Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie
Makes 2 pies

Ingredients for the dough
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crisco
1/2 cup water

Mix together to form a ball. Let rest while you make the filling


Ingredients for the filling
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 can pure pumpkin 29oz
2 cans 12 oz each evaporated milk

Directions
Mix sugar  salt cinnamon ginger and cloves in small bowl.
Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar - spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Halve the dough and roll out the dough on a floured board. Place in 9 inch pie dish sprayed with Pam. Press into the base and round the edge, flute edges.
Pour filling into pie shells.
Bake in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 mins. or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Creamed Corn ( Thanksgiving continued)

Creamed Corn

Ingredients (to every can of creamed corn, beat up one egg. )

3 cans creamed corn
3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

Directions

Beat the eggs first with a dash of salt and pepper and a very little sugar.
Gradually add corn, beating all the time. I also freeze corn from the summer and often throw some of that in as well.
Pour in pyrex dish and top with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Bake at 300 Degrees F. for one hour.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin (Thanksgiving continued)

Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin
Can be made day before, reheat at 300 degrees F. covered. Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large leeks (1 lb total)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for the pan
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz pancetta or country ham
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 medium Idaho potatoes

Directions

Take the 2 large leeks, trim, half lengthwise, slice 1/4 inch crosswise, swished and soaked in enough cold water to cover. Lift the leeks gently from their soaking water so that any grit stays behind. Drain them in a colander.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add 6 oz pancetta diced in 1/4” pieces, stirring occasionally until golden (about 4
mins). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add the leeks and 1/4 cup minced garlic to the pan,cover and reduce the heat to low. Sweat the leeks and garlic, cooking slowly and stirring occasionally until the leeks are softened (about 5 mins). Don’t let the leeks or garlic brown.
Add 2 cups heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Stir in the ham, 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and a shake of pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 2 quart casserole dish (or spray Pam). Peel and slice 2 medium sweet potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8” thick. Repeat with 3 Idaho potatoes,

Arrange one overlapping layer of Idaho slices on the bottom of casserole. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons leek cream evenly over the potatoes. Add a layer of sweet potato slices, season lightly with salt and pepper and spoon on another 2 tablespoons of leek cream. Repeat with remaining potatoes until all are used. Press down firmly on the potatoes with hands and drizzle remaining leek cream over them.
Bake until the gratin is golden on top, 50 - 60 minutes.
Let rest in a warm place for 15 min.
Cut leeks lengthwise and then chop crosswise

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Green Bean Casserole (Thanksgiving continued)

Fresh Beans make the Bean Casserole yummy
Green Bean Casserole

Today I bought fresh beans, which I am going to wash and blanch quickly in boiling water, then freeze until Thanksgiving Day. This saves on time. I only make this dish on Thanksgiving, I once deleted it but got so many complaints, it’s back in as an old time favorite.

Ingredients

Green Beans partially cooked
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can French’s Fried Onions
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup milk

Directions
Wash the beans, top and tail and cut in half. Bring a saucepan filled with water to the boil, put a tablespoon salt in the water and drop the beans in for 6 minutes. You can then either freeze the beans or proceed with the recipe.
Combine all above ingredients, reserving 2/3 cup of the French’s onions for the topping.
Place in a pyrex dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Thanksgiving Menu

Getting ready for Thanksgiving is like preparing to paint a room, first I see who's coming and then I make a list.......... starting with a menu, I can gently start buying items that are non perishable. I'm going to post my steps and the recipes this year. Our family keeps growing! There will be fifty of us this year. My favorite holiday by far!

Menu

Shrimp with dip
Cheese with Crackers
Vegetables with dip
Spring Rolls
Mexican Dip with Corn Chips
Turnip/hot pepper/hummus platter

Turkey (3) 2 steamed by Chris and 1 roasted in oven.
Stuffing
Gravy (Jason)
Tabuli with Romaine Lettuce
Peas
Creamed Corn
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato & Leek Gratin
Sweet Potato and Peaches
Mashed Yams
Cranberry Relish
Creamy Cranberry Relish
Fresh Cranberry Sauce (Jason)
Jellied and Berry Cranberry Sauce

Cheese Cake (2)
Pumpkin Pie (2)
Pecan Pie (2)
Apple Pie (2)
Fruit Platter
Marmoul (Nuwal)


I make the Cranberry Relish first and keep it in a large jar in the fridge.


Cranberry Relish

Make this seven days before eating, can be stored in refrigerator for 2 -3 weeks

Ingredients

2 12 oz packages fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 12oz frozen orange juice
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped celery stalks
2 cups chopped pineapple
2 cups chopped apple
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Wash cranberries first, discard any berries that are not firm.
Then in a saucepan put 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and the drained cranberries. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Let cranberries cool while you are chopping the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, place the frozen orange juice and add the cranberry mixture to the frozen orange juice. This speeds up the thawing process.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well and then refrigerate for at least one week. This can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

I also make the cheese cake and put it in the freezer. Cheese cake freezes really well.

Cheese Cake
This is from Vincent Price’s Cookbook, now out of print, but a fabulous recipe book. This cheese cake is unusually light, not dense or heavy. I make this every Thanksgiving, it freezes well so I make this ahead of time. This can be made up to a month ahead and kept in the freezer.

I doubled Vincent Price’s recipe so I used a 12 inch spring form cake pan instead of an 8 inch pan. Using a 12 inch spring form cake pan, grease the inside of the pan with 2 tablespoons butter and then coat the butter with graham cracker crumbs. Coat the sides first by turning the pan on its side, and shake the pan so the crumbs can stick, keep turning the pan and adding more crumbs as needed. When the sides are well coated, shake a light coating of crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Put spring form cake pan in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
If you want to make this recipe with an 8 inch cake pan, cut the ingredient amounts in half.
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
24 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
4 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Put 24 oz cream cheese in a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.

Pour 4 cups heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat, not allowing the cream to boil.

In a separate bowl, separate 8 egg yolks and the egg white.
To the cream cheese and egg yolks, add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoon flour, 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat thoroughly until with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Turn speed to lowest and gradually pour in 4 cups scalded cream

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Add to cream cheese mixture and fold the egg whites in lightly.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form cake pan, then set pan in a shallow pan containing 1 inch of hot water.
Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.