I love the community/church group fund raising-type cookbooks. They are always filled with the very best a town’s or organization’s cooks have to offer. I’ve found that if I get lots of them from the same area of the county, they are pretty much the same recipes. Our favorites are all represented and most of our favorites are our friends’ favorites too. So, one of the ways I add to my collection of this type of cookbook is to search them out when I’m on the road. The home style recipes from other areas of America are much different than those from my home in the Midwest. Pleasures From The Good Earth (2008, Morris Press, Kearney, NE) was compiled by the Logan, New Mexico United Methodist Church Women. Ranch Burgers
One pound ground beef One can chili sauce One can (15 oz.) Ranch-style beans One-half cup chopped onions One cup grated cheese Four hamburger buns Brown meat. Add chili sauce, beans and onion. Cook 5 minutes more. Top burger bun halves with meat and cheese. Enjoy! SANDY’S NOTE: These seem to be open-faced sandwiches eaten with a fork. YUM!
Mexican Spaghetti
One pound hamburger One medium onion, chopped One can Ro-Tel® tomatoes with green chiles, chopped One can Mexican-style tomato sauce Garlic salt to taste Four ounces spaghetti Parmesan cheese Brown meat and onion. Drain. Add Ro-Tel, tomato sauce, two and one-half sauce cans of water, garlic salt and spaghetti that has been broken into one-inch pieces. Cover with lid and simmer until pasta is done. Add cheese when serving. Delicious with flour tortillas.
Flaky Topped Spicy Lasagna
One pound ground beef One clove garlic, minced One-half medium onion, diced One jar (14 oz.) pasta sauce Two tablespoons hot sauce One can (4 oz.) mushrooms One cup ricotta cheese One cup chopped fresh spinach One cup cottage cheese Two cups shredded mozzarella cheese One can (12 oz.) flaky biscuits Green chiles to taste Heat over to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12x8 pan with cooking spray. Brown the beef, garlic and onion. Stir in pasta sauce, green chile, hot sauce and mushrooms. Simmer 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine ricotta and spinach; mix well. In the baking dish layer half the beef mixture, half the ricotta mixture. Layer the cottage cheese and mozzarella. Repeat. Separate biscuits into three layers. Arrange over the cheese layer, over lapping. Bake for 25-30 minutes
Harvest Pie One unbaked pie shell plus a lattice top crust One bag (12 oz.) cranberries One cup brown sugar One-half cup white sugar Three tablespoons flour One can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained (save juice) One-quarter cup pineapple juice Two tablespoons butter One-half cup chopped pecans One-quarter teaspoon salt One-half teaspoon almond extract Whole pecans for top Combine cranberries with pineapple juice and both sugars. Cook until cranberries are hot, stirring constantly. Mix flour with pineapple and add to cranberries. Add butter, chopped pecans, salt and almond extract. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Place the lattice crust on top. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Place whole pecans in the holes of the lattice and then bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 more minutes.
The ladies in New Mexico have a different approach to the kitchen arts and it’s fun to try their ideas. I love the thought of green chiles in my lasagna.
And...that’s all she wrote. Sandy Olson can be reached via email at sandyo@myclearwave.net
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