Southwest Brunch for the Holidays

Happy Holidays from Kokopelli's Kitchen! For those of you that would like to serve a special brunch for the holidays, you're in luck! We've reprinted some special recipes from "Christmas in New Mexico" by Lynn Nusom. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers here in Phoenix, Arizona.

CANYON ROAD EGGS BENEDICT

• 4 ENGLISH MUFFINS
  
• 8 slices CANADIAN BACON
  
• 8 EGGS
  
• GUACAMOLE HOLLANDAISE (recipe below)
  
• BLACK OLIVE SLICES
  
• chopped PIMENTO

Toast the English muffins and place the two halves on each plate. Lightly sauté Canadian bacon and top each muffin half with a slice. Poach eggs and top each slice of bacon with one egg. Pour guacamole Hollandaise sauce over them. Garnish with black olive slice and pimento and serve.GUACAMOLE HOLLANDAISE

• 2 ripe AVOCADOS
  
• 1 cup MAYONNAISE
  
• 2 Tbsp. LIME JUICE
  
• TABASCO® to taste

Mash avocados; whip in mayonnaise, lime juice and Tabasco with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over Eggs Benedict.
Serves 4.

RED CHILE POTATOES

• 2 Tbsp. BUTTER
  
• 2 Tbsp. OLIVE OIL
  
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
  
• 1 large ONION, finely chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp. PARSLEY, chopped
  
• 6 POTATOES, peeled & diced
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1 tsp. ground BLACK PEPPER
  
• 1 tsp. RED CHILE POWDER
  

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add olive oil and sauté garlic, onion and parsley for 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and chile powder. Saute; cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Serves 4 – 6.

BLUE CORNMEAL PANCAKES

• 1 cup BLUE CORNMEAL
  
• 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  
• 2 tsp. BAKING POWDER
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1½ cups MILK
  
• 2 EGGS, well beaten
  
• ½ cup VEGETABLE OIL
  

Mix together blue cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in milk, then the eggs and beat. Slowly beat in the oil. Drop by tablespoon onto a hot griddle.

SERVE WITH:
• ½ cup SOUR CREAM
  
• ¼ cup GREEN CHILE, chopped
  Mix sour cream and green chile together. Using a small ice cream scoop, put a scoopful on top of each stack of pancakes. Yield: approx. 12 pancakes.

Thanksgiving Day Desserts

Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching! The traditional Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin pie. There are other desserts that are traditionally served, but these often vary from family to family as well as by region of the country. For those of you looking to spice up your dessert table this year, check out these contest winning recipes we found in FROM THE QUEEN'S COOKBOOK. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, Colorado.

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE (Blue Ribbon 1984 by Bev Young)
Filling:

• 1 EGG
  
• ½ cup SUGAR
  
• 2 Tbsp. FLOUR
  
• ¼ tsp. SALT
  
• 2 Tbsp. LEMON JUICE
  
• 1 cup thick SOUR CREAM
  
• 4 cups peeled, sliced APPLES
  

Topping:

• ¼ cup FLOUR
  
• 1 tsp. GROUND CINNAMON
  
• ¼ cup BUTTER
  
• ½ cup BROWN SUGAR
  

Filling: Beat together egg, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice, then beat in sour cream. Place apples in shell. Pour sour cream mixture over apples and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes. Topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Reduce oven to 350° and bake about 35 more minutes or until apples are tender.

CHEESE CRUST THREE FRUIT PIE (White Ribbon 1989 by Beverly Young)

• 3 tsp. SHARP CHEESE
  
• 4 cups thinly sliced APPLES
  
• 1/3 cup CRANBERRY SAUCE
  
• 2 Tbsp. grated ORANGE PEEL
  
• 1 Tbsp. CORNSTARCH
  

In your favorite pie crust, add cheese and fill with all other ingredients. Dot with butter; cover. Dot top crust with butter. Dust with sugar and bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until brown.

PUMPKIN CHEESY BARS (Blue Ribbon 1990 by Genevieve Wells)

• 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  
• 1/3 cup packed BROWN SUGAR
  
• 5 Tbsp. soft BUTTER
  
• ½ cup finely chopped PECANS
  
• 8 oz. CREAM CHEESE
  
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
  
• ¾ cup SUGAR
  
• ½ cup PUMPKIN
  
• 2 beaten EGGS
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1½ tsp. CINNAMON
  
• 1 tsp. ground ALLSPICE
  

Combine flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter to make a crumb mixture for topping. Stir in nuts. Set aside ¾ cup for top. Press remaining mixture into bottom of an 8 x 8½ inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine cream cheese, sugar, spices, pumpkin and vanilla in a large bowl. Blend until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. Make bars 1 x 2 inches.

Happy Thanksgiving to You & Yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the fall of 1621, the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. It eventually became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday. (US Census Bureau)

271 million - The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2008. That’s not statistically significantly different from the number raised during 2007. The turkeys produced in 2007 together weighed 7.9 billion pounds and were valued at $3.7 billion. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

13.8 pounds - The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2007, with a hearty helping devoured at Thanksgiving time. Per capita sweet potato consumption was 5.2 pounds. Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Tables 212-213

3 - Number of places in the United States named after the holiday's traditional main course. Turkey, Texas was the most populous in 2008, with 456 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. (361) and Turkey, N.C. (272). There are also nine townships around the country named Turkey, three in Kansas. Source: Population estimates

117 million - Number of households across the nation -- all potential gathering places for people to celebrate the holiday. Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

The Pumpkin Pie recipes that we've elected to share this month are from "The Pumpkin Lovers Cookbook" by Betty B. Gabbert. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ 85014.

DELICIOUS PUMPKIN PIE

• 4 lbs. FRESH PUMPKIN (3¾ cup)
  
• 1 (14oz) can SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
  
• 2 EGGS
  
• 1 tsp. CINNAMON
  
• ½ tsp. NUTMEG
  
• ½ tsp. GINGER
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• PASTRY for 9 inch pie (see recipe below)
  
• ½ cup PECAN HALVES
  
• 3 Tbsp. DARK BROWN SUGAR
  
• 3 Tbsp. WHIPPING CREAM
  

Combine 3¾ cup pumpkin, milk, eggs & seasonings in processor bowl. Pulse just until blended. Fit pastry into pie plate, pour pumpkin mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 50-to-55 minutes or till knife inserted halfway between center and edge of pie comes out clean. Cool slightly. Sprinkle chopped pecans around outer edge of pie. Combine sugar and whipping cream in small pan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes; let cool 5 minutes. Spoon over pecans. NOTE: 2 cans pumpkin may be substituted for 3¾ cup fresh pumpkin.

FOOLPROOF PIE CRUST

• 2 cups UNBLEACHED FLOUR
  
• 1 tsp. SALT
  
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. melted MARGARINE
  
• 1 Tbsp. CIDER VINEGAR
  
• 1/3 cup cold WATER
  

Mix dry ingredients, cut in melted margarine. Mix vinegar and cold water, add to flour mixture tossing and stirring as you add. Stir vigorously with fork until mixture holds together well, then form into ball. Roll out between wax paper sheets, as needed.

Happy Thanksgiving to You & Yours!

Vegetarian Bean & Pumpkin Chili

The recipe that we've selected is from Tasty Eats at Home, a food blog created by Alta Mantsch. Permission to publish the recipe has been granted by Alta.

For the chili:

• 1 1/2 lbs mixed variety of DRIED BEANS (I used yellow eye, African red beans, and flageolet – but I would think a mix of black, kidney, and pinto beans would work well)
• 28 oz can CRUSHED TOMATOES
• 1 15 oz can PUMPKIN PUREE
• 2 SERRANO CHILES, minced
• 3 CHIPOTLE CHILES in adobo, minced
• 4 cups VEGETABLE STOCK
• 1-2 cup WATER
• 1 ONION, chopped
• 3 cloves GARLIC, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. CUMIN
• 1/2 CINNAMON STICK
• 2 tsp. ground CORIANDER
• 2-3 tsp. SALT (taste)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. CHILI POWDER
• Several dashes of TABASCO

Garnishes:

• SHREDDED CHEESE
• CILANTRO
• SOUR CREAM
  

Rinse the beans, and soak overnight. Rinse again and place beans in slow cooker. Add rest of ingredients and stir well. Cook on low for 8 hours or until beans are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve topped with desired garnishes. Serves 8.