Happy Holiday Eating!

With the Holidays it comes time to entertain guests and feed hungry families, without breaking the bank or your waistband! We’ve collected some fun and delicious recipes for the holiday season, including a warm and sweet appetizer with a locally grown vegetable, a hearty and healthy stew, and adorable holiday cookies that your guests will love! Enjoy our recipes and have a Happy Holiday!

Appetizer

Mini-Sweet Potato Pies

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 24

Ingredients

3/4 pound sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crust

3/4 cup evaporated skim milk

2 egg whites

1/4 cup white sugar2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup halved cranberries (optional)

Directions

1. Place the sweet potato in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and mash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Divide the pie crust into 24 small balls. Press them into the cups of two 12 cup mini muffin pans to make tartlet shells. Set aside.
3. Spoon the sweet potato into a blender or food processor, and add the evaporated milk, egg whites, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Puree until smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of this mixture into each tart shell.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into one of the tarts comes out clean. Cool in the pans over a wire rack. Garnish each tart with a cranberry half before serving.

Calories per serving: 69

Comments: Sweet potato is a great local vegetable and delicious too! These mini pies are easy to make and a perfect appetizer for a holiday gathering or even just dinner with the family. Easy to make and an absolutely delicious holiday treat!

Main Dish

Slow-cooked Beef Stew

Time: Allow at least 3 hours to prepare and to stew/cook.

Ingredients

Bouquet Garni

2 large green leek leaves, (about 6 inches long)

1 bay leaf

1 stalk celery

2 sprigs fresh parsley, with stems

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 2-inch-long strip tangerine or orange peel

Stew

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 ounces pancetta, or bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 pounds beef stew meat, such as chuck, trimmed and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

2 medium yellow or red onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 pounds carrots, sliced into 1-inch rounds

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound button mushrooms, halved if small, quartered if large

1 bottle (750 ml) full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Freshly grated zest of 1 tangerine, or orange

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. To assemble bouquet garni: Place one leek leaf on the counter. Top with bay leaf, celery stalk, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and tangerine (or orange) peel. Place the second leek leaf on top and tie the bundle together in four spots with kitchen string. Set aside.
3. To prepare stew: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta (or bacon) and cook until barely brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving any drippings in the pot.
4. Add beef in batches (do not crowd the pot) and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the beef.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
7. Pour wine into the pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return the browned beef, the carrot mixture and the reserved pancetta (or bacon) to the pot along with the bouquet garni. Press down on the beef and vegetables, making sure to submerge them completely in the wine; if necessary, add just enough hot water to make sure they are covered. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pot and press it directly on top of the stew, covering it completely.
8. Transfer the stew to the oven and cook, with the lid off, until the beef is tender enough to cut with a fork, about 3 hours. Check every hour to be sure the ingredients stay submerged in liquid during the entire cooking time. If too much wine evaporates, add a little hot water to make up for the loss. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the reserved mushrooms.
9. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Combine chopped parsley and tangerine (or orange) zest in a small bowl and scatter on top of the stew just before serving.

Serving size: 1 and 1/3 cup

Calories per Serving: 351 calories

Comments: This is a hearty and healthy soup that is perfect for fending off the winter chill. Also reheating this stew makes for great left-overs for lunch through the week. The recipe includes leeks, bay leaves, parsley, tomatoes, celery, thyme, onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms all grown in our local region.

~Bailey

Dessert

Boot Tracks

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Yields 3 dozen cookies (36)

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, (optional)

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat a nonstick (not Belgian) waffle iron.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, oil and espresso powder (if using). Beat until thoroughly combined.
3. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the preheated ungreased waffle iron. (To avoid burnt fingers, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape dough onto the waffle iron.) Close and cook until the cookies are puffed and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Waffle irons vary, so watch closely and don’t let the cookies get too dark. Transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while still slightly warm.

 Per cookie: 63 calories

Comments: These are delicious and healthy holiday cookies, guaranteed to put a smile on your company or familys’ faces and to make Santa “Ho, Ho, Ho” through the night!

~Caroline