PHOTOS

: </a>As Christmas and New Year's approaches, families and businesses alike spread holiday cheer via comfort foods, drinks and fun! And even though budgets have been cut as part of the reality of the climate we're still in, 69% of companies surveyed by the American Express OPEN Small Business Holiday Monitor are still giving parties. Budget cuts can make more cost-effective options–like the potluck party–that much more attractive. To help you give your dish a twist, try these multicultural recipes from the Black Enterprise editors and staff to get the party started.– By Janell P. Hazelwood

: QUICK & EASY SOUTHERN CORN PUDDING "This dish is always a hit at our family meals. It's great for potlucks, church socials, holiday dinners– a treat any time." –Caroline Clarke, Host, Black Enterprise Business Report <li>Ingredients: 1.) 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix; 1 egg (beaten); 1 can creamed corn; 1 can kernel corn; 8 oz. sour cream; sugar (optional); butter or Pam spray</li> <li>Instructions: 1.) Coat baking dish with butter or Pam spray. 2.) Drain kernel corn. 3.) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. 3.) If you like things really sweet, add up to 1/4 cup of sugar. 4.) If you like it a little less creamy, add a half-can more kernel corn. 5.) Pour mix into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until it's golden with slightly brown edges. *Want it creamier? Bake 5 to 10 minutes less.</li>

: </a>HONDURAN ENCHILADAS "I used to love helping my mom and abuelita (grandmother) make these when I was younger. My aunts and cousins would join in, too: One frying the tortillas, another finishing the ground beef, and someone else preparing the cabbage-tomato mixture. The smell of fried corn tortillas is amazing!"– Janel Martinez, Producer, BlackEnterprise.com <li>Ingredients: cabbage (red or green); tomatoes; corn tortillas; 1 lb. round beef or turkey; 6 eggs; ketchup (to taste) 7.) shredded parmesan cheese; 1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil; vinegar; onions</li> <li>Instructions: 1.) Cook ground beef or turkey in pan until brown; 2.) In a small bowl, combine cabbage, tomato slices and– if you choose, onions–with salt, pepper, and vinegar, to taste. Set aside. 3.) Boil eggs in water. 4.) Once cooled, slice eggs and set aside. 5.) Fry pre-packaged corn tortillas in pan coated with oil until crisp. 6.) Place fried tortillas in a mixing bowl with a paper towel on the bottom.</li> <li>To build your enchilada: Layer tortillas with meat, cabbage, tomato slices, egg slices, and ketchup on top. Lastly, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Buen provecho!</li>

: </a>CHINESE HOT & SOUR SOUP "My mother-in-law makes delicious Chinese dishes. She is best known for her Chinese hot and sour soup. It's a staple in her family and a tasty addition to the Chinese New Year feast she whips up every year. My husband and I hope to use some of her recipes as a guide for fusing Chinese and soul food dishes." –Sheiresa Ngo, Multimedia Content Producer, Consumer Affairs <li>Ingredients: 4 cups chicken broth; 3 tblspn soy sauce; 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken or pork; 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced; 1/2 tblspn chili garlic sauce; 1/4 tspn ground white pepper; 1/4 cup white vinegar; 1/3 cup canned bamboo shoots (cut into long, thin strips); 3 oz. block of tofu, cut into 1/4 inch dice; 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tblspns cold water; 1 egg, beaten; 2 green onion stalks, diced (including tops); 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil</li> <li>Instructions: 1.) Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; 2.) Add soy sauce, shredded meat, mushrooms and chili garlic sauce; 3.) Simmer for five minutes. 4.) Add white pepper, white vinegar, bamboo shoots, tofu; 5.) Simmer for five minutes; 6.) Combine two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water in a cup. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to soup and stir well. 7.) Simmer for five minutes until soup is thickened; 8.) Beat egg in a cup until yolk and white are combined. Pour beaten egg slowly into soup. Stir soup several times. 9.) Add green onions and sesame oil to soup. Stir well.</li>

: </a>CAPE VERDE ISLANDS' STEW "Cachupa is a slow-cooked stew from the Cape Verde Islands. My family is from Fogo. This is our national dish and we usually have this on Christmas and New Year’s." –LaToya M. Smith, Assistant Editor <li>Ingredients: 1 cup dry lima beans; 1 cup dry yellow hominy corn; 1 cup of dry kidney beans (beans may soak overnight); linguica beef or pork ribs, smoked neck bones, and ham; 3 onions (finely chopped); 2 bay leaves; salt and pepper (to taste); margarine; 2 tbspns olive oil; water or beef stock</li> <li>Instructions: Rinse all corn and dry beans in bowl. Boil corn in large pot for 10 minutes and carefully discard froth that collects on the top. Add dry beans, bay leaf and olive oil. Bring to a boil. Lower heat enough to maintain a steady but slow boil. Leave cover slightly ajar. Throughout cooking make certain liquid covers the corn and beans. Use at least 4 qts of water or stock. After the mixture has boiled for the first hour add the rest of your meats. Cook partially covered at a very gentle boil over low heat for an additional 1 1/2 hours. For best results, let cachupa sit covered and off the flame for at least twenty minutes before serving. The spices and salt will be absorbed into the corn, bean and the "gravy" will take on its special texture.</li>

: </a>COQUITO: PUERTO RICAN COCKTAIL "My family enjoys this drink every holiday season– from Christmas to New Year's. It's tradition, so we don't do any festivities without it. And it's better than any eggnog!" – Jessica Martinez, Human Resources & Corporate Operations Manager, <li>Ingredients: 2 egg yolks, beaten; 1 (12 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk; 1 (14 oz.) can cream of coconut; 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk; 1/2 cup white rum; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 tspn. ground cinnamon; 1 tspn vanilla extract</li> <li>Instructions: 1.) In the top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks and evaporated milk. (If you don't have a double boiler, you can simply use a heat-safe bowl over a regular pot); Stirring constantly, cook over lightly simmering water (in pot) until mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 2.) Transfer mixture to a blender, and add cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, rum, water, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla. extract. Blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into glass bottles, and chill overnight. When serving, sprinkle cinnamon on top or add stick for festive flavor.</li> See more holiday party planning tips: <li><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/12/10/holiday-party-planning-how-to-hire-caterer/">How to Hire the Caterer</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/12/20/how-to-entertaining-on-a-budget/">Holiday Entertaining on a Budget</a></li>