Pastitsio

One of the kids gifts this Christmas was a kitchen apron and a kid's cookbook.  They love to help in the kitchen and were thrilled.  This dish came from one of those cookbooks.  I changed up a couple things, and it was a great dish!  Very easy too.  And it's pronounced pah-STEET-see-oh.  Enjoy!


1 box elbow macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
a splash of red wine  ( I just go by taste)
a dash of sugar  (I go by taste here too)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 10 oz container fresh Alfredo sauce (I used Buitoni and liked it.  I don't like most jarred alfredo sauces)
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese


Preheat oven to 350.  Cook macaroni accordin to package directions; drain and set aside.


Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onion and salt over medium high heat, breaking up meat until it is no longer pink.  Drain well and return to skillet.  Stir in pasta sauce, wine, sugar and cinnamon.  Brig to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes.


Spoon half of macaroni into a 9x13 lightly greased dish.  top with meat mixture.  Spoon remaining macaroni over meat mixture.  Spread Alfredo sauce over macaroni, and sprinkle with cheese.


Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Makes about 8 servings.

Christmas Eve Open House 2010

Our Christmas Eve Open House was another success.  Thanks to all those who joined us!!  It was truly a blessing to celebrate and fellowship with one another.  Here's a few pics from our menu:

I shared my menu with you last week, and this week I've got all the recipe's up on the blog.  I thought I'd put all the recipe's together in one post as well, just to make it easy.  So, here you go...


Texas Brisket
Bacon wrapped apricots
bacon wrapped jalepenos
Hummus
Sweet Potato Pasties
Cranberry & Pistachio cheese roll
Fruit Jellies
Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Fruit Jellies

These are so pretty!  And of course they taste great too.  But I will warn you... keep them cold or they will melt.  Just speaking from experience.  :D


1 1/3 cups fruit juice (any flavor)
4 packets powdered gelatin (1 ounce total)
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fruit preserves or jam


Place 2/3 cup juice in a small bowl or measuring cup and sprinkle with gelatin.   Let sit 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine remaining 2/3 cup juice and 1 1/2 cups sugar, bring to a boil over medium high and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 5 minutes.  Add preserves and whisk to combine.   Return to a boil and cook until thick and syrupy, 2 minutes.  Add gelatin mixture and whisk until gelatin dissolves.  Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8 inch square baking dish.  Refrigerate until set, 3 hours (or up to 2 weeks).


Place 1 cup sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl.  Cut fruit jelly into 1 inch squares.  Toss in sugar to coat just before serving.


If you want to make them ahead, keep them uncoated, tightly covered in plastic wrap in the fridge.


I used Pomegranate-cherry juice with raspberry jam for one batch, and a Berry Blend juice with strawberry jam for the other batch.  Some other combination suggestions are:

• apple juice and apricot preserves
• grape juice and jam
• strawberry apple juice and strawberry jam

Cranberry Pistachio cheese roll

This is a great festive appetizer.


shelled pistachio's
dried cranberries (craisins)
goat cheese


Roughly chop the pistachio's and cranberries.  Roll the log of goat cheese in the nuts/berries.  I had to kind of press them in a bit.  Serve with crackers.


I get my goat cheese from Costco because it comes in a long log form, and it's much more economically priced.

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

These are super yummy!  This comes from my friends over at fanksgiving.


1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
6 Tbs baking cocoa
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

1 small jar marshmallow creme
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups crisp rice cereal

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add eggs.
• Stir in flour, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.
• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack.
• Spread marshmallow cream over the cooled brownies.
• In a small saucepan over low heart, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat: stir in cereal.
• Spread over marshmallow layer.
• Chill for 1 hour before cutting.

Hummus

1 can of chickpeas, drained with 3 tablespoons of the liquid reserved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini


Bread, crackers, pita chips, or veggies for serving.


Place the chickpeas, reserved liquid, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini in a food processor.  Blend until smooth and well combined.  I served this with Rosemary and Olive Oil bread, but any of the above suggestions work great.

Texas Brisket

One of my dear students from the ELS language center gave me a cookbook for my birthday.  This recipe comes from "Nigella Kitchen".  She's a food network star, maybe you're familiar.  Anyway, I served this brisket up as an appetizer during my Christmas Eve Open House.  It turned out very good and it was an easy one to make.  It serves about 12, so just half it if you're just making it for your family.


3 medium onions
approximately 5 1/2 lbs beef brisket (make sure you don't buy salted or corned beef...just fresh)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce (such as A-1)
1/4 cup strong brewed black coffee


Preheat the oven to 300


Slice the onions, stripping away any skin that unwraps itself,  (It doesn't matter if the skin stays on) and arrange them in the center of the pan to create a platform the brisket will sit on.  I used an oval roasting pan, it worked great.


Place the brisket on top, fat-topped side up.


Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the brisket, then cover the pan with aluminum foil, sealing it tightly.  Place it in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.


Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board.  Slice the brisket in diagonals across the grain.


Transfer the onions to a blender with a ladleful or two of the liquid from the pan and blend til smooth, then add back to the rest of the liquid in the pan and stir.


Put the brisket slices in the gravy in the pan and serve.