Published: August 01, 2008 12:11 pm            

Cookbook Corner: Belly up to Scheie Lutheran Church’s Norwegian buffet

Originally published in the July 25, 2008, print edition.

Minnesotans are blessed with churches, scattered across our fair state, that celebrate their Norwegian roots at scrumptious, seasonal Norwegian buffet dinners.

If you’ve never had a chance to go to one, it’s well worth the (quite reasonable) price of a ticket. People drive from many miles away to get a shot at the meatballs, lutefisk, potatoes and wide array of after-dinner sweets.

One such church with a Norwegian heart is Scheie Lutheran Church in rural Mabel. The “kitchen ladies” (and men, I’m sure) have collected their buffet recipes and plenty more into a 125th anniversary cookbook to share with the public.

There’s a picture on the cover of the white, snow-covered church with its lovely stained glass windows welcoming glad souls and sorry hearts alike with a comforting peace. Looks like a good place for a nice supper.

1/4 cup butter, divided1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided4 1/2- to 5-pound roasting chicken1 tablespoon sesame seeds1/4 cup diced celery1 tablespoon finely chopped onion1 tablespoon grated orange peel1 tablespoon chopped parsley1/8 teaspoon pepper2 chicken bouillon cubes1 cup raw rice2 cups water

Combine honey, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Heat until butter melts. Rub chicken cavity with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on rack in a roasting pan. Generously brush with honey mixture. Roast at 350 F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, brushing with the honey mixture often. About 15 minutes before done, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan; add celery and onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in orange peel, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, bouillon cubes, rice and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed. Serves 6.

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If you love the egg drop soup at your local Asian restaurant, you’ll love making it at home with this authentic-tasting recipe. Simplicity itself, it has all the right ingredients and nothing more. My family loves having a Chinese takeout in our neighborhood and has developed a palate for good egg drop soup. This is one of the best: Four out of four “yums” from the Johnsons.

Egg Drop Soup
Submitted by Susan Engen

4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 scallion or leek, sliced in thin strips

Bring stock to a boil. Mix cornstarch with water and add slowly to stock, stirring constantly. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until blended and boiling. Reduce heat and add beaten egg. Stir very slowly 2 to 3 minutes until egg separates into shreds. Add scallion pieces and serve immediately. Delicious appetizer with Chinese food.

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My teenagers love the frozen potato boats you can buy in grocery stores or off the Schwan’s truck these days, but they cost a pretty penny. Save yourself some dough by whipping up a big batch of your own and freezing them. This is a good way to use up extra baking potatoes, too.

Frozen Potato Boats
Submitted by Mrs. James Holland

Bake 12 Idaho potatoes. While they are hot, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop the potatoes into a large electric mixer bowl. Add:
1/2 cup hot milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pint cultured sour cream

Beat well and pile mixture back into shells. Top with a little grated Cheddar cheese and paprika. Cool and freeze on a cookie sheet until solid. Transfer to freezer bags. To serve, heat in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes.

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With a buttery bottom crust of graham cracker, nuts and coconut, a creamy smooth middle layer and a chocolate-peanut butter frosting, Three Layer Dream Bars are a sweet tooth’s dream come true. Make one pan for home and one pan for work and everybody will love you forever.

Three Layer Dream Bars
Submitted by Lynn Drinkall

Layer 1:

Bring to a boil:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 beaten egg

Add:
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put in a 9x13-inch pan and refrigerate.

Layer 2:

Mix:
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Put on top of crust and return pan to refrigerator.

Layer 3:

Melt:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Add 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar to get desired consistency. Frost bars and return to refrigerator until cold. Keep refrigerated.

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I tend to get nervous around cooked frosting recipes, probably because I have had so many dismal failures in that department. (I thank God daily for canned frosting.) But I could handle this yummy Milky Way-flavored frosting with nary a hitch, and I’ll make it again the next time I have a cake to frost. The first batch just got eaten with spoons by a herd of teenage boys.

Milky Way Frosting
Submitted by Carla Johnson

2 cups brown sugar
8 tablespoons cream
2 Milky Way candy bars, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

Boil sugar and cream well; remove from heat. Add candy and vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread on cake. Always right.

To order, send check or money order for $10 plus $2.50 for postage and handling to Scheie Lutheran Church, 125th Anniversary Cookbook, Scheie WELCA, 332 E. Prairie, Mabel, MN 55954.

        

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