"Cooking with Betty"
Sauces to make food better
Betty Jacobs

This month we feature how to stir up sauces with delicious foods you will love to serve to family and friends. Included are simple and quick-cooking recipes for Pasta and Salmon with Sauce; Mustard Sauce that's great on a variety of meats, omelets and veggies; Cream Sauce for pasta; and delicious Meatloaf Florentine with Mushroom Sauce.

Enjoy!
Pasta and Salmon with Sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and split in half
1 14.75-ounce large can salmon
1 2-pound can tomatoes
generous pinch cayenne
12 to 16 ounces pasta, penne or bow, or other shape
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a saucepan, heat the oil until fairly hot. Add garlic and cook about 5 minutes, until lightly colored. This will flavor the oil. Discard the garlic.

Flake the salmon and add to the oil, mixing well. Drain and puree the tomatoes and add to the pan. Add the cayenne. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling and salted water. Drain and transfer to a warm serving bowl or platter. Pour sauce over pasta. Add parsley and mix well. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. Tip: Fresh-cooked salmon or tuna may be substituted.
Mustard Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
2 to 3 drops yellow food coloring, if desired

In small saucepan, melt butter. Combine flour, sugar, mustard, salt and milk. Stir into butter and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Boil 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, parsley and food coloring. Cover and keep warm until an omelet bakes or thinly baked pork chops are sauteed.

Great with a variety of foods.
Cream Sauce for Pasta
1/4 pound sweet butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
ground coriander
salt
grated nutmeg

Heat the cream and butter together. When the butter is melted add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Add a few good pinches of coriander. Taste for salt and then add freshly grated nutmeg.

Enough for 10 ounces of pasta.
Meatloaf Florentine with Mushroom Sauce
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon pepper sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound sausage (regular)
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach

Combine all ingredients except spinach. On a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper, pat mixture into a rectangle about 7x10 and 1-inch thick.

Squeeze thawed spinach until dry and spread over top. Using the foil or paper, roll the mixture up like a jelly roll. Remove foil or paper. Seal the ends of the meat loaf and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
Mushroom Sauce
1 15-ounce can beef broth
1 jar (2 1/2 ounces) drained, sliced mushrooms
2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 to 2 tablespoons cool water
salt and pepper to taste

Heat beef broth in small saucepan and add mushrooms. Whisk the cornstarch in a small amount of water; add to sauce a little at a time until desired thickness is reached. Adjust taste with salt and pepper or beef bouillon if necessary. Serve over hot meat loaf.

Makes 8 servings.