My Christmas Feast!

So this year since my Mom is still recovering, I stepped in and did most of the cooking. I must say that I am becoming quite the chef. Christmas morning I made Egg Sausage Casserole and Vegetarian Egg Casserole. This was only made better by the bran muffins Mom had prepared. Breakfast was delicious. Then for dinner that night I made Pork Tenderloin with Root Vegetables, Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake, while my sister made green beans with tomatoes, and feta cheese. It was wonderful! I am including the recipes in this blog because they are so ridiculous that everyone should try them.

Egg Sausage Casserole
Ingredients:

1. 6 eggs
2. 6 slices of bread cubed
3. 2 cups of milk
4. 1 tsp dried mustard
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (although I prefer to use 2 cups)
7. 1 lb sausage, cooked and drained

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
• Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole
• Bake for 30-45 minutes
  

Vegetarian Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

1. 6 eggs
2. 6 slices of bread cubed
3. 2 cups of milk
4. 1 tsp dried mustard
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
7. 2 cups chopped tomatoes
8. 2 cups chopped mushrooms
   

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
• Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole
• Bake for 30-45 minutes
  

Bran Muffins
Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups of wheat bran
2. 1 cup of buttermilk
3. 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
4. 1 egg
5. 2/3 cup brown sugar
6. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
7. 1 cup all purpose flour
8. 1 tsp baking soda
9. 1 tsp baking powder
10. 1/2 tsp salt
11. 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Grease muffin pans
• Mix wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes
• Beat together oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and then add to bran mixture
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
• Stir flour mixture into bran mixture
• Spoon mixture into greased muffin pans
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean

Pork Tenderloin and Root Vegetables

Pork and Marinade Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 to 2 lbs pork tenderloin
2. 1/4 cup soy sauce
3. 2 tbsp dry red wine
4. 1 tbsp honey
5. 1 tbsp brown sugar
6. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
7. 1 tsp grated ginger
8. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
9. 2 green onions (green parts only)
   

• Combine marinade ingredients in a measuring cup and whisk to combine.
• Pour over pork tenderloin in a plastic bag. Marinate overnight.
• Drizzle a small amount of the meat juices from cooking over each piece of meat.
• Serve with the root vegetables.
  

Root Vegetables Ingredients:

1. 5 parsnips
2. 5 carrots
3. 2 rutabagas
4. 5 turnips (roots only)

House Seasoning ingredients:

1. 1 cup salt
2. 1/4 cup black pepper
3. 1/4 cup garlic powder
   

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Peel and cut root vegetables into large chunks.
• Place cut vegetables in 1 gallon ziploc bag
• Add 3/4 cup olive oil and house seasoning and shake until vegetables are covered
• Arrange in a roasting pan and roast until tender
• Cook vegetables until tender. Check vegetables after 25 minutes and then every 10 minutes thereafter.

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Cranberry Bake
Ingredients:

1. 6 medium sweet potatoes
2. 1 cup of water
3. 1 cup of sugar
4. 2 cups of fresh cranberries
5. 1 large apple thinly sliced...green or red
6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
7. 1/8 tsp cinnamon
8. 1/8 cup oil
9. 1/2 cup orange juice

• Boil sweet potatoes until tender
• Allow potatoes to cool, then peel them and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• In a sauce pan, combine cranberries, water, and sugar....allow them to come to a boil; remove from heat when you hear cranberries pop
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease a 13x9 pan
• Layer sweet potatoes, apple slices, and then cover with cranberries
• Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and oil
• Pour orange juice over the casserole
• Bake for 30 minutes or until tender
  

*the wonderful thing about the Sweet Potatoe Bake is that its so sweet, you can even eat it as a dessert