Gaudrey's Great recipes

I told Gaudrey with all her great recipes she should put them all in one post and volunteered to do it for her. Might take awhile to post them all, but my she's got such great ones. So here goes.

Pineapple Topping

1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
9 ounce can crushed pineapple and its juice
2 cups whipped cream (the real thing is great, but you can use whipped topping)

Combine pudding mix and pineapple. Fold in whipped cream. Chill. Spoon over plain cake squares or slices. Makes about 3 cups. If you want to go a little fancier, crush some pineapple flavored hard candies and sprinkle about 1 or 2 teaspoons over each serving. Or use another fruit flavor that blends with the flavor of the topping and cake.

You mix the dry pudding mix with the crushed pineapple and its juice. Then fold in the whipped cream. Sorry I left out that the pineapple is crushed.

This is the recipe I developed for my family to eat with chili and soup. It is very moist, but has onions and cheese. It is so tasty we often eat it cold as a snack. If you really do not want anything in it, bake it at 425* in an 8 inch iron skillet or other heavy baking pan. Light-weight pans, or too-shallow pans tend to let the bread dry out. You can use the same ingredients, just omit the onions and cheese.

Gaudrey's Cheese/Onion Cornbread

1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup self rising cornmeal mix
2 tablespoons oil
1 large chopped onion
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine egg and buttermilk and set aside. Cook onion in oil just until tender and not browned. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Stir meal into egg/milk mixture. Add cheese and onion. Pour into greased 8 inch iron skillet and bake at 375* until golden brown. Cut into 6 wedges to serve. If you wish, omit onion and cheese and bake at 425*. (Cheese can't take it too hot.) For a good casserole, place leftover chili (4 to 6 cups)in a 9x12 greased baking dish. Carefully spoon cheese/onion batter over top. Bake at 375* until top is golden brown. A wonderful casserole to take to pot luck dinners.

Gaudrey's Nutty Butterscotch Bars

Crust:
1-1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 stick of butter or margarine
Glaze:
1/4 cup white Karo syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup mixed salted nuts

Combine flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter until like coarse crumbs. (You also can process these 3 ingredients in a food processor until like coarse crumbs.) Press into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. While the crust bakes, combine syrup, remaining butter, water, and butterscotch chips. Bring to a boil. Stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. If some of the nuts are very large, cut these into quarters. Sprinkle nuts over the baked crust. Drizzle evenly with the syrup. Return to oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes longer. While still warm, cut into 30 squares. Cool completely. You can vary these by varying the type of salted nuts you use. I have done them with all cashews, all toasted pecans, sliced almonds, and my DH's favorite, red-skinned salted peanuts, skins and all.

NOTE: If the nuts have a lot of salt, you may want to pour them into a wire strainer and shake them gently 2 or 3 times to remove any excess. (DorothyR's note: do this!)

This is a good way to warm up after sitting through a football game on a cold night. Or even take it to the game in a thermos.

Hot Mulled Tomato Juice

46 ounces of tomato juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
5 drops or more to taste of Tabasco
1 stick of soft butter

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and heat just to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. 15 (three ounce) servings.
NOTE: I have even used this as the basis for a simple tomato soup. Saute 1 small finely chopped onion, 2 ribs of thinly sliced celery, and 2 tablespoons minced green pepper in some of the butter. Add to the mixture before simmering along with 1/2 cup of shredded carrots. When veggies are tender, spoon into bowls and add some cooked rice to each bowl if desired. If you don't have any cooked rice, you can stir in some leftover mashed potatoes. This makes a good light supper with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side.

I know this sounds strange, but the flavors are really wonderful together. It's one of our favorite dishes for poultry or pork meals. To make it special for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I add a can of whole cranberry sauce.

Baked Onions and Apples

2 medium onions, sliced in rings 1/2 inch thick
4 cups unpeeled cooking apple rings, 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Place a layer of onion slices in a greased baking dish. Cover with a layer of apple rings. Mix sugar, nutmeg, thyme, and lemon peel. Sprinkle some lightly over the apples. Repeat layers until all are used. Pour lemon juice over top. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. 4 to 6 servings.
NOTE: For a special Thanksgiving or Christmas touch, pour 1 can of whole cranberry sauce over all before adding the butter.

Here's a perfect dish for Sunday dinner, especially if you're having company.

Chicken Supreme

14 ounce can asparagus, drained
2-1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken
2 ounces minced pimientos, drained
3 boiled eggs, sliced
1/4 pound buttery crackers
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Layer half the asparagus, half the chicken, half the pimientos, half the eggs, and half the crackers in a greased baking dish. Repeat layers, except save the crackers. Combine soup with 1/2 soup can of water and mix well. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with reserved crackers and dot with butter or margarine. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. 5 to6 servings

Every fall I pull out all of my apple recipes so I can take advantage of the new crop. We like our apples crisp, juicy, and tart, not mellow like they get from long storage.

Barbecued apples

4 cooking apples
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 lemon cut in 8 thin slices
4 teaspoons butter or margarine
Hot water

Wash and core apples. Cut in half lengthwise. Place in greased baking dish cut side up. In each half place 1 tablespoon, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon catsup, 1 slice of lemon, and top with 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine. Pour hot water in the baking dish to a depth of 1/4 inch. Don't get too much and don't pour it on the apples, just around them. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings. Serve hot with the pan juices as an accompaniment with meats

I reduced this from a larger recipe that serves 35. We had it at a dinner and it was so good DH asked me to get the recipe. So here is the scaled down version. I also have the larger one if anyone wants it.

Glazed Orange Chicken

4 chicken breast halves
Flour for dredging chicken
4 thin orange slices
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of allspice
Salt and pepper to taste

Dredge chicken with flour and place in a shallow greased baking pan. Top with orange slices. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, basting frequently until chicken is glazed and browned.

This can be a dessert or a salad, but either way is great.

Pink Sunrise

6 ounce package (or two 3 ounce packages) strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2-1/2 cups frozen strawberries (two 10 ounce packages)
1 medium banana, mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream, whipped and sweetened to taste
Additional whipped cream or whipped topping
Partially thawed strawberries, optional

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add frozen berries and stir until thawed. Add bananas and lemon juice. Fold mixture into whipped cream. Pour into a 2 quart mold and chill until set. To serve, garnish with whipped topping and slightly thawed berries. 8 servings.
TO USE AS A SALAD:
Omit whipping cream and use a mixture of 1-1/2 cups sour cream and 1/2 cup mayonnaise instead. Pour into a square dish to set. Cut in squares and serve on lettuce leaves with a dab of mayonnaise and partially thawed berries on top as a garnish.

You can use sugar if you wish, but I used Splenda and it tastes the same.

Sugar Free Braised Apples

2 large cooking apples
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (I used Take Care Light margarine)
3 packets of Splenda
Apple Pie Spice to taste
1/4 cup water

Core and slice apples, making 4 thick slices from each. Melt butter or margarine in a heavy non-stick skillet. Place apples in the skillet in a single layer. Brown on each side over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer, and cover tightly. Let simmer until just tender. Do not overcook. If water cooks out before apples are tender, add a little more, about 1 or 2 tablespoons. When apples are tender, sprinkle with the Splenda and apple pie spice to suit your taste. I used a little less than 1 teaspoon of the spice. Cover and let stand a few minutes to moisten the spice in the steam. Serve with any meat. Especially good with ham, pork, or chicken. 4 servings.
NOTE: Tart cooking apples work best, but I have even used Red Delicious and Gala apples with good results. As long as you don't overcook and let them turn to mush.

This one is so easy and makes 2 loaves.

Pumpkin Bread

3 eggs, beaten
1 can mashed pumpkin, not pie filling
1 box spice cake mix (or use yellow cake mix and 2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice)

Combine eggs and pumpkin well. Blend in cake mix. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Pour into 2 Pam-sprayed loaf pans - 8x4x4. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched lightly with the finger tips. Cool 10 minutes in the pans. Remove to a rack to finish cooling. Leftovers (if any) freeze well.

Corn Pudding

2 cups corn
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
Red pepper to taste

Cut corn from cobs as usual for cream style corn or use frozen corn, thawed. Add milk, butter, salt, flour, and sugar. Beat eggs until light and add to the mixture. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Place dish in a large pan and pour boiling water in the pan being careful not to get it in the corn. Bake at 350° until set like a custard. A knife inserted halfway between the center and side should come out clean. Don't bake at too high a temperature or it will curdle.

This one has more than 3 ingredients, but still is easy to make. It also makes great sandwiches and freezes well.

Easy Meatloaf

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup catsup
3/4 cup warm water
1 package (1-1/2 ounces) dry onion soup mix
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 pounds ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or a mixture)
1 can cream of mushroom soup, optional

Combine all ingredients except soup. A potato masher works well for blending or use the dough hook on your mixer. Shape into a loaf and place on a greased sheet of heavy duty foil. If gravy is desired, spread soup on top of the loaf. If not, omit soup. Bring up ends of foil and seal. Seal side edges of foil. Place on a baking pan with sides in case the seals are not tight enough and it leaks. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Be careful when opening because the steam is very hot. If you just want to make the meatloaf and freeze it to cook later, it will keep well in the freezer for 4 months. To cook it, there is no need to thaw. Just bake it in the foil wrapping at 450° for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 15 minutes longer. If the gravy is used, serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Leftovers from the cooked meatloaf also freeze well.

If you've ever avoided a recipe because you couldn't find ladyfingers when you needed them, this recipe is for you. They are easy to make and actually taste better than those you buy. They freeze well too so you can always keep a supply on hand. Also if you have that bucket, you'll be needing some for trifle. (Italian cooks would never dream of buying these readymade, so I've been told.)

Ladyfingers

3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon additional granulated sugar


Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl until light. Gently fold in cake flour and vanilla until smooth. Batter will be thick. Beat egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the yolk/sugar mixture until combined well. Drop 2 tablespoons batter, side by side, on a lightly greased and floured baking sheet. Shape into an oval finger about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide, using a spatula. Repeat until all batter is used. Try to make them all the same size. Mix the confectioners sugar with the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and sprinkle over the ladyfingers. Let stand 5 minutes. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes, until very lightly browned. Remove from pan and place on a rack to cool. Makes about 5 dozen. To freeze, when completely cool, place on a baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen, transfer to freezer containers or wrap in foil. Will keep in freezer for 1 year. To use, let stand at room temperature for a few minutes to thaw.