Celebrating Holidays

Crisp red cabbage, mixed with apples in a tangy dressing using yogurt, makes a  colorful salad dish for your Thanksgiving or  Christmas dinner. It’s also winning salad for a fall tailgate picnic with sliced turkey and crusty bread.

All my recipes portion are for 4 people, just double your ingredients or cut it down to half depending on the size of your family or friends.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. EACH salt, celery seeds and Dijon-style mustard
• Dash white pepper
• 1 small head red cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 medium-sized tart green apples, cored, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
• Lettuce or romaine leaves.

Prepration:

1. Smoothly mix mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, salt, celery seeds, mustard and pepper.
2. Slightly mix cabbage, apples, and parsley in a large bowl.  Fold in  dressing until well combined.
3. Chill 2 hour or longer to blend flavor
4. Serve in a bowl lined with lettuce or romaine leaves.

Tips: For best flavor, prepare this salad at least 1 hour before you plan to serve it, then chill to blend flavors.  If you wish, the salad can be made the night before serving.

Green beans make a great Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish.  Here are two variations to make this always popular vegetable – one with fresh tomatoes and basil, the other with cheese sauce.  Either is good for roasted turkey, chicken, ham, lamb chops or beef steak.

(Theses recipes are for 4 servings, just double the amount for 8 or half for 2)

For green beans and tomatoes:

• 1 pound small green beans
• Boiling salted water
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• Dash of lemon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 small tomatoes, peeled, cut into wedges
• Salt

Green beans and tomatoes preparation :

1. Rinse beans well and snap off both ends, removing strings, if any.  Drop into rapidly boiling salted water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.  When boiling resumes, begin timing.  Cook, uncovered, until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes.  Drain beans
2. While beans cook, heat butter in a medium frying pan.  Stir in basil, lemon pepper and garlic.  Add tomatoes, turning lightly to heat through.  Coat with butter mixture and release a little of their juice.  Mix beans with tomatoes mixture.  Salt to taste

For green beans and cheese sauce:

• 1 pound small green beans
• Boiling salted water
• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Dash ground nutmeg
• Dash white pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt

Green beans with cheese sauce preparation:

1. Prepare and cook as above
2. Melt butter in same pan in which beans cooked, over medium heat.  Stir in cream, nutmeg, pepper and 2 Tbsp. of the cheese.  Mix beans into cream mixture, stirring to coat well and reheat.  Salt to taste.
3. Place beans in warm serving dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

This is a colorful salad to serve in your prettiest clear glass bow for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or for any occasion.  Use the broccoli stems for soups, our cut them up to serve along with carrots and celery sticks as a relish.  Youi can make this salad 4 hours or more ahead.

This recipe is for 4 serving, simply double the amount to serve 8:

• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli (1 pound)
• Boiling salted water
• 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 cup drained, pitted olives
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Trim flowerets from broccoli, you should have about 1 quart.  Reserve stems for another use.
2. Drop broccoli flowerets into boiling salted water for 1 minutes or just until they turn bright green; drain
3. Trim mushrooms stem to 1/2 inch.
4. Combine broccoli, mushrooms, olives and cherry tomatoes in bowl.
5. Measure oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into a small bowl.  Whisk until blended
6. Pour dressing over vegetable mixture.
7. Turn gently to coat vegetables.  Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or more until ready to serve.

Good served with: Any roasted or barbecued meat or poultry; or serve with cheese souffle’ for a luncheon.

A pert, carefully homemade oil-and-vinegar dressing gives this favorite salad a distinction.  Be sure the avocado is fully ripe for best flavor – it should just yield to gentle pressure when cupped in the palm of the had.  A good way to ripen firm avocados is to place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature for a day or more until they reach just the right stage.

For serving of 4 you will need:

• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Dion- style mustard
• 1/2 tsp.  each salt, dried oregano leaves and lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. salad oil
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 large ripe avocado
• Butter lettuce or other soft leaf lettuce

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl mix vinegar, mustard, salt, oregano, lemon juice, pepper and garlic.  Using a fork, gradually stir in olive oil and salad oil until well blended and slightly thick.  (This much can be done ahead, covered and refrigerated to blend flavors; blend will with a fork before using).
2. Peel tomatoes and cut lengthwise in about 1/3 – inches slices.  Cut avocado in half, remove pit, peel and cut in about 1/3 – inches slices.  Lightly mix tomatoes, avocado slices and dressing.
3. Serve at once in lettuce lined bowl or atop lettuce leaves on individual salad plates.

Tips: To peel an avocado neatly, cut it lengthwise around the middle, cutting all the way to the seed.  Separate the halves by turning them in opposite directions, then remove the seed by striking it with the blade of a sharp knife, impaling the knife in the seed.  Twist the knife to lift out the seed.  Using a paring knife to peel off skin.

Ingredients:

1. One box of butter recipe cake mix
2. one (3 1/4 oz.) packet of vanilla instant pudding mix
3. 4 eggs
4. 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
5. 1/4 cup cold water
6. 1/2 cup dark rum

Note: if cake mix already has pudding, then don’t need to add the pudding, or if you still want to add in the pudding, then use 3 eggs.

To make the cake:

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well for about 2, 3 minutes
2. Grease 10 inch  tool cake pan. (if you use nuts, put nuts in the bottom of pan firs)
3. Pour batter into cake pan
4. Preheat oven to 350 degree
5. Bake for 45 minutes or insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.  If not done, bake for 5 more minutes.
6. Put the whole cake pan on a plate to cool for 5 minutes
7. Use a long toothpick to poke holes on the top of the cake, spoon rum topping on it.

To make rum topping:

1. One stick of butter
2. 3/4 cup of sugar
3. 1/4 cup cold water
4. Put all ingredients into a small pan, slowly cook until butter melt to boil (low heat)
5. Let it cook for 10-15 minute,
6. Remove from heat
7. Put 1/2 cup of dark rum (use 3/4 cup if you like more rum taste)

This cake is welcomed at any party.  Bon Appetit!

My Favorite Turkey Thanksgiving Receipes

I roasted a turkey for the first time ever, almost 30 years ago. It was so dried, almost like tree barks, that I never want to try cooking it again, ever! Each year, we just bought the whole turkey dinner from the supper market, heated it up and served for the holiday. Although the turkeys were not as dry as the one I roasted, but there was not a whole lot of flavor to it either. Some year my sister would buy a fresh birdie and fry it, it’s still not quite as tasteful. But we still have it any way, just because it’s a Thanksgiving tradition. Until about 2 years ago, a dear friend invited me over to her thanksgiving dinner, and of course, she served turkey. I wasn’t going to expect it would taste a whole lot different. But boy, was I wrong! The turkey was so moist and delicious that I had to whip out a pen and paper and ask her for the recipe. Last Thanksgiving, I roasted my second turkey and everyone in my family loved it so much there was no left over. I now have the official title: “the turkey lady” and the job – cooking the turkey from now on !

Want to peek at my mama’s recipe? Here it is:

Cooking time:

• 8-12 pound turkey, cook time is 4 to4.5 hours
• 12-16 pound turkey, cook time is 4.5 to 5.5 hours

Preparing the juice for marinate and injection:

• Seasoned salt
• Poultry seasoning
• Five Spice seasoning (from Chinese grocery store)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Chicken Powder
• 2 cups of water

Mix all the above ingredients, use injection needle and inject the juice into the turkey breast and legs, the meaty parts. Sprinkle seasoned salt on turkey. Cover with foil, keep in refrigerator for a few hours.

Stuffing Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of sushi rice
• Chicken broth (enough to cover rice)
• Minced garlic, onion, ginger (a tea spoon each, less on the ginger if you don’t like it too spicy)
• 2-3 Chinese sausage cut into small pieces
• 5-6 Chinese dry black mushroom, diced
• 1/2 cup dried shrimps (pre-soak in water, drained)

Stuffing Preparation:

• Heat up a table spoon of vegetable oil, stir in the garlic, onion, ginger, sausage, mushroom and the dried shrimp for a couple minutes.
• Mix in the rice and cover with chicken broth (just above the rice)
• Cover and cook like you normally with rice.

Roasting The Big Bird

In a pan, heat 1 table spoon of cooking oil, pour in the garlic, onion, ginger, sausage, mushroom and the dried shrimp, stir fry for about 2 minutes, mix in with the rice, pour in the chicken broth, mix well then stuff inside the turkey, sew it up.

Basting: Chop up some celery, carrot, onion, mushroom then use a blender, puree. Brush the puree onto the turkey.

Roasting: in the roasting pan, pour in 2 cups of water, put the turkey on the turkey rack baking at 375 degree the first hour. 350 the 2nd hour, basting with the juice every 1/2 hour. 325 degree the 3rd hour onward, basting every 20 minutes. At the last 45 minute of the cooking time, take off aluminum foil, baste every 15 minutes. Take the turkey out of the oven immediately when done.

Let it cool down before cutting.

Enjoy!  Yummm!