Christmas 2019 Recipes

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!

May your day be full of Feasting, Fun and loads of Fa la la la fa, la la la!

 

Candy Cane Milkshake

Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree

Decked out Deck the Halls Fudge

Hershey's Candy Cane Cookies

Oreo Cookie Ball Christmas Tree and Snowballs

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Reindeer Cupcakes

Rice Krispie Christmas Wreath

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Cranberry Eggnog Bundt Cake

It's that time of the year to bake and bake and then bake some more.  It may also be that time of year to keep those stretch pants close by.  Ha ha!   

This cake has me all excited. I love to doctor up a cake mix and since eggnog is readily available at the grocery store these days it is a perfect ingredient to jazz up this cake.   The eggnog also makes the cake moist and with the rich flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg it's perfect for Christmas.  I also complimented the cake with dried cranberries because they add just enough of a tart kick to make the cake pop. 

Another reason I am excited about this dessert is that I finally learned to make a glaze that looks like the ones on the cakes at the grocery store.  I learned this thanks to watching Alton Brown on TV.  Here's the tip, pour the glaze in a circle around the top of the bundt. As it covers the top of the bundt it will drip down the sides and look very pretty.  

 

So keep a few boxes of cake mix, eggnog and dried cranberries handy so you can quickly throw this cake together for those last minute guests that drop over during the holiday season.  It certainly is a great way to add sweetness to your day after a meal or with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix (see note)
1 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
eggs as directed by cake box instructions
oil or butter as directed by cake box instructions
prepared eggnog (store bought  is what I used) instead of water per cake box instructions

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs eggnog (enough to make a thick glaze)


Directions:

Prepare batter cake batter as directed by box.  Remember to substitute prepared eggnog for the water the box directs you to use (example: if the cake box directions advises 1 cup of water, substitute 1 cup eggnog instead)

Add dried cranberries, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Butter or spray bundt pan well.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until baked.  Allow cake to cool.  Mix glaze by stirring powdered sugar with eggnog.  Pour glaze over the top of the entire cake.  Allow glaze to setup before serving.  Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Zucchini Cornbread

I am usually a "Jiffy Cornbread Mix" kind of girl, but I am trying to broaden by baking horizons so here goes my version of cornbread made from scratch.  Two tries later, I finally came up with a very moist, flavorful cornbread with a little spicy kick that I was proud to serve my family and friends.  

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients: 
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 large onion grated or finely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
2-3 jalapeno chilies diced small
Mix all ingredients well.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbs sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs red chili flakes (or to taste)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese or mix of Mexican cheeses
Mix well and add to wet ingredients.  Do not over mix the batter.

Directions:

Pour batter into buttered or sprayed baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until fork comes out clean.



 



I also sprinkled a handful of cheese over the bread a few minutes before I turned off the oven to get a melted cheese topping.   Enjoy.

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions

There are a few dishes that are almost always on the Thanksgiving table.  My favorite is STUFFING!  Then there are dishes that I can totally do without like the dreaded green bean casserole.   I love green beans, but I do not like the mushy green bean casserole made with canned mushroom soup.  There is really no flavor and I find it boring and bland.

Boring and bland are two words that should not be apart of the Thanksgiving menu.  So I set out to make my own version of a green bean casserole from scratch.  I even attempted the fried onions- the only part of the dish that anyone ever likes from the traditional recipe.    My fried onion version only cost pennies to make compared to the expensive prepared fried onions that most people use. 

I also spiced my casserole up with flavors I love like cumin seeds and chilies.  This green bean casserole is definitely not boring or bland.  I really knew I had a hit on my hands when my son who claims to "hate" green beans ask for a portion of it and raved on how good it tasted.  So now that I know it's good,  it needs to be on the table a lot more often than just Thanksgiving.

Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions

Ingredients

 

Green Bean Casserole

• 1lb fresh green beans
• 1lb sliced button mushrooms
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1-2 chilies (jalapenos, serrano or fresno) sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 4-5 Tbs canola oil as needed
• 2 Tbs flour (see tip in instructions)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• red chili flakes to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp granulated garlic (divided)
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 up to 2 cups milk or half and half (as needed)
• 1/2 cup Monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese

Fried Onions:

• 1 large onion sliced very thin (mandolin slicer recommended)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• salt to season flour
• paprika to season flour
• Oil to deep fry onions

Instructions

For Casserole

1. Clean beans then blanch in hot water until tender crisp, drain and set aside.

2. Heat 2 Tbs canola oil in large saute pan and add chopped onions and chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Next add cumin seeds, a little salt to season and turmeric powder. Saute for another minute.

4. Add blanched beans to pan and saute with 1/4 tsp garlic powder and red chili flakes for 2 minutes .

5. Place cooked beans into casserole dish. Set aside until later.

6. In same pan, add 2-3 Tbs more canola oil. Add clean and dry sliced mushrooms. Saute for several minutes until mushroom get deep brown.

7. Then add salt, black pepper, red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and thyme. Saute for 2 more minutes.

8. Add flour to pan and cook with beans. Once flour has cooked for a minute, add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

9. Then add milk and allow sauce to thicken. If sauce is too thick, add more milk as needed. Taste for seasoning.

10. Top green beans in casserole dish with mushroom and sauce. Then top with shredded cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or cheese is bubbly.

For Fried Onions:

1. Slice onions and place on a paper towel in a single layer to dry our for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare seasoned flour and dredge onions in flour. Shake off excess flour and fry in hot oil (360 degrees) until golden brown. Drain on paper towel or newspaper. Season with a little more salt once onions are fried.

TIP: Use the leftover seasoned flour in your green bean casserole.

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Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Halloween Recipes 2019

 

 

Kids in the Kitchen: Halloween Fruit Treats

 

 

Devilishly Spicy Ghoul-ash

 

 

 

Halloween Witch's Hat Cookies

 

Decorated Pumpkin Cake

 

Bloody Cyclops Cupcakes

Yummy Mummy Pizzas

Gummy Worm Halloween Cupcakes

Candy Corn Rice Krispies

Ghoulish Cake Pops

Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treats 

 

Shrunken Head Halloween Punch

 

Ghostly Pears

Chocolate Covered Apples with Nuts, Candy and Coconut

Pumpkin Rice Krispies Treats

 

Monster Party Halloween Cupcakes

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze plus bonus Muffins

Fall is apple picking time.  I made this apple cake recipe that really got us in mood for the fall season. I ended up with a little too much batter to fit in my bundt pan so I also had some bonus muffins to enjoy as well. 

Are you excited about fall?

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup canola oil (can substitute applesauce here)
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups chopped peeled apples
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or pecans)
 
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Caramel Sauce:
1/3 cup caramel sauce (store bought  or you can use a homemade recipe)
2 cups powdered sugar


Directions:
Peel and chop apples. Mix all wet ingredients together.

Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Pour batter into well greased bundt pan a little more than half way up the sides.



Bake for 45-55 minutes until done in a 350 degree oven.

For muffins: bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes. Allow cake or muffins to cool.  Mix caramel sauce and powdered sugar and pour over cake.  Enjoy.

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

Fall is in the air.  We have had loads of rainy and cool days so it's time to make dishes that warm us from the inside out.  This beef stew takes a few minutes of prep time and then you throw the ingredients into the crock-pot and allow it to take on most of the work.  I was able to put my feet up and watch movie as well as read the paper while this cooked away for our Sunday lunch.  The broth is rich and perfect with a hunk of crusty buttered bread. I didn't cut the pieces of beef too small so they really stood out in the stew.

Ingredients:
2lbs stew meat or top round cut into large cubes
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper (for dredging)
1 large onion cut into chunks
2 stalks celery cut into large chunks
4 large carrots cut into chunks
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
8oz button mushrooms sliced (optional)
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
4 cloves grated fresh garlic
1 bay leaf
small piece cinnamon stick (1 inch piece)
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs dried parsley (or 2-3 Tbs Fresh)
2 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 Tbs paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
slurry of 2 Tbs water and 2Tbs flour to thicken (only in last our of cooking) 
 

Directions:
Dredge cubes of beef in a seasoned flour.  Heat 2-3 Tbs of canola oil in a saute pan and brown all sides in batches.

 Remove from pan and continue browning until all beef is browned.

 Place all ingredients and browned beef into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours.

 Add slurry of flour and water to thicken in the last hour of cooking. Taste for salt and seasoning.  Serve with crusty bread.  Enjoy.









Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.