Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

3 large sweet potatoes or yams (to yield 3 cups, cooked and mashed)
1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted

With vegetable peeler, remove skin and 1/4" slice from the ends of each sweet potato or yam.  Slice thinly, cover with water and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.  Whip with electric beaters and remove any "strings" that may collect on beaters.  Add butter and sugar to warm potatoes and continue mixing.  Add milk, vanilla and eggs.  Mix well.  Put in a buttered casserole dish (9x13).  Mix together the pecan topping ingredients and crumble on top of casserole.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serves 8-10.  (or more)

Male Chauvinist Chili

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon
10 oz hot links, cut into 1 inch slices
10 oz lean ground beef

1 lg Spanish onion, diced
1 bell pepper, cut in large pieces
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 C. water

1/2 c. worcestershire sauce

1 t. hot dry mustard
1 t celery seeds
1 1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t pepper

6 c. Italian tomatoes

1 (15 oz.)can pinto beans
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans

Instructions:

Brown bacon in pot. Drain. Brown sausage, then ground beef in a frying pan.

Cook onion, pepper, garlic and chili pepper over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Stir in water and worcestershire sauce. 

Simmer uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in mustard, celery seeds, chili powder, salt and pepper, 

simmer for 10 minutes. 

Mash tomatoes, add (with liquid) and meats to onion mixture.

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Rinse beans, then add to chili, heat to boiling.

Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Ginger Dressing

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Combine sugar, oil, salt, vinegar, ginger, and pepper in small bowl, whisk until blended.  Yield: about 2/3 cup. 

Crunch Oriental Beef Salad

This is a recipe I got from my cooking class.  Its a very delicious and aesthetically pleasing salad :)

 

1 1/2 lbs beef flank steak
2 Tbsp each: vegetable oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup each: thinly sliced celery and shredded red cabbage
4 green onions
1 package (3oz) beef flavor Ramen noodles
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp each: instant beef bouillon and garlic powder
1 head romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds*
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds**
Ginger dressing

Partially freeze flank steak by placing in freezer two hours prior to preparation time.  Make marinade by combining water, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, bouillon granules, and garlic powder; mix well.  Stir in beef flavor packet from soup mix.  Slice steak diagonally across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Pace beef and marinade in plastic zip-lock bag, turning occasionally. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Prepare ginger dressing.  Drain beef; heat large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Stir-fry, 1/2 at a time, 5 to 6 minutes or until brown.  Remove beef from pan after each batch is cooked.  Drain beef, add ginger dressing and toss with lettuce, celery, cabbage, almonds, and broken Ramen noodles.  Place in serving bowl.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*To add some optional deliciousness, try making candied almonds by mixing melted butter and sugar together, coating the almonds, spread them out on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven until golden brown.  After taking them out, lift them off the pan with a metal spatula, and try to keep them separated so they don't cool attached to each other.  Its kind of messy, but extra delicious :)

**To toast sesame seeds, heat sesame seeds in small pan over medium heat until golden, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour into small dish to prevent further browning. 

Pico De Gallo

Ingredients
· 1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
· 1/4 cup diced red onion
· 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos (optional)
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· Juice of 1 lime (or slightly less, to taste)
· 2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
· Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine all ingredients.

Mom's Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
4 cups sliced peaches (abt 6 medium)
(I'm sure I used canned peaches, just add the cornstarch and the cinnamon to the juice)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 T shortening
1 cup flour
1 T sugar (or more)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup milk

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Cut shortening into flour, 1 T. sugar, the baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot peach mixture.

Bake until topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream or Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream: Beat 1 cup chilled whipping cream, 3 T granulated or powdered sugar and 1/2 t ground cinnamon in chilled bowl until stiff.

Thai Masaman Curry

1 lb pork  (sliced very thin, if it is partly frozen it is easier to cut )

1-2 Tbls Masaman curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth (can use chicken bouillon)
½ cup raw peanuts
2-3 smaller potatoes (red or white are best)
2 Tbls sugar
a little salt
fresh lime juice (or bottled)
red onions sliced thin
carrots cut in small slivers
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves (a dash of each)

Coconut milk, chicken broth, curry paste, pork.  Simmer ½ hour.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer ½ hour more.

Strawberry Wafer Dessert

Vanilla wafers (crushed)

1 cube butter

¾ lb. powdered sugar

2 eggs separated

2 boxes strawberries, topped and cut in large pieces

1 pt whipping cream

Beat butter with sugar, mix in egg yolks

Beat egg whites, fold into above

Spread crushed wafers on the bottom of a pan

Spread butter mixture onto wafers, press in strawberries

Whip cream (add sugar and vanilla), spread on top

Cover with vanilla wafers

Sugar Cookies

6 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups butter

1 ¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 Tbls milk

lemon flavoring

Bake 375 degrees.  12 minutes.  

Grandma Taylor used to make these every year for Halloween and Christmas.  All of the girls, frosted and decorated them.  Yum!

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 ¾ cups flour

2 tsp cm of tartar

1 tsp soda

¼ tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs.  Mix in flour, cm of tartar, soda and salt.  Roll into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Smash with a cup.

Bake @ 375 degrees  8-10 minutes.

Christmas Spiced Nuts

2 egg whites

2 tsp cold water

4 cups almonds

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Beat whites and water until frothy add nuts and stir.  Mix other ingredients and pour over nuts.  Spread on pan.  Bake 1 hour.  Store in airtight container.  

Grandpa Taylor makes these every year at Christmas time.