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PEPPER STEAK

~Submitted by Lillian, FL

1 ½ C. water
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Dash of garlic powder
1 large green pepper, sliced in strips
1 pound round steak, sliced thin
Oil to sauté peppers and steak

Boil water; add onion soup mix. Stir and add soy sauce and garlic powder; set aside. Saute pepper strips in oil for 1 minute. Remove peppers from skillet and add a bit more oil; add steak strips. Brown on high heat; lower heat and add peppers and soup mixture. Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch for gravy, if desired.

TIP: To slice meat very thin, partially freeze meat and then slice.




HAWAIIAN SHEET CAKE

~Submitted by Donna, TX

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice (measures 1 cup)
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar

Combine cake mix with eggs, oil, and sour cream and crushed pineapple. Be sure to use the juice. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 full minutes.

Pour batter into a well greased & floured 9x13 inch pan. Combine coconut and brown sugar and sprinkle over unbaked batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake is firm in center.




OLD-FASHIONED CAKE DOUGHNUTS

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil or 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) lard, shortening or vegetable oil

While you prepare the dough, begin heating the lard (best flavor), shortening (less saturated fat but also less flavor), or vegetable oil (probably the healthiest alternative but if you're doing these for flavor, this is not the choice to make). An 8-quart stock pot is an appropriate size cooking container.

You want the fat to reach somewhere between 365°F and 375°F before you begin to cook. It's best to have a thermometer that you can clip onto the side of your pot so you can monitor the temperature. And make temperature changes slowly. Unlike water, it takes time for the fat to respond to increased or decreased heat. It's easy, if you're too exuberant, to have the temperature begin to soar up to the smoke point. And it doesn't like to give up its heat easily.

Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, sugar and lemon oil or zest until light. In a separate bowl, blend together the dry ingredients. Melt the butter but make sure it's not excessively hot. Quickly blend the dry ingredients with the wet and stir in the melted butter. The resulting dough will be quite soft, but if you keep surfaces well sprinkled with flour, you can manage it. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead four or five times to make it cohesive (a bench knife helps here). Then, with a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's about 1/2-inch thick. With a doughnut cutter dipped in flour (each time you cut), cut out doughnuts. Save the "holes" or re-roll them with leftover dough. Try to handle the dough as little as possible.

When the fat is at the appropriate temperature, lower three or four doughnuts into it. A slotted spoon is useful here. They will initially sink to the bottom of the pot but will rise shortly. Give them a minute or so on one side, then flip them over and give them another minute. Flip them a third time and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels (or brown paper grocery bags).

Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 dozen doughnuts, depending on the size of your cutter.
Nutrition information per serving based on 2 dozen (1 doughnut, 50g): 159 cal, 5.8g fat, 3g protein, 15g complex carbohydrates, 8g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 31mg cholesterol, 117mg sodium, 57mg potassium, 17RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 63mg calcium, 55mg phosphorus.




MARINATED MUSHROOMS

~Submitted by Barbara, Chula Vista, CA

1/2 pound mushrooms (2 1/2 cups sliced)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 pound fresh spinach (2 bunches)
1 small red onion, sliced, for garnish

Clean and slice mushrooms. Set aside in a bowl, In a skillet, brown garlic in the oil. Add lemon juice and honey. Pour over mushrooms and mix gently; let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Arrange mixture over a bed of fresh spinach. Top with sliced onion.

Serves 4.




SUMMER SQUASH SALAD

~Submitted by Angelique, TX

4 cups zucchini - julienned
4 cup yellow squash - julienned
2 cups radishes - sliced
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS - parsley
1 1/2 Tsp salt
1 Tsp dill weed
1/2 Tsp pepper

In a bowl, toss the zucchini, squash and radishes. In a small bowl or jar with tight fitting lid, combine all remaining ingredients. Shake or mix well. Pour over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.




BLUE BISCUITS

~Submitted by Joyce, IL

1/2 cup butter
2 3 oz. Stilton cheese (blue cheese)
1 tube any good refrigerator biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a glass measuring cup, microwave the butter (cover with waxed paper) 30 seconds to melt. Blend in the crumbled blue cheese. Cut each biscuit into fourths and dip each into mixture.

Place on baking sheet or in mini muffin pans and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

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For Two...

STIR-FRIED BEEF AND VEGETABLES

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Serve this colorful blend of meat and vegetables with rice.

For 1:
1/4 lb. Beef Steak, partially frozen for each slicing
1 tbs. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sherry
1 tsp. Oil
1/4 tsp. Sugar
Dash Ginger
1 tbs. Oil
1/4 cup Carrot, Thinly sliced (on diagonal)
1 Green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Green beans, thinly sliced (diagonal)
1/2 cup Mushrooms, thinly sliced

For 2:
½ lb. Beef Steak, partially frozen for each slicing
2 tbs. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Sherry
2 tsp. Oil ½ tsp.
Sugar
dash Ginger
2 tbs. Oil
½ cup Carrot, Thinly sliced (on diagonal)
2 Green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Green beans, thinly sliced (diagonal)
1 cup Mushrooms, thinly sliced

Thinly slice steak.

Combine soy sauce, sherry, oil, sugar and ginger. Pour over meat and set aside to marinate a few minutes. Heat 1 or 2 tbs. Oil in a wok or frying pan. Add vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes until tender crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add meat to wok and stir-fry quickly, about 30 seconds. Return vegetables to pan, toss with meat and serve immediately.