5-ounce package of fresh baby spinach, chopped
10-ounce pkg. grated (matchstick) carrots
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp – 2 tsp depending on how spicy you like it)

Dump all the ingredients in a large soup pot, bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy. This makes a very large pot of soup. A great vegetarian dish.

Brown Velvet Cake

I saw this recipe in a 1952 cookbook from the “Ladies of the three Methodist churches on Dunkinsville (Ohio) charge – Dunkinsville, Jacksonville and Cedar Mills” – my father’s first pastorate while he was attending college.  When I made the cake I made a few changes to make it simpler. There was a butterscotch icing recipe that accompanied this recipe, but I changed it, too. I added a little cocoa, decreased the sugar (hard to believe considering the amount of sugar in this cake & icing), used butter instead of shortening - and changed the name to “Brown Velvet Icing”  The cake is very good – but very sweet. 

Cream together the brown sugar and shortening.  Add the sour cream and ½ cup water and mix well.  Add 2 well beaten egg yolks.  Combine cocoa with the hot water to make a paste and add.  Mix together flour, salt and soda and combine with the other ingredients.  Last, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites to which vanilla has been added.  Pour into 2 layer pans and bake 30 minutes at 350 degree oven.   Be careful not to overcook.

Coconut-Lemon Cake

Coconut-Lemon Cake

Direction for the Cake
1 Duncan Hines Butter Recipe yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sour cream

Mix the cake according to the directions on the box. Add the sour cream to the batter and mix well. Divide the batter evening between three cake pans. Bake according to the box directions.

Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
3 egg yolks lightly beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons of butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch in double boiler, stir in boiling water stirring until sugar and cornstarch dissolve , then gradually stir in beaten egg yolks stirring constantly, stir in lemon juice and zest and butter and cook til thickened. remove from heat cool stirring occasionally. When cool put between layers and on top of cake.

Coconut Frosting
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut (divided)

In a mixing bowl, combine the Cool Whip, powdered sugar, sour cream and 1 cup of the coconut.
Cover the cake with the coconut frosting on sides and top of cake leaving small amount of lemon filling showing on top of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on the sides and top of the cake.

Creamed Chicken on Cornbread

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups light cream (half and half)
2 cups milk
4 cups chicken (cooked and chopped)
8 oz. can mushroom pieces, drained
3 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
1/4 cup sherry
1 pkg. frozen peas (optional)(or one can of peas)
salt and pepper to taste
Corn meal muffins or sticks

Melt butter. Add flour and salt; cook until bubbly. Add chicken broth. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Add cream and milk. Simmer 30 minutes. When ready to serve, add the other ingredients and heat thoroughly.

Serve over corn meal muffins. Yield 6 to 7 servings.

Poppy Seed Chicken

2 sticks margarine or butter, melted
3/4 lbs. Ritz crackers, crushed (3 sleeves)
1 50-ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
5 Tablespoons poppy seeds
8 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
2 cups milk

Mis the margarine/buter, 3 tablespoons poppy seeds and 2 sleeves Ritz crackers together and press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Layer chicken on top of crust. Combine soup, milk, sour cream and 2 tablespoons poppy seeds. Mix well. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle remaining crackers over mixture. Bake 45 minutes at 300 degrees until slightly browned on top. Serve over rice.

Pork Tenderloin With Cranberry Relish

1 oven bag - large size
2 Tablespoons flour
1 can jellied or whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 3/4 pound pork tenderloins

Preheat oen to 350. Place oven bag in 9 x 13 dish. Add flour to oven bag. Twist end of bag and shake to coat. Add cranberry sauce, cranberries, brownsugar, vinegar and ginger to oven bag. Squeeze bag to blend ingredients. Add the pork tenderloins, turning to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Close the bag with a tie. Cut six 1/2 inch slits in top of bag. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Combine the above ingredients and pour into a baking dish. Follow the directions below for the topping:

Topping Ingredients
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cuup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flour

Mix topping ingredients well and sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing

5 skiness and boneless chicken breast halves
1 9×9 pan of cornbread, baked, cooked and crumbled
9 slices of day old bread, torn into small pieces
4 eggs, beaten,
1 onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
2 Tablespoons margarine

Boil chicken, cook and chop into small pieces. In a crock pot, stir together the chicken, cornbread, bread, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, chicken broth and chicken soup. Stir until well blended. Dot with margarine.

Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove lid and fluff with fork. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Cabbie’s Meat Loaf

Cabbie’s Meatloaf
3 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I use no more than 4% fat)
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced peppers (any combination of red, yellow and green peppers)
3 tablespoons finely diced parsley
2 stalks celery, finely diced
4 eggs
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
bread crumbs (approximately 3 cups - I save hamburger buns, rolls and the heels from loaves of bread in the freezer - and then take them out to use when I make meatloaf. If you use commercially prepared bread crumbs, use less since commercial crumbs are so fine. I prefer larger pieces of bread crumbs in my meatloaf.)

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Diced vegetables ready to be mixed with the other ingredients

Mix well - using your hands. (I always put gloves on for this step).

Put those hands to work! Using a spoon just doesn’t work as well!

Form the mixture into three meatloaves. To bake, cook for each loaf for approximately 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

This recipe makes three meatloaves. Each loaf will provide 4 generous servings.

If you’re freezing the loaves, wrap them in aluminum foil and mark with the date. I keep a Sharpie in a kitchen drawer for this purpose.

This is a great meal to free for make ahead meals. Take one out of the freezer in the morning, place in the refrigerator to defrost while you’re at work. Then when you get home, just pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately an hour.

I usually make a tomato sauce to serve over the meatloaf. Here’s the recipe for my tomoto sauce:

Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf

1 large can petite diced tomotoes
1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
salt/pepper to taste
1 small can tomato sauce

Mix all ingredients well. Bring to a boil in a small saucepans. Simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon over meatloaf before serving.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Cabbie’s Homemade Chicken Soup

1 pkg chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, approx. 1 lb.)
1 pkg. chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, approx. 1 lb.)
salt, pepper, poultlry seasoning - to taste
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced bell peppers (any comibination of red, yellow, green)
2 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, grated or diced
3 tablespoons diced parsley
3 tablespoons corn starch
a few drops of yellow food coloring

Put two quarts of water in a large stock pot and set on high heat. Add the diced onion, bell peppers, celery, carrots and parsley. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, to taste (approx. 1 Tablespoon each).

Add the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Add chicken to the pot of boiling veggies

Remove the chicken with tongs and place on a plate to cool. Once the chicken is cool, chop it finely and add it back into the pot.

In a small bowl mix the corn starch with 1/2 cup water. Stir until dissolved and add to the soup mixture. Add the yellow food coloring and stir well. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Simmer for 30 minutes and ENJOY!

If the soup is too thick, you can add chicken stock. You can include other vegetables, as desired - corn, beans, peas, tomatoes. You can also add some noodles or rice.