Recipes

This month�s recipes are from members of the Montana affiliate.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
by Dar Aldrich

Dar Aldrich moved to Billings three years ago when she married affiliate board member Jim Aldrich. Since that time she's held a number of offices in the Yellowstone Chapter. She likes to knit, stay in touch with friends, and read autobiographies. She started cooking at a young age and worked for a year in a small-town restaurant after high school. Now she tends toward simple recipes, and this is a tasty example.

Ingredients:
2 pounds stew meat
1 can French onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of mushroom halves, undrained
1 pound noodles, any shape
1 8-ounce carton sour cream

Method: Combine first four ingredients and cook in crockpot on high for four hours. If you wish, add the uncooked noodles with the other things so that they cook with the meat. Or you can add the noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained, and sour cream at the end and heat through.


Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
by Dan Burke

Dan Burke is president of the Montana affiliate and a member of the NFB board of directors. He works at the University of Montana's Disability Services for Students in Missoula and enjoys the outdoors, puttering around �his ramshackle house,� and reading poetry. This is a holiday favorite that he concocted himself and shares only with family and the closest of friends.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons maple or vanilla extract
1 pound can (2 cups cooked) pumpkin
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (or another 1/2 cup flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon each of any combination of three of the following: grated nutmeg, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, or ground cardamom
1 cup nuts, finely chopped (optional)
2 cups (half a bag) fresh cranberries (You can substitute frozen or dried cranberries.)

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-by-5-inch baking pans. Stir together flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, baking powder, spices, and nuts until thoroughly blended. Set aside. In a second bowl beat eggs until frothy; add oil, sugars, and maple or vanilla extract. Continue beating until mixture is thick and foamy. Add pumpkin and beat to incorporate. Gently stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture, just until blended. Then fold in cranberries. Spoon batter evenly into two pans. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.

Cornmeal Muffins
by Cindy Letcher

Cindy Letcher serves on the Montana board and has just moved to Missoula. She hails from the wild northwest corner of Montana and enjoys walking, hiking, swimming, camping, and spending time with family and friends. She graduated from BLIND, Inc., in Minnesota in August. These are two of the recipes she put together as part of her training program.

Ingredients:
2 cups cake or all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place rack in center position in oven. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk eggs. Add sugar to eggs, whisking vigorously for thirty seconds. Add melted butter by thirds, whisking in each addition. Add half the sour cream and milk and whisk. Add remainder of both and whisk well. Then pour wet ingredients into the dry. Mix gently with rubber spatula until just combined.

Divide batter among twelve buttered muffin cups or using paper liners in the muffin tins. Bake about eighteen minutes, until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for five minutes, then on rack for five minutes. Serve warm.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
by Cindy Letcher

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli (florets only)
1/2 head cauliflower, cut in bite-size pieces
10 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2/3 cup green grapes
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

Method: In large bowl combine broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, grapes, onions, and sunflower seeds. In small bowl combine Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar, mixing well. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate for up to eight hours. Best if used soon after mixing to maintain crispness.


Carrot Cake
by Beth Underwood

Beth Underwood lives in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana and is an officer in the Missoula Chapter. She is founder and director of Camp Eureka. A teacher by profession, she currently serves as education director of the Montana Conservation Science Institute. She enjoys hiking and backpacking with her husband Jack. She grew up on a farm in Michigan. This recipe is about fifty years old and comes from the kitchen of Wilma Hoover in Michigan, who loves to cook and create wholesome, delicious dishes.

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
Powdered milk, wheat germ, or nutritional yeast for added health benefits, optional

Method: Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together oil and sugar. Alternately beat in flour mixture and eggs. Blend together until smooth. Fold in grated carrots, chopped nuts, raisins, and undrained crushed pineapple. At this point you may also add powdered milk, wheat germ, or nutritional yeast.
Pour batter into a greased and floured ten-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for one hour and twenty-five minutes. Cool upright in pan on a rack. Remove from pan, slice in half or thirds horizontally, and spread one of the following icings on the top cut surfaces. Reassemble cake and frost top and sides.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
8 ounces cream cheese
About a pound powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method: Cream together all ingredients, using enough sugar to make mixture a good spreading consistency.

Ingredients for Orange Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method: Combine sugar, corn starch, and salt and mix well. Add juices and stir to dissolve completely. Add butter and zest. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick. Cool completely before frosting cake layers, top, and sides.

Sloppy Joes�Easy and Delicious
by Beth Underwood

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed (or garlic powder to taste)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup catsup
1 rib celery with leaves, optional

Method: Brown the ground beef and drain any fat. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until vegetables are done and mixture is of desired consistency for serving on buns.