Welcome to My Kitchen

Food and fellowship, the two go together, belong together. The times make it difficult to combine the two. Recipes and the sharing of family favorites or the newest recipe combos from various publications, is one way for friends and loved ones to connect.

This year, those on my Christmas card list will be receiving a recycled Christmas card. I will write a favorite recipe I think they may like on the back side of the pretty card cover. Some of my most loved recipes are those handwritten by family members and friends.

Cindy Bell, former Odessa resident, gave me the recipe for Zucchini Rolls included in my meal plans following Thanksgiving. Making them bigger and flattened like a hamburger bun, they turned out perfect for turkey sandwiches. Frozen zucchini works well in this recipe, so in summer I make and freeze, cooked and mashed zucchini especially for this recipe. If you only have grated or cubed, just cook till soft and mash.

Zucchini Rolls

1 cup cooked and mashed zucchini

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or shortening

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water, (110 degrees)

5 cups all-purpose flour

In a saucepan, combine squash, sugar, salt, butter and milk. Heat over medium, stirring often until butter is melted and mixture is 110 degrees. Meanwhile, place warm water in a large mixing bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand a few minutes while squash mixture heats.

Stir squash mixture into dissolved yeast, then stir in the flour all at once, mixing well. The dough will be soft. Let rise in the bowl until double in bulk.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Shape into rolls and place on grease baking sheets. Let rise again until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Yield: 24 dinner rolls or 12 hamburger size rolls.

Another recipe from friends of Teresa Stone, daughter of the late Mildred Deife is Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chowder. Nancy Hawkins sent this savory recipe. This can be made gluten and dairy free if you like.

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chowder

1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped in bite size pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium onion chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free blend

2 cans (15 ounces each) vegetable or chicken broth

1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk or whole milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped cauliflower and garlic cloves on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until well coated. Place in oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring once. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large kettle, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finely chop the roasted garlic and add to the kettle with the roasted cauliflower, bay leaf and thyme. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir. Cook until flour disappears. Pour in vegetable broth and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the milk and shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and chowder is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Yield: about 1 gallon chowder.

Note: omit cheese if you want dairy free. Also, I always line the baking sheet with foil to prevent garlic flavor from permeating the pan.

Barbara Walter shared her recipe for Pumpkin Cookies. She showed a picture of these cookies on Facebook and many requested the recipe.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugars, butter, egg and vanilla and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir in pumpkin mixture and chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough by spoonsful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 20 minutes until lightly browned and firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen, depending on size.

Kitchen tips can help make meal preparation easier. I recently came across one for reusing Parmesan cheese containers/shakers. Wash the empty containers thoroughly and dry completely. Use them to hold flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar or anything you want to shake gradually into a recipe while preparing.

Another use could be dispensing snacks like nuts or other small items using the spoon dipping side of the shaker. Additionally, many of the lids fit regular mason jars if you prefer glass. This could make a fun container for candied or spiced nuts for gift giving.

Share your favorite winter and Christmas recipes with your fellow readers. We all need encouragement and helpful hints this year. Tips for mailing baked goods, containers to use and hints that will help those new to mailing gifts from the kitchen would be appreciated by readers.

– Send your recipes and tips to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email the record@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Follow Welcome to My Kitchen on Facebook for tips and ideas I run out of room for in this bi-weekly column. If you are putting up a fresh cut Christmas Tree this year be sure to saw a bit from the trunk then keep it in water to maintain freshness.