Week 9 - Chicken Salad

 Chicken Salad

Recipe 9 - 52 in 2022

Salad #2

    For this project, I'm delving into many cookbooks I've had for a long time, but have either never used or have used once or twice. The original chicken salad recipe comes from the 1941 (and fourteenth printing) of The Household Searchlight Recipe Book. I wanted to include in this post, that my copy of this book is inscribed on the inside cover "Purchased by Zora Mae Butner in 1941..." I said when I started this blog, my favorite books in my collection are old, very used, have names and or notes handwritten into them and may have coupons or other recipes cut out and stuck into them). 

    I made a couple of substitutions. Cranberries instead of raisins and not really a substitution, but I had wanted to use pecans and didn't have them, so I used almonds. I made a double batch of this recipe and I've shared it with four different people.  That makes me happy! And so far, they've given positive feedback. This recipe was a winner. I think the only thing I'd do different, would be to mince the chicken, instead of dicing. Smaller bits would go better on a sandwich is why I say that. The small chunks I had, were perfect for spooning on top of salad and serving open face on toasted sourdough, like I did for lunch. Try this and let me know what you think!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups diced chicken

1/2 cup chopped nuts (use pecans or almonds)

1/2 cup diced pineapple (I bought a can of pineapple chunks and cut those up)

1 cup diced celery (I think I used a little less than this and it was fine)

2/3 cup diced apple

2/3 cup raisins (I used cranberries)

Mayonnaise (I used 1/3 to 2/3 cup; add more or less mayonnaise to taste)

Directions:

Cook your diced chicken until no longer pink. Steam (or soak) raisins or cranberries until plump. Chop your nuts, pineapple, celery and apple. Combine the first six ingredients together and stir in mayonnaise, mixing lightly. The original recipe says you can serve in "crisp lettuce cups". As I said above, this chicken salad would be good on top of a salad or made into a sandwich. If you want to use in a sandwich, you'll probably want to make finely diced bits. Smaller = better for sandwiches, I think. 

Chicken Salad

**Okay, I knew because of the age of the cookbook, I could guess that Zora Mae Butner passed long ago, but I am sitting here teary-eyed, because I found Mrs. Butner on Ancestry. I've found her with the exact address she wrote in the book. I've found multiple records of her and her husband and a son who died in 2012. I found where she is buried, here in Dallas, Texas. I feel it in my heart, that I need to pay my respects to Mrs. Butner. I just want to say to Zora Mae Butner, that "I hope you got enjoyment out of using this cookbook, like I have."** 

Week 8 - Dilly Crackers & Firecracker Crackers

Dilly Crackers & Firecracker Crackers

Recipe 8 - 52 in 2022

Appetizer #1

       Okay, "Appetizer" is the last of the eight categories for my Fifty-two in Twenty-two project. This is the first appetizer recipe.  I was excited to try this recipe, because I am a fan of dill pickles (I didn't use to be) and dill flavored foods.  I wanted to take this to my office to share, so I bought enough ingredients to make two batches. I decided however, to make one batch of  what I've been calling "Dilly Crackers" and I made up a version I named "Firecracker Crackers". Both versions were super easy to make. I did have a favorite of these two; "Firecracker Crackers" was the flavor winner for me and they seemed to be the favorite of my co-workers as well.  

   The original recipe for "Dill Crackers" was found in the 1989 Wonderful Outstanding Tasty Meals cookbook, put together by Women of the Moose, Chapter 552 in Huntington Beach, California. The book is a collection of member recipes and this recipe was submitted by a lady named Jane Hardisty. I love these kinds of cookbooks.  I love and think it is funny, when there are three or more versions of the same recipe.  For example, this book only has one recipe for "Dill Crackers", but there could have been more, because maybe some people like to use different ingredients.  I made a few minor modifications, which will be in italics.  I think if I made the "Dilly Crackers" again, I would play around with it and add more dill and less of the dry ranch dressing mix, because I did not like the "Dilly Crackers" as much as I thought I would. 

Ingredients - Dilly Crackers:

1 (10 oz) pkg oyster crackers (I used a 9oz package)

1 pkg (dry) ranch buttermilk dressing 

1 tsp dry dill (I used 2 tsps)

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup canola oil 

Directions - Dilly Crackers:

    Combine all ingredients in a bowl, by first adding the oyster crackers, then drizzling the oil. Stir to coat crackers with oil and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir to combine. Add more seasonings as you like.  Pour your crackers into either a sealed bag or an airtight container (I used an airtight container). Refrigerate for 15 minutes and re-stir the ingredients. Serve in a bowl with a large spoon, for scooping onto plates. 

The original directions are simply "Mix in bowl for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Restir."

Ingredients - Firecracker Crackers:

1 (9 or 10 oz) pkg oyster crackers    

1 pkg (dry) ranch buttermilk dressing

1 tsp of your favorite spicy, red seasoning

2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup canola oil

Directions - Firecracker Crackers:

    Combine all ingredients in a bowl, by first adding the oyster crackers, then drizzling the oil. Stir to coat crackers with oil and then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine and add more seasoning if you like. Pour your crackers into either a sealed bag or an airtight container (I used an airtight container). Refrigerate for 15 minutes and re-stir the ingredients.  Serve in a bowl with a large spoon, for scooping onto plates. 

Left: Dilly Crackers
Right: Firecracker Crackers

Week 7 - Golden Cheese Soup with Parsley Dumplings

 Golden Cheese Soup with Parsley Dumplings

Recipe 7 of 52 in 2022

Vegetarian Entree #1

    So, I can't tell you this week which cookbook I got this recipe from, because I put it somewhere and can't find it! Luckily, I almost always take a picture of the recipe and I had that to work from. I can tell you that this recipe is likely from a 1967ish era cookbook. It seems to be in a font which was used a lot in the cookbooks of the 60's. I will update this post, when I find the cookbook.  

    Week 6's category was Vegetarian Entree and I'm really glad I picked this recipe.  The only thing I'd really change, would be to add some salt, pepper or red pepper flakes at the table. I even had some of my leftovers with Sriracha sauce. If you are going to cook this on a weeknight, I'd suggest doing your prep work of grating the carrot, chopping celery and onion, the night before, so it is ready to go. I know dumplings can sometimes turn out like rocks, but I liked how mine turned out.  Cook your carrots, celery and onion in a soup pan; you'll add it to your large pot. You could certainly use a large pot, but I used a dutch oven, like the original recipe suggests.  I have a cast iron dutch oven I bought last year, which I love but have gotten to use much.  I'll give you the recipe and note any changes/additions in italics. 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup grated carrots

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter or margarine (I used butter)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (I heated the milk before adding to the flour; because it helps it thicken quicker)

1 14-ounce can chicken broth (I used vegetable broth and I didn't have a can; I simply measured out that amount)

1 1/4 cups shredded sharp processed American cheese (I used regular sharp cheddar)

1 recipe Parsley Dumplings

    

Directions: 

    Cook carrots, celery and onion until tender in 1 cup of boiling salted water. Do not drain. Melt butter and blend in flour. Add warmed milk when the butter & flour mixture bubbles and stir constantly until thick. Stir in your broth and cheese and mix until smooth. Stir in your vegetables (remember not to drain the vegetables after cooking). Stir over low heat until the cheese melts. Leave on low heat while you mix your dumplings. Drop your dumplings by small kitchen dining spoons, onto the simmering soup. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. The original recipe says this serves six.  I would say it serves 3. I made 9 dumplings, so three dumplings per serving, would be perfect. Serve with bits of parsley as garnish. Add a salad to complete your meal.

Parsley Dumplings:

    1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2 tablespoons snipped parsley (I chopped my finely)

    1/2 cup milk

    2 tablespoons melted shortening (I melted mine in the microwave)

    Sift together dry ingredients and mix in parsley. The original recipe says to combine milk and melted shortening and add to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir until moistened. When I added the shortening to the milk, it instantly solidified, so maybe the next time I'd let the melted shortening cool a little longer. I just made sure to mix the dry and wet ingredients well (I maybe did a little more mixing than "just moistened"). Drop onto your soup and cook.

Golden Cheese Soup with Parsley Dumplings

A close-up of a dumpling.

Two of my "helpers" watching me take a photo of the parsley.

Week 6 - Johnny Marzetti

Johnny Marzetti

Recipe 6 of 52 in 2022  

Meat/Fish Entree #2

    This recipe comes to us from Favorite Recipes From Southern Kitchens - Casseroles - Including Breads. Published in 1968, it is the same cookbook which the recipe for the Meltaway Casserole from Week 4 is in. I'd seen variations of this recipe in other cookbooks and this cookbook has multiple versions. The version I based my recipe on was submitted by Mrs. Walter Steward of Perryville, Tennessee.  I was intrigued by the name of the dish. Where did it come from? Well, I finally did the research. Italian immigrant, Teresa Marzetti (Teresa) opened the first of her Italian restaurants in Columbus, Ohio.  Before Teresa opened her first restaurant, she was quoted as saying "We will start a new place and serve good food. At a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but we will serve good food." I absolutely love that statement. This tells me a couple of things about Teresa. 1) She cared about the quality of her food and 2) It sounds like she cared about her community, because she wanted to still cook good food for them, even if her restaurant was not profitable. 

    One of the dishes Teresa served at her restaurants, was a creation of hers which she named after her brother-in-law, Johnny Marzetti. The ingredients in this casserole dish include, ground beef, tomato sauce, noodles and cheese. It has been said that nobody knows when Teresa first offered the dish at her restaurant, but the dish had become popular across Ohio and the Midwest, by the 1920s. 

    I really liked this dish and would definitely make it again. There is no seasoning besides salt and pepper in this version and it uses tomato soup, not tomato sauce, which is fine if you are someone who just doesn't care for much seasonings. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I grew up eating mostly plainly flavored food, because that's what my mom liked. I happen to be more like my dad, who liked to experiment with food (for the most part).  Anyhow, I'll show my changes in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped (I used a medium/large onion; if you like a lot, use more, or less if you don't)

1/2 cup celery, chopped (I sliced mine)

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey, like I used, because I forgot to thaw the hamburger meat)

1/2 package medium noodles, cooked (I used macacroni, which were perfectly; I had no idea what size package this recipe was talking about, so to determine how much macaroni to use, I looked at a similar recipe on the same page, which said 4 oz egg noodles; I decided on a cup of macaroni noodles, which was a little more than 5 oz and it was the perfect amount)

1 can tomato soup (Tomato Soup is bland!!!! See seasoning, below)

Salt & Pepper, to taste (I used two teaspoons of Italian Sofrito Seasoning; I'd possible either add more next time, or use regular Italian Seasoning)

Grated cheese (I didn't really measure, but I used about 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese; I like cheese, but you really can use less or more, to your preference)

Red Pepper Chili Flakes (optional)

Oil/Cooking Spray

Directions: Chop onion and slice (or chop) celery and start cooking in a large skillet (heated), to which you've added a bit of oil. I didn't measure, but I guess it was a couple of teaspoons or so. The main thing, is that you don't want your onion and celery to stick. Add in your ground meat, cooking until it is no longer pink. As you're browning the meat, you want to break up chunks, while you are stirring it together with the celery and onion. The original recipe says to alternate layers of the macaroni and the meat mixture and soup and then to top with the grated cheese. However, I mixed the soup into the meat mixture and made layers of the macaroni and the now flavored meat mixture into a classic 1 1/2 quart Pyrex casserole dish (It was the perfect size for this casserole). The last step is to sprinkle your cheese over top and bake for 30 minutes, in your oven, pre-heated to 350 degrees, Fahrenheit. I sprinkled my serving with red chili pepper flakes. I'd say in today's standards, this makes 4 servings.

Johnny Marzetti 

Johnny Marzetti, as the casserole looked when I removed it from the oven.

Photo Credit is unknown. This is a picture I found of one of the Marzetti Restaurants.

Week 5 - 3-Minute Salad (Jello Dessert)

3-Minute Salad (Jello Dessert)

Recipe 5 of 52 in 2022 

Dessert #1

    This 3-Minute Salad, Jello dessert, is so quick and easy. It is also one of those Jello salads, that your aunt brings to family potlucks. The recipe was in a cookbook which one of my friends gave me a few years ago and I've modified it slightly. I was thinking about this recently and when it popped up in my Facebook memories, I knew I had to make it for Lemonchickcooks.  I cannot remember which cookbook it was in, but based on the font and the pictures in my photo that I posted on Facebook, it's probably mid to late 1960s, to early 1970s. It was submitted to the cookbook by someone named Linnea Carlson.  I'll note my changes in italics.

Ingredients:

12 oz creamy cottage cheese (drain any extra liquid)

1 3-oz package lime jello (you can use any flavor or sugar-free flavor)

1 4 1/2 oz carton of whipped topping (I don't know if they even sell this size anymore; I had an 8oz carton,                                                               and used a little more than half of it)

1 13 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (I had a 20 oz can and used about 2/3 of the can)

1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) (I used pecans)

1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

In a large bowl add your cottage cheese and Jello powder. Stir well. Mix in your whipped topping and pineapple, mixing until thoroughly combined. Stir in your pecans/walnuts and mini-marshmallows, if you are using them. You can serve right away or let it chill for awhile. Stored in the refrigerator, it keeps well for several days.

3-Minute Salad (Jello Dessert)

Week 4 - (Chicken-Cheese) Meltaway Casserole

(Chicken-Cheese) Meltaway Casserole 

Recipe 4 of 52 in 2022

Meat/Fish Entree #1

    This week's recipe comes to us from Favorite Recipes From Southern Kitchens - Casseroles - Including Breads. Published in 1968 (I had to convert it from Roman numerals). My version is based on a recipe submitted to this cookbook by Mrs. Lillie J. Smith of Pauline, South Carolina. I'll show my modifications in italics. This recipe really seems like a baked macaroni & cheese, but with less cheese, unless you're me and then "Katie bar the door", because I like cheese. I mostly wanted to make this new to me recipe by the directions, so I only used four slices of cheese. However, I did use a little bit of cheese sprinkled on at the end. I really liked this dish. It was easy and you can very, easily modify it with seasoning, choice of protein or even make it with veggies instead. I would definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni

butter or margarine (No amount given; I used about 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I used 1/3 cup)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups milk 

1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, turkey, ham or roast beef (I used chicken)

4 slices cheese (Type not given; I used sharp cheddar slices)

1 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning blend; I used a spicy red chili blend; 

shredded cheese (as much as you want)

Directions:

Cook macaroni in boiling water (I did salt the water a bit) until tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter/margarine in a saucepan. I used the cast iron skillet I'd cooked the chicken in. By doing this, the sauce ended up picking up the flavor of the spice blend I'd chosen. Add the chopped onion and cook over low heat for up to 3 to 5 minutes. It should be translucent. Stir in your salt, pepper and flour. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened. When making a white sauce, I like to heat the milk in the microwave, so it doesn't take as long to heat up and thicken the sauce. The original recipe calls for a 2-quart casserole dish, but I used a 1 1/2-quart and it was perfect. Pour half of the macaroni in the casserole dish, followed by half of the chicken. Pour the rest of the macaroni, followed by the last of the chicken. Lay sliced cheese on top and pour your onion white sauce over the layered macaroni and chicken. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit, for 25-30 minutes. I decided I wanted some cheese on top, so after I removed the casserole, I sprinkled some shredded cheese over top and put it back in the hot oven, until melted. This recipe makes 4 servings. 

Meltaway Casserole
Chicken-Cheese

Meltaway Casserole as it looks without shredded cheese on top.

Meltaway Casserole as it looks with shredded cheese on top.

Week 3 - Corn Fritters

 Corn Fritters

Recipe 3 of 52 in 2022

Side Dish #1

     So, these could be considered an appetizer, but I chose them as a side dish. This recipe is from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, published in 1963. My copy of this cookbook, which I bought at either an antique show or antique store, belonged to a lady named Leona Poteet of Fort Worth, Texas. Her name is written in two place on the inside cover and front page. I love old, used cookbooks and it doesn't look like Leona used this one much, so she either had a different cookbook which was her favorite or maybe she didn't like to cook (which is obviously okay).  

    This was the first time I have made fritters and I really liked them. My friend, a very, discriminating eater, also liked them. We almost couldn't stop eating them. I will definitely make these again. And I also plan to try other flavors, which I'm excited about. Let me know if you try these!

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp double-acting baking powder (I um, didn't pay attention to this; I just used the baking powder I have in my pantry and I don't know if it is double-acting)

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp oil (the recipe calls for "salad" oil; I used canola)

2 1/2 cups cooked or canned whole-kernel corn 

Vegetable Shortening or Cooking Oil for frying

Salt-free seasoning/Creole spice/garlic powder/your favorite seasoning blend

Directions:

Heat shortening or oil to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs, add milk and the two teaspoons of oil. Stir in corn and drop by spoonfuls into your cooking oil. Cooking for 3-5 minutes, turning at least once to cook both sides. The should be a nice golden brown color. I used a cast iron dutch oven for mine, filling it about 1/3 full. I didn't really measure; I just made sure the oil was deep enough (about 4 inches deep) and it worked great. Remove your fritters with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt,  some other seasoning or leave plain. I left some plain for my friend, as he watches his salt intake.  I watch my salt also, but I did sprinkle some Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning on mine. Yum. The recipe says this makes 5 to 6 servings. I didn't count how many I made, because I forgot, but we did have a few leftover. I'm going to try re-heating them in my air fryer to see how well that works. 

Corn Fritters

Frying fritters (I loved using my cast iron dutch oven for this.