Vaselopita - Greek New Years Cake

On this week’s episode of The Keep Growing Podcast, we looked at 2023 garden trends. Greek-inspired gardens are hot right now so let’s get that trend started with this cake! Traditional Greek New Years Day bread. Served as a coffee cake for breakfast. Also the person who receives the quarter inside gets good luck for 1 year!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

• 2 cups white sugar

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 6 eggs

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup blanched slivered almonds

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.

• Step 2

  In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

• Step 3

  Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

• Step 4

  Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!

Christmas Brunch Casserole

This recipe is great to prepare on Christmas Eve and bake on the morning of Christmas Day.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon

• 2 onions, chopped

• 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• 1 pinch dried parsley

• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent and the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with the tablespoon of butter. Place potatoes in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon, then add the onions and mushrooms.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and parsley. Pour the beaten eggs over the casserole and top with grated cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 400F.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until set.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m not much of a baker. Cooking is easy, but with baking you need to be more exact with measurements. If you’re like me, this recipe is the perfect route to go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons hot water

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Mini Quiche Breakfast Bites

These easy-to-make breakfast bites are the perfect dish to serve family and friends that might be staying during Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Photo by: Jessica Spengler, Wikimedia Commons

CC BY 2.0

• cooking spray

• 8 large eggs

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ teaspoon dried dill weed

• ½ teaspoon hot mustard powder

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

• 1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

• ½ cup diced onion (Optional)

• 1 tablespoon diced roasted red peppers

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Whisk eggs and cream together in a bowl. Mix in dill, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Gently mix in Swiss cheese, ham, onion, and diced peppers. Scoop 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until set in the middle and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Irish Lamb Stew

This is a hearty and traditional Irish lamb stew. Like many stews, it is better after the flavors have time to mingle. It's best to refrigerate the stew overnight, and reheat it the next day for eating.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds thickly sliced bacon, diced

• 6 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large onion, chopped

• ½ cup water

• 4 cups beef stock

• 2 teaspoons white sugar

• 4 cups diced carrots

• 2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces

• 3 potatoes

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cup white wine

Directions

• Step 1

  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

• Step 2

  Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in frying pan with bacon fat.

• Step 3

  Place meat into stock pot (leave 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan). Add the garlic and yellow onion and saute till onion begins to become golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the stock pot with bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

• Step 4

  Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and wine to pot. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

German Sunken Apple Cake

For this apple cake you need to cut the apples like a fan not only for looks — this little trick makes the cake especially moist. I like to use tart apples. You will need between 5 and 7 apples, depending on their size.

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 10 tablespoons white sugar

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3 medium apples, or as needed

• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting, or as needed

Directions

• Step 1

  Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

• Step 2

  Mix 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoon flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to batter and mix until batter is smooth.

• Step 3

  Peel and quarter apples. Remove core and cut apples like a fan from the outside towards the inside but do not cut all the way through.

• Step 4

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a springform pan with butter.

• Step 5

  Spoon batter into the prepared springform pan and spread out evenly. Set cut apple quarters in a circle into the batter with the round, cut side facing up. Gently push apples into the batter.

• Step 6

  Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

• Step 7

  Remove from oven, allow to cool, and dust cooled cake with confectioners' sugar.