XMAS RUM BALLS
Melt 4 1/2 pounds Hershey bars & 1 12 oz. pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips in double boiler. When melted remove from heat.
Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup (or less) white rum.
Mix well & chill overnight.
Roll teaspoon size balls in crushed nuts. Then chill & let age.
You could use milk chocolate chips instead of the Hershey bars. Recipe can be cut in half.
CRANBERRY BEETS
6 c sliced, peeled beets
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 T orange juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp salt
cook beets til tender.
in anoher pan heat cranberry sauce over medium heat until melted
add orange juice, orange peel and salt
drain beets, gently stir in cranberry mixture
heat through
GREEN 'N' GOLD EGG BAKE
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups (24 ounces) small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
Sprinkle 1/4 cup bread crumbs into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
In a bowl, combine the spinach, cottage cheese, Romano cheese, three eggs and remaining crumbs. Spread over the baked crumbs.
Beat remaining eggs; pour over spinach mixture.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Yield: 9 servings.
Nutritional Analysis: One 1/2-cup serving (prepared with fat-free cottage cheese and egg substitute) equals 181 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 127 mg cholesterol, 808 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 starch
SWEET POTATO BREAD
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts. Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350º for about one hour.
CHICKEN or TURKEY CASSEROLE
great to use those left-overs
1 pkg. (8-oz.) Angel Hair Pasta
1 cup crushed Doritos
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-cups milk
8-oz shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 (small) can sliced mushrooms (drained)
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
Boil pasta according to directions on package. Drain, set aside. Crush Doritos with a rolling to measure about 1-cup - set aside. Make a white sauce by melting butter (or margarine), stirring in flour, then gradually blending in milk. Add salt and pepper. (Note: continuous stirring is a must.)
Add cheese, stir until melted. Add mushrooms, remove from burner.
In a large casserole dish (about 8"x12") begin to layer foods. A layer of pasta, a layer of turkey, a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat the layers. Top with crushed Doritos.
Bake in 400º oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
drying turkey slices or drum stick meat can be camouflaged into a delicious turkey salad. Put whatever amount of turkey you have into the processor; add olives, sweet pickles, radishes, onion, maybe some jalepeno peppers, and whatever herbs call out to you. Blend your salad together with a dab or two of mayonnaise. Add 1-teaspoon milk per 1/4 cup of mayo for a smooth consistency. Salt and pepper to taste or try lemon-pepper; it's a bit snappier. If you like mustard, add 1-Tablespoon mustard to the 1/4 cup mayo in substitution of the milk. Put your turkey salad on a kaiser roll, or maybe some pita bread.
EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
3 pounds mixed cheese (See ingredients and recipe for ricotta cheese mixture below)
2 eggplants
4 zucchini
10 eggs
4 cups flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cups breadcrumbs
4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup Parmesan
1/4 quart oil
salt and pepper
Slice eggplants and zucchini into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Set the zucchini aside.
Fill a bowl with lightly salted water, add the eggplant (only) and soak for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until blended. In a third bowl, mix together the bread, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Arrange the bowls on a work surface so that they are lined up next to each other.
Carefully dip a eggplant and zucchini into the flour, making sure both sides are covered, dip into the egg mixture and finally dip into the bread crumb mixture and coat both sides very well while gently tapping off any access.
Transfer to a serving plate, season with salt and pepper and set aside while repeating with the remaining vegetables.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and eggplant and sauté on both sides until golden brown. Make sure that they are cooked all the way through. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
RICOTTA MIXTURE
2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
2 ounces fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley and eggs. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate briefly to make the mixture firm.
ASSEMBLE
In a large baking pan, add 2 cups tomato sauce, a layer of eggplant and zucchini and then a layer of the cheese mixture.
Repeat the process two more times and top with a layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven at 450°F for 20 minutes.
APPLE AND CHEDDAR CHEESE LASAGNA DESSERT
9 cups sliced apples
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 cooked pasta sheets
Streusel topping
Combine apples and sugar in saucepan. Cook until sugar melts and apples begin to exude liquid. Add cornstarch, cook until slightly thickened, add spices and remove from heat.
Place 1 cooked pasta sheet in the bottom of a 4-quart baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the apples, then 1/3 of the cheese and repeat process two more times and top with fourth pasta sheet. Sprinkle with streusel topping and bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 35 minutes.
STREUSEL TOPPING
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
12 ounces cold butter
Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter.
CRABMEAT CANAPES
1 c fresh lump crabmeat
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped chives
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco sauce to taste
peper
mix crabmeat with mayo, seasonings, and herbs. serve on crackers or toast
FRUIT DIP
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
2 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, marshmallow cream, milk, vanilla and nutmeg, beating until smooth. Place dip in a serving bowl and serve with assorted fruits.
SWEET POTATO PECAN COOKIE
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup well-mashed or pureed sweet potatoes
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
1/2 cup chopped pecans
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, sweet potato, vanilla, and orange rind. Beat mixture into dry ingredients. Stir in pecans. Drop batter by teaspoonful onto lightly buttered cookie sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between them.
Bake at 400º for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned. Cool on racks and store in an airtight container.
If desired glaze with a mixture of
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
while cookies are still warm. Makes about 3 dozen.
GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. hot water
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups flour.
1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling cookies in)
Mix the sugar with the well beaten eggs. Add the soda dissolved in hot water, the nuts and sift in the spices with the flour. Add more flour if needed to make a dough stiff enough to roll. Roll out until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into tiny rounds about as large as a quarter of a dollar and bake in oven at 400° until golden brown. Take out and roll at once in powdered sugar.
NOTES: Grind nuts fine.
APPLE PIE W/CHEDDAR CHEESE CRUST
For cheddar cheese crust:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup butter - chilled
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 egg - separate the yolk and egg white
1/3 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
Mix together flour, salt and nutmeg, add butter until
it resembles coarse corn meal. In a bowl mix together the
water, vinegar and egg yolk and add to the flour mixture.
Stir in the shredded cheese. form the dough into a ball.
Divide the dough in 1/2. Roll out dough approximately 1/8"
thick. Place dough into the bottom of pan and press well
against the sides.
For the filling:
6 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet spice blend** (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup brown sugar - packed
**SPICE BLEND
makes about 3 tablespoons of spice blend. Use in apple and
pumpkin pie recipes, also sprinkled on top of eggnog.
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Place the apple slices into a bowl and stir in
the lemon juice to coat all the slices. Mix in the
remaining ingredients. Place the filling into pie shell.
Roll out the remaining half of the dough into a
9" diameter circle and place on top of the filling. Seal
together the bottom and top edges of the pie crust and use
a sharp knife to trim off any extra. Brush the top of the
crust with the reserved egg white. Bake at 375 for 55 to 60
minutes until golden brown. Makes one 9" pie.
SPICE PUNCH
1 gallon apple cider
Fresh orange peel - from 1 orange
2 whole cinnamon sticks - broken into pieces
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
Unsalted butter
Ground nutmeg
Pour cider into a large pot over medium high heat. Place
pieces of cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries
onto a piece of cheese cloth. Fold the edges of the cloth
over, and tie it up with a piece of string. Place the spice
bundle along with the orange peel into the pot of apple
cider and let it come to a boil. Immediately reduce the
heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes before
serving. To serve, fill a mug with the spiced cider, add a
small pat of butter on top and sprinkle with some of
the ground nutmeg.
