Let's Talk Cranberries!

One of the most traditional and delicious condiments to serve with the turkey are the cranberries!  Now, if you don't like cranberry sauce, then it is because you probably have slid it out of a can and onto a plate and whacked it up.  No. Thank. You.  

Let me give you a few ideas that are easy, delicious, and won't scare the crap out of everyone when it is brought to the table.

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish

Grab 2 medium oranges.  Peel them, section them, and roughly chop them up.  Put 1 half of them in a food processor.  Zest about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the peel.  This will give it a good orange kick in the pants.   Seed and chop 2 jalapeno peppers.  Put this in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add about a cup of sugar and pulse 3-4 more times.  Add 1 pound fresh cranberries and pulse until they are roughly chopped.  Adjust the seasoning adding more sugar if you need it.   Dump this in a bowl and add the remaining chopped orange.  Throw in a tablespoon of chopped mint leaves.  Chill for about 30 minutes.  You can make this 2 days ahead and it will have tons of flavor!   I love the texture of this and the sweet/hot thing going on!

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce

In a medium pot add 2 cups of cranberry juice, 1 6 ounce bag of sweetened dried cranberries, a cinnamon stick broken in half and a cup of sugar.   Bring it up to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Add 2 Gala apples, seeded, peeled, cored and diced.  Cook until the cranberries have softened and the apples are tender.  About 5 minutes.

Remove about 8 ounces of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.  Slowly add this cornstarch stuff to the cranberry mixture and keep stirring for 5 minutes.

Take it off of the stove and pour into a pretty serving bowl.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour and remove the cinnamon sticks.  

Put it on the table and watch it disappear.

Robin's Famous Creole Oyster Dressing

Robin's Famous Creole Oyster Dressing

Let's just say, that without this dressing Thanksgiving would not happen. Not at my house, anyway. This is the only request that my husband simply must have for Turkey Day. Even folks that don't like oysters LOVE this dressing! Now I am going to give you the recipe that would serve about 8 persons or 4 hungry Cajuns. Feel free to double or triple it! You won't be sorry!

Go to the store and get:

Cajun Seasoning
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 tablespoons of minced shallots
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 lbs. shucked oysters coarsely chopped
2 qts. heavy cream (chill. It's Thanksgiving fer gawd's sakes)
2 tablespoons of hot sauce
6 to 8 cups of day old bread. Cubed and dried out. I like to use french baguettes.
1 dozen eggs slightly beaten
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup chopped green onions divided
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large dutch oven heat up your olive oil. Add some Cajun seasoning to taste. add vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes or until they are wilted. Stir in the oysters and cook for about 2 minutes. Add some oyster liquor to this. Drink some regular liquor if you want. I don't care. Whisk in the cream, hot sauce, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Fold in the bread cubes and mix thoroughly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in 1/2 cup of the green onions and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour the dressing into a pan and cover with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes covered and 15 uncovered in a 350 degree oven. Remove the dressing and let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until you get the other stuff heated up. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the green onions and cheese. Call me after dinner and thank me for this. ;)

Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Brownies for a Diabetic Diet.

OK Steve! You asked for it! This ought to satisfy any sweet tooth you may have! It can also be made gluten free, as you have choices! I got this from Diabetic Living Magazine and they sound SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Let me know how they turn out!

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute blend* equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cold water
3/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour**
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil up over the edges of the pan. Lightly coat foil with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and the water. Whisk in egg, oil, and vanilla until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and the baking powder until combined. (Batter will be thin at this point.) Place peanut butter in a small bowl; gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of the batter until smooth. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup flour and the cocoa powder. Stir into the plain batter; stir in chocolate pieces. Pour chocolate batter into prepared pan.
Drop peanut butter batter in small mounds over chocolate batter in pan. Using a thin metal spatula, swirl batters together. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes* or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Tip

*Sugar Substitutes: Choose from Splenda® Sugar Blend for Baking or Sun Crystals® Granulated Blend. Follow package directions to use product amount equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar. Decrease baking time to 15 to 18 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
*Sugar Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH SUBSTITUTE: same as basic recipe, except 140 cal., 13 g carb.

Tip

**Flour Substitutes: Substitute 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, whole grain oat flour, whole grain corn flour, white bean flour, or soy flour for 3/4 cup of the all-purpose flour. Or, substitute 1/2 cup full-fat almond flour for 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Or, substitute 1 1/4 cups gluten-free baking mix*** or 1 1/4 cups hi-maize high-fiber flour (King Arthur product) for all of the all-purpose flour. If using two flours, stir them together before using in the recipe.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR OR WHITE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 149 cal., 1 g fiber.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 145 cal., 60 mg sodium, 16 g carb., 1 g fiber.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 152 cal., 60 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH WHOLE GRAIN CORN FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 150 cal., 1 g fiber.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH WHITE BEAN FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 150 cal., 60 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH SOY FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 152 cal., 9 g total fat, 60 mg sodium, 15 g carb., 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH FULL-FAT ALMOND FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 156 cal., 9 g total fat, 16 g carb., 1 g fiber, 4 g pro.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH GLUTEN-FREE BAKING MIX: same as basic recipe, except 148 cal., 8 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 60 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.
**Flour Substitutes: PER BROWNIE WITH HIGH-MAIZE HIGH-FIBER FLOUR: same as basic recipe, except 145 cal., 8 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 60 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Tip

***Test Kitchen Tip: If using the gluten-free baking mix, increase water to 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
PER SERVING: 151 cal., 8 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 6 mg chol., 61 mg sodium, 17 g carb. (10 g sugars), 3 g pro.
Diabetic Exchanges
Fat (d.e): 1.5; Other Carb (d.e): 1;

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo for a Diabetic Diet

Steve Booth! This is for you! I grabbed it from Diabetic Living Magazine. Enjoy! This is great in a crock pot and just make the brown rice right before you are ready to eat!

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 14 - ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast or turkey breast (10 ounces)
8 ounces smoked turkey sausage links, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 cups sliced fresh okra or one 10-ounce package frozen cut okra, partially thawed
1 cup water
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped red or green sweet pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups hot cooked brown rice

Directions

For roux: In a heavy medium saucepan, cook flour over medium heat about 6 minutes or until brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Gradually stir broth into flour. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
Pour thickened flour mixture into a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Add chicken, sausage, okra, the water, onion, sweet pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Skim off fat. Serve gumbo over hot cooked brown rice. Makes 8 (3/4-cup) servings.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Servings Per Recipe: 8
PER SERVING: 230 cal., 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 48 mg chol., 425 mg sodium, 27 g carb. (3 g fiber), 19 g pro.

Mayor's Crack PeaMeal Bacon Sandwich

In honor of the crack smoking mayor of the City of Toronto, I'm going post a Toronto favorite. With a twist.

Now whether you smoke the crack, or show your crack, this would be the perfect sammich in honor of the fair Mayor Rob Ford. Bottom line is you need to be EXTREMELY drunk like Mr. Ford before you attempt this. After all, he NEVER smoked crack unless he was drunker that Cooter Brown.

OK....go to the store and get this.

8 slices of rye bread or a bun.

1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard (15 ml)

2 tablespoons butter, softened (30 ml)

12 ½ ounce slices of peameal bacon ( or just roll some bacon in corn meal)

4 tablespoons maple syrup (60 ml)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 ml)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15 ml)

4 1 ounce slices of sharp 5 year-old cheddar cheese. Stinkier the better.

Now take a huge swig of the libation of your choice. If you are SHOWING your crack, lower those pants just a bit.

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add peameal bacon slices and cook for ½ minute on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side. Drink.

2. In a small bowl combine the maple syrup and lemon juice and add to cooking bacon. Turn slices over and allow each side to get caramelized. Allow the slices to cook until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside until needed. DRINK.

3. Butter 8 slices of rye bread. Lay slices of bread with buttered side down on a flat surface. Spread honey Dijon mustard on four of the slices. DRINK and call the tv cameras.

4. Top the four other slices with one slice of cheddar cheese and 3 slices of the maple glazed peameal bacon. Cover with other slice of bread, buttered side out. Drink, show your crack more, and let the media inside.

5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place two sandwiches and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Stumble around and find more liquor, or crack. Your preference.

6. When cooked take sandwiches off the heat and rip in half. Eat. Drink. Show your crack.

You, too, can be famous like Mayor Rob Ford!

Sweet Potato Gratin in Herbed Cream

Sweet Potato Gratin In Herbed Cream

Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 2 hours, divided
Cooling time: at least 30 minutes

Time to come up with a new twist for sweet potatoes without just mashing them up, throwing some marshmallows on it and calling it a day.

Go to the store and get this stuff.

For the cream:
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley. About 2 tbsp.
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock. I either make my own or use Swanson's.

For the gratin:
3 1/2 pounds (about 5 medium) sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

To make the herbed cream: Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat them, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the herbs and white wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Reduce wine until almost dry. Make sure you pour yourself a glass.
Add cream and return to a simmer, reducing heat to medium-low once it starts simmering, until liquid is reduced to 11/2 cups, about 1 hour, or another glass of wine.
While cream mixture is reducing, peel sweet potatoes. Slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds on a mandolin. Set aside. Makes it prettier and the gratin will cook evenly.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and carefully blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Pass through a fine strainer into a large bowl or glass measuring cup, discarding any solids. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and set aside.
To make the gratin: Rub butter ( Don't be shy) to coat the bottom and sides of a 3-inch deep 8-inch-square or 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the cream mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Arrange slices of sweet potato in slightly overlapping rows to cover the bottom of the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a bit of both cheeses and then about 1/2 cup of the cream mixture evenly over the layer.
Repeat this process until the dish is almost full or all the potatoes are used. On the top layer, spread the remaining cream mixture. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Kinda like making a lasagna, but not.
Bake until the sweet potatoes are soft when poked with a fork, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil. If the gratin seems too dry, drizzle with the remaining 1/2 cup stock. Return the gratin to the oven and bake until cheese is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Let gratin cool on a rack at room temperature until it sets, at least 30 minutes. Patience, Grasshopper! Cover and reheat if necessary before serving.

I like this because I can make it very early on Thanksgiving morning and it is done before I tie up the oven with other stuff. Also great to travel with! Not on a plane, though.

Well, I'm back! Took a hiatus, but have been missing this blog so much! What a cool way to share great recipes and stories! It's gonna be lot's of fun, so get ready, tell your friends, and hang on! Feel free to refresh yourselves with a cocktail or three while you go back down memory lane with my earlier postings. I'll be back soon! (Said in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice!)