Carol's Broccoli Salad
Ingredients:
1-2 heads broccoli florets, finely chopped
1-2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red or green seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Preparation:
Mix dressing ingredients together several hours before serving and refrigerate until ready to use. Combine first four salad ingredients together in a large bowl, refrigerate until ready to serve. Combine bacon and almonds together and place in a separate container from salad. When ready to serve, add bacon and almonds to salad and stir in dressing. All of this can be done up to a day in advance.
*To toast almonds: spread almonds on baking sheet and place in 400 degree oven for 3-8 minutes, stirring occasionally (keep a close eye on them as they burn quickly)!
Carol is the Director of Marketing Communications at Socket.
Lee's Spiked Cranberry Relish
Ingredients:
1 bag (12 oz.) cranberries, rinsed and cleaned of any stems
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Preparation:
Combine water, orange juice and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and cook at a low boil until some berries remain unpopped, approx. 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in Grand Marnier. Chill. Stir before serving.
Lee is the VP and Controller at Socket.
Krista's Molasses Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Melt shortening in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; let cool. Add brown sugar, molasses and egg; beat well.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to first mixture and mix well; chill until firm. Form into 1” balls, roll in granulated sugar and place on greased cookie sheet 2” apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes; cool in pan 2 minutes then remove and place on rack to cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Krista is the Marketing Communications Specialist at Socket.
Leonard's Cranberry Loaf Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
3 egg whites
2 T oil
1 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 c confectioners' sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" loaf pan with cooking spray, then dust and flour.
Combine cranberries and 1 T water and microwave in 15 second intervals until softened.
In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, sour cream egg whites and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth and light. Stir in flour mixture and cranberry mixture. Pour into pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Mix confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 tsp lemon zest. Pour over cake.
Leonard is the Senior Manager of Worldwide Sales Logistics at Socket. Recipe originally published in Woman's World.
Michelle's Sticky Rice with Sausage, Shrimp and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
3 cups glutinous rice (e.g., Sho Chiku Bai brand)
5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
3 Chinese pork and chicken sausages (laap cheong)
1 cup dried shrimp
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp white pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup each sliced scallions and cilantro
Preparation:
Soak the rice in water overnight, then drain. Alternatively, use boiling hot chicken broth in the next step.
Place all ingredients except scallions and cilantro in rice cooker and cook until done.
When the rice is ready, remove the sausages. Remove the casings and dice the sausages. Add diced sausage to rice with scallions and cilantro. Mix well. Serve immediately.
Michelle is the Marketing Communications Writer Specialist at Socket.
