Marching forward
The Made in Oklahoma Coalition shares its March recipes, which include dishes appropriate for Easter and warmer weather.
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Spring arrives Tuesday, so we are starting to move away from heavy stews and roasts for greener pastures on the plate.
Along with fresh local greens, tasty light dressings, bright jams and jellies come to mind with warmer temperatures.
St. Patrick’s Day is Saturday, but the Made in Oklahoma Coalition’s monthly looks forward to Easter with colorful, crowd-pleasing recipes ideal for a family gettogether or potluck.
Chopped salads never go out of style. Scissortail Farms’ sells greens that include arugula, spinach, green leaf and romaine. Add some of Diane’s Legendary Italian dressing to this make-ahead meal and presto! Family dinner is made or the potluck offering is cinched.
But food at family gatherings doesn’t have to be elaborate. Chicken Parm Sliders are a crowdpleaser that you’ll make almost as fast as they disappear from the platter.
As always, dessert is on the menu. A festive mini cheesecake topped with dollop of local jam on these individual bites make a dramatic addition to an Easter celebration.
For more recipes like these from the Made in Oklahoma Coalition, go online to miocoalition.com.
SCISSORTAIL CHOPPED SALAD
¾ cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 peeled carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small cucumber, peeled and finely diced
4 green onions, finely sliced 8-ounce package J-M button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 cup Diane’s Legendary Italian dressing 2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound Scissortail Farms salad greens Place all chopped ingredients and sliced J-M mushrooms into a covered bowl. Add dressing and sugar. Cover bowl with lid, and shake.
This recipe is best when it has set in the dressing overnight. Try shaking it a few times while it’s setting.
Serve over a bed of Scissortail Farms assorted greens.
CHICKEN PARM SLIDERS
1 (24-ounce) package Fast Fixin Chicken Breast Strips
1 package Braum’s Potato Rolls
24 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese 1 (25-ounce) jar Lovera’s Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
1 stick Braum’s Salted Butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter crackers (chopped fine in food processor)
2 tablespoons fresh Scissortail Farms basil
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare chicken strips according to package directions.
Cut rolls horizontally in half. Place roll bottoms in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread half the cheese slices over roll bottoms. Bake until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Layer rolls with chicken strips, sauce and remaining cheese slices. Top with dinner roll tops.
In a small bowl, melt butter with garlic powder and red pepper flakes in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until butter is melted. Add the cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and mix well.
Pour butter mixture over rolls. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh basil.
MINI JAM CHEESECAKES
4 tablespoons Braum’s Unsalted Butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon Griffin’s vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten
Garden Club jams: Red Plum, Strawberry, Peach, Pineapple or any of your favorite flavors
Line a muffin tin with paper muffin liners. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into the bottom of the muffin liners.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg, beating on low speed until combined. Spoon mixture into the muffin cups.
Bake at 350 F for about 12-15 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes are set. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely. Refrigerate 1 hour or more. Top each cheesecake with ½ teaspoon jam. A fresh fruit garnish make these a springtime favorite.