Recipes by Arlene

• 2 packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed but not cooked
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• ½ cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp. melted butter

Mix broccoli, soup and water chestnuts and pour into greased casserole. Add cheese, bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

• 1 cut-up frying chicken (or 10 favorite pieces)
• 2 –3 large Spanish onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup orange juice
• salt
• white pepper
• paprika
• hot cooked rice OR mashed potatoes

Before noon, salt and pepper chicken pieces to taste and generously cover each piece with paprika. In crock pot, layer chicken pieces, onions and garlic. Spread mushroom soup over each layer. Rinse soup cans with orange juice and pour over chicken. Cover crock pot and cook at low setting for 6 – 8 hours.

Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes. Gravy is plentiful. Serves 5.

• 1 lb. round or sirloin steak
• ½ lb. fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup onions, minced
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 10½ oz can beef bouillon
• 2 tbsp. catsup
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 – 4 cups hot cooked rice or noodles

Cut meat diagonally into thin slices. [Freeze meat first for easier slicing.] Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until onions are tender. In same skillet, brown meat lightly on both sides. Stir all but ⅓ cup bouillon, catsup, garlic and salt into skillet. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Blend remaining ⅓ cup bouillon and flour; stir into meat mixture in skillet. Add mushroom/onion mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for one minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

My mother made these cookies for my piano students at my 1978 piano recital.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ginger
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a bowl. Add brown sugar and oats. Mix in thoroughly the oil, milk and egg. Stir in walnuts if desired.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen.

• 6 oz. package lime gelatin
• 18 oz. can pineapple juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 pint cottage cheese
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• maraschino cherries (optional)

Combine gelatin, pineapple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil. Cool until syrupy. Whip the cream and fold into gelatin mixture with cottage cheese and marshmallows. Pour mixture into a 13” x 9” pan or into a 2 quart mold. Chill until ready to be served.

To serve, cut into squares and top with cherries, if desired. May also be used as a dessert.

Cake

• 1 lb. 5 oz. package chocolate cake mix
• 3 ¾ oz. package chocolate instant pudding
• 2 cups sour cream
• ¾ cup cooking oil
• 4 eggs
• ⅓ cup Kahlua
• 6 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• ¼ cup Kahlua
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and topping. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 10” Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Let cool in pan for five minutes; then invert onto rack.

Blend Kahlua with powdered sugar in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake.

• 20 oz. frozen chopped broccoli
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• salt to taste
• buttered croutons

Cook broccoli until it separates. It does not need to be completely cooked. Drain well.

Melt butter and mix with flour. Add milk. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Add broccoli to white sauce and season with next four ingredients.

Pour into small pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with croutons. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.

• 1 cut-up chicken, about 3 lbs.
• 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 3 tbsp. onion soup mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 oz. can chow mein noodles
• ⅛ tsp. pepper

Place chicken pieces in single layer in casserole. Do not salt. Combine soup, sour cream, onion soup mix and pepper in bowl; blend thoroughly. Spread over chicken pieces. Bake one hour at 375 degrees or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle chow mein noodles over sauce during the last 30 minutes. Serves four.

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ to ½ cup minced onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup celery, chopped
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• ¼ tsp. dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp. dried basil
• ¼ tsp. salt

Cook beans for 15 minutes. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onion, garlic and celery. Add parsley, rosemary, basil and salt. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Toss with drained beans. Serves 4.

Attractive served in a pretty cocktail or stemmed glass at the beginning of a meal.

Cocktail

• 2 medium avocados
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• Lemon juice (optional)

Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 6 tbsp. chili sauce
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• Watercress or parsley

Cut avocados in ½-inch cubes. Sprinkle with lemon juice if prepared ahead of time. For dressing, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, chili sauce and eggs.

To assemble, place about 1 tbsp. of celery in each serving glass, follow with a layer of avocado and top generously with dressing. Garnish with sprigs of watercress or parsley.

Serves four.