Alpha Cookbook North American Edition

alpha cookbook 70 Recipes Created by Alpha Churches for Groups of 10, 30 or 100 Guests

Alpha Cookbook

Published in North America by Alpha North America, 2275 Half Day Road, Suite 185, Deerfield, IL 60015 Alpha Cookbook All rights reserved in North America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

First printed by Alpha North America in 2001 Printed in the United States of America Illustrations by Charlie Mackesy Compiled and edited by Karen Rogan ISBN 978-1-931808-00-2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Printing/Year 14 13 12 11

Contents Foreword...................................................................................................... 5 Cooking for Alpha....................................................................................... 6 Section One:

Before You Start........................................................ 7

Section Two:

Suggested Alpha Course Menus............................ 15

Section Three:

Cook’s Tips and Helpful Equivalents................... 19

Section Four:

Main Dishes............................................................ 21

Section Five:

Vegetarian Dishes................................................... 65

Section Six:

Salads...................................................................... 77

Section Seven:

Side Dishes.............................................................. 87

Section Eight:

Desserts................................................................... 99

Index........................................................................................................ 124 Acknowledgments.................................................................................... 127

CHICKEN AND APPLE CURRY This is a wonderfully sweet and rich-tasting curry. Serve with white rice, rolls or pita bread, and a tossed salad with Roseanne’s Poppy Seed Dressing.

Boneless chicken breasts Flour Salt Pepper Oil Garlic cloves—minced Fresh ginger—grated or ginger powder Onions—chopped Curry powder Cinnamon Cumin Canned crushed tomatoes Coconut milk Apples—peeled, cored, and chopped Brown sugar Fresh parsley—minced 1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper and coat chicken in mixture. Brown the chicken in a little oil for 5 minutes on each side and then remove.

2. In the pan add oil, garlic, ginger, and onions and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Stir in curry, cinnamon, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and coconut milk. Boil. Reduce heat; add chicken to pan. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

4. Add apples, parsley, and sugar. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Note: you may substitute chicken pieces with bones—just allow longer for the cooking time.

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GOLDEN GLAZED CHICKEN Easy, but elegant and it has a delicious “kick” to it! Serve this with white rice or Stuffed Baked Potatoes, rolls, and Mandarin Orange Salad.

Boneless chicken breasts Butter Honey Dijon mustard Mild prepared mustard Curry powder Lime or lemon juice Salt Garlic cloves—minced or garlic powder 1. Arrange chicken in single layer in baking pan. Bake at 350˚ for 10–15 minutes, until partially cooked.

2. In a saucepan (or microwave) melt butter. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth. Pour over chicken.

3. Bake uncovered in 350˚ oven about 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce, until chicken is tender and glazed. If you would like to thicken the sauce, drain the sauce into a saucepan and add a little cornstarch. Bring to a boil, and pour back over chicken.

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PINEAPPLE CHICKEN This is an oh-so-easy and delicious recipe. Use it when you spot chicken on sale for a good price. Serve with rice, tossed salad with Roseanne’s Poppy Seed Dressing, and rolls.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cornstarch Cold water Sugar Soy sauce Vinegar Garlic cloves—crushed Ground ginger Pepper Pineapple tidbits 1. Preheat oven to 450˚.

2. Lay chicken pieces on a baking sheet with sides and partially cook for 10-15 minutes. If you’re not sure exactly how many people you’ll be serving (such as a Celebration Dinner night), you may wish to cut the chicken breasts into thirds or quarters after this step. Otherwise, leave them whole.

3. Mix other ingredients (except pineapple and rice) together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir continuously until thick and bubbly. Pour half of mixture over chicken pieces on baking sheet.

4. Cook for approximately 30 minutes until chicken is cooked, basting with remaining mixture every 5 or 10 minutes.

5. Cook rice according to package directions.

6. Sprinkle pineapple tidbits over chicken and cook for another minute (until heated through) and serve over hot rice.

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TEX-MEX CHICKEN BURRITOS (with vegetarian option) Very tasty, but requires lots of chopping, so make sure you have lots of help! Serve with Mandarin Orange Salad with avocados.

Flour tortillas Boneless chicken breasts—diced into bite-sized pieces Taco seasoning Oil Onions—chopped fine Carrots—julienned Red peppers—cored and cut into thin strips Tomatoes—chopped Refried beans Cheddar cheese—shredded Sour cream—for garnish Salsa—for garnish 1. In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft.

2. Add the diced chicken and taco seasoning and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from the pan and cook the carrots, peppers, and tomatoes. When vegetables are tender, remove vegetarian portions and then replace chicken in skillet and mix together. Remove from heat.

3. Spread each tortilla with refried beans and a portion of the chicken mixture. Use only refried beans and vegetables for vegetarians. Roll burritos, placing in an ovenproof casserole or on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

4. Place in oven at 350˚ for 10 minutes or until burritos are warmed and cheese melts.

5. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Note: For vegetarians, remove a suitable quantity of the cooked vegetables before adding the cooked chicken (Step 2). Spread each tortilla with refried beans and a portion of the vegetable mixture. Continue as in Step 3. Don’t forget to keep the vegetarian burritos separate from the others!

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CURRIED TURKEY AND BROCCOLI BAKE This savory cassarole has a potato “crust.”

Serve with green salad with Red Onion Dressing and buns.

Eggs Seasoned mashed potatoes Creamed soup—chicken, celery, or mushroom Mayonnaise or salad dressing Lemon juice Curry powder Cooked turkey or chicken—cut into bite-sized pieces Frozen chopped broccoli—thawed and well drained Sliced almonds 1. Grease or spray baking dishes. Stir eggs into potatoes. Spread on the bottom and sides of dish.

2. Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder. Stir in turkey and broccoli. Turn into potato crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350˚.

3. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 15 minutes or until filling is hot and crust is light brown.

Note: If instant mashed potatoes are used, use 1/2 cup of instant potato mix for each person you’re cooking for. Mix with hot water, beat in the eggs and then use only as much milk as is needed to hold its shape.

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CHICKEN IN SOUR CREAM Easy and fast to prepare, as well as delicious! Serve over flat noodles or rice, with a salad or mixed vegetables on the side.

Boneless, skinless chicken pieces Cream of mushroom soup Dry onion soup mix Sour cream Lemon juice Dill weed Place chicken in a 9”x13” pan or casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350˚ for 1 hour or until done. Cooking for large quantities may take up to 3 hours if done in large roasting pans.

Note: a combination of chicken breasts (cut in half) and thighs works well and will be less expensive than all breast meat.

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ROAST BEEF Roast beef is always a treat and is well-received at most Alpha meals. It works well for Celebration Dinners when you don’t have an exact guest count as you can always slice it a bit thinner.

Allow about 1/3 lb (about 5 oz or 150 g) of meat per person. Give small servings the first time around to make sure there is enough and then allow seconds.

Some butchers will cook the meat and deliver it complete with gravy, which may be an option worth looking into for your group.

To cook a roast of beef, do not cover it. Cook at 325˚ for 18–20 minutes per pound (for medium rare) or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140˚ (rare), 160˚ (medium) or 170˚ (well-done). Allow meat to stand for 15 minutes before carving.

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HTB PASTA WITH TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE This recipe is a favorite at Holy Trinity Brompton, where Alpha originated. It is usually served without the ground beef, although we have included it in case your group prefers meat. This is an especially good dish to serve at the beginning of the Alpha course, because it’s easy to cook a bit more pasta and serve a few extra people if the numbers increase at the last minute.

Serve with a tossed salad with Alpha Vinaigrette and Alpha Garlic Bread to make it an all-around Alpha meal!

Canned tomatoes Butter—cut in cubes Olive oil Tomato paste Onions—peeled and halved Granulated sugar Salt and pepper Dried basil Ground beef (optional) Pasta Parmesan or cheddar cheese-grated 1. Put the canned tomatoes, butter, olive oil, tomato paste, and onion halves into a saucepan. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally and turn down the heat to simmer uncovered for 40-50 minutes. Cook ground beef in a skillet until done; drain well.

2. Discard the onion halves as well as you can, and then liquidize the sauce in a blender. Stir in the basil and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in ground beef. Reheat the sauce.

3. Cook the pasta and once it has been cooked and drained, pour over the hot sauce and mix well.

4. Serve immediately with grated cheese.

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Dinner for 100? Of course!

T

he Alpha Cookbook helps you create delicious meals for large groups and small groups too.

This unique cookbook is filled with tasty recipes contributed by churches who have hosted Alpha courses. They share from their experiences in putting together meals for groups from 10 to 100.

Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow recipes for: • Main dishes and casseroles • Vegetarian meals • Salads • Side dishes • Desserts One of the key ingredients to a successful Alpha course is regular meals that provide a time of warmth and friendship-building for the participants. We hope this cookbook will become a dependable tool for creating memorable meals for groups of all sizes.

COOKING / General ISBN 978-1-931808-00-2

ISBN: 978-1931808002

10004

www.alpha.org

9 781931 808002