Welcome to My Kitchen

Families all have a collection of favorite recipes. They may be great-grandma’s go-to potluck dish, mom’s midweek special or a Pinterest find. Most lists include a favorite cookie, and Marble Cookies, submitted by Kelly Weber, Odessa, are a favorite in her family. The recipe comes from a Mrs. Fields cookbook.

Marble Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Combine sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and beat until batter is grainy. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Place chocolate chips in a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. Stir constantly until melted. Or, place chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 20 seconds until melted and smooth.

Cool chocolate for a few minutes, then pour over cookie batter. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, lightly fold melted chocolate into dough. Do not mix chocolate in completely.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful’s, 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. Do not brown. Quickly transfer cookies to a cool surface. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Spokane Valley Herald reader Mary White sent in several family favorite recipes we will be sharing over the next several issues. Carter’s Macaroni and Cheese recipe intrigued me. In this recipe, you do not precook the macaroni and ingredients include cottage cheese. Mary shared her grandson won first prize in a cooking contest with this recipe.

Carter’s

Macaroni

and Cheese

2 cups dry macaroni, uncooked

1/2 cup butter

1 pound small curd cottage cheese

Salt and pepper

3 cups hot water

1/2 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread uncooked macaroni in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cut butter into small pieces and scatter evenly over macaroni. Carefully spread cottage cheese over butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour hot water over all. Top with the grated sharp cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: I plan to try this recipe next with gluten free pasta, if it turns out well, this could be a flavorful option for those with gluten allergies or intolerance.

Many casserole recipes call for cream soup as part of the sauce. Most cream soups are not gluten free making it difficult for gluten intolerant folks to prepare favorite dishes. Additionally, many folks want to avoid the additives in canned soups.

Some years ago, I was gifted a copy of Treasured Recipes put out by the Cle Elum, Washington, Community Church, which contains a recipe for Homemade “Cream” Soup Mix. With care taken to choose gluten free ingredients this recipes substitutes well in all recipes calling for a condensed cream soup.

Homemade

“Cream” Soup Mix

2 cups powdered nonfat milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon

2 Tbsp dried onion flakes

1 tsp crushed basil

1 tsp crushed thyme leaves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Store in an airtight container. Yield: mix for 9 cans soup.

To use, combine 1/3 cup of the mix with 1 1/4 cups cold water. This substitutes for 1 can of soup.

Note: experiment with seasonings to suit tastes. Generally, I omit the seasoning and adjust according to the recipe I am preparing. The original recipe is attributed to Maxine Sondericker.

If your recipe is calling for condensed tomato soup, my experimentation found 2 tablespoons of tomato paste makes a reasonable substitute when added to the reconstituted mix.

Note: I keep 1 tablespoon portions of tomato paste in the freezer. Spoon tablespoon portions onto a wax paper lined tray and freeze solid. Then store in airtight containers in the freezer until needed. Space the spoonsful of paste 3 to 4 inches apart, then cut the wax paper in squares and lightly wrap to prevent them sticking together.

Aunt Florence’s Casserole, Hamburger Stroganoff, Chicken Enchiladas, John Madden Stew, Chinese Pie, Spoon Tacos, Crockpot BBQ Beef Ribs, Pot Roast, Pumpkin Corn Chowder and Big Sur Supper Salad are the 10 Go-to recipes I rely on. Over the years all have been printed in this column, but with so many new readers, I would like to know which ones might be of interest. I will set up a poll on the Welcome to My Kitchen Facebook page where you can vote for your choice and the recipes will appear in future columns along with recipes sent in by you the readers.

Barbeque season is close at hand and soon summer picnics, and potluck meals will fill calendars. Potato, pasta and green salads are often the main side dish. What other salads and sides and the main dish you serve them with, are favorites in your family. Savory summer salads are a great way to entice picky eaters to try fruits and vegetables.

Share your favorite recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159. email [email protected] or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Day time temperatures above 50 degrees are warm enough to set seedling starter plants outside in a shaded spot to acclimatize but be sure to cover or bring them inside before nightfall. Frost sneaks in during the early morning hours.