Christmas Sherbet Punch

Recipe by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman for The Food Network

 

Yield: 20 Servings

Photo by the Food Network

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 gallon raspberry sherbet
• 16 cups (1 gallon) cranberry juice (or cranberry mixed with pomegranate), well chilled
• Two 2-liter bottles ginger ale, well chilled

 

Directions:

Make sure all the ingredients are very cold. Scoop the sherbet into a large punch bowl, then pour in the cranberry juice and ginger ale and stir gently.

 

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Passover Meal – Tilapia with Horseradish and Beet Green Chimichurri

By Melissa d’Arabian,
The Associated Press

Tilapia With Horseradish and Beet Green Chimichurri. (AP photo/Matthew Mead)

As published on Register Guard.com, d’Arabian wrote “When I was growing up, my family celebrated both Jewish and Christian holidays. And one of my favorites was Passover.

Perhaps it was the Hebrew singing that made it special for me. Or maybe it was the rich meaning behind the foods that were served. One food I remember more than any other — the horseradish that was traditionally served as the “bitter herb” portion of the meal.

My mom would scoop a tiny bit of freshly grated horseradish onto a crispy matzo cracker, then hand me a pickled beet as a chaser. I was only a child, but the memory of that flavor combination has stayed with me, attached to memories of family dinners and my mom.

This recipe celebrates horseradish — not the creamy sauce you find next to the roast beef at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but rather the actual root. Technically, horseradish is a vegetable and has health benefits similar to its root vegetable cousins. But with its strong flavor, we typically eat very small quantities, using horseradish more as a condiment.

Condiments that are low in sugar, fat and calories are an excellent way to infuse a healthy dish with tons of flavor. You can buy horseradish in root form at well-stocked markets, or keep a jar of grated horseradish in the refrigerator like I do. Mix it into salad dressings, meat rubs and tangy acidic foods such as freshly pickled veggies.

If raw horseradish is too strong for you, toss veggies or potatoes with it, then roast. This softens the flavor considerably. In this recipe, I make a chunky chimichurri sauce (with beet greens instead of herbs, as a wink to mom) to spoon over roasted fish right as it comes out of the oven.

The heat will make the flavors in the sauce sing.”

Yield: 4 Servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds tilapia filets
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 bunch beet greens, washed thoroughly and dried
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 to 2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish

Directions: 

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
3. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to brush over both sides of the fish filets, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the tilapia on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the tilapia is no longer translucent, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, finely chop the beet greens (you should have a little over 1 cup), and set aside.
6. In a blender, place the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. Blend until the shallot is pureed, about 10 seconds.
7. Add the beet greens to the blender and pulse a couple of times, just to coat the beet greens with vinaigrette.
8. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if the mixture is too dry. Pour the chimichurri into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
9. Once the fish is cooked, place the filets on serving plates, then spoon the chimichurri over the hot fish.

Nutrition information per serving: 240 calories; 90 calories from fat (38 percent of total calories); 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated; 0 grams trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 4 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams sugar; 35 grams protein; 420 mg sodium.

Melissa d’Arabian

Food Network host Melissa d’Arabian is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.” www.melissadarabian.net

Spice-Roasted Cauliflower and Jerusalem Artichokes

Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell for Food Network Magazine

Photo by Kana Okada for Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
• 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, cut into 1-inch dice
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Finely chopped fresh chives, for sprinkling

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower and Jerusalem artichokes; toss them generously with olive oil and salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine the cumin and cayenne and add to the vegetables. Toss well to thoroughly combine.
4. Spread the veggies on a baking sheet in one even layer-use two baking sheets, if necessary. Roast 20 minutes, then stir the veggies so they have the chance to brown all over and rotate the pan to ensure even cooking. Roast another 20 minutes, then stir and rotate again.
5. Roast the vegetables for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are brown, tender and smell wonderful-almost like popcorn! If they aren’t lovely and brown, let them continue to roast for another few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
6. Remove the veggies from the oven, sprinkle with chives and transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.

Fourth of July Cocktail

Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri for Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

Photograph by Kate Sears

• 1 ounce watermelon schnapps
• 1 big splash cranberry juice
• 1 very thin slice jalapeno or serrano pepper
• 1 slice lemon
• 1 slice lime
• 1 1/2 ounces tequila
• 1/4 ounce blue curacao
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• Watermelon wedge, for garnish (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Mix the schnapps and cranberry juice in a shaker; pour into an ice-filled glass.
2. Muddle the jalapeno pepper, lemon and lime slices, tequila, blue curacao and simple syrup (to make a batch, dissolve sugar in equal parts hot water and chill) in the shaker. Slowly strain into the glass over the red layer. Garnish with watermelon, if desired.

 

 

Make Sugar Skulls to Celebrate Day of the Dead

Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art from Southern Mexico used to celebrate Day of the Dead. Mounds of colorful sugar skulls are sold by Indian vendors in open air village markets during the week preceding the holiday. Spirits of the dead are welcomed back to their homes with beautifully decorated altars made by their loved ones. Sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, incense and special foods adorn home altars.

Families take the flowers and sugar skulls to the cemetery to decorate the tombs on November 2. Sugar skulls are colorfully decorated with icing, pieces of bright foil, colored sugars and usually bear the name of the deceased loved one being honored. They are easy to make by children and adults, and if kept dry, they can last a year.

Angela Villalba founder of Mexican Sugar Skull.com

MexicanSugarSkull.com’s Angela Villalba is the creator of the original sugar skull mold. They have 13 wonderful high quality molds – and all the right supplies that you need to create your own fabulous skulls. Check out their kits for large groups.

Make sugar skulls as part of your family tradition to remember your dear, departed loved ones.

 

Click here to see the Angela Villalba’s video on how to make Sugar Skulls.  And, here to find step-by-step instructions  on how to make your own sugar skull.

For More Sugar Skulls – Check out this website: Celebrate the Day of the Dead.

Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball

Photo by Sam Kaplan

Recipe courtesy Michelle Buffardi for Cooking Channel

 

Yield: 1 Cheeseball

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1-1/2 cups shredding cheddar
• 3 Tbsp. minced onion
• 2 Tbsp. salsa
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. minced jalapeño
• Tortilla chips or crackers
• Bell pepper

 

Directions:

1. With a mixer, blend room-temperature cream cheese with shredded cheddar, minced onion, salsa, ground cumin and minced jalapeno.
2. Scoop onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; chill at least 2 hours.
3. To serve, unwrap, roll in crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips and press a bell pepper stem into the top.

 

Carrot Fingers and Ranch Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Photo by Food Network.com

Ingredients:

• 1 bag peeled baby carrots
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Cream cheese
• Ranch dressing (bottled or see recipe below)

Directions: 

1. Place a bit of cream cheese on the end of a baby carrot and place an almond slice face down on top. The almond should look like a fingernail on the carrot “finger”. Repeat until all carrots are finished.
2. Pour dressing in a bowl and stand a few carrot fingers upright in the bowl. Place the bowl on a platter and lay the remaining carrot fingers around the bowl.

Home in the Finger Lakes Recipe

Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing

Photo by Jennifer Morrisey/Home in the Finger Lakes blog

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.