Grandma Bea's Nut Bread

One of the Christmas traditions on my mom's side of the family was the making of the nutbreads.  I don't know how many batches she makes in any given year, but she usually wraps them up and hands them out as gifts.  This year, I decided it was time for me to partake in this tradition.

I THINK this recipe was written, or at least adapted by my Grandmother.  It's not trivial, but it makes 8 loaves, so the work goes a long way.  One could serve these with dinner, as a dessert option, or for breakfast.  YUM.

Ingredients

Bread

6 EGG YOLKS (SAVE EGG WHITES FOR NUT FILLING)

1 WHOLE EGG

1 CUP (2 STICKS) MELTED UNSALTED  BUTTER

1 TABLESPOON MELTED SHORTENING

8 OZ. SOUR CREAM

3 PKG. DRY YEAST

1 CUP WARM MILK

1 CUP SUGAR

1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

6 TO 8 CUPS FLOUR

0.5 tsp salt

Filling

2 LB. GROUND WALNUTS

6 EGG WHITES

1/4 CUP HONEY

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP (2 STICKS) MELTED BUTTER

2 TEASPOON VANILLA

2 TEASPOON CINNAMON

0.25 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.  Soften the yeast in the cup of warm milk.  Mix in cup of sugar

2.  Wisk together flour, baking powder, and salt

3.  Beat eggs

4.  Mix sour cream, melted butter, and shortening into eggs

5.  Mix yeast mixture into egg mixture

6.  Slowly encorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients

7.  Allow dough to rise until doubled for about 1 hour

8.  Preheat oven to 350

9.  Grind nuts in food processor

10.  Mix filling ingredients in order listed

11.  Punch down dough

12.  divide dough into 8 portions

13.  Roll out each portion dough into 10 in. x 10 in. square

14.  Spread one eight filling over portion of dough

15.  Roll up like a jelly rolld

16.  Place rolls close together (not touching) on a greased baking sheet

17.  Poke holes in top of rolls with fork

18.  Bake 30 minutes at 350

Sage rubbed pork chops with cinnamon apples and stir-fried grated sweet potatoes

I know, it's been two months since I've had an entry.  Bad Natalie.  Fall was a whirlwind.  My busy September and October took their toll on my waistline and wallet.  I'm pretty sure that I put on 3 or 4 pounds, but refuse to step on a scale.  Additionally, Christmas with all of its expenses is quickly approaching which includes two plane tickets to Mexico City to visit the in-laws plus a live in house-sitter to take care of our two kujos and our 20 lb. attack-cat.  Cha-ching.  I promise to take lots of food pics and report from Mey-heee-koe.  And if any of you have any suggestions about where to eat in Mexico City, drop me a line. 

So, my point is that the next six weeks I vow to be cooking at home.  More specifically I vow to be making relatively healthy meals so that I don't look like a Baluga next to my beautiful, older, skinny, sisters-in-law.  

On the the recipes!

Pork Chop with Cinnamoin Apples

Source - Cooking Light

Now stop that internet!  Don't gag at the mention of cooking light.  True, some of their recipes are aweful, but there are some goodies in there.  

Ingredients

Dry Rubbed sage

salt

pepper

4 boneless pork loin chops

1 tsp butter

4 peeled sliced apples

1 Tblsp brown sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1.  Season pork chops with salt and pepper, coat with sage

2.  Cook pork chops in large skillet

3.  Melt butter in skillet

4.  Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a dash of salt

5.  Saute until just soft

6.  Serve apples atop pork chops

Grated stir-fried sweet potatoes

Source:  The Minimalist, NY Times

So I saw this idea for stir fried sweet potatoes one of Bittman's articles.  Love that guy.  This is my new favorite way to prep sweet potatoes.  I changed the seasoning because I didn't want to add more butter to my meal, and because I didn't want to over-do it with the sage (see recipe above).  So, I took his suggestion and just sprinkled with a bit of soy sauce.....SOOOOO GOOOOD.  The taters were all carmelized, and savory, and a little sweet.  Can't wait for my leftovers tonight.

My ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Instruction

1.  Heat oil in large skillet

2.  Toss in taters, sprinkles with salt and soy sauce

3.  Stir occaisionally until done (maybe 5 minutes)

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

I like this stuffing recipe a bit better than the roasted veggie recipe. I think it provides better balanced flavors, but it obvioulsy is not vegetarian. I'm going to make this for Christmas this year. This is from the Food Network.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter,
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon rubbed sage, crumbled
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
4 cups cornbread croutons
4 cups white bread croutons
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brown sausage in an ovenproof saucepot that has a lid. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage from the pot and pour out the drippings. Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, until softened. Add apple and cook, until softened. Add herbs and stir. Return sausage to pot. Add croutons and chicken broth and bake stuffing in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Corn Bread Dressing with Roasted Fall Vegetables

I made this stuffing for Thanksgiving. We had some vegetarians coming over, so I wanted to pick on that could be made vegetarian. I also love roasted vegetables, so thought this would be good for two dishes in one. It was delicious, but maybe a little sweet. Don't let that deter you in trying this. Nothing beats roasted vegetables. I use Jiffy Cornbread mix for the corn bread, but you could make from scratch or buy pre-made. To make vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Ingredients
1 10-ounce bag pearl onions
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled carrots (about 3/4 pound)
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled parsnips (about 3/4 pound)
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled rutabagas (about 3/4 pound)
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes Cornbread for Dressing
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Directions
osition 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Cook onions in small saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes; drain. Cool slightly; trim and peel. Place onions, carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1/3 cup oil over and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place mushrooms and garlic on another rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast root vegetables until tender and brown around edges, stirring every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Roast mushrooms and garlic until tender, stirring once, about 30 minutes. Place root vegetables and mushrooms in large bowl. Place garlic in small bowl; mash with fork until pureed. Add pureed garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage to vegetables; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Vegetable mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool vegetables, cover, and chill. Bring mixture to room temperature before continuing.

Place cornbread cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Let bread cubes stand at room temperature to dry slightly, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch oval baking dish. Add cornbread cubes to vegetables; toss to distribute evenly. Add eggs; toss to coat. Drizzle with melted butter; toss to coat. Add broth and stir to combine (mixture will be very moist). Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake dressing uncovered until lightly browned and crisp around edges, about 45 minutes.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Technically speaking, I do not use a recipe to make mashed potatoes. However, this recipe from Gourmet resembles what I usually improvise as the most delicious mashed potatoes on the face of the planet (providing you use enough butter and salt). Most importantly, it's got a description of the proper mashed potato method.

Ingredients
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (preferably large)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Special equipment: a food mill fitted with medium disk, or a potato ricer

Directions
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add 5 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes in a colander, then return to pan and cook over moderate heat, shaking pan occasionally, until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and keep hot, covered. Heat milk, butter, white pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in saucepan over moderate heat until butter is melted.

Force potatoes through food mill or ricer into hot milk mixture in pan and gently stir with a large heatproof rubber spatula just until combined.