Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bread

Last month, there was an abundance of "kaki" in Koper! Our landlords have a large tree in our front yard, and they were kind enough to climb the tree, pick the persimmons, then give us several baskets full!

I don't mind the taste of persimmons, but I don't really love eating them in bulk. Dante really doesn't like them at all. Until... now!
I stumbled upon this recipe... after making it 3 times (and making a few adjustments), this is a delicious way to eat up a ton of persimmons!!!

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bread

(I doubled the original recipe to make it fit into a cake pan... the original recipe was for a 10x15 loaf pan.)

- 2 cups persimmon juice/pulp

- 2 teaspoons baking soda

- 2 beaten eggs

- 2 cups white sugar

- 1 cup vegetable oil

- 3 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 2 teaspoons nutmeg

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

- 2 cups chopped nuts

glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a small bowl, mix your persimmons and baking soda. Set aside.

2. Mix eggs, sugar, and oil.

3. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.

4. Add the 3 mixtures together and mix well. Then add nuts.

5. Spread in a greased cake pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

6. Mix the glaze while the cake is baking and drizzle over the bread immediately after removing from the oven.

Holiday Wassail

There are many varieties of this holiday drink out there. This is the recipe that has been handed down through my family... and my personal favorite!

Wassail

- 64 oz. apple juice (8 cups)

- 1 1/2 cups orange juice

- 2 cups pineapple juice

- 3/4 cup lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon of whole cloves

- 1 cup sugar

- 2 sticks of cinnamon

note: if you buy any juice that has sugar added, you probably want to reduce the amount of sugar. Lesson learned!

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let it simmer. The longer it heats, the more the spices will sink in.

 

Chicken Enchiladas

This is my go-to favorite Mexican food!
I order it every single time I eat out in Texas.
I've cooked it for every Slovene friend.
I love it.
This is my Mom's chicken enchilada recipe. Like most "Tex-Mex" Enchiladas, the sauce has a delicious, sour cream base (some restaurants just use a sour cream and chicken broth mix). But Mom's recipe is a bit more flavorful. I feel like we eat enchiladas at least 3 times a month! :)

When I lived in the US, I would buy frozen, pre-cooked fajita meat and use it in recipes like this. It saved time and added a nice flavor! I do prefer chicken breast fajita meat. But now we typically use shredded chicken instead.

Chicken Enchiladas

- chicken broth

- 1 can cream of chicken soup (or substitute- I substitute milk & mushroom soup mix)

- 8 oz. of sour cream (or more if you prefer)
- taco seasoning (to taste. I use about 1/2 a package)
- boiled, shredded chicken (or chicken fajita meat)
- tortillas
- cheese

Boil your chicken earlier in the day (or earlier in the week!) and shred the meat.
(For 2 people, I only use the meat from about 1/4 of a chicken.)

Heat the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and taco seasoning on the stove.
After the sauce comes to a boil, fill your tortillas with meat, cheese, and sauce.
Once you have a full pan of enchiladas (2-4 per person), cover with more sauce and a thick layer of cheese.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts.