NEW CASTLE —
My new “toy” is a combination Valentine’s/birthday gift.
I just wish it wasn’t quite as tricky to figure out as the toys of my past — a Barbie doll, the Candyland game and my first Huffy bike.
Actually, it has been fun playing with the new tablet/Ereader and I’m starting to get the knack of it. Just as I did when I first got a SmartPhone, little by little — with experimentation — I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Although I accidentally loaded “The Three Musketeers” and “Treasure Island,” I finally may read “Pride and Prejudice” because it’s on there, too. I’m looking forward to many hours of reading pleasure.
And then there are apps.
There’s a tendency to download everything that comes into view just because you can. But I was discreet — only the important items at first — like Words With Friends and Facebook. Loading Angry Birds will most likely only make me angry.
But I found many, many recipe sites and I bookmarked one. And today, I have included a few of the ones I located.
Meanwhile, it’s been a few weeks since we have received contributions for Culinary Conversation — the venue for sharing recipes, and cooking stories, successes and failures. It’s a chance for relatives, neighbors and friends to enjoy what you submit. Maybe, too, you’re looking for a particular recipe. This is the place to help find it again.
It’s Culinary Conversation and it’s a tasteful place to be.
Potato Fans
- 3 tbsps. butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps. finely chopped parsley
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 4 medium Idaho potatoes
Preheat oven to 400.
In a small saucepan, melt together butter, garlic and parsley.
Peel each potato and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices without slicing all the way through the potato.
Place potatoes in baking dish and drizzle with butter mixture.
Bake for 1 hour or until golden, crispy and the potatoes have fanned out.
Cream Cheese
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. minced onion
- 2 tsps. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
Preheat oven to 350.
Place chicken breasts between sheets of wax paper and flatten to about 1/4-inch thick.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese, parsley, onion, garlic salt, pepper and lemon juice until blended.
Spoon 2 tbsps. cream cheese mixture on each piece of chicken.
Roll up chicken. Coat rolls with flour, dip in egg mixture, then roll in corn flakes.
Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken over medium heat and brown on all sides. Place chicken rolls in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.
Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- 3 1/3 cups elbow macaroni
- 4 tbsps. butter or margarine
- 4 tbsps. flour
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tbsp. white pepper
- 3/4 tbsp. dry mustard
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 8 dashes Tabasco sauce
- 5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tbsps. butter or margarine, melted
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 tbsp. paprika
Cook macaroni as directed on package.
Pour cooked macaroni into 3-qt. baking dish.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; blend in flour, salt, pepper and mustard.
Add milk and Tabasco; cook over moderate heat , stirring constantly until sauce is thick and smooth.
Remove sauce from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Combine sauce with cooked macaroni.
Mix together melted butter, crumbs and paprika. Sprinkle crumbs over macaroni.
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.
Pineapple, Pudding and Pecan Cake
- 1 package yellow white cake mix
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup coconut
- 8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Bake cake according to directions in a 9x13-inch pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine pineapple with juice, sugar, pudding and coconut. Simmer 5 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon handle, poke holes in warm cake.
Slowly pour pineapple mixture over cake and spread evenly. Cool. Spread whipped topping evenly over cake and sprinkle with nuts.
Chill at least two hours before serving.
