2014 Holiday Guide: Holiday Recipes

Holiday Recipes: Roasted leg of lamb
Submitted by Lucjan Szewczyk
Press-Banner Photographer
– Rub lamb leg all around with 2 tablespoons of garlic olive oil.
– Apply garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper all around and rub it in.
– Cut a few cloves of garlic into slices, then make few deep slits on top and bottom of the leg, and insert garlic slices.
– In a roasting pan with a rack, broil meat for 5 minutes on each side.
– Take meat out of the oven, lower its temperature to 325 degrees, and lower the shelf from roasting to baking position.
– Mash garlic with dried rosemary, and apply a thin layer to the top of the leg.
– Put meat back into the oven on the lowered shelf, with a sheet of aluminum foil loosely on the top.
– Bake for 1 hour.
– Take the pan out of the oven and flip the leg over.
– Put the thin layer of rosemary­garlic mash on top of the meat, put it back in the oven — without foil — and cook until the meat thermometer shows 160 degrees for well done (the way I like it). For rare, it’s 135 degrees.
– Let meat stand for 15 minutes after taking it out of the oven.
– I serve it with baked potatoes, natural sauerkraut, and pickles. Horseradish is my favorite, and it also goes well with any beer.
– On Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, it’s a companion to the turkey, ham, and a plethora of side vegetables.
Holiday Recipes: Chocolate Mint Brownies
Submitted by Barbara Burke
Press-Banner Office Manager
(From Cooking Light Magazine)
Ingredients
Bottom Layer:
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
Mint layer:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring
Glaze:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
Preparation
– Preheat oven to 350°.
– To prepare bottom layer, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt; stir with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, egg substitute, 1⁄4 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour batter into a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
– To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1⁄4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.
– To prepare glaze, combine chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
– Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes.
– Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. n – Cut into 20 pieces.
Holiday Recipes: Brie and Onion Puff
Submitted by Elizabeth Trugman,
Press-Banner Advertising Executive
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup water
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1⁄2 recipe cranberry sauce
1 5-inch round Brie cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preparation
– Preheat oven to 400 degrees
– Melt the butter in a skillet over medium­high heat. Add onion, season with salt, and pepper, to taste, and sauté until just brown, about 10 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring often, until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes.
– Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
– Roll pastry sheet to a 12­inch square on parchment paper dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
– Place caramelized onions in the center of the pastry. Place brie round on top of the onions and brush edges of pastry square with beaten egg. Place cranberry sauce on top of the brie.
– Fold pastry up and over cheese to completely enclose the cheese in the pastry. Press the seams together to completely seal.
– Set pastry round, seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg.
– Bake until golden brown — 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
– Serve with crackers and/or sliced baguette.
Holiday Recipes: Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Submitted by Elizabeth Trugman,
Press-Banner Advertising Executive
Ingredients
1 12 ounce bag cranberries
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup pomegranate molasses (Available at New Leaf Market)
3 small sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Preparation
– In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, molasses, and thyme to a boil over medium­high heat, stirring frequently.
– Boil, stirring often, until most cranberries pop. Remove from heat and stir in pomegranate seeds.
– Discard thyme.
– If making ahead of time, chill cooked cranberries, covered up to 1 week and add seeds just before serving.
Holiday Recipes: Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie
Submitted by Mikaela Slade
Press-Banner Intern
Butter crust
Ingredients
1 stick of butter, cold cut into cubes
1 cup of flour
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Cold water
Preparation
– Put flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter cubes in food processor, pulse until crumbly.
– Add teaspoons of cold water a little at a time until dough comes together. The less water, the better, because it can make for tough dough.
– With fingers, gently press the dough into your pie pan making sure that you have a good edge.
– Make a day ahead and refrigerate overnight or freeze for an hour.
Pumpkin filling
Ingredients
1 can of organic pumpkin
1 cup of whipping cream
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup of sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp molasses
4 eggs
Preparation
– Place baking sheet in oven, preheated to 450.
– Whisk together sugars and spices to blend.
– Whisk in pumpkin, molasses and eggs, then cream.
– Pour into chilled crust.
– Place pie on baking sheet in oven.
– Bake 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325 and bake until center is just set — about 40 minutes.
NOTE: You will probably have more filling than you need. It can be cooked as a custard.
Holiday Recipes: Norwegian Butter Balls
Submitted by Patricia Sousa
Press-Banner Reporter
Ingredients
1 cup butter (room temp)
½ cup powdered sugar + additional for rolling/garnish
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Preparation
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
– Cream butter and powdered sugar together.
– Add vanilla and salt and continue to cream.
– Slowly mix in the flour and stir until dough forms.
– Mix the nuts into the dough — all ingredients should be evenly incorporated.
– Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with baking parchment, or spray with nonstick cooking spray, or rub with butter.
– Roll the dough into 1”-1½” balls and place on the baking sheet.
– Bake the balls for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
– Roll the cookies in powdered sugar and or sift powdered sugar on top for garnish.
– The recipe should yield 30 cookies.
Holiday Recipes: Orange Marmalade Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Submitted by Patricia Sousa
Press-Banner Reporter
Ingredients
1 pound Brussels sprouts (cut in halves)
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon honey
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
¼ cup orange marmalade
Salt and pepper
Preparation
– Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
– In a bowl, stir Brussels sprouts with the olive oil and honey until evenly coated.
– Place Brussels sprouts on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
– Bake for 12 minutes or until edges begin to look slightly blackened, stir and bake another 10 minutes.
– Mix butter and orange marmalade in a large bowl, add the hot Brussels sprouts and stir until butter is melted and the sprouts are evenly coated.
– Put Brussels sprouts back on the pan, salt and pepper them one more time, and bake at 425 degrees for 7 minutes.
– Stir the Brussels sprouts and bake another 5 to 7 minutes or until sprouts are candied, tender, and crispy.
Holiday Recipes: Peanut Butter and Applesauce Dog Biscuits
Submitted by Joe Shreve
Press-Banner
(From Paris Permenter and John Bigley’s Dogtipper — www.dogtipper.com)
Ingredients
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon baking powder
Preparation
– Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two cookie sheets.
– Mix all your ingredients, stirring until they’re well-mixed and ready for kneading.
– Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Depending on the oil in your peanut butter, you might have to add a teaspoon of olive oil if you find the mixture is a little too crumbly.
– Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness, then cut the dough in desired shapes and place on your cookie sheets.
– Pop the cookie sheets in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until lightly browned.
– Let the doggie biscuits cool completely before serving them to your dog or refrigerating them.
Holiday Recipes: Pumpkin Dump Cake
Submitted by Ren Tawil
Press-Banner Distribution
(Shared by women’s club of Zion Lutheran Church in San Jose)
Ingredients
1 large can pumpkin (plain — not prepared for pie)
Eggs — 3 large or 4 small
1 cup milk (evaporated pref. 1 can, about 10 oz.)
1 cup sugar (or more)
1 tsp. salt*
2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1 tsp. ground ginger*
1/2 tsp. ground cloves*
* In place of the previous spices, you can use 3 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice mix
Preparation
– Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 12 x 8″ pan. Sprinkle over top a spice cake mix box (dry). Yellow cake mix may be substituted.
– Then dribble on 1 1/2 cubes melted butter or margarine. It’s okay if some there’s dry spots.
– Sprinkle on 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans). Cook in 350 degree oven for approximately 60 to 80 minutes until top is good and brown and not much boiling can be seen.
– Top with your choice of whipped cream topping when cool.