mix eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, the vanilla and salt in medium bowl. Gradually stir in milk. Pour over syrup in cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place cups in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups.

 Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water. Cool 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until serving or up to 48 hours.

To unmold, carefully loosen side of custard with a knife or small spatula. Place dessert dish or plate on top of cup and, holding tightly, turn dish and cup upside down. Shake cup gently to loosen custard. Caramel syrup will run down sides of custard, forming a sauce. Serves 6

• Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate for Christmas and Holiday Celebrations

12/10/20 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Are you ready? It’s time to start baking. At this time of year, I’m usually getting ready for a house full of company. But not this year. Right now, as usual, the house is festively decorated for Christmas but that’s where our Christmas tradition ends.

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic shutting down our social and holiday lifestyle, most of us are staying home alone this year. It is a sad but necessary isolation. Our family members  live far away and my annual Christmas events with friends and neighbors are cancelled.

On the bright side, that means my husband doesn’t have to polish my mother’s tea set and I don’t have to mop floors, iron tablecloths or get the fine china down from the top shelves. I also don’t have to send out invitations or bake until the wee hours of the morning.

All of that is of small comfort because there will also be no hugging, laughing, getting caught up with family news or meal sharing.  It’s going to be an isolated Christmas.

However, that is not going to stop me from doing some baking. It just won’t be done in the usual amounts to share with crowds of people. I’ll still be making fudge, small batches of cookies and a pie (or two) with enough leftovers for the freezer.

One of the joys of going to cookie exchanges at holiday gatherings is the variety of things that people bake. Over the years, I’ve published a few of my guest’s recipes and they’re always delicious. One of my non-baking friends would bring a one-pound box of See’s Candy. Another would bring a bowl of Chex Party Mix. Both were a hit every time.

My plan for today’s recipe column is all about simplicity and chocolate. The cookie recipes require no cutting or frosting. Chocolate Crinkles recipe makes enough for an army. Feel free to cut the ingredients in half.  The Cookie bars and chocolate pecan pie both go together quickly.

Cookies also make great gifts. So if you don’t want to freeze the extra ones you might share them with a neighbors and friends as a gift. At our house, however, the Chocolate Pecan Pie would never make it out the door! 

Merry Christmas, everyone! Enjoy the season! There’s a reason.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES COOKIES

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. Use a small scoop. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool. Makes 72.
Note: If the powdered sugar melts too much roll them again when cool.

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1-1/2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Butter a 13x9x2 pyrex baking pan. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Pat mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of baking pan. Then, scatter chocolate chips evenly over the crumbs. Then, spread coconut evenly over the chips. Finally, sprinkle walnuts over the coconut. Finally, pour the Condensed Milk over the walnuts.

Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool and cut into bars. Serves 12 or more depending on size of servings. Nice served with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. 

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup DARK corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups pecan halves
1 unbaked 9” pie shell (in baking pan)
Whipped cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Line the pie shell with pecans, adding more if necessary

Combine eggs, sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, chocolate and vanilla in large bowl and mix well. Pour over pecans in pie shell. Re-arrange pecans as they rise to the top. Place pie in oven, reduce heat to 350° and bake 40-50 min. The filling should be firm in center. Cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 8.

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1-1/2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Butter a 13x9x2 pyrex baking pan. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Pat mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of baking pan. Then, scatter chocolate chips evenly over the crumbs. Then, spread coconut evenly over the chips. Finally, sprinkle walnuts over the coconut. Finally, pour the Condensed Milk over the walnuts.

Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool and cut into bars. Serves 12 or more depending on size of servings. Nice served with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream.
 

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox
by email@bchatty@bettykaiser.com

 

Super Simple Soups

11/5/2020 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Every year when autumn leaves begin to fall, I pull out my soup recipes from their summer hiatus hiding and decide which one to choose. It’s sort of like a treasure hunt as I’m looking for old friends. So many choices. Where to begin? I narrow down the choices by deciding if I want a meat based treat or something vegetarian.

Soup is as old as the hills and  probably goes back to the caveman days when people threw whatever they had into a kettle and cooked it over an open fire. Later generations discovered that a few herbs made the food taste better and it’s been a staple meal ever since.

Every nation has its own special soups. China has Egg Drop Soup. It’s French Onion Soup in France. Miso Soup in Japan. White Bean Soup in Cuba. Butternut Squash Soup is the choice in North Africa. Borshch or Beetroot Soup is a favorite in Russian. And the varieties continue all over the world.

Just for fun, I Googled the top five best selling soups in America and they are as follows:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Tomato Soup
Clam Chowder
Potato Soup (that surprised me!)
Minestrone (another surprise).

Now, I don’t know about you, but for me, soup preparation can be an all day process. I usually start with sautéing onions, celery and carrots for the broth base and go from there. Sometimes it’s a tomato base other times it’s a creamy base. But almost always I’m building the ingredients layer by layer and sometimes, hour by hour.

So, I started collecting what I call “Super Swift Soup” recipes for those times when I don’t have time. I usually find such recipes on pasta packages or cans unless I happen to cut one out of a magazine. They’re hard to find but I have three that I’m going to share with you today. The chili soup is mine.

CHICKEN or TURKEY NOODLE EXPRESS
A Swanson recipe

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) Chicken Broth (3 1/2 cups)
Generous dash pepper
1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
1 cup cubed, cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup uncooked medium egg noodles
1 stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)

Mix broth, pepper, carrot and celery in medium saucepan.
Heat over medium high heat; bring to a boil.
Stir in noodles. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add turkey and heat through. Serves 4

NOTE: I find these portions a little skimpy. So I would double this recipe.

SHORTCUT MINESTRONE SOUP
A Barilla Recipe

Keep it classic with marinara or mix it up
with other pasta sauce flavors like tomato basil or roasted garlic.

1 (14 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 (23 oz) jar marinara sauce
5 cups water (more as needed)
1 can 12 oz cut green beans
1 can drained and rinsed white beans
4 ounces small pasta (or tortellini)
Lemon pepper

Heat the frozen vegetables in a large saucepan.
Add the marinara sauce and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil.
Stir in green beans, white beans and pasta. Add more water if needed.
Cook until pasta is done, about 5 minutes.
Top with pepper and parmesan cheese.
Serves 6  

SUPER SWIFT CHILI BEAN SOUP

1 pound ground meat or less (beef, turkey or whatever)
1 medium onion, diced
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2-3  cups water
1 can tomatoes
1 can chili beans
1 small can corn
1 can diced green chilies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Saute meat and onions. Drain excess fat.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.
Turn down heat and simmer 2 hours or longer.
Taste for salt and other spices shortly before serving.
Garnish with grated cheddar cheese or sour cream.
Serves 4-5

“Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner”

 

AMAZING CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

COOK"S CORNER by BETTY KAISER

This week is my husband’s birthday. I could tell you many stories about him but this is a recipe column so I will stick to telling you about his gardening expertise and sharing a fabulous, out-of-this-world birthday cake recipe.

Chuck loves gardening. He was literally in “hog heaven” when we moved onto 6 acres at CG Lake in 1989. In the middle of the acreage was a house a shop and some trees. That’s it. The terrain practically cried out for his tender loving care. Fortunately, he had some experience to do so.

As a young boy, every summer he helped tend his Grandpa Sautner’s many fruit trees and big vegetable garden. In the seventh grade he joined an agricultural program at school and was soon earning money by mowing lawns and pulling weeds for elderly neighbors at 50 cents a job! Later, as a teen he helped in his uncle’s Yucaipa peach orchard.

Wherever we have lived, Chuck has grown a vegetable garden. After we moved to Oregon he signed up to become a  Master Gardener through the OSU program taught at the Eugene Fairgrounds. He graduated in 2001 and has been using his extensive skills ever since with plantings of a vast variety of trees, flower gardens and of course, a vegetable garden.

He has also volunteered his help around town. About 20 years ago, he planted and tended the original one-acre vegetable garden for Community Sharing. He also tended the Daugherty Memorial Garden at First Presbyterian Church. And every summer, he plants a Kaiser garden extravaganza.

The two of us can only eat so much and lots of what he grows is given away or shared with alert early birds and other critters. Springtime, he grows unbelievable lettuce and we always make strawberry freezer jam. The birds usually get cherries and pears before we do and we freeze lots of blueberries and marionberries. We can lots of the soon to be ripe tomatoes and yes…we have cucumbers and more zucchini than our neighborhood can eat!

Chuck doesn’t really like zucchini but he grows it for me.This year, our zucchini have flourished in great abundance and they’re not at all what we expected. Their pretty yellow and green orbs have white stripes.

Now, in honor of the birthday boy, I’m only printing one recipe. It’s a chocolate cake dessert that is to die for! The only drawback (if you want to call it that) is that it calls for 16 ingredients—one of them is zucchini. Be sure that you set everything out on the counter that is called for. Otherwise, you’ll get lost wondering if you have everything!

Trust me. This is a great recipe. Enjoy! And Happy Birthday Chuck!


                                        CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
                                    With Brown Sugar Streusel Topping

1/2 cup butter (can substitute applesauce)
1/3 cup coconut oil (or canola/vegetable oil)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
 

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sliced almond
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk; mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining buttermilk and mix followed by the last of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the shredded zucchini.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the almonds and chocolate chips. Finally, sprinkle the brown sugar on top of everything.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (don't over-bake). Cool before serving 12 people.

                    “Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner” 

9/3/2020 Cottage Grove Sentinel Newspaper