Recipe Swap: Internet changes means of trading recipes

Hardly a day goes by that someone does not give me a recipe. Quite often friends give them to me at the senior center, I get some by mail, but mostly by email. The Internet and email sure have changed the way we trade recipes and communicate. Today's recipes are a few I received recently from friends and recipe buddies.

Southern Illinois Peach Cobbler

We were in Southern Illinois last weekend, and Flamm Orchard and Rendleman Orchard both still had fresh homegrown peaches. These are big and gorgeous, so enjoy them while they last. This recipe is for a crumb topping cobbler.

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches

Topping:

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter

1 egg, beaten

Ice cream, optional

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add peaches; stir to coat. Pour into a greased 11-by-7-inch baking pan. For topping, in a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in egg. Spoon over peaches. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Serve hot or cold with ice cream if desired.

American-Style Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

All-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, sliced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

Salt and black pepper

1 cup sour cream

Cooked egg noodles

Season the steak strips with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.

Cold Spaghetti Salad

12 ounces thin spaghetti

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup diced pepperoni

1/2 cup diced fully cooked ham

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup diced tomato

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

1 avocado, peeled and diced, optional

1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing

In a large saucepan, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large salad bowl, add the cheese, pepperoni, ham, green pepper, tomato, onion, cucumber and olives. Add avocado if desired. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain well. Place on top of salad ingredients. Drizzle with salad dressing: toss lightly to coat. Chill until serving. Yield: 15 to 20 servings.

Quick and Easy Gumbo

1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked brown rice

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups frozen sliced okra

In a Dutch oven, brown sausage and chicken in oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In the drippings, saute red pepper, onion and celery until tender. Stir in the seasonings; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice and sausage mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in tomatoes, shrimp and okra; cook for 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally. Yield: 16 servings

Frozen Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This cake takes time to make but is well worth the effort.

5 fresh cherries, pitted, or raspberries

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup heavy cream

7 ounces angel food cake

Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; set it on a large plate. Blot 5 pineapple rings dry with paper towels; arrange in a circle in the bottom of the pan. Place a cherry (or raspberry) in the center of each pineapple ring. Place the remaining pineapple and the reserved juice in a blender; blend until smooth. Beat egg yolks and brown sugar in a 3-quart stainless-steel bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick, pale brown and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the pineapple puree, scraping down the sides as necessary. Bring 1 inch of water to a slow simmer in a large saucepan. Place the bowl of pineapple mixture over the simmering water and beat on medium speed until thick, doubled in volume and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat (be careful of the escaping steam) and continue beating on medium speed until room temperature, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Clean and dry the beaters. Beat egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in another 3-quart stainless-steel bowl on medium speed until foamy. Bring the water in the saucepan back to a slow simmer, set the bowl of egg whites over it, and continue to beat on medium speed while moving the mixer around, until the mixture is glossy and thick, about 3 1/2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and continue beating over the heat until very stiff and glossy, about 3 1/2 minutes more. Remove from the heat (be careful of the escaping steam) and continue beating on medium speed until room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk the meringue into the reserved pineapple mixture until smooth. Clean and dry the beaters one more time. Beat cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft, droopy peaks form, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Fold the whipped cream into the batter. Pour the batter over the pineapple slices in the pan. Cut angel food cake into nine 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay the slices over the batter, completely covering the top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours. Remove the cake from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges. Invert the pan onto a large serving plate and rap gently on the counter to loosen the cake. Remove the pan sides, then carefully remove the pan bottom. If the bottom does not release easily, place a towel soaked in hot water on it for a minute, then try again.

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 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.