Welcome to My Kitchen

Winter finally got here with weather perfect to keep us indoors testing recipes in the kitchen. Organizing my pantry at the first of the year unearthed a package of Trutana, Crave Cakes Pancake Mix. I had purchased this to try the chickpea based mix some time ago, but other cooking projects took precedence.

Chickpeas produce a gluten free, high protein flour, and this mix made some very light and moist pancakes. They take a bit longer to cook and the mix needs spreading in the pan as the batter is very thick, but the brown nicely and hold their shape.

Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes are a gluten free treat JoEllen Wollman served at a recent quilters meeting. She used a Namaste Brand, Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Mix, following the optional cupcake recipe on the package.

Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes

1 package Namaste Lemon Pound Cake Mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners and set aside.

Combine eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add melted butter and blend well. Add cake mix and combine until well blended. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

A Lemon Glaze is an option for adding to the cupcakes. Whisk together 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice until mixture is a glaze consistency and drizzle over cooled cupcakes. Yield: 12 cupcakes.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is another option given. This recipe would be good anytime a cream cheese frosting is desired.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Zest from one lemon

1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar in a large mixer bowl. Mix in half the lemon zest and the lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time until spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes and garnish with remaining lemon zest.

A can of shoestring beets was among my pantry finds. The intended recipe Beet Salad got made for a recent community potluck meal. The recipe is attributed to the late Alice Richardson. Alice often made this salad to serve at afternoon Hospital Auxiliary luncheons.

Beet Salad

1 package (3 ounces) each, Raspberry, Strawberry and Cherry gelatin

4 cups hot water

1/2 cup sweet pickle juice

1 can (15 ounces) shoestring beets, drained

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drainedTopping:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped celery

Dissolve gelatin in the hot water. When dissolved add the sweet pickle juice and chill until almost thickened.

Stir in the drained beets and pineapple and spread mixture in a 13 x 9-inch glass pan and chill until firm.

Just before serving, combine topping ingredients and spread over surface of gelatin mixture. Cut into squares to serve. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Note: Alice would place the gelatin squares on a bed of shredded lettuce on a salad plate to serve.

I make this salad with sugar- free gelatin, and I haven’t seen it in small packages, so I use 1 large package of the Raspberry and Strawberry gelatin and don’t drain the pineapple.

Mexican Lasagna is a recipe I am planning to make this week to use up a can of refried beans and a jar of picante sauce that are too close to the use by date to donate to the food bank. I got this recipe from Janie Steward in 2013. It takes about 2 hours to bake, but preparation is fast and easy as the meat and the noodles go in uncooked.

Mexican Lasagna

1 pound ground beef, uncooked

1 can (15 ounces) refried beans

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp garlic powder

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 cups mild or medium picante or taco sauce

2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup finely sliced, green onions

1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives

1-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine ground beef, beans and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Place 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spread half the meat mixture over the noodles. Top with 4 more noodles, then the remaining meat mixture, and place the remaining 4 noodles on top of the meat mixture.

Combine the water and picante sauce and pour carefully over the ingredients in the pan. It will look soupy. Cover with foil and set baking dish on a rimmed baking pan to catch any drips. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the noodles are tender.

Combine sour cream, green onions and olives in a medium bowl. Remove foil from casserole and spoon mixture over lasagna. Top with the shredded cheese and bake uncover until cheese is melted. Let stand a few minutes before cutting and serving. Yield: 12 dinner servings.

Note: I sometimes use Mexican or Taco shredded cheese blend. This makes a lot for two people, so when cooled I package in microwave safe containers to heat for meals on busy days.

Share your favorite recipes for repurposing holiday food items to everyday fare, cold winter day comfort foods or bowl game treats with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record-Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop themdrop them off at the Record-Times office in Davenport or Odessa. It is too cold to be doing any outdoor gardening, but the seed catalogs are filling the mailboxes. Now is the time for planning.