SUGAR and SPICE NUTS

 Not a real fan of nuts, but they are nice to give as edible gifts at Christmas. Found this great recipe that is so multipurpose, that you could put any sort of spice seasoning on the finished product and it will taste great.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR and SPICE MIXED NUTS ( 2011)

2 cups butter ( no substitutions)
2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp vanilla
4 lbs ( approx.) mixed nuts

SPRINKLING MIXTURE:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp coarse salt
2 tbsp or less (to tast) of chili powder, or curry, cumin, etc. Use less or more as you wish. I use less.

Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Oven at 375 degrees.

In large bowl combine cut up butter, and 2 cans sweetened condensed milk. Stir. Cook in microwave will bubbly. Watch it, or it may overflow. Try 3 minutes at a time. Then add vanilla. Stir. Dump all the nuts into a very large bread bowl. Pour over the sweetened condensed milk mixture. Combine well.

Divide nuts between the two cookie sheets. Bake at 375 about 25 minutes. They need to dry out, so watch and stir off and on. You might try lowering the temperature.

 Let nuts cool on cookie sheets. Toss with sprinkling mixture. Let dry complete and divide into  bags for gifties.

Honey Garlic Ribs

Honey Garlic Ribs. I hardly every make these. But found a great sauce, homemade, that is no barbecue, in which to bake them. Easy, easy.

Cut up pork ribs as you wish. Place into large bowl. Make sure you use a sharp knife and be careful. I actually lay out a tea towel, on which to place the ribs, as I cut. Safer.
MAKE SAUCE: 
1/2 cup liquid honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 vinegar ( balsamic if you have it)
a pinch or two of dried garlic, whatever you wish
1/3 cup olive oil
4 bsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda

Combine all sauce ingredients. The baking soda will make it all fizz ferociously....it's supposed to do that. Stir away, then pour all at once over ribs. Toss to coat. Dump in large, foil lined pan. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Wonderful. I make double batch and freeze some of the cooked ribs for a later date.

Scalloped Potatoes

Total comfort food for a dark and stormy night. Scalloped Potatoes with golden carrots...........

Slice very thinly  enough potatoes to fill your casserole dish. Keep , covered in cold water, till you make the dish. Slice up about 4 or 5 carrots, very thin, and keep in the same water. You can also slice up some peeled yams to add to the potatoes.....very, very good.
A few hours later, spray a casserole dish with Veggie Spray. Layer potatoes/carrots, and a small chopped onion,  with a small sprinkle of flour ( not much), pepper and a dash of cinnamon. On final layer, pour over all 3 cups or 3 1/2 cups of milk adn whipping cream, combined. You decide on the porportions. But the cream really adds to the flavour. Dot the top with a little butter, sprinkle with fresh parsely, pepper, and a bit of grated cheese. Do not use too much cheese, it is just to colour the top.
   Bake at 350 for about an hour and a half till bubbly. I recommend placing your casserole dish ( which will feel heavy), on a cookie sheet. It WILL bubble over, so the cookie sheet will catch the drips.
    Absolutely wonderful......You can add salt if you wish, to taste, but doesn't need it.

CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY BARK

 Whitge Chocolate Cranberry Bark...easiest thing on the planet to make.  Beautiful and white like snow.

Take a big bowl of white chocolate wafers ( this much will do two cookie sheets. Be sure you line your cookie sheets with wax paper). Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave again, etc.

 Stir half melted wafers, like this, until smooth............

 Should melt down even smoother, as you stir. Remember, white chocolate burns very easily.

Take a good sized bag of dried cranberries ( from bulk food store) .........

 Dump into melted white chocolate. Stir well, and work quickly. White chocolate sets.

 Plop onto cookie sheets. Take spatula and spread out onto sheets. It might be getting stiff at this point. You can always put the cookie sheet on top of a warm stove and it will help it to remain pliable.

Ready for the fridge to chill. When all set, break into pieces,store in ziploc bags in cool place. Not the freezer.

CHRISTMAS TIGER BUTTER

 TIGER BUTTER.................for Christmas.....rowrrrrrrrrr.......

 Start with  a group of White, Milk, Dark Chocolate Wafers. Whatever amount you want. I do two big cookie sheets of tiger butter, so I use a lot. Get wafers  from the bulk food section of the grocery store.

 Use good peanut butter. Not the sweetened kind. The organic kind ....also from the bulk food section.

 Fill a large glass bowl with whit wafers. Dollop about 4 or 5 large tablespoons of peanut butter over the wafers. You can always add more peanut butter later, if it is not enough.

 Melt in microwave about 1 minute. Stir. Then microwave another minute. If is still not all melted, microwave about 30 seconds more, then stir to melt the last of the wafers. Remember, white chocolate burns easily, so be sure to watch it carefully.

 Stir till all peanut butter is incorporated........

 Plop onto wax paper lined cookie sheets. Do not spread

 Next melt  smaller amount of milk chocolate. About 2 minutes in microwave.

 Dollop melted milk chocolate around the white chocolate. Work fast, or it will set.

 Melt even smaller amount of dark chocolate.

 Drizzle over the concoction in the pan.  Push the other chocolates to make a marble effect. Work quickly....white chocolate sets fast.

Once done Put into fridge to chill. When chilled, break into pieces, store in covered bags in cool place. Do not put in freezer.

MINCEMEAT TURNOVER

 MIncemeat turnover......when you just gotta have one........I make my own pastry. I like it far better than the bought stuff. Easy easy. Keeps in the freezer for 6 months.

PASTRY:
6 cups flour
1 lb shortening or lard
1/2 cup ice water
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar

Cut in shortening or lard into the flour. Mix all the wet ingredients then incorporate them into the crumbly  flour mixture. Divide into six round flats.....wrap in plastic wrap and then place into a freezer bag to freeze. Take out a round as you need it.

 Roll out one pastry round, spread dollops of mincement on one half.

Fold over. Pinch edges, stab with a knife to make air holes in the top. Brush with water or milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 350 till golden. About 40 minutes or less. Just keep an eye on it. Divide and  enjoy.....

PASTITSIO

PASTITSIO ( Greek spaghetti) (Recipe from my dear friend, Maria Zoukis, in Ottawa, Ontario) This is her recipe...I kin dof  tweak the ingredients here and there, and I'm afraid I don't measure much, but this is the recipe she gave to me. So good. Reminds me of her when I make it.....

½ pound cooked pasta
3 tbsp butter
1 chopped onions
1 lb ground beef/ veggie beef or vegetables
Spaghetti sauce ( homemade or other)
Garlic / salt/pepper/cinnamon( to taste)

WHITE SAUCE:
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter
3-6 tbsp flour
3 cups milk ( give or take....add more if you need to)
3 eggs
Dash pepper, salt, nutmeg,

1.    Cook Pasta. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.   Cook beef/veggie substitute with onion and butter. Add spaghetti sauce. I add a bit of broth or water to make it less tomatoe like. Have also experimented with just broth. Nice, but not quite the same. Simmer 20 minutes on low heat.

MAKE WHITE SAUCE: Cook 4 tbsp butter with the flour till combined. Add milk. Stir till a little thickened. Break eggs into a small bowl. Pour in a  little of the white sauce to get the eggs used to the heat ( otherwise they will curdle). Stir well. Then pour egg mixture back  into the hot white sauce on stove. Stir till nice and thick. Add seasonings. Taste. Adjust to taste.

 Make a roux with flour and butter...............

 Add milk and seasonings...................

 Beat eggs with a little of the white sauce..........

Add back into sauce.............

3.Place cooked beef/veggie mixture in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Top with cooked pasta. Pour over all of this, the white sauce, sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes till bubbly and a little golden. Serve with salad. This is such a treat. But do not freeze leftovers, because of the white sauce which has eggs. Have to lunch the next day………so good.