Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I know I did! =) Here's a recipe for my favorite part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal: Cranberry Sauce. I've been using this Alton Brown recipe for a couple years, spicing* it up a little myself. It's classic and perfect and sooo easy! Enjoy!
1/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 c 100% cranberry juice, not cocktail
1 c honey
1 pound fresh cranberries, approximately 4 cups
1. Wash the cranberries and discard any soft or wrinkled ones.
2. Combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. (Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well.) Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
5. Remove from the refrigerator, overturn the mold and slide out the sauce. Slice and serve.
*I add what's called "German Christmas Spice" to my mix, but it's basically just a mix of cinnamon, cardamon, clove, etc. You can be creative and add what you wish. Watch the video of Alton Brown making this recipe using the link above for ideas!
I don't usually make this recipe in a mold. This year I started canning a batch or two, which came out pretty well if I do say so myself! I typically just place the sauce in a container and stir it up to serve in a nicer bowl.
Also, if you prefer a smooth sauce, once you remove it from the heat, just run the whole batch through a strainer. This will remove any peels and pulp.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Yes, I am clearly on a squash kick. I love how local and available winter squash is these days. It’s so fresh and tasty! This recipe is no exception, super easy and very versatile. I got the idea from this Google-search result. Enjoy!
1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 T butter
1 c quinoa
2 c water or vegetable broth (to cook quinoa)
1 T olive oil (for sautéing)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T parsley, chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place squash cut-side up on a baking sheet and place 1/2 T butter into each half. Sprinkle with salt and paper and bake for 45 minutes, or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa with water or vegetable broth according to directions.
4. Use olive oil to sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and celery about 10 minutes until slightly brown.
5. Add sautéed vegetables to quinoa and season with parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Once squash halves have cooled, spoon quinoa mixture into each half. There will be leftovers. Top with feta, serve warm.
The squash I used was on a small side, it still took 45 minutes to cook, but I served more of the “stuffing” on the side (there are still leftovers). You can sub all kinds of cool stuff as well. If you follow the link to the recipe I emulated, they used a couple different items, and the recipe they revised also has different ingredients. Be creative, use what you have in the house! And let me know how it goes.
1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 T butter
1 c quinoa
2 c water or vegetable broth (to cook quinoa)
1 T olive oil (for sautéing)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T parsley, chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place squash cut-side up on a baking sheet and place 1/2 T butter into each half. Sprinkle with salt and paper and bake for 45 minutes, or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa with water or vegetable broth according to directions.
4. Use olive oil to sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and celery about 10 minutes until slightly brown.
5. Add sautéed vegetables to quinoa and season with parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Once squash halves have cooled, spoon quinoa mixture into each half. There will be leftovers. Top with feta, serve warm.
The squash I used was on a small side, it still took 45 minutes to cook, but I served more of the “stuffing” on the side (there are still leftovers). You can sub all kinds of cool stuff as well. If you follow the link to the recipe I emulated, they used a couple different items, and the recipe they revised also has different ingredients. Be creative, use what you have in the house! And let me know how it goes.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Beer Bread
Last month, mom and I went to a Tastefully Simple party and ate more than our share of their beer bread mix. We each purchased a mix to make at home, but at $5.49 + tax a box, plus the beer and butter, I figured there’s got to be an easy at home recipe. So I found one on food.com (link), and it’s fantastic!
3 c flour, sifted
3 t baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 t salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 c sugar
1 12 oz. can/bottle beer
1/4 – 1/2 c butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan and pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
According to the link, sifting the flour is the key. I used sifted whole-wheat flour and didn’t have any issue. I also only used 1/4 cup of butter, a half cup seems a little excessive to me! This recipe is really easy to make and the product is a very hearty satisfying bread. Yum!
3 c flour, sifted
3 t baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 t salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 c sugar
1 12 oz. can/bottle beer
1/4 – 1/2 c butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan and pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
According to the link, sifting the flour is the key. I used sifted whole-wheat flour and didn’t have any issue. I also only used 1/4 cup of butter, a half cup seems a little excessive to me! This recipe is really easy to make and the product is a very hearty satisfying bread. Yum!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Spaghetti Squash
Our friend Steve introduced me to this recipe for spaghetti squash. I’ve made a couple variations of this, and never the recipe as it is below. It’s just a really good starting point. Enjoy!
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 t vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
3 t black olives, sliced
2 t fresh basil, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
2. In a pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
3. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash into a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.
The first time I made this, I did it almost to the recipe, except I omitted the basil and went with a raw cheddar over the feta since it’s what I had. I also added a can of peas and carrots (because I was cleaning out the pantry…). It was tasty. The second time I made with chickpeas instead of black olives (and a whole lot of chickpeas at that) and parsley instead of basil and again with raw cheddar. I really liked the variation with chickpeas, the textures went well together. Chickpeas and feta cheese would probably be a perfect mix.
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 t vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
3 t black olives, sliced
2 t fresh basil, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
2. In a pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
3. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash into a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.
The first time I made this, I did it almost to the recipe, except I omitted the basil and went with a raw cheddar over the feta since it’s what I had. I also added a can of peas and carrots (because I was cleaning out the pantry…). It was tasty. The second time I made with chickpeas instead of black olives (and a whole lot of chickpeas at that) and parsley instead of basil and again with raw cheddar. I really liked the variation with chickpeas, the textures went well together. Chickpeas and feta cheese would probably be a perfect mix.
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