34 - Wednesday, February 1, 1989 -

North Shore News

F’ooD

Make hot soup for cold nights

IF IT hadn’t been pouring rain mixed with snow and darker outside than the inside of a cow, I’d never have invented

this soup recipe.

Rather than struggle through the murk to the grocery store, | took stock of my cupboards and decid- ed to make do with what I had — which wasn’t much. Two rather largish broccoli stalks, an onion, a tin of chicken broth and plenty of milk.

budget beaters

Barbara McCreadie

ee

I] assumed that my big block of cheddar cheese was intact, discovering too late that the mice had raided the fridge.

That’s how I ended up using the secret ingredients in the recipe — Cheez Whiz and a tiny square of

“Old Nippy’’ that the ‘‘mice”’ overlooked.

I'd keep that to myself if making this soup for any gourmets you might be entertaining but it makes the richest, creamiest Broccoli and Cheese Soup I’ve ever made. Try it!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup 2 big heads broccoli 1 medium onion 1 tin chicken broth % cap butter % cup flour 2 cups milk 1 cap Cheez Whiz 1 inch square ‘‘Old Nippy”’ seasoned salt

Chop broccoli and onion into chunks. Cook until quite soft in. chicken broth. Buzz in blender un- til smooth.

In same pot, melt butter and stir in flour. Add milk and simmer, stirring until thick and smooth.

Stir in broccoli mixture. When heated, add Cheez Whiz and crumbled ‘Old Nippy’’. Heat, stirring, until smooth. Season.

This takes no more than 20 minutes to make.

** eft

Everyone has a collection of stuffed mushroom recipes, but one of my daughters and I came up with this one last week.

i'd planned a big Sunday dinner, expecting at jeast eight diners. ! had a roast of beef that looked like an ox in the oven and piles of vegetables waiting to be prepared.

Then came the quit list.

Brian: ‘‘Forgot to tell you J’m going to the hockey game at six."’

Two kids: ‘‘Sorry mom, we're stuck in Squamish."*

Another kid: ‘‘Horse trouble — got to goto the barn.”

By the time one daughter ap- peared there were just the two of us — and the ox.

We kicked around the idea of deserting the ox and heading for a restaurant, but daughter decided that she came for Sunday dinner and bygawd we'd have one.

The mushrooms had been in- tended for the gravy, but with just two we could stuff them.

Here's what we came up with:

Salami-Stuffed Mushrooms

8 mushrooms — about 14-inch (remove stems and reserve)

2 tablespoons grated onion

2-3 tablespoons butter

% cup salami, finedly diced

Y cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

¥ tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Y2 teaspcsn mixed dried Italian herbs

Set mushroom caps in oven- proof dish (pie plate). Finely dice stems. Melt butter and saute stems and onion until limp. Add remain- ing ingredients.

If mixture is a bit dry, add a bit more butter. Mound the stuffing on caps and bake at 350F about I5 minutes or until stuffing is brown-. ed and caps are tender.

Serves two.

ws et

A young reader phoned me the other day with the age-old ques- tion: ‘tHow do you plan a meal and get it all on the table, hot, at the same time?’’

She had rashiy invited her entire

family for dinner at her new apartment and had promised them a traditional meal — roast and trimmings.

Here are some of the hints [ passed along: © Set your table and get all your serving dishes and cutlery assembl- ed the night before. Remember to check salt shakers! * Write down your menu and make a grocery list. Shop a day or two ahead. * Choose a roast that can't be spoiled by overcooking such as pork, or beef pot roast. © Cook the meat so that it will be seady a couple of hours before your guests arrive. Carve and place on an oven-proof platter. Refrigerate. © Make gravy and refrigerate. © Plan to serve vegetable casseroles that can be made ahead, refrigerated and heated just before

day and submerge in coid water. These are the only last-minute items to be prepared.

eEither buy your dessert or prepare it the day before.

@An hour before serving, pop your vegetable casseroles into the oven.

eA half hour before serving, put your meat into the oven, heat your gravy on a back burner on “‘sim- mer” and boil your potatoes.

*Get your sister to arrange the meat and vegetables on the table while you mash the potatoes.

* Always include a bit of special! stuff such as a pretty bowlful of relish and a tray of raw vegetables. © Use all the volunteer labor you can get — get dad to pour the wine, a brother to help clear the table and the cat to clean up the leftovers.

© Always make a bit more than you think you'll need, especially

serving. gravy.

® Peel your potatoes early in the

At this low price, they won’t last long, so

hurry in and get your hands ona pair of

comfy, pre-washed GWG Scrubbies!

Sizes 28-46.

NORTH VANCOUVER Bu

RNABY CAPILANO MALL LOUGHEED MALL A

923 Marine Drive North Vancouver 988-6317 ¥ w.

BEST BUYS:

Price is just the beginning.

then Red. 422-1221

STONG’S: Fryers, 89¢ Ib.; fryer legs, $1.29 Ib.; breasts, $2.49 Ib.: Sunrype apple or apple-lime juice, IL, 97¢; broccoli, 49¢ Ib.; Emperor grapes, 69¢ Ib.

SUPER VALU: Ducklings, 98¢ tb.; pork steak, $1.69 Ib.; bulk sausages, 4 varieties, $1.59 Ib.; bacon $1.48 [b.; Olympic bulk wieners, 88¢ ib.; pork loin chops, $1.49 1b.; flour, white, Dutch Oven, 10 kg, $3.97 with $25 order, limit 1; Ovenfresh bread, 4 pack, $1.99; mushrooms, $1.88 Ib. SAFEWAY/WOODWARD’S: Smoked picnics, 89¢ Ib.; beef liver, 88¢ Ib.; Fletcher’s bacon $2.29; bulk wieners, 99¢ Ib.; French bread, 99¢; Town House apple juice, 1 L, 78¢; mushrooms, $1.78 Ib.; Rec grapes, 78¢ Ib. WW brands, Park Royal only: bacon, $1.98; frozen orange juice, 355 mi, 99¢; white rice, 900 gm., 99¢. SAVE-ON-FOODS: Beef liver, 67¢ Ib.; Close-Up toothpaste. 100 mL, 88¢; Kraft peanut butter, 1 K, $2.88.

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