Fare Exchange: From pizza to hot pockets to ‘nanner pie

It’s lovely April, soon to be followed by lovelier May, and there are certain foods that simply beg to be considered for the months’ meals. Lemon-y anything, for one. And so we have a request for a dessert called Lemon Lush, and one for scalloped potatoes and anything with beets.

Our requester is A.E., and she wrote after an Easter meal in another city. “To accompany roast lamb, the host served a huge dish of scalloped potatoes, thick asparagus roasted and beets they had purchased fresh somewhere prepared and sealed in plastic. They used the beets and added other ingredients to make a salad. That is all I know, but it left my family wanting more beets in any form. I would like to know where to purchase fresh beets prepared and also any ideas for serving them, as well as how to make scalloped potatoes. Finally, there was a recipe for Lemon Lush in Fare Exchange years ago and I have lost mine.”

CRESCENT CONCOCTIONS

Margaret McNeil described refrigerated crescent rolls as a time-saving ingredient, and that is a draw for all of us. She sent two of her favorite recipes to be made with those rolls.

“Mexican Deep-Dish Pizza is one of my favorite recipes. Most people think the pizza is round, but it’s actually made in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. I wrote about this recipe on my blog five years ago.”

Mexican Deep-Dish Pizza

2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 1/2 to 2 pounds hamburger meat

1 onion, finely chopped

1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

2 cups shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese

Place crescent roll dough in the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-by-13-inch pan to form the crust.

Brown meat and onion together in a skillet; drain grease. Put the meat and onion on top of the crust. Mix together the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and refried beans; spread on top of the meat. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top of the filling. Place pan back in the oven and heat just long enough for the cheese to melt, about 5 minutes. Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and taco sauce, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

And here is her second crescent roll special. She says: “The wife of my husband’s best friend gave me the recipe for Chicken Hot Pockets 23 years ago. You can dilute the can of mushroom soup with 1/4 cup water, but we like it thicker so I omit the water.”

Chicken Hot Pockets

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped pimentos

2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)

Melt butter; add cream cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until cream cheese is softened. Remove from heat. Add the next six ingredients; mix well. Separate crescent rolls into 8 squares; press each very flat. Equally divide chicken mixture on one half of each square. Fold other half at perforation and seal. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Heat soup in a small saucepan until hot; serve on top of the hot pockets.

Makes 8 servings.

‘NANNER PIE

This recipe from Linda Leake sounds like springtime as well. Note that there is 1/2 cup lemon juice in the pie.

Banana Cream Pie

Crust

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cups graham cracker crumbs

cup powdered sugar

Mix melted butter or oleo, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar and press into a square Pyrex pan and bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 bananas

Blend cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Line pie shell with sliced bananas. Pour filling on top and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Topping

Whipping cream

Beat until thick and top pie with whipped cream.

FRUIT ‘N’ SALAD

From A.E. came a fruit salad that is popular at her house. “It lends itself to variations of whatever fresh fruit or canned fruit is on hand.”

Fruit Salad

1 cup plain or flavored yogurt (more if needed)

1 cup miniature marshmallows (optional)

Your choice of:

Chunks of fresh or canned pineapple

Mandarin oranges

Sliced peaches

Sliced apples

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Sunflower nuts

Coconut, toasted or untoasted

Golden raisins

If using marshmallows, mix together first two ingredients in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl, mix together desired fruits and nuts, then stir in yogurt to bind. Depending on the amount of other ingredients, you may need more yogurt. To serve for breakfast, omit marshmallows.

EGG-STRA INFO

And here’s a final note from Nelda Justice on the subject of boiled eggs. It’s certainly deviled egg season, as Anne Braly discussed in her column last week in this section.

“Peeling boiled eggs is a pain especially if peeling more than two. Somewhere I read this solution. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the water before adding eggs. More than 1/4 teaspoon will cause a frothy mess.

“My pan is enameled, large enough to hold 10 to 12 eggs. The water is tap temperature. Stir water, making sure baking soda is dissolved. Add eggs to water. Bring water with eggs to a boil. Boil 10-12 minutes – any longer and your yellows will have a green coat.

“Place pan with boiled eggs under running water. Flush the boiled eggs with tap water until water in pan is tepid. Let eggs sit in pan while peeling. Smash egg shell until egg is cracked all over, then peel. Your eggs will feel soft when peeled. Let cool before making deviled eggs. Cooled eggs feel firmer.

“Considering the chemistry, the baking soda probably decreases acidity.”

OOPS

Here’s a clarification of last week’s flourless chocolate delight.

Go Ahead and Sin Chocolate Dessert

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup unsalted butter

cup chocolate, hazelnut or coffee liqueur (I did coffee liqueur)

1 teaspoons vanilla

7 eggs (MUST be room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

Confectioner’s sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep-sided spring form pan, line with parchment paper and butter the parchment.

In a large saucepan, simmer bittersweet chocolate, butter and liqueur. When mixture is melted and smooth, stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs with granulated sugar on medium speed of mixer for 5 minutes or until fluffy. Gradually add eggs to chocolate mixture.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool for 1 hour in pan and then loosen spring form and remove. When cool, sprinkle cake with confectioners’ sugar. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 12 servings.

HOMELESS HELP

Nancy Ruby wrote, “Metropolitan Ministries, which I am passionate about, has been selected from several non profits to receive 5 percent of the sales proceeds on today. One of the goals of MetMin is to stop homelessness before it starts. Your participation will help us help those who show up at our door at the crack of dawn Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to be one of the 33 that our funding allows us to help with utilities, housing and food. Our staff is small but our volunteers are many. Please shop at Whole Foods on Wednesday and help us help our guests.”

Thank you for writing, for reading and always for returning to this page.