FOOD
What's cooking?
Early
in November Thom posted a message on CYC-NET — “We are looking for those
recipes that are easy to make, great to eat and are, well, actually
often a staple in a group care environment. Nothing fancy — simple
preferred. We are looking for the kind of recipes that everyone can make
with one hand while directing the group, or writing the logs, or
re-arranging the environment with the other. The ones kids and staff
love, and maybe even enjoy making. So, come on now — everybody out to
the kitchen and steal us a recipe or two.”
Within a day two people replied ...
1. “OK. Here's one ... ” wrote Jillien from British Columbia:
Caramel Popcorn
Easy to make. Fun and a nice light snack.
nuts
3 cups popcorn
corn syrup
butter
sugar
You'll find it in every recipe book. Plus kids (and
adults) love it.
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2. Rosalee Chute, also of Canada, wrote: “My kids love these recipes and
they aren't too time-consuming to prepare ... ”
Chinese Laundry
1 lb. Hamburger
1 onion
1/2 cup celery
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp Curry powder
3 tbsp. soya sauce
1can mushrooms drained
salt and pepper
1 can bean spouts
Cook hamburger, onion and celery. Put in casserole
dish. Add remaining ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.
What is a meal without something sweet....
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Mars Bar Squares
Melt 1/2 cup margarine with 1/2 cup marshmallows.
Add 3 mars bars and blend until smooth.
Add 2 1/2 cups rice krispies.
Press into a greased 9x9" pan.
Topping:
1 cup peanut butter chips melted with 1 mars bar
Spread on squares and place in fridge to set.
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... and then A WHOLE PROGRAMME wrote in! Nexus, a relationship-based, family-focused residential program for adolescents situated in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, sent us this huge selection:
Recipes from the Nexus Kitchen
3 Bean Salad
1 can yellow beans
1 can kidney beans
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
Add 1/2 cup oil
onion chopped
green pepper chopped
Mix all ingredients. Let set in Fridge for at least
an hour — the longer the better.
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Simply Brownies
Make lots - they’ll be gone in a flash.
1 cup butter or margarine
8 tbsp cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coconut or nuts (optional)
Mix and bake for 30 - 35 min in 9x13 greased pan at
350oF.
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Karen’s Chicken Hurry
1 1/2 to 3 lbs. chicken parts
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Arrange chicken parts in small roaster. Combine
ketchup, water, sugar and soup mix in a small bowl. Mix well. Spoon over
chicken, Bake covered for 1 hour at 350ºF
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Tasty Tuna Melts
2 cans tuna
4 eggs
2 tbsp. relish
Mayonnaise to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix, spoon over sliced English muffins or
rolls. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake until cheese melts.
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Joe’s Traditional Oatcakes
one pound of ground oatmeal (the real stuff not
rolled oats)
about two handfuls of flour
six ounces of melted butter or shortening
one cup of cold water
one level teaspoon of salt
Mix dry ingredients together. Add melted butter then
water. When mixed to a stiff dough, roll out flat (about 1/4 in. ) Cut
into desired size squares or triangles and Bake at 375 for about
20 min.
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Savoury Meatballs
Most times when I have made this, kids get a kick out of making a game out of who can roll the most perfect or roundest meatball, have even had a few try to identify their meatballs during dinner, oh and so far I have not come across a kid that did not like this dish. - Joe
1lb. ground chicken
2 handfuls of rolled oats or bread crumbs
1 onion chopped
1 egg
2 table spoons of summer savoury (or to taste)
salt & pepper
Mix this all together and make up into meatballs.
Then fry them in skillet (you can stir-fry your favorite veggies at this
point with the meatballs).
Sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup add only 1/3 the amount of water (depending
on desired thickness of sauce). Pour over meatballs and simmer for 5 to
10 minutes. Serve this over rice
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Mark’s Quick Holiday Leftovers Meal
This one is sure to please, especially for those who want a whole
Holiday dinner in one meal. Takes about 20 minutes. - Mark
You need:
2 Cups chicken or turkey cubed (leftover is the best)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Possibly one more can of soup, if you want it real creamy
1-2 boxes of stove stop stuffing.
In a bowl, add the chicken/or turkey, frozen veggies
and soups, (can also add some spices if you wish), garlic, onion salt,
salt and pepper. Put in casserole dish, make sure to use pam. Then, make
your stove stop stuffing, according to the instructions. Takes about 5
minutes. Put the stuffing on top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for
about half hour to forty five minutes. Make sure you have Cranberry
sauce for the side!!!
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Pizza Omelette
Kids should love this one, make sure to have garlic
bread on the side - Mark
Crack 8-10 eggs, or 20 depending on the group. Add in milk, and mix
well. Then add to your taste your favorite pizza toppings: salami,
pepperoni, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, onions. Plus about a
half a cup of mozza cheese. Add salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic salt
and the secret ingredient, about one half tablespoon of vinegar.
Put in a well pammed casserole dish, at 300
degree's, cook for about 20 minutes to half and hour until eggs looked
almost cooked, and have risen somewhat. Take out of oven, turn oven down
to 250. Spread top with pizza sauce, and cover entire top with mozza
cheese. Then bake for about another 10-15 minutes, making sure cheese is
melted.
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Trifle
This is always a big dessert hit with both kids and staff, and has become a tradition at our staff Christmas party. - Joe
Take a sponge cake broken up into pieces. Line a serving bowl with it.
Then take raspberry or strawberry jello, pour this over the cake and let the jello set up after it has soaked into the cake.
Make up some custard (your favorite recipe or from powder such as Birds Eye custard powder that comes in a tin).
Then start layering up fruit cocktail, custard, and
whipped cream ending with a cream topping.
This is the sort of traditional version, you can vary it by making theme
versions depending what fruits are in season or your favorite. Oranges
such as mandarins with orange jello, cherries with cherry jello that
sort of thing.
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Just Like Spaghetti
2 pounds of lean hamburger
1 package of spaghetti
1 large can of cream of mushroom soup
1 large can of stewed tomatoes (mash them slightly)
1 small pepper diced
1 medium onion diced
2 gloves of garlic chopped up finely
dash of pepper
dash of mixed blend of spices (Mrs. Dash table blend)
2 cups of cheddar cheese shredded
Take1 large casserole dish with cover (lightly spray with cooking spray). Cook hamburger, onion, garlic, spices and pepper together, be sure to drain fat from hamburger. While cooking burger, cook spaghetti until tender.
1. Place hamburger mixture on the bottom of
casserole dish
2. Then layer spaghetti on top of burger mixture
3. On top of spaghetti place the slightly mashed tomatoes covering the
spaghetti
4. Spread over tomato mixture, the can of mushroom soup (some mushroom
soup may need water mixed with it, read the label)
5. Finally spread cheese on top
Bake for 30 minutes covered on 350 degrees and the
uncover and cook for 10 minutes. take out of oven and let sit for 5
minutes then enjoy.
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Potato Wedges
1/4 cup of butter, room temperature
2 gloves of garlic, crushed
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of a mixed blend of spices (herb and garlic, Mrs...dash table
blend)
In a bowl combine butter, garlic and spices, cut
each potato, scrubbed but unpeeled, in half lengthwise, then each half
into 4 long wedges. Place wedges on a lightly greased baking sheet, and
brush with mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven
for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
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Quick Chicken
6 whole chicken breasts, halved
Mix:
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope of onion soup mix
Place chicken in a greased casserole dish, pour
mixture over chicken, sprinkle with some pepper. Bake at 350 for 60
minutes or until chicken is tender.
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Saucy Missoti
This was a dish passed on to our program menus from a youngster. Her mother used to make it, and when she stayed with us she wanted to make it. It was so popular, it became a regular menu item - Kelly.
package Missoti noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of mushrooms
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 block grated cheddar cheese
cooked hamburger
salt and pepper
Adjust the ingredients so that there is enough for
everyone and enough sauce to keep the noodles moist. Because everything
is cooked, just heat in the oven in a casserole dish until the cheese is
melted and the Missoti is hot all the way through.
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Well (after we get all this cleaned up) that's it for this month.
Whatever else the kids may take from our programs when they leave us, at
least they should remember us for our cooking!