Made with Love: The Meals On Wheels Family Cookbook celebrates the importance of families' eating together through personal stories of favorite family meals and recipes from noted personalities (actors, chefs, writers, and other celebrities), as well as tips to help families come together to help others in need. The book will be illustrated with candid photos from contributors and behind-the-scenes photos of families volunteering for Meals On Wheels to help feed seniors in their communities. Contributors include Paula Deen, Helen Mirren, former First Lady Barbara Bush, Mario Batali, Martha Stewart, Kurt Warner, Dr. Maya Angelou, Joan Rivers and many others. Made with Love will be released in autumn 2012 with proceeds from each sale going towards helping Meals On Wheels and its mission.
You can preorder your copy at any of these online retailers:
Featured Recipe: Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti
 
"Ever since I opened The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, with the help of my two sons Jamie and Bobby, our baked spaghetti has been a crowd favorite. We still serve baked spaghetti on The Lady & Sons buffet, and this recipe was featured in my very first cookbook. My baked spaghetti is affordable, easy to make comfort food and it will never let you down. Fodor’s Travel Guide even called it “The best baked spaghetti in the South.
I’m so glad to be part of this cookbook. We live in the richest country in the world and nobody should go to bed hungry at night, especially seniors. These people spent their whole lives caring for others and we cannot forget about them when they need us most. That’s why I love Meals On Wheels programs, because they work to make sure that seniors never go hungry."
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen House Seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen Seasoned Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s Sweet Italian Herb Blend
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 small bay leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.
Helen Mirren's Mironoff Piroshki
 
Our father was born in Russia, on the family estate called Kuryanova;The upheaval of the Russian Revolution and the First World War left him and his parents living in London England.In later years his father came to live with us. Grandpa loved nothing better than to sit and tell his grandchildren tales of his life in Russia. We think that this version of "piroshki" must be from a recipe he told our mother; she adapted it and these cabbage pies have been firm family favourites ever since. We know they are not authentic piroshki; but they are original Mironoff Piroshki!
For 6 pies
Equipment
- flat greased baking tray
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 medium white cabbage
- 2 leeks
- 1 onion
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup water or stock
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley seasoning
- 1lb shortcrust pastry
- milk for brushing
Method
Make pastry and leave to rest in fridge
Slice cabbage finely
Remove outer leaves from leeks and slice thinly
Peel onion and chop in to small pieces
Melt butter in water/stock in a large pan
Add chopped vegetable and cook on a low heat for 7/10 mins.
Stir occasionally.
The cabbage should still have a "bite". Allow vegetables to cool.
Roll pastry out to 1/4 thickness. Cut into circles. I used a cereal bowl of 6 1/2 inch diameter as a template.
Drain vegetables; (there should be very little liquid left).
Add chopped boiled eggs and parsley to vegetables. Season to your taste.
Pile equal amounts of cabbage into centre of the pasty circles.
Brush the edges of the circles with milk and draw them up.
Join the edges thoroughly and flute.
Brush the pies with the milk and bake for 25 mins or until golden brown.
Serve hot with a salad or soup
Kurt Warner's Lobster Pasta Salad
We always eat dinner together as a family. That’s one rule that’s rarely broken. If the kids want to have dinner with their friends, they’re welcome to bring them here. But they all have to be home for dinner. Dinner comes with lots of rules, such as no one may get up from the table until the last person is done eating. It’s our way of telling the kids that each one is as important as all the others, and nothing is more important than our family time.
Serves 4-6
Salad Ingredients
- 6 oz. orecchiette or small shells
- 2 cups lobster meat, cut into bite-sized chunks (Two 1 1/4 lb. lobsters or 1 and 1/3 can frozen meat)
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, including tender green tops
- 2 T chopped fresh tarragon or 2 tsp dried tarragon, crumbled
Dressing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 T tarragon vinegar
Directions
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package for al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain completely and set aside.
For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the ingredients together in order (salt and pepper to taste).
Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients. Toss together gently. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss again gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. If you refrigerate the salad for 8 hours or more, add a small amount of mayonnaise. Serve chilled and enjoy!
Al Roker's New Orleans-Style Barbecued Shrimp
In New Orleans, BBQ shrimp is actually cooked in a pan on the stovetop. This is an adaptation for the grill. Cover the picnic table with brown paper, get a stack of paper napkins, and go to town. Don't blame me if that loudmouth Emeril Lagasse shows up. I'm kidding. Really. BAM!
Makes 8 main-course servings, or 12 appetizer servings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds fresh or frozen large extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count per pound), in the shell
- 5 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Several dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce
Directions
You can buy large, frozen tiger shrimp that have been deveined but are still in the shell. If you use these, thaw them according to the package directioins. If using fresh shrimp, you can ask the person at the fish counter to devein them for you in the shell. You can also do this yourself, using shears. Cut the shell along the vein and pull the vein out with your fingers. Or, you can just skip the deveining process. The vein won't hurt you.
Combine 3 tablespoons of the chili powder and 1 tablespoon of the salt in a small bowl. Rub the shrimp with this mixture, making sure you rub some into the open cut where the shrimp has been deveined (if it has) to season the shrimp inside the shell. Place the shrimp in a shallow, non-reactive pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you make the sauce.
In a saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft but now browned. Add the ketchup, oil, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon slices, lemon juice, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, cayenne, and hot sauce, as well as the remaining 2 tablespoons chili powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Stire to mix. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until thick. Remove from the heat, uncover, and cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the lemon slices and bay leaves.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the shrimp. Toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate the shrimp for 1 to 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce separately and save for dipping.
Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for drect grilling over high heat.
While the grill is heating, reheat the remaining sauce in a small, covered saucepan over very low heat-it will only take a few minutes. Watch the sauce carefully so that it doesn't burn.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and discard the marinade. Grill the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the shells are orangy-pink. To test for doneness, take a shrimp off the grill, remove the shell, and cut the shrimp in half: The flesh should be white and firm throughout.
Serve with the warm sauce for dipping, and a large bowl for the shells.
Linda Evans Presents: Leslie and Tony Curtis's Lemon Souffle with Raspberry Sauce
Tony and Leslie Curtis were regulars at our house in Malibu and we shared many great dinners with them at their beautiful home in Bel Air. Being a lemon lover, I asked them for this recipe. I’ve made it many times with great success!
Lemon Souffle Curtis
Ingredients
- 4 lemons
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 packages unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions
Grate the lemon zest (you should have about 1/2 cup) and juice the lemons (1 cup).
On the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water, beat together the egg yolks, the sugar, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat a spoon. (This will take a little while.) Remove from the heat. Take the pan out of the simmering water and put the lemon mixture in a large bowl.
In a small bowl soak the gelatin in 1/2 cup of room temperature water. Stir to mix. Then add the gelatin to the warm lemon mixture and blend well. Set aside to cool.
When the lemon mixture is at room temperature, whip the cream until soft peaks form and mix it into the lemon mixture.
Beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whites into the lemon mixture gently, to lighten the base, and then gently fold in the other half. Pour mixture into an 8-cup soufflé dish.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Serve with raspberry sauce.
Raspberry Sauce
Makes 2 cups
Here’s a really easy, delicious sauce you can make without ever turning on the stove.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Place the frozen raspberries in a strainer suspended over a bowl, to thaw. Mash the thawed raspberries through the strainer to remove the seeds. Discard the juice and seeds.
In a small bowl, mix the puree with sugar and the lemon juice.
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