New Year's Sausage

2 lb Pork sausage; (bulk roll)
1 Chopped bell pepper
1 Chopped medium onion
1 1/2 c Diced celery
1 c Raw rice
1 pk Dry chicken noodle soup mix
1 cn (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup
3 1/2 c Boiling water
1/2 c Chopped almods

Brown sausage. Drain sausage. Add bell pepper, onion and celery. Saute until chopped vegetables wilt. Add rice. Stir. Add dry soup mix and canned soup. Stir in boiling water. Combine all ingredients, except almonds in 2 quart casserole. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, mix lightly with fork, sprinkle with almonds.

Greek New Year Sweet Bread -- Vassilopita Recipe

2 packages, dry yeast
3/4 C. warmed milk
5 C. flour
4 eggs
1 t. salt
3/4 C. sugar
grated Lemon rind
1/2 C. melted butter
1 eggs
sesame seeds

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add 2 cups of the flour, and beat batter until smooth. Cover and set in a warm place for about an hour.

Beat eggs, salt, sugar and lemon rind over hot water. Stir mixture into batter; add remaining flour and knead, adding gradually the melted butter, until smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled its size - about 2 hours. Knead dough and put in a buttered deep round baking dish, about 12 inches in diameter. Cover and leave in a warm place until almost doubled. Brush with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, or garnish with blanched halved almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. When cold, make a small cut underneath with a knife and insert the gold or silver coin.

New Year's Bread (Vassilopitta) is prepared for New Year's Eve. It is served at midnight and the person who finds the coin will have luck throughout the year.

For New Years we have Hungarian cabbage rolls, blackeyed peas, collard greens, corn bread, and cole slaw.

Recipe for Hungarian cabbage rolls:

• Put one large head cabbage in large pot of salted boiling water.
  Boil on medium for 20 minutes or till tender. Leave it on the stove and with a knife and fork, cut off one leaf at a time and follow the following directions:

  Work together with hands

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 lb. sausage
• 1/2 small box instant brown rice
• 2 large diced onions
• 1/2 pod diced green pepper
• 1 T. parsley
• 4 T. kraut
• 4 T. canned tomatoes, diced
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper.
• Grease bottom of large pot.
• place about 1/2 cup mixture on cabbage roll and roll up like an egg roll, tucking ends and trimming hard core top.
• Line pot with cabbage rolls.
• Sprinkle about 1 cup kraut and 1 cup tomatoes over rolls.
• Repeat to make 2 to 4 layers.
• Cook on medium heat for about 2 hours.

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Pot Roast
Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives pack lots of flavor into this Mediterranean dish for New Years,.

1 beef boneless chuck roast, 3 pounds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 cup sliced pitted Kalamata or ripe olives
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, (from 1-pound bag)

1.
Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook
beef in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Sprinkle with
salt,
Italian seasoning and garlic; remove from skillet.
2.
Place beef, seasoned side up, in 4-to 5-quart slow cooker. Spread tomatoes
and olives over roast. Add broth and onions.
3.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until beef is tender.
4.
Remove beef from slow cooker; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Slice beef;
serve with beef juice and onions from slow cooker.

Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the
side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated
base.
For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer's
directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

Tips from the Kitchen

Did You Know...
Kalamata olives have a dark purple color and a rich and fruity flavor. They
are generally packed in olive oil or vinegar and are sold whole or pitted.

Fried Oysters

• 1 can Lg. oysters
• 2 cups fine cracker crumbs ( I crumble my crackers and put them into a gallon size zip lock baggie and roll them with my rolling pin)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• dash of salt

1. Mix eggs and milk and set aside.
2. Blot oysters and then roll them in the flour.
3. Dip oysters into the milk mixture
4. Roll oysters in the fine cracker crumbs.
5. Deep Fry in Fry Daddy till golden brown.

  Fish Fillets

• 2 cups fine saltine cracker crumbs ( I crumble my crackers and put them into a gallon size zip lock baggie and roll them with my rolling pin)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• dash of salt

1. Mix eggs and milk and set aside.
2. Blot fish fillets and then roll them in the flour.
3. Dip fish fillets into the milk mixture
4. Roll fish fillets in the fine cracker crumbs.
5. Deep Fry in Fry Daddy till golden brown.

Shrimp Pizza Wedges For your New Years Eve Party

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound unpeeled medium fresh shrimp
2 teaspoons lemon juice
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
4 chopped green onions
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
9 whole wheat tortillas (6" each)

Bring water to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain well; rinse with cold water. Chill. Peel and devein shrimp.

Combine shrimp and lemon juice; cover and chill 30 minutes. Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add chilled shrimp mixture, cream cheese, and next 7 ingredients. Process 1 minute or until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally.

Place tortillas on baking sheets; spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture on each tortilla.

Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Cut each into 8 wedges. Garnish with whole shrimp, or fresh cilantro sprigs, if desired.