Community Kitchen

My sister, Pat sent me this recipe from her friend Naomi Krasovitch in Winnipeg and it will be a wonderful snack food for your Christmas entertaining. It is so addictive! Where she gets the Mochi in the heading I don’t know but it’s really good!

TOSTITOS KAKI MOCHI

1 pkg. bite size Tostitos 570 gm or 2 pkg. 350 gm.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lite corn syrup, regular or white
2 Tbsp. shoyu
2 Tbsp. black or white sesame seeds.
Method: Melt butter in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and mix until sugar is dissolved.
Place 1/2 pkg. of Tostitos in large bowl and pour half of the syrup in and mix well.
Place in greased aluminum foil pan.
Repeat with the other half of the syrup on Tostitos and mix well.
Bake in 250 degree oven for 1 hour mixing thoroughly every 15 minutes
To dry – Use parchment paper and spread mix, ensuring bites are not stuck together-use gloves as mixture is hot.
Let cool for 1-2 hours.
Once cool, store in airtight container or bags.

The following make-ahead potato casseroles recipes were sent in by Alice Bradley. Anything you can make ahead will sure help on the 25th!

MAKE AHEAD POTATO CASSEROLE

8 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered and boiled or steamed until done, drain
8 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoon butter or margarine
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon white pepper or to taste
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained well
1 egg
3 tablespoon chopped green onion.
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Mash the potatoes, add the butter or margarine, milk, salt and pepper, then add the sour cream.
Spread half in a large casserole dish like a 13 inch by 9 inch casserole
Mix together the spinach, egg and onion.
Spread this evenly on top of the potato
Spread the remaining potatoes on top, smooth the top.
Cover and cool, then refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, remove casserole from fridge, cover with foil wrap and heat in the oven for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle the top with the grated cheese and broil until melted and starting to brown.

SWEET POTATO AND ORANGE CASSEROLE

About 2.5-3 pounds sweet potato or yams, steamed until soft, cooled, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 large oranges
6 ounces orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Halve the oranges, remove white pith in centre, slice into this half rounds.
Remove any seeds.
Arrange the potato slices in a 13 inch by 9 inch casserole.
Place the orange slice between the potato slices.
Mix together the juice concentrate, grated rind, brown sugar, butter and pepper and warm just until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour over the potatoes.
Cover with foil and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F .
Heat the potatoes for about 45 minutes or until heated and some of the sauce has been absorbed.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Crust:
1 + 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped nuts, either walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
Combine these ingredients, reserve 1/3 cup for topping later
Press the remaining mix into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:
2×8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
Beat the cream cheese until smooth, add the remaining ingredients, beat until combined and smooth.
Pour onto the cooled crust.
Sprinkle with the remaining crumbs.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Cool.
Cut into small squares, dust with icing sugar just before serving or leave plain.
Store in the fridge.