Hawaiian Chicken comes from The Jones-Morris Family Treasury. Connie Polanshek uses one broiler or four boneless breasts, pineapple chunks, and coconut. Her recipe is below.
The Apopka Historical Society shares their recipe for Potatoes Italian in Preserving the Big Potato. We thank those wonderful folks for all the good work they do for our community.
Eggplant Casserole is from Vera Lester in What’s Cookin’? Here is a different way to prepare eggplant. It looks pretty good, and it’s simple. It doesn’t take long to fix, either. Mrs. Lester and her husband, Bud, happened to be neighbors of mine. I really miss them and their tales of old-time Apopka since their passing several years ago.
Marinara Sauce is used for so many different dishes, the primary one in my mind being the basis for good old spaghetti and meat sauce or meat balls. Here is one for Classic Marinara Sauce from Lidia Bastianich, adapted by Julia Moskin at cooking.nytimes.com. Moskin says, “Homemade marinara is almost as fast and tastes immeasurably better than even the best supermarket sauce – and it’s made with basic pantry ingredients. All the tricks to a bright red, lively-tasting sauce, made just as it is in the south of Italy (no butter, no onions) are in this recipe. Use a skillet instead of the usual sauce pan; the water evaporates quickly, so the tomatoes are just cooked through as the sauce becomes thick.” The recipe yields 3-1/2 cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta. Time is 25 minutes. Note: A suggestion from reader Jamadan says, “I suggest avoiding a cast iron skillet. The acidic tomatoes can pull a metallic taste into the sauce.” And Stephanie, also a reader, said, “I am Italian and this is so right!”
We have John Truby’s recipe for She-Crab Soup from A Taste of Heaven, published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda. This looks like a lovely treat for crab lovers.
Melinda Stokes Allanson’s Greek Chicken Salad looks wonderfully refreshing and change-of-pace. This is another one from our friends in Punta Gorda’s book, A Taste of Heaven.
Darlene Warth contributed her recipe for Lemonade Pie to A Taste of Heaven from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda. It looks to be pretty simple, as it calls for five ingredients, none of which you have to cook. You just have to assemble the pie and freeze it! Those enjoying your work of art will think you spent a fortune for this delight at your favorite ice cream shop!
CONNIE POLANSHEK’S
HAWAIIAN CHICKEN
Recipe from THE JONES-MORRIS FAMILY TREASURY
1 broiler chicken, quartered (or 4 boneless breasts)
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove
1 can pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 diced green pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 medium tomatoes peeled and
cut up
Rice
Fry chicken in small amount of oil. Remove from pan, put aside. Add onion and garlic, and fry until cooked. Drain syrup from pineapple chunks, add syrup to onion and garlic. Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce, bay leaf, coconut, and water. Cook 30 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Stir quickly into chicken mixture. Finally, stir in pineapple chunks and vegetables. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice.
POTATOES ITALIAN
Recipe from Apopka Historical Society Preserving the Big Potato
4 large baking potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup provolone cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Oil a 9 x 13-inch casserole with the olive oil. Combine the three cheeses. Arrange potatoes, tomatoes, and onion slices in layers, sprinkling each layer with cheeses and seasonings, ending with a layer of potatoes sprinkled with the cheeses and seasonings. Dot with butter and bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the top brown.
VERA LESTER’S
EGGPLANT CASSEROLE
Recipe from What’s Cookin’?
Compiled by
The Apopka Woman’s Club
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 eggplant
1 can tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled Ritz Crackers
Peel eggplant. Slice and dip in flour. Fry in cooking oil and then put in casserole dish. Fry chopped onion and green pepper until clear. Pour can of tomatoes in frying pan and cook just a minute or two. Pour this mixture over the eggplant and put cracker crumbs on top. Bake in 325-degree oven for 25 minutes.
CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE
Recipe from
NEW YORK TIMES
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P.
if possible
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
Small dried whole chile, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4
teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste
Directions:
1) Place tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve. 2) In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic. 3) As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir. 4) Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (if using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).
JOHN TRUBY’S
SHE-CRAB SOUP
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 small onions, grated
6 ribs celery, grated
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon mace
1 quart whole milk
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
32 ounces crabmeat, picked over
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
1/2 cup sherry
1 tablespoon parsley, finely ` chopped
In the top of a double-boiler, melt the butter and flour together. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes for a blond roux. Stir in onions, celery and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and mace. Cook the veggies for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the crab meat and continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. Re-season, if necessary. Sprinkle the egg on the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup into each bowl. Drizzle each bowl with sherry and garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 5 servings.
MELINDA STOKES ALLANSON’S GREEK CHICKEN SALAD
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed (about three breasts)
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-1/4 cups Feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup (or 1 can) black olives, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, snipped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic (or to taste)
Lettuce
Combine chicken, cucumber, Feta, olives and parsley. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, yogurt, oregano and crushed garlic. Use much less garlic if salad will stand more than a couple of hours before serving. Add to chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and chill. Serve over lettuce. Also very good over toasted French rolls.
DARLENE WARTH’S
LEMONADE PIE
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda
1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces whipped topping
1 prepared graham cracker crust
Lemon slices
Combine lemonade and milk (add a drop of yellow food coloring if you wish). Then fold in thawed whipped topping.
Pour into crust and freeze until firm, for four hours or overnight. Garnish with lemon slices and more topping if desired.
