simple baked squash

Serve 1 fresh acorn squash per every two diners.

• Wash and dry fresh acorn squash.

• Pierce skin of squash with fork.

• Place on foil-covered baking sheet.

• Bake at 350 degrees
  

until thoroughly cooked (at least 1 hour).

• Remove squash and baking sheet from oven.

• Cut each squash in half.

• Scoop out seeds.

• Season each half squash with butter and freshly ground pepper.

• Serve in-the-shell.

***

Review:

4 forks -- fun to eat!

baked salmon with fruit salad

Serves 6:

2 pounds fresh salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Place salmon fillets skin-down on foiled-covered baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until salmon fillets are pink and flake easily with a fork.
Remove from oven and serve with lemon wedges.


Fruit salad:

1 can pineapple slices, unsweetened
2 bananas

Layer a slice of canned unsweetened pineapple and fresh banana slices

***

Review:

5 forks for flavor and ease of preparation.

classic artichoke and dip

Serve one artichoke per diner.

Fill large pot with water.

Add artichokes and 1 Tbsp salt

Simmer until artichokes thoroughly cooked (about 1 hour).

Remove artichokes from water. Keep warm, if serving immediately. Otherwise, cover and chill in refrigerator.



Serve one custard cup of dip for every two diners:

In microwave, melt 1 Tbsp butter per custard cup.

Add a splash of lemon juice to each custard cup.


Serve and enjoy!

***

Review:

5 forks -- artichokes are always a hit around here!

pan-fried ham with celery and lime

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Precooked boneless ham, sliced into 6 very thin slices (about 1 ounce per slice)
1 stalk celery
1 fresh lime
vegetable oil to cover bottom of skillet

Chop and saute an entire stalk of celery in enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet.

Pile the sauteed celery on a large plate.

Next, quickly pan fry 6 thin slices of fully-cooked boneless ham.

Place each slice of ham on a dinner plate.

Top each ham slice with several very thin slices of fresh lime.

Serve accompanied by sauteed celery.

***

Review:

4 forks -- enjoyed by diners

mashed sweet carrots with pepper

Serves 6.

Boil in a generous amount of water:
1 lb carrots
2 low-salt beef boullion cubes (optional, may substitute 1 tsp salt)

When carrots are thoroughly cooked (about 40 minutes of simmering), remove from heat. Drain the water from the saucepan.


Mash the carrots with a hand-held potato masher.

Add:
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

***

Review:

4 forks -- tasted good, even to those who don't ordinarily like cooked carrots

**Good reviews for making the plate of food colorful.
(Maybe the bright orange carrot color was the reason every diner chose to eat the mashed sweet carrots first!)

orange rice

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 cups rice
4 cups water
1/4 tsp turmeric

Simmer until water completely absorbed and rice cooked thoroughly.

Gently stir in:

1 can mandarin orange slices

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bon appetit!

***

Reviews:

4 forks -- consensus after a little discussion among diners

***

Suggested (but untested) variations:

Variation 1:
To the original recipe above, add a zesty flavoring -- maybe cayenne pepper? Or Italian-style hot pepper flakes?

Variation 2:
Omit the cinnamon from original recipe.
Add cheddar cheese to hot, cooked rice and mandarin mixture.
Flavor with finely minced fresh dill

Variation 3:
Cook according to original recipe.
Add 1/2 tsp fresh mint leaves, chopped.
Chill in individual custard cups.
Invert rice from custard cups onto dessert plates.
Serve with dusting of raw sugar.

Swedish meatballs

Serves 6.

For meatballs, mix together:

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup rolled oats
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon cardamon
salt and pepper to taste
moisten with a little milk, if mixture too dry
(Optional: add 1/2 chopped white onion for zestier flavor)

Shape mixture into small balls.

Brown meatballs in large skillet.

Add 1 quart water and simmer meatballs.

To make brown gravy:

When water is reduced and meatballs cooked thoroughly, reduce heat and add 3 cups milk to skillet.

Continue cooking at low temperature. While stirring sauce, sprinkle in 3/4 cup flour as thickener.

Stir as sauce thickens.

Serve meatballs with sauce over egg noodles. (Prepare noodles according to package directions.)

Bon appetit!

***

Review:

Everyone liked this recipe.

3 forks for bland, but good