Let the Potluck Begin--with Super Leftovers!

The Super Party is Over.  The Ravens won and the 49ers put up a good second half.  The commercials had some winners and losers, too. The half-hour long game (and commercial) delay caused by the power outage may have caused guests to empty Super Party buffet tables more than usual, still, we're betting that there some leftovers tucked into cabinets and fridges. 

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters the month-long celebration of our very own "National Potluck Month" is just beginning. . . and beginning with the best makings for great "potlucks" in the first meaning of the word -- the luck of the pot. 

There are loads of opportunities for savvy and clever cooks to use the Super leftovers to make more meals and snacks. Of course in the name of food safety, any food--other than those which are temperature-stable such as chips, raw fruits and vegetables, or cheese--that has been sitting out for more than an hour or so should be discarded.  But for many of us, that still leaves a lot of possible, creative and money-saving possibilities. 

Here are seven ways of thinking about some of the most familiar Super Party leftovers. 

1.  Here in the northern Midwest, we know there is no better topping for a casserole or "hot dish" than crushed potato or corn chips.  Gather up all those crumbs and tuck them away. No need to make buttered crumbs when you have these tasty morsels at hand. 

2. When is a dip not a dip?  When you convert it into a sauce!  Even the smallest drib or drab of creamy dip can be mixed with cooked vegetables and a bit of milk to make a quick creamed vegetable.  Sour cream and onion dip mixed with cooked frozen spinach or boiled new potatoes, yum!  Add leftover salsa to cooked carrots, green beans, or corn, more yum!  You don't need a lot, even the last two tablespoons make a tasty difference. 

3. As the French say, "The sauce is everything!"  With leftover cheese, bits of ham or turkey, and even partial bottles of wine, you have the sauce makings for pasta, macaroni, vegetables, potatoes, or to pour over a toasted English muffin for a quick dinner.

4. Slightly wilted vegetables from the veggie tray slip right into soup stock.

5. Combine slighted fruits such as strawberries, apples or pineapple cubes with sugar and cook into sauces or ice cream toppings

6. The Avocado!!  Unopened ripe avocados will hold for a few days in the refrigerator. You can deploy ripe ones into mashed potatoes. Chop and mix the avocado with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to stop it from turning brown, then add to the potatoes and mash away!

7. Chicken Wings!!!! Reports surfaced over the weekend that more than one billion chicken wings were slated for Super Party platters.  The truly frugal among us would have gathered all those bones, combined them with water and some of the veggie tray leavings to simmer into a stock.  I'm not that thriftily willing to take something that has been in someone's mouth and make it into soup.  However, I would happily cook up any unconsumed wings after rinsing off the salt-containing sauce. 

Copyright 2013 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved

Super Game -- Super Treats Part I

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we’re getting the jump on our second annual self-declared “February is National Potluck Month” with some tasty snacks for “the big game.” We have a special dish in honor of each of the two contenders – They are so good, they’re downright Super! Bowls will be filled with them.

Giant’s Lean-Mean Lemon Cheesecake is a no-bake, low-fat treat that will give even the Patriots their just desserts. Scroll down for the recipe.

For the Patriot fans, we’ll have historic New England Corn Cakes topped with Cranberry-Sauced Beef and Tangy Apple Slaw. It packs a giant of a taste in a small mouthful. More than enough to wave the flag about. Look for our next posting in a couple of days!

We have even more delicious eating and great ideas planned for the rest of our National Potluck Month celebration. If ever a month defined potluck, February is it. Days are quiet. Company is gone. Holidays are over, spring is coming, but not soon enough. The weather is capricious. Up here in Minnesota we’re yearning for some real snow, if only for a few days.

February is a time to make the most of what you have. To share good times with friends, family, and co-workers and to find your own bit of Paradise in a fun-filled Potluck, if only for an hour or two.

We'll be celebrating four potlucks this month. Watch for posts with recipes and ideas. But here's a hint of the themes: We'll start with some more thoughts on The Big Game played on February 5 -- the super Sunday. The middle of the month is Valentine's Day and we'll party while keeping our hearts healthy. Game Night will look at a couple of great new card games that were in our Christmas stockings and some treats to go with them. Finally, we'll round out the month with a look back at 1968, celebrating the groovy exhibit at the Minnesota History Museum. Follow us all month at http://potluckparadise.blogspot.com/

So here’s the first recipe to start the month --

Giant’s Lean-Mean Lemon Cheesecake

Recipe makes 18 muffin-sized cheesecakes (1/3 cup size) or 36 mini-muffin size
Line muffin pans with paper cupcake liners.

To Make the Crust
Melt in a microwave for about 30 seconds, repeat for 5 second intervals if needed:
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Add: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Stir with fork until well blended and then put 2 tablespoons (1 tablespoon for the mini-muffins) of mixture in the paper muffin cups and press firmly with a flat-bottom glass or the back of a spoon. Set aside.

To Make the Lemonade filling.

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
12-ounce frozen concentrated lemonade, thawed
grated rind of 2 large lemons
3 8-ounce packages non-fat cream cheese (24 ounces total)

Mix the sugar and corn starch in a 1 to 2 quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the lemonade concentrate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns clear and is very, very thick. Stir in the lemon rind and set aside to cool. Plop cooled lemonade mixture into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat until smooth with electric mixer. Add cream cheese and beat until blended. Spoon mixture onto crust and place in refrigerator to firm. Ready to eat in about 1 hour. Keeps covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Before serving garnish with whipped cream, a dab of chocolate sauce and a pecan, a cherry, or any other topping you like.

Super Deviled Eggs

Take Deviled Eggs to any potluck or Game Day party and just stand back. It's magic! They practically disappea before your eyes.

Our Potluck Paradise version updates the classic recipe with a bit of hidden, heart-healthy, finely grated carrot. The result: sunny yellow filling with half the cholesterol of a traditional version. All the flavor and a bit of added texture for interest. Best make extra for the family, because we guarantee you won't have any leftover to tote home.

Super Deviled Eggs
Quantity for 4 eggs ( 8 halves) Can easily be doubled or tripled.
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced in half
1 large carrot
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon mustard (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
a couple grinds fresh black pepper

Peel and grate the carrot on the finest side of a box grater. The strands should look like thread. Put the carrot into a double layer of paper toweling. Wring out to remove excess moisture. You will have about 1/3 cup of dry carrot strands. Remove the yolks from the egg whites and DISCARD half of them. Put the remaining yolks in a shallow bowl and mash with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and seasonings. Stir in the carrot strands and spoon into the egg whites. Cover lightly and keep refrigerated until serving.

Potluck Paradise Method for Cooking Eggs to Hard Boil.
Always use the oldest eggs in your refrigerator. If I know I'm going to want to make hard-boiled eggs, I will often buy the eggs a couple of weeks in advance. As eggs age in the refrigerator, the air pocket extends and expands between the white and the shell. The larger this air layer is, the easier they are to peel after cooking.

Fill a saucepan with warm water. Put the eggs in so that they are in a single layer and covered with the water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once the water is at a full boil. Turn off the heat, cover pot and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, Longer time for larger eggs. Drain off water. Fill pot with cold water, gently crack the eggs all around the shell and put into the cold water for a couple of minutes. The pull an egg out and start removing the shell at the bigger end. If the shell is still sticking, hold the egg under a slow stream of water from the faucet and let the running water get between the shell membrane and the white.

Countdown to the Big Game

Here at Potluck Paradise headquarters we've declared February to be National Potluck Month. What better way to start the event with a countdown of recipes and ideas for the Super Day.

We're starting off with a healthy take on chips and dips. Non-fat cream cheese forms the base and we're slicing carrots into a chip. Holds more dip that a carrot stick and healthier than a salty corn or potato chips.

We'll have more recipes this coming week so you can prepare for your game-day Potluck.

To make Carrot Chips.
Pick a fat carrot. Peel with a vegetable peeler and then peel a thick slice off one side to provide a flat edge to make the chips. Carefully slice a long diagonal along the length of the carrot. Then cut slices about 1/8 of an inch thick into chips.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip with Carrot "Chips"
1 8-ounce container fat-free Philadelphia cream cheese
2 ounces dried cranberries
2 ounces chopped pecans
2 tablespoons minced green pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce, jelly or whole berry


Copyright 2011 Rae Katherine Eighmey All rights reserved

Red, White, and Blueberry Buckle

This buckle, kind of a cross between a cake and a pie, will be a hit at any potluck for dessert, or even at your own breakfast table. Follow along with the four quick steps to bring the best of the season to your table in about half an hour.

Click on window to watch demonstration and follow the recipe below. You'll see how easy it is to make this treat. We're betting you will find it is just the perfect and tasty not-too-sweet treat to enjoy while waiting for the Fourth of July fireworks

Red, White, and Blueberry Buckle

1 pint fresh blueberries -- washed and picked over to remove under ripe or over ripe berries and stems.

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1.3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter

Buckle Base

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

1/2 cup soft butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make topping by combining dry ingredients and then cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Set aside. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan. Combine the flour and baking powder and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, stir the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in half the flour mixture, then the milk, followed by the remaining flour. Spoon base into greased pan. Kerplunk berries on top, spread out evenly so they are only one berry deep. Sprinkle with topping. Bake until topping is just turning golden, berries are bubbly and the base has pulled slightly away from the sides. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover.

Copyright 2010 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved

Ice Box Cookies for Young and Old

While I was baking ice box cookies to take along on next week's Great Potluck Paradise Book Tour of Southwest Minnesota, it occurred to me that this was the perfect recipe to touch the hearts and fill the appetites of both young and old. It certainly was the single most recipe that our taste-testers reacted to with exclamations of: "Oh! I remember these. They were really good!" They still are. What really struck me when I was making them Thursday morning, is what a perfect recipe this is to introduce youngsters to the fun of baking.

I've baked with grandsons Justin and Jack. As anyone who bakes with kids under 10 knows, they can start the project with great interest and enthusiasm, but somehow after 10 or 15 minutes their interest can wander. Kids are kids -- full of energy and needing to go a zillion different places. The two-step process necessary for Ice Box Cookies fits perfectly with their attention span, can easily involve the child in the whole cooking process (including cleaning up!), and teaches a bit of patience, too.

The dough stirs up easily with just a spoon and a little hands-on kneading. Forming the dough into rolls for chilling is right up any kid's level of expertise. The next steps -- a break to wash up the mixing bowl and then wait while the dough chills. Later, maybe even the next day, slice off the cookies and bake. No need to make the whole batch. Bake up one or two sheets (perfect for portion control) and you can put the rest of the dough in the freezer, ready and waiting for the next time you are together. Or you could send the remaining dough logs home for child and parent to make.

As to the eating. They are lovely just as they are, but some experienced (dare I say "older") taste-testers suggest these are prefect "dipped in a container of ready-made frosting or ice cream."

Classic 1950s Ice Box Cookies
(makes 8 dozen cookies -- but not all at the same time!)

2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Stir the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla together until completely blended. Add the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly then stir in the nuts. Knead the dough with hands if necessary to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into quarters. Form each roll into a log about one inch high and one inch wide. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours in refrigerator. (You can firm dough more quickly in the freezer for about 20 minutes.)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Slice dough about one-eighth inch thick with a sharp knife. Place sliced on baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Copyright 2010 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved

Classic Potato Salad-- Healthy Twist

Midwestern cooks in the 1950s served up a tasty and healthful twist on the classic potato salad. The centerpiece of many a family potluck, most recipes use white potatoes, hard-cooked eggs and mayonnaise, mustard and sometimes pickles to give the basics interesting flavor.

In this version from Potluck Paradise rich, tasty sweet potatoes are combined with healthy, crisp apples and crunchy walnuts for a refreshing salad that complements any and all summer barbeque and picnic fare.

Waldorf Sweet Potato Salad

2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup cored and chopped apple

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup, or more, mayonnaise

Gently mix sweet potatoes, celery, apple, and walnuts in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over the ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Stir in mayonnaise. Chill for at least a half hour before serving.

As with all dishes to be served at a summer potluck, take care to keep the dish chilled. Serve it in an insulated bowl, put frozen, lunch box cold packs on the bottom or around the sides, and don't leave it out for more than an hour.

Copyright 2010 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.

Image credit:National Cancer Institutes - Five a Day Resources and Tools. www.fiveaday.gov

Just what is Potluck Paradise?

Potluck Paradise is a state of mind.

It can be found in a church basement, community hall, office conference room, school cafeteria, or even just in the backyard. It's where food and fellowship meet. Where traditional recipes push away trendy pretensions. Where communities and families come together to share the best of the best.

We been traveling the state of Minnesota since we wrote Potluck Paradise: Favorite Fare from Church and Community Cookbooks. In book stores, churches, and libraries we've heard stories of potlucks and potluck foods. We've shared laughs at the common memories of Jell-O salads, too many brownies and not enough veggies, oh! so many meatball recipes, and the mysterious, suspicious, unappetizing dish that goes untasted and no one knows who brought it.

On this blog we'll meet in the metaverse and see what comes to the Potluck. Visit often. We'll have recipes, ideas, stories, and other features. If you like you may post your own recipes in the comments section following each post, or simply share a memory.

Welcome to Potluck Paradise!