winning recipes

Southern Living, Oct 2004

These player favorites are guaranteed to keep your next dinner on course.

The players of the LPGA Tour may be better known for their short irons, but many of them are equally skilled with cast iron-skillets, that is, along with sauté pans and Dutch ovens. In short, take some time to chat with these golfers, and you're just as likely to pick up a quality recipe as you are some new swing tip.

The truth is when they are between tournaments, their cooking concerns are much like our own. They look for quick and easy preparation, but they still want tasty and healthy food. Take Kris Tschetter, for example. When she's not on the road, she and her family prefer to spend evenings at their Warrenton, Virginia, home. There she uses whatever she has available to whip up a satisfying meal. "I always feel a little stifled by recipes," she explains. "I just throw in something here, throw in something there, and I use whatever I have in the refrigerator." That's how she happened upon her Summer Pasta, a light, fresh-flavored dish that's guaranteed to please.

Time is an important factor for Jen Hanna, who moved into her new home in Greenville, South Carolina, earlier this year. "I don't have a lot of time to cook, and I can't wait three hours to eat a meal. I'd eat everything else in the house before it was done," she says with a laugh. Inspired by a veal scaloppine recipe she saw in a book, Jen created Angel Hair Pasta With Veal and Shrimp. She can have the dish ready to serve in about 30 minutes, and it makes a great entrée for entertaining and everyday.

The following recipes will add winning flavors to any cook's collection.

Angel Hair Pasta With Veal and Shrimp

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 12 MIN., COOK: 24 MIN.

8 ounces angel hair pasta

½ pound (¼-inch-thick) veal cutlets

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup sundried tomato pesto

1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained

½ cup dry red wine

½ pound cooked, peeled shrimp

PREPARE pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

SPRINKLE veal cutlets evenly with salt and pepper.

COOK veal in hot olive oil, in batches, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Remove veal cutlets from pan, and keep warm.

ADD garlic to skillet, and cook over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in sundried tomato pesto, tomatoes, and wine. Add veal; cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in shrimp; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

JEN HANNA

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Melissa's Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.

Summer Pasta

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN.

Stir in a few more tablespoons of olive oil if it tastes too dry.

12 ounces penne pasta

2 pints grape tomatoes, cut in half

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARE pasta according to package directions; drain.

STIR together grape tomato halves, minced garlic, chopped fresh basil, ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with pasta; sprinkle with cheese.

KRIS TSCHETTER

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Sugared Green Beans

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP:10 MIN., COOK: 25 MIN.

1 pound green beans, trimmed

½ teaspoon salt

½ small onion, finely chopped

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon sugar

3 garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon pepper

SPRINKLE green beans with salt, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water; cover and steam 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.

SAUTÉ onion in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a skillet over medium heat until tender; add 1 teaspoon sugar, and cook over low heat 5 to 7 minutes until golden. Add chopped garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add ½ teaspoon pepper and green beans, tossing to coat. Drizzle evenly with remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil.

ROSIE JONES

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Snickerdoodles

MAKES 3 ½ DOZEN

PHEP: 10 MIN., BAKE: 8 MIN. PER BATCH

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup stick margarine, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

STIR together 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.

BEAT margarine and 1 ½ cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

COMBINE flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until blended.

SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an aluminum foillined baking sheet.

BAKE, in batches, 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

DONNA ANDREWS

PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA