tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35653859790077674742025-01-08T17:41:12.496-08:00A Collection of Menus from the Heartland ~ where Cora CooksCorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-70626235323541246482009-03-25T10:21:00.000-07:002010-02-14T18:26:57.130-08:00

While I was having coffee with my painter (aka Eldon) this morning, our conversation detoured from the desperate need to stain our outbuilding/workshop/wine cellar/apartment (aka The Outback)to matters of food. Of course! Eldon, an adventurous cook who loves great fresh ingredients, wanted to know my method for cooking a whole chicken. Roasting! Of course! It is one of my all-time favorite

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-87228873118508342982009-03-19T20:13:00.000-07:002010-02-14T18:31:13.550-08:00

Everyone needs a really good casserole or two in her recipe repertoire, and this is a good one. You can tell because it has, not one, but two kinds of cream soup - the gold standard for casseroles. Obviously, I am not over my "late winter Southern comfort food" fixation, but I can feel a change coming with every flowering bulb and tree I see. If you've already made the shift to lighter meals

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-71109253914941981792009-03-11T22:19:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:27:51.129-07:00

It's March, a month full of basketball and weather madness, so March dinners call for a menu or two that adapt to seasonal whims. Cook this salmon in the oven if it's cold outside, or on the grill if the chill is gone. Add some wonderful warm mashed potatoes and fresh roasted asparagus, and you'll be covered, no matter what! I enjoy game after game of great college basketball, but I love

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-9201625087306356852009-03-03T15:12:00.000-08:002009-10-27T07:28:45.939-07:00

March is a peculiar month for weather around here, and this year is no exception. Winter retreats in fits and starts, while shy bits of color peek around the edges of our dreary landscape. We were on the road week before last, and even farther south of here the weather was a little iffy. Warm and rainy one day, followed by snow flurries and then windy and cold the next day. Still, it was nice to

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-83459694513595341212009-02-15T20:04:00.000-08:002009-12-02T10:07:10.256-08:00

Last week, when I should have been posting Menu Wednesday, I was making the Barefoot Contessa's Meatballs & Spaghetti for Barefoot Bloggers and they were de-li-cious. The recipe made so many big wonderful meatballs that I hadn't finished my first bite before I knew some of the extras would end up in meatball subs. And, I thought, what a perfect menu for this time of year! So here it is --

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-55536783848698608952009-02-04T14:39:00.001-08:002012-09-07T18:36:02.854-07:00

Welcome all who come seeking warmth and comfort from the cold and crazy days of winter 2009. I don't know about you, but I am craving comfort. It is about 20 degrees outside, and that's warm for the last couple of days. I've been inside listening to the news drone on and on about the economy and business and credit crisis until I could scream, or maybe just crawl under the covers and hope

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-14647514121802030922009-01-28T13:00:00.000-08:002012-09-07T18:36:54.591-07:00

I'm not a huge football fan - the games are just soooo long - but I'm happy to make party food and gather anywhere it is being served. And I am a huge fan of party food that is hearty enough to count as a meal! These recipes are all tried-and-true winners with the guys around my house, so they have become my go-to recipes when I need something easy to make ahead that will last throughout the

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-33648958813328426852009-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:002012-09-07T18:37:47.717-07:00

This Wednesday is lucky Menu #13 and it's a big winner! Not only do we have delicious sandwiches . . . AND a fabulous soup . . . but ALSO a healthy wintertime salad too. The possibilities are there for several combo meals - soup and sandwich, soup and salad, sandwich and salad, or the soup, salad, sandwich trifecta! And not only do we have three great combos, but they can all be prepared

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-52015536054841574622009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:002012-10-03T15:33:58.601-07:00

This week's menu features a thick, hearty Italian-style bean soup inspired by holiday leftovers. I had a partial bag of dried northern beans, some cooked sausage leftover from making pizzas, and some leftover penne from making baked ziti. With the addition of a few vegetables from the fridge and some pantry seasonings, I created the best soup I think I've ever made. Memories of a hearty

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-69847067535448316162008-12-16T22:30:00.000-08:002010-02-14T17:46:59.294-08:00

Today's menu will be a big help to anyone looking for a quick and delicious meal for the hectic week before Christmas, an easy breakfast for holiday company, a perfect brunch for effortless entertaining, or a make ahead breakfast for Christmas morning. Both of these recipes are easy to make, store and reheat so they give a lot of flexibility during the busy holiday season. I like to make at

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-75738365500504384362008-12-10T00:29:00.000-08:002009-10-27T07:41:34.746-07:00

The menu this week is so fresh and delicious and easy - perfect for brightening a cold, dreary day! Fish tacos are one of my favorites and, believe it or not, they are not difficult to make at home. Any kind of firm white fish will work, but I like to buy nice IQF pieces of cod because they cut up into such nice bite-size pieces. A quick saute is all that's needed to cook these small pieces of

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-50668604111513284272008-12-04T10:31:00.001-08:002010-02-02T11:52:23.341-08:00

MENU #9 - Turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving, unless you have a very big family. With only one oven, a little creativity is required to cook enough for everyone. Our solution has been two-fold. We fry a turkey outside and bake a ham inside. The ham requires less time to bake than the turkey, freeing up precious oven space for all the other hot foods. And the added bonus is a greater variety

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-32096966909895206192008-11-20T22:18:00.000-08:002010-02-12T22:23:58.193-08:00

Menu #8 - When you come home at the end of a long, busy day and just want to put on your jammies and curl up on the couch, why not fix breakfast for dinner. This yummy French Toast is perfect comfort food and it's so easy to make, you'll wonder why you don't eat breakfast last more often. I got the idea to make French Toast this way when I read about dipping the eggy bread in Cap'n Crunch

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-88565639571130956222008-11-13T12:16:00.001-08:002009-10-27T07:43:30.734-07:00

Menu #7 - This menu is so good, you'll be looking for excuses to make it often during the coming months. It's a Fall favorite for my group cooking classes and it would be a perfect holiday dinner for family and guests, or a seasonal dinner party. All these recipes can be doubled to serve a group of 10 - 12. For weeknight dinners, this meal can come together quickly by doing the washing, peeling

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-51058982879093263192008-11-05T00:12:00.000-08:002009-10-27T07:45:06.813-07:00

Menu #6 - The menu this week salutes the city of Chicago, Illinois which has given the world much to be proud of -- pizza, brownies, and a President-elect.Pizza is very much a part of Chicago's food history and culture. Although this pizza dough and sauce are adapted from Martha Stewart, I've always have good luck with the dough, and that's a big help for making it at home. The sauce is so

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-76931867567206321262008-10-28T21:51:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:46:06.874-07:00

MENU #5 – This week's menu has to be one of my favorites - just perfect for a nice, but not fussy, company dinner. Dean's Famous Chicken is a classic preparation that adapts easily to different sauces, but it best just as it is, in my humble opinion. I especially like the flavors of nutmeg and Parmesan and have been known to add a bit of extra nutmeg. Leftovers, should you have any, make

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-92137734289042494262008-10-21T23:14:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:46:51.051-07:00

MENU #4 - This is a simple menu for busy weeknights or easy-going weekends. The soup is one of my favorites because it is so easy and so delicious. Grilled cheese sandwiches seem to be the perfect partner for soup. I like to pair two different cheeses on each sandwich for a really gooey flavorful mix. And once we got past soft white bread, which was our favorite as kids, we really like the

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-26148347669970380192008-10-15T01:55:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:47:51.681-07:00

MENU #3 - This is what you want for dinner as soon as you step out into the early morning chill of an autumn day and head off to school or work. Crisp fall weather makes you remember coming home from school after football practice or marching drills for band and walking into a kitchen warmed by the smells of a delicious dinner waiting for you? There is familiar comfort in the rhythm that

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-15774967293216518802008-10-08T20:43:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:48:29.537-07:00

MENU #2 - This menu is perfect for the cooler days of early October. Simple, old-fashioned favorites like Ham Loaf, Green Beans and Homemade Applesauce are comfort foods that will bring them to the table. I’ve added some delicious biscuits to compliment the meal and a yummy Pumpkin Crunch Cake to finish. If you’re like me, a whole cake is more than we need at our house for dessert, so why not

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-42061750353939296862008-10-01T00:30:00.000-07:002009-10-27T07:49:11.979-07:00

MENU WEDNESDAY - A complete menu with recipes and a shopping list to simplify your life!MENU #1 - My friend Kerry served this flank steak the first time she invited us for dinner, way back in the early 80's, and we've been serving it to guests since then! This menu has a slight Asian flavor, but the dessert is all-American. Variations are almost limitless -- try it with chicken or pork and

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565385979007767474.post-9783721802682662072008-08-19T16:23:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:29:26.539-07:00

Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819329767302611516noreply@blogger.com0