Scoop: The Essential Cookbook 2010 Special Edition

Scoop the essential

COOKBOOK from the pages of the

2010 SPECIAL EDITION

Scoop the essential

COOKBOOK

2010 SPECIAL EDITION

from the pages of the

Scoop the essential

COOKBOOK

from the pages of the Omaha World-Herald All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of the publisher, Omaha World-Herald Co. Copyright 2010 Omaha World-Herald Co. 1314 Douglas St. Omaha, NE 68102 First paperback edition ISBN: 978-0-615-42369-2 Printed by Omaha World-Herald Omaha, Neb.

Features Editor Betsie Freeman Food Writers Nichole Aksamit Jane Palmer Designer and Illustrator Christine Zueck Cookbook Editor Keri Klahn Deputy Features Editor Laura King Assistant Managing Editor Joanne Stewart Executive Editor Mike Reilly President and Publisher Terry Kroeger Drawn from the news pages of the Omaha World-Herald and reflects the work of World-Herald Reporters and Photographers.

e d i t o r ’ s n o t e · B ETSIE f r e e m a n

My mom, Elaine, loved to cook. She loved to see our family of six gather around the dinner table each night. And she loved to collect recipes and serve new things. Our family joked that we never ate the same thing twice.

And we loved it.

Mom was a fan of The World-Herald’s Wednesday food section.

For decades, she faithfully cut recipes out of the paper and pasted them into spiral notebooks. We found stacks and stacks of those notebooks, bulging with ideas, when she died a few years ago.

For me, those memories are comfort food. And we hope that’s how you will feel about “Scoop: The Essential Cookbook from the Pages of the Omaha World-Herald.” It’s our version of Mom’s notebooks, compiled just for you.

Use it. Enjoy it. We hope it will help you create lots of new kitchen memories.

Meanwhile, we’ll continue to provide the comprehensive food coverage you count on each week in The World-Herald.

That means this cookbook is just the beginning.

 Betsie Freeman has worked at The World-Herald for 22 years as an editor and reporter.

She has been features editor since 2008. She comes from a long line of great cooks and humbly hopes she will someday measure up to their standards.

Her favorite dish: Zucchini and Tomato Bruschetta, Page 21.

table of contents soups and stews 1 Sour Cherry Soup Shooters 2 Sparkling Cherry-Almond Soup 3 Watermelon-Champagne Soup 4 Strawberry Soup with Cinnamon Croutons 4 Blueberry-Limoncello Soup 5 Polish Apricot Soup 5 Cheese Soup 6 Ndamukong Soup 8 Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili 9 White Chicken Chili 10 Sweet and Meaty Midwestern Chili 11 Don Light’s Chili 12 Cinnamon Rolls

salads 13 Basic Vinaigrette Dressing 13 Honey-Mustard Dressing 13 Buttermilk-Herb Dressing 14 Middle East Couscous Salad 15 Asian Cucumber-Apple Slaw 16 Aunt Janet’s Cherry Jell-O Salad 17 Skillet Corn Salad 18 Traditional Potato Salad 19 Farmers Market Pasta Salad 20 Mozzarella Pearl Tomato Salad

zucchini 21 Zucchini and Tomato Bruschetta 22 Zucchini Beef Skillet 22 Pronto Zucchini 23 Mexican Zucchini 23 Good Zucchini Casserole 24 Zucchini Pizza 24 Zucchini Frittata 25 Ham and Zucchini Quiche 25 Brats and Zucchini 26 Zucchini and Cheese Casserole 26 Aunt Nita’s Zucchini Casserole 27 Italian Style Zucchini 28 Zucchini with Corn and Green Chilies 28 Zucchini Rounds 29 Cream Soup with Cream Cheese 29 Creamy Zucchini Soup 30 Pasta Fagioli Soup 31 Lemony Zucchini-Poppy Seed Bread 32 Zucchini-Blueberry Bread 32 Zucchini Bread 33 Zucchini Muffins

33 Zucchini Cake 34 Eggless Zucchini Brownies 34 Zucchini Pie 35 Zucchini Bars 36 Zucchini Brownies 37 Zucchini Crisp 38 Zucchini Relish 38 Zucchini Jelly

veggies

39 Corn-on-the-cob 40 Potatoes with Morels and Sweet Onions 41 Hash Brown Casserole (“Cheesy Potatoes”) 42 Creamed Onions 43 Pumpkin and Herb Risotto 44 Pumpkin Curry 45 Wild Rice and Pumpkin Pilaf 46 Pumpkin Butter 47 Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Marble Bread 48 Pumpkin Pancakes 49 Roasted Pumpkin Salad

with Warm Orange Vinaigrette 50 Roasted Pumpkin Slices with Maple, Bacon and Thyme 51 Bread & Cup’s Heirloom Pumpkin Soup with Apple, Sage and Coconut Relish 52 Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

main dishes 53 Italian Sausage Artichoke Pasta 54 Rock ’n’ Roll Shrimp Risotto 55 Edamame Macaroni and Cheese 56 Smoky Bourbon Ribs 57 Spicy Thai Flank Steak

with Broccoli and Noodles 58 Lemon Shrimp Linguine 59 Chicken Chalupas 60 Kira’s Farmers Market Pizza 61 Southwestern Quiche 62 Cilantro-Lime Chicken and Potatoes 63 Runza Casserole 64 Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken with Carrots 65 Cuban Sandwich 66 Herbed Chicken-Walnut Cheeseburgers with Lemony Frizzled Shallots and Blueberry Mustard 68 Beef-and-Pork Sliders 69 Teeny-Tiny Turkey Burgers 70 Russian-Spiced Bison-Bleu Sliders

farmers market finds

BROWNIES

71 Pasta all’Amatriciana 72 Three-Cheese Spinach Ravioli 73 Blended Tomato Beurre Blanc 74 Pan-Seared Salmon

117 Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies 118 Chocolate Chip Brownies

with Nasturtium Butter and Pasta 75 Clean-Out-the-Fridge Gazpacho 76 Cajun Cabbage Rolls 77 Black Raspberry Pancakes 78 Ratatouille-Stuffed Striped Cavern Tomatoes 80 Tempura Green Beans 81 Ghost Pepper Chili Con Carne 82 Thai Chicken and Galangal Soup 83 Sweet & Citrusy Quickles 84 Rhubarb-Ginger Compote

12 days of COOKIES 85 Rolo Cookies 86 Shortbread Squares 86 Lemon Snowflakes 87 Cranberry White Chocolate Cashew Cookies 88 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies 89 Anisette Biscotti 90 Sugar Crisps 91 Orange Pecan Delights 92 Coconut Joys 93 It’s a Date! Cookies 94 Jewel Cookie Bars 95 Cherry Nut Miniatures 96 Caramel Nut Acorn Cookies 97 Fruit Foldovers 98 Lizzies 99 Swedish Cinnamon Cookies 100 Pepper Nuts 101 Brown-Sugar Cookies 102 (Bis)quick Peanut Butter Kisses 103 Raspberry Truffle Brownies 104 Winter Rainbows 105 Sesame Lace Cookies 106 Ginger Strips 107 Peanut Butter Toffee Turtles 108 Cocoa Almond Yule Logs

SWEETS 109 Double Lemon Bars 110 Lazy Pie 112 Croatian Povitica 113 Hansen’s Houska 114 The Laferlas’ Easter Bread 115 Creamy Caramels 115 Candied Pecans 116 Frozen S’mores

with Chocolate-Kahlua Icing 119 Hershey’s Cocoa Fudgy Brownie 120 Fantasy Brownies and Topping 121 Chewy Brownies 122 Diane’s Brownies 123 Caramel Brownies 124 Rocky Road Fudge Bars 125 Toxic Chocolate Brownies 126 Creme De Menthe Brownies 127 White Chocolate Chip Brownies 128 Chocolate Brownies (or Cake)

extra!

129 Mike Hill

Mike’s Favorite Chicken Salad 130 Alexander Payne Variations on Pasta Alla Checca 132 Nik Fackler Mary’s Special Spaghetti Sauce 133 Chip Davis Home on the Range 134 Greg Wagner Pheasant Nuggets 135 Mauro Fiore Buffalo Chili 136 John Beasley

John’s Favorite Chili 137 Mike Kelly Cincinnati Chili 138 Billy McGuigan Organic-ish Cheesesteak 139 Fred Simon Mustard-Glazed Top Sirloin 140 Terry Kroeger Post-Prom Pork Tenderloin 141 Clayton Anderson Mom’s Famous Coconut Custard Pie 142 Susie Buffett Cookie Sheet Chocolate Cake 143 Rainbow Rowell Seven-Hours-Later Pumpkin Bread

wh at ’ s o l d i s n e w a g a i n

This isn’t the first World-Herald cookbook. As we were working on this project, we discovered copies of books created by the long-gone World-Herald Women’s Department Household Arts Section. But as staffers for that department’s successor – the Living section – we’re building on that tradition.

We’re also starting plenty of new ones. “Scoop” includes recipes from popular features in the paper, such as What’s For Dinner prepared by Jane Palmer and Farmers Market Finds compiled each summer by Nichole Aksamit. Even better, you’ll find lots of recipes from World-Herald readers in this collection, all submitted for stories published over the last couple of years. You told us how to make s’mores, corn on the cob and scores of zucchini dishes, and you shared your favorite recipes each Christmas for our 12 Days of Cookies series.

And they all sound light years better than the “Liver Surprise” found in one of the old cookbooks.

Think of this collection as your World-Herald food filing system. If you didn’t get around to saving a recipe from our pages, there’s a good chance it’s in here. We couldn’t include everything, but we think we compiled a great cross-section of things you’ll love to cook.

SOUPS and STEWS

Sour Cherry Soup Shooters, 1



soups and stews What inspires a great bowl of soup? For some, it’s a cool fall day or a snowstorm. For our staff, in part, it was a bounty of summer produce, a bruising University of Nebraska football star and some fun wordplay. We created Ndamukong Soup as a hearty football-season treat, and revived it to use some of our Farmers Market Finds in the summer. We also explored the locally beloved pairing of cinnamon rolls and chili, offering some prize-winning recipes.

You’ll find them here, along with some refreshing cold fruit soups. Grab a spoon.



f r u i t s o up s Here’s the basic formula to get a sweet, sour, refreshing summer appetizer, palate cleanser or dessert: • Fresh fruit Berries or stone fruits like cherries, peaches, apricots and plums are ideal. Cook and/or purée it.

• Something sour, spirited or creamy Citrus juice, champagne, wine, lambic, brandy, cream, crème fraîche, sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk.

• Something sweet Sugar, honey, agave nectar and/or something spicy-sweet like baking spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, clove or cardamom.

• A thickener If your mixture is not already thickened from cooking/purée-

ing, from naturally occurring fruit pectin or your creamy additions, you can use gelatin, a creamand-flour roux or a cornstarch-water slurry that you whisk in and cook out to eliminate any grainy texture.

• A chilling in the fridge and a garnish.

Sour Cherry Soup Shooters Makes 10 (½-cup) servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

4 cups sour cherries, with pits ½ cup sugar 1 3-inch cinnamon stick 2 cups water ½ cup crème fraîche, plus more for garnish Blueberries or peach slices for garnish (optional)

1 Place cherries, sugar, cinnamon and water

in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cherries have softened and relinquished their juices, about 20 minutes.

2 Strain into a large bowl, pressing cherries

to extract more juice. (A fine-holed conical colander and a wooden muddler work well for this. If you don’t have those, a mesh strainer and a wooden spoon will do.) Discard pits and skins and cinnamon stick.

3 In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of the warm

cherry juice into ½ cup of the crème fraîche to thin it. Add to the remaining cherry juice and whisk until smooth. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.

4 Serve in small teacups or shot glasses,

with dollops (or espresso-size spoonfuls) of crème fraîche and a garnish of fresh fruit.

Note: We used tart pie cherries from a farmers market. This recipe is perfect for homegrown or neighbor-offered sour cherries. Many grocers also carry frozen, pitted sour cherries. s O U P S AND STE W S | 1

f r u i t s o up s

Sparkling Cherry-Almond Soup

Makes 10 to 12 (1-cup) servings.

Recipe adapted by food writer Nichole Aksamit from Nebraska Brewing Co. chef Adam Graybill, who makes a version at the Papillion restaurant every July when the cherries are ready at Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City, Neb. 2 pounds pitted Montmorency (or other tart) cherries 4 cups apple juice, divided use 1/3

cup honey

1 cinnamon stick 2 whole cloves 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ cup sparkling wine Lemon juice, to taste Crème fraîche and toasted almonds, for garnish

1 Combine cherries, 3¾ cups of the apple

juice, honey, cinnamon stick and cloves in a heavy pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves.

2 Stir cornstarch into the remaining apple

juice to make a slurry. Add it to the pot to thicken the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starch.

3 Purée with a stick mixer or a blender and

strain. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.

4 Before serving, add sparkling wine and

lemon juice to taste. Top each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 2

f r u i t s o up s

Watermelon-Champagne Soup

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe adapted by food writer Nichole Aksamit from Zum Biergarten chef Otto Helbig, who serves a version of this soup between courses at wine dinners at his Bellevue restaurant.

1 small (6- to 8-pound) seedless watermelon, divided use 1 750 milliliter bottle champagne, divided use 200 grams (about 1½ cups) powdered sugar Juice of 2 limes 2 sheets clear gelatin 6 to 8 mint sprigs, for garnish

1 Wash the melon, and cut it in half. Using a

melon baller or small scoop, cut 24 balls of melon and put them in a bowl with onethird of the Champagne. Cover, refrigerate and reserve for garnish.

2 Remove and discard rind from remaining

melon. Cube and purĂŠe melon, pour into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in powdered sugar, remaining Champagne and lime juice. Stir to blend. Remove from heat, cool slightly, add gelatin and stir until it has dissolved. Cool, then chill thoroughly in the fridge.

3 To serve, pour into chilled martini glasses.

Garnish each with 3 or 4 balls of reserved melon and a sprig of mint.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 3

f r u i t s o up s

Strawberry Soup with Cinnamon Croutons Makes 6 servings.

Recipe adapted by food writer Nichole Aksamit from Theresa Millang, the Kearney, Neb., author of more than a dozen fruit-related cookbooks.

1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and halved 2 cups apple juice 1 cup sour cream ½ cup brown sugar, packed ½ cup honey 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1½ cups half-and-half 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 For the soup: Mix first 6 ingredients in

a bowl, purée in batches in a blender and pour into a large bowl. Stir in half-and-half and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2 For the croutons: Sauté bread cubes in

butter over medium heat in a skillet until golden brown. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture; toss to coat.

Cool.

3 To serve: Divide soup among bowls, and

top each with some of the croutons.

3 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread cubed 2 tablespoons butter ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with ½ teaspoon granulated sugar  f r u i t s o up s

Blueberry-Limoncello Soup Makes 12 ½-cup servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

4 cups blueberries, divided use 2 cups half-and-half ¼ cup honey ¼ cup limoncello

1 Purée 3 cups of the blueberries in a blender

with the half-and-half, honey and limoncello.

2 Fold in ½ cup of the remaining berries. Chill

thoroughly.

3 Serve in espresso cups, garnished with the

remaining ½ cup of berries.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 4

f r u i t s o up s

Polish Apricot Soup

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted by food writer Nichole Aksamit from a version at soupsong.com 3 cups water 2 cups pitted and halved apricots, pits reserved ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 to 2 tablespoons water 8 tablespoons whipped sour cream 1 cup of bread cubes browned in butter, for garnish

1 Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.

Add the apricots and then the pits, tied in cheesecloth to make them easier to fish out later.

2 Cook, partially covered, for 20 to 30 min-

utes. Remove and discard the pits. Purée the soup and return it to the saucepan. Stir in the sugar, lemon and lemon zest and return to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with an equal amount of water, then whisk into the soup. Cook over low heat for several minutes, until the soup is clear and thick and has lost its raw starch taste.

3 Cool, cover and chill thoroughly. Swirl each

serving with whipped sour cream and top with fresh croutons.

 e a s y, O n e - p o t r e c i p e

Cheese Soup

Makes 6 to 12 servings.

Submitted by Connie Mauch of Scribner, Neb. 4 cups water 1 cup chopped celery 1 medium onion, chopped 4 carrots, chopped 5 potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cans (about 10½ ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 Simmer water, celery, onion, carrots and

potatoes for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are as tender as desired.

2 Add soup and cheese. Cook over low heat,

stirring often, until cheese melts and the mixture is heated through.

1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed s O U P S AND STE W S | 5

hu s k e r - i n s p i r e d s o up, p a r t I

Ndamukong Soup

Makes enough for 1 defensive tackle or 6 to 8 average Joes.

Recipe developed (with ideas from Omaha chefs Hubert Pearson, Darrell Auld and Cory Guyer) and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

3 pounds boneless bottom round beef, trimmed and cut into 2-by-1-by-1-inch chunks 6 tablespoons peanut oil, plus up to ½ cup more for shallow frying 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced (about 5 cups) 6 carrots, peeled and diced (about 2½ cups) 4 celery ribs, diced (about 2½ cups) 2¼ to 2½ cups Oregon pinot noir (we used Cloudline) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 bay leaves 4 cloves garlic, minced 20 whole allspice, cracked 2 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon 3 tablespoons flour 2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes 6½ cups (52 ounces) beef broth 1 tablespoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon (or more, to taste) seeded and minced Scotch bonnet pepper* Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup shelled peanuts 1 small sweet potato *Note: You could substitute Scotch bonnet pepper sauce, habanero sauce or minced fresh habanero peppers, to taste.

BRAISE THE BEEF 1 Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2 Blot the beef dry with paper towels. In a

large, deep, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil over medium-high heat. In small batches, sear the beef pieces on all sides and remove them to a plate. (If the pan bottom gets too brown or threatens to burn, splash in a little water or wine, scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon, pour out and reserve the removed liquid. Add another tablespoon of oil and continue until all the beef is browned and piled onto the plate.)

3 Add half the fresh vegetables (onions,

carrots and celery) to the pot, along with two big pinches of salt and more oil if needed. (You’ll use the remaining half of the vegetables in the soup itself.) Cook until the vegetables start to soften and release a little of their juices. Add ¾ cup of the wine, and stir to loosen some of the browned fond from the pan.

4 Stir in the tomato paste, half of the

cracked allspice, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 minced garlic cloves. Return the browned beef (and its juices and any reserved liquid) to the pot, layering the chunks evenly atop the vegetables. Add another cup of wine and just enough beef stock so that the top third of the beef remains exposed. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

5 Cover the pan tightly, and put it in the

oven. After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 325 degrees. Braise until meat is tender, about 60 to 80 minutes more.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 6

hu s k e r - i n s p i r e d s o up, p a r t II START THE SOUP Did you know?

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who now plays for the Detroit Lions, played for Nebraska from 2005 to 2009.

As he was being showered with college football awards in 2009, we asked some local chefs for ideas and came up with a hearty stew inspired by Suh’s heritage and his distinctive first name.

(Pronounced en-DOM-uh-ken, it means “house of spears.”)

We used pinot noir from Oregon, where Suh was raised; spices, peppers and nuts from the cuisines of Jamaica and Cameroon, where his parents hail from; and beef from Nebraska and a grateful Husker Nation.

1 In a 5-quart or larger pot over medium heat,

heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the remaining onions, carrots and celery along with two big pinches of salt. Cook until the vegetables just start to soften. Add the flour and stir. Add the thyme and the remaining allspice, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and garlic and stir. Add ½ cup wine. Stir to release any sticking bits. Add tomatoes and their juices, and the remaining beef stock. Heat through. Keep warm until the braised beef is done.

MAKE THE GARNISHES 1 Peel the sweet potato, cut it into thin match-

sticks and put the matchsticks in a bowl of water.

2 In a small skillet, heat a tablespoon of peanut

oil. Add the peanuts and stir or shake until they are coated in oil and the outsides have browned and crisped. Remove the peanuts to a bowl lined with paper towels, and toss them with a pinch of salt.

3 Add more peanut oil to the pan, until it’s about

¼-inch deep. Drain the sweet potato matchsticks and blot them dry with paper towels. Fry them, stirring, until they are crisped and lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

FINISH THE SOUP 1 Remove the braised beef to a plate. Pour the

braising liquid through a strainer and into the soup. Discard the braised vegetables, which will have gone soft and mushy, like the knees of Ndamukong Suh’s opponents. Add Scotch bonnet pepper or pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

2 Ladle the soup into warm bowls, and top each

with several chunks of the braised beef. Garnish with fried nuts and sweet potato matchsticks.

Serve with a spoon (and a spear, if you like, for stabbing the meat).

s O U P S AND STE W S | 7

t r a d i t i o n a l ch i l i

Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe developed by Peter Walkley of Omaha, the traditional chili winner at the Benson Farmers Market 2010 chili cookoff.

1 tablespoon oil 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced (or to taste) 1 (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 1 (12-ounce) bottle Tecate or Dos Equis beer or other light lager 1 (15-ounce) can dark kidney beans 1 (15-ounce) can light kidney beans 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans

1 In a large pot, brown onion in oil. Add pep-

pers, minus seeds and veins, and cook until softened.

2 Add tomatoes (including liquid), tomato

paste and beer (stay away from heavier beers that will overpower the flavor) and mix well.

3 Add beans (rinsed and drained), burger

crumbles (we prefer MorningStar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles) and remaining ingredients except cocoa and mix well. If too thick, thin with more beer or water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour.

4 Remove from heat and mix in cocoa (which

loses impact if added earlier). Allow to cool for several hours before reheating.

5 Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese,

crushed tortilla chips and fresh chopped cilantro.

1 (12-ounce) package vegetarian burger crumbles 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or to taste) 1 tablespoon cocoa

s O U P S AND STE W S | 8

wh i t e ch i l i

White Chicken Chili

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe developed by Deb Davis of Omaha, the white chili and grand prize winner at the Benson Farmers Market 2010 chili cookoff.

1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon oregano ¼ teaspoon cayenne ½ cup chopped roasted Anaheim and poblano chili peppers (or to taste)*

1 Sauté onions and garlic in oil until trans-

lucent. Add cumin, oregano and cayenne.

Then add chilies, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

2 Pour chicken stock into a slow cooker. Add

onion-chili mixture, chicken and beans.

Cook on low for about 1 to 2 hours. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and chilies, to taste. Add cheese. Serve.

4 to 6 cups chicken stock 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and chopped 4 to 5 cans white beans (cannellini, navy, Great Northern, pinto) Salt and pepper, to taste 1 to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese *Note: a 4-ounce can of jalapeños also works.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 9

H e a rt y a n d h o m e y

Sweet and Meaty Midwestern Chili Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

8 ounces ground chuck 8 ounces ground pork 8 ounces sirloin, diced 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 bell peppers (red and green), diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin, divided use 3 teaspoons ancho chili powder, divided use 2 14-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes 1 30-ounce can chili beans in chili sauce ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 Brown ground meats and sirloin in a large

pot with half of the cumin and ancho chili powder and a few pinches of salt.

2 Add onions, bell peppers, garlic and more

salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes.

3 Add tomatoes, chili beans and sauce,

oregano and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.

4 Reduce heat, add remaining cumin and

ancho chili, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or more.

5 Add orange juice, Worcestershire, cayenne

and salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.

6 Serve with cheddar cheese and cinnamon

rolls (optional).

2 bay leaves Juice of half an orange 8 drops Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon or more cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

s O U P S AND STE W S | 1 0

s tat e ch i l i w i n n e r

Don Light’s Chili

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe developed by Don Light of La Vista, winner of the 2010 Nebraska State Chili Cookoff.

1½ pounds ground beef

1 Sauté ground beef until browned. Drain fat.

1 (29-ounce) can Hunt’s tomato sauce

2 Meanwhile, in a 4-quart pot, combine

1 (14½-ounce) can Del Monte diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion 1 (10-ounce) can mild-flavored Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies 2 beef bouillon cubes

tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and bouillon cubes. Heat on medium heat until well blended.

3 Add ground beef, onion, bell pepper and

remaining ingredients to the tomato sauce mixture. Simmer for 2 hours. If too thick, add small amounts of water.

1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons paprika 4 teaspoons cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon salt 2 cans (15½ ounces each) Bush’s Best Chili Beans (pinto beans in mild chili sauce)

s O U P S AND STE W S | 1 1

a s w e e t c o m pl e m e n t t o m e at y ch i l i

Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 large rolls.

Recipe tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit and adapted from a version World-Herald staff writer Rhonda Stansberry has been making for four decades.

Stansberry got the original recipe from her sister-in-law’s mother, Olive Tomlin of Moravia, Iowa.

1 package dry active yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup flour ¼ cup sugar 1 cup hot water 1 egg ¼ cup oil 2 to 4 cups more flour For the filling: 4 tablespoons butter softened 2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the frosting: 2 tablespoons butter ½ teaspoon vanilla 1½ cups powdered sugar Milk, enough to thin

1 Mix first five ingredients together. Beat the

egg and add it, with the oil. Mix thoroughly.

Then add about 2 cups flour, a little at a time. Knead when the dough begins to form, adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to your fingers.

2 Roll dough out in a large rectangle (about

18 inches by 10 inches). Spread evenly with butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting from the long side, roll up the dough into one long log.

Cut into 1½-inch slices and set in an oiled 9-by-13-inch pan or rimmed baking sheet with some space between each slice. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in size — 45 minutes to an hour in an 85-degree oven or (preferably) overnight at room temperature.

3 Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown,

about 15 minutes.

4 Beat the butter with vanilla and add the

powdered sugar gradually. Add milk to thin.

Beat until creamy and fluffy. Frost the rolls when they have cooled slightly.

s O U P S AND STE W S | 1 2

SALADS

Middle East Couscous Salad, 14



salads Aunt Janet’s Cherry Jell-O Salad.

Sounds like your classic Midwestern potluck dish. It’s on the table every time one Midlands family gathers. Midlands cooks know all the old salad standbys: Seven-Layer, Ramen Noodle, Waldorf. Here, we offer you some new classics from our pages to expand your repertoire, many created by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

And yes, Aunt Janet’s salad is here, too, along with some other traditional offerings.

Sharpen your paring knife.



d r e s s i t up

Dressings

Recipes developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

Shake up your own signature dressings using these as starting points: Basic Vinaigrette

Honey-Mustard Dressing

Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

· 3 parts good quality oil (extra-virgin olive oil, hazelnut oil, grapeseed oil, etc.)

· Vinaigrette (left)

· 1 part mayonnaise

· Equal parts honey and good Dijon mustard, to taste

· 1 part buttermilk

· 1 part good quality vinegar (white wine, red wine, champagne, sherry, balsamic, cider or rice vinegar) or freshly squeezed juice (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit or other acidic fruit)

· Salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh lemon juice and minced fresh herbs (such as chives or parsley), to taste

· Salt, freshly ground black pepper and other seasonings (minced shallots, fresh herbs, cooked bacon), to taste Directions: Vigorously shake or whisk first two ingredients to blend, then add seasonings to taste. Test dressing on a few lettuce leaves, and err on the side of overseasoning. The greens you add it to will soften the dressing’s flavors.

Note: A small jar with a lid is an ideal vessel for visibly measuring, mixing and storing dressings. It’s best to make these in small batches, store in the fridge and use within a week.

s A L ADS | 1 3

wh o n e e d s t h e d e l i c o u n t e r ?

Middle East Couscous Salad Makes 6 servings as a side dish.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1½ cups Middle East couscous* 1 English (seedless) cucumber, quartered and sliced 2 small white salad turnips, quartered and sliced (optional) 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 Bring a medium-size pot of cold salted

water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut up the cucumber, turnips (if using), tomatoes, onions and ginger, and put them in a large bowl. Add the nuts, apricots and parsley (if using).

2 Pour the couscous into the boiling water.

Cook until couscous is plumped slightly and tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

3 Strain the couscous, and add it to the bowl

of vegetables. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice and honey over the top. Toss thoroughly.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Chill or served immediately.

Juice of half a lemon 1 teaspoon honey ½ cup toasted pine nuts (optional) ½ cup chopped dried apricots (optional) Chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste

*Note: Middle East couscous, also called pearl or Israeli couscous, can be found in the ethnic or pasta aisles of some grocery stores and in the bulk bins at Omaha’s Whole Foods Market. If you can’t find it, substitute orzo or another small, fast-cooking pasta. You could use traditional couscous (the smaller, grainier, fluffier yellow stuff), though it’s prepared differently: typically by steaming or by mixing with a small amount of boiling liquid, covering briefly and fluffing.

s A L ADS | 1 4

f i v e i n g r e d i e n ts a n d fa s t

Asian Cucumber-Apple Slaw Makes 1 medium serving bowl, 6 to 8 cups.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

2 English cucumbers 2 large Fuji apples 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey or 2 tablespoons sugar Kosher salt, to taste (optional)

1 Wash and peel the cucumbers. Quarter

them lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch-thick chunks. Place in a medium bowl.

2 Wash, peel and core the apples. Cut them

into ¾-inch slices. Cut the slices into ¾-inch chunks and add to the bowl.

3 Mix rice wine vinegar and honey (or sugar)

in a small dish until combined. Drizzle over the apples and cucumbers and toss gently to coat. Add salt, if using.

4 Serve immediately.

Note: This is my approximation of a very refreshing slaw served with grilledon-the-plank salmon at Omaha restaurant Hiro 88. It’s best to make it just before serving and to eat it within a day. Otherwise, the apples start to brown, the cucumbers soften, and the vinegar taste intensifies unpleasantly.

s A L ADS | 1 5

d e s s e r t o r s i d e d i s h ? y o u b e t h e ju d g e

Aunt Janet’s Cherry Jell-O Salad Makes 18 to 24 servings.

Recipe submitted by World-Herald Deputy Features Editor Laura King. ¾ cup water ¾ cup sugar 1 can cherry pie filling 1 (6-ounce) package cherry Jell-O 1 can crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup cola

1 Bring water and sugar to boil. Add pie fill-

ing and return to boiling.

2 Pour the boiling mixture over the Jell-O

powder in a bowl or a 9-by-13-inch pan, stirring to dissolve. Add pineapple, cola, lemon juice and walnuts, if using.

3 Place in refrigerator for several hours to

set.

1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional) Lower-calorie version: If you are watching your sugar intake, you may substitute Splenda for the regular sugar and diet cola for regular. Even with these adjustments, the taste is just as sweet.

s A L ADS | 1 6

c o l o r f ul , c r e at i v e

Skillet Corn Salad

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

2 teaspoons rendered bacon fat (or vegetable oil) 4 ears sweet corn, husked 4 to 6 leaves of red Swiss chard, cut in ribbons 1 small bunch fuchsia-leaved Chinese spinach (or baby spinach) 6 Flavorino or baby Roma tomatoes, quartered (or 3 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths)

1 Heat the bacon fat in a large cast-iron skil-

let over medium-high heat. Add the ears of corn and cook, turning, until they are slightly browned on all sides. Remove to a cutting board, cool slightly and cut the kernels from the cobs.

2 Return kernels to the pan with the chard

and spinach, and stir-fry over medium heat just until the greens wilt.

3 Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Toss gently

and serve warm.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

s A L ADS | 1 7

s h e k n o w s p o tat o e s

Traditional Potato Salad

Makes about 9 cups of salad or about 12 servings.

Recipe from DeAnne Wilkins of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Wilkins is the wife of a former Idaho Potato Commission member.

2½ to 3 pounds potatoes (5 large, or 8 to 9 medium) 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup) 3 dill pickle spears, chopped (about 2/3 cup) ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup Miracle Whip salad dressing 3 tablespoons liquid from dill pickle jar 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard ¼ teaspoon garlic salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Scrub potatoes well, but do not peel. Place

potatoes in a stockpot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce the potatoes but they’re still firm. Pour off the hot water, and add cold water to the pot to help cool down the potatoes. Set potatoes aside while preparing remaining ingredients.

2 Roughly chop 6 of the eggs, saving 2 for

garnish. Add the chopped egg to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion and chopped pickles to the bowl.

3 In a small mixing bowl, using a whisk,

combine the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, dill pickle liquid, yellow mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine; set aside.

4 Remove the cooled potatoes from the pot

of water. With a paring knife, remove the potato peels (they will come off easily). Cut the potatoes into small cubes and add to the other ingredients in the large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, gently toss the salad ingredients to mix. Add the dressing mixture and gently toss again to coat all ingredients well.

5 Transfer potato salad to a serving bowl.

Slice remaining 2 eggs into thin slices and arrange them around the salad to garnish.

Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving (preferably overnight) to let the flavors combine.

s A L ADS | 1 8

ch o ck - f ull o f v e gg i e s

Farmers Market Pasta Salad

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe created by dietitian Elaine Magee, who works with WebMD. Magee came up with this recipe as a way to use whatever fresh veggies you find in local markets.

About 8 cups cooked, drained whole-wheat blend (rotini or penne) pasta ½ cup pesto (fresh, frozen or jarred pesto from the supermarket) 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

1 Add pasta to large serving bowl along with

the pesto, diced tomato, bell pepper and in-season vegetables. Toss to blend well.

2 Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top

if desired and serve. If not serving immediately, cover and keep refrigerated until needed.

1 cup finely diced bell pepper (use yellow, red or orange for a color contrast) 3 cups lightly cooked and cooled in-season veggies (zucchini or carrot slices, broccoli or cauliflower florets, green beans, or whatever veggie looks good) Optional: Âź cup toasted pine nuts Note: To toast pine nuts, just add to small nonstick frying pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are lightly browned.

s A L ADS | 1 9

qu i ck a n d e a s y

Mozzarella Pearl Tomato Salad Makes 4 servings.

Recipe submitted by chef Judy Gilliard of Lincoln.

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese pearls ¼ cup julienned fresh basil

1 Gently toss cherry tomatoes, mozzarella

cheese, basil and sea salt.

2 Drizzle half the balsamic vinegar on the

plate and the other half over the top.

½ teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar Note: For this salad, chef Judy Gilliard recommends the smaller mozzarella cheese balls from Wisconsin nicknamed “pearls.” “Using the pearl mozzarella, you have smaller bites and your flavors really marry nicely,” Gilliard said. “One of the keys is using a really good balsamic vinegar. If you get a medium pricepoint balsamic, reduce it down by half (boil until it’s less), and add a touch of honey to make it more syrupy and to give it an aged flavor.”

s A L ADS | 2 0

VEGGIES

Pumpkin and Herb Risotto, 43



veggies What’s the best way to cook corn on the cob?

We asked our readers, and they didn’t disappoint. Many cooks were passionate about their methods, from microwave ease to boiling with split-second precision.

The scoop on corn is here, along with food writer Nichole Aksamit’s primer on pumpkins, a cherished Thanksgiving recipe for creamed onions and much more.

Put that in your steamer.



corn-on-the-cob

Reader-inspired tips on how to cook it: Grilled Take the silks off, but leave the leaves on. Soak in a bucket of water for about an hour, and throw on the grill (with the leaves still on) on low heat for about half an hour or until tender.

Serve with lots of real butter and salt.

Pamela Wilson Coufal Baked Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the husks on. You can open up the husks and add butter or other seasonings, then reclose the husks and bake.

Cate Kratville, Omaha Microwaved The best way to cook corn on the cob (and I have tried them all) is to place cold ears in a grocery store plastic bag, rolled up, then cook in the microwave for 2½ minutes per ear. Let them cool in the bag for 3 minutes, then carefully husk using clean dish towels to protect your hands (they are hot!). The husk comes off cleanly and quickly, and the corn is perfect!

Jenny Smith The best way for a few ears is to microwave the ear in the husk for about 2 minutes depending on wattage. It comes out great!

Donna Bauermeister, Omaha A quick and easy way is to husk the corn and roll it up in 2 to 3 paper towels. Wet with water and microwave on high 1 minute, rotate a half turn and microwave 1 more minute. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, and unwrap from paper towels. Season with your favorite butter and enjoy.

Mick Straw, Spencer, Iowa

Ever since I got my first microwave in 1981, I’ve been microwaving my sweet corn per the cookbook that came with it. Husk the corn, removing all the silk, and rinse under water, then roll up each ear diagonally in a square piece of waxed paper, corner to corner. Twist the ends tightly. Microwave for 2 minutes per ear. I generally cook 4 at a time for 8 minutes total. Of course, eat with butter!

Diann Vannier, Omaha Boiled When I lived in Pennsylvania, my stepmother taught me the best way to enjoy it: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the corn, and once it returns to a boil, let it go for exactly 3 minutes. Take it out and eat it just like that! This way you get to savor the true sweetness of the corn. My husband thinks I’m crazy eating it “plain,” but sometimes I’ll add a little bit of butter and salt. The only other way to eat it is straight off the stalk, no boiling, grilling or steaming. Pull the leaves and silk back, and dive right in.

Rebecca Johnson, Grand Island, Neb. Boil 4 ears of corn in water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar (no salt) for 7 or 8 minutes. The corn remains edible for hours in the water without the cob taste. I have reheated after 4 days in the refrigerator, and it is still tasty and firm.

Marilyn Dolly Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar to rapidly boiling water. (No salt, as it toughens the corn.) Add corn and boil for at least 15 minutes. Delicious.

Skip the butter.

Val Carpenter, Ralston

v e gg i e s | 3 9

p o tat o e s

Potatoes with Morels and Sweet Onions

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Adrian Hoffman of Lark Creek Restaurant Group in San Francisco, and submitted by the Idaho Potato Commission.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, Walla Walla or Maui, thinly sliced 1 cup fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned and halved 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 5 small russet baking potatoes, peeled, cut in Âź-inch slices

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile,

melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, morels and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook gently 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are soft.

2 Add potatoes; stir gently. Add enough of

the reduced stock to just cover potatoes and add bay leaf. Bring to boil; immediately transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked (easily pierced with a knife or fork) and the liquid has reduced to a saucelike consistency. Sprinkle with chives.

4 cups chicken or beef stock, boiled to reduce by half 1 bay leaf 2 teaspoons fresh chives, snipped in 3/8-inch lengths Note: If fresh morels are not available, substitute dried morels and reconstitute them in water.

v e gg i e s | 4 0

p o tat o e s

Hash Brown Casserole (Cheesy Potatoes)

Makes 18 to 24 servings.

Recipe from Betty Sender, printed in a cookbook that Omaha’s First Presbyterian Church compiled to celebrate its anniversary in 2010, and shared by congregation member Joyce Prochaska.

2 pounds frozen shredded hash brown potatoes ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 can (about 11 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 Combine potatoes, pepper, onion, undiluted

soup, milk, cheddar cheese, sour cream and melted margarine. Spread in a 9-by-13-inch pan.

2 Combine cornflakes and margarine for top-

ping and sprinkle on the potato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

½ cup milk 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 8 ounces sour cream ¼ cup melted margarine For the topping: 1½ to 2 cups crushed cornflakes ¼ cup melted margarine

v e gg i e s | 4 1

onions

Creamed Onions

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe adapted from Metropolitan Community College culinary arts student Jennifer Godfrey, who said the recipe traces to her husband’s great-grandmother, Edie Godfrey, and is an integral part of Thanksgiving meals in her family.

30 ounces (a scant 2 pounds) fresh pearl onions, peeled and finely sliced Canola oil, as needed 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons flour 3 cups whole milk ¾ cup chopped parsley 3 dashes ground cloves ¾ teaspoon paprika

1 Sauté onions in oil until lightly browned and

just a little crisp.

2 In a separate pot, melt the butter and stir

in the flour to make a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until you have a thick white sauce. Add spices, parsley, sherry and onions.

3 Heat broiler to high (450 to 500 degrees).

Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish or in individual 4-inch ramekins. Top with bread crumbs and broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

6 tablespoons sherry Panko bread crumbs, as needed

v e gg i e s | 4 2

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Pumpkin and Herb Risotto Makes 4 generous servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 pound or about 3½ cups cubed pumpkin (half a 3-pound pie pumpkin, seeded and peeled) 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 11/3 cups arborio rice ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/8

teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or minced fresh sage

1 Bring broth to a boil in a 3-quart pot. Add

pumpkin chunks and simmer until tender but not falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove pumpkin from broth with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep broth warm.

2 Melt butter with olive oil in a medium-size

Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft, about 3 minutes.

3 Add rice and stir a few minutes. When you

can see what looks like a small white seed in the center of each grain, the outer layer looks translucent and a few grains begin to crackle, add 1 cup of warm broth and stir until it is all incorporated into the rice.

(You’ll know when your spoon leaves a trail.)

4 Continue adding broth a ladle at a time,

stirring after each addition and making sure the broth is incorporated before adding more, until you’ve used all the broth. The rice should be plump, tender and creamy.

5 Add reserved pumpkin, Parmigiano-Reggia-

no and several grinds of black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed. Add nutmeg and thyme. Serve hot.

v e gg i e s | 4 3

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Pumpkin Curry

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1½ cups long-grain white or basmati rice 3 cups water or vegetable broth 3 tablespoons butter 1 small yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger Seeds from 3 green cardamom pods, finely ground (or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom) 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground (or ½ teaspoon ground coriander) ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper, or more to taste 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Pour rice and water or broth into a 2-quart

saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, in a medium Dutch oven over

medium-high heat, melt butter and soften onion, garlic and ginger in it. When onion is tender, add spices and stir. Add pumpkin and stir to coat. Add coconut milk and 1 cup water.

3 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and sim-

mer, uncovered, until pumpkin is tender and sauce has thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.

4 Taste and add sugar (a tablespoon at a

time) if it’s not sweet enough. Add more ground red pepper (a dash at a time) if you want it hotter. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick.

Serve over prepared rice with cilantro.

1 bay leaf 1 cinnamon stick 2 pounds peeled, cubed pumpkin (about 4 cups) 14-ounce can coconut milk 1 cup water Sugar, to taste Chopped cilantro (optional)

v e gg i e s | 4 4

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Wild Rice and Pumpkin Pilaf Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

3 cups water 1½ cups wild rice 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 thick slices bacon, diced ¾ cup diced celery ¾ cup diced onion ¾ cup diced raw pumpkin ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground sage ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¾ cup dried cranberries ½ cup to 1 cup pumpkin ale or apple cider 6 to 8 miniature pumpkins (optional)

1 In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.

Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt, reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and partly split, 25 to 30 minutes.

2 In a large skillet over medium heat, brown

bacon until some of the fat has rendered.

3 Add celery, onion, pumpkin, ½ teaspoon

salt and spices, and sauté until softened.

Add cranberries and ½ cup ale or cider to deglaze the pan and steam the pumpkin.

Cook about 2 minutes.

4 Add cooked rice and mix thoroughly.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Add more ale if the mixture isn’t moist.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

5 If using mini pumpkins, wash them and use

a small knife to pierce them deeply, making air vents. Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave, 2 at a time, on high for about 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut a hole around the stem. Scoop out seeds and strings, and be careful not to puncture the bottom.

6 Set pumpkins on a baking sheet lined with

parchment paper. Spoon rice mixture into pumpkins or a large oven-safe casserole.

Bake stuffed pumpkins 5 to 10 minutes and use a spatula to transfer them to serving dishes. If not using pumpkins, bake casserole for 20 minutes.

v e gg i e s | 4 5

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Pumpkin Butter

Makes about 2 pints.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

4 cups fresh pumpkin purée (preferably steamed, then run through a food mill or food processor) ¾ cup apple juice ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup brown sugar

1 Combine pumpkin, apple juice, sugars

and spices in a large saucepan; stir well.

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

2 Transfer to sterile containers. Refrigerate

and use or freeze within 3 weeks.

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1½ teaspoons ground ginger, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)

v e gg i e s | 4 6

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Marble Bread Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened ¼ cup sugar 1 egg 1¾ cups flour 1½ cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1 cup fresh pumpkin purée (preferably steamed, then run through a food mill or food processor) 1 egg, beaten

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 Use a hand mixer to blend cream cheese,

¼ cup sugar and 1 egg in a medium bowl.

3 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1½

cups sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, pumpkin and beaten egg. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.

4 Pour all but about 2 cups of the pumpkin

mixture into a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Drop in spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining pumpkin mixture.

5 Use a knife to cut through and swirl the

2 batters.

6 Bake until center is set and a toothpick

inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Allow to cool in pan at least 10 minutes before trying to remove.

Note: If using canned pumpkin purée, add 1/3 cup water to pumpkin mixture.

v e gg i e s | 4 7

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Pumpkin Pancakes

Makes 4 to 8 servings, about 16 pancakes total.

Recipe adapted by food writer Nichole Aksamit from “The Big Book of Breakfast.”

1 cup flour ¼ cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup milk ¾ cup pumpkin purée (preferably steamed, then run through a food mill or food processor) 3 large eggs, separated 3 tablespoons melted butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal,

sugar, allspice and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, egg yolks and butter. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

2 In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with

an electric mixture until peaks form.

Gently fold whites into batter.

3 Preheat a nonstick griddle or skillet over

medium-high heat. Lightly spray or brush with vegetable oil. Pour ¼ cup batter onto griddle for each pancake.

4 Flip when bubbles form on the surface.

Cook until golden on other side, about 1 minute longer.

5 Serve with pure maple syrup or vanilla-

spiked light corn syrup.

Note: If using canned pumpkin, add 1/3 cup more milk.

v e gg i e s | 4 8

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Warm Orange Vinaigrette Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

Nonstick cooking spray 2 pounds (about 7 cups) peeled pumpkin, cut in 2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large

baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2 In a large bowl, toss pumpkin chunks in

olive oil, salt and brown sugar until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake until pumpkin is tender and browned, about 20 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small

For the dressing: Juice of 1 orange Zest of 1 orange 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt

saucepan over medium heat, cook the orange juice until it reduces by about half.

Turn off the heat and add the zest, shallots, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil slowly. Cover and keep warm.

4 Divide greens among serving plates, add

hot chunks of pumpkin, drizzle with warm dressing, dot with chèvre and top with pumpkin seeds.

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 cups spinach, arugula or mixed greens, washed and dried 4 ounces chèvre (optional) ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds

v e gg i e s | 4 9

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Roasted Pumpkin Slices with Maple, Bacon and Thyme Makes 4 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1 pound pumpkin slices (half of a 3-pound pie pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into 8 equal crescent-shaped slices) Nonstick cooking spray 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons maple syrup 4 strips thick-sliced bacon Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a

rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pierce pumpkin slices with a fork or sharp knife. Lay pumpkin slices on baking sheet in 2 rows of 4, with at least an inch of space on all sides.

2 Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with maple

syrup. Lay 2 slices of bacon across each row of pumpkin slices.

3 Bake until pumpkin is fork-tender and ba-

con is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

For additional crispness and browning, place under the broiler for about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with thyme and black pepper and serve.

v e gg i e s | 5 0

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Bread & Cup’s Heirloom Pumpkin Soup with Apple, Sage and Coconut Relish

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from one that chef Kevin Shinn serves at Bread & Cup, a restaurant in Lincoln.

For the soup: 2 pounds or about 7 cups peeled and cubed heirloom pumpkin 1 large or 2 small cinnamon rolls, torn into pieces Salt and sugar, to taste For the relish: 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced 1 teaspoon ground sage 2 tablespoons toasted coconut

1 Place pumpkin and roll in a medium-size

stockpot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until pumpkin is tender and water has reduced, about 15 to 20 minutes. Purée the mixture using an immersion blender or a food processor. Season with salt and sugar, to taste.

2 Combine relish ingredients in a separate

bowl 15 minutes before serving time and chill.

3 Ladle soup into warm bowls, top with a raft

of toasted bread (optional) and a generous spoonful of cold relish.

Zest and juice of ½ lemon Notes: You can use any pie pumpkin. Chef Kevin Shinn uses Rouge Vif d’Etampes, a red-blushed “Cinderella” variety with a slightly bitter aroma that turns sweet as it cooks. The cinnamon roll may seem odd, he acknowledges, but it adds sweetness and cinnamon and thickens the soup.

v e gg i e s | 5 1

pu m pk i n r e c i p e s

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Makes about ž cup.

Recipe tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1 cup pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil Âź teaspoon kosher salt

1 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove as

much of the stringy pulp as possible, but do not wash the seeds. Toss seeds with oil and salt and spread in a thin even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

2 Bake until dry, 40 minutes to an hour (or

20 to 30 minutes if you have a convection oven and use the convection setting).

3 Increase oven to 350 degrees. Optional:

Sprinkle lightly with seasoning of your choice (curry powder or smoked paprika; chili powder and lime juice; brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon; or sugar and pumpkin pie spice). Return to oven and bake until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes, checking once and stirring at the midpoint.

Serving suggestions: Eat out of hand like nuts; use on soups, salads or pizzas; sprinkle on desserts; or grind into a paste to thicken sauces.

v e gg i e s | 5 2

MAIN DISHES

Cuban Sandwich, 65



main dishes On our World-Herald food pages, we try to feature something for every cook: new trends, tutorials, timesaving dishes and complicated gourmet fare.

Food writer Nichole Aksamit, for example, provided some yummy recipes for sliders, those baby burgers you see everywhere these days.

On the other hand, our What’s for Dinner feature often highlights old favorites such as Runza Casserole and Mac and Cheese. One thing’s for sure: Our main-dish collection is diverse and delicious.

Junior, set the table, please.



not your basic noodles

Italian Sausage Artichoke Pasta Makes 6 servings.

Recipe created by chef Judy Gilliard of Lincoln.

1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil 1 pound ground Italian sausage 16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts ½ cup dry vermouth 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 tablespoon cornstarch 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta ½ cup Parmesan cheese ½ cup fresh basil ½ cup parsley Salt, to taste ½ teaspoon ground pepper

1 Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over

medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl and drain fat from skillet. Add artichokes to the same skillet and sauté over medium heat, about 2 minutes.

2 Add vermouth, 1½ cups of the broth and

sun-dried tomatoes, boil over medium-high heat.

3 Mix the cornstarch in the remaining ½ cup

of chicken broth. Add the cornstarch-broth mixture and boil until sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted

water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta (do not rinse).

Add pasta, sausage, Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley to artichoke mixture.

Toss until sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: If you don’t have garlic-infused olive oil, add some minced garlic cloves to the skillet with the artichokes.

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 3

l o w - c a l a n d f l av o r f ul

Rock ’n’ Roll Shrimp Risotto

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from “Substitute Yourself Skinny” by chef Susan Irby (Adams Media, 2010).

1 tablespoon olive oil ½ white or yellow onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped Finely grated zest of 1 lemon ½ cup white wine such as sauvignon blanc ½ cup chopped asparagus tips 1½ cups arborio rice 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, brought to a boil and simmering

1 In a large saucepan, heat the oil over

medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and lemon zest about 4 minutes, or until the onion is tender.

2 Add the wine and asparagus, and cook

about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to brown, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup chicken broth, and cook, stirring frequently, until the moisture has been absorbed.

3 Add broth ½ cup at a time until all the

broth has been added. Cook until the rice is soft but still slightly al dente. Add the shrimp, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in ¾-cup portions.

½ pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined Sea salt to taste Black pepper to taste

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 4

c o m f o rt f o o d

Edamame Macaroni and Cheese Makes 10 servings.

Recipe created by chef Judy Gilliard of Lincoln.

1 cup half-and-half 8 ounces Wisconsin cheddar cheese spread 8 ounces Wisconsin dill-Havarti cheese, diced 1 teaspoon dill weed 16 ounces Dreamfields penne rigate pasta 16 ounces shelled edamame (soybeans) 2 ounces Wisconsin cheddar cheese, grated

1 Heat half-and-half on low heat. Add

cheese spread, dill-Havarti and dill, stirring occasionally until blended. Remove from heat and set aside.

2 Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season

water with salt and freshly ground black pepper; add the pasta and cook until tender. Add edamame to pasta water and drain pasta and edamame in colander.

3 Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick

spray, add drained pasta and edamame and stir in the reserved cheese sauce mixture.

4 Top with grated cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 5

b a r b e cu e

Smoky Bourbon Ribs

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from a recipe created by Chris Lilly, pit master for the Keith Urban’s 2010 “Summer Lovin’” concert tour, sponsored by KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauces.

2 slabs baby back pork ribs For the dry rub: ¼ cup dark brown sugar 4 teaspoons garlic salt 4 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon celery salt ¼ teaspoon red pepper ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon white pepper For the liquid seasoning: ½ cup apple cider ¼ cup apple jelly ¼ cup honey ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon dry rub mix (above) To finish the ribs:

1 Remove membrane from back of ribs.

Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Reserve one tablespoon rub for the liquid seasoning mixture.

Apply dry rub generously to front and back of ribs.

2 Build a charcoal fire for indirect cooking by

putting coals only on one side of the grill.

Add a small aluminum pan to the void side (the area without coals) and fill it halfway with water. When grill reaches 250 degrees, put ribs meat side up on the grate and cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes over indirect heat.

3 Remove ribs from grill. Place each slab

meat-side down on individual doubled aluminum foil squares. In a small bowl, mix liquid seasoning. Pour ½ cup over each slab. Then use aluminum foil to tightly wrap and seal each slab. Place wrapped ribs back on grill for one hour at 250 degrees.

4 Take ribs from grill and discard foil. Brush

barbecue sauce on both sides of ribs. Put ribs on grill for 15 more minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.

1 cup KC Masterpiece Smoky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 6

ta s t y t h a i d i n n e r f o r t w o

Spicy Thai Flank Steak with Broccoli and Noodles Makes 2 servings.

Recipe submitted by Benjamin Spadt of Omaha.

16 ounces flank steak Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons curry paste 1 tablespoon minced garlic ½ medium onion, chopped 16 ounces (1 can) coconut milk (can substitute reduced fat) ½ pound broccoli florets (fresh or frozen) 8 ounces rice sticks (or any Asian noodles)

1 Salt and pepper both sides of whole flank

steak.

2 Bring skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil

to the skillet, and sear flank steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until medium rare.

Remove from skillet.

3 Place curry paste, garlic and onion in re-

maining oil and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

4 Add coconut milk to curry mixture and

bring to a simmer. Add broccoli and cook until soft.

5 While broccoli cooks, prepare rice stick

noodles according to package directions.

6 Slice flank steak thinly, against the grain,

in ¼-inch strips. Add the strips to the curry mixture and stir until well incorporated.

Remove from heat.

7 Portion noodles into two bowls and place

curry steak on top of each.

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 7

zesty shrimp

Lemon Shrimp Linguine Makes 6 servings.

Recipe submitted by Emily Vuchetich of Omaha.

1 pound linguine Âź cup butter 1/8

cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

1 Cook the linguine according to package

directions. Drain and set aside.

2 Heat butter, olive oil and garlic in a large

skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the shrimp and cook until pink.

3 Add the grated zest and juice of the lemon.

Add pasta and toss until mixed well.

4 Top with basil, and sprinkle with grated

Parmesan. Serve hot.

Note: When grating the rind of a lemon to get the zest, grate only the outer yellow portion.

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 8

a f a m i ly pl e a s e r

Chicken Chalupas

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe submitted by Katelin Hladik of Omaha.

1 package (1- to 1½-pound) chicken tenders 2 cans cream of chicken soup 8 ounces sour cream 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 bunches green onion, chopped 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies 12 (6-inch) tortillas

1 Cook chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.

Combine the chicken soup (undiluted), sour cream, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in half the green onions and all the green chili peppers. Set aside 1 cup of the sour cream mixture in a small bowl.

2 Add chicken to the medium bowl of the

cheese mixture. Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, roll up and place in a large baking dish or baking pan.

Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.

3 Top the filled tortillas with the reserved

cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining green onions and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours. (Or wrap with aluminum foil and freeze up to two weeks; thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.)

4 To serve, bake uncovered at 350 degrees

for 45 minutes or until the tortilla fillings are hot. The internal temperature, as measured by an instant-read thermometer, should be at least 165 degrees.

MAIN DIS H ES | 5 9

v e gg i e d e l i gh t

Kira’s Farmers Market Pizza Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe submitted by Kira Gale of Omaha.

1 small can (about 6 ounces) tomato paste 3 oven-ready pizza rounds Olive oil, as needed 1 cup diced zucchini ½ cup diced onion 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Thin tomato

paste with equal amount of water. Spread over the pizza rounds.

2 Sauté zucchini, onion, bell pepper and

garlic in a little olive oil until tender.

3 Arrange cooked vegetables, queso fresco

cheese and sliced tomatoes on the pizza rounds. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese blend. Bake for 15 minutes.

½ cup queso fresco cheese 1 cup sliced Flavorino (baby Roma) tomatoes 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 0

a real winner

Southwestern Quiche

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe created by Cynthia Stackhouse of Papillion, who won the breakfast category of Taste of Home magazine’s Every Day, Every Way mushroom recipe contest in 2010 with this entry.

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas 1 pound uncooked chorizo sausage ½ pound button mushrooms, sliced 1 tablespoon butter 1 green onion, thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin Optional garnishes: Salsa and cubed avocado

1 Arrange tortillas in a greased 9-inch pie

plate. Use an overlapping pattern so the tortillas cover sides and bottom of plate, forming a crust. Set aside.

2 Cook chorizo in a large skillet over medium

heat until fully cooked. Drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté mushrooms in butter until tender. Add onion, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes more.

3 Combine the eggs, half of the cheese,

cream, tomato, garlic powder and cumin in a large bowl. Stir in the chorizo and the mushroom mixture. Pour into the tortillalined pie plate; top with remaining cheese.

Cover edges with foil so tortillas do not burn.

4 Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes

or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and avocado, if desired.

Note: Chorizo is a coarsely ground pork sausage seasoned with garlic, chili and other spices; it is often used in Mexican and Spanish recipes.

Remove the sausage casing so you can crumble and cook it for this recipe.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 1

for calorie counters

Cilantro-Lime Chicken and Potatoes

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from a recipe created by Nadine Mesch of Mount Healthy, Ohio. This was the runner-up in the Idaho Potato Commission’s 2010 Watching Waistlines and Wallets Recipe Contest.

1½ pounds russet baking potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), rinsed and patted dry 1 tablespoon lime juice 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat or regular Mexican blend cheese ½ cup salsa ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves Lime wedges, for garnish

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9-by-

13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add potatoes and spoon 1 tablespoon of the butter over all; toss gently to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes.

2 Remove from oven. Move the potatoes to

one side of the baking pan. Arrange the chicken pieces in the other side. Combine remaining butter with the lime juice and drizzle evenly over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

3 In a small bowl, combine the cheese, salsa

and cilantro. Spoon evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze, as desired, over the chicken and potatoes.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 2

i n s p i r e d by t h e s i g n at u r e s a n d w i ch

Runza Casserole

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe submitted by World-Herald staff writer Sue Story Truax, who adapted it from a friend’s recipe.

1 pound lean ground beef 2 small onions or 1 large one, diced 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste 1 head green cabbage, roughly chopped 4 packages refrigerated crescent roll dough

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a

9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

2 Brown beef and onions in a large skillet,

breaking up beef into small pieces. Add garlic, if using. Salt the mixture as desired and add pepper liberally. When the beef and onions are close to being cooked through, mix in the cabbage. Cover and continue cooking until beef is cooked through, onions are tender and cabbage is wilted and not crunchy.

3 While the mixture is cooking, open 2

packages of the rolls. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pinch perforated seams together. Dough should cover the bottom of the pan.

4 Place beef mixture on top of the dough,

spreading evenly.

5 Open the last 2 packages of rolls, and lay

the dough across the beef mixture. Pinch the seams together. Dough should cover the top of the casserole.

6 Bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes

or until golden brown.

Note: If you’re in a hurry, substitute frozen chopped onion for the fresh onion and a package of coleslaw mix for the cabbage.

Variations: Sprinkle cheese atop the beef mixture before topping with crescent roll dough. Or: Mix marinara sauce with the cooked beef mixture before placing it in the casserole dish; then sprinkle with cheese, if desired, before topping with the roll dough.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 3

p e r f e c t f o r s u n d ay d i n n e r

Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken with Carrots Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

5 large carrots 1 whole 4-pound chicken 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 medium onion, peeled and halved 1 head garlic, skin on, halved crosswise 5 sprigs fresh thyme 1 lemon, halved 1 12-inch length butcher’s twine 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Mixture of 1 tablespoon each, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Optional side dish: In a separate roasting pan, toss 16 halved baby red potatoes with a few thick onion slices, a few halved garlic cloves, and some salt, pepper and vegetable oil.

Bake in the oven with the chicken for about an hour.

1 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and cut the

carrots into 2-inch chunks. Spread them across the bottom of a shallow roasting pan. (They will serve as your roasting rack.)

2 Prepare and measure out all other ingredi-

ents (so you don’t have to keep stopping to wash your hands as you prep the bird).

3 Pat chicken dry with paper towels and

sprinkle insides of both cavities with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Tuck half the onion, half the garlic and 2 sprigs of thyme in each cavity. Squeeze one lemon half so that its juice goes in the larger cavity and then set the squeezed lemon half inside, on top of the herbs. Pull the neck skin over the neck cavity. Bend the wings back and tuck behind to hold the skin in place. Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.

4 Rest the chicken, breast-side up, on top

of the carrots. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the chicken and carrots.

Rub the chicken skin with oil and sprinkle liberally with the salt and pepper mixture.

Pluck the leaves from the remaining sprig of thyme and sprinkle them over the top.

Wash your hands.

5 Roast the chicken until a thermometer

Note: After dinner, reserve leftover meat for next-day chicken quesadillas or chicken-salad.

Freeze the bones for later use in a soup.

plunged into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 160 degrees (temperature should rise to 165 out of the oven), about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Tent the bird with foil and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the carrots and some of the juices from the pan.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 4

wa r m a n d w o n d e r f ul

Cuban Sandwich

Makes 4 large sandwiches or 8 to 10 mini sandwiches.

Adapted from “Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine” by Ana Quincoces Rodriguez (Running Press, 2008) and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1 (2-foot-long) loaf Cuban or French bread Mayonnaise Dijon mustard ½ pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese ½ pound thinly sliced deli ham ½ pound thinly sliced roasted pork Thin dill pickle slices

1 If you have a panini press, preheat it to

300 degrees. If you don’t, warm a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, and place another cast-iron skillet or a foil-wrapped brick to warm in an oven set at 300 degrees.

2 Cut the loaf in half horizontally. Remove a

bit of the bread from the inside of one half and set aside for another use.

3 Spread bread halves with equal parts may-

onnaise and mustard. On the bottom half, layer half the cheese, all the ham, pork and pickles. Add the remaining cheese and the top half of the loaf and press down on the sandwich to compress it.

4 Cut sandwich in half, or in whatever size

pieces you need to fit your pan or press.

5 Place the sandwiches on the preheated

pan, griddle or press. If using a press, lower the top part of the press and lock it in place. If using a pan or griddle, press down on the sandwiches with your preheated pan or brick. Cook until the meats are heated and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

6 Cut into desired portions and serve.

Note: You can assemble the sandwich as directed up to a day ahead of time, wrap it tightly in plastic and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 5

ch e e s e bu r g e r s , p a r t i

Herbed Chicken-Walnut Cheeseburgers with Lemony Frizzled Shallots and Blueberry Mustard

Makes 6 burgers.

Adapted from a recipe created by Deborah Biggs of Omaha. Her recipe was one of five finalists in the nonbeef category in the 20th Annual Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest in 2010.

For the patties: 1½ tablespoons roasted walnut oil ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1¼ pounds ground dark meat chicken ¾ pound fresh herbed chicken sausage without casings, crumbled 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper For the blueberry mustard:

1 To make the patties, place the oil, walnuts,

and fennel seeds in a heavy medium-size nonstick skillet. Cook on a gas grill over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the walnuts and fennel are lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

2 Add the chicken, sausage, chives, parsley,

salt and pepper. Gently combine and form into 6 patties to fit the rolls. Refrigerate.

3 To make the mustard, combine the wine

and dried blueberries in a small nonstick saucepan. Bring to a simmer on the grill and cook until the blueberries are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Drain the dried blueberries well, discarding the remaining wine. Place the dried blueberries, fresh blueberries, mustard and honey in a food processor and process well until the mixture is mostly smooth and purple-colored, scraping the sides of processor. Cover; refrigerate until assembling the burgers.

½ cup Sutter Home sauvignon blanc ¼ cup dried organic blueberries 3 ounces fresh blueberries ½ cup plain yellow mustard 1½ teaspoons organic California sage honey or other premium single-flower honey

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 6

ch e e s e bu r g e r s , p a r t i I For the lemony frizzled shallots: cup Colavita extra-virgin olive oil 1/3

¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 4 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced and separated into rings 1 medium-size lemon, for zesting To finish the burgers: Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack 8 ounces Cypress Grove Purple Haze goat cheese or other fresh, soft, herbed goat cheese 6 whole-wheat focaccia rolls or rustic whole-wheat hamburger buns, split 1/3 cup Colavita extra-virgin olive oil

1¾ cups well-cleaned and dried mâche (or other salad greens)

4 To make the shallots, place the olive oil in a

heavy medium-size nonstick saucepan and heat on the grill to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a shallow dish. Add the shallot rings and toss to coat, shaking off the excess flour. Working in batches, place the shallots in the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well on paper towels. Very finely zest the lemon over the shallots and toss to combine.

Transfer to a foil pan and keep warm.

5 Heat the grill to medium-high. When the

grill is ready, brush the rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium.

During the last few minutes of cooking, place an equal amount of the cheese on top of each patty. Cover; cook until the cheese softens and heats through.

6 Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the

olive oil. During the last minute of cooking, place the rolls, cut side down, on the grill rack to lightly toast.

7 To assemble the burgers, spread a moder-

ate amount of the mustard onto the cut sides of the rolls. Onto each roll bottom, place a cooked patty, an equal amount of the shallots and an equal amount of mâche. Add the roll tops and serve.

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 7

sliders

Beef-and-Pork Sliders

Makes 10 mini burgers (2½-inch, 1.6-ounce patties), or 4 to 5 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit, inspired by the full-size burgers at Omaha’s Twisted Cork Bistro.

8 ounces ground beef 8 ounces ground pork 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 small cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup minced onion ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds, cracked with a mortar and pestle ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 ounces aged white cheddar (about 1/3 cup shredded or crumbled) 10 mini buns (trimmed to 2½-inch rounds), halved and brushed with melted butter

1 In a medium bowl, mix beef, pork, Worces-

tershire sauce, garlic, onion, fennel seed, salt, pepper and white cheddar. Shape into 10 patties, each 3 inches wide. (If you have one, use a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter as a mold for each mini burger.) Place in a single layer on a foil-lined tray. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.

2 Slice, trim and butter the buns. Whip lemon

juice and minced herbs into the mayonnaise and refrigerate until serving time.

3 Cook burgers over medium heat on an oiled

gas or charcoal grill until centers register 155 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

4 Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns.

5 Layer in this order: bottom bun, burger,

tomato, spinach, herbed mayonnaise and top bun.

½ teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced basil or chives ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly 20 spinach leaves

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 8

sliders

Teeny-Tiny Turkey Burgers

Makes 10 mini burgers (2½-inch, 1.6-ounce patties), or 4 to 5 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1 pound ground turkey 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use Several grinds of black pepper ¼ cup minced onion ¼ cup minced celery 10 mini buns (trimmed to 2½-inch rounds), halved and brushed with melted butter ¼ cup dried cranberries 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 In a medium bowl, mix turkey, olive oil,

herbs, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, pepper, onion and celery. Shape into 10 patties, each 3 inches wide. (If you have one, use a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter as a mold for each mini burger.) Place in a single layer on a foil-lined tray. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.

2 Slice, trim and butter the buns.

3 In a small food processor, pulse the cran-

berries, cream cheese and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until thoroughly blended.

Refrigerate until serving time.

4 Cook burgers over medium-high heat on an

oiled gas or charcoal grill until centers register 165 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

5 Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns.

6 Layer in this order: bottom bun, burger,

apple slices, greens, cranberry cream cheese and top bun.

¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 Fuji apple, washed, cored and thinly sliced 1 cup spring salad greens

MAIN DIS H ES | 6 9

S L IDERS

Russian-Spiced Bison-Bleu Sliders

Makes 10 mini burgers (2½-inch, 1.6-ounce patties), or 4 to 5 servings.

Recipe developed and tested by food writer Nichole Aksamit.

1 pound ground bison 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup minced onion 1 teaspoon Penzeys Tsardust Memories seasoning (a blend of salt, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and marjoram) ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 ounces Maytag or other bleu cheese, crumbled 10 mini buns (trimmed to 2½-inch rounds), halved and brushed with melted butter ½ small red onion, sliced paper thin and soaked in water with a slice of lemon and a pinch of salt

1 In a medium bowl, mix bison, oil, minced

onion, seasoning and cheese crumbles.

Shape into 10 patties, each 3 inches wide.

(If you have one, use a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter as a mold for each mini burger. Patties will shrink slightly during cooking.) Place in a single layer on a foil-lined tray. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.

2 Trim, slice and butter the buns. Soak the

sliced onion, and slice the pickles into thin rounds.

3 Cook burgers over medium heat on an oiled

gas or charcoal grill until centers register 155 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

4 Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns.

5 Layer in this order: bottom bun, burger,

onion, pickle and top bun.

2 large dill pickles

MAIN DIS H ES | 7 0

BROWNIES

Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies, 117



brownies In the dog days of summer, the Living section staff had a brilliant idea: Why don’t we sponsor a brownie bake-off?

It involved chocolate, so we all got onboard in a hurry. We asked readers for their best recipes and had a tough time choosing five finalists. Each baked a pan of perfection and brought it to the newsroom for judging.

Here’s the winner, the runners-up and several of the other submitted recipes.

You can lick the bowl.



b row n i e w i n n e r

Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies Makes 18 to 24 bars.

Recipe submitted by Pearl Schroer of Omaha.

Pearl Schroer, who attends Marian High School, said this recipe is one she and her mom have been baking for several years. Her aspiration: to become a chef and open her own restaurant. Does she ever do plain brownies? Sometimes, she says. But with a recipe like this, we say, why bother?

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate ½ cup butter 21/3 cups sugar, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 large eggs 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder 8 ounces cream cheese, softened ¾ cup raspberry jam

1 Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler

(or microwave). When smooth, add 2 cups sugar and vanilla. Beat in 4 eggs. Add flour, salt and baking powder.

2 Pour one-half of the batter in an ungreased

9-by-13-inch baking pan.

3 In small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 egg. Mix well and

spread over batter in pan. Cover with jam.

4 Spoon remainder of batter over jam.

5 Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

6 Cool and cut into squares.

1ST PLACE BROWNIE WINNER b row n i e s | 1 1 7

b r o w n i e FINA L IST

Chocolate Chip Brownies with Chocolate-Kahlua Icing Makes 9 to 16 bars.

Recipe submitted by Darlene Menard of Omaha.

Darlene Menard said the first time she served these, a friend commented, “What did you do to these brownies? They are wonderful.” Wonderful is right.

In addition to chocolate chips, chopped pecans and coffee liqueur enrich this flavorful treat.

For the brownies: 1 (19.8-ounce) package fudge brownie mix ½ cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs ¼ cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur 1½ cups (about 9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans For the icing: 4 tablespoons butter 4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate 3 tablespoons hot milk 3 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur 3 cups powdered sugar

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-by-

9-by-2-inch metal baking pan.

2 Place brownie mix in bowl. Add oil, eggs

and liqueur; whisk until blended.

3 Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer

batter to prepared pan.

4 Bake until slightly puffed and tester insert-

ed into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes.

5 Cool brownies in pan on rack.

6 For the icing, melt butter and chocolate

in double boiler or microwave; stir until blended.

7 Stir hot milk and Kahlua into sugar and

beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla, salt and chocolate mixture. Beat until smooth and thickened. If it is too thick, you may have to add another tablespoon or 2 of milk.

1 teaspoon vanilla 1/8

teaspoon salt

b row n i e s | 1 1 8

b r o w n i e FINA L IST

Hershey’s Cocoa Fudgy Brownie Makes about 3 dozen.

Recipe submitted by Marie Starbuck of Bellevue.

Marie Starbuck learned to bake from her mother and in 4-H. As the second oldest of six children, she got lots of practice. And as a mother, she got even more practice with her sons. Starbuck said she usually doesn’t frost her brownies because they pair so well with ice cream just as they are. ¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa ½ teaspoon baking soda 2/3

cup vegetable oil

½ cup boiling water (measure accurately) 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 cups unsifted all-purpose flour 1/3

1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt

1 Stir cocoa and baking soda in a medium bowl. Blend in 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Add

boiling water. Stir until mixture thickens.

2 Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining vegetable

oil; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely.

3 Pour into lightly greased 9-by-13-inch pan,

or two 8-inch square pans.

4 Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes

for a 9-by-13-inch pan or 30 to 32 minutes for 8-inch square pans. Cool; frost if desired.

b row n i e s | 1 1 9

b row n i e F i n a l i s t

Fantasy Brownies and Topping Makes 24 to 32 bars.

Recipe submitted by Norma Hanrahan of Omaha.

Norma Hanrahan is a baking champ with many who sample her work.

“I took these brownies to the polls when I worked the election May 11, and every worker asked for the recipe,” she said. The fudgy frosting and pleasant flavor helped win over our tasters.

For the brownies: 1 stick butter 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup sugar 1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup 4 eggs ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 Combine brownie ingredients and bake

for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees in a 10-by-15-inch pan. Cool.

2 For the frosting, combine butter, milk and

sugar.

3 Boil 30 seconds and add chocolate chips;

cool before frosting.

1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup nuts (optional) For the frosting: 6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons milk 1¼ cups sugar ½ cup chocolate chips

b row n i e s | 1 2 0

b row n i e f i n a l i s t

Chewy Brownies

Makes 18 to 24 bars.

Recipe submitted by Marlene Campbell of Neola, Iowa.

Marlene Campbell said she learned to cook after she got married. “I got a Betty Crocker picture cookbook and learned from there,” she said. And, boy, did she learn well. Her specialties are bread and apple pie, but this chewy brownie is certainly a star.

For the brownies: 2 cups sugar 1½ cups flour 1/3

cup baking cocoa

1½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup oil 4 eggs 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla For the frosting:

1 In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour,

cocoa, salt and baking powder.

2 Combine oil, eggs, corn syrup and vanilla in

a separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients.

3 Spread in greased 9-by-13-inch baking

pan.

4 Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

5 For the frosting, mix ingredients together,

using enough powdered sugar to make frosting spreadable.

6 Spread on brownies when cooled.

1 tablespoon butter ¼ cup cream 2 tablespoons cocoa Powdered sugar, as needed

b row n i e s | 1 2 1

b row n i e s

Diane’s Brownies

Makes 24 to 32 bars.

Recipe submitted by Diane Bruggeman of Wayne, Neb. Diane Bruggeman says these brownies are more like cake, not the fudgy kind.

“I think it is the frosting that makes them taste good.”

For the brownies: ½ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 stick margarine 1 cup water ½ cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 4 tablespoons cocoa 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla For the frosting: 1 cup margarine 1 cup sugar 4 tablespoons milk 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Stir baking soda into buttermilk in small

bowl. Set aside.

2 On stove in pan, add margarine, water and

oil. Take off heat when it starts to boil.

3 Stir dry ingredients together in mixing

bowl. Pout hot liquid over dry ingredients and beat. Add eggs and beat some more.

4 Add buttermilk-soda mixture and vanilla.

5 Pour into 10-by-15-inch sprayed brownie

pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

6 For the frosting, bring margarine, sugar

and milk to a boil in a pan on stove.

Boil about 1 minute.

7 Add to milk chocolate chips and vanilla

and whisk until chips melt.

8 Let cool and whisk a few times.

It will thicken.

9 Frost brownies when cooled.

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Caramel Brownies

Makes 18 to 24 bars.

Recipe submitted by Betty Black of Clarinda, Iowa.

Betty Black says this recipe makes a great brownie sundae. Her daughter, who lives in Milford, Iowa, gave her this recipe. “I have baked these brownies twice, and they are superb!�

A 1 German chocolate cake mix (with pudding) 1½ sticks butter, melted 1/3

cup evaporated milk B

14 ounces Kraft caramels 1/3

cup evaporated milk C

3/4

cups chocolate chips Nuts, if desired

1 Combine A ingredients and press 2/3 of

mixture into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

2 Bake 9 minutes at 350 degrees.

3 Remove from oven and let cool while you

melt B ingredients together.

4 Immediately pour B mixture over baked

mixture in pan. (As the baked mixture falls, a ridge will remain around the edge that will contain the caramel mixture.)

5 Glob remaining A mixture over caramel,

then sprinkle C ingredients over that.

6 Return to oven and bake 18 minutes.

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Rocky Road Fudge Bars Makes 18 to 24 bars.

Recipe submitted by April Koske.

For the bars: ½ cup butter 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup chopped walnuts For the filling: 6 ounces cream cheese (softened) ½ cup sugar ¼ cup butter (softened) 2 tablespoons flour 1 egg ¼ cup chopped walnuts 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips For the frosting: ¼ cup butter

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan.

2 In a large saucepan over low heat, melt

butter and chocolate. Stir in sugar, flour and baking powder. Next add the eggs and vanilla. Finally, mix in the walnuts. Mixture will be quite thick. Pour into prepared pan.

3 For the filling, in a bowl, combine cream

cheese, sugar, butter, flour, egg and walnuts. Beat until fluffy. Spoon evenly over bar mixture. Top with chocolate chips.

4 Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick

comes out clean in the center. While the brownies are baking, prepare frosting.

5 For the frosting, in a saucepan, combine

butter, chocolate, cream cheese and milk over low heat to melt. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.

6 When brownies are cooked, immediately

sprinkle marshmallows over the top. Return pan to the oven for 2 minutes. As soon as you remove the pan from the oven, pour frosting over the melted marshmallows and swirl.

7 Cool thoroughly, cut; loosen belt buckle.

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 2 ounces cream cheese ¼ cup milk 1 pound powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups mini marshmallows

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Toxic Chocolate Brownies Makes 18 to 24 bars.

Recipe submitted by Sandra Wendel of Waterloo, Neb.

Sandra Wendel says, “I have a killer brownie recipe, and it almost killed our dog, Spencer.” Wendel had left a batch cooling on the kitchen counter. She went outside for a few minutes and when she came back, half the pan was gone. “This batch of brownies cost us over $1,000,” she says. “Getting our dog healthy again was priceless. So I have now named them Toxic Chocolate Brownies and keep them under lock and key. My grandmother used to pour a batch of homemade fudge on top of cooled brownies to make a nice frosting.

If you do this, make an appointment with your cardiologist.”

1/3 cup cocoa (Penzeys has wonderful high-fat baking cocoa) 1/3

cup boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, finely chopped in food processor 4 tablespoons butter, melted 1/3

cup vegetable oil 2 eggs (large)

2 egg yolks (Save the whites for a healthy omelet.

You’ll need it.)

2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups sugar 1 cup flour (all-purpose) ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional) 6 ounces milk chocolate chips

1 Heat oven to 350 degrees, and put the

oven rack on the lowest level.

2 Prepare 9-by-13-inch baking pan by

spraying with nonstick spray, or lay foil crosswise and over the outside so you can easily remove the brownies once baked. If you use foil, spray it with nonstick spray.

3 In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa in the boil-

ing water until smooth. Add unsweetened chopped chocolate and whisk until melted.

Add melted butter and oil. Then add eggs, yolks and vanilla. Mixture will smooth out.

4 Add sugar and stir until fully mixed.

Add flour and salt. Then fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

5 Bake in prepared pan about 30 to 35 min-

utes, or until toothpick near center comes out fairly clean.

6 Let pan cool for more than 1 hour on a

rack. Then remove brownies from pan and cool another hour.

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Creme De Menthe Brownies Makes 24 to 32 bars.

Recipe submitted by Mary Julin Johnson of Omaha.

Mary Julin Johnson got this recipe from a neighbor years ago, and her family has always enjoyed it. These minty brownies are rich and chewy and appealing to look at. These three-layer treats are the complete package: No ice cream needed.

First layer: 2 (15-ounce) packages Pillsbury Deluxe Brownie Mix 2/3

cup water ½ cup oil 3 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts 8 ounces Hershey’s chocolate syrup Second layer:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease

10-by-15-inch jelly-roll pan.

2 Mix together all ingredients for the first

layer, pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.

3 For the second layer, mix ingredients to-

gether. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so it firms up. Spread on first layer.

4 For the top layer, boil butter, sugar and milk

for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Cool slightly and spread on second layer.

3 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon milk ½ cup softened butter ½ teaspoon peppermint flavor A few drops of green food color Top layer: 1 stick butter 1 cup granulated sugar 6 tablespoons milk 1 cup chocolate chips

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White Chocolate Chip Brownies Makes 12 to 18 bars.

Recipe submitted by Linda Saltzman of Omaha.

Linda Saltzman says biting into these thick brownies delivers an experience of truly decadent indulgence. The white chocolate chips add texture. The recipe lends itself to other terrific options: chopped Oreos, mint-flavored chips or chopped Butterfinger bars, instead of white chocolate.

3 sticks butter, melted 3 cups sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 5 eggs 2 cups flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 bag white chocolate chips

1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

(300 degrees for a convection oven.)

2 Using a whisk, combine sugar, butter and

vanilla. Add eggs and blend well with the whisk. Then add the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Finally, add the white chocolate chips and stir well.

3 Grease an 8-by-11-inch glass pan with

either butter or cooking spray. Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for about an hour. Test for doneness using a toothpick in the center of the pan.

4 Cool completely before cutting into

squares.

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 special thanks To the readers who kindly shared their recipes with the World-Herald and to the celebrities who generously offered their recipes for this book.

Photo Imager Jolene McHugh Copy Editors Chris Nigrin Pam Richter Tim Sacco Pam Thomas Director of Marketing Rich Warren Print and Production Coordinators Pat “Murphy” Benoit Wayne Harty

2010 SPECIAL EDITION

Scoop the essential

COOKBOOK from the pages of the

“Scoop: The Essential Cookbook from the Pages of the Omaha World-Herald” includes recipes from popular features in the paper, such as the daily What’s For Dinner and the summertime Farmers Market Finds.

Even better, you’ll find lots of recipes from World-Herald readers in this collection, all submitted for stories published mostly in the last year.

And there’s a bonus you’ll find only in this book: Celebrities such as Academy Award winner Alexander Payne and astronaut Clayton Anderson shared their own favorite recipes with us.

Now, let’s get cooking!

Need additional copies?

Go to OWHStore.com or call 402-444-1014 $12.95 © 2010 all rights reserved. omaha world-herald co. omaha.com