Teatime recipes to accent any meal

I do not watch football, and I certainly do not understand the rules of the game.

But this morning our son was talking about who will be playing in the Super Bowl and what players could lead their team to victory. I, on the other hand, know the boys will watch the game, and we will probably have a house full of guests, so I immediately started thinking about the menu for the Super Bowl game. What do you serve your family or guests during the big game?

We would love to hear from you. Get your favorite recipes in and next week we will share those, just in time for you to plan for your Super Bowl menu.

A friend gave me a cookbook recently, "America's Best Tea Room Recipes." I enjoyed thumbing through it last weekend, and all of today's recipes are from that book. It was hard deciding which to print, as there were so many recipes that I marked that I want to make. I hope you enjoy this selection.

Cherry Tomato Bites

2 pints cherry tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 to 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Carefully scoop out and discard pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Spoon mixture into tomatoes. Refrigerate until serving. If desired, garnish with a small sprig of parsley.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Bowtie Pasta Salad

1 pound uncooked bowtie pasta

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips

1 pound spinach, trimmed and shredded

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan of boiling water, cook bowtie pasta. Drain well and rinse under cold water. Transfer drained pasta to a large salad bowl. Add finely chopped green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, toasted pine nuts, oregano, salt and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. To make dressing, in a small jar with a lid, combine olive oil, crushed red pepper, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated. Before serving, sprinkle salad with remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. To toast pine nuts, place them on a single layer on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until nuts are golden brown.

Cashew Chicken Salad

2 cups precooked chicken strips

1 cup chopped, celery

1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 cup firm grapes

1/2 cup water chestnuts, drained

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon curry powder

Cashew nuts for garnish

In a large metal mixing bowl, combine chicken strips, chopped celery, pineapple chunks, grapes and water chestnuts. To make dressing, in a blender, combine mayonnaise, soy sauce and curry powder. Pour dressing over ingredients in bowl and toss until evenly coated. Before serving, garnish with cashew nuts sprinkled over salad.

Zucchini Orange Bread

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup oil

2/3 cup orange juice

2 cups shredded zucchini

3 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans. Parchment paper may be added to the bottom of the pans. In a large bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in oil, orange juice, shredded zucchini, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and grated orange peel. Mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Bakewell Slice

2 sheets flaky puff pastry

Seedless raspberry jam

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups self-rising flour, divided

1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with puff pastry sheets. Spread raspberry jam over puff pastry. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Blend in almond extract and beaten eggs, adding one tablespoon flour with the last egg. Fold in remaining flour, mixing with a metal spoon. Spread mixture evenly over raspberry jam layer. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and store in an airtight container. To serve, slice into bite size squares.

Vanilla Almond Raspberry Cake

1 box Golden Vanilla cake mix

1 cup Crisco shortening

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 small jar seedless raspberry jam

Frosting, optional

Bake cake according to box instructions, using two 8- or 9-inch round pans. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine shortening, powdered sugar, almond extract and milk. Mix well and set aside. Place one cake onto serving plate and spread raspberry jam on top. Top with other cake. If desired, spread frosting over entire cake and serve.

Once again, I am out of room. One last reminder to send in your favorite Super Bowl food recipes. You can also email them to the address at the end of this column.

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 smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.