Holiday Recipes

Celebrate the new millennium with our delicious recipes!
Main Dishes
Italian Shepherd's Pie
Baked Spinach Casserole
Carole's Creamed Scallops and Shrimp Over Rice

 
Side
Dishes
Beet Soup
Mexican Nuts and Seeds
Taco Dip

 
Desserts
The White House Gingerbread Recipe
Spice Fruit Bars Christmas Cookies
Apple Pie

 
Beverages
Wassail
Cranberry Punch
Hot Spiced Cider

 

Italian Shepherd's Pie

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup green onion, sliced in 1 inch pieces
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
3 beaten eggs
3/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 cup shredded  cheddar cheese
4 servings prepared instant mashed potatoes, made
   according to directions, or homemade mashed
   potatoes, enough for four servings
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, additional paprika

In large skillet, cook sausage and green onion until
sausage is browned. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, eggs,
oregano and 1 cup cheese.  Spoon mixture into unbaked pie shell. Combine potatoes and 1/2 cup additional cheese.  Spoon mixture around edges of pie. Sprinkle with paprika. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until pie is set. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Shirley L.
 


Baked Spinach Casserole

If you like spinach, you will go crazy over this recipe. Guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's face... 

Heat oven to 325 degrees

3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups light cream
3 Tablespoons grated onion
2 packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb chopped mushrooms
3 tablespoons grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white pepper 

Sautéed onions and mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes. Blend in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Gradually add cream, stirring to boiling point. Taste for seasoning. In buttered casserole, spread half the spinach; cover with half of the mushroom sauce, then repeat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Set in pan of hot water.
Bake 40 minutes.
Serves 6 - 8.
 


Carole's Creamed Scallops and Shrimp Over Rice

Ingredients

8 tbls butter
8 tbls flour
4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 tsps onion powder
1-2 tbls parsley
2 lbs small scallops, or large scallops cut into bite sized pieces (pre-cook)
2 cans cleaned, deveined medium sized shrimp

Prepare scallops and shrimp:

Cook scallops in small amount of water over low to medium heat until scallops are cooked. Rinse shrimp in cool water, removing any small pieces of shell that may be present. Set scallops and shrimp aside.

Over medium heat, melt butter in bottom of 3 qt sauce pan. Using a wire whisk, stir flour into melted butter until mixture forms a smooth paste. While whisking constantly, slowly add 4 cups of milk. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens.

Add: 
onion powder
salt
pepper
chopped parsley
pre-cooked scallops and shrimp

Serve over your favorite rice. Noodles or toast points could be substituted for the rice.

Total preparation time: 20-30 minutes

Carole B.
 


Beet Soup

2 qts. vegetable or meat stock
2 bunches fresh beets with greens
1/4 tablespoon lemon juice 
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 cup sour cream

Wash beets and greens thoroughly.  Cut fine, add to boiling vegetable or meat stock, and cook 10 minutes. Add sugar, blend flour with sour cream, adding 2 tablespoons of the hot soup stock and the lemon juice. Stir into the soup and bring just to boiling point.

Shirley L.
 


Mexican Nuts & Seeds

1/2 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup spanish peanuts
1/2 cup toasted corn nuts
1 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Mix all ingredients together in a frying pan. Cook
over low heat, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes or until hot.

Shirley L.
 


Taco Dip

1st layer
    1 avocado peeled and mashed
    1 1/2 cups sour cream
    2 Tbs. mayo

2nd layer
    1/2 cup sour cream
    1/2 package of taco seasoning mix
    3 Tbs. mayo

3rd layer
    8 oz cheddar cheese shredded

4th layer
    8 oz monterey jack shredded

5th layer
    tomatoes

6th layer
    scallions

And, of course, whatever you would like to scoop this up with. Enjoy!!!!!

 Shakota
 


White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier's
Recipe for Gingerbread

8 oz. butter
         8 oz. sugar
         2 eggs + 1 yolk
         1 cup molasses
         1 cup honey
                                  ½ T. baking soda
                                  3/4 T. cinnamon
                                  3/4 T. ginger
                                  pinch salt
                                  2 lbs. + 8 oz. flour
Mix butter with sugar. Add eggs and yolk. Mix well. Add molasses and honey. Mix well. Add baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt. Mix well. Add flour. Mix well. Keep, covered, in refrigerator overnight. Roll out. 

Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Decorate with icing and colored sugar.
 


Spice Fruit Bars Christmas Cookies

Makes 90 bars

Cream together:
         1 lb. sugar
         6 1/2 oz. butter
         8 oz. molasses
         Pinch of salt
         1 tsp. lemon rind
         1 tsp. mace
         1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
                                     Add to mixture:
                                     1/2 oz. baking soda
                                     dissolved in 1/3 c. water
                                     4 eggs
                                     Mix 6 cups bread flour into
                                     above mixture.
                                     Add the following:
                                     3 oz. sliced almonds
                                     3 oz. currants
                                     2 oz. candied lemon peel
                                     2 oz. candied orange peel

Allow mixtures to rest overnight in refrigerator. Using a number 8 tube, pipe 6 strips of mixture on parchment paper, 4" apart.

Bake at 350 degrees until firm. Allow to cool. Brush on chocolate and decorate with nonpareil. Yield: 6 strips, each cut into 15 pieces
 


Apple Pie

Peel and slice enough apples to fill pie pan 2/3 full.
Mix together

1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons of sugar...sprinkle over apples.

Mix together
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
1  1/2 sticks melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Spoon batter over apples and bake for approximately 45 min. at 350 degrees.

Shirley L.
 


Wassail

1 (64oz.) bottle cranberry juice
1 (32 oz.) bottle apple juice
1 (12 oz) can frozen pineapple juice   concentrate (undiluted) 
1 (12oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate (undiluted)
3 to 4 cinnamon sticks
1 qt water

Combine all ingredients in large dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Serve hot or cold.

Virginia B.
 


Cranberry Punch

2 cups cranberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Cook to pulp, strain. When cooled, add
Juice of 3 lemons
Juice of 1 lime
1 quart ginger ale
Red and green cherries
Serves 6 - 8

Hot Spiced Cider

8 cups apple cider or apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole allspice
1 or 2 oranges
whole cloves
 

In large saucepan combine apple cider and brown sugar. Make a spice bag by placing the cinnamon sticks and allspice in a double thickness of cheesecloth and tying it up. Add to cider mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes. You can also pour the cider into a crock pot and set on low. Take the oranges and poke the whole cloves into them, and float in the cider.
 


 

Holiday Recipe Project Created by Vicki M.
Refreshments
New Year
Old Ways
An Unforgettable New Year: The Flood
of '48 
Time Capsules
Memorable Politicians of North Adams
Links for Fun

Y2K Party Home Page
Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education Home Page

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