Apple Cake

1-1/3 c. unsifted flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. softened margarine
½ c. Egg Beaters or 2 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. skim milk
½ c. dark seedless raisins
4 c. sliced, pared apples

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Blend together ¼ c. sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Cream margarine and remaining ½ c. sugar until light.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Beating on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Fold in raisins.

Turn batter into a greased 8X8X2 inch pan.

Arrange apple slices on batter in rows.

Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake at 375ºF about 1 hour.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Peanut Butter Candy

2 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. marshmallow whip
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil milk and sugar until a soft ball forms in cold water. (235ºF)  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, marshmallow whip and vanilla.  Pour into buttered dish until cool.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Applesauce Cake

1½ c. apple sauce
1 c. butter
2 c. white sugar
3 eggs
4 c. flour
2 c. raisins
1 c. nuts
1 c. crushed pineapple
4 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar, add apple sauce and beat.  Add eggs and flour, continue beating, add pineapple and rest of ingredients.  Mix well and bake in a tube pan at 350ºF.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Oatmeal Cake

Cake:
1¼ c. boiling water
1 c. rolled oats
½ c. butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

Pour wter over oats and let stand 20 minutes.  Cream butter and sugars together.  Add well beaten eggs.  Add dry ingredients and beat well.  Bake in 10″ X 10″ pan for 35 minutes at 350ºF.

Icing:
1 c. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. white sugar
1 box Angle Flake coconut (I think this means 7 oz. or 2-2/3 c.)
½ c cream or evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients together and ice cake while hot.  Place under broiler for one or 2 minutes.

From the recipes of Mary Jo Cunningham

Wacky Cake

1½ c. flour
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
6 Tbsp. salad oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. cold water.

Sift dry ingredients in ungreased baking pan 9″ X 9″.

Punch 3 holes in dry ingredients (I make dents with the backs of my measuring spoons and 1/3 c. measuring cup)- one large, one medium and one small.  Pour salad oil in large hole, vinegar in medium hole and vanilla in small hole.

Pour water over all ingredients and beat smooth with a fork.

Bake 25 minutes at 350ºF.  Add favorite icing.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Pumpkin Pie

1¾ c. cooked pumpkin
1½ c. milk
2 eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves (unless you are making it for Chuck in which case you leave this out.)
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together beating with a mixer.  Pour into baked or unbaked pie shell.

Bake 40-45 minutes at 400ºF.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Scalloped Oysters

1 pint oysters
2 c. cracker crumbs
½ c. melted butter
½ tsp. salt
dash ground black pepper
¾ c. cream

¼ c. oyster liquor
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Drain oysters, saving the liquor.  Combine crumbs, butter, salt and pepper.  Spread ½ the buttered crumbs in a greased 8X14 pan.  Cover with half the oysters. Using another third of the crumbs, spread a second layer, cover with remaining oysters.  Combine cream, oyster liquor and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over oysters.  Top with the last of crumbs,  Bake in moderate oven (350ºF) 40 minutes.

From Mary Jo Cunningham

Dal is easy

Dal is an Indian word for lentils. This one is all done according to taste so you have to play with it to figure out what suits you.

Chuck gets a bag of red lentils from the bulk section at our co-op.  And a 14 oz. can of coconut milk,  but you can just use water.  Frequently, there is a large sweet potato peeled and cubed up, or a package of paneer, likewise cubed into bite sized chunks.

He puts about 2 tablespoons of curry powder in as he starts (not garam masala, they are different).  Sometimes, he adds more at the end.  How much goes in depends on your taste and the strength of the curry powder.

Start with additional water in a pot on medium so you can add it as you go along as it is absorbed by the lentils, like you do with the broth for risotto. How much you eventually use really depends on how thick you want the dal to be.

For 2 cups of lentils, start with @ 4 cups of water, adding the coconut milk toward the end.

If you’re using sweet potatoes, put them in at the beginning.  If you’re using paneer, put it in at the end. Add salt and additional curry powder to taste as you are ready to serve.

Greek Mac-n-cheese

from my friend, Carolyn

Ingredients

4 oz crumbled feta 

1 small onion

1 bag fresh spinach 

8 oz button mushrooms

1 to 1 ½ cup chicken broth 

½ cup orzo

1 chicken breast/person

½ cup white wine

1 ½ tablespoon oregano 

½ teaspoon pepper

Toasted pine nuts 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Sauté chicken , onions, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add broth, wine, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and add orzo. When the orzo is cooked, add spinach; cook until the spinach is soft. If there is a lot of liquid left, simmer until it is mostly gone. Stir in feta. Top with a few feta crumbles and toasted pine nuts.