Dairy Free Blueberry Annunciation Smoothies

This recipe was submitted by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy. You can find additional pictures of her cute children enjoying their Annunciation Smoothies over at her blog, Knit Together.

I thought I would share this with you super quick.  It is an easy way to whip together something special for the Feast of the Annunciation today.  I did a dairy free version, but you can replace the canned coconut milk with yogurt and the almond mil with regular cow's milk if you prefer.

You will need:

• 2-3 cups Frozen Blueberries
• 1-2 cups Frozen Peaches (or other fruit)
• 1 Can Coconut Milk
• Almond Milk
• approx. 1/4 cup Sweetener of your choice, I used Maple Syrup

Put the frozen fruit in blender.  I use peaches too because blueberries can be a really strong flavor and some people, especially kids, might not like it.  Next, add the canned coconut milk (this will make it thick and creamy) and sweetener.  At this point you want to pour in the almond milk.  I do this by eye.  Depending on how thick you want your smoothie, you will want to fill the blender halfway or up to covering the frozen fruit.

Blend it thoroughly!

If you need more almond milk, fruit, or sweetener feel free!  Make it to your taste.

Additional recipes for the Solemnity of the Annunciation can be found in the archives. 

Pin It

A Paleo Strawberry Coconut Trifle

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

It is a little late for this Easter, but I wanted to share this with you anyway.  It would be a great dessert for many feast days, including Valentine's Day or Pentecost.  Add some blueberries and it would be a fun dessert for Divine Mercy Sunday as well!

In our family we have people with gluten intolerance and one poor little muffin who is lactose intolerant.  So I generally have to get a bit creative with our holiday treats. 

All I could think about was the fact that I wanted to have that wonderful trifle here at Catholic Cuisine we have every year on Easter.  So I searched the net, but nothing looked very good (well to me, that is, I was being picky).  Then I found, on Pinterest, a link on how to make whip cream from canned coconut milk.  With that and a gluten free cake mix from Pamela's I knew I had it!

A Paleo Strawberry Coconut Trifle

• 1 package Pamela's Vanilla Cake Mix
• 3-4 pounds strawberries (you can do less, but we went for it)
• 1/2 to 1 cup almond or coconut milk
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice  (you could use agave or another sweetener I am sure to your taste)
• 2 cans Native Forest unsweetened FULL FAT coconut milk

Bake the cake according to directions.  Do this the night before and let it cool completely.  I had to hide mine on top of the fridge.  In the morning cut up into 1 inch cubes.  Poor the almond or coconut milk over the cubed cake till it is moist but not soaked.  Cut the strawberries and sprinkle with coconut and sweetener, mix.  Make the coconut whipped cream.  Follow these directions.  They work and it is AMAZING.  I didn't have enough whipped cream for the top because one of my cans got shook up, which was a huge disappointment.  So we only had one layer of the coconut whipped cream instead of two.  I ended up drizzling the other can a little over everyone's servings instead.

On the bottom of your trifle or glass bowl, put half the cake.  Put half the strawberry mixture on top of that, then half of the 2 cans worth of whipped coconut cream.  Repeat.  On top place a decorative strawberry and some toasted coconut.



Pin It

Gluten Free Christmas Pancakes

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Updated to add the link to our favorite coconut flour, for those who asked!

Since learning about Sweet Pea and Lily's gluten intolerance we have had to really change the way we eat.  One of the things we would really miss was pancakes.  After scouring the internet for a good recipe we came upon Elena's Pantry.  She has a ton of great recipes.  My daughter and I have tweaked it, however, and we thought we would share it with you.

These pancakes are great for just normal days but you can also dress them up for the holiday's with fancy syrup (like mine here) and whip cream!  So I am going to share with you an alternative to your Christmas breakfast!

Gluten Free Pancakes

Ingredients:
6 eggs
3/4 cup agave syrup or maple syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups coconut, almond or a mix of both flours (We use: Gluten Free Mama, Mama's Coconut Blend Flour)
approx. 1/4 - 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

In food processor pulse together the eggs and agave nectar or (real) maple syrup.  I have tried it with honey instead and I have to be honest I didn't really care for it.  It gave it a really strong honey flavor the agave and maple are nice and smooth and sweeten it without overpowering it.  Once combined add baking soda, salt, and flour.  Pulse until well combined.  Check the consistency and depending on how thick you like your pancakes you can add as much milk as you like.  We use the almond or coconut milk because Sweet Pea is also lactose intolerant (poor baby), so you could use cow's milk if you prefer.  The key is, if you make them too thick they won't cook in the middle and that is just gross.  You want it maybe a tad milkier than you would make your regular pancakes.

Bubbly!

Cook in a pan with melted coconut oil over low to medium heat, until bubbles start to appear on the top.  This could be pretty fast, so be careful!  Flip.  I press them down a but after a while.  This will give you a hint if they are done enough.  But don't do it too often.  You want them to be fluffy!

Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

To keep warm if you are making a lot, place on a plate in the over at 170 degrees F with a piece of aluminum foil loosely covering them.  I don't even pinch it down, just set it on top.  This keeps them from drying out.

Makes about a dozen pancakes. Pin It

Meatless Fridays: Falafel

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

So here is the deal.  I don't really like fish.  Ok, I like fish, but only the expensive stuff and when you are feeding 11 people expensive fish is not on the menu.  So generally when it comes to meatless Fridays we eat vegetarian.  This would also be am excellent meal for any Middle Eastern or Greek saint!  Especially, Saint George, etc.

One of our new favorites is falafel.  My husband actually likes it so much he requested it for a special family meal!

Falafel

This recipe is half what I make, so it will serve about 6 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
• 1/2 cup flour

Cook onions and red pepper in olive oil.  Remove from heat.  In bowl mix garbanzo beans, eggs, onion and red peppers.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add to food processor and pulse till you smooth.

Spoon about a large spoonful of falafel mixture into about a half inch of hot olive oil in a skillet.  This is kind of sticky so you may have to use your spoon to smooth them out into patty form.  Flip after you notice the edges turning brown.

When cooked serve with tzatziki sauce, spinach (or lettuce), chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, and feta cheese on pita bread.

I usually mix my cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta together.  It is a yummy mix for all kinds of things!

 

Here is my recipe for Tzatziki Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, finely grated and squeezed of juice
• 1 cup of Greek style yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning

Mix together!  That easy and quite yummy!  Taste it first to see if you want to add more or less seasoning.

Enjoy!

Pin It

German Pancake for the Pope

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Saturday, April 16th, is Pope Benedict XVI's birthday!  So in order to fully appreciate our German pontiff's special day we are going all German.  Other than Brats for dinner we are going to have a German pancake for breakfast!

I adapted this from a recipe I found at Food Network a gazillion years ago.  I, of course, double it too since there are so many of us.

German Pancake

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup ( you can also use sugar, but since we have someone who gave up refined sugar for Lent this works!)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Place cast iron skillet in oven while preheating.

In a saucepan or in the microwave warm milk with butter over medium heat till butter melts (or almost, don't let the milk boil!).  Whisk together eggs, salt, syrup, warm milk, melted butter and vanilla.  Sift flour over wet mixture and whisk till smooth.

Remove cast iron from oven and place shortening in pan.  Using a brush cover all the sides and bottom with the shortening as it melts.  Pour in batter and bake for about 12 minutes.

Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake till nice and golden brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

There it is in the oven, poofing away

When you take out of the oven run a knife along the edge of skillet and serve immediately.

You can serve it with fresh fruit syrup, jam or jelly, or maple syrup.  If desired shift powered sugar over the top!

Pin It

Saint Valentine's Oatmeal Bake

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

I have been using a certain recipe for Oatmeal bake for about a year now, but decided to change it up a bit. Then I figured, I would share it with you!  This would make a perfect Saint Valentine breakfast or treat with some added white chocolate chips!

Since there are some people in this house that would rather eat dirt in this house than eat a bowl of oatmeal,  this is a nice alternative.  Everyone likes it and it make a ton, so even if you do not have a large family you can stick it in an air tight container and snack on it.

Oatmeal Bake
serves approx. 12

1 cup butter
1 cup all natural peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup applesauce
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 cups oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cherries
shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream together butter and peanut butter.  Add sugar and whip till fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla.
In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients except dried fruit and coconut.  Slowly add to wet ingredients.  When fully combined add dried fruit.
Press into a buttered 10x15  pan.  Helpful hint: wet down your hands.  Sprinkle with shredded coconut and arrange some extra dried cherries on top in he shape of a heart.  Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Arrange some extra dried cherries on top in he shape of a heart.

This is so yummy with a tall glass of ice cold milk!

Pin It

Saint Brigid Vegetable Soup

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.



Saint Brigid snuck up on me this year! I was already making chicken stock for soup for tonight, so I decided to do some research on how to make my broth Irish! Searching online I found one reviewer on All Recipes say how to make an authentic Irish vegetable soup.

She explained that it always starts with homemade stock (beef or chicken). You add desired vegetables already chopped. I will use onions, carrots, celery, and some red peppers (you know what ever was in the fridge!). Simmer till vegetables are tender.

I know what you are thinking… if it is Irish there has to be a potato in it, right? Right!

When the soup is served, you place a whole boiled potato in the bowl and pour the soup over it!

This is a great, quick, option for dinner tonight on the Feast of Saint Brigid! Serve with warm homemade bread for a not so quick option! There are many Irish Soda Breads around, too, including Barbara’s right here.



Also, don't forget to serve some Irish beer with dinner (for those of age, of course!).

St. Brigid’s Prayer

I’d like to give a lake of beer to God.


I’d love the Heavenly


Host to be tippling there


For all eternity.

I’d love the men of Heaven to live with me,


To dance and sing.


If they wanted, I’d put at their disposal


Vats of suffering.

White cups of love 

I’d give them,


With a heart and a half;


Sweet pitchers of mercy I’d offer


To every man.

I’d make Heaven a cheerful spot,


Because the happy heart is true.


I’d make the men contented for their own sake


I’d like Jesus to love me too.

I’d like the people of heaven to gather


From all the parishes around,


I’d give a special welcome to the women,


The three Marys of great renown.

I’d sit with the men, the women of God


There by the lake of beer


We’d be drinking good health forever


And every drop would be a prayer.

God Bless and Happy Feast of Saint Brigid!

Pin It

Mother Teresa Tea

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Today is the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa's birth! This incredible woman was and is a true inspiration for all people. Her generosity and selflessness affected the lives of people all over the world.

So today, go Indian and celebrate this wonderful Godly woman with a special and very simple tea.

Indian Fried Bread

courtesy of All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2/3 cup water 
• 1/4 cup white sugar 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and water until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide dough into golf ball size pieces and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. 
2. Select a ball of dough and roll out until very thin but not torn. Sprinkle lightly and evenly with sugar. Fold up dough into a small square and roll out again until thin. 
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat. Place the rolled dough onto the pan and cook for 1/2 to 1 minute on each side until golden. Serve immediately. Repeat until all dough balls have been rolled and cooked. 
4. Drizzle these bad boys with honey! They are terribly yummy!

Chai Tea Smoothies

courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened instant tea 
• 1/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
• Ice cubes 
• Fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions:

In a blender, combine all ingredients but the ice and mint. Process until blended. Gradually add enough ice to make a thick consistency. Pour mixture into tall glasses and serve. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

The recipe above is unsweetened, so we added some sugar! About a spoon per glass. Also, honey would probably be very yummy!

This is really simple and the kids really enjoy it! Just make sure you have some napkins handy for all that gooey honey!

Pin It

Fish Fajitas

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

One of our new favorite Lenten meals is Fish Fajitas.  Thought I would share this with you.  The recipe is not very exact because it really depends on how many people you are feeding.

Tilapia
White Wine
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper
Assorted Peppers
Onion
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Sour Cream

I just got the packaged tilapia from Costco and cooked it according to package directions except lightly sprinkling equal amounts of wine and lemon juice. For about 6 fish filets I used probably 1/8 a cup of each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile slice peppers and onions thinly and fry in a little bit of oil.

When fish is done, flake it up.

We like these served on homemade tortillas, you can find the recipe here: Whole Wheat Tortillas
It is all pretty easy and very yummy! Even my little ones will eat it! Ok, ok... they do pull off the peppers and onions, but they eat the fish!

Update: I forgot to add (thank you PNG for reminding me) that this is so simple to add your favorite spices too. My kids like it mild, so i didn't add anything special other than the ones listed above. Also I would have had salsa on they too, but we were out!

Pin It

A Shrove Tuesday Treat: Filhoses!

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.



A Mardi Gras tradition in our house is Portuguese donuts! It is very similar to Portuguese sweet bread but this dough is, of course, deep fried and sprinkled with copious amounts of sugar.

The recipe can be found in Foods of the Azores Islands by Deolinda Maria Avila. There are many great recipes in this book, though it is hard to find.

Filhoses 

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon whiskey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 cups flour

Directions:

Beat eggs, add sugar, butter, yeast dissolved in water, whiskey, lemon rind and salt. Beat till light and add flour, kneading until smooth. Cover dough with cloth and let rise till double in bulk. Heat oil in a deep pan (I use my cast iron pan), keeping heat at about medium.



Take about 1/3 cup of dough and stretch it into an oval shape, piercing the middle. Carefully, drop the dough into oil till golden, turning only once. Remove from oil and cool on paper towels.

Serve warm sprinkled with sugar… and maybe bowl of sugar to dip them in too!!!

Enjoy!

Pin It

Easy Beef Burgundy for Feast of Saint Thérèse

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

My mother used to make this for me on my birthday by special request. It is a simple and more American than French version of beef bourguignon. Also a lot easier!!

With the feast day of St. Thérèse fast upon us, I had thought about trying to make Julia Child’s beef bourguignon again (had to promise the kids that next year I would go through the all day process!!!), but knew that time would not be on my side that day, so instead I am making the easier and quite yummy beef burgundy! I gave you the recipe as I make it (for a small army) but this is easily halved.

Amy Caroline’s Beef Burgundy

(actually it is her mom’s recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean stew meat
• 2 cans Golden Mushroom soup
• 2 cans mushrooms (drained)
• Burgundy wine
• Extra Wide Egg noodles

Directions:


In an ovenproof casserole add stew meat, soup (keep cans), and mushrooms. Fill the two empty soup cans with the Burgundy wine and add to casserole dish. Mix well, cover and stick in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for two to three hours. Check the meat on occasion to make sure that it is cooked through and is still tender. This is usually at about two hours.

Take out of the oven and let rest while you make the noodles to package directions.

Drain noodles and add to the beef Burgundy.

Serve with a fresh garden salad and French bread. Voila! French cooking made the American way... easy!

Bon Appétit and have a blessed Feast of Saint Thérèse!

Pin It

The Year of the Priest ~ Thanking Your Parish Priest

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

As many of you know this is the year of the priest. Many times these men give up their days off to tend to the ill, they wake at all hours to help us in any situation. I have been made very aware, over the last years especially, how much my parish priest means to me. He has been there for my family so many times I couldn’t even count them!

As many of you also know, most priests are very self-sacrificing. It is part of the job description. Any monetary gift you give a priest is very often put right back into the church.

It occurred to me a few years ago that one way to show appreciation for our priest was to make him something special. Not having a lot of resources, there was one thing I thought of immediately.

Cookies.

These are men who often live alone or in a community of other men. How often do they get warm homemade cookies? Unless they make them for themselves?

So the tradition began.

Every so often our priest will simply look at one of my kids and say "chocolate chips." They will giggle and run and ask me if we can make cookies for our priest.

Yesterday, after a wonderful meeting with our priest, I told him I had to stop at the store now and get some chocolate chips. His eyes lit up… he knew what was coming.

Amy Caroline’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup DARK BROWN sugar (that is important!)

Cream together
Add:

1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs

Mix well.
Add:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Mix well.
Add:

1 bag of chocolate chips
1 cup finely crushed walnuts or pecans (optional -- this is important too. Crush them very fine so that there are only small chunks and a lot of powder. It gives the flavor of the nut but doesn’t not overwhelm the flavor of the cookie overall)

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes. It should still appear gooey in the middle, otherwise it will overcook and get tasteless. Depending on what kind of brown sugar you use the cookie might be lighter in color, so do not worry if it is not overly brown.



My advice? When you bring these to your priest offer them warm and with a card from you and your family thanking them for all they do, not just for you but for your whole parish and the kingdom of God.

Pin It

Honey Granola for St. John the Baptist

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Today we celebrate the Martyrdom of John the Baptist . The saint who was blessed to not only be related to our Lord Jesus but to be able to baptize Him as well! One of the things St. John the Baptist was famous for was his diet. While I do not recommend a diet of locusts and honey, I will offer you this family friendly breakfast you can have in his honor!

It is very simple to make and yummy! If you do not have agave nectar you can substitute 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Also, if you can, get really good honey. Blackberry honey is quite divine!

Amy Caroline’s Honey Granola

· 4 cups oatmeal (quick is usually best, but since I rarely buy that stuff you can use the other kind)

· 1 cup to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts (any you love – I use a mixture of walnuts, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds)

· ¼ cup vegetable oil

· ¼ cup agave nectar

· approximately ¼ cup good honey

· 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats and chopped nuts in bowl. Pour oil over it and toss. Then add agave and mix. Then honey. I am not sure on this measurement. I usually just drizzle it all over until I think, “Oh yummy!” Mix in the honey. The honey will make clusters, which is very yummy, but you may wan to break them up a little with your hands. Smooth this out on a LARGE foil covered baking pan. This makes a lot of granola, so if you don’t have a big pan you can make two batches. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until it start to turn golden brown, especially along the edges.

While this is baking pour raisins (you can definitely do more than 1 cup and you can add other dry fruit too) into the bottom of a LARGE bowl. When the oats are done pour them on top of the raisins. Mix nicely and let sit for just a few minutes. This will soften the raisins and make them oh so nice.

You can serve this warm or put in a big ol’ storage bag and serve the next day. Not sure how long it will last in storage. It has never lasted more than a day around here… if even a meal!

Hope you all like it!

Pin It

Shrimp Pasta

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Not exactly a fancy name, but we just never came up with anything better! Believe me, the name may not be great but the meal is! Also, don't forget, I feed an army over here, so this might be more than you need!

Amy's Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• Approx 1 pound cooked tail off shrimp
• 1-2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms (fresh is great too)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 stick of butter
• feta or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in saute pan with onion. Meanwhile start to cook your choice of pasta, egg noodles are great. Add garlic salt, mushrooms, kosher salt, and tomatoes. Let heat through then add baby spinach.. Once pasta only has about 5 minutes left to cook turn sauce down to low and add shrimp.

Drain pasta (duh) and then toss with sauce. Sprinkle with feta or Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Pin It

Strawberry Syrup for Valentines Day

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.



Valentine's Day is fast approaching and if you are like me, it might just be sneaking up on you a little too quickly! This is a real simple and yummy treat you can give your family on Valentine's morning. While the syrup is cooking you can cook your French toast, using your cookie cutter in the shape of a heart! If you aren't worries about calories, either, top it with some homemade whip cream.

This is a syrup I have been making and tweaking for years. It is finally right where we like it. It is great for those who are trying to watch their sugar intake, as it does have nearly the amount of sugar as regular syrup!

Amy's Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients: 

• 2 large bags of frozen strawberries (about 5-6 lbs)
• ¼ cup butter all cut up
• 1/3 cup of powdered sugar (you can add more according to your taste)

Directions:

Cook strawberries, butter, and powdered sugar (use powdered instead of regular sugar as this will help thicken the syrup) in large pot for 3-5 minutes on high stirring constantly, until all butter melts and syrup starts to form.

 
 

Turn heat to medium-high, stirring only occasionally, until all the strawberries are cooked through. Then take a potato masher and mash the strawberries to your hearts content (depending on how chunky you want it!). This syrup is great on pancakes, crepes, French toast, or your favorite breakfast treat! Hey, it is probably great on ice cream too!

You can substitute any frozen fruit for the strawberries, such as blueberries in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes! You just may not want to mash berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

Pin It

From Thy Bounty Fair: Holiday Foods and Feasts!

As the autumn starts to fade so comes the long winter. Around here, in Southern Oregon, we get a blanket of fog every morning to remind us of the cold season ahead. I used to live up north in Washington state and every year we would drive down here for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Those long drives speckled with hazardous road conditions were always an adventure, but ultimately worth it.

There is nothing better than being surrounded by family, some of which you may not have seen since the last holiday gathering. It is a time of joy and expectation. A time of sharing family news and reflecting on the blessings God has gifted us with over the year.

But there is more to the holiday season than simply gathering together… there is, of course... food.

Holidays are not just any meal or any feast. They are a trip down memory lane. A time to remember those that have passed away, like great-grandma as you bite into her famous pumpkin pie or Uncle Ben as you sample his recipe for stuffed mushrooms.

These feasts are more like a family album of memories, both good and comic. Remember that time grandma forgot to pit the cherries before she made that cherry pie?

For every family there are usually a few recipes in particular that simply mean holidays. They are the dish you only make once, maybe twice a year. It is the only time that you get all the best ingredients and work your best magic in the kitchen.

For my family there are many which are always served at every Thanksgiving and Christmas. One of which is broccoli casserole. Most people make a funny face when this dish is mentioned. Even those who think broccoli is simply "ok" think this sounds odd. Trust me, this is the best holiday dish and one way to get the kids to eat broccoli. It is also super easy to make!

Broccoli Casserole:
2 Packages frozen broccoli (cooked slightly)

2 Cans cream of mushroom soup

3 Cup of fresh mushrooms or 2 small can of mushrooms

2 Cups of grated cheddar cheese

2 Beaten eggs

1 Small package of slivered almonds

2 Cubes of butter or margarine

2 Cups of pulverized Ritz crackers

Melt butter and mix with crackers. Mix rest of ingredients and pour into 9X13 inch dish (maybe larger!! I can’t remember). Top by sprinkling with Ritz and butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I was never a fan of cranberry sauce as a kid. The gelatinous mess that came from a can looked about as appealing as cat food to me. One year, however, I ended up with a ton of fresh cranberries and thought… what the hey! So I looked up a bunch of recipes on All Recipies and Food Network before making up my own concoction. Warning! I did end up having to can a lot of it (I think I doubled this recipe)… but then you can give it away as gifts for Christmas.

Amy’s Cranberry Sauce

4 cups cranberries

2 cups orange juice

5 whole cloves in tea strainer

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

3 cups sugar

Place fresh cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add spices and cloves in tea strainer. Cook until cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Discard spice bag. Chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight, before serving.

The last dish I am going to share with you is an old family recipe for pumpkin pie. I just buy the canned pumpkin, but if you are brave, go for the gusto and make it like my great-grandma did 100 years ago, with the real deal.

Grandma Norcross’s Pumpkin Pie:

½ cup pumpkin

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

½ cup cream (or evaporated milk)

Mix together. Before pouring into pie crust, prick all over with fork and brush with a little cream (or evaporated milk). Pour filing into crust and bake at 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

These are staples at my holiday table, what about yours?

Jessica over at Shower of Roses shared some great recipes for Chicken Satay Spring Rolls, Triple Layer Brownies (I am so for that!), and Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake on her post entitled Party Time Favorites. Also, make sure you check out her great idea for making little turkey treats with your little ones: Gobble, Gobble. Jessica also shared this absolutely yummy looking dessert, just right for the coffee lover in us all: Cappuccino Mousse Trifle.

Sarah, over at Sarah’s Musings, shared a bunch links and a recipe for whole wheat cinnamon buns on her post Holiday Traditions.

Don’t forget to check out Jamie’s cooking blog Kitchen Blessings! She has a ton of recipes sure to become new family favorites. I have my eye on that pumpkin swirl cheesecake! She has some other great recipes like: Company salad, lazy cheesecake salad, and Cornucopia snack!

Another great holiday treat was submitted by Gloria in the comments section at Catholic Cuisine.

"Candied" Sweet Potatoes

*6 cups of steaming hot, mashed, sweet potatoes, you would add
*1/4 cup butter,
*3/4-1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2-3/4 cup Cinnamon Imperials (Red Hots)
*Marshmallows on top (optional)
*All ingredients more or less according to taste.

Set in hot oven after the turkey/ham is removed, to brown the marshmallows about 5-10 minutes.

Other fabulous places to find holiday goodies are staples like Food Network and All Recipes. Food Network hosts a email newsletter coming soon with recipes for Christmas cookies (I don’t see a link up yet for this year, but keep your eyes peeled. It is definitely worth it). They make great gifts in a basket with some of that cranberry sauce!

Don’t forget to also keep an eye on the Pioneer Woman. Last year she posted just about everything you could dream of for a fabulous and gourmet holiday meal. Here is the link to her Holiday Foods, which include: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Valentine’s Day!

Of course, the big guy, our dear turkey friend, needs some love and attention. Check out these articles from All Recipes on making the perfect turkey (Pioneer Woman also has a great recipe for turkey up there).

So forget about that diet, that is what January is for, and enjoy some of these fabulous holiday meals. Remember the holiday is not just about the food but about sharing that food and memories with those you love.

I hope that you all have a blessed and wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, and great food!

GOD BLESS!

Pin It

Saint Francis, Italian-American Style

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Like many kids, when I was young I imagined I was adopted. I can recall asking my sister, who was ten years older than me, if I was. She told me flat out good luck. I looked way too much like the rest of family to even pretend I was adopted.

Having to give up that, I decided I wanted to be Italian. I figured I loved Italian food so much I had to be Italian… and maybe I was… I could have been adopted after all. Over the years this love of Italian food really consumed me. Anything Italian was generally ok with me! I also began to develop my own recipes, usually variations on marinara sauces.

One of our family favorites, however, has become our Sunday night pizza. There is nothing like homemade pizza and once you realize how relatively easy it is, it won’t be worth all the trouble of calling for cardboard with some tomato sauce slapped on top!

Since today is the Feast of Saint Francis, an utterly cool saint I must add, I thought I would share my recipe for pizza with you!

My recipe is really just a variation off my bread dough recipe. Just a little different. Roll it out, toss it on the stone (if you are lucky enough to have one) and cover it with goodness... and there you have it: PURE JOY.

Amy's Pizza Dough

3 cups of warm water
1 Tablespoon of yeast
1 Tablespoon salt (I prefer Kosher)
1/4 cup olive oil (you can use others, but olive is the best)
Flour (white, wheat, whatever floats your boat)

Let yeast dissolve in water add salt (if you feel like being fancy you can add some garlic salt instead or add a nice dried herb like basil, just don't overdo it) and oil. Add enough flour to make dough smooth and elastic (you need to make sure you do not add too much flour, as this will make it impossible to stretch out). If you have some cornmeal sprinkle it on your stone or pan, and stretch dough out to fit the pan you are using. This recipe usually can make**two to three** pizzas depending on how big you want it. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

**CORRECTION 10/9/2008**

That is it.

Now, it is a main consensus that you need a really hot oven to make a decent pizza, but I have yet to test this. You do not know how scary a room full of five kids and husband can be when looking at a charred and burned pizza.

I generally cover the dough with my homemade sauce (unless I am lazy and then I only sprinkle it with some tomato sauce), whatever is in the kitchen or garden, and some mozzarella cheese. Oh and make sure you don't overload the pizza! It will make it very hard to eat and the dough might not cook well.

Amy's Homemade Sauce:

1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
1 7 ½-ounce can of diced
tomatoes, undrained
½ cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 Teaspoon garlic salt)
Salt to taste

Bring to boiling and then lower heat and simmer
for about 10 minutes.

Voila!

One of our favorite topping combos is spinach, feta, mozzarella, and tomato (I will even add pineapple sometimes). Another favorite but highly less uptown is Taco. Skip the sauce, cover dough with refried beans, a little salsa, and cheddar cheese. Cook and then cover with tomatoes, lettuce, and crushed Doritos chips. Top all that with a dollop of sour cream. That one is definitely a slice you will need a fork for!Since this is the Feast of Saint Francis you can be even more creative and toss some truly Italian toppings on that dough and sauce. Anything goes! What about Sundried tomatoes and a variety of Italian cheeses? Parmigianino and, of course, mozzarella?

The key is to have fun with it!

This is a pretty easy way to enjoy a great meal and generally these are all things you have around the house, so no special trip to the store! I think Saint Francis would approve!

Pin It