Celebrating the end, for now, of political ads

I don't know about you, but now that the election is over I will not miss all of the political candidate advertisements on radio and television. It seems that for the past few weeks that is about all of the advertisements that have been running. Voting is such a privilege, and it is a shame that our political candidates cannot build themselves up with what they can do, but resort to tearing down the other candidate. Maybe this week we could use these recipes as a celebration that the election and advertisements are over.

Jagerschnitzel

Schnitzel is simply a boneless meat cutlet and this recipe calls for it in the "jager," or hunter-style. The only hunting you'll be required to do is at the meat counter.

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 pork steaks or cutlets, pounded thin

1 egg, beaten

1 medium onion, diced

10 large button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 1/4 cups water

1 cube beef bouillon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup sour cream

In a shallow dish, mix together the bread crumbs and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Place the egg in a separate dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip pork steaks in egg, then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Saute in the hot oil until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a platter and keep warm. Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until lightly browned and most of liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Pour in water and dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and sour cream. Stir into the skillet. Cook over low heat until thickened but do not boil. Spoon over the pork cutlets and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Squash and Rice Casserole

8 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Partially mash with a potato masher. Combine zucchini mixture, rice, cheddar cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Stir gently. Spoon mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Preheat broiler. Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned. Yield: 8 servings.

Grilled Ham, Muenster and Spinach Sandwiches

Spinach offers a vitamin-rich alternative to lettuce in this sandwich. Chowchow is a mustard-flavored mixed vegetable and pickle relish available on the condiment aisle. Often served alongside pork and cooked greens, here it adds a subtle tang that complements the ham and spinach.

8 (3/4-ounce) slices crusty Chicago-style Italian bread (about 1/2 inch thick), toasted

8 ounces thinly sliced lower-sodium deli ham

4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-sodium Muenster cheese

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup mild chowchow (such as Braswell's)

Cooking spray

Layer each of 4 bread slices with 2 ounces ham, 1 slice Muenster cheese, 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1 tablespoon chowchow, and 1 bread slice. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat sandwiches with cooking spray; add to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and cheese melts. Cut sandwiches in half, if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Beef Stew and Potatoes

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Cooking spray

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf, crumbled

1 (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth

4 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 2 pounds)

3 tablespoons raisins

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

2 tablespoons capers

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef, and cook 2 minutes or until browned. Add onion, bell pepper, salt, black pepper, and garlic. Saute 3 minutes. Add water and the next 5 ingredients (water through beef broth). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in potato and remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, over medium heat 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 5 servings.

Zucchini Frittata

1 1/2 pound small zucchini, trimmed and cut into very thin slices

Salt

10 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salsa/picante sauce

Evenly spread 1/3 of the zucchini slices in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt (it helps draw out excess moisture). Spread half of the remaining slices over the first layer, salt, then spread and salt the remainder. Set aside for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, using a fork, beat the eggs until lightly frothy. Add the zucchini and half of the Parmesan stir gently to combine and season to taste with pepper. In a 10-inch ovenproof, nonstick frying pan over medium heat, melt the margarine with the olive oil. Add the egg mixture, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan. Place in the oven and bake until set but still slightly moist, about 20 minutes. Serve directly from the pan, or slide it out or invert onto a warmed platter. Cut into wedges and top with the salsa.

Have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.