Monday, December 25, 2006
Food fit for a New Year
New Year’s Eve is more than the last day of the year—it also comes near the end of the holiday season. Whether you are tempted to hold one more party for friends and family or you are a guest wanting to bring something, consider the delicious simplicity of finger foods.
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Six-Cheese Crostini with Apple and Dried Cherry Salad
12 slices (1/2-inch thick) French bread baguette (2 to 3 inches in diameter)
4-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) Sargento® Fancy 6 Cheese Italian Shredded Cheese
2 small apples
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bread slices with 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil; place on a baking or cookie sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over bread. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the apples. Cut slices into julienne (matchstick size) strips. If cherries are large, cut into strips. Combine apples, cherries, remaining 3 tablespoons oil and lemon juice; toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
Arrange warm crostini on 4 serving plates; top with salad. Makes 4 servings. Recipe adapted from Sargento Cheese.
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Marinated Roasted Olives
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 6-ounce can Lindsay® Black Ripe Pitted or Whole Olives, drained
4 large strips of orange zest
4 large strips of lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using an ovenproof skillet, cook the oil and garlic over moderate heat until the cloves begin to sizzle and become fragrant. Add the red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and thyme and let sizzle for a few seconds. Add the olives and citrus zest, warming them in the seasoned oil. Transfer to the oven and bake approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the olives are thoroughly heated and soft. Season with salt and lemon juice. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings. Recipe adapted from Lindsay Olives.
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Pantry Pointers
A cheese board is an easy and appealing treat at any party. Set out three or four kinds of cheese with crackers and bread. If desired, add apples, pears, grapes, or nuts.
Cold party trays consisting of cheese, cooked meats and/or raw vegetables can be prepared the day before, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. However, never add crackers or chips to a tray until ready to serve as they will lose their crispness.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, December 18, 2006
Start Christmas off right
Between gifts, gathering family together, and visiting friends, Christmas can be a hectic day. Starting it out with a hearty breakfast gives your family fuel for the day and gives you time to reflect on the holiday over a special breakfast.
These casseroles take some of the pressure off, as you assemble them the night before and just pop them in the oven in the morning. And since one casserole serves everyone, you won’t find yourself stuck in the kitchen filling orders for different styles of eggs or custom-designed omelets. Serve one of these dishes with a fruit salad and bread or rolls, and you’ve got a special meal on the table in no time at all.
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Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole
1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage
12 eggs
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/4 cups milk
1 4.5-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 32-ounce package frozen potato rounds (such as Tater Tots)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Stir in the sausage and mushrooms, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Mix in the frozen potato rounds. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about an additional 10 minutes. Makes 12 servings.
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Holiday Breakfast Casserole
1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
2 cups (8 ounces) Cheddar cheese, shredded
Crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until set, about an additional 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
For festive French toast or pancakes, substitute pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg or cinnamon in your favorite recipe.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, December 11, 2006
Enjoy the taste of eggnog
Some people love eggnog and some people hate it, but there are others who fear it. Traditional eggnog is made with raw eggs, so it isn’t surprising that some people are afraid of food-borne illnesses. But store-bought eggnog usually is pasteurized, which makes it safe. Using pasteurized eggnog alone or as an ingredient in a recipe allows you and your guests to enjoy the eggnog without worry.
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Eggnog Coffee
1/4 cup ground coffee
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup eggnog, warmed
1/2 cup thawed nondairy whipped topping
Place coffee in filter in brew basket of coffee maker; sprinkle with nutmeg. Place sugar in empty pot of coffee maker. Add 2-1/2 cups cold water to coffee maker; brew. When brewing is complete, stir in eggnog.
Pour into 4 mugs. Serve immediately, topped with dollops of the whipped topping. Sprinkle lightly with additional nutmeg, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
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To spike this punch, add up to 1 cup of rum.
Peppermint Eggnog Punch
1 quart peppermint ice cream
1 quart eggnog
4 12-ounce cans ginger ale, chilled
24 small peppermint candy canes for garnish
Set aside 2 or 3 round scoops of ice cream in the freezer for garnish. Stir remaining ice cream until softened. Gradually stir in eggnog and rum. Transfer to a punch bowl; stir in ginger ale. Hang candy canes around the edge of the punchbowl. Float reserved ice cream scoops on top, and serve immediately. Makes 16 servings.
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This recipe allows you to skip the eggs for a quick and tasty version of eggnog.
Mock Eggnog
2 quarts cold milk
1 3.4-ounce package instant French vanilla or vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup whipping cream
Additional nutmeg, optional
In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt if desired. In another mixing bowl, beat cream until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir into pudding mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired. Makes about 10 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
To further reduce the chance of becoming ill from egg products, keep leftover eggnog refrigerated. If you want to keep a pitcher of eggnog out, set the pitcher in a bowl of ice. Never leave eggnog at room temperature for longer than two hours.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, December 04, 2006
Host a cookie exchange
An assortment of homemade cookies is great to serve at gatherings or to give as gifts. To make the baking task easier, invite friends to come over with one batch of cookie dough already made, some of their favorite recipes, extra baking sheets, and various ingredients. Start in the morning, and by early afternoon you could be dividing up dozens of holiday cookies.
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Finnish Christmas Cookies
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds
Colored sugar, optional
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in flour. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out onto a well-floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar if desired. Using a fluted pastry cutter or knife, cut into 2x1-inch strips. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 6 dozen.
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Fresh Ginger Cookies
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat ginger, butter, and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Gently fold in flour mixture until just combined. Chill for 1 hour.
Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and then roll them in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake until edges start to brown, about 15 minutes. Centers will be slightly soft. Let stand on cookie sheets 1 minute and remove to racks to cool completely.
Makes 30 cookies.
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No-Bake Rum Balls
2-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1/4 cup rum
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the vanilla wafers, cocoa and sugar. Stir in chopped walnuts, corn syrup and rum. Mix until well blended. Form dough into 2 inch balls and roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store in covered tin. Makes 3 dozen.
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Pantry Pointers
Always cool the cookie sheet before it for the next batch. If you are in a hurry, run cold water over it and dry it to speed things up.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com