Aunt Lynn's Green Bean Casserole

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Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 cup onion diced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 14 1/2 ounce cans French style green beans drained
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can French-fried onions aka fried onion crisps
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• 1 4 ounce can chopped water chestnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 4 ounce can chopped mushrooms

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees 175 degrees C
• Melt 2 T butter in large skillet over medium heat
• Stir in flour until smooth and cook for one minute
• Stir in salt sugar onion water chestnuts pecans mushrooms and sour cream
• Add green beans and stir until coated
• Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish
• Spread cheese over top
• In a small bowl toss taste toppers and butter and sprinkle over the cheese
• Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly

Butterhorns Aka Rugelach / Rugulach / Snails / Schnecken

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter at room temp
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg white beaten with
• 1 tablespoon water for glazing
• granulated sugar for sprinkling
• 1 cup walnuts or 1 cup pecans finely chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:

• Cream butter
• cream cheese
• and sugar until soft
• Sift in the flour and mix to make a soft dough
• Divide dough into 4 equal balls
• flatten each one and wrap in wax paper
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
• Make the filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl
• Preheat oven to 375
• Working with one disk of dough at a time
• roll thinly on a lightly floured surface into a circle
• about 9 in diameter
• Brush the surface with the egg white glaze and sprinkle the dough with 1/4 of the filling
• Slice the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into quarters and then each quarter into 4 equal sections
• to form 16 triangles
• Starting from the base of each triangle
• roll up to form spirals
• You can curve them into crescents if you like
• Continue with the other 3 disks of dough
• Place on baking sheets and brush with egg white glaze
• Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar
• Bake until just golden
• about 10 minutes
• For 32 extra large butterhorns
• divide the dough in half instead of fourths and roll each disk into a 12 inch circle and use half the filling
• Continue as above but bake for 15-20 minutes

Chocolate Chips and Toffee Cheesecake

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 1/3 cups heath bits 'o brickle toffee pieces divided
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine melted
• 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup hershey's milk chocolate chips
• 2 cups whipped topping

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325F
• Stir together graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup toffee bits and melted butter
• Press onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of 9-inch springform pan
• Bake 10 minutes amp; cool
• Increase oven temperature to 350F
• Beat cream cheese sugar and vanilla until smooth
• Gradually beat in eggs beating just until blended
• Fold in milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup toffee bits
• Pour into prepared crust
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set
• Remove from oven to wire rack
• With knife loosen cake from sides of pan; cool completely
• Evenly spread whipped topping over surface of cheesecake
• Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup toffee bits over whipped topping
• Cover; refrigerate several hours or until chilled
• Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake
• Enjoy

Christmas Dried-Fruit Jam

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Ingredients:

• 3 lbs tart apples cored wedges
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried figs chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried apricots chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried pears chopped
• 1 cup dried dates pitted chopped
• 1 cup dried prune pitted chopped
• 1/4 cup candied lemon peel
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel
• 1/4 cup candied cherry
• 1 orange juice and zest of finely grated
• 1 lemon juice and zest of finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed crushed
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Steps:

• Place apples in large pot with water
• simmer until soft
• In a large bowl
• add all the chopped amp; pitted fruit
• Press soft apples with a potato masher
• then spoon into a square of cheesecloth clipped to a footed colander
• suspended over the bowl of fruit
• Let apples drip over fruit WITHOUT squeezing or forcing--overnight
• Next morning add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for nuts to a large sauce-pot
• adding soaked fruit
• Stir
• then simmer gently until sugar dissolves; bring to a boil; boiling for five minutes
• Skim survace
• add nuts
• boil another five minutes until 200F sea level
• Remove pan from heat; spoon jam into hot jars
• add two-part lids; process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes sea level
• Label and store in cool
• dark cupboard
• GIFT GIVING Use pretty jars and add a decorative label -- include in a basket with other home-made kitchen gifts How nice of you
• USES As described above OR as a replacement for traditional with suet mincemeat

Fruit and Flower Salad

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cantaloupe
• 1 cup fresh pineapple cubed
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries
• 1/2 pint fresh blackberries
• 1 banana peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup green seedless grape
• 1 mango peeled and cubed
• 4 ounces swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons rose water to taste
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 4 tablespoons mango chutney to taste
• 1/2 cup almonds toasted
• 1 cup fresh edible flower

Steps:

• Combine fruit and cheese in bowl
• Sprinkle with rosewater
• Blend yoghurt and chutney
• Pour over salad
• toss if desired
• To serve spoon individual portions and garnish with flowers

Kindness Cake

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pitted dates
• 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 cups icing sugar sift through a sieve after measuring to remove lumps
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line 2 8x4 loaf pans with parchment paper and set aside
• In a mixing bowl beat butter with sugar until mixture is fluffy
• Next beat in eggs 1 at a time then stir in orange rind
• In a separate mixing bowl combine flour baking soda and powder and salt
• Stir dry mixture into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk dry buttermilk dry buttermilk finally dry
• Into this batter stir in dates cranberries and almonds just until combined
• Scrape batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake in the centre of preheated oven until a tester comes out clean about 75 minutes
• Turn out onto cooling racks and cool completely
• You could now wrap cakes in heavyduty foil and freeze for up to one month if you wish
• To make icing beat butter with just 1/4 cup of the icing sugar then beat in orange juice
• Beat in remaining sugar until icing is smooth
• Spread icing over tops of both cakes

No More Plain Jane Green Beans

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Ingredients:

• 14 ounces frozen green beans or 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice bottled is fine
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• parmesan cheese

Steps:

• Clean green beans if using fresh Steam green beans in the microwave or preferred method
• Mix lemon juice
• garlic powder
• pepper and olive oil together in the bowl you will be serving the veggies If you are using fresh lemon I like to add some of the zest to this as well
• Add cooked green beans and fold to distribute the sauce at the bottom
• Sprinkle with parmesan if desired- kids like that part
• Serve

Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes With Pecans

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Ingredients:

• 6 large sweet potatoes
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 9 pecan halves

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 Bake potatoes until very tender -- about 1 hour and 20 minutes Let cool and reduce oven heat to 350
• Scoop potatoes out of peels and mash until desired texture Stir in remaining ingredients and place in casserole dish 9 X 9
• Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over potatoes Bake until done at 350 -- about 1/2 hours
• Optional stud with 9 pecan halves at even intervals before returning to oven just to make it look pretty

Pecan Tassies

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 dash salt

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Mix all filling ingredients together well
• Using a teaspoon
• carefully distribute filling mixture into pastry-lined muffin cups
• Fill each pastry cup 3/4s of the way full
• The amount needed does vary because there is no standard to the size of mini-muffin cups mine are just about the smallest Ive seen and I use about a 3/4 tsp of filling per tassie
• Bake for 20-25 minutes
• Immediately
• and very carefully using the tip of a pointed knife
• gently knudge out each tassie out of its cup and transfer to a rack to cool
• If they cool in the pan too long
• they are more difficult to remove
• Your first couple may break those are the ones I eat on the spot- the rewards of making them
• but you will soon learn just the right move to remove them perfectly

Pineapple Pickle Relish

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Ingredients:

• 20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice drained
• 8 ounces pineapple chunks in juice drained
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Steps:

• Combine brown and white sugars cinnamon stick cloves and apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer 10 minutes
• Add both cans of drained pineapple chunks Bring to a boil again and cook 10 more minutes
• Put in jars and store in the refrigerator

Potatoes Dauphinoise

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Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 -3 cloves garlic crushed and chopped finely
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• grated nutmeg
• 1 cup cream low fat is fine
• 1 cup milk no fat or low fat is fine
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese low fat is fine

Steps:

• Variation This recipe also works well with orange sweet potato kumera
• If using sweet potato try substituting the nutmeg with a generous sprinkling of caraway seeds over each layer
• Yum
• Grease a 6 cup capacity ovenproof dish generously with the butter or margarine then smear the garlic around the bottom and sides of the dish
• I use a round glass pyrex dish Peel potatoes and slice thinly into rounds
• I use the slicing blade of my food processor
• Line the bottom of the dish with a single layer of overlapping potato slices
• Sprinkle generously with salt pepper and nutmeg
• Repeat this layering and sprinkling process until you have used all of the potato slices
• In a large jug combine cream and milk and stir well
• Pour this mixture over the potato slices gently easing the potato away from the sides of the dish to allow the liquid to penetrate evenly
• Place the dish onto a microwave safe plate and cook uncovered in a microwave on MEDIUM HIGH for 15- 20 minutes
• Check occasionally
• If the liquid in the potatoes boils over simply pour it from the plate back into the dish and continue cooking
• Microwave just until you can push the blade of a sharp knife through the potato layers without feeling any crunchy resistance
• Having reached this stage you can go on to cook the dish in the oven or cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for several hours or more before cooking
• Pre-set your oven to 180C 350F
• Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the grated cheese and place the dish on an upper shelf in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown
• This may take slightly longer if taking the dish straight from the refrigerator To serve cut into wedges and remove each wedge carefully with a spatula

Pumpkin Bread

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Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin canned version is best

Steps:

• Sift together all the dry ingredients into a bowl
• Mix together all the wet ingredients oil water eggs vanilla and pumpkin
• Stir wet ingredients into the flour
• Bake in greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 350

Pumpkin Spice Bars

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Ingredients:

• 1 package spice cake mix
• 16 ounces cooked pumpkin or 16 ounces cooked canned pumpkin
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup flaked coconut lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees
• Grease a jelly roll pan large baking sheet with a small edge all the way around
• In a large bowl using a mixer at low speed blend cake mix with salad oil eggs and pumpkin
• Blend until moistened
• Then mix at medium speed for 2 minutes
• Pour into prepared pan; bake until top is firm to touch; about 25 minutes
• Meanwhile at low speed beat cream cheese vanilla and cinnamon
• Add confectioners sugar; beat until smooth
• spread evenly over completely cooled cake
• Sprinkle with toasted coconut
• To serve cut in 2 inch bars

Roasted Broccoli With Ancho Butter

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Ingredients:

• 3 ancho chilies about 1 1/2 ounces
• boiling water
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 4 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• salt
• 3 heads broccoli cut lengthwise into large spears stalks peeled 1 1/2-pounds

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450
• In a heatproof medium bowl cover anchos with boiling water and let sit until softened about 20 minutes Drain the chiles and pat dry with towel Discard stems and seeds then coarsely chop
• While the anchos are softening heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet until shimmering Add pine nuts and cook over moderately high heat shaking pan for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned Add garlic cumin and coriander and cook stirring until the garlic is softened and the pine nuts are deep golden about 1 minute longer Set aside until cool
• In a blender or food processor puree the pine nut mixture with the anchos and butter Season the ancho butter with salt and transfer to a bowl
• In a large mixing bowl toss broccoli with the remaining olive oil and spread onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets Roast the broccoli in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 15 minutes or until crisp-tender After 7 minutes swap shelves and rotate pans Transfer broccoli to a bowl and toss with the ancho butter Season with salt and return to baking sheets and roast for 10 minutes longer or until the broccoli is tender Arrange broccoli on a platter and serve warm or at room temperature

Sweet and Spicy Yams

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Ingredients:

• 4 medium yams peeled and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon orange peel finely shredded
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Steps:

• In a large skillet
• bring 1 of water to a boil
• Add yams
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until they are tender
• Drain
• In a small bowl
• mix orange peel
• orange juice
• brown sugar
• salt
• cinnamon and allspice
• Pour over yams in skillet
• Cook and stir until bubbly
• Simmer
• uncovered
• for 5 minutes
• spooning sauce over potatoes occasionally to make a glaze

Trio of Spanish Nibbles Olives, Almonds amp; Chickpeas

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups mixed good-quality olives
• 3 -4 slices orange peel
• 3 -4 slices lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed 1/3 palm full
• 2 -3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups marcona almonds or 2 cups toasted peeled whole almonds
• 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

• Make a double layer pouch of foil for the olives Add citrus peel red pepper flakes and fennel seeds to olives then top with olive oil Seal the pouch and shake it to distribute the spices and oil Place in hot oven at any temperature or on outdoor grill to heat them through
• Place the almonds in a small decorative serving dish
• Place chick peas in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook 15 minutes until crisp and dry In the last 5 minutes season the chick peas with paprika salt and pepper If you season them up too soon the paprika will blacken and become bitter
• Place the chick peas in a small serving bowl
• Place the olives on a platter and cut the pouch open to expose them Place the small serving dishes for nuts and chick peas on the platter alongside olives Place a ramekin or other small cup out to collect olive pits

Vegan Apple-Bottomed Gingerbread Muffins

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Ener-G Egg Substitute
• 3 tablespoons margarine melted
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 large apples
• 1 tablespoon margarine melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• TO MAKE APPLE BOTTOMS Peel
• core
• and slice apples into 1-inch chunks
• Mix apple chunks
• tablespoon melted margarine
• and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl until apples are lightly coated
• Place a spoonful of apple mixture in the bottoms of a lightly greased muffin pan and set aside
• TO MAKE GINGERBREAD BATTER Combine flour
• brown sugar
• baking soda
• and spices
• Mix egg replacer
• melted margarine
• molasses
• and hot water in a separate bowl
• then add this mixture to the dry mixture
• Stir just until thoroughly combined and spoon batter over apples
• Bake for 25 minutes I recommend eating these with a fork as the apples dont always stay together
• but I promise theyre delicious

Vegetable Pot Pie

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup frozen green beans thawed
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk or 1 cup plain soymilk
• 2 cups rich vegetable broth or 2 cups canned broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon tamari or 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• salt freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup plain soymilk
• 2 teaspoons honey

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F
• Make the filling In a medium skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter the oil Add the onion and cook stirring often until soft about 5 minutes Add the celery broccoli bell pepper and green beans and cook stirring often until the vegetables are tender about 10 minutes Reduce the heat to low Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes
• Make the Broth In glass measuring cup combine the milk and broth Slowly add to the vegetable mixture while whisking constantly The sauce will start to thicken Add the parsley tamari thyme and sage Season to taste with salt and pepper Cook stirring constantly until thickened Remove from the heat transfer to a 2quart casserole and set aside
• Make the topping In a large bowl mix the flour salt baking powder and baking soda Using a pastry blender or fork cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal In a measuring cup combine the buttermilk and honey Add to the flour mixture stirring with a fork to form a stiff dough Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry Knead lightly in the bowl for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface Roll out into a shape to cover the casserole dish
• Lay the biscuit topping lightly over the filling Do not seal the edges Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling