My favorite recipes

 

September 18, 2014

Recipes

Alisa and Charlie Vulliet moved here recently from Pullman for a more spacious house and a quiet neighborhood for their children. They had lived in Pullman since 2006, but their busy street and three young children were not a good match.

They purchased the house built by the Rev. Glenn and Carol Peterson who formerly served the Peace Lutheran Church.

Alisa grew up in Lynnwood and graduated from Meadowdale High School. She then graduated from Central Washington University and lived in Ellensburg for 10 years. She worked for Home Depot for many years as a flooring and window treatment specialist. She and Charlie met at Home Depot.

Her talent is visible already in their home, and she has plans for the cream-colored walls in the living area of the house, with levels painted pale sage green, pale smoky blue and light gray. The swatches are taped on the walls to contemplate.

Charlie has worked in hospitals for more than two decades and he is now an emergency room registrar at Pullman Regional Hospital. He has attended classes at Washington State University for several years.

Their three children are Dylan, 11, Spaulding, 5, and Margie Mae, 17 months. Dylan is attending fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Pullman. Spaulding is a kindergarten student at Jennings Elementary in Colfax.

For five years before Margie’s birth, Alisa worked in the preschool at the University of Idaho, and both Dylan and Spaulding attended the school.

The family enjoys visiting relatives in the Seattle area and Walla Walla, and movie night on Friday nights, with pizza and a movie and a child’s friend or two is a favorite activity.

Pullman Civic Theater has been a passion for them, and the boys and Alisa have all been in productions.

Alisa enjoys sewing costumes for the theater and little outfits for Margie Mae. She knits scarves, hats, slippers and dishcloths made popular by her grandmother.

Carrying on grandma’s tradition, Alisa gives family members gifts of knitted dishcloths or slippers and jars of preserves for Christmas. Like many knitters, she confesses to having a few unfinished projects stashed out of sight.

Crafting is another favorite hobby and she enjoys looking at the directions and finding a better way to do the project. With her Home Depot background, she is adept at painting and tiling.

Alisa learned to cook from her mother and grandmother, both of them “very excellent” cooks. She and Charlie definitely prefer Northwest style cooking with a few comfort foods thrown in.

They eat some vegetarian and meatless dishes and love fine cheeses. Charlie likes tofu, so she has developed some tofu dishes. Alisa very seldom sticks strictly to a recipe; she enjoys making changes and improvements. Cooking is a creativity outlet.

Margie Mae has learned to show her appreciation for her mother’s efforts for her: she claps!

Recipes:

Summer Squash

and Tomato Melt

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 medium summer squash, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut two pieces of parchment to fit an 8-inch baking dish or pie plate. Place one piece in the baking dish and set the other aside.

Pour several droplets of olive oil on the parchment and spread around to grease it.

In a mixing bowl, combine Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Lay the summer squash on top of the paper and sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture. Lay the tomato slices in a single layer on top. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture. Finish with a single layer of zucchini and the remaining bread crumb mixture. Grease the second sheet of parchment with olive oil and lay oiled side down on top.

Bake just until the vegetables have cooked and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Peel the parchment back carefully, scraping any cheese that sticks back onto the vegetables. Serve right away.

Note: You can’t make this ahead. Prepare right before serving.

Roasted Carrot “Fries”

1 pound carrots

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon rosemary

salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel carrots and cut into sticks. (I cut off the top and the bottom tip, quarter lengthwise, and then cut the long sticks in half.)

Toss carrot pieces with olive oil and rosemary; spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Bake 35 minutes or until edges of carrots are browned.

Summer Spinach Salad

1 pound clean, sliced strawberries

1 8-10-ounce bag of cleaned spinach

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons minced red onion or shallots

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup apple juice

Mix dressing and let set in refrigerator for 2 hours or longer.

Toss sliced strawberries and torn spinach. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle sliced almonds and sesame seeds on top.

Tater Tot Casserole

A favorite of Alisa’s children

1 bag frozen tater tots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can green beans

1 pound hamburger

paprika

garlic powder

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Press hamburger into the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup with green beans. Spread over hamburger in dish. Arrange tater tots evenly over the green bean mixture. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Bake 35 minutes or until tater tots are golden and hamburger juices are clear.

To make it tastier, make a cream sauce and add sauteed mushrooms to substitute for cream of mushroom soup.

Almond Joy Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. With mixer running, add honey, egg and vegetable oil until combined.

Press mixture into the bottom of greased pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then immediately cut into 16 bars.

 

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