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POTATO SALAD ???CAKE'

~Submitted by Lillian, FL

Source: a magazine many years ago, name now forgotten

I have made this for parties and family get-togethers. It seems like a long recipe, but it is well worth it.

Make the dressing first.

ZESTY FRENCH DRESSING

1 1/3 C. oil
1 C. cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, halved
2 tsp. salt
?? tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. crumbled leaf thyme

Mix well and let stand at least 2 hours to blend.

5 # boiling potatoes
2 C. sliced celery
1 large onion, chopped
6 hard cooked eggs
1 C. Zesty French Dressing (recipe above)
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sour cream
1 large red pepper, diced
Walnuts, red pepper strips (or cut into stars), Deviled Egg Yolks (recipe follows) for garnish

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and return to pan: toss over heat until potatoes seem dry. Cool just enough to handle, peel and slice. Add celery and onion. Toss with 1 C. Zesty Dressing and let stand 1 hour. Combine mayonnaise and sour cream and pour over potatoes: chop egg whites and add to bowl with red peppers to coat well. Coat a 10??? angel food cake pan with mayonnaise; line the bottom with walnuts. Pack salad into pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but best overnight. To unmold: run a thin blade knife around edge of pan. Shake gently and unmold onto platter. Decorate with deviled egg yolks, piped as rosettes, on top of ???Cake??? and add strips or stars of red pepper.

DEVILED EGG YOLKS

Sieve 6 egg yolks, stir in 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp. mustard, salt and pepper to taste. If you like a tangier taste, add a few drops of vinegar.

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY PIE

~Submitted by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada

Layers of blueberries, cream cheese and strawberries give this pie its all-American colors.

3 cups frozen unsweetened blueberries, (loose pack)
2/3 cup sugar
?? cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
?? teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 9-inch baked pastry shell
1 -ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups fresh strawberries
?? cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ?? teaspoons cornstarch
red food coloring (optional)

Thaw blueberries and drain, reserving juice; set aside ?? cup blueberries for garnish. In medium saucepan, combine the 2/3-cup sugar, ?? cup of cornstarch and gelatin. Add water to reserved blueberry juice to make 1 cup; add to sugar mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add drained blueberries. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Add orange peel. Turn into baked pastry shell. Cover surface with clear plastic wrap; cool. Chill until nearly set. Combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, and milk. Spread over blueberry layer.

In saucepan crush ?? cup of the strawberries; stir in water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Press hot mixture through sieve; discard pulp. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in sieved strawberry mixture. Return mixture to saucepan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Add red food coloring, if desired. Halve remaining strawberries; arrange over the cream cheese layer of pie, leaving space in center; spoon glaze over berries. Fill space in center with reserved blueberries. Cover; chill several hours.

Makes 8 servings.

KOOL-AID 4TH OF JULY PIE

~Submitted by Angelique, TX

So easy to make. Try it with strawberry Kool-Aid and the new strawberry Cool Whip! I added a few ingredients to make this the 4th of July Pie.

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 Package of unsweetened Kool-Aid
1 Large bowl of cool whip
1 tube of blue icing (For Lettering or Swirls)
1 graham cracker crust

In large bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk and Kool-Aid. Then add about 3/4 of the cool whip. Blend well. Place in graham cracker crust. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate overnight.

BEET, ONION AND POTATO SALAD
WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

~Submitted by Dorine, Philadelphia, PA
Publisher - The Global Epicure, a daily free recipezine
Subscribe at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/global-epicure/
(c) Dorine Houston 2004 (Used with permission)

2 lbs./1kg small beets
1 lb./500g small white onions
1 1/2 lbs./750g white new potatoes

2 eggs, soft boiled 3 minutes (if you have organic, free-range eggs you can use them raw)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp./5ml salt
Several grindings white pepper
6 oz./200g Maytag blue cheese, divided use
1/4 cup/60ml peanut oil
1-1 1/2/ cups/250-370ml olive oil

Cooking times suggested in this recipe may vary depending on the size of the vegetables you actually use.

Cut the stems off the beet roots about 1" above the root tops; reserve stems and leaves for another dish. Let the trimmed beetroots soak out their sand in cool water; repeat 2-3 times (beets grow in sandy soil and have a lot in them). Place the beetroots in a pot pf simmering water and cook 15-20 minutes depending on size, or until tender all the way through. Plunge in a bowl of ice cold water and let sit 1-2 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, push off the remainder of the stems from the top with your thumb and break off the long root tail from the bottom. Rub off the skin as lightly as possible. Reserve the beets in a bowl. (Give the beet-colored water to your plants; do not cook the other vegetables in it!)

Wash off the onions and put them in a pan of simmering water; cook 15-20 minutes or until tender. Plunge in a fresh bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Trim and remove skin. Reserve in a separate bowl.

Scrub the potatoes and remove the eyes. Simmer 20-30 minutes, until tender. Plunge in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Do not peel. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Make the dressing:
Put the eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the blender and whiz until smooth. Add 2 oz. of the cheese and whiz. With the blender still running, start adding the peanut oil drop by drop until you have used about half of it, then start adding it in a thin stream. Add the olive oil in a thin stream. How much you need depends on the size of the eggs and lemon you use. You know the mayonnaise is ready when it gets so thick that you stop seeing an indentation in the center then suddenly it reappears with a 'schlupp!' sound.

Mash the remaining cheese with a fork and stir it into the mayonnaise by hand.

Take out a large platter. (I have one that is perfect for this theme, a large, rectangular blue spongeware platter; if you have one like this, by all means use it!) Spread up to half the blue cheese mayonnaise over the platter.

Look at the prepared vegetables and cut them in half if necessary. Ideally, they should be 1 1/2-2"/3-5cm in diameter each. Arrange beets along each side of the platter. Arrange potatoes the next row in, then beets again, then onions. Continue making alternating rows of vegetables until the platter is full.

Put the remaining blue cheese mayonnaise in a pastry sleeve and pipe it between the rows of vegetables. Chill until serving time.

To make a full meal of this, add 2 hard-boiled eggs per person to the rows on the platter. It needs only a green salad and a glass of well-chilled chardonnay to complete the meal.

RED AND WHITE SALAD

Serves 6

~Submitted by Barbara, Chula Vista, CA

Put 1 pint cottage cheese through a ricer or sieve; season well with salt, pepper, paprika, and grated onion; add 2 or 3 tablespoons minced parsley; pack mixture into bottom of an oiled 1 quart ring mold. 

Prepare Basic Tomato Aspic (above); chill until syrupy; pour on top of cottage cheese mixture in mold; chill until aspic is firm. Unmold and fill center with mixed green salad.

Source: SUNSET COOK BOOK OF FAVORITE RECIPES
Published: 1949

FUN AMERICAN FLAG CAKE

~Submitted by Helen H., N. Ft. Myers, FL

INGREDIENTS:
Margarine
Flour
1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix (plus ingredients from boxed mix)
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O brand gelatin, any red flavor
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups (8-ounce container) Cool Whip brand whipped
topping, thawed
1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
1 cup blueberries, washed
1 cup miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
Grease 13 x 9 pan with margarine and dust lightly with flour.

Prepare, mix and bake cake mix according to package directions.

Cool cake for 15 minutes. With large fork, make holes in cake about every 1/2 inch. Pour gelatin into mixing bowl. Add cup of boiling water and use scraper to mix thoroughly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Use measuring cup to pour gelatin over cake. (It will run down into holes, making sliced cake have red stripes.) Chill cake in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours. Cover a large baking sheet or cutting board (larger than the 9x13 pan) with aluminum foil. Put about one inch of warm water in kitchen sink.

Take pan out of refrigerator and dip bottom (don't let water come up over sides) into water for about 10 seconds. Put large tray on top of cake, and invert. Frost sides and top with whipped topping. Arrange strawberries and marshmallows in alternating rows for stripes, leaving upper left for field of blueberries.

Chill again until time to serve.

RED, WHITE & BLUE SHORTCAKES

~Submitted by Margee Lee, So. CA

Source: Pillsbury

INGREDIENTS:

1 Can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury?® Grands!?® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
2 T Butter or Margarine, melted
4 to 5 T Sugar
1 Cup Whipping Cream
2 T Powdered Sugar
1/4 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Strawberries, sliced
2 Cups Blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375?°F. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Dip top and sides only of each biscuit in margarine, then in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375?°F. for 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form.

To serve, split biscuits; place on 8 dessert plates. Layer biscuit with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. Store fruit and whipped cream in refrigerator.

RED CRANBERRY AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

~Submitted by Shirley, Bellingham, WA

I guess this qualifies. I took it from my husbands recipes like he does mine. We ate this at the Claim Jumper Restaurant in Seattle and came home and made more for us the next day. It is great with Thai Peanut Dressing too.

Torn Greens like in a bag of California Mixed Salad Greens.

For each cup of greens add the following:
1 Tbs. dried cranberries
1 Tbs. chopped toasted walnuts
1 tsp. minced red onion
1 Tbs. blue cheese
1 tsp. fresh fried crisp bacon crumbled

Toss and mix with a vinaigrette or Thai Peanut Dressing. Note allow 1 c. of greens per adult. This is good with any kind of dressing.

RED WHITE AND BLUE COLESLAW
WITH CLASSIC DELI SLAW DRESSING

~Submitted by Nancy F., Sacramento, CA

Here's a red, white and blue recipe that I found hanging around in one of my Mother's old cookbooks.

Ingredients:

12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup Classic Deli Slaw Dressing, see recipe below*
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the bacon, cabbage and dressing. Mix well. Sprinkle with sliced cherry tomatoes and blue cheese. Refrigerate and serve chilled.


Classic Deli Slaw Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
4 Tbs. seasoned Chinese vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
4 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. celery seed

Instructions:

Mix sugar, celery seed and milk into the mayonnaise. Add vinegar and whisk until smooth. Pour over shredded cabbage. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours so that the flavors can mingle.

Serves 6 to 8.

VERY BLUEBERRY PIE

~Submitted by Vicki, Sarasota, FL

Source: Orange County Register Newspaper, California, in the 90's

1/4 cup water
5 tbsp. all purpose flour
Pinch of Salt
4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Baked 9-inch pie shell

Make a smooth paste with the 1/4 cup COLD water, flour and salt.

In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup of the blueberries with the sugar, and 1/2 cup of the water, and bring it to a boil. Add the flour paste and stir until it thickens and is smooth. Remove from heat, and cool, uncovered.

When completely cool, mix the remaining blueberries and the blueberry mixture in a large bowl to coat the berries.

Put into the baked and cooled pie shell, and refrigerate.

When cold, cut and serve, garnished with sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping.

Serves 6 to 8.

ALL-AMERICAN FRUIT DIP

~Submitted by Edna, Decatur, IL

On small wooden spears (toothpicks to us plain folks), place a strawberry and a blueberry. Dip in the sauce below or spoon over spears.

It is very pretty arranged a white plate with the sauce in a small bowl in the middle.

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 7 or 8 oz jar marshmallow cr??me

Mix all ingredients together and thin if needed with evaporated milk.

Excellent with most fruits....especially strawberries.

CHILLED STRAWBERRY SOUP

~Submitted by Rosemarie, Kansas City, MO

This came from a very quaint tea room in Jamesport, Missouri. It is served before luncheon in tiny cups and is totally worth every calorie in it.

2 1/2 lb. sour cream
2 1/2 lb. frozen strawberries
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C vanilla (YES, 1/2 C)
1/2 C grenadine syrup
1 1/2 C half and half

Pour first 5 ingredients in batches in blender and puree. Pour the pureed mixture into a large container, add the half and half and stir. That's it -- serve nice and cold. Makes about 1 gallon.

Serve garnished with a piece of mint and a strawberry cut into a fan.

Courtesy of The Farmer's Wife

CHICKEN INDEPENDENCE DAY

~Submitted by Jessica, Corfu, Greece

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 whole large chicken breasts cut in half, skinned if desired
1/3 c peach or apricot jam
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 c frozen, unsweetened blueberries
1/3 c white wine vinegar

In a 10" frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken, meat side down; cook until brown, about 4 minutes, then turn chicken over. Meanwhile, mix jam and mustard, mashing pieces of fruit. Spread jam mixture over meaty side of breasts; sprinkle with blueberries. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until breasts are no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift chicken and blueberries to a platter; keep warm. Add vinegar to pan; scrape brown bits free. Boil on high heat until liquid, including juices drained from chicken platter, is reduced by 1/3 and thickened. Pour sauce over chicken.

Serves 4.

Lovely with white rice. Garnish each plate with 3 large strawberries and a few fresh (or frozen) blueberries.

CHINESE BEETS

~Submitted by Lillian, FL

This is another recipe from my sister. These beets are good warm or cold and you can even use the juice over salad greens as a dressing.

3 cans beets, drain and reserve juice
1 C. sugar
1 C. vinegar
2Tbsp. cornstarch
24 whole cloves
3 Tbsp. ketchup
3 Tbsp. oil
dash salt
1 1/2 C beet juice (if not enough beet juice, add water to measure the 1 ?? cups)

Cook together everything, EXCEPT the beets, for 20 minutes. Add beets to sauce and serve warm, or chill and serve cold.

RED VELVET CAKE

~Submitted by Mary, Nashville, TN

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.

Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Make Icing: In a saucepan, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating until icing reaches spreading consistency.

RAZZLE DAZZLE QUICK JAM
Makes 8 cups

~Submitted by Pat, Auburn, WA

Quick-to-fix summertime jam.

1-1/2 pints (3 cups) fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries without syrup, thawed, drained
1 (16 oz) can sweet cherries, drained, reserving liquid
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 (1-3/4 oz) pkg. powdered fruit pectin

In medium bowl, crush raspberries to measure 2 cups. Finely chop cherries to measure 1 cup.

In 4-quart bowl, combine crushed raspberries, chopped cherries, sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice; mix well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, add water to reserved cherry liquid to measure 3/4 cup. In small saucepan, combine cherry liquid mixture and pectin; blend well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over fruit; stir vigorously 3 minutes.

Ladle fruit mixture into 8 clean, hot 8-oz jars or moisture-vapor proof freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; cover with tight-fitting lids. Cool several hours and room temperature or until set. Store jam in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

Nutrition information per 1-tbsp. serving: 30 calories; 0 g fat; 0 g cholesterol; 0 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate, 0 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugars; 0 g protein
Dietary Exchanges: 1/2 fruit

RED, WHITE AND BLUE COOKIES

~Submitted by Jessica, Corfu, Greece

1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Red and blue food coloring

Cream together butter and sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla. beat well. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt; divide dough into 3 equal balls. Put one ball into a bowl and add 10 drops of red coloring. Mix. Do the same with the blue. Stick them all together. Roll the balls of dough together until it looks like a red, white and blue sausage about 8 inches long. Wrap dough in waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight. Set oven at 400 degrees. Grease cookie sheets and slice dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 8 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen.

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE

~Submitted by Lillian, FL

1 9??? baked pie shell
1 (3oz.) pkg. cream cheese
?? C. powdered sugar
?? tsp. vanilla
?? pint whipping cream.
1 can blueberry pie filling

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Whip cream and stir in gently. Pour into baked pie shell and spoon pie filling over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8

RASPBERRY CHICKEN

~Submitted by Mary, Nashville, TN

1/2 cup sweet red wine
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup raspberry jam (can be low sugar or sugarless)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 frying chicken, skinned, cut into pieces
strips of orange zest for garnish

This is an absolutely delicious chicken recipe, but depending on the type of jam used, it can take on a very dark color. Enhance the appearance by garnishing with fine shreds of orange peel. Mix all ingredients together except chicken and orange zest; stir until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness to your personal preference. Pour mixture over chicken and let it marinate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator. Place chicken with marinade in the pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Seal, bring up to 15 pounds pressure, reduce heat to stabilize pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, depressurize, remove lid and remove chicken, leaving marinade in pot. If a thicker sauce is desired, boil sauce in uncovered pot until it thickens. Pour thickened sauce over chicken and sprinkle with thinly sliced orange peel (otherwise known as orange zest). Yield: 3-4 servings

WATERMELON SALAD WITH MINT LEAVES

photo)

Source: Food Network 
Yield: 6 servings

1 (5-pound) watermelon
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 whole mint sprigs

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.

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