This Offbeat Life
New Economy Cooking
Backpacking by Bus

GUIDE LINES AND RECIPES
THIRD WEEK

Vermouth Chickenon Sunday is and old recipe I first got on the old Dinah Shore Show. It spread like wildfire. Everyone was making it for awhile. Then it went out of favor. Time to renew our acquaintance with it. Its good and its simple. Make extra and save the chicken and sauce for the Chicken and Ham Pot Pie. Recipe follows.

The Baked Pears --for this menu are a little different. The recipe uses canned pears not fresh so requires less preparation. Recipe follows.

On Monday the Spaghetti Casserole--is already in the freezer.

Tuesday--For the Chicken and Ham Pot Pie just combine the leftover chicken and sauce with the reserved cubed ham, add frozen peas and a cup of partially cook cubed potatoes. Place in a casserole and top with a pie crust or biscuits. Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees or until top is brown and insides bubbly.

The Coconut Cake is simply a yellow cake mix baked in a 9X12 pan. The frosting is Vanilla Buttercream with 1/2 almond extract added and coconut generously sprinkled on top. You can freeze half for a future meal.

Wednesday--You can find the recipes for this menu in a back issue of Get Lost Magazine.

Thursday--All's self explanatory except the Baked Bananas. Recipe follows.

Friday--Make Ahead Tune Bake. Recipe follows.

Saturday--Chop Suey. Recipe follows.

RECIPES

Vermouth Chicken

Make extra for the Chicken and Ham Pot Pie.

Mix together all but chicken parts, parmesan and almonds:

3 lbs chicken legs and thighs
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup vermouth or white wine
1 can drained sliced mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
5 oz pkg slivered almonds

Brown chicken parts and place in casserole. Sprinkle over part of almonds. Salt chicken. Pour sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Top with parmesan lightly sprinkled over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Baked Pears

1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Combine above ingredients in a saucepan.

1-1lb 13 oz. can pears, drain and save juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter

Add water to reserved pear juice to make 1 1/2 cups; stir liquid into sauce pan. Cook stirring constantly until thickened. Add lemon juice and butter. Quarter pears and place in a casserole. Pour sauce over pears and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream and grated orange zest

.
Baked Bananas

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
4 bananas

Cut bananas in two both crosswise and length wise. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon mixture. Dot with butter and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve with cream.

Make Ahead Tuna Bake

2-7 oz. cans tuna, drained
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1 can mushrooms
1 tsp salt, divided use
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
6 slices bread, crusts removed 6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp Worcestershirre
1/8 tsp Tabasco

Flake tuna in a bowl and add scallions, mushrooms,1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup cheese. Mix well. Butter a shallow 2 quart casserole. Arrange bread in baking dish. Spoon tuna mixture over bread. Beat eggs and milk, Worcestershire and Tabasco and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour over tuna and sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight. Leave at room temperature 1/2 hour before baking. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Chop Suey

1 lb cubed fresh pork
1 medium onion cut vertically in thin wedge
2 cups celery sliced 1/4 " thick, diagonally
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 tbsp. oil

Crisp chow mien noodles or rice.

Saute pork in large skillet in 1 tbsp oil until slightly brown. Add onions and about 1/4 cup water. Cook two minutes. Add celery with about 1/4 cup water and cook another two minutes. Add sauce (see below) and cook until thickened. Add bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute more.

Sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp sherry wine
Mix together and add to vegetables and meat.

Serve over crisp noodles or rice with additional soy sauce.

The unstoppable Martha "Stewart" Strom kicks culinary butt on request... what are your cooking and dining interests? Write to us!