COOK OF THE WEEK - UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

Every year the Humboldt United Methodist Women have a guest day and invite every woman from every church in Humboldt County to come and enjoy a delicious salad luncheon and listen to an excellent speaker. The Humboldt UMW salad luncheon is furnished by its members and we all know that all church ladies put on a great feed so delicious salads were enjoyed by all. Our speaker was the highlight of the day. Kay Oliver attends Oakwood United Methodist Church in Pleasant Hill. She is a volunteer at the Women at the Well, which is a United Methodist congregation inside the walls of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville. They are one of only two chartered United Methodist congregations of this kind in the nation. This is the only correctional institution in Iowa for women. Why a prison congregation? It’s a response to Jesus’ words, “I was in prison and you visited me.” It is a place for the women to “be” the church! She gave us some very interesting facts that I did not know about the life of an inmate. A few of the Humboldt ladies shared their recipes for the many salads that were shared with everyone. Since not everyone shared a name on the recipe I won’t share any owners of the recipes in the paper today.Fruited Chicken Salad4 cups cubed cooked chicken15 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained11 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained1 cup chopped celery1-1/2 cups seedless grapes cut in half1 cup slivered almonds1-1/4 cups salad dressing1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dry mustard1 teaspoon tarragon (optional) Mix well and chill for at least 2 hours.Oriental Coleslaw12 ounce package coleslaw mix2 packages beef ramen noodles1 small onion, diced or green onions, sliced thinly1 cup slivered almonds, optionalDressing:1 cup salad oil (canola oil)1/3 cup white vinegar1/2 cup sugar Season packets from ramen noodles. Mix and then marinate for 1 hour before serving.Watergate SaladDifferent option3 ounces raspberry Jell-O12 ounces cottage cheese8 ounces Cool Whip20 ounce can crushed pineapple1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts Mix Jell-O with cottage cheese, then add Cool Whip, pineapple and nuts. Just changing the flavor of Jell-O changes the taste completely.Fruited Chicken Salad (2)3/4 cup mayo1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon cider vinegar1 cup cubed applelemon juice3 cups cubed, cooked chicken1 cup celery, chopped1 cup grapes, halved1/4 cup nut pieces, optional Combine mayo, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar and vinegar. Sprinkle apple cubes with lemon juice and toss. Add chicken, celery, grapes and nuts. Combine. May arrange on lettuce leaf and use some apple wedges and small bunches of grapes as garnish. You may use either walnuts or pecans for nuts, but okay with none also. You could also use turkey instead of chicken. Serves approximately 6 people, but can be doubled or tripled easily. Cherry Salad1 can cherry pie mix1 can crushed pineapple1 can Eagle Brand milk1 carton Cool Whip1/2 cup chopped nutmeats Mix all ingredients together. May be used as a salad or as a dessert. For dessert, put in cake pan and freeze for 24 hours. Bring out and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. The whole family likes this – 6 years old to 78 years old!Acini-De-Pepe SaladServes 25(2) 20 ounce cans pineapple tidbits(3) 11 ounce cans mandarin oranges20 ounce can crushed pineapple Drain fruit, reserve pineapple juice.Dressing:1 cup sugar2 tablespoons flour1/2 teaspoon salt Beat 2 eggs, add 1-3/4 cups pineapple juice. Add dry ingredients. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. In salt, oil and water, cook (1) 16 ounce box Acini-de-pepe, rinse and drain well. Add dressing and 1 carton (9 ounce) Cool Whip. Stir well. Refrigerate overnight or all day. Add drained fruit. Refrigerate. This will keep up to a week. You may add maraschino cherries and coconut. You can also cut the recipe in half.Chocolate DippedStrawberries Use only perfect strawberries and good quality chocolate. I used the 9.5 ounce bag Dove dark chocolate squares and 2 large bars of white Lindt chocolate and 4 pounds of strawberries. Allow plenty of prep time. Wash strawberries and set on terry tea towels to dry (several hours or overnight). Melt half of a bag of dark chocolate at a time for one pound of strawberries. It took about 60 seconds in the microwave. Stir every 20 seconds. Remember chocolate and moisture don’t mix and chocolate can scorch. Stir the chocolate until lump free and very smooth. Pick up strawberry by stem and spoon chocolate over berry. Smoothing it with the back of a spoon. Lay on wax paper to set chocolate. It takes an hour to set the chocolate at room temperature. One bag of Dove chocolate does two pounds of strawberries and it takes almost an hour to do two pounds of berries. You could drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries instead of covering the whole berry.Cherry Salad1 can cherry pie filling1 large can Eagle Brand milk1 large can crushed pineapple1 large carton Cool Whip Mix together and sprinkle with nuts. Can be frozen or serve at once. Don’t drain pineapple. Champagne Salad8 ounce package cream cheese3/4 cup sugar Mix well, then add the following:10 ounces frozen strawberries (thawed)20 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained)9 ounce Cool Whip1/2 cup pecans2 sliced bananas Mix all of this well and freeze in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Set out 30 to 40 minutes ahead of serving. This is a favorite “do ahead” salad of our family.Spaghetti Salad1 pound spaghetti1 large tomato, cut in pieces1 cup chopped celery1 cup grated cheese1 onion, chopped16 ounce bottle creamy Italian dressing3/4 cup sugar2 teaspoons prepared mustardsalt and pepper to taste Break spaghetti and cook until done. Mix dressing, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper together. Combine with other ingredients. Marinate several hours or overnight.Cabbage Salad1 head cabbage, cut fine1 small can crushed pineapple (reserve juice)green grapeswalnuts1 cup sour cream2/3 cup sugarpineapple juice Mix the sour cream, sugar and juice well and pour over salad and mix.Broccoli Salad1 head broccoli1/2 cup red onion, chopped1/2 cup sunflower nuts (seeds)1/2 pound bacon, browned and diced1/2 cup raisinsDressing:1 cup Miracle Whip1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons vinegar Break broccoli into small floweret. Chop red onion, fry bacon, drain and cut up into small pieces. Toss broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds, bacon and raisins together. Mix dressing. Add 1 hour before serving. Yields 8 to 12 servings.Popcorn Salad1 cup celery, diced1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped1/2 pound bacon, fried, drained and crumbled1/4 cup sugar1/2 cup onion, diced1 cup cheese, shredded1-1/2 cups Miracle Whipbag microwave popcorn O 6 cups popped popcorn Mix all ingredients EXCEPT popcorn together and let set overnight in refrigerator. Make a bag of microwave popcorn or 6 cups or more of popped popcorn and add just before serving. Variation: Add 1/4 to 1 cup shredded carrots. Reserve 1/4 cup of each bacon of cheese for topping before serving.Taco Salad1 pound ground beef, browned and drainedmix in 1/2 package of taco seasoning1 can dark red kidney beans, drained1 small onion, chopped8 ounce package of shredded cheddar cheese1 medium head of lettuce, broken up8 ounce package of taco chips, broken2 medium tomatoes, choppedblack olives, optionalbottle of Western French Dressing1/2 bottle of medium taco sauce You can put hamburger, mix, kidney beans, onion, cheese and lettuce in a big bowl and just before serving add chips, tomatoes and dressing and taco sauce. You can put broken chips in a plastic bag and your tomatoes in another bag and they will be ready to add when time to serve. This is a favorite at any salad luncheon.Corned Beef Salad(In memory of Helen Wickre)2 packages lemon Jell-O2 cups hot water1 can corned beef6 eggs, hard-cooked1-1/2 cups chopped cucumber1 small onion, chopped2 cups Miracle Whip Use a 9 x 13 inch pan. Dissolve Jell-O in hot water. Let partially set; then add onion, eggs, corned beef and cucumber; mix well. Add Miracle Whip, stir and let set up until firm.Mexican Bean Salad15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed1 green bell pepper, chopped1 red bell pepper, chopped10 ounce package frozen corn kernels1 red onion, chopped1 clove crushed garlic1/2 cup olive oil1/2 cup red wine vinegar2 tablespoons fresh lime juice1 tablespoons lemon juice2 tablespoons white sugar1 tablespoon salt1 clove crushed garlic1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro1/2 tablespoon cumin1/2 tablespoon pepper1 dash hot pepper sauce1/2 teaspoon chili powder In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn and red onion. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Cuthbertson, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cook’s of the Week. Also, if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt community and surrounding communities. I look forward to visiting with you. The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.