Recipe Swap: Favorite recipes from old friends and rediscovered cookbooks

My friend Kimberly Werner Halter is back in her hometown of Cape Girardeau from her new home in Australia. She is visiting her father and showing a friend all around town this week. We had hoped we would be able to find an evening to cook together and enjoy a meal, but school band concerts, church youth activities and "Cinderella" play tickets are in our schedule for every night this week. If we did cook together, she tells me that Moroccan food is all the rage in Australia right now. She even brought me a bottle of Moroccan seasoning. Our dinner might have looked something like this first recipe, and would be accompanied with a butternut squash (pumpkin) soup. Maybe on her next visit we can pull it off.

Moroccan Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 pounds skinned and boned chicken thighs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons honey

Couscous

Fresh mint and orange wedges for garnish

Brown chicken, onion and garlic in melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add orange rind, orange juice and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with cinnamon and allspice. Drizzle with honey. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with Couscous. Garnish, if desired. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Couscous

2 cups water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/3 cups uncooked couscous

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and currants. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, and stir in green onions. Yields 5 cups.

I ran across a cookbook I purchased in 2003. It features the best recipes from hometown cookbooks from all across America. I found that in thumbing through the book there were several recipes I wanted to try for myself.

Pear, Brie and Pecan Pizza

8 ounces Brie

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 pears (Bartlett if available), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (16-ounce) Italian bread shell, such as Boboli

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 to 4 tablespoons light brown sugar

Remove and discard rind from cheese. Cut cheese into cubes. Set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pear and saute 3 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place bread shell on a large pizza pan or baking sheet. Brush shell with olive oil, and top with cheese cubes. Spread cooked pear mixture over cheese. Sprinkle with pecans and brown sugar. Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Slice pizza into wedges and serve immediately. Yields 8 servings.

Chinese Spareribs

1 (10-ounce) jar plum jelly

1/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 green onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 pounds pork back ribs

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until jelly melts. Remove from heat, reserving 1/2 cup sauce for basting. Set aside. Cut ribs into serving-size portions. Place ribs and sauce in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Seal. Chill at least 8 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove ribs from marinade, reserve marinade for basing. Place ribs in a single layer on a rack in a large shallow aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, brushing often with reserved sauce. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Summer Lime Chicken

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade for basting. Place chicken in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees) about 20 minutes or until done, turning once and basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings.

Teriyaki Finger Steaks

These soy sauce-laced bits of meat can be eaten right off the skewer or as a hearty addition to a salad.

2 pounds boneless top sirloin steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon pepper

8 (12-inch) wooden skewers

Trim fat from steak and slice steak across the grain lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips. Place in a large bowl. Combine soy sauce and next 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over meat, and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours. Soak wooden skewers in water 30 minutes. Thread meat onto wooden skewers. Discard any remaining marinade. Grill skewers, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat about 7 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

I'm all out of room, so have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@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.