By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
— Some cooks have a recipe box. Some cooks couldn’t fit their recipes into a five-gallon pickle barrel. It’s the second kind of cook that should, and rarely does, write a cookbook, if only to get all these recipes organized. That’s exactly what Tyler resident Darla Bakker did (her name can be spelled two different ways) when she produced her first cookbook 10 years ago, and it was a good cookbook. Now she’s updated and re-released it, and it’s even better. Whether it’s sweets, main dishes, vegetables or appetizers, “Darla Baakker’s Best … & More” has a wide variety of recipes to cover every culinary need. Some sample recipes follow.
Banana Crumb Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
Topping
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine bananas, sugar, egg and butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. For topping, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 F for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack. Yield: about 1 dozen.
Hay and Straw
1 package (16 ounces) linguine
2 cups julienned fully cooked ham
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup whipping cream
Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté ham in butter for three minutes. Add peas; heat through. Drain linguine; toss with ham mixture, Parmesan cheese and cream. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.
Orange Cashew Chicken
1 pound chicken breasts, cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup salted cashews
Hot cooked rice
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken, carrots and celery in oil for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Reduce heat. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, orange juice, honey and soy sauce until blended. Stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews. Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings.
Club Cracker Bars
Put a layer of Club crackers in a 9x13-inch pan. Cook filling and pour over crackers. Top with another layer of Club crackers. Frost.
Filling
1 cup crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
Boil for three minutes, stirring constantly. Do not overcook. Let cool a little.
Frosting
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Melt together and spread on top.
Roasted Potato Wedges with Cheddar Sauce
3 large baking potatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large, resealable bag, toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and turn potatoes. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Drizzle melted cheddar sauce over potatoes.
Cheddar sauce
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon bacon bits
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper In medium pan, whisk together oil and flour and heat over medium heat a couple of minutes. Whisk in milk and heat to boiling; reduce heat and let bubble a few minutes to thicken. Stir in green onions, bacon bits and cayenne pepper.
To order “Darla Baakker’s Best … & More,” send $12 plus $3 postage and handling per copy to: Darla Bakker, 1066 Lyon Lincoln Road, Tyler, MN 56178.
