Thursday, December 11, 2008

Brunch Recipes!

Drinks

Favorite Fruit Slush


Shannon Packer

Boil together:
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
3/4 cup lemon juice (can use ReaLemon lemon juice concentrate)

Then add 4 more cups of cold water. Freeze in large Tupperware until solid.

1 (16 ounce) pkg. frozen raspberries
1 (16-ounce) package frozen blueberries
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
 6 bananas, sliced

7-Up or Sprite, optional

Remove slush from feezer 1 hour before serving to thaw. When ready to eat,
break apart into chunks with a fork. Stir in frozen reapberries, frozen 
blueberries, crushed pineapple and sliced bananas. Serve with or without 
7-Up or Sprite.

For a crowd, 2 recipes of slush with 3 (2-liter) bottles of 7-Up serves 50.




Adams California Fruit Cocktail
Maija-Liisa Adams

Brad's Grandparents raised peaches and oranges in California. Each fall Grandma would can peaches and squeeze orange juice, etc. At Thanksgiving, she'd make up a large batch of fruit cocktail and those hungry boys would eat it starting at Thanksgiving dinner. It tastes great again later in the day with a turkey or ham sandwich and the next day with breakfast or brunch and throughout the week until it's gone. Then they'd enjoy a new batch for Christmas too!

1 12 oz. can of orange juice concentrate
1 29 oz. can of canned peaches, drained
1 15 oz. can of crushed or tidbits pineapple, drained
2/3 bag of red grapes
2/3 of a 10z. bottle maraschino cherries
1/8-1/4 c. juice from maraschino cherries
2 small cans mandarin oranges
3 large bananas


Make this the night before, as the flavors blend together better. How much of each fruit you add, depends on how large your crowd is. It's also about balancing the amount of each fruit so that both colors and flavors are just right--and some ingredients don't overpower others.

In a large Tupperware bowl, put in 1/3 - 1/2 can of frozen orange juice concentrate--do not add water. The orange juice keeps the fruit from darkening and helps combine the flavors. Slice the canned peaches into big bite size pieces, but do not add the liquid (syrup/juice) from the can. Add pineapple -- tidbits or crushed, without their juice. Cut red, seedless grapes in half lengthwise and add. Cut maraschino cherries in fourths and add. Also add about 1/8-1/4 cup of the maraschino cherry juice. Stir the mix gently, put the lid on and chill and let the flavors blend overnight.

The morning before you serve it, add drained, mandarin oranges and halved, thickly sliced bananas. If you add the mandarin oranges too soon and stir it too much, they break apart too easily. The key is not to put in easily broken or squishy fruits. Buy slightly green bananas. When you slice the bananas, cut the entire banana once down the middle from one end to the other (halving it) and then slice crosswise to make thick slices--about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Adding the bananas the morning of keeps them firmer, yet still lets the flavor in.

Other fruits can be substituted or added e.g. strawberries, pomegranates, pears, green grapes or tropical fruits like papaya. You may also use a purchased "fruit cocktail" as the base and add to it. Fruits that do not work well include raspberries, blueberries and huckleberries because of their juice residue coloring the mix and that they fall apart easily. If you add strawberries, then also add the green grapes to balance it out better both in taste and looks. It is best to wait until 1 hour before to add strawberries. Return it to its chilling spot until it's time to serve it. If, when you are ready to serve it, the taste of the orange juice concentrate overpowers the taste of the other fruits, you may add a 1/2 cup of water, or so. It will make the mixture more watery, but the different tastes should be better balanced.

When it's time to serve it, make individual servings in a small bowl or cup of it's own.

Now what can one do with the drained juices? I guess you could use it as a base for smoothies.

Casseroles and Main Dishes


Crab or Shrimp Casserole


Shannon Packer

4 slices white bread, diced- spread on bottom of 9x13 baking dish


2 cans shrimp or crab

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 chopped onion or 2 bunches green ones

1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, diced



Mix together and spread over bread cubes. Lay bread slices over top of
casserole. Trim crusts.

Beat: 4 eggs
 3 cups milk

Pour over all and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Pour
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup over the top. (Can dilute with a little milk
so it will pour.) Cover with grated cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake
1 hour at 350. Serves 8-9.

Easy sausage breakfast casserole

Nicole Jeppesen

Saute sausage and some green onion in a pan. Season to taste. Once this is done line the pan with pieces of bread (remove the crust). Pour the sausage mixture over this and again line with pieces of bread. In a separate bowl beat 8-10 eggs with about 2 cups of milk and some seasoning to taste. Pour egg mixture over bread and sausage and put in fridge to sit over night. In the morning get out and bake at 350 degrees for about 60-75 minutes. About 10 minutes before done take out and top with cheese. Serve and Enjoy!!

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

 Mindy Sutherland
1 box stuffing mix
1 lb sausage, browned
1/2 c swiss cheese, grated
5 eggs, beaten
1 5oz can evaporated milk
Pepper to taste

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions; spread in an ungreased 8x8 baking pan and bake 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Combine sausage and cheese together; sprinkle on top of stuffing. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Blend eggs and milk together; add pepper. Pour over casserole; bake at 350 degrees until set, about 35 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.


Southwestern Sausage Casserole
Christine Gilbert

2 7-oz cans chopped mild green chilies
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 lb bulk hot Italian sausage cooked and drained
2 C shredded Montery Jack Cheese
1/2 c milk
8 large eggs
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea garlic salt
1/2 tea onion salt
1/2 tea ground cumin
1/2 tea black pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes sliced
Paprika

1) Grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish and layer half of chilies half of tortilla strips half of sausage and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining chilies, tortilla strips, sausage and cheese.
2) In medium size bowl with fork beat milk eggs, salt, garlic salt, onion salt, cumin and pepper until well mixed; pour over casserole. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with paprika.
3) Heat oven to 350. Bake 45-55 minutes or until set in center and edges are lightly browned. Serve with light sour cream and salsa if desired.

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese
Rachel Helfrich

1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped ham
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large egg white
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, sauté 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add ham, sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cook 5 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add ham mixture, stirring with a whisk. Spoon mixture into muffin cups coated with cooking spray
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until set
you can add finely chopped broccoli with the ham if you want


Minted Sweet Pea and Spinach Soup
a.k.a. Christmas Tree Soup
Kelly Eyring

This rich, elegant soup us a perfect beginning for an important dinner. It uses frozen peas and spinach but the mint really must be fresh. We always serve this Christmas Eve.

4 Tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
10oz frozen chopped spinach,defrosted
3 cups chicken stock
10oz frozen peas, defrosted
½ bunch of fresh mint
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Melt the butter in a pot. Add the chopped onions, cover, and cook over low heat until tender and lightly colored, about 25 min.
2. Meanwhile, drain the spinach and squeeze out excess liquid. Pour the stock into the pot, stir in the peas and spinach, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until peas are tender, about 20 min.
3. Pull the mint leaves from their stems; there should be 2 cups loosely packed leaves. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. When peas are tender, add mint to the pot, cover, and simmer for another 5 min.
4.Pour the soup through a strainer, reserving liquid, and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or use a food mill with a medium disc. Add one cup of the cooking stock and process until smooth. (I just used an immersion blender right in the pot, I didn’t even strain it).
5. Return pureed soup to the pot. Add the heavy cream and additional cooking liquid, about 1 cup, until the soup is of desired consistency.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper, simmer briefly to heat through, and serve immediately.
Makes 1 ½ quarts, 4-6 portions


Pancakes

Lite and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
Nicole Burt

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
2 eggs, separated
1/4 C oil
2 C buttermilk or milk

Mix first 4 ingredients. In a separate bowl combine egg yolks, oil and milk. Add to flour mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Yumm! Yumm!


Sweet and Cereals

Honey Almond Granola (Gilbert Granola)
Christine Gilbert

Vegetable oil spray
4 cups old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats
1-cup oat bran
2 cups whole almonds, coarsely chopped
3/4-cup vegetable oil
3/4-cup honey
1-tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2-teaspoon pure almond extract
1-cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2-teaspoon table salt
1-cup raisons or dried cranberries (optional)


Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 325 F. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with vegetable oils spray. In a large bowl, mix the oats, oat bran and almonds. In a smaller bowl, whisk the oil honey, vanilla, almond extract, dry milk powder and salt. Pour the mixture (it will be gloppy) over the oats and stir, with your hands or a spoon, until well combined.

Divide the mixture between the two oiled baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, stir, and switch the positions of the pans. Bake until the oats are golden brown and the nuts look well toasted, another 10 to 20 minutes; don’t overcook. Let cool completely in the pans. The oats may feel soft but will crisp as they cool. When the granola is completely cool, stir in the raisins or cranberries.

Cinnamon Pecan Braids
Sarah d’Evegnee

(.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C),
divided
3 eggs, beaten
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter or margarine
FILLING:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
4 oz cream cheese, softened

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add eggs and remaining water; mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Beat into yeast mixture (do not knead). Cover and refrigerate overnight.
For filling, in a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in pecans and cinnamon; set aside.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into four portions. Roll each into a 12-in. x 9-in. x rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Spread filling lengthwise down center third of each rectangle.
One each long side, cut 3/4-in.-wide strips to the center to within 1/2 in. of the filling. Starting at one end, fold alternately strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (dough will not double).
Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before removing from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cooled braids, using a ziplock bag to zig-zag over the top.


Lemon Curd Coffee Cake
Lindsey Dewey

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 TB cold butter
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp b. powder
1/2 tsp b. soda
3/4 cup cold butter
2/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 TB lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup lemon curd (available by jams, jellies, etc. at store)
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp water
1 tsp lemon juice

In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut, set aside.
For batter, combine the flour, salt, b. powder, and b. soda in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, peel, egg and yolk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened (batter will be stiff.)
Spread 2 cups batter in a greased 9-inch Springform pan; sprinkle with 3/4 cup of coconut mixture. Drop 1/2 teaspoonfuls of lemon curd over the top to within 1/2-inch of edge. Carefully spoon remaining batter over lemon curd; sprinkle with remaining coconut mixture.
Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove sides of pan.
Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm cake.