Semi-Homemade Cooking
Quick, Marvelous Meals and Nothing Is Made from Scratch
By Sandra Lee

     This cookbook is based on the promise of delicious food with made-from-scratch taste with minimal effort. The book is 204 pages long. The book design is simple and elegant. The pages are large and glossy with a clean white background. The book has photographs of all the recipes featured in the text.

     Semi-Homemade Cooking starts with an introduction by Wolfgang Puck. The famed chef champions the author's concept of "putting the American Food industry to work for you" to suit the busy lifestyles that so many people lead. This introduction is followed by a letter from author Sandra Lee, explaining her principle of "fast, fabulous food." After this, there are several tips on grocery shopping and budgeting; disposable flatware; the use of brand name foods; allowing time for prepping, cooking, and cooling; leftovers and storage; and finally meal music and wine selection. Next come the recipes, subdivided by course or food type. So, Chapters One through Nine are as follows: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner; Dessert; Appetizers and Cocktails; Soup and Salads; Snacks; Gravies and Sauces; and Pet Foods. Each of the main meal recipes have an accompanying music and wine selection. All recipes come with a budget rating.

     This book is well-conceived and nicely executed. The recipes are highly varied with some sophistication. For instance, within the Breakfast section, the Morning Glory Fondue includes high-end items such as smoked salmon and champagne along with sour cream , cream cheese, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs to create a rich, fanciful dip for the morning meal. On the other hand, the Breakfast section also has a recipe for Crispy Rice Pudding (with Rice Krispies), prepared vanilla pudding, and fruit. Other recipes include: Salad Chinois, Ravioli Stroganoff, Berry Cookie Cobbler, Kahlua Tiramisu, Sesame Chicken Drumettes, Cheddar Potato Soup, and Ricotta Chive Sauce, plus sweet and savory fondues. The whole book combines fresh and prepared ingredients to create flavorful, quick meals and dishes.


     The one criticism of the book is the relatively small number of recipes per category. Each food category has an average of ten recipes. The is especially disappointing for the dinner section, as this meal is the primary cooked meal of the day. However, the book can inspire the reader to create semi-homemade meals on their own with substitution and innovation. More than anything, the author, Sandra Lee , hopes to foster a positive culinary environment for people who have hectic, stressful schedules but would still enjoy pleasant, peaceful meals cooked in the home.

4 complete recipes below!

The following is an excerpt from the book Semi-Homemade Cooking
by Sandra Lee
Copyright © 2002 Sandra Lee

Letter From Sandra

Semi-Homemade Cooking will make your life much easier than it's ever been before! I've spent the past ten years creating a Semi-Homemade lifestyle for myself -- and now for you -- busy people on a budget and on the go. Our days are filled with too much to do, too little time to do it in, and not enough money to make it all happen. Life today requires us all to be super-human. "To-do" lists have gone from one-page handwritten sheets to entire chapters in hardbound book. And after getting all your "to-dos" done, you're expected to plan, shop for, and whip up new, fresh, mouth-watering homemade meals from scratch?

What is Semi-Homemade cooking? It's a new way of cooking where nothing is made from scratch. The Semi-Homemade cooking approach is easily done by combining several prepackaged foods, a few fresh ingredients, and a "pinch of this with a hint of that" to make new, easy, gourmet-tasting, inexpensive meals in minutes. It's fast, fabulous food.

How will Semi-Homemade Cooking make your life easier? Each recipe comes complete with time estimates for planning, cost guidelines for budgeting, and a suggested brand-name list of ingredients to ease your shopping load. So whether you are cooking for two or twenty, there will always be something easy, quick, and affordable to prepare. You'll be the "Julia Child" of your own kitchen without the time, energy, and expense it normally requires.

What will you get here that you can't get anywhere else? You'll get an entirely new way of cooking. You'll get recipes complete with actual brand names of products to use so you can be sure the recipe you create tastes exactly like it should, every time. You'll get the benefit of quality and taste without the stress traditional cooking creates.

Welcome to the new Semi-Homemade world!

***

STEAK PINWHEELS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO STUFFING AND ROSEMARY MASHED POTATOES 

Serves 4 to 6 

STEAK:

1 2/3 cups canned beef broth, Swanson® 
3/4 cup ready-to-use julienne sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), Frieda's®  
1/4 cup butter, Land O'Lakes® 
1 package (6.6-ounce) stuffing mix, Stove Top® (flavor optional) 
1-1 1/4-pound skirt steak 
Salt and pepper 

ROSEMARY MASHED POTATOES: 

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated prepared mashed potatoes, Simply Potatoes® 
6 tablespoons butter, Land O'Lakes®  
1/4 cup whole milk 
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 
Salt and pepper 

Prep time: 12 minutes 
Cooking time: 50 minutes 

Steak Preparation:

Bring broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in contents of stuffing mix pouch. Cover saucepan and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff stuffing with fork. Cool stuffing. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay steak flat on clean work surface. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Cover steak evenly with stuffing. Roll up steak lengthwise to create a pinwheel effect, enclosing stuffing completely. Skewer seam with toothpicks. Place the steak roll, seam side down, on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle roll with salt and pepper. Roast until steak is golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. 

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes Preparation:

Meanwhile, peel back corners of potato packages. Warm potatoes in microwave according to package instructions. Mix in butter, milk, and rosemary. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper. 

Note: May be served with my More-Than-Meatloaf Gravy (recipe found in Gravies and Sauces chapter). 

$$$ 

Wine: Kendall-Jackson® Cabernet Sauvignon

Music: Hi Fidelity Lounge, Various Artists, "Volume 1: Subterranean Soundtracks" 

***

LEMON TURKEY CUTLETS 

Serves 4 

1 1/2 pounds refrigerated boneless turkey cutlets, The Turkey Store® 
Salt and pepper 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, Pillsbury®  
1 egg, beaten to blend 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or ReaLemon®  
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs, Progresso® 
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 
1/3 cup vegetable oil, Wesson®  

Prep time: 8 minutes 
Cooking time: 12 minutes 

Preparation : 
Rinse cutlets with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cutlets with salt and pepper. Place flour in a medium bowl. 
In another medium bowl, combine egg and lemon juice. 
In a third medium bowl, combine bread crumbs and onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. 
Working in batches, dip cutlets into flour, then egg, and then bread crumbs. Place cutlets in hot oil and cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. 

Note May be served with my Creamy Mustard Sauce (recipe found in Gravies and Sauces chapter). 

$$$

Wine: Chateau St Michelle® Chardonnoy 
Music: Various Artists, "Soul Food" 

***

RAVIOLI STROGANOFF 

My husband loves pasta as much as I love Mexican food. So I've learned some simple, sumptuous ways to be creative. This mushroom cream sauce is extraordinary and the ground turkey adds a new tasty twist. I've learned to love pasta almost as much as my husband does. Maybe my next book should be 50 percent Mexican food, 50 percent Italian food. Should I call it "Tortillas to Pasta" or "Pasta to Tortillas"? Let me know your thoughts (see page 204). 

Serves 4 

1 package (25-ounce) refrigerated cheese ravioli, Rosetto® 
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, Wesson® 
1 pound lean ground turkey 
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning: Classic Herbs, McCormick® 
1 can (10 3/4-ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup, Campbell's®  
1 cup whole milk 
3/4 cup sour cream 

Prep time: 10 minutes 
Cooking time: 15 minutes 

Preparation: 

Prepare ravioli according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan, heat oil over high heat. 
Add turkey and seasoning, 
Sauté until turkey is brown, breaking it into 1-inch pieces with a spatula, about 6 minutes. 
Stir in soup and milk. 
Bring to a simmer. 
Remove from heat. 
Stir in sour cream. 
Gently toss ravioli in sauce to coat. 
Transfer to plates and serve. 

$$

Wine: 1999 Lindeman Bin® Pinot Nior 
Music: Maxwell, "Embryo" 

***

MALIBU®  RUM CAKE 

I created this cake in college and it was always a big hit. I wonder if having the word "rum" in its title added to its success? 

Makes I large bundt cake, about 12 servings 

CAKE: 
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray, PAM® 
1 package (18.25-ounce) classic yellow cake mix, Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe®  
1 cup Malibu®  Rum 
1/2 cup vegetable oil, Wesson® 
1 package (3.4-ounce) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix, Jell-O® 
4 eggs 

RUM GLAZE: 

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar, C&H® 
1/4 cup water 
1 stick butter, Land O'Lakes® 
1/4 cup Malibu® Rum 

Prep time: 8 minutes 
Cooking time: 45 minutes 
Cooling time: 45 minutes 

Cake Preparation:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Spray a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan with nonstick spray. 
Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients in a large bowl for 2 minutes.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. 
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. 
Invert cake onto platter, then carefully remove pan. Allow cake to cool completely. 

Rum Glaze Preparation:

Meanwhile, stir sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. 
Add butter. 
Simmer until mixture thickens and is syrupy, stirring often, about 5 minutes. 
Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in rum. 
Cool glaze completely. 
Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled cake and serve. 

Storage and Leftovers: Cover tightly and store rum cake at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Cover tightly and store rum glaze in refrigerator for up to3 days. Best served at room temperature. 

***

HEALTHY ONION RINGS 

Serves 4 

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray, PAM® 
1 large onion 
1 1/4 cups Italian style bread crumbs, Progresso® 
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic, McCormick® 
1 cup low-fat milk 
1 cup all-purpose flour, Pillsbury® 
3 large egg whites, beaten slightly 

Prep time: 8 minutes 

Cooking time: 30 minutes 

Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Cut onion into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Separate slices into rings. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and garlic. Set aside. Place milk, flour, and egg whites into three separate small bowls. Dip each onion ring into milk, flour, egg white, and bread crumbs (in that order). Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes. Turn onion rings over and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. 

Copyright © 2002 Sandra Lee