Feed Your Family for Pennies a Plate

EAT WELL economically at today’s prices? Our readers and field editors show you how. The frugal yet flavorful meal here is from three terrific cooks who estimate the total cost at less than $2.00 per setting. From Marie R. of Gardner, Massachusetts, Stuffed Cube Steaks turn an inexpensive cut into a satisfying main dish. Sweet Peas and Mushrooms, recommended by field editor Wendy M. of Grand Valley, Ontario, is a special yet simple vegetable dish. Fresh Peach Cobbler is a classic dessert shared by Pat K. of Morrill, Nebraska.

STUFFED CUBE STEAKS

• 8 cube steaks (about 2 pounds)
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup French salad dressing
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon browning sauce, optional

Pound steaks to 1/4-in. thickness. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Spoon salad dressing over steaks. Cover and chill for 1 hour. In a saucepan, combine vegetables, broth and remaining salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Spoon 1/4 cup vegetable mixture onto each steak; roll up and secure with toothpicks. In a large nonstick skillet, brown meat rolls in oil. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove with a slotted spoon; keep warm. Combine cornstarch and reserved cooking liquid until smooth; stir into pan drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add browning sauce if desired. Remove toothpicks from meat rolls; pour sauce over and serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

SWEET PEAS AND MUSHROOMS

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen peas
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper

Cook peas according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper and peas. Cover and cook until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.

FRESH PEACH COBBLER

• 2 large peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup milk

In a bowl, combine peaches and 3/4 cup sugar; set aside. Pour butter into an 8-in. square baking pan. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and remaining sugar; stir in milk just until combined. Pour over butter. Top with the peaches. Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.

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Pantry Pointers Make A Tasty Difference

CREATIVE COOKS know how to perk up pantry items with extra touches that make them taste “homemade” or use convenience foods in unexpected ways to hurry along the preparation of a meal. Here are some family-tested suggestions from busy readers:

Memorable Main Dishes
• “I crush butter-flavored crackers very finely and use them to coat chicken or fish fillets before frying,” shares Anne R. of Roselle, New Jersey. “The coating is delicious and eliminates the need for salt. To spark up the taste, on occasion I add a little seafood seasoning or some salt-free seasoning blend to the crumbs,” she suggests.

• “I add a can of chili with beans to homemade vegetable soup instead of shredded or ground beef,” says Kay M. of Greenville, South Carolina. “It’s a quick, inexpensive way to add spice (and protein) to the soup. It slightly thickens it, too.”

• “To make an excellent glaze for chicken, turkey or pork, I combine half a cup of whatever jelly or jam I have on hand with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard,” shares Isabel K. of Longville, Minnesota. “Apricot jam and red currant jelly work well. If the spread is on the tart side (like orange marmalade), I add some brown sugar. Then I just brush this glaze on the meat before it goes in the oven.”

Special Salads
• When making potato salad, Luella P. of St. Edward, Nebraska stirs a teaspoon of horseradish into the dressing before tossing with the potatoes. “It gives it a little more zing,” she says.

• “When I make ham salad, I throw a few chunks of pineapple in the food processor along with the other ingredients. It adds a hint of sweetness,” remarks Lois B. of Indianola, Iowa.

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Get Creative With Cottage Cheese

WONDERFUL recipes from field editors confirm the fact that cottage cheese is convenient, nutritious and versatile!

CONFETTI COTTAGE SALAD

Kelly T. of La Parte, Indiana suggests, “This pretty salad is a snap to fix and has a pleasant crunch.”

• 1 carton (24 ounces) small-curd cottage cheese
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 small sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 small sweet yellow pepper, diced
• 2 green onions with tops, sliced
• 1/3 cup sunflower kernels, toasted

In a bowl, combine all ingredients; toss lightly. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One 3/4-cup serving (prepared with fat-free cottage cheese and unsalted sunflower kernels) equals 102 calories, 305 mg sodium, 7 mg cholesterol, 7 gm carbohydrate, 11 gm protein, 3 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 vegetable, 1 lean meat.

CRUSTLESS CHEESE QUICHE

Olives and zesty chilies add dash to the rich flavor of a pie shared by Beverly G. of Candler, North Carolina. With no crust, it’s easy to prepare.

• 2 cups small-curd cottage cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chopped tomatoes
• Additional chopped olives

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the cheese mixture and mix well. Transfer to a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Garnish with tomatoes and olives. Yield: 6-8 servings.

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Home Economists Share Tasty Tidbits

HERE ARE some helpful hints shared by our friendly kitchen staff:

• The peak season for fresh peaches is June through September. However, if you can’t find fresh peaches, you can always substitute frozen peaches (thawed and drained) or well-drained canned peaches in equal amounts for fresh peaches. One pound of frozen or canned peaches is equal to approximately three medium peaches. Three medium peaches will produce about 3 cups sliced or 2-1/4 cups chopped peaches. If you use canned peaches, save the syrup to serve over waffles and pancakes or blend it with ice cream for a delicious shake.

• When substituting a glass baking dish in a recipe calling for a metal baking pan, lower the oven temperature by 25° to avoid overbaking and overbrowning. In all Taste of Home recipes, “baking dish” refers to glass and “baking pan” to metal.

• When lemons are in season or you have extra lemons on hand, juice them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Measure 1 or 2 tablespoons of juice into each compartment in your ice cube tray. When frozen, remove the cubes and place them in resealable freezer bags. It’s great to have the lemon juice already measured when you’re in a hurry! Also, keep lemon and orange extracts on your pantry shelf to use when you don’t have fresh citrus peel. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon peel, substitute 1/2 teaspoon extract. Add the extract with the rest of the liquid ingredients in the recipe. When you have fresh oranges and lemons, grate all of the peel and freeze it for later.

• Sorghum is a dark, sugary and pungent syrup made by boiling the sweet juice from the stalks of the sorghum plant. It is often substituted in equal amounts for molasses in baked goods or used as a table syrup for waffles and pancakes.

• When using fresh rosemary in recipes, use a kitchen shears to snip each needle-like leaf into smaller pieces. Dried rosemary can be crushed with a mortar and pestle, chopped with a knife on a cutting board or coarsely crushed in the palm of your hand.

• When you don’t have time to bake zucchini bread, freeze shredded zucchini to use later. First steam the shredded zucchini for 1 to 2 minutes or until translucent, then drain well. Pack in measured amounts into freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top, or in heavy-duty resealable bags. Cool, seal and freeze.

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Looking For Lighter Fare?

SEARCHING for a low-fat dessert for her chocolate-loving family, Karen Y. of Bremerton, Washington came up with these sweet squares.

FUDGY BROWNIE DESSERT

Plan ahead—needs to chill

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated skim milk
• Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs
  
• BROWNIE CRUST:
• 1-1/4 cups baking cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Egg substitute equivalent to 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen light whipped topping, thawed

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and cocoa. Stir in the milk until smooth. Cook and stir over low heat just until boiling. Remove from the heat; stir a small amount into egg substitute. Return all to pan; cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Refrigerate. Meanwhile, for crust, combine cocoa, sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Combine applesauce, egg substitute, oil and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a mixing bowl, beat the chilled chocolate mixture until light. Fold in whipped topping; carefully spread over crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Yield: 15 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 220 calories, 106 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol, 33 gm carbohydrate, 7 gm protein, 8 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.

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Choose, Use the Right Herbs

HERE’S a handy list of common herbs and how to use them.

• Basil: Licorice-like flavor is good in tomato, pasta, meat and vegetable dishes as well as dips, soups and salads; a traditional ingredient in pesto.

• Chives: Mild onion flavor complements many savory dishes; often snipped and sprinkled as garnish.

• Mint: Refreshing addition to desserts, fruit dishes and beverages; makes a pretty garnish.

• Oregano: Peppery flavor is common in pizza and pasta sauces; often used to season meats, soups, stews and chili.

• Parsley: Peps up salads, sauces and soups; also a popular garnish.

• Rosemary: Somewhat piney flavor is popular with roasted meats; also complements cheese and tomato-based sauces.

• Sage: Camphor-like flavor is good with pork and other meat dishes plus soups.

• Tarragon: Mild licorice-like flavor seasons chicken, fish, egg and cheese recipes as well as salad dressings and creamy sauces.

• Thyme: Rich, earthy taste complements stuffing, soups, stews, beef, chicken, fish and vegetables.

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