JOPLIN, Mo. — Today is going to be a mishmash of ideas, and I hope you find at least one that will help you in your kitchen.

~ First I offer the recipe for carmelizing onions. What better to top that steak or sandwich?

Peel a couple of onions then cut into thin slices. Heat your skillet, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat that. Add your onions and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are light brown.

Stir in 11/2 teaspoons of sugar and cook another 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally.

~ A lot of recipes call for toasted nuts, and toasting them really does enhance the flavor -- they are great for topping cakes or adding to salads. But there’s no need to turn on the oven.

Simply heat your ungreased skillet on top of the stove, then add the nuts and stir frequently until they are golden brown. This will take 3 or 4 minutes.

If you prefer, you can turn on the oven and toast them on an ungreased baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

~ Slow cooker hints: Leave space between the pieces of meat to allow circulation and make for even cooking. Convert your favorite oven recipe to slow cooker recipe by reducing the amount of liquid. Coat the meat with flour and brown it before adding to the slow cooker to help thicken the broth and make perfect gravy. Cooking on high in your slow cooker equals 2 to 21/2 hours on low so you can speed things up if you have to.

~ Be sure to save your leftover veggies. You can keep them in a large freezer bag, just waiting for a good stew. Or, for smaller amounts, add them to an omelet or casserole. Perfect recycling!

~ Speaking of casseroles, when you make one, why not make two and freeze one? If you have the freezer space, you will appreciate that ready-to-bake dinner on a busy night. Simply put in the fridge in the morning to thaw and bake when you get home.

~ For perfect roast gravy: Pour the drippings into a heatproof measuring cup and let stand until the fat rises to the top. Remove 1/4 cup of the fat and put in saucepan. Discard remaining fat.

Add enough water or broth to the remaining drippings to measure 2 cups. Gradually add 1/4 cup flour to the drippings, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until well blended and the mixture forms a smooth paste.

Add drippings mixture to saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.

This will give you 2 cups of smooth gravy every time. If you have beef broth or stock, it makes the gravy extra rich while water still makes a good gravy.

~ Thank you to Ed Scorse for bringing me a jar of Scimecia’s Famous marinara sauce. He said it is the best, and he’s right. I added a little Italian sausage to the sauce, cooked some Easy Mac pasta, omitting the cheese packet, and mixed in the sauce. It truly is delicious.

It’s from the homemade recipe from Kansas City that the Scimeca family has been serving since 1935, and they are well known for their Italian sausage. I thank Ed for bringing me a jar of K.C. history that was out of this world.

~ Thanks to Betty Saferite, Pam Roets, my sister Sue and my mother, we continue to be able to have decent meals in spite of having absolutely nothing in our kitchen.

I’m sure my mother will be extra glad when things are back to normal after I tried to bake some pork chops in gravy and they boiled over, covering the bottom of her oven. Thankfully, she had a silicone mat placed under the pan but it still made a big mess.

If you don’t have one of these mats in your oven, invest in one because once they cool, spills are just peeled away and your oven is always clean without having to use chemicals or scrubbing. That Joplin woman got me hooked on them and I will never be without one.

~ Weird tidbit: I heard on the news recently that Dutch scientists are using stem cells to produce test-tube burgers. They are growing meat patties in the hopes of replacing cows.

The current price for one of these newfangled patties? $315,000. I’m thinking it will be a few years before you find these at the meat counter.

~ There’s been a few times when one of the recipes I’ve shared has been misprinted, mainly because of my omissions. But, it’s rare to find an error in a cookbook.

I was wanting to use the Simple Cooking book for today’s recipes and found a great recipe for Italian chicken. Simple directions: Lay chicken in roasting pan, pour water and vinegar over chicken, add broth, sprinkle with cheese and spices and CONTINUE baking for 20 minutes.

They forgot to tell us how long to bake it in the first place. When I get my oven back, I will have to test this recipe and see what’s missing.

The sweet potato and new potato recipes make great side dishes, and the tri-colored pasta is also a great side dish or can be a light lunch all by itself. Have a wonderful week and happy eating!

 

Oven roasted sweet potatoes

4 sweet potatoes, skins left on

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and cube potatoes (do not peel). In a large freezer bag, toss all ingredients, making sure potatoes are coated well. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6.

 

Rosemary roasted potatoes

12 small new potatoes, quartered

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil or non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a roasting pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place potatoes in pan and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Place chopped garlic in pan around potatoes.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour or until tender when poked with a fork. Toss with a small amount of butter. Serves 4.

 

Tri-colored pasta

2 cups dried rigatoni pasta

1 package cherry tomatoes cut in half or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Fill 3 quart pan with 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and add crushed garlic. SautŽ until the garlic is soft. Add tomatoes and quickly toss and simmer no more than 3 minutes. Toss in basil, cheese and cooked pasta. Mix to coat and serve. Serves 6.



Address correspondence to Cheryle Finley, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.