Apricots in Red Wine
3 pounds large apricots
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup Ruby Port
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 pint vanilla ice cream
• In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the red wine, Port, sugar, honey and cinnamon stick to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
• Cut a small “x” into one end of each apricot with a paring knife.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Poach the apricots for 30 seconds.
• Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander and slip the skins from the fruit.
• Add the apricots, adding more wine as necessary to cover the apricots, and simmer covered, turning occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and divide the apricots among 4 bowls.
• If desired, cut in half first and discard seed.
• Bring the poaching liquid to boil and reduce by half.
• Discard the cinnamon stick.
• Let the syrup cool slightly.
• Place one scoop of ice cream over each apricot serving, and top with poaching liquid. Sprinkle toasted almond slivers over each serving, and serve immediately.
Serves 6
HELEN’S WHOLE FRUIT CAKE
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder (rounded)
1 c. flour
1 lb. whole dates
1/2 lb. candied cherries, green & red
2 c. English walnut meats
1 c. Brazil nuts (whole)
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. brandy flavoring
1/2 c. orange juice or apricot juice
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Sift together sugar, baking powder and flour. Add whole dates, cherries, walnut meats and Brazil nuts. Add 4 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, brandy flavoring, orange juice or apricot juice, and vanilla. Mix all together real good. Fold in 4 stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into tube pan, greased and floured. Bake in 250 degree oven 1 1/2 hours. Cool. Soak cheesecloth in brandy. Wrap cake in cheesecloth, then in foil. Glaze and decorate with candied cherries. Optional: 1 cup coconut, 1 cup candied fruit or 1/2 cup orange peel. Mother of LaVona & LaVelda Richmond
WINNING WINGS IN SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
* 16 Chicken wings
* 4 tablespoons Wine or balsamic vinegar
* 1 cup Apricot preserves
* 2 tablespoons Peanut butter (optional)
* 1 cup Ketchup
* 4 tablespoons Horseradish
* 1 cup Sweet onion, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon Hot sauce (optional)
Pat the chicken wings dry and place then in the slow cooker/Crock Pot.
In a bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
Taste-check for a good balance of sweet and sour.
Pour the sauce over the wings. Cover the slow cooker/Crock Pot and cook on low until the chicken is tender, about 4 hours.
RUSSIAN CHICKEN
* 1 bottle Russian dressing (16 oz.)
* 1 envelope onion soup mix
* 1 jar apricot preserves (10 oz.)
* 4 pieces chicken — (4 to 6)
* Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
Combine dressing, preserves and onion soup mix in bowl and pour into a slow cooker/Crock Pot. Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in slow cooker/Crock Pot. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (HIGH 4 hours)
Serves 4 - 6.
MANHATTEN MEATBALLS
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 lb. mild pork sausage (or use all beef)
* 2 c. soft bread crumbs or 1 1/2 c. oatmeal
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 c. chopped onion
* 2 tbsp. parsley
* 2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
Sauce:
* 1 (12 oz) jar apricot preserves
* 1/2 c. barbecue sauce
Mix first 8 ingredients together and form meatballs. Brown in skillet, or in oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Heat sauce, pour over meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or cook in Crock Pot. Can be served over rice or as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Makes 4 or 5 dozen.
GLAZED COCKTAIL SAUSAGES
* 3/4 cup apricot preserves
* 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
* 2 scallions chopped
* 1/2 pound precooked mini smoked sausages (the ones with cheese in them will work
also)
In a 1-quart mini electric slow cooker; mix together the preserves and mustard.
Stir in scallions and sausages. Cover, plug in the cooker and cook for 3 hours or until very hot. Remove the cover, stir to mix and serve immediately with toothpicks; keep the heat on for another 30-60 minutes if desired while serving.
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
4 whole chicken breasts, split
4 chicken leg thighs (not split)
1 (18 oz.) jar apricot preserves
1 (8 oz.) bottle Russian dressing
1 env. onion soup mix
Place chicken in large shallow baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken, trying to coat all pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. Serve with brown rice and spoon some of the sauce over it. In spite of unusual ingredients, it is delicious.
RUSSIAN CHICKEN
1 pkg. dry onion soup
8 oz. bottle red Russian dressing
8 oz. jar apricot preserves
Cut up chicken
Place chicken in baking pan. Combine ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Apricot-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS: 14 Dried apricots, each cut
-into 3 strips 1/2 c Cranberry juice
12 oz Fresh (or thawed frozen)
-cranberries 1/2 c Plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 tb Minced, pared, fresh ginger
Soak the dried apricots in the cranberry juice in a medium saucepan for ten minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them well. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the cranberries have popped and the syrup has thickened slightly - that should take about 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it (covered) until it’s *cold*. It can be stored in the fridgipater for up to a week. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and serve while it’s still cold. The colder the better, so long as it isn’t frozen.