Happy New Year 2009

A new year means new commitments to family , self, friends and employers. This year may be a hard one for many due to present economic times, it becomes more important to keep everyone close at hand.

For today feed all those friends a family well and enjoy a great day and year with them.

Beef with Tomato and Red Wine Sauce

6 pounds sirloin tip or steamship round roast
3 cups dry red wine
1 cup water
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup plain tomato sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Put the roast in a large bowl. Combine the next 10 ingredients and
pour over the meat. Cover tightly, refrigerate, and let marinate
overnight or up to 2 days, turning several times.

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove meat from the marinade and wipe with
paper towels, reserving marinade. Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof
pot or Dutch oven and brown the meat on all sides.

Discard any excess fat from pan. Pour the reserved marinade, beef
broth and tomato sauce over the meat. Cover and braise at 325F for
2-3 hours or until meat is tender or desired doneness. Remove meat
from pan to platter or cutting board and keep warm. Strain juices,
reserving the carrots and onions. Mash the soft vegetables and return
to pan.

Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir into juices and mashed
vegetables over medium heat until thickened. Taste and correct
seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. To serve, slice the meat
and pour sauce over it. Pass extra sauce separately at the table.

San Remo Seafood Dip

1 (6 oz.) can tiny shrimp (drain, reserve liquid)
1 (6 oz.) can crab meat (drain, reserve liquid)
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/3 cup asiago cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups Barilla marinara sauce (remove excess liquid)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (for topping)
Breadsticks bought at the store

On medium-low, heat olive oil and flour in 2 quart saucepan. Add
liquids from canned seafoods. Add cubed cream cheese, salt, garlic
and horseradish. Stir till smooth. Add asiago and 2 tablespoons
parmesan cheese. Stir until smooth. Add seafood; blend well. Simmer
until heated.

Add half and half a little at a time to seafood sauce. It will
resemble a pudding. Simmer 12-15 minutes. Stir frequently, don't
scorch.

In a shallow baking dish, spray with a non-stick spray. Line the
bottom of the dish with the marinara. Place seafood mixture on top of
the marinara. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Bake at 325F for 10-15 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool for a few
minutes before serving.

Breadsticks: Follow the instructions on the package for baking time
and temp. Before you put them in the oven, brush with olive oil and
sprinkle with parm cheese. Wrap in tin foil. When they're done, cut
them on a diagonal into dipping size pieces.

Sausage and Bell Pepper Ziti

8 ounces ziti or other tubular pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Italian sausages (about 6 ounces), casings removed
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice with Italian
seasonings
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender
but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sausage; saute until brown, breaking up with fork, about 4
minutes. Add onions and peppers; saute 5 minutes. Stir in wine; boil
2 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices. Reduce
heat to medium and cover; simmer until slightly thickened, about 4
minutes.

Add sauce to pasta. Toss over medium heat until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Eggnog Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300F. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking
powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. mix well with a wire whisk and
set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer
to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat
at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat
at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1" apart.
Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until
bottoms turn light brown. Transfer to cool, flat surface
immediately with spatula.