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CREAMY EGGPLANT SOUP

~Submitted by Tena, MO

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/4 pounds eggplant, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 ounces buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Garnish:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the eggplant and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and browned. Pour in the chicken broth and cook for about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree soup in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to the rinsed-out saucepan and season. Add the cream and parsley, and bring to a boil. Mix ingredients for garnish and sprinkle over servings of soup.

Makes 6 servings.




CRABBILESS CRAB CAKES

~Submitted by Treva, NC

Adapted from The Imus Ranch, Cooking for Kids and Cowboys

These luscious cakes are filled with zucchini, red onion, and cheese (or soy cheese, for a vegan version), instead of crab. They're a snap to mix and cook, kids love them, and they're pretty as a picture. Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard give them so much snappy flavor, nobody will miss the crab.

2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or soy cheddar
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 egg, or egg replacer, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Combine zucchini, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Shape the mixture into 6 cakes.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook 7 to 10 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden and cooked through.

SERVES 6




ROAST LEG OF PORK WITH CRACKLING

~Submitted by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada

10 to 14 pound fresh leg of pork
sage, savory, ground pepper
celery leaves
Poached Apple Slices with Puréed Potato Rosettes (Recipe follows)

Place pork, fat-side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Score fat and skin. Rub with sage, savory and pepper to taste. Insert meat thermometer into center of thickest part of roast, making sure that tip does not rest in fat or touch bone. Do not cover. Roast at 325°F over for 5 hours until internal temperature reaches 170°F and there are not pink juices when small cut is made into the meat. Place on platter to carve.

Garnish roast with pale green celery leaves and surround with poached apple slices with puréed potatoes rosettes.

Makes about 10 servings

POACHED APPLE SLICES WITH PURÉED POTATO ROSETTES

(Firm apples may be poached two or three days ahead in advance and stored in their own liquid in the refrigerator until needed. The potato purée can be made ahead but the rosettes are best assembled a few hours before serving)

6 apples
2 teaspoons ascorbic acid color-keeper
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick cinnamon
Potato Purée (recipe follows)

Wash apples. Peel and core 3 carefully; cut each apple into rounds. Sprinkle apples with color-keeper. In large saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring to boil. Add apple slices and simmer about 10 minutes until transparent. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain.

Cut remaining 3 apples into wedges; peel and core. Simmer or poach about 10 minutes in cooking liquid. Transfer wedges and slices to glass bowl and pour cooking liquid over. (Apple slices are used with Roast Leg of Pork. Wedges should be reserved for other use.)

Potato Purée:
4 sweet potatoes
6 baking potatoes
1 onion
1 teaspoon salt
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Scrub sweet potatoes and baking potatoes; cut into pieces and place in large saucepan. Add onion, salt, peppercorns and bay leaf. Cover with water and bring to boil; cook for about 25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Peel potato pieces; discard peelings, peppercorns and bay leaf. Mash together potatoes and onion until mixture is smooth. (To prepare ahead, place in glass bowl, cover and store in refrigerator for
up to 3 days.)

A few hours before serving, stir purée well for easy handling; place in pastry bag fitted with large rosette tip and pipe mixture in large rosette on each of 10 apple slices. Or, mound mixture onto apples slices. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Heat in 325°F oven for about 10 minutes until heated through.

Makes 10 servings.




ROMAN BREAD

~Submitted by Barbara, Chula Vista, CA

1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
4 cups flour
Salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
Oil
1 tablespoon rosemary

Add sugar and yeast to lukewarm water in large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and onion. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth. Place dough in greased bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Flatten dough on greased baking sheet to round shape about 2 inches thick. Brush top of dough with oil. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake at 400 degrees 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 1 loaf.




CHICKEN WITH CASHEW NUTS

~Submitted by Nancy, NM

This is a very adaptable and delicious recipe - you can add all kinds of vegetables to this stir-fry dish, from Wok Cookery by Ceil Dyer.

1 lb. or more boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB cornstarch
2 TB oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 TB oil
1 small cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups - I use red cabbage)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 (6 oz.) pkg. cashew nuts, salt rinsed off and patted dry.
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
Optional: broccoli pieces, carrots sliced thin, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, celery slices, Chinese fried noodles

Mix the 2 TB soy sauce with the 1 TB cornstarch in a bowl. Place the chicken strips in this mixture and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Heat the 2 TB oil with the 1/2 tsp salt in the wok over high heat. Add the chicken strips and stir-fry until they are white and firm. Add the onion and mushrooms and any other vegetables you choose. Continue to stir fry until the vegetables are soft. Place in a heated bowl. Add the remaining 2 TB oil to the wok and stir in the cabbage, 1 tsp salt and sugar. Stir-fry about 3-4 minutes until cabbage is crisp-tender. Return the chicken-vegetable mix to the wok. Add the cashews and combine all. Add the 1 tsp cornstarch to the 1/4 cup soy sauce and stir into the mixture. Cover and steam for about 1 minute. Uncover and cook until the sauce is thickened.

Serve with steamed rice. Optional - sprinkle with Chinese fried noodles before serving.




CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER CHEWS

~Submitted by Angelique, TX

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup -- or dark
3/4 cup Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter
6 cups favorite ready-to-eat breakfast cereal

Cooking Directions:
Line 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil; grease foil. In 3-quart saucepan stir sugar and corn syrup. Stirring occasionally, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add cereal; stir to coat well. Press evenly into pan; cool. Remove from pan; cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes 4 dozen (1 1/2") squares.

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For Two...

SALISBURY STEAK FOR TWO

"Stake" your claim! This dinner for two is a winner!

Ingredients:

Patties:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup cheese-garlic salad croutons, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

Sauce:
1/2 cup home-style mushroom gravy (from 12-oz. jar)
2 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preparation Directions:
1. In medium bowl, combine all patty ingredients; mix well. Shape mixture into 2 oval patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef patties; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, turning twice. Remove from skillet; place on serving platter. Cover to keep warm.

3. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel. Combine all sauce ingredients in skillet; mix well. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until bubbly. Serve sauce over beef patties.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:
SERVING SIZE: 1/2 of Recipe
Calories 270 Calories from Fat 150

% DAILY VALUE
Total Fat 17 g 26 %
Saturated 6 g 30 %
Cholesterol 70 mg 23 %
Sodium 550 mg 23 %
Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g 4 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 21 g

Vitamin A 0 % Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 2 % Iron 15 %

DIETARY EXCHANGES: 1/2 Starch, 3 Medium-Fat Meat,
OR 1/2 Carbohydrate, 3 Medium-Fat Meat

Source: Pillsbury