Holiday recipes

Kendra reminded me of an entry on our family's blog that I did last Christmas with lots of holiday recipes.  You can go here for some of our family's favorite holiday recipes.  It's got some extra fluff in it since it's on our family blog but still great food like pumpkin dip, groundnut stew (an African peanut based soup with toppings), derby pie, coconut raspberry cake- all pure yumminess!

Teriaki Meatballs

This was the gift that kept on giving - we ate it 3 times in as many days. The first time I put it on sandwiches (hoagies) with some melted swiss. Then we ate it over rice. Then we did sandwiches again. I'm sure it would be yummy over cous cous too.

Meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef (at least 90% lean)
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

For the sauce, in a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, 1 3/4 cups water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar and honey together. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold water. Set both bowls aside.

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until combined. Form ground beef mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and brown on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. The meatballs don't need to be completely cooked through, just equally browned on all sides.

When the meatballs have browned, pour the sauce ingredients over the meatballs and gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce. Heat the sauce until just simmering and add the cornstarch/water mixture, carefully mixing so as not to break apart the meatballs as you combine the cornstarch mixture with the teriyaki sauce. Simmer the meatballs and sauce over medium heat, maintaining a constant simmer but not cooking at too high of a boil, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick and smooth (if the sauce becomes overly thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin), about 10-15 minutes, turning the meatballs every two or three minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve over rice or couscous.

Tomato-Basil Soup

This is a yummy alternative to a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup. Thank you Betty Crocker! I didn't have enough tomatoes this time around...plus, I put extra carrots in this batch - I didn't dice them fine enough but I just threw it in the blender at the end and it was fine.

2 T olive or vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (6 cups)*
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves or
2 t. dried basil leaves
1/2 t. sugar
1/3 t. salt
dash of pepper

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook carrots, onion and garlic in oil about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Stir in tomatoes. Cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Fully ripe, juicy tomatoes provide the best flavor for this soup. If your tomatoes aren't completely rip, you may need to increase the salt and sugar just a bit. *3 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained, can be subsituted for the fresh tomatoes. Omit salt; increase sugar to 1 teaspoon.

Creamy Tomato Mac and Cheese

This is my go-to Mac and Cheese recipe, compliments of Martha Stewart. Good ole' mac and cheese is just one of those classic comfort foods that I look forward to every fall. I've been using this recipe for the last 4 years and I like it a lot but I recently found another that I'm anxious to try. For now, enjoy this dish!

6 T butter
1 lb elbow or corkscrew pasta
1/2 c. all purpose flour
5 c. milk
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz cheddar, shredded (3 c.)**
12 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded (3 c.)**
2 t. thyme
2 1/2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
3/4 c. bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 9x13 dish. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and run under cold water when done. Meanwhile, in a wide pot melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and garlic. Cook 10 minutes, whisking occasionally until mixture thickens. Add some salt and pepper. Add cheese, tomatoes and thyme. Stir until cheese melts. Stir in pasta. Transfer to casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs (if using). Bake until golden (if using breadcrumbs) or until hot and bubbly, 20-30 minutes.

**I usually use about 16oz of cheese and not 24oz because cheddar is expensive in this place - I also don't use Monterrey jack b/c we can't get it here... Finally, I'm very liberal with how much Thyme I use - probably closer to 2 tablespoons than 2 teaspoons.

Pumpkin Waffles

These hit the spot on a cold fall morning. The batter keeps for a couple of days in the fridge so you can make them for Sunday brunch and then have them again Monday morning. The recipe is from my beloved Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook...

3 c. flour (I used 1 c. whole wheat)
5 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. allspice
1 t. ginger
1 t. salt
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 T maple syrup
1 1/3 c. pumpkin puree
2 1/4 c. milk
5 eggs
1/3 c. butter, melted.

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then fold in the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined but do not over-mix. Follow your waffle iron manufacturer's directions on how to cook them. On my waffle iron this recipe yields about 10-12 waffles. I make them all and then freeze the leftovers to pop in the toaster on any given morning.

At the restaurant they serve these with orange butter and toasted pecans...

Orange Butter:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. orange extract
Zest of 1/2 orange

Beat the butter with the sugar until smooth. Add the extract and zest. Save any extra butter for another day.

**Another variation is to use sweet potato puree. If you use sweet potato puree in lieu of pumpkin, eliminate the allspice and use only 1/2 the cinnamon. Substitute 1/2 c. orange juice for 1/2 c. of the milk and add the zest of 1 orange. Enjoy!