Welcome to my Kitchen

So much to do, so little time. With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations right around the corner, Odessa cooks are bustling about with last minute preparations. Throw in a couple of December birthdays, and the schedule overflows.

Most families seem to have a favorite cookie recipe, just for special occasions. Peanut Butter Blossoms has been a favorite since my youthful days. My sister and I would try to eat all around the chocolate center without it falling off.

The recipe has several names and a few variations, but it is a great recipe to have ingredients on hand for the last minute request for treats.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

2 cups baking mix ( I use Bisquick)

1 tsp vanilla extract

36-48 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped

In a large mixing bowl, mix milk and peanut butter together until smooth. Add baking mix and vanilla and mix well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Bake each pan 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and immediately press unwrapped chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie. Let cool in pan 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: you may roll dough balls in colored sugar before baking. If you like peanut butter and jelly, use the back of a small teaspoon or melon-baller to make a depression in the cookies when they come from the oven. Fill with jam or jelly when slightly cooled. Also, Peanut M&M’s may be used in place of the chocolate kisses.

Easy salads are handy to have ready for family and company meals. Red Bean Salad is a recipe I found in my father’s recipe box. The late Bill Steinhaus was a bachelor for many years before he and my mother met and married. He liked to try new recipes and had quite a collection that I inherited.

Red Bean Salad is a pretty, festive, marinated salad, easy to make from on-hand ingredients. Red beans are a little softer than kidney beans, so they take on the flavors of the marinade quickly, making this ideal for last minute invitations to potluck meals.

Red Bean Salad

3 cans (15 ounces each) small red beans, rinsed and well drained

2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced to 1/4 inch

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Dressing:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup salad oil

1 Tbsp Dijon style mustard

Place drained beans, celery and onion in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine dressing ingredients, mixing until well combined. Immediately pour over bean mixture. Stir well and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before serving. Stir occasionally during the marinating time. Yield: 6-8 servings.

This is an easy recipe to double or triple for a large crowd. Also using one can each of red, black and white beans makes a pretty confetti salad. Red onion can add an extra splash of color.

Cheesy Potato Frittata is a delicious way to serve the eggs and potatoes along side the sausages or bacon on a busy Christmas morning. Place it in the oven to bake before you start the bacon or sausage and it will be ready to serve at about the same time.

This recipe was added to my collection in 1978, and is attributed to someone with the initials F.R. in Seattle. Unfortunately, I did not make note of what publication I found it in.

This frittata can also double as a finger food appetizers for New year’s celebrations or game day parties. Just cut into bite-size squares and serve warm. Your favorite salsa is the perfect condiment for these cheesy hors d’oeuvres.

Cheesy Potato Frittata

8 large eggs

1 pint (2 cups) small curd cot- tage cheese (not low fat)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups peeled, grated, raw russet potatoes

1 1/4 cups onion, very finely chopped

Paprika

2 Tbsp fresh chopped pars- ley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onions to egg and cheese mixture and blend well. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Place in oven and bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove dish from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired, and cut into squares to serve. Yield: 6-8 side dish servings or 24 appetizer squares.

Note: you can turn this into a high protein main dish with the addition of some well drained ground beef, sausage, ham or bacon, even chicken or some of the leftover Christmas turkey.

Too many dishes in your refrigerator that don’t stack well? Recycle a few clean, sturdy gift boxes. Poke a few holes in the box sides to allow airflow, then place plastic or foil covered dishes inside. Then you have a flat surface to stack something on top.

Our next column will arrive in the new year and will focus on using up things from our pantries that might get lost in the back reaches if we don’t use them up now. Share your favorite recipes and pantry organizing tips at: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email totherecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Nestle your discarded fresh cut Christmas tree among your rose bushes for extra protection from winter cold, and provide a haven for small birds.