Shaker Bean Soup
Spinach Casserole
Spinach Lasagne
Picnic Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Shaker Bean Soup

1 lb. dry northern beans
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, shredded
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes in puree
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 cup finely shredded fresh
spinach leaves

Sort and rinse beans. Place in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; cover with
water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand
1 hour. Drain beans and discard liquid. In the same kettle place ham bone
or hocks, 3 quarts of water and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer, covered 1 1/2 hours or until meat easily falls from the bone.
Remove bones from broth trim off the meat and discard bones. Add ham,
onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer covered 1 hour or
until beans are tender. Add tomatoes and brown sugar. Cook for 10 minutes.
Just before serving, add spinach.





Spinach Casserole

3 lbs. fresh spinach
3 cup light white sauce (recipe
follows)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup sauteed chopped onions
8 oz. Jack cheese
1 to 2 tsp. jalapeno juice
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup seasoned stuffing mix
Margarine

Cook spinach 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well. Chop. Prepare white sauce:
Melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons flour and
stir. Cook until bubbly, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups milk. Reduce heat
and simmer until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with
salt, pepper, dry mustard. Saute chopped onions and add to white sauce
with
grated cheese, jalapeno juice, black pepper and spinach. Pour into
buttered
casserole dish and top with stuffing mix. Drizzle with melted margarine.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly and top browns.





Spinach Lasagne

2 pkgs. chopped frozen spinach or 1
lb. fresh
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 cup bread crumbs
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can Italian tomato paste
1 lb. Ricotta cheese
2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. lasagne noodles
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese
1 cup tomato sauce
Pepper to taste

Spinach must be cooked. Combine spinach, garlic, 1 tablespoon, parsley,
basil and oregano. Mix in bread crumbs, tomatoes and tomato paste. Put
aside. Mix Ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Put aside. Cook
lasagne noodles. Grease the bottom of a baking pan 9 x 13. Layer in the
following order; lasagne noodles, spinach mixture, Ricotta mixture,
Parmesan
cheese, Mozzarella until everything is used up (a layer of spinach mixture
on top). Cover with Mozzarella cheese topped with tomato sauce. Bake 1/2
hour at 375 degrees.





Picnic Stuffed Chicken Breasts

8 slices bacon
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped
spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned croutons, lightly
crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4 whole chicken breasts (about 1 lb.
each), skinned, boned & split
Salt & pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. oil

--Stuffing Variation:--

1/2 lb. fresh spinach, washed & chopped
1/2-1 cup chopped fresh basil
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 1/2 tsp. fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp.
dried

Fry bacon; drain and crumble. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute
onion in bacon drippings until soft. Remove from heat and stir in spinach,
egg, croutons, garlic salt and crumbled bacon. Cut pocket in thick side of
each chicken breast. Stuff with spinach mixture and close with wooden
pick.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown breasts in oil until cooked through,
about 12-15 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Cool slightly,
cover with foil. Serve hot or cold. Note: For a beautiful hors d'oeuvres,
cut breasts crosswise and arrange slices on a basket tray lined with grape
leaves. To make stuffing variation, combine all ingredients. Divide among
breasts and stuff. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot or chilled.



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