By: Amanda Peña
Welcome to the Spring Semester! Right before the holidays, the MHCR staff shared some recipes we all enjoy amongst ourselves, and we would love to share them with you all. We hope you try them out!
Nick Sherwood:
My first recipe is a family-sized vat of Holiday Punch – meant to be shared with your friends, family, enemies, or other random people who invite themselves to your house over the holidays. (We all know those people!) The recipe below yields 12-16 portions and can be easily modified based on your and your family’s taste (for example, substituting cranberry juice blend with mango juice blend).
Ingredients:
Cranberry 100% juice blend: 64 fluid oz., chilled (Can substitute for other juice blends; however, make sure to look for “100% juice” or “no sugar added”)
Pineapple juice: 32 fluid oz., chilled
Spicy ginger ale: 32 fluid oz., chilled
Orange: One whole
Lemon: One whole
Lime: One whole
Cranberries, Raspberries, or Blackberries: To taste, frozen.
Star Anise, Cinnamon Sticks, or Cloves: To taste.
Rosemary sprigs: To taste.
Rocks: To taste.
OPTIONAL Spiced rum, bourbon, or prosecco: To taste, chilled.
Directions:
Slice orange, lemon, and lime into wheels and add set aside.
Mix cranberry and pineapple juice in a serving bowl or container.
Add citrus wheels, herbs, and frozen berries. Stir gently.
Right before serving, add ginger ale (for best carbonation).
To serve: Ladle mixture into highball, collins, or double rocks glasses (depending on serving size).
OPTIONAL: Add spiced rum or bourbon (2 fluid oz.) or prosecco, based on individual guests’ taste.
Add rocks and stir gently.
Garnish with leftover citrus wheels and rosemary sprig.
Enjoy!
My second recipe is designed for the morning after your libacious holiday celebration – when your body requires cleansing and rejuvenation: the tried-and-true Green Smoothie.
Ingredients:
Oat milk: 1 cup, chilled.
Orange juice: .5 cup, chilled.
Water: .5 cup.
Vanilla or fruit flavored protein powder: 1 large scoop.
Greens and reds superfood or probiotic mix: 1 small scoop.
Morning wellness shot: 1 small scoop.
Celery: 2 stalks.
Power greens, spinach, and/or kale: 2 handfuls (or to taste).
Chia seeds: 1 tablespoon (or to taste).
Flax mill: 1 tablespoon (or to taste).
Mint leaves: To taste.
Ice: To taste.
Directions:
Add ingredients to blender.
Blend until fully liquified (adding water or ice to achieve desired consistency).
To serve: Pour into large cup (or mason jar). Enjoy!
Hannah Adamson:
My recipe is a family favorite dessert and would be a great addition to a holiday dessert platter or, as I like to eat it, with hot tea on a cold day. Coming from Australia, this fudge-cake is nicknamed "hedgehog" for its dark color and lighter biscuit spots. Simple to make and way to easy to eat, I hope you like it!
Hedgehog (Fudge Cake)
Ingredients:
1 8oz packet Marie biscuits (like rich tea biscuits), coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
4oz butter, chopped
½ small cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup sultanas (or could use dried cranberries, or even try adding coconut)
Directions:
Grease a 8x8in or 9x9in pan.
Combine biscuits, sultanas, and nuts (if using) in large bowl
Place butter, sugar and sifted cocoa in a medium pan; stir over heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool just slightly; whisk in egg being sure not to curdle.
Mix chocolate mixture with biscuit mixture; mix well (can add a little milk if you think it’s too dry).
Press into prepared pan. You can add melted chocolate over top of slice (not needed though).
Cover; refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until chocolate is set. (It's best to refrigerate overnight!)
Slice into small squares and enjoy!
Store in the fridge.
Oakley Hill:
Fresh Salsa
Ingredients:
5 tomatoes (preferably Kumatos or Roma)
½ onion
1 bundle of cilantro (yes, the whole bundle)
½ lemon (lime is also good)
1 jalapeño1 (gutted)
2 serrano peppers (gutted)
¾ tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp cumin
Directions:
Chop tomatoes into fourths
Dice onions
Gut peppers (i.e., cut them in half and remove the white innards and seeds; or keep if you prefer it extra spicy) and dice.
Place the bundle of cilantro into the food processor first, followed by the onions, peppers, and spices. Put the tomatoes in last.
Squeeze lemon juice into the food processor with a strainer
Blend on the "pulse" setting to your liking (I prefer it a bit more on the liquidier side, but not too much). Also, if you do not have a food processor, I'm sure you could find a way to do this with a blender.
Bonus:
If you like sweet salsa, cut the garlic to ½ teaspoon and add mango to taste (I usually do ½ mango). You also might want to cut the ground pepper back, but I'm weird, so I keep it in.
Amanda Peña:
Coquito:
My family makes this every year. This is typically made for the holidays and is a perfect way to end your night, in my opinion.
Ingredients:
1 12 fl oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 13 fl oz can of evaporated milk
1 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk
1 15oz can of cream of coconut
Cinnamon to taste (powdered or sticks)
Pure Vanilla Extract to taste
Don Q Rum (whichever brand works, Don Q is typical Puerto Rican rum)
**to make more, just increase the number of cans used (1:1 ratio)
Directions:
Pour the cans of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, and cream of coconut into the blender.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract to your liking.
Blend until combined.
Add the rum to your liking. There are no rules here.
OPTIONAL: To make it a mocktail, omit the rum. The drink will be very sweet.
Using a funnel, pour the coquito into a glass bottle(s) like pictured.
To serve:
Pour drink into a glass.
OPTIONAL: To garnish, you may use powered cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.
Merisa Mattix:
Green Chili Bread Bowl Dip:
Ingredients:
8 oz sour cream
8oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheese (colby, monterey, cheddar)
8 oz green chilies (chopped)
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
1 loaf French bread
2 bags Fritos scoops (or choice of crackers/chips)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and green chilies.
Hollow out French bread loaf
Fill loaf with the mixture and replace the top
Cover loaf in tin foil
Bake 1.5 hrs in a 350-degree oven
Serve when cheese inside is melted through
Remove top and cut into dipping pieces
Serve with Fritos or a choice of another chip or crackers
Antti Pentikainen:
Roe Bread (12 servings):
Ingredients:
6 slices rye casserole bread (or similar)
1/2 Red onion
1 package(120 g) Sour cream or smetana
approx. 100 g roe of rainbow trout, whitefish or vendace
Black pepper
Dill
Directions:
Spread the sour cream or smetana on the rye casserole bread
Place the roe of rainbow trout, whitefish, or vendace on top of the spread
Add red onion, dill, and black pepper to your liking