Food and facts from Kearney, Nebraska

By now, you know how much I enjoy a new cookbook. And by new, it just means new to me, and not necessarily a brand new book. However, my family was surprised and honored to receive a new cookbook from our neighbor, Charlotte Shearer. Charlotte and three friends took a grand adventure to Yellowstone National Park and points of interest in the area, and, on the return trip, she picked up a cookbook from Kearney, Nebraska. It is a community cookbook featuring favorite recipes from the city's residents and a very nice history timeline and story in the book as well. I really like the well-done divider pages as each one features facts and information about the town, such as schools, agriculture, healthcare, parks and recreation, the arts and theater, churches and industry. There are 230 pages of recipes, so it will take me awhile to wade my way through this one. Special thanks to you, Charlotte!

Five-Hour Beef Stew

2 pounds cubed stewing meat

3 diced potatoes

3 diced carrots

1 large onion, diced

• 1 can tomatoes, about 2 cups
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Brown meat in a small amount of shortening, not coking all the way through, just nicely browned, then combine with all other ingredients. Turn into tightly covered casserole. Set temperature of oven a 250 degrees and bake for 5 hours.

Frozen Cranberry Chunk Salad

• 2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1/4 cup salad dressing
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup diced bananas
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
• Few drops of red food coloring, if desired
• 1 can jellied cranberry sauce, chilled and cut into small chunks

Beat softened cream cheese with salad dressing, lemon juice, salt and sugar until smooth. Stir in pineapple, pecans and bananas. Whip the cream and fold in mixture. Lightly fold in cranberry chunks. If you want to add a few drops of red food coloring to mixture to tint light pink, do so at this point. Turn into an 8 *½ x 11-inch dish. Cover with foil and freeze. To serve, remove from freezer and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Summer Daze Seafood Salad

• 1 large can tuna, drained
• 1 large can salmon, drained
• 1 small can crab meat, drained
• 1 small can shrimp, drained
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh cooked scallops
• 1 small package shells or rotini pasta, cooked and drained
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 5 green onions, chopped small
• 1 small jar fat-free or reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons mustard

Drain all seafood and mix with eggs, celery, onion and cooked pasta. Mix mayonnaise, mustard and salt and add to seafood mix. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve on a bed of lettuce with fruit muffins for a tasty meal. Is also good served in baked and cooled phylo pastry cups.

Bisquick Banana Bread

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 3 large
• teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Beat all ingredients with spoon 30 seconds. Pour batter into pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides and loaf from pan; remove from pan. Makes 1 loaf.

Orange and Spice Pot Roast

• 3 1/2 to 4 pound chuck roast
• 3 slices crumbled bacon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces diced or stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 whole cloves

Brown bacon in large pot roast pan. Set aside and crumble. Sprinkle roast with lemon juice and salt. Brown roast in bacon drippings. Drain off fat. In bowl combine bacon, tomatoes, orange juice, onion, parsley, sugar and bay leaf, cinnamon, garlic and cloves. Pour over roast. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 to 2 *½ hours. Skim off fat. Make gravy in pan using a flour and water slurry. Serves 6 to 8.

Ground Beef Casserole

• 1 clove garlic, minced or garlic powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) package extra wide egg noodles
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
• 1 can medium ripe olives, undrained
• 1/2 pound American cheese
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Mince and sauté garlic, onion and pepper in oil. Add tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Boil noodles just until al dente and drain. Fry ground beef, add salt and pepper, to taste. Add corn and olives, including the juices. Grate cheese and stir all together. Add dash of cayenne and about 1 *½ tablespoons olive oil. Save enough cheese to sprinkle over the top. Bake slowly 1 hour. This casserole freezes well, either before or after baking.

Pina Colada Cake

• 1 box butter recipe cake mix
• 1 can cream of coconut
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large can crushed pineapple
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 12 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 large carton sour cream
• 12 ounces frozen coconut, thawedBake cake according to directions on cake mix box using a 9x13-inch pan or 3 8-inch round pans. When cake is done, remove from oven. Poke holes in cake top with a knife or fork. Mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Pour over cake and spread evenly. Mix powdered sugar, thawed whipped topping, and sour cream together. Mix very well. Spread on cake. Sprinkle thawed coconut on top. This cake freezes well. Serves 6 to 8.

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