Suggested Kwanzaa Recipes

Garden Latkes

  • Canola oil for frying
  • 2 pounds redskin potatoes
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes
  • 1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 large turnip
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 2 large carrots
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 large onion
  • 1/4 cup dried parsley
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup matzo meal or flour
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Grate potatoes, sprinkle with salt and place in colander, squeezing out liquid (Note: It is very important to drain all moisture from the potatoes; (the drier they are, the more flavorful the latkes will he.) Put potatoes in large bowl. Grate turnip, carrots and zucchini and add to potato mixture. Whisk eggs in small bowl, and add to mixture. Finely mince the onion and add to the mixture, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Add matzo meal or flour as needed to thicken.

Pour canola oil into a large skillet until it is half full and place over medium-high heat. With a serving spoon, drop spoonfuls of latke mixture in the skillet, leaving space between. Fry until latkes are golden brown on each side. (Canola oil may need to be replenished to keep skillet half full at all times).

Harvest Pear Sauce

  • 12 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized chunks
  • 2 cups pear or apple juice
  • 1 cup port wine or other sweet dessert wine
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup druied cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 fresh vanilla bean
  • 1 cup chopped walnuuts (optional)
  • 1 cup almonds (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Place raisins, cranberries, honey and juice in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add port wine, spices, vanilla and half of the pears. Simmer until mixture is soft and falls apart. Add remaining pears and nuts if desired and continue cooking until soft.
Serve warm or cold.
Makes 10 servings.

Wonnie's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3 teaspoons flavoring
  • (2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon or almond)

Do not preheat oven. Allow cream cheese and butter to soften in a large bowl, then blend them together. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, blending after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Add flour one cup at a time, blending after each cup. Add flavoring. (If mixture appears to be too soupy, add an extra ½ cup of flour.) Pour batter into a greased bundt pan. Place in oven and heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Bertha’s Cabbage Recipe

  • One (1) large cabbage
  • One (1) green pepper (diced)
  • One (1) onion (diced)
  • One (1) or Two (2) carrots
  • (cut into round medium pieces)
  • Two (2) sticks celery (diced)
  • One (1) stick of butter
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash and clean the cabbage, remove the core, cut the cabbage into strips then melt the butter in a large pot. Toss the green pepper, diced onion, and celery into the melted butter, saute them until lightly cooked and brown. Place the cabbage and carrots into this mixture, season with the salt and pepper to taste, place a cover over it and steam to tender.
Makes a serving for five-(5).

Hoppin John's Backeyed Peas with Rice
Provided by: Valerie McMillian and "Youth That Cook"

  • INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 pound of dried blackeyed peas
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 5 cups of water
  • 2 medium sized chopped onions
  • 1 medium garlic clove (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 pound of Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (or your choice of rice)
  • 2 pounds of loose Italian Sausage (Turkey, Pork or Beef)

Place blackeyed peas in a large bowl and soak overnight. Pour peas in a colander and rinse them with cold water. Throw out all broken, shriveled and discolored peas. Place peas in a large pan, cover with five (5) cups of fresh water. Heat peas until they come to a boil, then remove them from the stove and rinse. Refill pot with water: turn the fire on a low cooking temperature, allowing the peas to simmer for forty (40) minutes.

In a separate pot, cook a package of Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (or your choice). Follow the package instructions. Scramble the sausage in a large frying skillet with the chopped onions, garlic and salt. Saute until the mixture is brown (about four (4) to five (5) minutes). Add to the pot of peas one (1) stick of butter and 1/4 cup of sugar. Place the sauteed mixture of scrambled meat into the Black-Eyed Peas. Place a covering over the pot of Peas and cook over low heat until peas are completely tender (approximately twenty (20) minutes). Serve the Peas and Sausage mixture over the cooked rice. This amount should make six (6) to eight (8) servings.

Pat’s Sweet Potato Pudding

  • 6 Medium Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavor
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can evaporated milk

Thoroughly wash the potatoes and then cook them in the microwave until very soft. Peel the potatoes. Place them into a mixing bowl adding melted butter. Add the white sugar with one egg mix thoroughly, then add the brown sugar, add another egg, gradually adding the flour with the spices, salt and other two eggs, then add the can of milk. Mix until there are no lumps left in the mixture. Place in a glass dish for cooking. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for forty-five minutes. Used as a side dish, this serves eight people. NOTE- If the mixture is too thick add more evaporated milk. If the mixture is too soft, add more flour until the desired consistency is obtained. An electric mixer makes this an easy dish to do.