Recipe 35- Meringue Chip Cookies

                                                        MERINGUE CHIP COOKIES

2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 C sugar
1/2 package of chocolate chips ( 6 oz)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until they form white peaks.  Add sugar gradually to egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove while warm.

Ratings (out of five)

Difficulty *
Taste **

This recipe is a do over.  My mother's recipe card that I was following did not mention that the egg whites were to be beaten until white peaks formed.  As a result, the cookies we baked had a different texture than those that I enjoyed in my youth. Despite the fact that the cookies looked different from the cookies that my mother would bake, my family did enjoy the taste.

I baked these cookies for Caroline's Girl Scout Troop's Father/Daughter Dance. Caroline and Steve have gone to the Father Daughter Dance every year as Steve did with Lindsey.  This is Steve and Caroline's last Girl Scout Father Daughter Dance since Caroline will be bridging out of the Junior Girl Scouts in June.  This year's Dance was a 1970's Disco theme.      

Recipe 34-Stuffed Peppers

                                                              STUFFED PEPPERS

6 green peppers
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 onion chopped fine
1 egg
1 C rice
2 tablespoons of butter
thyme
salt and pepper
2 cans of tomato sauce

Cut off the top of the peppers. Then, slice the peppers in half, remove seeds and membranes. Parboil the peppers. Parboil means to place the peppers in cold water and bring water slowly to a boil then continue to simmer for ten minutes and then drain water and quickly place the peppers in cold water to firm .

Prepare the stuffing. Boil rice. In another pan, melt butter and then add onion and ground beef until lightly colored.  Place beef and onion mixture in a bowl, add well-beaten egg, rice, salt, thyme, salt, and pepper. Fill peppers with stuffing mixture.

Put tomato sauce in baking pan. Place stuffed peppers in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty ***
Taste ***

Yesterday, I served this meal for dinner.  I do not think that I will cook it again.  The preparation of the meal was challenging and the dish was only liked but not loved by the family.

I found this recipe on one of my mother's handwritten recipe cards that she kept in her kitchen in Lloyd Harbor, New York.      

Recipe 33- Crustless Vegetable Pie

                                                        CRUSTLESS VEGETABLE PIE

1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 C oil
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 1 pound of whole drained tomatoes
3 eggs
3/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or shredded

Saute eggplant, zucchini, and onion in oil until vegetables are softened (About 5 to 10 minutes). Add tomatoes: cover and simmer 20-25 minutes, until mixture is soft. If using canned tomatoes, reduce cooking time to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and oregano.  Add to vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour half of mixture into greased 10 inch pan and top with 1/4 cup of cheese. Layer with remaining vegetables and cheese.  Top with mozzarella and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste ****

I served to my family for dinner last week and it was well received. It was nice to a veggie meal.

I found this recipe in my mother's recipe folder.  My mother must have requested a copy of the recipe after watching Mr. Food on Channel 9 WOR-TV because the recipe has Mr Food and WOR-TV's logo on it. There is a note written on the top of the recipe from my sister Patty Callaghan Sanders that says "Mommy-Happy Cooking! Patty"      

Recipe 32- Cheddar Fondue

                     
                                                            CHEDDAR FONDUE

1 clove garlic
3/4 C cheddar cheese
1/4 C Monterey Jack cheese
1 C milk
2 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
French bread, for serving

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with cut clove of garlic. Melt the cheese on stove on low heat. Stir in milk, lemon juice, flour, and seasoning. Do not let boil. Stir constantly until slightly thickened and creamy. Pour into fondue pot.

Serve with French bread cut into 1 inch cubes and tart apples.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste ***

Caroline has been a member of a mother/daughter book group for 2 1/2 years.  The group of six girls and their mothers meet every month at alternating houses. Refreshments are always served at the book group meetings. Caroline decided to serve fondue at the meeting at our house.  We have owned our fondue pot for years but never make fondue. Some of the girls in the group greatly enjoyed the fondue. (Grace and Margot). Others were not fond of the dish (Tessa). Some liked the bread dipped in the fondue but not the apples (Caroline). Some had no opinion (Ella). Some could not attend (Camillle and Zoe).

I found this recipe in my mother's recipe folder.  

Recipe 31- Chicken Tetrazzini

                                                         CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

8 oz pkg spaghetti
1/4 C butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 C chicken broth
3/4 C half and half
salt and pepper
3 C cubed cooked chicken
1/2 pound mushrooms sliced
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Set aside.  In Dutch oven, melt butter. ( I used Corningware dish) Stir in flour. Add chicken broth. Cook stirring constantly until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat, stir in half and half, salt, and pepper. Toss chicken, mushrooms, and cooked spaghetti into sauce. Turn mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty**
Taste****

The day after Thanksgiving, my mother always cooked Turkey Tetrazzini with the leftover turkey.  Growing up on Long Island, my family always enjoyed this meal.  I found two copies of this recipe in my mother Carol Callaghan's recipe folder.  I decided to make this meal with leftover chicken.  The meal was a success.  I will make this meal again.