Deck the Halls

Truths for Mature Humans

Stir-fry prawns

When time is tight, especially during the holiday, give stir-fry a try. One of my favorite stir-fry secrets is that they need only a couple of great ingredients to achieve liftoff. I think you'll agree that less really can be more -- certainly more than another fast-food alternative.

Cooking time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (2 inches long) fresh ginger, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon each: hoisin sauce, olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, lemon zest, marmalade, hoisin, olive oil and pepper in a large mixing bowl, stirring to mix. Add the shrimp; gently stir until well-coated. Set aside.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp; stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the chopped basil; stir-fry about 10 seconds. Remove from the pan; transfer to a small platter.

Nutrition information:
283 calories, 32% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 259 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 35 g protein, 323 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Shoould I have a Cookie?

Turkey and Blue Cheese Meatballs

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, cut into chunks
• 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 tablespoons blue cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Pulse garlic cloves in a food processor until minced. Add onion and jalapeno, and pulse until minced again. Scrape the onion mixture into a large bowl along with the turkey, blue cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, and olive oil. Season with soy sauce, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper, and chili powder. Mix well.
3. Roll the mixture into 2 inch balls, and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, and no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 264 | Total Fat: 15.9g | Cholesterol: 59mg

Chocolate Peppermint Pie

Creamy chocolate and cool peppermint marry to create an easy-to-make pie sure to become a holiday favorite.
 

   Makes 1 pie
    Ingredients:

Crust:2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Chocolate Peppermint Pie:1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pasteurized egg product*
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (20) peppermint candies, crushed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

*Note: Pasteurized egg products are available in the supermarket (Egg Beaters® is the best known). The reason the recipe calls for this product is that the filling is not cooked, and there is a salmonella risk associated with eating raw eggs. 
Directions:
 Pie Crust:In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter cubes into flour mixture until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle vinegar over flour mixture, tossing with a fork. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over flour mixture, tossing with a fork each time until dough is moistened and crumbly. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F.
 
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently fold the crust into quarters, center over 9-inch pie plate and unfold. Ease the crust into the plate. Trim pastry, leaving a 1-inch overhang beyond plate edge. Fold crust edge under and crimp or flute the edge using a fork or your fingers.

Prick pastry with a fork. Line bottom and up sides of crust with foil and add dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove foil. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack; cool completely.

Filling:In a bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar together.
 
Combine egg product and whipping cream, gradually add to butter mixture while beating, scraping bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reserve half of mixture in a small bowl. Add cooled white chocolate to remaining half of mixture; beat well. Stir in crushed candy. Spread in baked pie crust; chill 10 minutes.

Return reserved butter mixture to bowl, add cooled semi-sweet chocolate; beat well. Spread over white chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
 

Baked Apricot Chicken

Ingredients

• 12 chicken thighs
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 cup French dressing
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl combine the jam, dressing and soup mix. Mix together.
  3. Place chicken pieces in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour apricot mixture over chicken and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

  Nutritional Information 

  Amount Per Serving  Calories: 342 | Total Fat: 20.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg

No Senior discount!

Body cans and pat downs

Pecan-Cinnamon Wafers

These healthier pecan butter cookies are made with whole-wheat pastry flour and plenty of nuts.

4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

PREPARATION

1. Beat butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and add to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Stir in pecans.
2. Divide the dough in half and use lightly floured hands to shape each portion into a 6-inch round log. Wrap each log in wax paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Unwrap the dough and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon on a shallow plate. Roll the logs in the sugar mixture, then slice each into 24 (1/4-inch-thick) cookies. Place the cookies about 2 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake, one batch at a time, until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Wrap dough in wax paper and plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Store cookies airtight for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Both are available in large supermarkets or natural-foods stores (or online from bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com). Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

NUTRITION

Per cookie: 63 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 13 mg potassium.

Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup port wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 sprigs watercress, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In 9 inch pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside.
3. Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the stove top, saute bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium high heat, about 7 minutes.
4. Transfer pan to oven. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.
5. Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over high heat on stove top. Add broth mixture, and bring to boil; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with watercress.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 653 | Total Fat: 50.6g | Cholesterol: 132mg

Easy & Cheesy Presents Under the Tree and On the Table

Easy & Cheesy
Presents Under the Tree and On the Table
 

Christmas morning is one of the most special of the year for millions of American families. There's the race to see if Santa did indeed make it down the chimney once again, which—miraculously—he most likely did, gift sack in hand. The festivities call for a special breakfast, too. It's a time to put pure food enjoyment first, and here's an easy, celebratory way to do it—warming and puffy stuffed French toast accentuated by mild and buttery Wisconsin Havarti cheese, a Danish-style specialty. This memorable breakfast/brunch entrée will be enjoyed by old and young alike. You may substitute another fruit sauce—even a sweet cranberry sauce—for the blueberry topping, if you like.

Indulgent Stuffed French Toast with Wisconsin Havarti
 
Servings: 8 to 10
 Ingredients:

1 16-ounce challah or French bread loaf, cubed
1 8-ounce package Wisconsin Havarti Cheese, cut into thin slices
6 large eggs
4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 12-ounce jar blueberry preserves

Cooking Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350°F.

Arrange half of bread cubes in lightly buttered 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Top evenly with Havarti; top with remaining bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup in large mixing bowl; pour over bread mixture, pressing bread cubes to absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon over the top. Cover baking pan with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until lightly browned and set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Stir together blueberries and blueberry preserves in a small saucepan over low heat until warm. Serve blueberry sauce over French toast. 

Peppermint Nanaimo Bars

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December 9, 2010 Peppermint Nanaimo Bars By Jessie Oleson, CakeSpy Nanaimo bars are unbelievably rich, incredibly indulgent, and completely irresistible. This version embodies the festive flavors of the holiday season. The classic bar gets a minty makeover, yielding a rich, creamy, buttery and refreshing treat that is the kind of confection that peppermint patties hope to be when they grow up.      Makes about 24 bars Adapted from the Official City of Nanaimo recipe     Ingredients:  Bottom Layer:1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup sugar 5 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg beaten 1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs 1 cup coconut 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds Middle Layer:1/2 cup unsalted butter 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (instant vanilla pudding works in a pinch) 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 2 cups confectioners' sugar several drops of green food coloring (optional) Top Layer:4 ounces good quality dark chocolate 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract 2 tablespoons unsalted butter   Directions:  Prepare the bottom layer. Melt butter, sugar and cocoa in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased, parchment-lined 8" x 8" pan. Let chill in the refrigerator until cool to the touch.   To make the middle layer, cream butter, cream, custard powder, peppermint extract, and confectioners' sugar together well. Beat until light; it should be a thick consistency, but still spreadable. If desired, stir in food coloring until completely mixed in. Spread over bottom layer, making sure that it is as flat as possible (I use a metal spatula to "scrape" it into a flat top). Return to the fridge until the middle layer is completely set. Sometimes I even put them in the freezer so that they will be extremely firm before adding the top layer.   For the top layer, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Add the peppermint extract and stir until incorporated. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer, very gently spreading so that it covers the entire layer--you will need to do this fairly quickly so that the second layer doesn't start to melt or meld with the top layer. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least a half-hour. Serve lightly chilled, or let come to room temperature. When you're ready to serve, use a sharp knife to slice the bars, and keep a towel on hand to clean the knife frequently between cuts to ensure clean, good-looking bars which showcase the pretty layers.

Big Foot(s)

Basil Tomato Soup

Prep Time:
5 Min

Cook Time:
15 Min

Ready In:
20 Min

Ingredients

• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 18 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted.