Cookin' with Carol recipes on NBC5 - December 2005

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Serves 4

A delicious way to warm away the cooler weather chills! This is also a nice hot beverage for your holiday entertaining.

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, light brown sugar, and cinnamon. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until warmed through (do not boil). Add vanilla and almond extract and whisk the hot chocolate vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds, or until frothy. Ladle mixture into mugs and serve.

(Air Date: December 3, 2005)

Zesty Chili

Serves 8

Warm up with a steaming bowl of this full-flavored chili!

2 pounds ground sirloin

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

In a large, deep pot, or Dutch oven, cook ground sirloin, onion, and garlic on medium-high heat until meat is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess drippings. Add to the pot, diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender and flavors have blended. Add jalapeño peppers during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve hot. [At this point, you don't have any other choice!] Garnish soup with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped red onions or sliced green onions, and/or crushed tortilla chips or corn chips, if desired.

Notes:

To make a chili pie, put corn chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle chili on top, and top with sour cream, shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, and yes, more jalapeños!

(Air Date: December 10, 2005)

Baked Ham with Ginger Glaze

Serves 16

Here’s a delicious main dish idea for your holiday entertaining.

8 pounds smoked ham

2 tablespoons whole cloves

1 cup ginger ale

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger)

2 teaspoons pink peppercorns, crushed

Place ham in a shallow roasting pan. Score ham in a cross-hatch pattern using a sharp knife. Insert cloves in a decorative pattern over surface of ham. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over ham. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 325°F oven for 1 1/2 hours, basting ham with pan juices every 30 minutes. Ham is done when internal temperature reads 160°F. Place ham on a decorative platter, spoon some of the basting juices on top, and garnish with steamed asparagus, if desired.

Notes:

For this recipe, I use a bone-in rump (butt) ham half. Pink peppercorns are small and round like regular peppercorns, but they come from a different plant family---a rose plant to be exact---not a peppercorn at all! These dried berries have a pungent peppery flavor and a brilliant red color---great for a show-stopping dish! Find these in some grocery spice sections and most gourmet shops. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, if necessary.

(Air Date: December 17, 2005)

Baked French Toast with Peaches

Serves 4

Treat your family to a scrumptious breakfast treat this holiday season. It can be assembled the night before to make life easy for the cook!

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

6 slices bread

1 1/2 cups milk

4 eggs

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Maple syrup for topping

Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Arrange peaches in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar and lemon zest over peaches, stirring to combine. Cut each slice of bread diagonally and layer the bread slices, nearly standing on end (cut-side-down) and slightly overlapping, in the prepared pan over the peaches. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, 1/3 cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, until mixture is blended. Pour milk mixture over bread slices. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours prior to baking. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until center is set. Cool slightly before serving. Serve with maple syrup on the side, if desired.

(Air Date: December 24, 2005)

Black-Eyed Pea and Ham Salad

Serves 4

Serve up a little good luck on New Year’s Day with this colorful black-eyed pea salad!

1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 cup diced ham

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (from jar)

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

For salad, stir together black-eyed peas, ham, red onion, roasted red peppers, and celery in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over black-eyed pea mixture and toss gently to combine. Spoon salad into Bibb lettuce leaves for presentation, if desired.

(Air Date: December 31, 2005)