Yule Recipes

Bourbon-Rosemary Almonds – 3 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole almonds
• ⅓ cup minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tsps ground cumin
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup burbon
• 2 tbsps water

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, about 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, cumin, salt, and ground cayenne pepper. In a saucepan, bring the brown sugar, bourbon, and water to a boil over medium heat. Continue boiling for 10 minutes. Add the almonds and stir to coat them completely. Stir in the seasonings and mix well. Transfer the nuts to a buttered baking sheet and separate with a fork while they’re still warm.
4. Cool before serving. Store in a container with a tight lid.

Latkes – Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes
• 1 apple, any variety
• 1 tbsp grated onion
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• Sour cream OR applesauce OR cream cheese OR fruit preserve for garnish

1. Peel the potatoes and grate them very finely, which should leave about 3 cups. Squeeze some of the moisture out of the grated potatoes. Peel, core, and finely grate the apple and add it to the potatoes. Add the onion, egg, flour. And salt. Beat until mixture is well blended.
2. Pour ½ inch of oil into skillet. When the oil is heated, drop in the batter by heaping tablespoonful. Fry until crisp and golden brown on both sides. For crispiest cakes, fry in very hot oil, turning only once. Using moderately warm oil and turning them often leaves the latkes soggy. Remove them and drain them on paper towels. Serve immediately with garnish of choice.
3. If you choose to freeze some for later, fry the latkes on each side until they are only slightly golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel. Place the latkes flat in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. To serve, bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes until crisp.

Chakra Cranberry Sauce – serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
• 1 orange, peeled and pureed 
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced (any variety)
• 1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced (any variety)
• 1 cup dried mixed fruit, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

1. In a saucepan, boil the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to simmer and stir in the cranberries, orange, apple, pear, dried fruit, pecans, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Wheel of the Year Soba and Tofu – Serves 4

Ingredients 

• 2 qts water
• 6 green onions, white and greens separated, greens cut into 2 in. lengths and sliced lengthwise
• 1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 (14 oz) package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 6 oz soba noodles
• 1 head bok choy, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 oz snow peas, trimmed and halved
• 1 red serr chile pepper
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

1. In a put with the 2 qts water, add the onion whites, ginger and garlic and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to simmer, about 25 minutes.
2. In a separate saute pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Slice the tofu in half and season it with salt and pepper. Saute the tofu on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside to cool; when it’s cool enough to handle, slice the tofu into small cubes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion, ginger, and garlic from the pot; compost the solids. Bring the broth to a boil; add the soy sauce and soba. 
4. Cook the soba for 1 minute or until al dente. Add the bok choy, snow peas, and the chile pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
5. To serve, place the noodles in a bowl with the broth; top with tofu, onion greens, and sesame seeds.

Note: Store black sesame seeds in the refrigerator to avoid spoiling.

Caraway Breadsticks – 3 dozen breadsticks

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 tsps caraway seeds
• 1 ½ tsps salt
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1. Blend the yeast and ¼ cup warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until foaming. Mix in the remaining water, sugar, nutmeg, sage, caraway seeds, and salt. Add the egg and the shortening, beating vigorously with a spoon. Sift in the flour, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Divide the chilled dough into 3 dozen small pieces. Roll eight 1 inch pencil-like strips and place then 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 1 ½ – 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the breadsticks for 12-15 minutes.

Lambs Wool Apples – serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ¼ tsp mace
• 3 whole allspice berries
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 6 cups beer or ale
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 cup cream sherry
• 6 baked apples

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. 
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until slightly thickened and paler yellow. Fold the egg whites and yolks together. Using a very large pot, gradually fold the spice mixture into the egg mixture.
3. In another saucepan, heat the beer, brandy, and sherry. Slowly add the alcohol to the egg and spice mixture. The result should be light and foamy, giving it the name of Lambs Wool Apples. Halve the baked apples and float them on top. Serve warm.

Yule Turkey – serves 15-20

Ingredients

• 1 turkey, 18-22 lbs
• 2 large oranges, cut in half
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3-4 tsps crushed garlic, or to taste
• Paprika
• 4 tbsps vegetable oil

Stuffing

• 2 loaves presliced white bread
• 2 tbsps butter, softened
• Turkey giblets and neck
• 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 (4oz) can black olives, chopped
• 1 ½ cups raisins
• ¼ cup chopped green onions, all parts

1. Remove giblets and neck for stuffing
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Wash the turkey well, inside and out. Dry the turkey, inside and out, with paper towels. Squeeze the oranges over the turkey and rub some of the juice on the inside of the turney cavity. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with stuffing. Close the turkey either by sewing it or using trussing skewers. Rub the outside of the turkey with ¾ cup of the butter and smear the crushed garlic all over it as well. The butter acts as a basting juice during the first half of the cooking time. Season the turkey with salt and pepper then sprinkle paprika all over it. Drape the turkey with cheesecloth. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Place the turkey in the oven (see note).
3. Melt the remaining butter and the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Lift the cheesecloth every 30 minutes to baste the turkey with the butter mixture. Basting is most important, so do not neglect it! After a while, you can baste with the turkey’s own juices. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. A turkey is done when the thigh juices run clear yellow when pricked, there are no traces of pinkness, and the drumstick moves easily in it’s socket. Allow the turkey to stand for 30 minutes. Transfer the stuffing to a bowl and keep warm. Carve the turkey and serve.

Note: Turkey roasts for about 20-30 minutes per pound, so you’ll need to cook this one for 9-11 hours. Use a meat thermometer and cook it until the thermometer registers the proper temperature for poultry (180F). Remember to allow plenty of cooking time before you plan to serve the turkey.

Stuffing

1. The night before roasting the turkey, toast and lightly butter all of the bread. After you’ve toasted it, tear off small bite-sized pieces and toss them into a very large skillet. Cook on medium heat and lightly brown the bread pieces until crunchy. Let sit overnight, uncovered.
2. The next morning, remove the giblets and neck and wash them. Boil them in 3 cups of water for 1-2 hours in a large saucepan. Add the bouillon. After boiling, save the broth. Remove the giblets and neck and chop them into small pieces (You may only want to use ½ of the cut meat).
3. Heat the bread crumbs you prepared the night before. Slowly pour about ⅓ – ¼ of the broth over the bread, and start to mash the bread mixture with the back of a large spoon. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar, Continue adding broth in small increments, but do not add too much water or it will be soggy; not enough and you can’t mash it. As you blend in the water, add the celery, olives, raisins, giblets, turkey neck, and green onions. Mix it all together and set aside for 10 minutes before you stuff the turkey.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers – 4 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• ½ cup chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tbsps bread crumbs
• Dash of salt
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ½ tsp lemon zest

1. In a large bowl, mix the turkey, thyme, bread crumbs, salt, and lemon juice. Separate the turkey mixture into 4 parts. Then, form each part into 2 balls. Flatten each ball into a patty. On top of the 4 patties, place 2 tbsps of the blue cheese and a pinch of the lemon zest. Cover with the remaining 4 patties and seal the edges by pressing the layers together. This creates four large stuffed burgers. Refrigerate for 1 ½ hours. Grill to desired doneness. 

Yuletide Treats– About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients 

• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsps butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsps pumpkin or apple spice
• Red and green icing or sprinkles, for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter until well blended. Beat the egg separately. Add the egg, beating until well blended. Lightly ladle flour into a measuring cup; level off.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mix, mixing well.
3. Divide the dough in half. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, elongate the dough into a log no more than 1 inch wide. FLatten slightly to 1 ¼ inches in diameter.
4. With a spatula, place the logs 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Dip a nonserrated knife in water. Make ¼ inch diagonal slashes at ¾ inch intervals. Either decorate with sprinkles now or with icing later. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until set and no longer moist. Cool for 1 minute.
5. Remove the logs from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes.
6. Slice the logs at the scored lines with a serrated knife. Cool completely. Decorate each cookie with decorator icing to resemble a holly leaf and berries.

Hot Ginger Tea – serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 stick cinnamon
• Several lemon slices
• Several whole cloves
• 4 cups water
• ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar or honey

1. Press the cloves into the lemon slices. In a saucepan, combine the ginger, cinnamon, lemon slices, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Sweeten with brown sugar or honey, to taste. Strain and serve hot.

Glüwein – serves 12-14 

Ingredients

• 8 cups cabernet, sauvignon or other hearty red wine
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 8 sticks cinnamon
• 4 slices oranges or lemon peel
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice
• 12 whole cloves

1. Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer for at least an hour.

Note: For children and a more diluted alcoholic version, simmer for 30 minutes, covered, then boil, uncovered for 10 minutes. Some of the alcohol will remain, but much will evaporate using this method.