My Favorite Recipes: Meet Shirley Cornelius

Shirley Cornelius was born in Colfax and raised in Latah, just south of Spokane. Just out of college she worked for the accounting firm of LeMaster and Daniels in Colfax for a couple of years before moving to Spokane where she met and married Brian Cornelius who was in the Air Force at the time. They returned to Whitman County when Brian took a job with the WSU Foundation. Shirley worked at the Colfax School District and at WSU before becoming the business manager at the Whitman County Library. Shirley and Brian have two sons, Brady and Tim.

The family also includes a blue heeler and two fat cats.

While Shirley is a local by birth and has lived in southeastern Washington all her life, Brian is from Pennsylvania. Visits to family take them to a number of states as well as Germany, England and France. A trip to Australia to visit a niece and nephew is in the works for next year.

In addition to her work Shirley likes the outdoors and organizes group events for running, walking and biking. She likes to garden and has a spot in the Peace Lutheran community garden and also helps with the harvest/planting of church produce and delivery to the food bank.

About 12 members of the congregation are active with the garden. They plant the donated seed, weed, water and pick about 25 pounds per week for the Colfax Food Pantry. They grow carrots, onions, radishes, beans, squash and pumpkins. This year they have 30 tomato plants growing.

Shirley grew up on the farm baking pies and cinnamon rolls. She was a waitress at the Latah Café when Darlene Kates was cooking there and made the attached cinnamon roll recipe for the café.

Now she grinds her own wheat for flour and uses it in the rolls. The muffin recipe comes from a book that she and her husband received when we they got married 26 years ago and still make all the time. Shirley once made the semi-finals of the National Lentil Festival recipe contest with the lentil burritos and is quite famous for her canned pasta sauce.

Recipes

CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Dough:

3 C all purpose flour

1 ½ C whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ C milk

¼ C granulated sugar

1 pkg active dry yeast

½ C butter

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine 4 cups flour and salt, sift into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and sugar until hot to the touch (about 105 degrees.) Remove from heat, add yeast, stir to dissolve.

Proof yeast for five minutes.

Combine yeast, milk mixture, and one cup of the flour in a large bowl.

Blend on low to combine, about 2 minutes.

Add egg, blend, then remaining flour mixture.

When combined, use dough hook or knead by hand for 3 to 5 minutes, until dough is smooth.

Add extra ½ c flour (if dough is too sticky, but this dough should be soft and a bit clingy.

Place in a greased mixing bowl, turn once to coat, cover with a clean dish towel, let rise in a warm place until doubled (an oven barely warmed to 100 degrees, then turned off, is good.) This will take approximately an hour and 15 minutes.

Punch down dough, divide into two pieces, return covered to warm place to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Roll each piece into an 8” by 12” rectangle.

Brush liberally with melted butter, then sprinkle with half the brown sugar and cinnamon, and half of the raisins and nuts.

Roll up tightly, starting with the long side, and pinch the edges to seal.

Place in a greased 9” round pan or pie pan.

Repeat with the second rectangle of dough.

Cover, let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled once again, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned.

Remove, cool a bit, and frost with maple frosting.

China Cinnamon Filling

1/3 C butter

1 C brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 C raisins or 1 C chopped nuts.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ C softened butter

4 oz cream cheese

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp maple flavor

Enough milk to make a smooth consistent glaze

Lentil Rice Burritos

2/3 C dry lentils

1/2 C uncooked rice

4 cloves finely minced garlic

1 medium red bell pepper chopped

2 C chopped onion

1 ¼ Tbsp Fajita seasoning

½ C chopped cilantro

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp canola oil

6 whole wheat soft burritos

Condiment:

½ C plain yogurt

1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic finely minced

Bring lentils to boil along with 1 2/3 cup water. Turn to low and cook for 20 minutes or until still crunchy. Drain any excess water. Meanwhile, heat rice and 1 C water to boil. When rice comes to a boil, turn to low and cook until done - about 13 minutes. To a fry pan with the 3 Tbsp oil, add onions, lentils, rice, pepper, garlic and seasoning. Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes. The last minute of cooking, add the fresh cilantro.

In a small bowl, mix together the condiment ingredients.

Serve lentil mixture over soft whole wheat flour burritos. Top with a tablespoon of condiment.

LAKE CHELAN RIVER HOUSE BANANA

OAT MUFFINS

1 egg

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/3 cups)

½ cup raisins and ½ cup walnuts (or a whole cup of either alone)

1/3 vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup molasses

½ cup coconut

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup oat bran or wheat germ

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and sugar. Beat in bananas, raisins, oil, vanilla extract, molasses and coconut. In a separate bowl, combine flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a spatula, gently fold in banana mixture and stir just until blended. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool. Makes 12 muffins.

CHUNKY BASIL

PASTA SAUCE

8 cups coarsely chopped, peeled tomatoes (9-12 tomatoes)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

2/3 cup red wine

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp pickling salt

½ tsp sugar

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Combine all ingredients in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently. Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars within ½ inch of rim. Process 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes for quart jars in a boiling water bath. Yield 8 cups.

Note: This makes an excellent pizza sauce.