LET'S MAKE A HOLIDAY e-COOKBOOK!
Good morning, bloggers!
Before I head off to Curves® to try to trim off some of my holiday indulgences, I want to get us started on today’s topic: Holiday Comfort Foods. If we all do this right, we will have--by the end of the day--an original cookbook. All you have to do is copy and paste the recipes into a file in the format of your choice. You may even print your file for a hard copy.
And one of you will be the lucky winner of a special cookbook, Cooking Up Romance--The Way to Your Hero’s Heart from a drawing of today’s eligible contributors. Cooking Up Romance is a collection of recipes from some of your favorite authors, including Roxanne St. Claire, Elizabeth Sinclair, Catherine Mann, Kat Martin, Susan Vaughan, and Leigh Greenwood! It's a nice addition to your cookbook shelf in your kitchen, or a gift for your favorite cook.
So let’s get started. My favorite comfort food (or should I say drink?) of the holiday season is egg nog. Love the stuff! But it’s bad news if you’re watching cholesterol, sugar, fat, and calories because it’s guilty on all counts. This season there’s a new, soy product called Silk Nog®, thank God! I can drink it without too much guilt, and it’s pretty tasty, too.
Here’s our first recipe, one I made up in an attempt to have a healthier egg nog:
Your turn. Let’s see how many recipes we can accumulate for our one-day, impromptu e-cookbook.
Vanessa Hart
Before I head off to Curves® to try to trim off some of my holiday indulgences, I want to get us started on today’s topic: Holiday Comfort Foods. If we all do this right, we will have--by the end of the day--an original cookbook. All you have to do is copy and paste the recipes into a file in the format of your choice. You may even print your file for a hard copy.
And one of you will be the lucky winner of a special cookbook, Cooking Up Romance--The Way to Your Hero’s Heart from a drawing of today’s eligible contributors. Cooking Up Romance is a collection of recipes from some of your favorite authors, including Roxanne St. Claire, Elizabeth Sinclair, Catherine Mann, Kat Martin, Susan Vaughan, and Leigh Greenwood! It's a nice addition to your cookbook shelf in your kitchen, or a gift for your favorite cook.
So let’s get started. My favorite comfort food (or should I say drink?) of the holiday season is egg nog. Love the stuff! But it’s bad news if you’re watching cholesterol, sugar, fat, and calories because it’s guilty on all counts. This season there’s a new, soy product called Silk Nog®, thank God! I can drink it without too much guilt, and it’s pretty tasty, too.
Here’s our first recipe, one I made up in an attempt to have a healthier egg nog:
EGG NOG
(Caution: remember to cook the eggnog if you’re using real eggs.) Egg Beaters® are pasteurized, making them safe for this recipe. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Ingredients:
½ cup Egg Beaters® or any pasteurized egg substitute
⅓ cup Splenda® Granular
1 cup skim milk
½ cup skim evaporated milk, or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until frothy. Pour into a sealed container and chill. Enjoy! Adding rum is optional.
Your turn. Let’s see how many recipes we can accumulate for our one-day, impromptu e-cookbook.
Vanessa Hart
SExed by Vanessa Hart at 8:52 AM
22 Comments:
Ham, Mushroom and Noodle Casserole
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3/4 pound cooked ham, cut into small cubes
1 pound egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 3-quart casserole and set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat, add the flour, and whisk till well blended and smooth. Whisking rapidly, add the milk till well blended, then add the Cheddar, nutmeg and cayenne, season with salt and black pepper, and stir until the cheese melts. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, stirring, and remove from the heat.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the oil together over moderate heat, add the onion and mushrooms, and stir till softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and stir well. Add the cheese sauce, stir to combine, then add the noodles and stir till well blended.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole, sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top, and bake till golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
When dh and I were still dating, I had a few holiday dinners with his family. Then and throughout our marriage, his mother served ambrosia at those special meals. I loved it! (Is it possible I married Jack because of his mom’s ambrosia? Stranger things have happened…)
When I started hosting holidays, I often included this great dish. It’s kind of tangy, kind of sweet, light and refreshing, with the heavier food we find on so many Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. And—really important—it’s flexible in its ingredients and can be prepared ahead.
Jack says his mom included marshmallows in her ambrosia, but she never used marshmallows that I remember.
This year, for his office party, I’m adding marshmallows and grapes because he said he wanted them, but I don’t usually. Adjust the amount of ingredients to suit the number of people you’re serving. I usually fix it by sight, so the measurements might not be exactly what I list below. The amounts listed here should serve 8-10 or maybe more, depending on how your family likes fruit. The secret is balance—no one flavor should overwhelm the others.
My wonderful mother-in-law died this past summer, so this year we’ll be honoring her when we have ambrosia with our Christmas meal.
Merry Christmas!
Dee
www.deesknight.com
SOUTHERN AMBROSIA
2 grapefruit, sectioned, seeded and cut into chunks. Try to remove the membrane because it’s bitter
3-4 oranges, depending on size. I use navel oranges to avoid seeds. Chop into chunks
20-oz can pineapple chunks, drained (You might not need the whole can. Add most and see how the fruit looks balanced with the rest.)
2 bananas sliced
1-1½ cup pecans roughly chopped. I usually just break halves.
1-1 ½ cups sweet coconut flakes
1 cup marshmallows I’m adding these just before serving
1-1 ½ cups seedless grapes sliced in half lengthwise. This adds some color, too.
Mix well. Enjoy!
We're off to a great start. Thanks, christyjan and dee! I plan to try both of these dishes. I'm serving ham this year for Christmas (a departure from our usual turkey) and I can make the casserole from leftover ham.
Ambrosia brings back memories from my childhood. My girlfriend's mother introduced me to it and I kept calling it "amnesia." That was the joke for years that Sue's mom was making her amnesia *LOL*
Dee, hers had marshmallows, those miniature ones.
Nessie
I don't measure...
Ground turkey
Ground sweet Italian sausage
1 egg
1 packet Onion soup mix
shredded zuccinni
shredded carrot
handful of almond meal
mix together and pat out into a round baking dish. bake at 325 for about 30 minutes. cut into wedges like a pie. serve with marinara sauce
Wow, Darragha, that dish sounds yummy. What do you call it?
Nessie
The noodle casserole is what I like. Yummy. I don't cook unless it has a package with microwave instructions. LOL I used to cook, but then I married a diabetic and everything I learned to cook was too sugary or too fattening. Sigh.
so, I guess I'll be a free-loader and watch what everyone else posts.
I can recommend Bob Evan's pre-packaged mash potatoes in your grocer's meat department. Good ole Uncle Bob makes some damn tasty mashed and macaroni and cheese -- although Stouffer's frozen mac & cheese is the best.
Rae Morgan
Our comfort food was Mom's Acini Salad
Cook 1 1/4 cups Acini for 15 minutes in salted water; rinse with cold water.
Cook 3/4 cup fruit juice(juice from 1 can each orange segments and 1 can crushed pineapple), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch till thickened. Beat 2 eggs and add some warmed mixture; mix everything and cook a few minutes and then cool. Pour over Acini with fruit(orange segments and crushed pineapple). Let sit overnight in fridge. A few hours before serving add 1/2 bag of mini marshmallows and 1/2 carton Nutriwhip(whipped) or Cool Whip.
My comfort food?
Tall glass of cranberry juice
1 oz of citrus vodka (or more...depending)
Sprite or 7up.
Stir. Drink. One ferrero rocher. Repeat.
Sweet.
Truly though I don't cook so I have no recipes. If I were to create a recipe odds are anyone who made it would die. Immediately. Painfully. So, yeah, I just feed off others.
(Hey the last for letters of my verification are WKRP. I know have the theme song running through my head. Niiiice.)
Jenna, this is recipe enough for me! I promise not to die, either. Thanks.
Nessie
This is something so simple, I make it often for regular dinners. But this year it'll be part of our Christmas dinner, too, and it's definitely comfort food for a southern girl--biscuits! These have a twist.
I was raised on biscuits and sawmill gravy, and for many years I made biscuits from scratch. Now I use Bisquick, and I'm just as happy!
Dee
www.deesknight.com
Cinnamon Biscuits
The regular recipe for Bisquick biscuits is:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 C milk
BEFORE adding the milk, add
6 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon for every teaspoon of sugar. In this case, use 6
Mix to distribute the sugar and cinnamon and break up lumps.
Add the milk.
Mix just until blended. Dough should be slightly stiff but not very sticky. Be very careful about adding more liquid.
Roll out until about 1/2 inch thick, and cut. Sometimes I use a knife and cut into squares, other times I go tradiditonal and use the edge of a glass.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
These biscuits will not brown a lot on the top. Test by giving one a slight twist. If it lifts from the baking sheet, they're done.
This recipe is easy to double, Just be sure you use 1/4 tsp. cinnamon for every teaspoon of sugar. These are great! No butter required, and the flavor will go right along with the normal holiday fare.
Like Jenna, I'm an eater more than a cook. :)
But there's a potato dish that's yummy that I can make without it turning into a disaster:
Twice-Baked Potato Casserole
Cook and mash potatoes as normal (I don't measure, either, so I'd say 8-10 medium sized potatoes--enough to fill a 1 1/2 to 2 qt casserole dish).
Dice and saute one small onion in butter; add to potatoes.
Add 1 brick of cream cheese and mix well.
Put potato mixture in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
For those on a low-carb diet, you can substitute califlower (cook as usual and then mash like you would potatoes).
Tiffany, tell your dh that men are welcome to blog with us.
Sherril, the twice baked potato casserole is one I want to try. Sounds yummy.
Dee, I'm a Bisquick® user, too. I also use box mixes. They are convenient and tasty. I discovered that the cheaper, the better. Often the box contains nothing but dry ingredients. I then can make it a tad healthy by adding applesauce, buttermilk, and Egg Beaters® instead of oil, water, and eggs. I've baked from scratch and can't tell the difference any more.
I hope everyone is enjoying this exchange as much as Nessie!
I call it "Meat Loaf Pie."
Sometimes I bake it in muffin tins.
Darragha's Sizzling Hot Chocolate
Melt one package of Ibarra's Mexican chocolate in a double boiler
Turn off heat.
Stir in medium container of whipping cream (the liquid kind...old fashioned whipping cream)
Stir in cinnomon, cayenne, nutmeg and black pepper to taste.
Serve with whipping cream (lightly frothy) and watch "Chocolat" with Johnny Depp while enjoying.
God, Sherrill, why would anyone (diet or not) replace potatoes with cauliflower? :::shudder::: That's so wrong that there's not enough space to blog about that.
I am a confirmed potato lover (probably why I'm Jenny Craiging...damn it...my way through Christmas)
why would anyone (diet or not) replace potatoes with cauliflower? :::shudder::: That's so wrong that there's not enough space to blog about that.
*LOL*
I'm guilty of making potato dishes using cauliflower, Jenna. But I confess, the results are disappointing. So this spud's for you *LOL*
EASY CHEESY POTATOES
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
4 potatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste (optional)
Dried parsley flakes
Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub and thinly slice four potatoes. In a 10" X 10" baking dish, layer potatoes and onions. Combine cheese soup and milk in a measuring pitcher, then pour over potato-onion mixture. Sprinkle with seasonings, add garlic, and toss to mix. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Alternate method. Cook in a slow cooker on High for 4-5 hours.
Nessie
Christmas dinner in a whole is comfort food for me. It wouldn't seem like Christmas if we didn't have rice with pigeon peas, roast pork, pasteles and tostones. I'd post the recipes to everything but don't want to take up so much room.
Instead I'll post a recipe for coquito. This drink is delicious. Every Christmas we have this drink, sort of like eggnog is sold during Christmas time.
Maria
Coquito
4 eggs
30 ounces coconut milk
1 -15 oz. can cream of coconut
14 ounces condensed milk
1 cup Bacardi rum
½ cup water
pinch of salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
sugar to taste (if needed)
Mix all ingredients in the blender. Taste and add sugar if you like it sweeter and more rum if you like it stronger. You need to add the water because it will get thicker later in the fridge. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate well. Make ahead for richer flavor. Serve in small glassware.
Maria, how yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Nessie
I've been replacing cauliflower for spuds for quite awhile. I've lost 60lbs, too. Have lots to go...but spuds are way too high in sugar. Cauliflower comes out velvety and smooth when prepared correctly.
Oh, Paige, what a neat idea for using up leftover turkey! I will definitely make this dish as it involves two of DH's favorites, turkey and chili. I agree about the cumin, too. I'll definitely add a dash or two.
Thanks!
Your Aquarius partner, Nessie
Paige wrote:Oh, food! One of my favorite things, and why I'm 40lbs overweight.
Paige, a kindred spirit! Love food, too. That's why I have to go to Curves® and de-fat my recipes. I am now down to just 20 pounds overweight, but still chubby.
Nessie
OK, cooks, I'm getting ready to draw the lucky winner. I'll post as a new blog entry so stay tuned ...
Nessie
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