Monday, December 8, 2008

Mary Compston’s Mary Berry on a Cloud

6 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 cups whipping cream
2 pkgs (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups miniature marshmallows


Heat oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9x13 pan. In mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tarter and salt until foamy. Beat in 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. DO NOT UNDERBEAT!!! Spread in pan. Bake 1 hour then turn off oven and leave meringue in oven with the door closed 12 hours or longer.

In a chilled bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff. In another bowl, blend cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and the vanilla. Gently fold the whipped cream and marshmallows into the cream cheese mixture. Spread over the meringue. Chill 12-14 hours. Cut into pieces and top with Mary Berry topping.

Topping: Stir together 1 21-oz can cherry pie filling, 1tsp lemon juce, and 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries or 1 16-oz pkg frozen strawberries, thawed.

Submitted by Tara S.
Theme: Heritage Night

Chocolate, Cranberry and Oat Bars

1 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup margarine, softened
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine cranberries and orange juice in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat margarine and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in cranberry mixture, chocolate and pecans. Spread dough into 13x9 inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting to serve.

Submitted by Tara S. from Kraft Food and Family Holiday 2007

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1 1/3 cups flour
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
¾ cup cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
½ cup chopped pecans
1 package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line 13x9 inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil. Mix flour, brown sugar and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, remaining ½ cup sugar, eggs, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 25 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Use foil handle to lift from pan. Cut into 24 bars. Store leftover bars in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Submitted by Tara S. from Kraft Food and Family Holiday 2007

Aunt Vena’s Magic Macaroons

½ cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flaked coconut

Mix the milk and coconut. Drop by spoonful onto a greased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until delicately brown. Remove from pan at once. Yield: 12 to 14 cookies.

Submitted by LeAnn O.
Theme: Heritage Night

Koulaurakia—Greek Cookies

1 lb. butter
2 Tbs. oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix and beat for ½ hour. Then beat in:

6 eggs
1 ½ cup orange juice
2 tsp. orange rind
1 tsp. baking soda

Add 4 plus cups of flour.

After 4 cups, test dough, when you can roll without it sticking to your hand, the dough is ready. (Rub some oil in hand and over area used to roll out dough). Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Roll out and twist, brush egg over each cookie. Sprinkle sesame seeds over each cookie. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden.

Submitted by Kristin P.
Theme: Heritage Night

Poppyseed Chicken

3 cans cream of chicken soup
4 chicken breasts-cooked
1/2 pint sour cream
2 T. poppy seeds
1/2 c. butter
1 C. milk
2 cylinders Ritz crackers

Cut chicken into bite size pieces; place chicken pieces in the bottom
of a casserole dish. Crush 2 cylinders Ritz crackers into crumbs.

Combine soup, sour cream, and butter in a saucepan; heat through.
Add chicken pieces, poppy seeds, and crackers to soup mixture. Mix
well; pour over chicken in casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20 min.

Submitted by Allyn B.
Theme: Over Rice

Curried Chicken and Cashews

Madras curry powder delivers more intensity than regular curry powder. For less heat, leave the chiles whole.

Sauce:
1/3 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp. water
1 ½ Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rice vinegar

Remaining ingredients:
¾ lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbs. canola oil, divided
1 ½ cups vertically sliced onion
1 Tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. Madras curry powder
3 small dried hot red chiles, broken in half
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup dry-roasted salted cashews, chopped
3 cups hot cooked short-grain rice

To prepare the sauce, combine the first five ingredients; set aside.

Cut chicken across grain into ¼-inch slices; cut slices into ½-inch-wide strips. Cut strips into 3-inch-long pieces.

Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add half of chicken to wok; stir fry 2 minutes. Spoon cooked chicken into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining chicken.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add onion, ginger and garlic to wok; stir-fry 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add curry powder and chiles; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sauce and chicken to wok; stir-fry 1 minute. Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and cashews. Serve over rice. Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chicken mixture and ¾ cup rice).

Submitted by Melinda M. from Cooking Light
Theme: Over Rice

Kristin’s Rice

3 cups of rice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups cheddar cheese
1-2 cups mayonnaise
1 bag Lays potato chips
1 bag slivered almonds (optional)
1 small onion

--Cook Rice.

--Cook chicken breasts, then dice up

--dice up small onion

--shred cheese

Combine rice, chicken, onion and mayonnaise in large bowl, if you want almond, submit now. Blend well in large bowl until all is blended with the mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste. Pour into large glass dish. Crush a little more than ½ the bag of potato chips and cover the rice mixture, then cover the potato chips with the shredded cheese. Cook at 350* for 10 minutes, just until all the cheese is melted.

Submitted by Kristin P.
Theme: Over Rice

Chicken Cordon Bleu

1 chicken breast per person
1 slice of ham per person
1 slice of Swiss cheese per person
1 package of Shake ’n Bake
milk for rolling chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice

Thin chicken to about ½ inch thick; place ham and cheese on chicken breast and roll tightly. Roll in milk and then roll in Shake ‘n Bake until coated. Cook seam side down in deep baking dish at 350*F for 45 minutes. Serve over rice.

For sauce: mix soup, sour cream and lemon juice until warm. Serve over chicken.

Submitted by Christina B.
Theme: Over Rice

Puerto Rican Style Rice and Beans

Olive oil
Goya Frozen Sofrito
Goya Green Pigeon Peas (15 oz can)
Goya Tomato sauce (8 oz. can)
Sazon Goya (Con Culantro y Achiote) box of seasoning mix
Sazon Goya (Sin Achiote) box of seasoning mix
Olives
Goya Vienna Sausages (optional)
White Rice

Cover the whole bottom of your pot with olive oil. Add to the pot the pigeon peas with the liquid from the can, tomato sauce, olives (however many you want), Vienna sausages, 3Tbs. frozen Sofrito (can be left in the refrigerator to defrost it), 3 packs of Sazon (Con Culantro y Achiote) and 3 packs of Sazon (Sin Achiote). Last, add the WATER ONLY for the rice you are adding (for example, add 4 cups of water if you are adding 4 cups of rice).

With no lid, over medium heat, allow your mix to come to come to a slight boil, THEN ADD your rice and mix together.

Let your pot boil a little so that the rice will soak your water up. When the water is ALMOST gone you can MIX A LITTLE, and then lower your heat and put a LID on your pot. Remember to leave the lid on the pot after the rice has soaked all the water up and then it will take about 15-20 minutes to allow the rice to soften.

Try not to mix your rice a whole lot, it will always stick to the bottom of your pan, and then just taste when you think it is done. Normally for about 4 cups of rice it will take about 30-40 minutes for everything.

Submitted by Linda G.
Theme: Heritage Night

Irish Potatoes

Ingredients: 8-10 medium potatoes (peeled and cooked), 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (softened), 8 oz. sour cream (low-fat), ½ cup butter (melted), ¼ cup chopped chives, 1 clove garlic (minced), 2 tsp. salt, paprika.

Mix and mash everything and place in a lightly buttered casserole dish, then sprinkle paprika over the top. Place in the frig overnight. Bake @ 350 uncovered for 30 minutes. (Yields: 8-10 servings)

Submitted by: Janice C.
Theme: Heritage Night

Lentil Soup

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried lentils
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 bay leaves
3 cups chopped greens
½ cup chopped potato
1 cup chopped kielbasa sausage
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp black pepper
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
½ cup whipping cream (optional)

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic 5 minutes. Add lentils, broth, carrots and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Add greens, potatoes, kielbasa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Can add ½ cup whipping cream, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 5 servings (1 ½ cup)

Submitted by: LeAnn O.
Theme: Soups and Stews

Grandma Hale’s Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 4-oz. cans diced green chili peppers
1 can non-marinated artichokes (cut and drained)
16 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Mix together, cover with foil in an oven-proof dish and heat through at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers, chips, veggies, or on taco salad.

Submitted by: Laurel P.
Theme: Heritage Night

Bread Spread

1 pkg. cream cheese
1 cup mayo
1 pkg. Good Seasons Dry Zesty Italian Dressing
Mix cheese and mayo until smooth. Add dressing; mix well. Refrigerate a few hours to absorb the flavor. Serve with bread.

Submitted by: Christina B.
Theme: Heritage Night

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Mary Compston’s Bacon Rolls

Pepperidge Farm Sandwich Bread—cut off the crust.

Spread butter that has been softened on bread.

Spread with cream cheese that has been softened. Cut bread in half. Roll the bread up tightly.

Take a package of bacon and cut each slice in half.

Wrap one bacon around each bread roll and keep in place with a toothpick.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Submitted by: Christina B.
Theme: Heritage Night

Not My Dip

8 oz. cream cheese (bottom layer)
16 oz. can refried beans
8 oz. sour cream
1 ½ cups chunky salsa
2-3 cups shredded cheese (top layer)

Preheat oven to 350. In a 13x9 casserole pan, layer ingredients in order listed. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Submitted by: Holly K.
Theme: Heritage Night

Sparkling Lemon Cookies

Cookies:
3/4 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp grated lemon peel 1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar 2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs water 1/4 cup coarse white sparkling sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add lemon peel and egg.  Beat until well blended.  On low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until well blended.

Heat oven to 350*.  On floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick.  Cut with a lightly floured cookie cutter.  On ungreased cookie sheets place cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown.  Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.  Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and water.  Using small metal spatula, spread glaze on tops of cookies, sprinkle with sparkling sugar.  When glaze is dry, store cookies in airtight container.

Submitted by: Tara S.
Theme: Favorite Holiday Cookie

Marla's Soft Ginger Snap Cookies


1/4 to 1/3 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup sugar

Cream molasses, one cup of sugar, butter, shortening and eggs together in a bowl.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger and mix well together.  You may need to add a little extra flour to get the dough to a consistency that you can work with.  Put the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into a small dish.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls then roll in the sugar to coat completely.  Bake at 350* for 7 to 10 minutes.  Pull cookies out of oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to a rack to finish cooling.

Submitted by: LeAnn O.
Theme: Favorite Holiday Cookie