Holiday cooking recipes with CBS 4 and NBC 23

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Looking to try a new recipe this holiday season? You're in luck!

From our newsroom to your kitchen, our CBS 4 and NBC 23 team is glad to share home recipes with our viewers.

MAIN DISHES

Sam Rabadi's Tahini Turkey

Our very own sports reporter Sam Rabadi is sharing his family recipe that is the star of the show.

Turkey is a famous dish and Sam's is a must-try this season.

The recipe calls to start preparing the turkey at least three days before serving.

Ingredients:

• Turkey of any size
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon 7 - Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon yogurt of choice
• 1 tablespoon of tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Three days before serving, wash the turkey off then let it dry completely
2. Brine the turkey in your wine of choice for 2-3 days
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl
4. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, tahini and 2 tablespoons of oil
5. Mix dry and wet ingredients from both bowls
6. Cover the turkey in the rub mix and let the turkey sit in the fridge for up to 3 days
7. On the day of serving, stuff the turkey with an apple and two carrots
8. Wrap the turkey in parchment paper then wrap in foil
9. Depending on the size of the turkey, cook on 350 degrees for 3 to 3.5 hours
10. Enjoy!

Yanira McCaffrey's Pupusas Salvadoreñas

Inside Valley Politics reporter Frank McCaffrey is sharing his wife's dish that showcases the flavors of El Salvador.

The recipe is broken down to three parts that come together to make this dish.

"The pupusas traditionally are enjoyed with the cabbage and the sauce."

Ingredients for cheese pupusas:

• 2 cups of corn flour
• 2 cups of whole milk mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups of water

Ingredients for the tomato sauce:-

• 5 tomatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Ingredients for the Pickled cabbage:

• 1/2 green cabbage
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 shredded carrot
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 8 cups of water

Now that you have all your ingredients, follow the steps below!

Directions for cheese pupusas:

1. Mix the corn flour with some water in a bowl until get a soft texture probably softer than playdough. Let the dough rest for around 15 minutes.
2. Put the cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it a little and create a cheese dough
3. Use oil and cover your hands before forming small dough balls to start making a tortilla shape for the pupusa
4. Using your thumb, create a well in the middle of the dough. Fill the hole with cheese and pinch it closed.
5. Carefully flatten the dough ball to create a small disk
6. Add extra oil to your hand to cover the pupusa completely
7. Add oil to a skillet over medium heat
8. Once the oil in the skillet is hot, place the pupusas and cook for about 4 minutes on each side
9. Ready!

Directions for the tomato sauce:

1. Boil the tomatoes for 5 minutes
2. Using the blender combine the boiled tomatoes and onions
3. Put the sauce on a skillet with some oil, chicken bouillon and oregano
4. Cook the sauce for 2 minutes
5. Ready!

Directions for the pickled cabbage:

1. Shred the cabbage
2. Cut the onions in slices
3. Shred the carrot
4. Boil water in a large pot
5. Once the water comes to a boil, remove the pot from the stove
6. Put the cabbage, onion and carrot mix in the pot of hot water
7. Let vegetables sit in the hot water for 5 minutes to soften
8. After the 5 minutes, remove the water and add the apple cider vinegar, salt and oregano to the vegetable mix
9. Ready!

Frank's Turkey Meatloaf

Frank McCaffrey is also sharing his meatloaf dish that is simple and foolproof.

Ingredients

• One package of ground turkey meat (1 lb.)
• Two eggs
• 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs 
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 cup of ketchup
• 1/2 cup of cubed onions 

Directions

1. Mix together all ingredients except the ketchup in a mixing bowl.
2. Once the ingredients are mixed, form a rectangle shape on a baking sheet. Make the rectangle shape about an inch and a half high.
3. Pour the ketchup in a line up and down the top of the formed meatloaf.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the meatloaf for approximately 25 minutes or until browned all the way through.
5. Enjoy!

SIDE DISHES

The Gonzalez's Creamed Corn

ValleyCentral's Gaby Gonzalez is sharing a family recipe that is both delicious and affordable to make! If you love the combination of savory and sweet, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt,
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Parsley (optional)

"Everyone was asking for this recipe at the Thanksgiving table!"

Directions:

1. Combine thawed corn, heavy cream, salt, sugar, black pepper and butter in a skillet over medium heat
2. Cook and stir occassionally for 5 minutes or until the butter has melted
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk milk and flour until smooth
4. Add milk and flour mix into the corn/skillet and continue to stir
5. Stir the milk mix and corn together until the mix begins to thicken into a sauce and the corn is cooked through. This part should take up to 5 minutes.
6. Remove skillet from the heat and garnish with parsley or any topping to your heart's desire
7. Enjoy!

Gaby's Honey Butter Cornbread

ValleyCentral's Gaby Gonzalez is sharing her famous cornbread recipe that is perfect for any occassion.

"I love all variations of cornbread but this one is my absolute favorite! This recipe is always a favorite when I get together with friends and family!"

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup of vegetable oil
• One 15 oz. can of creamed corn
• Butter
• Honey

Directions:

1. Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil and creamed corn until well combined
3. Slowly pour and and combine the wet ingredients in the bowl of dry ingredients to create a batter
4. Stir combination until it turns into a batter. If the combination still looks dry, continue stirring.
5. Take a greased/buttered baking pan (preferably 13x9 pan) and slowly pour the batter in
6. Cook the cornbread at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. In a separate bowl melt butter and add honey to create a honey butter mix
8. Brush the honey butter mix on the cornbread
9. Cook cornbread for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. Add more honey butter to finish. (The cornbread is ready when a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean)
10. Enjoy!

Sydney's Green Spaghetti

CBS 4’s Sydney Hernandez is sharing her version of classic holiday dishes that are guaranteed to bring smiles to the kitchen table.

“I make this green spaghetti recipe for every special occasion all year long! But it will always be on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas!”

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cilantro bunch
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 1 teaspoon of garlic cloves 
• 2 cups sour cream (16 oz. tub)
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 Knorr Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 1/4 cup of water

Directions

1. Heat a griddle pan and place all 4 poblano peppers on high heat. Flip the peppers until they all are black and popping (approximately 25 minutes)
2. Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the 1 pound of spaghetti. Let the pasta boil for 10-15 minute until fully cooked. Once the pasta is done boiling, drain the water and leave the cooked pasta in the pot.
3. Once the poblano peppers are well toasted, place them in a toss away bag for 10 minutes to sweat, making it easier to peel. (A plastic bag). Allow the peppers to cool before peeling so you don’t burn yourself. 
4. After the peppers have cooled, cut open each pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Make sure to remove seeds or the dish will be extra spicy!  
5. Chop up cilantro bunch into smaller pieces. I use a traditional knife and chop the leaves for a few minutes.
6. In a blender or a food processer, throw in the 4 peeled peppers (no seeds or stems), chopped cilantro, sour cream, water, Knorr cubes, cream cheese, pepper, and garlic until consistency turns into a thick liquid. The consistency should be similar to an alfredo sauce and color should be a light green. 
7. Pour the sauce from the blender into the original pot with pasta inside and mix for 1 minute on low heat until the pasta sauce has warmed up.
8. Enjoy! 

Elette's Cranberry Sauce

Our newsroom producer Elette Garza is sharing her mom's cranberry sauce.

Ingredients:

• One package of cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 small can of pineapple tidbits

Directions:

1. Combine cranberries, sugar and orange juice into a pot and bring to a boil
2. Stir mix frequently until it thickens to a sauce
3. Add pineapple tidbits to the sauce
4. Let the sauce cool in a container and serve with your holiday meal
5. Enjoy!

STC Culinary's Potato Gratin

The South Texas College Culinary Arts Program joined our studio to share a holiday recipe with our viewers.

Marco Cantu, a Culinary Arts Lecturer STC is sharing how to take basic ingredients from your kitchen to create a simple layered potato dish also known as Potatoes Dauphinoise.

"As long as you have a good knife and you have enough time to make it, you can make this at your house!"

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 3 cups of cheese of choice, shredded
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• Paprika, chives or green scallion for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine cream, egg, yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg to create a cream mixture.
2. Peel the skin of the potatoes and slice them.
3. Take the sliced potatoes and layer them in a nonstick foil-lined and greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
4. Put the cream mixture on top of layered sliced potatoes.
5. Top the potatoes and cream mixture with your shredded cheese of choice.
6. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
7. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. The next day, place the potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika and bake a second time for 10-15 minutes at 350°F or until heated through.
9. Garnish with chives or scallions, if desired.
10. Enjoy!

Jeremiah's Sweet Potato Casserole

ValleyCentral’s Jeremiah Marshall is sharing a family recipe that reminds him of his childhood, great memories and a loved one.

“There’s a great southern comfort food that will bring the family together. That my friends is a sweet potato casserole!”

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes 
• 1 bag of giant marshmallows 
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• Splash of vanilla 
• 1/2 stick of butter room temperature 
• Pecans (optional)
• Cinnamon 
• Nutmeg 

Directions:

1: Shave your sweet potatoes and boil them in a pot on medium-to-high heat for 30 minutes.

2: Once the potatoes are boiled, mash them up then add sugar, brown sugar and the room temperature butter. Mix all ingredients together.

3: Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and splash of vanilla into the mix. (Pecans are optional to add into the mix) Afterwards, stir all together.

4: Place mixture into a baking pan then place marshmallows on top of the sweet potato mixture.

5: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let the sweet potato mixture bake for about 25 minutes or until however shade of brown you like your marshmallows.

6: Create new memories for your loved ones and enjoy!

“I remember when I was a child this casserole always made me happy when I saw it on the dinner table. I couldn’t have made this without the hands that have perfected this meal. This was a dish that I saw my Godmother Gloria make on several occasions from Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving to Christmas. She unfortunately passed away, and now every time I make this casserole, I think of her. Love you Gloria, always and forever.”

Ma Kerkow's Famous Turkey Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup crumbled dry cornbread
• 1/4 cup sage
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup dried onions
• 1/4 cup popcorn
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients
2. Stuff turkey
3. Bake turkey with dressing at 350 degrees for 4 hours (Depending on size of turkey)
4. Enjoy!

DESSERTS

The Valdez's Ambrosia Salad

ValleyCentral's Gaby Gonzalez is sharing her and her partner's favorite dessert.

"This dessert is a must have at parties. There is always someone who is licking the bowl clean!"

Ingredients:

• One tub Cool Whip (8 oz.)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups multi-colored mini marshmallows (Classic mini marshmallows are fine too, we just like the pop of color!)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 or 3 cans pineapple tidbits (20 oz.)
• Maraschino cherries (Any type of cherry works)
• One can mandarin oranges (11 oz.)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Combine Cool Whip and sour cream in a large bowl
2. Add marshmallows and "fold" or gently combine into mix
3. Remove all the juice out of the pineapple and mandarin cans and place fruit into mix. Try to remove as much juice as possible to prevent the dish from getting soggy or waterdown.
4. Add shredded coconut and pecans (optional) to the bowl and continue to "fold" or gently mix
5. Top the mix with cherries and chopped pecans
6. Cover and chill in the fridge before serving
7. Enjoy!

Mia's No Bake Cheesecake

ValleyCentral’s Mia Morales is keeping it sweet and simple by serving up a dessert that’s delicious and fun to make for all ages.

“This is the first pastry my Abuelita ever taught me to make. It’s super creamy and good!”

Ingredients:

• 2 packets Galletas Marias 
• 2 blocks Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 can lechera/sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 lime (freshly squeezed juice)
• Splash vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ½ sticks melted butter

Directions:

1. Blend the two packets of Galletas Marias into a blender or food processor until they are a fine powder.
   
2. Put the blended powdered cookie into a pie dish and mix with the 1 ½ sticks of melted butter (with a spoon) until it holds its pie crust shape. Make sure to “squish” the crust into shape.
   
3. Bake the homemade pie crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes or until golden brown and let crust cool down.
   
4. In a separate mixing bowl, put the two blocks of cream cheese and slowly add one can of sweetened condensed milk (lechera) then blend.
   
5. Add the two tablespoons of sugar to the mix and blend again.
   
6. Add the juice of a freshly squeezed lime to the mix and blend.
   
7. Add a splash of vanilla extract and blend again.
    
8. Pour the entire mix into the cooled homemade pie crust and place it in the refrigerator for minimum of two hours.
   
9. Feel free to top with berries or toppings of your choice!

10. Enjoy!

Bryan Hale's Three-Layer Christmas Bark

CBS 4 Chief Meteorologist Bryan Hale’s multi-layered holiday recipe is “mint” to be at your dessert table!

“If you like it pepper-minty, just add a splash of extra extract when called for!”

Ingredients:

• 12 oz white chocolate coarsely chopped
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Regular candy canes

Directions:

The bottom layer:

1. Place 6 oz (half) of white chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a microwave bowl. (You will need the other half of the white chocolate for the top layer.)
2. Melt chocolate in 20-second increments and stir the chocolate between each increment.
3. Repeat until chocolate is smooth and hot.
4. Once the chocolate is melted, add a 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Mix thoroughly.
5. Pour chocolate into a lined baking sheet. This layer of chocolate will be thin.
6. Put pan in refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool a bit. (You don’t want it to get cold, just warm to the touch.)

Middle layer:

1. Put semi-sweet chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a microwave bowl.
2. Repeat the incremental melting process exactly like the previous layer.
3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract into the chocolate once it’s melted.
4. Pour the semi-sweet chocolate over the white chocolate layer and spread it out smooth and thin.
5. Place the pan in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.

Top layer:

1. Place the rest of the white chocolate in your cleaned microwave bowl.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil and repeat the melting process. (Important note: You WILL NOT add peppermint to this batch.)
3. Spread this third and final layer into the pan.
4. Sprinkle final layer, while hot, with crushed candy cane pieces.

Tip: “To crush the candy cane, put them in a ziplock bag, seal the bag, and beat them like they owe you money. Beat them with a rubber hammer or rolling pin.“

Completion:

1. Place the three-layer bark in its pan in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Once it is hard, take your fingers and break it into the size pieces you like.
3. Put the size pieces in a covered container.
4. Enjoy!