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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, August 29, 2008 The Forum: By any name, it's an easy dinner By Judyrae Kruse Herald Columnist When it comes right down to it, it matters not a whit whether you're planning to pack up and take to the woods, sail away or just stay home this three-day weekend, because sturdy eats still have to be factored in. If something quick and easy to pull together -- something that then bakes itself to readiness without needing any further (or hardly any) fussing with -- seems like an ideal meal, a batch of African chow mein might be hard to beat. Let's do it, starting with this recipe shared by Everett cook Rose Erickson. "This Chinese hash might be the recipe Jeanette Huntsman is looking for,'' she says. "I made this often when we were raising our boys, and I still make it for the two of us, as it's one of my husband's favorites.'' CHINESE HASH Brown 1 pound hamburger until crumbly. Add 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup sliced celery, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 soup can water. Stir in 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 can bean sprouts and 1 can sliced water chestnuts, mixing well. Pour into large casserole dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover, top with crisp chow mein noodles and bake 15 minutes more. Sherry Martin of Monroe supplies us with a somewhat different take on the subject and tells us, "This recipe for American chop suey dates back to 1966 and is from a friend of my mother's.'' AMERICAN CHOP SUEY Brown 1 pound hamburger; add 2 chopped onions and 1 bunch (or to taste) sliced or chopped celery and cook until tender. Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 2 soup cans water and 1/4 cup soy sauce, mixing well. Turn 3/4 to 1 cup uncooked instant rice into a large casserole. Pour hamburger-soup mixture over rice, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Do not stir! When ready to serve, uncover and spread the top with 1 can drained bean sprouts. Mix slightly with a fork and serve over crisp chow mein noodles. Our third version today, sent along by Judy somebody, is a layered affair that goes into the oven and then straight to the table, with no finishing touches needed. She mentions, "Our family calls this Chinese casserole, but it sounds like the African chow mein Jeanette Huntsman is looking for. The amounts of ingredients can vary according to what's in your refrigerator.'' CHINESE CASSEROLE Lightly saute 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped celery in a bit of oil or butter. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1 pound hamburger to the same pan and cook until done. Grease an 8-inch casserole and layer ingredients in this order: a handful of crisp chow mein noodles, about 1 cup cooked rice, the hamburger, and then the onion/celery mixture. Combine 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup water and a dash of soy sauce; pour over casserole. Top with another layer of crisp chow mein noodles and bake at 325 degrees about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. The Forum is always happy to receive your contributions and requests, so never hesitate to send them along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. Please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com. The next Forum will appear in Monday's Time Out section. Meanwhile, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

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