Curried Beef Wontons

Curried Beef Wontons

1/2 pound cooked and shredded beef (I use a slow-cooked roast)

1 teaspoon dry sherry

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sweet curry powder

2 teaspoons sesame seed oil

2 green onions, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 to 2/3 package of wonton skins

Peanut oil for frying

Mix and marinate for 1/2 hour.  Place one tablespoon of mixture into the center of a wonton skin, moisten the edges of the skin with water or egg white, fold into a triangle and then bring two of the points together and moisten to attach.  Deep fry in hot peanut oil over medium-high heat.  Drain, and enjoy with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Sense of Home Recipes / Appetizers

Pork Wontons

Pork Wontons

1 pound ground pork, cooked
3 green onions, chopped
4 water chestnuts, chopped
a pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
4 mushrooms, chopped
a pinch of fresh pepper

1 package wonton skins
Peanut oil for frying

Mix the first nine ingredients together.  Cover the wonton skins with a damp towel when working with them so they do not dry out.  Assemble the wontons by placing a scant tablespoon of the mixture in the center of a wonton skin.  Seal the wonton skin edges with water or egg white, fold them into a triangle shape and then pull two of the points together and seal with water or egg white.  Deep fry in peanut oil over medium high heat until golden brown.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce.  These may be frozen and reheated in a 300 degree F. oven until hot, being careful not to brown them more. 


Sense of Home Recipes / Appetizers

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

In a 2 quart saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch.  Add pineapple juice, water, vinegar and ketchup to the sugar and cornstarch, mix well.  Cook stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Serve warm with pork or curried beef wontons.

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Cream butter with brown sugar and honey in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour, soda and salt into egg mixture and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly. 

Drop walnut-size balls onto baking sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes.  Cool on rack and store in airtight container.  If not using within a few days, freeze to keep them fresh.


Sense of Home recipes

Potato and Corn Gratin

Potato and Corn Gratin

4 to 6 servings

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

1 cup of frozen corn

5 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or green onions for garnish

optional:

add bacon pieces that have been fried crisp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Generously butter a 9 x 12-inch gratin or other baking dish.  Arrange half of the potato slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup corn, sprinkle 1/2 of the bacon if using, and dot with 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter.  Repeat layering.  Pour buttermilk over.  Bake until milk is absorbed and potatoes start to brown, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.  Sprinkle with minced chives or green onion and serve.

Sense of Home recipes

Harvest Muffins

Harvest Muffins

Makes approximately 24 medium-sized muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup chunky applesauce

1 1/4 cup honey

1 cup shredded carrots

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 cup raisins

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix butter, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, honey and carrots together.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger and stir into moist ingredients until just combined.  Add raisins and hazelnuts and stir briefly to distribute.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sense of Home recipes

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Chicken Wild Rice Soup
adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter
1 finely diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 pound fresh sliced shitake mushrooms
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup sherry
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups half-and-half

optional:
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes.  Then add the flour and stir well.  Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added.  Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and add the rice, chicken, salt, thyme, parsley, black pepper, (curry and white pepper, if using), almonds, and sherry.  Allow to heat through, then pour in the half-and-half.  Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Do not boil or your roux will break.

This soup may be frozen; reheat slowly.

Baked Buttercup Squash with Apples, Cranberries, and Maple Syrup

Baked Buttercup Squash with Apples, Cranberries, and Maple Syrup

12 servings

2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds buttercup squash, peeled, quartered, seeded, and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices (about 6 cups)

2 1/4 pounds medium-size tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup maple syrup, grade B

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine squash, apples, and cranberries in a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Combine maple syrup, butter and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan.  Whisk over low heat until butter melts.  Pour syrup over squash mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Bake until squash and apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.  Cool 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover with foil; chill.  Rewarm covered in 350 degree F. oven about 30 minutes. If it seems dry before rewarming, add a few small dollops of butter.) 
       

Apple-Cranberry Pecan Crisp

Apple-Cranberry Pecan Crisp
Adapted slightly from Kim Rizk's recipe in Hay Day Country Market Cookbook .

Fruit
8 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart apples
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup (firmly packed) light brown sugar

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (firmly packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, chilled, cut into large chunks
1 cup pecans, preferably toasted, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Prepare the fruit:  Toss the apples and cranberries in a large bowl with the orange juice and brown sugar and spread evenly in a 9 x 11-inch baking dish.

Prepare the topping:  Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor and pulse once or twice to mix.  Add the butter and pulse to form a crumbly meal, with the bits of butter no larger than small grains of rice.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the pecans.

Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the fruit, and bake until the topping is nicely browned and the fruit juices have begun to bubble up and caramelize around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Serve warm or at room temperature.