Prepare a versatile menu with chicken

smcclanahan

I'm sure all of us through the course of our schooling had a special teacher who stands out as a favorite. I had one of those: Ruth Irwin was my high school vocational home economics teacher for four years. Sadly, she passed away this week, and I have spent the last few days reminiscing about all of the fun we had in her classroom.

During the course of our class work, we made hundreds of homemade cream horns with homemade filling. We would run into the "Home Ec" room between classes and try to get another layer of butter rolled into the dough. From the sale of those delicious cream horns we were able to take a weekend trip to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. We had such a fabulous trip with Mrs. Irwin. I learned so much from her and she is responsible for my getting a degree in home economics and choosing my career path. I will miss her greatly; I feel that my life has been blessed by knowing her.

Several recipes stand out in my mind that we prepared in her class, but one that has stuck with me all these years is the sweet and sour spaghetti. In Mrs. Irwin's memory, I will share her recipe with you today.

Mrs. Irwin's Sweet and Sour Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 can tomato soup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, cayenne

1 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 can mushrooms, drained, or fresh mushrooms, sauteed

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain grease from meat. Add soup, brown sugar, mustard, red pepper, ketchup, salt, garlic salt and mushrooms. Cook over low heat until bubbly and thickened. Add sauce to cooked spaghetti. You may top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Adjust cayenne and garlic to your personal taste. Serve with garden salad and hot bread.

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Chicken is so versatile and so economical to use, our family has chicken at least twice a week. Joan Weeks of Cape Girardeau enjoys preparing chicken and has shared several recipes with us today in hopes your family will enjoy them as well.

Spicy Orange Chicken

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1/3 cup hot barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 pounds chicken pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine marmalade, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, mixing well. Place chicken skin side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and bake one hour, basting occasionally. Increase heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer.

Dixie Grilled Chicken for 12

6 broilers, halved and washed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon pepper

2 1/2 cups vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons celery seed

2 tablespoons salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat grill. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken, and rub with oil. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. When the bed of coals is glowing, place chicken on the grill. Baste and turn frequently for one-and-one-half hours.

Ham-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

4 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

12 small chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

Ham Stuffing:

2 (6-3/4-ounce) cans deviled ham

1 cup cracker crumbs

1/2 cup grated onion

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup milk

Reserved marinade

The day before serving, combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Combine all stuffing ingredients and reserved marinade, blending well. Place 1/2 cup stuffing between two breast halves. Wrap in aluminum foil, sealing well. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for two hours.

Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts

6 boned chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

Lemon pepper, to taste

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pound chicken breasts to a 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. Combine flour and salt; dredge chicken in mixture. Liberally sprinkle lemon pepper on each side of chicken breasts. Saute chicken in melted butter for about five minutes per side or until lightly browned. Leaving chicken in pan, stir in lemon juice, and increase heat to deglaze pan. Serve chicken and lemon butter glaze with rice. Chicken is also good cold.

Once again, I'm out of space for this week. Have an enjoyable week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to smcclanahan@semissourian.com or to P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702. Recipes have not been tested by the Southeast Missourian.