July's Theme

I know May and June can be busy months for those of us with kids in school, and were especially busy for Dawna, but let's get back on the recipe wagon starting in July, shall we? My kids are getting tired of mac 'n cheese!

How about your favorite hot-weather dinner ideas. What do you cook when it's hot and you don't feel like heating up your kitchen or when you'd rather be outside than spending hours cooking.

Spanish Rice

1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup long grain rice
1/8 sp pepper
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1- 14 1/2 oz can tomatoes, cut up
1 tsp chili powder
Dash bottled hot pepper sauce


In a medium saucepan, combine water, green pepper, onion, celery, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.


Stir in undrained tomatoes, rice, chili powder, pepper and hotpepper sauce. return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer aboaut 20 minutes or till rice s tender and liquid is absorbed.

serves 6

Rice Pilaf

2 TBSP butter or margarine
1/4 cup minced onion
2/3 Cup hot chicken broth
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup uncooked rice
1/3 cup minced celery
2 TBSP chopped parsley


Melt butter in hot frying pan. Add rice, onion, and celery; stir and cook until slightly brown. Add chicken broth. cover and smmer on low heat until moisture has been absorbed and rice is tender. Add parsley and almonds just before servng. Toss lightly.

Serves 8

Pineapple Sweet Potatoes

6 medium sweet potatoes cooked and peeled
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 TBSP butter o margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 can (13 1/4 oz) pineapple chunks, well drained


Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until tender. Cut into thick slices; arrange n shallow bakng dish. Stir and blend well the sugars, salt, and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. In a small saucepan, bring fruit juices to a boil; gradually add to sugar mxture. Cook and stir until thickened. Add pineapple and butter. Pour over potatoes. Serve immediately, or place in a 350* F oven just until bubbly hot.

Serves 8

Funeral Potatoes

What would side dishes be without Funeral Potatoes. I never make them often enough for the kids, but then my friend, Lindsey told me how to make them using frozen hash browns so you don't have to grate the potoatoes. That is the reason I don't make them very often, I hate grating the potatoes.

Funeral Potatoes

* 32 oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns

* 2 (10 3/4 oz) cans Cream of Chicken Soup

* salt and pepper to taste (don't leave these out!)

* 1 cup Sour Cream

* 1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese (I like to use sharp Cheddar Cheese)

* 1/2 cube melted butter or margarine

* 1/4 c. chopped green onion

* 2 cups finely crushed Corn Flakes (Optional)

* 2 Tbs butter or margarine melted (Optional)

Directions

1. Grease 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In large bowl combine soups, sour cream, cheese, onions, and the melted butter.

3. Gently fold hash browns into mixture.

4. Pour mixture into pan.

5. Combine crushed corn flakes and the 2 Tbs. of melted butter and sprinkle on top of potato mixture. (step 5 is optional)

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and hot.

Zucchini Dill Muffins

1 ½ c flour
2 tblsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dill weed
¼ c milk
½ c butter, melted
2 large eggs
2/3 c ricotta cheese
½ c shredded zucchini

Heat over to 400*. Line muffin tin with 12 baking cups. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and dill. Mix well. In medium bowl combine milk, butter and eggs. Stir in ricotta cheese and zucchini, beat well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with lots of fresh butter. Goes well with a nice salad.

Michelle’s Spinach & Cranberry Salad

Salad:
8 c. spinach
½ c. apple slices
½ c. dried cranberries
½ c. onion

Dressing:
¼ c. white wine vinegar
¼ c. oil
2 tblsp chutney
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp curry
1 tsp brown mustard

Cranberry and Red Grape Relish

8 c cranberry juice cocktail
3 c dried cranberries
3 c red seedless grapes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Boil cranberry juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 50 minutes. Place cranberries in large bowl; pour hot reduced juice over. Stir to coat. Cool. (This can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.) Just before serving, stir grapes, lemon juice, and peel into cranberries.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Casserole:
3 c. sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
½ t. vanilla
½ c. margarine or butter, melted
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. milk

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. flour
½ c. butter
1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together first 6 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 or two 9x9 baking pans. In a processor fitted with steel knife, combine ingredients for topping until crumbly or use a pastry blender to cut butter into brown sugar and flour until crumbly. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle topping mixture over sweet potatoes. At this point, dish can be refrigerated, covered.

Bake uncovered for 45 - 50 minutes, until browned and bubbly.