FEBRUARY RECIPES

Barley with Mushrooms and Onions
Unsalted butter or pan spray – enough to coat the bottom of heavy saucepan
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth, chicken or beef stock
1 cup uncooked barley
Spices and seasonings to taste

Coat a heavy saucepan with cooking spray or melted butter and set over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring a few times, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, barley and seasonings, herbs, spices; bring to a boil. Partially cover pan and reduce heat to low; simmer until barley is tender, stirring occasionally, about an hour.

Cooked as above, serve as side dish. Add diced meat or fish/seafood and use as main dish.

Bread Spread
1 stick butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp. chives

Mix butter and cream cheese. Add pepper and garlic powder to taste. Continue mixing. Add chives. Chill. Great on bagels and other course, heavier breads.

APPLE BROWN BETTY
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs – can replace some of the breadcrumbs with wheat germ for a nutty taste
1/4 cup margarine melted
4 cups apple slices tart
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lemon, juice and peel
1/2 cup apple juice

Grate the rind of 1/2 of the lemon. Juice half the lemon, or all if it is a small lemon.

Mix bread crumbs with melted margarine and blend.

Mix sugar with nutmeg, lemon peel and juice; blend.

Grease a casserole dish with margarine. Put a layer of crumbs on bottom, spread half the apples on top of the crumbs, then half the sugar mixture. Put the rest of the apples, then the sugar and top with remaining crumbs. Add 1/2 cup very hot apple juice or water.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 40 minutes or until done.
Cover loosely with foil tent for first 20 minutes to prevent crumbs browning too quickly.

CREAM CHEESE SOPAPILLA BARS
A special thanks to Diana for 'turning me onto' this recipe.
2 tubes crescent rolls
3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, separated
1 teaspoon cinnamon – more is better!

Unroll 1 tube of crescent rolls in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (leave sections connected). I use a little pan spray before unrolling. Seal the perforations.

Combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, egg yolk and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

Pour cream cheese mixture over unrolled dough.

Layout second tube on a piece of waxed paper. Seal all the perforations.
Carefully put this layer over the cream cheese. Peel off the waxed paper.

Slightly beat egg white and brush on the top.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator.

ALTERNATIVES: Mix a little peanut butter in the cream cheese. Do not put cinnamon & sugar on top crust. About 5-10 minutes before it is finished, pour chocolate chips on top, return to the oven. When melted spread to cover the top. Squirt a little caramel ice cream topping on top.

Mix a little strawberry jelly in the cream cheese. Brush top crust with egg white to make it nice and brown – watch it doesn’t burn. When ready to serve, put whipped cream or cool whip on each square, add sliced fresh strawberries. If you don’t have fresh strawberries, it makes a nice “shortcake” for strawberry short cake with frozen sweetened berries.

I’ve also added some coconut and drained crushed pineapple to the cream cheese; baked with a plain top crust. Added whipped cream or cool whip as a topping when served.