Baked Chicken Breasts is an oven dish you will love. It comes from Margaret Reynolds in First Presbyterian Church of Apopka’s Treasures and Pleasures. It calls for some sugar, which you may be able to omit if you don’t use sugar.
Apple and Pecan Acorn squash from Southern Living will be delicious. The biggest challenge is in halving the squash. Be very careful.
From Sally Benton who attended Apopka Memorial High School, graduated in 1968, married and moved to Melbourne (but she still reads The Apopka Chief!), we have Vegetable Medley. This is delicious as I can attest. Sally says she just throws stuff in the pot and is guessing at the amounts, so use your best judgment.
We have a wonderful recipe for Pasta E Fagioli from Michele Boudalis, a friend of my daughter, whom we thank for her lovely authentic recipes. This one is a traditional Italian soup whose main ingredients are pasta and beans.
From Southern Living’s 1996 Annual Recipes, you will want to try Lee Ann Robinson’s Twin Mountain Muffins. Lee Ann is from La Grange, Georgia. There are three additional flavors for this basic recipe: Basic; Pepper-Cheese; Bacon-Cheese; Herb.
Preserving the Big Potato from the Apopka Historical Society is where we find Miz’ Belle Gilliam’s sweet potato custard pie. It is not only a wonderfully delicious pie, it is quite simple to put together and bake.
MARGARET REYNOLDS’
BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Recipe from
1990 Presbyterian Women
First Presbyterian Church of Apopka
Treasures and Pleasures
4 whole chicken breasts
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon basil
1 (10-1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
Slivered almonds
Bone chicken breasts and cut in half. Allow one or two halves per person. Dip breasts in slightly cooled melted butter. Roll in flour mixed with other seasonings. Dip in melted butter again. Tuck ends of breasts under and place skin side up in baking dish. Pour chicken broth about two-thirds way up in baking dish. Bake for about three hours at 250 degrees to 275 degrees. Sprinkle with almonds during last hour of baking. Serves four to five.
APPLE AND PECAN
ACORN SQUASH
SOUTHERN LIVING’S
ALL TIME FAVORITES, 2009
2 medium acorn squash, about 1-1/4 pounds each
1 cup peeled, chopped cooking
apple
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1) Cut squash in half crosswise, and remove seeds. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each squash half to sit flat, if necessary. Place squash halves, cut sides up, in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Add hot water in dish to depth of 1 inch. 2) Combine apple and next 3 ingredients; spoon evenly into squash halves. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with pecans.
Makes 4 servings.
SALLY THOMAS BENTON’S
VEGETABLE MEDLEY
Recipe from reader of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers
2 or 3 each zucchinis and
yellow squash
2 fresh vine-ripe tomatoes, diced…
OR… 1 pint of grape tomatoes, whole…
OR… a can of diced tomatoes
3 slivered garlic cloves
Thinly sliced onion
Bell pepper
Broccoli
Cauliflower
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
Pam Spray (or other cooking spray)
Any other spices you prefer in addition to or as a replacement for the ones suggested here. For instance, some Mexican spices like cilantro, cumin, chili powder, etc., might be fantastic… OR… Italian spices… OR… Asian spices such as Oriental 5-spice, soy sauce, etc.
If you like, add whatever YOU enjoy: green beans, edamame, celery, baby raw spinach, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Get wild with it!
Sliver the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Spray them lightly with Pam Spray. Spray a frying pan lightly. Heat pan. Sauté. While they are sautéing, cut squash into small chunks. Squash will cook faster than more solid veggies, so if you’re adding broccoli or raw cauliflower, thin-slice them as well and toss in at the end of sautéing.
Turn down heat. Add a tablespoon or two of water to deglaze the bottom of pan and to steam the veggies. Add the herbs and any spices you might want. Add a little salt and sugar to taste, if desired. Add lemon juice. Cover with lid. When the steaming veggies are to your desired tenderness, throw in tomatoes. They don’t have to cook.
Preparation time is 30 to 45 minutes.
MICHELE BOUDALIS’
PASTA E FAGIOLI
Recipe from reader of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups diced celery
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
2 cups canned red kidney beans
2 cups canned white kidney beans (or any other white bean)
96 ounces (or 3 quarts) beef broth (3 boxes)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons Tabasco or hot sauce
48 ounces marinara sauce
8 ounces Ditalini pasta (or shell pasta)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons parsley
1) Sauté the beef in oil in 10-quart or larger pot until the beef starts to brown. 2) Add the onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. 3) Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot along with the beef broth, oregano, pepper, tabasco sauce, marinara and pasta. 4) Add the chopped parsley. 5) Simmer until the celery and carrots are tender. 6) Takes about an hour.
TWIN MOUNTAIN MUFFINS
Recipe from Southern Living’s
1996 Annual Recipes
1/4 cup butter or margarine,
softened
1/4 cu sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1) Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add egg, beating just until blended. 2) Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, ending with flour mixture. 3) Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. 4) Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks. Yield: 1 dozen.
Pepper-Cheese Muffins: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons; stir in 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers with the flour mixture.
Bacon-Cheese Muffins: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons; stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese and 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, with the flour mixture.
Herb Muffins: Reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons; stir in 1 teaspoon instant minced onion, 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with the flour mixture.
BELLE GILLIAM’S
SWEET POTATO CUSTARD PIE
Recipe from
Apopka Historical Society’s
Preserving the Big Potato –
A Collection of Potato Recipes
2 cups cooked, mashed
sweet potatoes
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon butter or oleo
Unbaked pie shell
Combine first seven ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees until custard is done. Serves 6 to 8. (30-35-40 minutes)
