Winter is almost upon us, and what better time to hunker down with some nice, cozy comfort food? Whether you are entertaining for a crowd or cooking for one or two, winter and the holiday season are the perfect time to try something new. Happy holidays!
Louisiana Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients:
1/2 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons minced green onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine first 10 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well. Transfer mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Serve with your favorite crackers or crusty bread.
Nana Lewis’ Famous Ginger Snaps
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash each of allspice, cloves and nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup table or cooking molasses
White sugar, for rolling
Preparation:
- Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, salt and spices in bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, mix well. Add molasses and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir toegther until combined. If the batter is too sticky, add more flour. If too dry, add more butter and molasses. I You should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your fingers.
- Form 1 tablespoon of dough in hand and roll in a ball. Roll balls in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degr=rees for 12 to 15 minutes until tops are slightly rounded, cracked and lightly browned. Remove to wire rack.
Mini No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecakes
Ingredients:
6 ounces chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
sweetened whipped cream
cocoa powder, for garnish
To Make the Crust:
- Combine cookie crumbs and butter until moistened. Divide crust mixture evenly among 12 cups of a mini cheesecake pan. Press crust firmly and evenly into the bottoms of the pan. Place pan in refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
To Make the Filling:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended and smooth. Mix in vanilla and sour cream. Add cooled chocolate and mix until well combined.
- Divide filling among the cups of the mini cheesecake pan. To get a smooth, solid filling, add filling a tablespoon at a time and use a small spatula or spoon to press the filling down into the cups. You can also pipe the filling into the cups if you prefer. Chill cheesecakes in pan at least 6 hours.
- Carefully remove the cheesecakes by pressing up from the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.
Golden Chanterelle Soup with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
3 cups thinly sliced fresh chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 medium russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1 large fresh thyme sprig (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 large fresh Italian parsley sprig (or 1 tablespoon dried)
½ cup whipping cream
Dry Sherry
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preparation:
- Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add all mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring often, about 7 minutes.
- Add 6 cups broth and next 4 ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and summer until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs. Cool slightly.
- Add whipping cream and dry sherry. Top with almonds.
- Tip: To toast almonds, preheat oven to 350°. Place almonds on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and toast until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add beef to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes.
- Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika and bay leaves until well combined; season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. - In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth. Stir mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.