Spicy Meatballs

720 grams lean ground beef

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup medium salsa

1 slightly beaten egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine meatball ingredients and bake in oven on baking sheet until cooked.

Sauce:

4 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) fruity-type pureed baby food

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine and boil for 5 minutes. Add meatballs to casserole dish and pour sauce over, stirring to coat.

This is a lovely decadent cake that I have made several times. Also one of my favorites! Grand Marnier Chocolate Torte

I've shared this one before here but it's worth posting again, especially this time of year. This is easy, tasty and pretty.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

"Sweetened whipped cream is perfect with this slightly spicy dessert. The topping is made by baking cranberries in a layer over sugar and spices in the bottom of the pan. As the cake bakes, the sugar caramelizes, forming a rich syrup."

8 T. butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 3/4 cups fresh cranberries
1 egg, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 with rack in center (be sure to preheat for at least 20 minutes). Rub bottom and sides of a an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 T. of the butter.

In small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan. Spread cranberries in a single layer on top.

With electric mixer, cream remaining 6 T. butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well combined. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon batter over cranberries in pan and smooth top. Place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until toothpick in center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 20-25 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake several times; invert onto rimmed platter and tap bottom of pan firmly with fingertips. Any topping remaining in the pan can be easily added to the cake.

Marilyn Sue - what is Milnot?

Just adding this since I made these today. An old favorite with various versions out there.

Toffee Bars

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 plain chocolate Hershey bars (or chocolate of choice)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Preheat oven to 325.
Sift together flour and salt. Cream butter with sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour/salt and mix well. Spread on jelly roll pan (about 10 X 15 X 1). Batter will seem skimpy, but will bake up. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place Hershey bars on top. Let sit about 10 minutes or until chocolate melts (Hershey bars will maintain shape and not appear melted when they are). Spread chocolate evenly over bars and sprinkle walnuts over top. Let cool to just room temperature, and cut into bars.

Milnot is a kind of evaporated milk, but the butterfat is replaced by vegetable oil.

Yes, Colleenoz is right. I like Milnot but seldom buy it any more.

Sue

I recently made this for the first time, and it was very, very good. I did add some thawed and patted dry pearl onions to the remaining liquid before adding the thickener for gravy. I used a blade cut chuck roast.

Rootitoot Rare Roast Beef

Rare roast beef in the Instant Pot??? YES! This is not for a pot roast cut like chuck or blade roast. This is for a cut you would ordinarily roast in the oven: top sirloin, sirloin tip, top round or eye of round. You can dry-brine the roast ahead of time if you like: rub the roast with 2 tsp kosher salt

3 - 4 lb beef roast

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp oil

1 1/2 cups beef broth (or part broth, part red wine)

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp herbs of your choice (optional)

1/2 cup water

2 1/2 Tbsp flour

Season the roast generously with salt (unless you have brined it – it has enough salt) and pepper. Hit the Saute button and when the display says Hot, add the oil. Brown the roast on all sides. Brown. Not grey. If you want a nice rich, beefy flavour, brown that meat.

Transfer the roast to a plate. Deglaze the pot: add the broth and/or wine and the Worcestershire and soy sauces to the pot. Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom and into the liquid. Add the garlic and any herbs you like, rosemary, basil, thyme. Put the trivet in and the roast on the trivet.

Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Push the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button and adjust the time using the + and - buttons to get to either 3 or 4 minutes. That's not a typo. THREE of FOUR minutes. Three for rare, four for medium-rare.

When it beeps that it's done, leave it for 50-60 minutes on Keep Warm: 50 for a smaller roast, 60 for a larger one.

Open the pot and check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. 115 for rare, 125 for medium-rare. If it's not quite there, close the pot for another 5 minutes or so.

Transfer the roast to a plate and cover with tin foil. Whisk together the flour and water until completely smooth. Remove the trivet and hit the Saute button. When it's boiling, add about half the flour/water slurry to thicken. If you want it thicker, add a little more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The roast will be perfectly succulent and tender.

WalnutCreek, I am a Rootitooter, too!

tonight I used a package of venison that a friend gave me and made a batch of venison chili, kind of winging it as I went.

As near as I can remember the recipe went like this:

Venison Chili

3/4 lb Venison (diced into 3/8" dice)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 large Jalapenos (diced)

3 small red and/or yellow bell peppers (diced)

1 yellow onion (chopped)

2 small sweet onions (chopped)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 bottle of coffee stout beer

2 Tbsp Cumin

2 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 Tbsp Tomato paste

3 Tbsp Cooking Oil

1 can diced Tomato

1 can petite diced Tomato

1 can Bush's Chili beans (mild)

1 can Black Beans (drained)

3 Tbsp sliced pickled Jalapenos (diced)

After dicing the meat sprinkle it with the salt while you are chopping the rest of the ingredients.

In large pot heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat, add about half the meat, and brown it. Remove it to a large bowl and repeat with the other half of the meat. Deglaze the brown bits with some of the beer.

Add another Tbsp oil, and cook onions and peppers over high heat, stirring frequently until they are translucent, softened and slightly browned. Add the garlic, and cook another minute or so. Then add the dry spices and stir them in well. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the beer and stir it in, until the beer is mostly cooked off.

Return the meat to the pot. Then add the canned tomatoes and the beans and the pickled jalapenos. Heat to low boil and reduce heat and cover pot and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese and snipped green onions.

Edited to add the salt.

Hi, Suzieque. Isn't she fantastic!

I tried this one out for Thanksgiving. It was delicious. Will be serving ham for Christmas and cannot wait to make it again!

Apple and Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole

1 large butternut squash, 4 medium apples thinly sliced, 7 T. salted butter, divided, 3/4 C. Light Brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 C. corn flakes, crushed, 1 C. chopped pecans

1. Cust squash lengthwise in half. Scoop out seeds and place cut-side down on parchment-lined pan. Bake 425 35 -40 min. or till tender when pierced with fork.

2. While squash is baking, melt 2 T. butter in large skillet. Add apples and 1/4 C. brown sugar. Saute' until apples are soft, about 10 - 15 min. Place in bottom of 3 qt. casserole dish.

3. Using large spoon, remove flesh of the squash and place in food processor or blender. Add 1/4 C L.B. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 T. butter (butter will melt from heat of squash). Process till smooth and spread over apples. Casserole can be made up to this point 1 -2 days ahead or 1 - 2 weeks ahead and frozen.

4. Crush corn flakes, add chopped pecans and 1/4 C. L.B. sugar. This can be done 2 days ahead and set aside. When ready to bake, add 3 T. melted butter to corn flake mixture and sprinkle over squash. Bake uncovered 350 for 25 -30 min. or till heated through.

Original recipe says to not peel apples, but I like them peeled. My apples were Granny Smith and very large so I only used three.

A family favorite

AAA...my family loves these green beans also. I did not fix them for Thanksgiving and a grandson wondered where they were so they will be served when he comes for Christmas!