Sweet Potato Casserole

Don and I both agreed that this was the best thing on the table for Thanksgiving this year! We ended up being so busy with preparations that I completely forgot to make the pie and didn't remember until we were sitting down to dinner. Don said though that these were so good we didn't even need pie, which made me feel a lot better! :) Our crumble/streuesel topping didn't turn out looks~wise (ended up more mushy then crumbly-I think our butter was too soft), but taste-wise was still awesome. 

No marshmallows on top this year, but that's probably for the best. While I like the look of the roasted marshmallows on top, the leftovers will keep better this way. Leftover marshmallow topping never works out. I've discovered from previous years that it gets all slimy and gross and we end up peeling it all off anyways. Our version ended up being a slight adaptation b/w this recipe and this recipe. which are pretty much identical except for a couple of ingredients and preparations. 
   

INGREDIENTS for SWEET POTATOES:

• 4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato (This ended up being about 2 medium-large potatoes)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 Tbsp milk (Original recipe calls for heavy cream, but we didn't have any. If you happen to have cream on hand, I imagine it would be good. Milk worked out just fine though.)

INGREDIENTS for TOPPING:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened (room temp.)

PREPARATION:

1. Put cubed sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2. Preheat the oven to 325.
3. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sweet potatoes and mix until smooth. Transfer to baking dish. (Both original recipes called for a 9x13 but we ended up using an 8x8 and it worked out great.)
4. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour together. Cut butter into mixture with pastry blender  or fork until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle over sweet potato mash.
5. Bake for 30 min. in preheated oven, or until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups tomato juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro
• 1 tsp. ground cumin

PREPARATION:

Cook garlic and cumin in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer.

Bernice's Note: I've only ever made the pork, chikcen, dressing, and rice. Never tried the Black Bean Recipe, but the other stuff tastes pretty close.

Cream of Anything Soup

INGREDIENTS:
For a medium white sauce

• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp chicken bullion granules
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cups milk
  

PREPARATION:

1. Melt butter or margarine in saucepan over low heat.
2. Blend in flour, bullion, salt and pepper.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in milk.
5. Return to heat and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
6. Let sit on warm heat in pan until vegetables are ready to add.
7. Place cut vegetables in another saucepan, add enough water to barely cover the vegetables.
8. Boil vegetables in saucepan until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful all the water does not boil out.
9. Mix the vegetables and the water that they were cooked in with the white sauce/soup mixture together. NOTE: prior to mixing vegetables and white sauce, you may puree part or all of your vegetables in the blender. Only use enough of the vegetable water to make the soup the desired consistency. Serve.
   

Note: The following recipes call for additional ingredients. When onions, celery, etc are needed, sauté them separately and add to completed white sauce. When dry herbs/spices are needed, add with bullion, salt and pepper in white sauce preparation.

Cream of Potato:

• 4 diced potatoes, washed and peeled
• 2 stalks diced celery, washed
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
  

Cream of Asparagus:

• 4 cups asparagus
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Dash of ground nutmeg or mace

Cream of Green Bean:

• 3 cups green beans
• 1 teaspoon crushed savory
  

Cream of Broccoli:

• 4 cups broccoli
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme leaf
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 bay leafs (added to white sauce and removed before serving)

Cream of Carrot:

• 2 cups carrots (about 6 large)
• 1 Tbsp dry parsley (add with salt, pepper and bullion)
• 1/2 tsp dry basil (add with salt, pepper and bullion)

Cream of Cauliflower:

• 4 cups cauliflower (about 1 head)
• 1 tsp curry powder (add with salt, pepper, and bullion)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine (sauté in oil until soft and add to completed white sauce before adding vegetables)
• 2 green onions for garnish

Cream of Zucchini:

• 3 cups zucchini (about 4 medium)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (add with salt, pepper and bullion)

Cream of Mushroom:

• 3 cups mushrooms
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Beef and Asparagus

 would like to point out that the picture to the right is taken by yours truly. Ah, my loverly first picture of my own--not too shabby, eh? And yes, that shadow is my head! :0) This recipe is taken from one of Don's Chinese cookbooks from Taiwan called "Chinese Cooking Made Easy" by the Wei-Chuan company. It has been adapted as most of the places where it calls for 'water' the original recipe called for wine. Either way, it still tastes goood!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb beef flank
• 1/2 Tbsp each of green onions and ginger root
  
• 1 1/2 cups asparagus
  

Part I:

• 1 Tbsp each of soy sauce and water
• 1 Tbsp each of cornstarch and water
• 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Part II:

• 1 Tbsp each of soy sauce and oyster sauce (if you don't have any oyster sauce just use 2 Tbsp of soy sauce)
  
• 1/2 Tbsp each of water, sugar and cornstarch
• dash of pepper
• 4 Tbsp water
  
• sesame oil as desired

PREPARATION:

1. Cut beef into 2-inch wide strips along grain, then slice across the grain; mix in Part I. Mix in 1 Tbsp oil with beef before frying so beef will separate easily during frying.
2. Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp oil then stir0fry beef until medium well; remove. Use remaining oil to stir-fry green onions, ginger root, and asparagus until fragrant. Add mixed Part II and beef. Cover and cook until steamy, then stir-fry to mix well. Remove, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Note: The asparagus can be substituted with other vegetables.

Squash in Sour Cream

This is one of the best recipes for squash I've ever had! Out of season right now, but come fall you're really going to like this!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs Hubbard or Acorn squash
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp instant onion (blend dried minced onion in blender until the size of sesame seeds)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dill 
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Pepper, 1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning, and 1/8 tsp dill to sprinkle on top (optional)
  

PREPARATION:
Cooking the squash:

1. Scrub the squash, cut half and remove the seeds.
2. Cut in smaller sections to fit in the pan.
3. Cook covered in a small amount of boiling, salted water. Cook about 15 minutes, or until tender. OR, place squash pieces in a glass 9x13 pan, add about 1” of water and cover with plastic wrap. Vent plastic wrap. Microwave for 3 minutes. Check for doneness. Continue to microwave, checking every minute, until tender.
4. Drain the squash, remove the skin, and cut into cubes.
5. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan or in the saucepan that was used to cook the squash.
6. Add the squash to the saucepan with the butter, cover with a lid and toss the squash to coat with butter. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. sugar.

Sauce to squeeze over the cooked squash at serving time:

1. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter, add onion; remove from heat.
2. Add sour cream, salt and 1/4 tsp dill weed. Stir well.
3. Place hot squash on platter, sprinkle with pepper.
4. Place dill sauce in zip lock bag. Snip a small part of a corner and pipe the sour cream mixture over the squash.
5. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp dill weed and Mrs. Dash Seasoning, if desired