Sausage-Bean Casserole

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 packet (10 ounces) frozen lima beans

3 cans (about 19 ounces each) baked beans (6 cups)

3 cans (about 15 ounces each) kidney beans, drained (5 cups)

1 pound Italian link sausages or pork loin sausage

½ pound smoked ham, cut into ½- Inch cubes

½ cup chopped onions

¼ cup catsup

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon dry mustard

Method:

Heat oven to 400*. Cook lima beans as directed on package; drain. Turn into ungreased 4 ½ - quart casserole. Add baked beans and kidney beans.

In covered skillet, simmer sausages in small amount of water for 5 minutes. Drain liquid from skillet; panfry sausages until brown on all sides. (Do not prick sausages.) Cut each sausage into 2-3 pieces; add with ham to beans.

Stir together remaining ingredients; pour over casserole. Gently mix all ingredients. Bake un covered for 1 hour.

·         A Bean-Fancier’s delight-wholesome, zesty and high in protein. A handy carry-along casserole for a party, too.

Puffy Omelet for Two

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Method:

In a small mixer bowl, beat egg whites with water and salt until stiff but not dry. In another bowl, beat egg yolks with pepper until thick and lemon colored. Fold into egg whites.

Heat oven to 325*. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet with oven proof handle until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Pour omelet mixture into skillet; level surface gently. Reduce heat. Cook slowly until puffy and lightly browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. (Lift Omelet at edge to judge color.)

Place in oven; bake 12-15 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. To serve, tip skillet; loosen omelet by slipping pancake turner or spatula under and fold omelet into half without breaking.

For Puffy Desert Omelet:

Omit pepper; add ¼ cup sugar to egg yolks before beating. Mix ½ cup sliced strawberries and ½ cup dairy sour cream. Spread half the strawberry mixture on omelet before folding; spread remaining mixture on top. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Mexican Chicken Legs

Serves: 4

Ingredients;

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt          

½ teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce

6 chicken legs (drumsticks plus thighs)

Grilled Pineapple (Below)

Method: 

Mix all ingredients accept chicken legs and pineapple. Place chicken bone side down on grill about 4 inches from hot coals. Cook about 40 minutes, turning and brushing frequently with tomato mixture. Serve with grilled pineapple.

Grilled Pineapple:

Select a ripe pineapple. Cut off to, but do not pare, cut pineapple length wise into 8 wedges. Place wedges into baking pan, 13x9x2 inches. Drizzle 3 tablespoons honey over the fruit, let stand for 1 hour, turning occasionally, so wedges are completely coated with honey.

Place skin side down on grill 3 inches from medium coals. Cook 15-20 minutes or until pineapple is steaming hot. Serve immediately.

Ham on a Spit

Serves: 12 - 15

Ingredients:

6 pound fully cooked boneless ham

1 can (8 ¾ ounces) crushed pineapple

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

Score fat on ham in a diamond pattern. Insert spit rod lengthwise through centre of ham; secure meat on spit with holding forks. Check balance by rotating spit in palms of hands. Insert meat thermometer in center of ham, making sure it does not touch spit

Arrange medium hot coals at back of firebox; place foil drip pan under spit area. Combine pineapple (with syrup), sugar, mustard and lemon juice. Cook ham on rotisserie 2 hours 45 minutes, basting frequently with pineapple mixture. (Meat thermometer should register 130*.) Add coals when necessary to maintain even heat

·         Serve with Sweet Potato Kabobs (below)

Sweet Potato Kabobs:

Method:

Cover sweet potatoes with boiling salted water and simmer 25-30 minutes. Cool; slip off skin and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. On skewers, alternate potatoes cubes and pineapple chunks; brush with melted butter. Place on grill 4 inches from medium-hot coals. Cook 20 to 30 minutes or until brown.

Crab Quiche

Serves 8

Ingredients:

½ packet of pie crust mix

4 eggs

2 cups light cream

1/3 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne red pepper

1 c an (7 ½ ounces) crab meat, drained and cartilage removed

1 cup shredded Swiss or Mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Snipped parsley

Method:

Heat oven to 425*. Prepare pastry for 9 inch One-Crust Pie as directed on the package. Beat eggs until blended. Stir in cream, onion, salt and cayenne red pepper.

Pat crab meat dry with paper towels, sprinkle crabmeat and cheese in pastry-lined pie pan. Pour egg mixture over crab meat and cheese; sprinkle with parsley.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300*, bake 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Let quiche stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

·         An elegant appetizer or continental luncheon dish.

Burgundy Beef

Serves: 4 – 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons shortening

5 medium onions, sliced

½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

2 pounds boneless beef chuck or round steak cut into 1 – inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon marjoram leaves

¼ teaspoon thyme leaves

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ tablespoons flour

¾  cup beef broth*

1 ½ cup red Burgundy

Method:

Melt shortening in a large skillet. Cook and stir onions and mushroom until onions are tender; remove vegetables.

In same skillet, brown meat; add shortening if necessary. Sprinkle seasonings and herbs over meat. Mix flour and broth; stir into skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in wine. Cover nad simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours or until meat is tender. (Liquid should always just cover the meat. If necessary, add more broth and wine – 1 part broth to 2 parts wine)

Gently stir in onions and mushrooms; cook 15 minutes or until heated through.

*Beef Broth: it can be made by dissolving 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon into ¼ cup boiling water. Or use canned beef broth.

·         A robust yet glamorous stew. Serve with a huge salad and thick toasted slices of French bread.

Beef Roast in the Coals

 Serves: 8 – 10

Ingredients:

3 ½ to 4 pounds beef sirloin tip roast, about 4 inches thick

1 jar (6 ounces) prepared mustard

About 1 cup salt

Method:

Prepare fire so that the coals are very hot. It is a good idea to keep a “feeding fire” nearby so that fresh coals can be added during cooking to maintain heat.

Cover entire surface of meat with mustard. Pat salt into mustard until it will hold no more. Insert meat thermometer in centre of meat. Place salt-covered meat directly on the coals; rake coals around meat.

Cook about 45 minutes; turn roast and cook 45 minutes longer for rare (140*), an hour or more for medium (160*) to well done (170*)

Remove meat from coals; remove the black crust which was formed by the salt, coal and mustard.

To serve, slice across the grain.