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BUDGET BEATERS

EVERY FAMILY develops
its own variations of the
Christmas tradition. There’s
something warm and com-
forting abcut this, of ali holi-
day seasons — perhaps
because we have more scope
. for homey touches that make
‘it particularly special.

Over the years, families can
‘develop traditions about almost
‘everything from what goes on the’
top.of the tree to what is eaten on
“Boxing Day.
‘In fact, of all the meals cooked
‘over the holiday season: the one 1
‘like the least is the main event —
~ “that oversized bird that ruins my
«Christmas afternoon. I much prefer
“preparing Christmas Eve dinner —-

- -more-about that, later — and

.. Christmas breakfast.

“These smaller, more casual meals

‘.. give the cook a chance to eat and
‘chatter instead of being blown

: around the kitchen by bursts of hot
air and steam.

- But, before I launch into the joys
’ -of Christmas Eve at home, {’d better

please a lot of readers and do a re-
.run of my traditional Antipasto
“recipe. If you've clipped and lost
this one before, cut it out right now
and tape it to the inside front cover

Superior quality

-POINSETTIAS

Add gorgeous colour to
your holiday festivities.
A much-appreciated gift.

of your favorite cookbook.

First. a word about preparing and
storing antipasto safely. Old recipes
for this tangy mixture often advise
canning the finished product ina
water-bath canner. DON'T!

True antipasto contains tuna fish
and vegetables, both very dangerous
te your health unless pressure
canned, Pressure canning is « chore

. that you must be fairly adept at
before trying and you must have the
proper (expensive) equipment.

“ Instead, freeze homemade
antipasto in either jars for gift-giving
or in plastic freezer bags for home.

"Once antipasto hus been thawed,
it's safe to use for a week, providing
it's Seen kept refrigerated.

Thet brings me to a discussion of
left-overs, If your party dips, spreads
and mixtures have been sitting at
room temperature for several hours,
toss then aut at the cud
of the purty. I's not
worth taking a chance.

I'd rather put out
small dishes of antipas-
to at varicus times dur-
ing the evening than a-
huge bow! full and
tossing the leftovers.

Provide spoons with
antipasto even though
you provide firm crack-
ers.

LES PAUL'S ANTIPASTO

72 oz. ketchup — watch for sales

4-5 dried chili peppers

2 small heads cauliflower, cut in 4"
buds

3-4 lb. green peppers, cut in 4”
chunks

' 2 Thsp. oil

2 14-07, tins regular green beans

1 16-07, jar sweet pickled onions

1 quart baby dills, cut up

3 10-02. tins small button niush-
rooms

20 oz. jar saiad olives

3 14-o0z. tins pitted black olives --
the smallest you can find

3 flats solid white tuna in oil

1 13-02. flat anchovies in oil

2 4-oz. tins pimentos, cut up
In a very large pot — Dutch oven

or canner — set ketchup to boil with
chilis. Steam cauliflower until crisp-
tender (microwave). Cook green pep-
per in oil until crisp-tender.

When ketchup boils, reniove
chilis and add cauliflower, peppers
with oi], draincd green beans,

drained onions, cut-up dills, drained:

mushrooms and boil 5 minutes,

Add drained olives, tuna,
anchovies (both cut up and including
oil), pimentos and a bit of salt if you
need it. Return to the boil.

Cool slightly and pack in hot,
sterilized jars or plastic bags and
freeze. This makes 16-18 pints.

Which is one helluva lot of
antipasto! This is one of those recipes
that doesn't halve very well so.
unless you plan on giving a lot as
gilts, make it with a friend.

Christmas Eve dinner in) our

66 These smaller, more casual
meals give the cook a chance
to eat and chatter instead of
being blown around the kitchen by
bursts of hot air and steam, 9?

house is one that begins at 6 p.m. and
carries on just as long as there are
people around to eat.

! generally prepare one rain-dish
casserole, in three or four lots to
bring out as necessary, plus a ham
and salads, hot bread, finger food
(those bags of meat balls and chicken
wings. etc. from the freezer) plus var-
ious tarts, cookies and candies.

Here are a couple of casseroles
that do well on Christmas Eve.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
12 or more tortilla shells
2c. light cream .
2c. rich chicken stock
Filling:
2 Tbsp. margarine
4% c. onion, diced

WREATHS

Decorate your home or
office with the scent of
forest! Also garlands,

swags and tablecentres.

2 ¢. cooked chicken

1c. chili sauce (recipe follows)

1c. sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1% ¢. shredded sharp cheese

tc. sliced olives — stuffed green or
black

Chili sauce:

% c. chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 Thsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. flour

%¢, chili powder

4 tsp. oregano

% tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. salt

te. crushed tomatoes (tinned)

Ic. strong chicken broth

Combine the broth and cream and
heat. Dip the shells in the mixture
and shake off excess — do one at a
time, filing each shell with filling
mixture and plicing side-by-side ina
shallow baking dish.

To prepare the fill-
ing, cook onion in mar-
garine and combine with
remaining ingredients
except cheese and
olives.

To prepare — chili
sauce, cook the onion
and garlic in oil until
wilted. Stir in remaining
ingredients and heat
until slightly thickened.

Pour the remaining
cream/stock mixture over filled
shells. Top with cheese and olives
and bake half an hour at 350°F.

CANNELLONI

For the pasta, buy fresh lasagna
noodles and cut in approximately 3”
lengths. Cannelloni is baked in a sin-
gle layer so you need a flat. fairly
shallow casserole —— a 9"°x 13” roast-
er is ideal. Spray it well for easy
cleaning.

Cannelloni consists of a layer of
tomato sauce, topped by rolled,
meat-stulfed noodles covered by a

layer of white sauce and topped with

white cheese.

Start by making the white sauce
as some of this is required in the fill-
ing. I used to prepare my own toma-

&

OUEL tr

TREES

Fresh cut trees, living
trees or artificial

trees...we've got ‘em all!

tu sauce (meatless) but canned does

the job.

White sauce:

4c. margarine

Ke. flour

2¢. coffee cream

1c. undiluted chicken
(canned)

% tsp, nutmeg -

Salt and pepper to taste

Filling: :

% ib. each ground veal and pork (or
all veal) :

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, grated

I stalk celery, grated

1 pkg. chopped spinach, thawed
and squeezed dry

4%e. grated Parmesan cheese

4c. or slightly more prepared
white sauce

1 egg , slightly beaten

Topping:

4c. grated Parmesan cheese

2c. grated Jack cheese

Base:

1 14-02. tin tomato sauce
Melt margarine, stir in flour and

whisk in cream. broth and season-

ings. Stir over medium heat until

thickened. Set aside.
To make filling, cook meat. onion

and garlic in a non-stick pan, break-

broth

. ing up the meat very well. When it is

no longer pink, remove from heat
and combine with remaining ingredi-

ents. Note: ail these vegetables chop

quickly in a food. processor!

Cover the bottom of baking dish
with tomato sauce. Cut up lasagna
noodJes and spoon a couple of table-
spoons filling along one edge. Roll
up and place side-by-side on top of
tomato sauce. You'll have enough
filling for about 30 rolls — 10 noo-
dles, cut up.

Top with remaining white sauce
and the two cheeses. Bake at 350°F,
about 35 minutes or until bubbly and
lightly browned. :

Both casseroles may be frozen,
unbaked. Heat at 325°F about 1%
hours. ;

I prefer to top with cheese about
45 minutes before frozen casseroles
are done,

CHRISTMAS