The Chilis Are Plentiful This Year

We had quite a storm this week. I spent the whole day weeding and picking up tree branches in the garden. All of our tomato and pepper plants had been knocked over. I spent several hours getting everything standing up again. There were about a ton of chilis to pick, mostly Anaheims and yellow banana peppers (the hot kind). Soon we'll have a lot of poblano peppers. We had chili rellenos tonight, the kind made with egg roll wrappers, and black-eyed pea salsa. Here are some chili recipes.

Chili Rellenos Egg Rolls
12 large green chilis, Anaheims or Poblanos, roasted
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips
12 egg roll wrappers
1 beaten egg
Slit chili down one side and remove the seeds. Stuff each chili with a strip of cheese. Roll up the chili in an eggroll wrapper, sealing it with a dab of beaten egg. Fry until golden brown. Serve with salsa.

Here's an easy casserole version.

Chili Relleno Casserole
1/2 c. butter
1 pound green chilis, roasted
1 lb. Jack cheese, grated
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick
Melt butter in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange chiles in a layer in bottom of dish. Cover with cheese. Blend together milk, eggs, salt and Bisquick; pour over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa.

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained
3 jalapeno chilis, chopped fine
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 large tomatoes, seeded, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients and chill for several hours before serving.

More Recipes from My Mom's Recipe Box
Here are some party recipes Mama used a lot.

Cheddar Ha'pennies
1/2 pound grated cheddar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
3 tbsp French onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients and form into a roll 1 inch in diameter. Warp in foil and chill for 30 minutes. Slice thinly, place the slices on ungreased baking trays, and bake for 10 minutes at 190° until lightly browned. These will become bitter if they are browned for too long. Ha'pennies may be prepared 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Makes 6 1/2 dozen.

Cheese Puffs
3/4 cup melted butter
1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Liberal Dash of Tabasco Sauce
Combine the melted butter, cheese, flour, salt, paprika, and Tabasco. Stir it all together with a fork until it forms a dough similar to pie crust. Form the mixture into small balls about the size of a marble. Arrange them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or so. Makes between 50 and 60 balls.

Broccoli with Vinegar Sauce
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into spears, steamed until barely tender
Vinegar Sauce - Make the day before
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 small jar chopped pimento, drained
1 hard boiled egg, diced
1 tablespoon salt
Blend together sauce ingredients. Pour over brocooli to serve.

Honey Salad Dressing
2/3 cup sugar
teaspoon dry mustard
teaspoon paprika
teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup strained honey
tablespoon lemon juice
teaspoon onion juice
1 cup canola oil

Blend all ingredients in blender. This is good with a mixed greens and fruit salad. I like to put berries or manderine oranges in a mixed green salad.

Here's a fairly easy cake, but it's not what you'd call low- fat. It takes three sticks of butter!

Vanilla Wafer Cake
6 eggs
2 sticks butter
1 (7 oz) pkg. coconut
1 (12 oz) box vanilla wafers
4 oz. chopped dates
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup sweet milk
1 cup pecans
Cream together eggs sugar and butter. Add milk, coconut, nuts and crushed vanilla wafers. Mix well. Bake in greased and floured cake pan (either tube or 13 x 9 -inch pan ) at 350° F. for 50 to 60 minutes or until done.
Frosting
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together all frosting ingredients.
Mix well spread over cake.

Some Family Favorites

I've spent almost three weeks away from home, three sad weeks. My aunt died, and soon after the family gathered for her funeral my father became ill and died. It was a time for sharing memories. Our mother's cooking is one of our fondest memories. My brother has my mother's recipe cards. He let me borrow them, so I'll be posting some of her recipes in the next few weeks.

Broccoli-Rice Casserole
1 onion, diced
3 tbsp. butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 lb. finely shredded cheddar cheese ( Mama used Velveeta, but now we can get those wonderful super shredded cheeses that melt even better than Velveeta. I love the Mexican blends)
1 1/2 c. cooked rice

Saute onion in butter. Combine with remaining ingredients in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Prune Cake
Mother usually baked this in a large oblong pan, but it also works well in a Bundt pan.

1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup prunes, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons dark corn syrup
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour Bundt or tube pan. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine oil, eggs and 1 1/2 cup sugar. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
Add flour mixture, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. beat well after each addition. Stir in prunes, pecans and 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.
Pour into greased and floured bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Make large, deep holes in hot cake and pour topping in holes and on top of cake a little at a time, giving it time to soak in.

For the topping: In saucepan, over medium heat, cook butter, 3/4 cup buttermilk, corn syrup and 1 1/2 cup sugar until sugar and butter melt. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla and stir.

Frozen Fruit Salad

3 tablespoons finely chopped maraschino cherries
1 can (8 to 9 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 banana, ripe but still firm, chopped Place chopped cherries on paper towels to absorb moisture; set aside. Mix together the whipped cream, sugar, lemon juice, and salt; stir in pineapple, walnuts, and cherries. Stir in chopped banana. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature for a few minutes to soften just slightly.Serves 8 to 10.

Mexican Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small can (approximately 8 ounces) cream-style corn
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper (red and green both)
1 canned chopped chili peppers or 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh chili pepper (Jalapeno or a hotter variety)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and the baking soda. Stir to blend. In another bowl, combine the beaten eggs, buttermilk with oil, corn, onion, chopped pepper, and shredded cheese. Blend into the dry ingredients until moistened. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cornbread is browned.

Garlic Cheese Grits
I'm not a big fan of grits, but those who love grits love this dish.

4 cups water
1 cup quick grits
1 tsp. salt
6 oz roll garlic cheese
1 stick margarine
2 well beaten eggs

PreparationPreheat oven to 350°. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. In a large pan, bring water to a boil. Stir grits & salt into water & cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, margarine, & eggs. Pour into the casserole dish. Bake 40 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.