FORWARD We hope you enjoy this cookbook. Cooking can be a lot of fun if you follow some simple safety guidelines. We have rated the difficulty of these recipes by the star system. Choose recipes according to your cooking experience. ✼ Beginning: Easy recipes without any cooking by heat or electrical appliances. ✼✼ Intermediate: You will require some help from an adult and will have to use either the stove, oven or an electrical appliance to prepare the recipe. ✼✼✼ Advanced: These recipes are complicated and may require the use of several different cooking methods. Always have an adult supervise you while you are cooking. Cooking can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Always remember to wash your hands before you handle any food. You will also need to wash your hands before and after you handle raw meat, poultry, pork or fish so that you won’t spread germs to other foods you are cooking. Use separate cutting boards for meats, vegetables and fruits to prevent any contamination. Always make sure your cooking utensils are clean before using them. Also, be sure to clean up your mess when you are done cooking. Never play in the kitchen while you are cooking or leave pans on the stove unattended. Serious accidents can happen. Keep hair tucked back to avoid injury. Always have an adult supervise you when you are handling knives or using any electrical appliance. Use potholders to handle hot pans and dishes. Always make sure your fruits and vegetables are washed thoroughly before cooking with them. It will remove any wax or dirt on these items and make your food taste a lot better. Always make sure to read the recipe thoroughly before you start to cook. It will save time while you are cooking and will help you to understand the entire recipe before you start. It will also help you to make sure you have all of the ingredients on hand. Cooking is a fun part of life. And best of all, you get to eat what you make! Happy Cooking! Lori Pederson and Michelle Pederson-Tomes Copyright ©2000 I CAN COOK All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution are forbidden. No part of this publication shall be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without written permission from the author. Published in California by Judy’s Girls Enterprises. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this cookbook will be donated to Cancer research and/or Cancer support groups. Miracle Whip, Cool Whip, Worcestershire Sauce, Tater Tots, Catalina Dressing, Tabasco Sauce, and Joy are registered Trademarks of their respective owners. Notice: The information contained in this book is true, complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations and suggestions are made without any guaranty on the part of Judy’s Girls Enterprises. The editor and publisher disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this information. For additional copies of this book or for any comments or questions, please e-mail us at [email protected] or visit our website at http://www.momsbestrecipes.com. By phone you can reach us at (909) 946-8041 or (888) 203-6782. SNACKS PASTRAMI ROLL-UPS ✼ 1 pkg. (8 oz.) pastrami slices 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese Dill or sweet pickles, sliced into strips Spread cream cheese on a slice of pastrami. Put a small slice of pickle next to the edge of meat and roll-up. Pierce roll-up with a toothpick to hold in place. Place in refrigerator to set cream cheese. STUFFED MUSHROOMS ✼✼ 1 lb. mushrooms with stems, washed and patted dry ½ cup Parmesan cheese ¼ cup margarine, melted 1 Tbsp. green onions, chopped Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop. Combine in a mixing bowl chopped mushroom stems, green onions, melted margarine and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Spoon enough mixture into mushroom caps to cover completely a little bit over the top. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is slightly golden brown and cheese is melted. PAPA’S SALSA DIP ✼✼ 1 cup green chili salsa or picante sauce 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese 3 to 6 drops Tabasco sauce Allow cream cheese to soften. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for one hour to allow time for ingredients to settle. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables. *Helpful Hint: The dip gets hotter the longer it sits, so if you like it mild, use less Tabasco sauce. PIGS IN A BLANKET ✼✼ 8 turkey hot dogs 1 pkg. (8 oz.) crescent rolls Heat oven to 375ºF. Unroll dough and separate into triangles. Place one hot dog onto a triangle of dough. Roll from widest width of dough to point. Place rolls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375ºF for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. For variety, add a slice of cheese to hot dog, then roll into crescent roll and bake. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 1 BEVERAGES KIDS’ PARTY PUNCH ✼ 8 to 10 oz. fruit punch concentrate 1 liter lemon-lime soda 1 quart water ½ gallon pineapple sherbet Mix first three ingredients and top with sherbet. Serve chilled. SHIRLEY TEMPLE ✼ Lemon-lime soda Grenadine Maraschino cherries Ice cubes Pour soda into a 12 oz. glass. Add a splash of Grenadine. Stir and add ice cubes. Top with a cherry. ORANGE JUICE SMOOTHIE ✼✼ 1/3 cup orange juice ½ cup water ½ cup milk ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ tsp. vanilla 5 to 6 ice cubes Blend all ingredients in a blender on high speed for 30 seconds. Serve immediately. CHOCOLATE MILK SHAKE ✼✼ 2 cups milk 2 scoops vanilla ice cream ¼ cup chocolate syrup Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend on medium speed until mixture is well blended. Pour milk shake into a tall glass and enjoy! © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 2 BREAKFAST FRENCH TOAST ✼✼ 2 eggs ½ cup milk 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar Cinnamon Bread (thick slices work best) Beat eggs and mix milk, sugar and cinnamon together. Dip bread into batter. Place on a hot griddle and cook until both sides are slightly browned. Serve with syrup or powdered sugar. GRANDMA JUDY’S EGGS ✼✼ 6 eggs 2 slices of American Cheese 1 tsp. butter 2 Tbsp. milk (optional) Break eggs into a bowl. Whip until fully beaten. Add milk, if desired and mix. Place butter into a skillet. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add eggs. Cook until eggs are firm, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and place cheese slices on top of the eggs. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts. For variety, add chopped onions, mushrooms, or cooked cubed ham. CRANBERRY MUFFINS ✼✼ 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt ½ cup fresh cranberries, chopped 1 cup milk ¼ cup cooking oil 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 Tbsp. orange zest Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 14 muffin cups or use liners. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar, orange zest and cranberries. Toss lightly to combine. Mix milk, oil and egg. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until creamy. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 3 COFFEE CAKE ✼✼ 1 cup pancake mix ½ cup granulated sugar 1 egg ½ cup milk 3 tsp. cooking oil ¼ cup brown sugar ½ tsp. cinnamon Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8" cake pan. In large bowl, stir pancake mix and sugar. Add egg, milk and salad oil. Mix until smooth. Pour into cake pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together, stirring until all the lumps are out. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the cake. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Cut and serve while hot. PAPA’S EGGS IN A BASKET ✼✼ 1 slice of bread 1 egg 1 tsp. butter Melt butter in a skillet. Take one slice of bread and cut a hole in the middle using a glass or cookie cutter. Place bread in the skillet. Crack egg into the center of the slice of bread and cook until egg is cooked through. PINEAPPLE MUFFINS ✼✼ 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 cup pineapple 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 3 tsp. baking powder ¼ cup shortening Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat eggs and add sugar. Combine pineapple. Sift in all dry ingredients. Gently blend in shortening. Blend until all ingredients are smooth. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 4 SOUPS MINESTRONE SOUP ✼✼✼ 1 can (46 oz.) tomato juice 4 cups water 5 cubes beef bouillon 3 cups shredded cabbage 3 cups zucchini squash, sliced ½ cup canned green beans ½ cup celery, chopped ½ cup green pepper, chopped 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 4 tsp. dry minced onion 1 tsp. Italian seasoning Garlic powder, to taste Combine all ingredients in a large stew pot and simmer at least one hour. Serve hot. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. CHICKEN SOUP ✼✼✼ 4 chicken breasts, with ribs attached 1 large onion, chopped 1½ cups carrots, chopped 1½ cups celery, chopped 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. ketchup 3 celery stalks with leaves attached, chopped 6 cups water 4 to 6 cubes chicken bouillon ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp. dried parsley Salt & pepper, to taste Hot sauce, to taste In a large stockpot place chicken breasts, celery stalks with leaves, onion, salt & pepper, parsley and garlic. Add water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1½ hours. Remove chicken and discard skin and bones. Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces. Skim fat off the top of the stock. Combine chicken pieces, carrots, chopped celery, ketchup, chicken bouillon cubes and hot sauce in with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 5 SALADS PISTACHIO SALAD ✼ 1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant Pistachio pudding 1 can (14 oz.) crushed pineapple, including syrup 2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip, softened ½ cup chopped nuts (optional) Mix all ingredients, folding in the Cool Whip last. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. Maraschino cherries and coconut can be added for variety. CUCUMBER SALAD ✼✼ 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup milk Salt & pepper Let cucumbers soak in a mixture of 1 tablespoon salt and 2 cups of cold water for an hour. Drain water from cucumbers. Combine mayonnaise and milk and stir until creamy. Mix cucumbers with mayonnaise mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. TUNA SALAD SANDWICH ✼✼ ¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated 1 can (6 oz.) tuna (or crab or cooked chicken) 2 Tbsp. green onions, sliced 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. celery, chopped fine Dash of Worcestershire Dash of lemon juice Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread mixture on 2 slices of toast (sourdough or French bread works best). Broil until cheese melts. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 6 SIDE DISHES GREEN BEAN BAKE ✼✼ 1 can (10¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup ½ cup milk 4 cups green beans, freshly cooked or canned 1 can (2.8 oz.) French-fried onions, divided Dash pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 350 °F. In a 6” x 10” glass baking dish combine soup, milk and pepper. Stir in green beans and ½ can of onions. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 30 minutes. Top with remaining onions and bake 5 minutes more. BAKED POTATOES ✼✼ Medium baking potatoes Sour cream (optional) Bacon bits (optional) Grated cheese (optional) Preheat oven to 450ºF. Scrub potatoes and peel off any dark spots. Bake at 450ºF for 1 hour. To test if the center is done, take a fork and poke it in the middle of the potato. It should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Top with sour cream, bacon bits and grated cheese if desired. ZUCCHINI & MOZZARELLA ✼✼✼ 4 zucchini, washed and cut lengthwise 1 onion, chopped 1 pkg. (6 oz.) mozzarella cheese slices 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce Italian seasoning 2 Tbsp. olive oil Lightly sauté onion in olive oil. Remove onions from skillet and set aside. Lightly sauté both sides of zucchini in skillet, adding more olive oil if needed. Once the zucchini has been sautéed, place them with the cut side up in the skillet. Lightly sprinkle with Italian seasoning; add a layer of sautéed onions, a layer of tomato sauce, and a slice of mozzarella cheese on top. Simmer on a low heat until zucchini is tender. © 2000 I CAN COOK, a product of Judy’s Girls Enterprise. All Rights Reserved. 7