Taste of Home Newsletter - July 2001

Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from the Taste of Home Test Kitchen! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which combines tasty recipes, time-saving shortcuts and a blushing "kitchen blooper". Read on and you'll discover...

> A Complete Meal In Minutes
> Shortcuts Worth Sharing
> Just Desserts
> Time Out for Food Fun!
> Size up a "Small Fry" Skillet

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A Complete Meal In Minutes
ON warm summer days, even folks who love to cook may want to spend less time in the kitchen. Since fresh air builds appetites, a fast-to-fix, nutritious meal that satisfies is especially appropriate.
The complete-meal menu here is made up of favorites from three great cooks and combined in our Test Kitchen. You can have everything ready to serve in about half an hour!
> Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers is shared by Ginger H. of El Dorado, Arkansas. With fresh garden peppers and onion, this dish is not only quick, but can be economical, too.
> Poppy Seed French Bread comes from Ruth A. of Leavenworth, Washington. These delicious slices bake up crisp with a poppy seed and Parmesan cheese coating.
> Strawberry Delight is a cool and creamy dessert from Lyons, Georgia's Suzanne M., who notes that she sometimes substitutes other berries.

To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=4

SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium green peppers, thinly sliced
2 medium sweet red peppers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes with liquid
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 to 8 drops hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 package (12 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained

In a Dutch oven, brown sausage. Add peppers and onion; saute for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until the vegetables are tender. Combine broth and cornstarch; add to sausage mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Add spaghetti; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: 6-8 servings.

POPPY SEED FRENCH BREAD
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
8 slices French bread (1 inch thick)

Combine butter, Parmesan cheese and poppy seeds; spread on both sides of each piece of bread. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes, turning once. Yield: 6-8 servings.

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT
2 cups frozen whole strawberries, thawed
Red food coloring, optional
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted

In a mixing bowl, crush strawberries. Add food coloring if desired. Beat in pudding mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into crust; sprinkle with coconut. Chill until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings.

To view a photo of the menu above, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=4

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Shortcuts Worth Sharing
THIS regular feature gives readers a chance to share their favorite kitchen tips and household hints.

> To easily clean the grate on your charcoal grill, try this trick: After you finish grilling your dinner and the fire is still going, place a sheet of aluminum foil shiny side down on the grate. Leave it for 5 minutes. When you remove the foil, the meat particles left on the grate will be ashes that are easily brushed off.
--I. L. E., Shreveport, Louisiana

> To roast marshmallows without burning the outside, dip them in water and roast them while they're still wet. The inside will be soft by the time the outside is golden brown.
--Carl B., Globe, Arizona

> When measuring teaspoons or tablespoons of shortening, butter or margarine into other ingredients, drop each spoonful in a different spot in the bowl. It's easy to keep track of how many you've added if you get interrupted.
--Gloria N., McCall, Idaho

> To speed up peeling and cutting vegetables, wear a rubber thumb cover (purchased from the nearest stationery store). You can work a lot faster when you're not worried about slicing into your thumb.
--Bettie F., Escondido, California

> Prepare a batch of ice cubes using lemonade instead of water and use them in iced tea. You'll have cool, refreshing tea with wonderful lemon flavor.
--La Vonne L. Princeton, Minnesota

> For fast pizza, use flour tortillas for the crust. Top with prepared pizza sauce, shredded cheese and other ingredients like green pepper, onion or olives and bake for about 10 minutes at 475 degrees.
--Linda S., Cushing, Oklahoma

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Just Desserts
SWEET SUMMERTIME calls for fruity, refreshing desserts like these luscious pies from readers and field editors. What better way to end a warm-weather meal?

To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=5

FOUR-FRUIT PIE
"My husband likes this fruity combination almost as much as traditional apple pie," says field editor Joan R. of Langley, British Columbia."

1 cup sliced rhubarb (1-inch pieces)
1 cup chopped peeled apple
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Additional sugar, optional

In a large bowl, gently toss rhubarb, apple, berries and lemon juice. Combine sugar and flour; stir into the fruit and let stand for 30 minutes. Line a pie plate with bottom crust. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in top. Place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

STRAWBERRY-PECAN PIE
Relates Becky D. of Leming, Texas, "I stock up on locally grown berries for treats like this pie, which pairs them with pecans."

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup chopped pecans
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add strawberries and pecans; toss gently. Line pie plate with bottom crust. Add filling; dot with butter. Top with a lattice crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Yield: 6-8 servings.

SUNSHINE ICE CREAM PIE
Bonnie P. of Moravia, Iowa shares this pretty, easy-to-make frozen dessert. "Many people tell me it tastes like the Dreamsicles they loved as children."

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 graham cracker crust (8 or 9 inches)
1 pint orange sherbert, softened
2 cups whipped topping
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
2 tablespoons coconut, toasted

Spread ice cream into the crust; spread sherbert over ice cream. Freeze for at least 3 hours. Top with whipped topping. Cover and freeze. Thirty minutes before serving, remove pie from the freezer; arrange oranges on top and sprinkle with coconut. Yield: 6-8 servings.

To view a photo of the treats above, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=5

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Time Out for Food Fun!
EVERY good cook needs a sense of humor, and this "kitchen blooper" should help stir up some laughter.
"In 1946 when my husband and I were first married, we lived in a converted army hut that had a coal and wood stove and a sink that ran only cold water," recalls Kay B. of Richmond, British Columbia.
"Among my wedding presents was a wonderful pressure cooker, which I used for almost every meal all year-round.
"One evening, I sauteed some beef and put the lid on the pressure cooker, allowing the pressure to build up while I prepared the vegetables for stew.
"When it was time to add the vegetables, I reduced the pressure, removed the lid and set it next to the sink.
"I added the vegetables and replaced the lid. Soon a rather unusual odor filled the air. By this time, the fire in the stove had died down, so I added some wood. In the process I got soot on my hands, so I turned to the sink to wash...but I couldn't find the soap.
"Could it have stuck to the lid when I set it near the sink? Reducing the pressure again, I removed the lid and looked in the pan. Sure enough, there was my soap simmering with the vegetables and meat. I had made soap stew!
"That night we had bacon and eggs for supper."

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Size up a "Small Fry" Skillet
HANDI-PAN electric skillet is small but talented. It does everything that a full-sized skillet can--just for fewer servings. It's ideal for eggs for one or two, hash browns, grilled cheese, hamburgers and more. Use it to saute onions or simmer stews. The 7-inch-square nonstick cooking surface (32-ounce capacity) has a tempered glass lid. Heat control from low to 425 degrees. Immersible after handle is detached. Measures 13"L x 5-l/2"H. 600 watts. Cast aluminum pan. Warranted. To order Handi-Pan Electric Skillet from Country Store On-Line for just $29.99, visit http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=5

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THIS NEWSLETTER is from the editors of America's most popular food magazines...

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BYE for now from the Taste of Home staff...see you next month!

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Copyright 2001 Reiman Publications. All rights reserved.