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When you want hors d’oeuvres
to bring to a holiday party or to
serve at your own party, turn to
your microwave for help. It sim
plifies preparations ahead of time
and helps in last-minute heating.
Broccoli Cheese Ball doesn’t
use a lot of actual microwave
cooking, but the convenience of
thawing the broccoli and softening
the cream cheese makes your
microwave indispensable. This
tasty combination of cheeses and
seasonings can be shaped into a
ball or molded into a holiday
shape. Lush green chopped pars
ley dotted with flecks of brilliant
red pimento shaped into holly ber
ries makes this cheese ball as good
to look at as to eat
Festive Spinach Chicken Appe
tizers are a lower-calorie version
of the popular spinach-ball recipe.
Here, the chicken and egg whites
replace whole eggs and butter.
Again, your microwave makes
preparation quick and convenient.
And it also makes last-minute
heating a breeze. A simple (and
eatable!) garnish of cherry toma
toes adds a contrast to the
evergreen-green of the spinach
chicken balls for a festive note.
Finally, I’ve included Updated
Homemade Eggnog, a less-rich
and a safe version of a holiday
favorite. Nowadays, homemade
eggnog must be cooked to kill Sal
monella enteritidis bacteria,
illness-causing bacteria that may
be present in eggs. Even refriger
ated Grade A eggs with uncracked
clean shells can be contaminated,
so food experts and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture recom
mend that all eggs be cooked.
Commercially prepared eggnog
doesn’t need cooking, since it’s
been pasteurized. Follow the
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By JOYCE BATTCHER
detailed directions in the recipe to
make your homemade eggnog the
safe way.
Broccoli
Cheese Ball
1 package (10 ounces) frozen
chopped broccoli
1 package (8 ounces) low-fat
cream cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
% teaspoon dried basil leaves
6 drops hot pepper sauce
2 cups shredded (8 ounces) Swiss
cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped
onion
Chopped fresh parsley
Diced pimento
Crackers
Place broccoli, still in box (or if
in foil package, remove from box
to microwavable dish), in micro
wave. Microwave (High) 3 to 4
minutes or until broccoli is
thawed. Drain well and set aside.
Place cream cheese in 2-quart
microwavable casserole or bowl.
Microwave (High) 30 seconds.
Stir to soften. With a fork, stir in
sour cream, mustard, basil and hot
pepper sauce until smooth. Stir in
Swiss cheese, onion and drained
broccoli. Form into a large (or 2
small) ball(s); roll in chopped
parsley until evenly coated. Wrap
tightly in plastic wrap and chill at
least 3 hours or until firm. Unwrap
and place on serving plate. Garn
ish with pimento dices arranged to
form holly berries. Let stand about
30 minutes to soften slightly
before serving. Serve with crack
ers. Makes 15 to 30 servings.
Each serving 1/30 of recipe:
50 calories, 3g protein, 4g fat, Ig
carbohydrate, 93mg sodium,
12mg cholesterol.
Variation: Line a TA x3/4 -inch
LET OUR 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE
WORK FOR YOU!
I' ' ■ -
_ m WE __ . WORKING WITH
ORIGINATED farmers with
rvvjOBBTC CHESAPEAKE
loaf pan or a gelatin mold (Christ
mas tree, wreath or other shape)
with several layers of plastic wrap,
letting plastic wrap extend over
pan edges. Press cheese mixture
firmly into mold. Cover with plas
tic wrap and chill at least 3 hours
or until firm.
Unmold onto serving plate.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh pars
ley and decorate with groups of 3
pimento dices arranged to form
holly berries. Let stand about 30
minutes to soften slighdy before
serving. Serve with crackers (Or,
cut loaf into 8 to 12 slices and
serve on individual plates as a sit
down “eat with a fork” appetizer).
Festive Spinach
Chicken Appetizers
1 package (10 ounces) frozen
chopped spinach
1 cup packaged seasoned stuffing
crumbs
'A cup finely chopped onion
'A cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
1 can (6 3 /< ounces) no-salt-added
chunk chicken in broth, flaked
'A teaspoon garlic powder
'/< teaspoon dried thyme leaves
'A teaspoon black pepper
Paprika
Garnish: cherry tomatoes
Place spinach, still in box (or if
in foil package, remove from box
to microwavable dish), in micro
wave. Microwave (High) 3 to 4
minutes or until spinach is thawed.
Drain and squeeze out excess
moisture. Place drained spinach in
medium mixing bowl; stir in stuf
fing crumbs, Parmesan, egg
whites, undrained chicken, garlic
powder, thyme leaves and black
pepper. Mix well. Form mixture
firmly into 36 balls, about 3 /< inch
in diameter. Arrange 18 balls on
microwavable serving plate or pie
plate. Sprinkle with paprika and
cover with waxed paper. Micro
wave (High) 2'A to 3/4 minutes,
rotating plate as necessary, or until
balls are set. Serve warm. Makes
36 appetizers.
To freeze and serve later: Place
uncooked balls on cookie sheet.
Freeze until firm. Remove to a
plastic freezer bag and keep fro
zen (up to 1 month) until ready to
serve. Cook as above, allowing
4’A to 6 minutes for each 18 balls.
Each serving 3 appetizers;
77 calories, 7g protein, 3g fat, 5g
IN-GROUND
MANURE STORAGE SYSTEM
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dacamber 8, 1990-B9
carbohydrate, 94mg sodium,
14mg cholesterol.
Updated
Homemade Eggnog
3 eggs
A -'A cup sugar
1 quart 2-percent milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ground nutmeg
Beat eggs and sugar until well
mixed in a microwavable VA - to
2-quart measure. Gradually beat
in milk. Microwave (High) 9 to 11
minutes, stirring after each 4
minutes, or until mixture reaches
160* F or thickens slighdy and
starts to coat a metal spoon. Do
not overcook. Stir in vanilla. To
cool quickly, immediately pour
into 2 bowls and refrigerate, stir
ring occasionally. When cold,
cover tightly. Serve with a
sprinkle of nutmeg. Makes 9 serv
ings (‘/a cup each).
Hint: For best results, use a
microwave temperature probe
(which comes with your micro
wave oven) or a microwave candy
thermometer.
With the probe: Cover measure
with plastic wrap. Insert probe
through plastic wrap so tip is at
least halfway down in liquid but
tubing is not touching liquid. Set
probe to 160* F, according to
directions in your microwave’s
Grassland FFA
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) The Grassland FFA from
Garden Spot High School was in
the limelight at the 63rd National
FFA Convention held recently at
Kansas City, Missouri.
The chapter had one of its best
years in history, boasting three
eastern regional national finalists,
and two American FFA degree
winners: Lamar Gockley and
Delvin Huber.
The chapter’s BOAC project
(featured in a recent Lancaster
Farming series) was selected as
the eastern regional winner, mak
ing it one of the top four in the
United States. The chapter was
presented with an original water
color painting depicting several
scenes from their project, a check
r v
All-Plant
| LIQUID PLANT FOOD
| 9-18-9 PLUS OTHERS'
use and care book. Stir as above to
make sure temperature is even
throughout Microwave will shut
off when temperature ••caches
160* F.
With microwave candy ther
mometer: Clip thermometer onto
side of measure so tip is toward
bottom of measure. Stir as above
and watch toward end of cooking
time. When temperature reaches
160* F, continue as above.
Each serving: 109 calories, 6g
protein, 4g fat 13g carbohydrate,
lllmg sodium, 78mg cholesterol.
Questions for Joyce?
Do you have a question about
microwave cooking? Send it to
Microwave Minutes, % Extra
Newspaper Features, P.O. Box
6118, Rochester, MN 55903.
Please include a self-addressed,
stamped, business-size envelope.
Recipes in this column are
tested in 600- and 650-watt micro
wave ovens. With an oven of dif
ferent wattage output, timings
may need slight adjustment.
Joyce Battcher is an indepen
dent home economist microwave
specialist. She is author of
“Microwave Family Favorites”
and editor of “A Batch of Ideas"
newsletter.
© 1990 Extra Newspaper
Features
for $4OO and a plaque for their
efforts.
In the FFA’s National Profi
ciency Award Program, two Gar
den Spot graduates were selected
as eastern region finalists in their
respective areas of agricultural
proficiency. Michael J. Linden
muth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald
Lindenmuth, New Holland, was
the east regional finalist in nursery
operations. Gregory B. Huber, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Huber, East
Earl, was the east regional finalist
in agricultural processing. Each
received a plaque and check for
$250 as their award. They will be
receiving a travel allowance as
well as another $lOO from the
Pennsylvania Association of FFA
for having previously won first
place in the state Proficiency
Award competition.
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