Crater Glazed Squash with Onions
The onions and walnuts lay against the soft orange flesh of the squash
like meteorites on a
moon.
3 medium acorn squash
2 c. cooked drained tiny onions
1/2 c. broken walnuts
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Bake cut side down in
shallow baking pan at 350ø
for 35-40 minutes. Turn cut side up; sprinkle with salt.
Fill halves with onions and walnuts.
Combine butter, corn syrup, 1/4 t. salt and cinnamon. Spoon over
filling. Bake 15-20 minutes,
or until squash is tender, brushing occasionally with syrup.
Tavern Vegetable Batter
Another in our "Junk-food of the multi-verse" series. Most hero
types refuse vegetables, but will
eat almost anything if deep-fried.
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 slightly beaten egg
Dip vegetables in and deep fry. Soaking onion rings for 2 hours
in ice water makes them better.
Jurassic Potatoes
Layered like rock strata on a paleontological dig.
8-10 white potatoes with skins, scrubbed and cut into
1/4" slices
1 onion minced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices raw bacon cut into 1" pieces
8 slices pasteurized process cheese or spread.
Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish. Layer potatoes, onions and bacon
slices twice in that order in
pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350ø for 1 hour.
Cheese will brown a bit.
Elven Confetti
Typical dinner dish of these sylvan folk. Note: no salt.
1/8 c. red wine
1/8 c. teriyaki sauce
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1/3 bunch fresh broccoli
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/3 head fresh cauliflower
3 carrots, peeled
1/3 c. frozen corn
1/3 c. frozen peas
2 shakes ginger
Pinches oregano, sage, paprika, basil
Slice carrots medium thin. Discard lower third of broccoli stem,
slicing remainder into thin
strips. Separate top portion into heads with 1-2" stem.
Repeat with cauliflower. Quarter onion
and separate all sections. In large, non-stick skillet heat wine
and teriyaki sauce until it bubbles
around edges. Add carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and onion, tossing
to coat. Cook at medium
high heat until carrots soften. Add corn and peas; stir.
Sprinkle in spices, stir. Reduce heat to
medium. If vegetables are too dry, add a little warm water. Cover
and cook 5-7 minutes until
peas are tender. Toss again. Pepper to taste. Serves
4 as side dish, 2 as entree.
Tavern Squash
1 large winter squash (or 3-4 large yams)
1/3 c. brown sugar
7 slices tart apple, unpeeled
1/4 c. white wine (opt)
Ground cinnamon
Ground thyme
4-5 pats margarine
Butter bottom of glass baking dish or large loaf pan. Peel and
cut squash into bite sized pieces;
spread 1/2 in baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 brown sugar and
then spread rest of squash over
top. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Arrange applesover
top. Break butter pats over apples.
Sprinkle with wine, be sure it soaks through squash. Sprinkle
with cinnamon and thyme. Cover
with foil and bake 350o for 45-60 minutes, or until tender. Mash
squash or serve as is. This is
excellent with crisp bacon crumbled on top. Serves 2-4 depending
on size of squash.
Shub'Naggoth eyes
The Creeping Lovecraftian horror of the batter's texture and the resemblance
to dead oysters
should be put out of your mind at dinner time....heheheheheh.
2 egg yolks
2 c. grated fresh corn
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. flour
3 stiff beaten egg whites
Add beaten egg yolks to corn, salt and pepper. Mix in flour and
fold in beaten egg whites. Drop
into well greased skillet in globs the size of an oyster. Brown
on both sides and serve at once.
Makes 12.
Coruscant Paralines
A rich, yet delicate side dish, worthy of the Galactic capital.
2 lbs. yams
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. brandy or bourbon (opt)
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. butter
1-2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Scrub yams. Boil until tender. Drain, cool, and peel.
Mash or process until smooth. Mix in
salt, pepper, brown sugar, brandy, egg yolk and butter. Beat
until light. Spoon into 8" square
baking dish. Melt butter for topping. Combine with sugar,
nuts and nutmeg. Spread over yams.
Bake 350ø for 35-40 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before
serving. 6 servings.
Whovian Vegetable Casserole
As cheesy as the show's special effects, and as rich as its plots.
1/2 lb American cheese
1/2 c. butter
1 c. crushed butter crackers
16 oz bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower), thawed
and drained.
Cut cheese into cubes. Place in saucepan with 1/4 c. butter.
Heat over medium until melted and
smooth, stirring often. Place vegetables in 1 quart casserole
Pour cheese over and mix well.
Melt remaining butter, Stir in cracker crumbs. Sprinkle
over top of casserole. Bake, uncovered,
350ø for 20-25 minutes. Serve at once. Serves 4.
Bivouac Baked Beans
Easily prepared at the evening stop during those long dungeon crawls.
6 strips bacon, chopped
2 #1 cans pork and beans
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. catsup
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
3-5 drops tabasco sauce
Fry bacon until transparent, combine with rest of ingredients and bake
45 minutes at 375ø.
Treasure Chest Casserole
Small nuggets of golden corn, rich gooey cheese, in a bread box.
3 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
4-6 slices bread, cubed
1 can (16 oz) creamed corn
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
5 drops hot sauce
pepper
Layer cheese and bread in oiled baking dish, top with corn. In
separate bowl, mix rest of
ingredients. Pour over layered mixture. Let stand 30 minutes.
Bake 350o for 1 hour, setting
dish in pan of water. While cooking, puncture layer of corn to
let egg mixture seep through. 6
servings.
Inn Potatoes
A popular entry in our "junk-food of the multiverse" series. These
are found in every tavern and
inn from the Kish'kar mountains to the sea.
16 oz. frozen hashbrowns
1/4 c. melted butter
1 small onion, minced
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper
1/3 c. half-and-half
3 Tbsp. firm butter
Combine potatoes, melted butter, onion and cheeses. Turn into
well-buttered 9" baking dish,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, add half-and-half. Dot with butter.
Bake 350ø for 1 hour, until
potatoes are slightly crusty and lightly browned. Sprinkled with
chopped fresh parsley if
desired. 4 servings.
Puffed Fairy trees
Actually, the trees are diced a bit to get the casserole to puff properly
1 (10 oz) can cream of broccoli soup
1 soup can milk
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
4 large eggs, separated
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli
Thaw frozen broccoli and squeeze dry. Mix soup, milk, flour, mustard
and pepper, bring to
almost boiling. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until melted.
Stir in egg yolks and
broccoli until blended, cool slightly. Beat egg whites to stiff
peaks. Fold into broccoli. Pour
into greased 11x7 pan. Bake 50 minutes at 350ø until golden
and puffy. Knife inserted
in center should come out clean. Cool 5 minutes. 8 side-dish
servings.
Goblin Eyes
A reasonable substitute for the repulsive delicacy found in the Mountains
of Menace. The
original is served on a bed of multi-colored lichen.
1/2 bunch spinach leaves
1 lb. small red potatoes
4 strips bacon
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. rubbed sage
2 tsp. sugar
Black pepper to taste
Arrange spinach on serving platter. Pierce potatoes, place in
shallow baking dish, sprinkle with
2 Tbsp. water, cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high
9-12 minutes, rotating dish 3
times, let stand. In large skillet, over medium high heat, cook
bacon until crisp. Remove, drain.
Discard all but 2 Tbsp. drippings. Add onion and saute until
soft. Add vinegar, sage, sugar and
pepper. Cook to blend, 1 minute. Cut each potato into quarters,
arrange on spinach, drizzle
dressing over potatoes. Crumble bacon over salad.
Squash
Just the sound a short party member makes when stepped on.
2 lbs. crookneck and zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. water
8 oz. sour cream
1 can diced green chilies
1 jar (2 oz) pimento, chopped
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack
1 1/2 c. cheese flavored tortilla chips
In 3 quart casserole, combine squash, onion and water. Cook,
covered on High for 9-10 minutes,
stirring once. Drain. Stir together sour cream, peppers
and pimento. Fold in cheese. In 12x7
baking dish, layer half of squash, half of cheese and half of chips,
repeat. Cook, uncovered on
70% (medium high) for 10 minutes, giving dish 1/2 turn after 5 minutes.
Garnish with sour
cream and chopped chilies if desired. Serves 8.
Triffid Toss
1 1/2 c. sliced bok choy
6 green onions, bias sliced
1 Tbsp. water
1 c. pea pods
1 can (15 oz) straw mushrooms
2 Tbsp. cold water
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
In 1 qt. casserole, combine bok choy and onions. Sprinkle with
1 Tbsp. water. Cook, covered
on High for 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain. Halve
pea pods crosswise. Stir into bok
choy with drained mushrooms. Let stand while preparing sauce.
In a micro-safe 2 c. measure,
stir cold water, sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and a dash of pepper.
Cook, uncovered on high for
1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring every 30 seconds.
Toss with vegetables.
Cook, covered, on high 1-2 minutes until pea pods are crisp-tender,
stirring twice. 4 servings.
Freckled Wench Bread Bowls
The ultimate in fantasy fast food. Can be eaten from horseback
or while walking. The Inn of
the Freckled Wench is a typical low-life haunt. Most patrons
don't have time for a leisurely
meal, between fleeing the bounty-hunters who are running from the Guild
who are on the lam
from the Imperial Army.
2 small round loaves of dense bread
1 Tbsp. margarine
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 10 oz package yellow corn
1 medium potato peeled cubed cooked
1/2 small green bell pepper
Pinch hot pepper flakes
1/2 c. Half and Half
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 sprigs fresh parsley
Using a serrated knife, cut tops off loaves, reserve. Hollow out
bread, leaving 3/4" border, set
aside. Melt margarine in medium saucepan; saute onion till tender,
but not brown. Stir in corn,
potato, bell pepper, half and half, pepper flakes, broth, salt and
pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.
Ladle into bread bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with bread
tops on side. 2 bowls.