Tag: Recipes

 These are  really easy, really delicious. No baking necessary! When you’re having company over or visting someone else for the holidays, just set a plate heaping full of them out and watch them disappear.  It’s best to make them atleast a week ahead of time, put them in a tupperware container and set in the refrigerator to “season”.

 I’m not talking about the much hyped pomegranate and it’s known health benefits. No, I’m loving the pomelo.. have you ever heard of it?  I just discovered them last year, where have I been?  They are awesome if you are a citrus lover.  I’m not crazy about a regular grapefruit,which my grandmother used to serve at breakfast faithfully with a spoon full of sugar sprinkled on top and a cherry sliced in half for good measure…and bribery perhaps.    Ruby reds are pretty good… but a pomelo is divine.

According to citrus growers – The pomelo pronounced [pom-EH-loh] is also found spelled pommelo. Thought to be the ancestor of the grapefruit. This giant citrus (citrus grandus) fruit is native to Malaysia (where it still grows abundantly). It is also cultivated in California and Israel. Most of the varieties found today have been bred and grown.  The rind is very thick but soft and easy to peel away. The resulting fruit is light yellow to coral-pink flesh and can vary from juicy to slightly dry and from seductively spicy-sweet to tangy and tart.

I got this recipe from http://www.foodandwine.com/   Today is a miserable rainy dreary day… what better to chase it away than a tropical drink that reminds you of the islands…

Pomelo Mojito

Ingredients

4 peeled sections of pomelo or grapefruit, chopped
6 mint leaves
2 tablespoons Roba Dolce blood orange sorbetto
1 1/2 ounces white rum
Ice
Club soda
1 lime wedge

Directions

1.In a cocktail shaker, muddle the pomelo with the mint and sorbetto Add the rum and ice and shake well. Pour into a highball glass. Top with club soda and garnish with the lime wedge.

 This casserole dish is devoured by my kids and guests alike. Very easy to make – light and fluffy and satisfying, with a simple taste that is delicious.  I’m adding it to the Thanksgiving table.  My picky teen thinks I’m the best cook ever when I make this…and hey, whenever a teenager thinks I’m doing something RIGHT… I’m bound to repeat it… because that’s a  Blue Moon kind of thing around here.

Fresh Corn Spoon Bread
Gourmet Magazine – serves six
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears) (or 1 can)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Bring milk, cornmeal, corn kernels, butter, and salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then whisk in yolks.

Beat whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer at medium speed just until soft peaks form. Whisk one fourth of whites into cornmeal mixture in pan to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spread mixture evenly in a buttered 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate or 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole and bake in middle of oven until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately (like a soufflé, spoon bread collapses quickly).

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Fresh-Corn-Spoon-Bread-106756#ixzz15XLeRxRO

Over the years our Thanksgiving feast menu has not varied much from the traditional.  Should I even suggest I might deviate from the norm, the collective gasp is audible in Canada. What I do, though… is change it up just alittle here and there.  I’ve often used Laura Bush’s Cornbread Stuffing (I wasn’t a fan of their politics, but I did like her stuffing) … This year I’m going to give this recipe a try.

Mom’s Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients
•1 loaf of day old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups) I’m using pepperidge farm bagged stuffing cubes. It’s just easier.
•1 cup walnuts – leaving those out.
•2 cups each, chopped onion and celery
•6 Tbsp butter
•1 green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
•3/4 cup of currants or raisins. raisins!
•Several (5 to 10) chopped green olives (martini olives, the ones with the pimento)
•Stock from the turkey giblets (1 cup to 2 cups) (can substitute chicken stock)
•1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
•1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or ground sage (to taste)
•Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1 If you haven’t already made the stock, take the turkey giblets – heart and gizzard – and neck if you want, and put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a simmer; simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

2 Toast the walnuts by heating them in a frying pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring until they are slightly browned (not burned) OR put them in the microwave on high until you can smell the aroma of them toasting, about a minute or two. Let them cool while you are toasting the bread, then roughly chop them.

3 (if you’re not using packaged cubes) Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan, add the bread cubes, and stir to coat the bread pieces with the melted butter. Then let them toast; only turn them when they have become a little browned on a side. Note, if you aren’t working with somewhat dried-out day-old bread, lay the cubes of bread in a baking pan and put them in a hot oven for 10 minutes to dry them out first, before toasting them in butter on the stove top. The bread should be a little dry to begin with, or you’ll end up with mushy stuffing.

4 In a large Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions and celery on medium high heat with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the bread. Add cooked chopped walnuts. (or not)  Add chopped green apple,  raisins, olives, parsley. Add one cup of the stock from cooking the turkey giblets or chicken stock (enough to keep the stuffing moist while you are cooking it). Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper.

5 Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook for an hour or until the apples are cooked through. Check every ten minutes or so and add water or stock as needed while cooking to keep the stuffing moist and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serves 8-10.
Photos and recipe courtesy Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com/

For dessert I’ll make an Apple Cranberry Pie and instead of the traditional pumpkin, I’ll make a pumpkin cheesecake.   The Cheesecake Factory has my favorite recipes, easy to follow and  never disappoint.

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

Originally posted to recipelink.com by Elly, Ohio:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:
3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice

Whipped Cream

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8″ springform pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350. Set aside.
Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.

 Now let’s talk Cranberries.  I should get paid for these advertisements, no?  If you haven’t tried this cranberry relish sold by Harry & David, I recommend that you do… it is the bomb.   I actually buy six jars for the holiday season ( $5.50 each and I don’t think they sell it year round)  and when we have turkey or chicken for dinner, this comes out to the table.  It’s so delicious I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon. Truth be told, some times I do.  It’s a great teacher or hostess gift … also terrific on leftover Turkey sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil   (I used olive oil )
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)  – I don’t like them in it.

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.

3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes

 I get many good recipes from foodnetwork.com. This is a terrific roast chicken recipe, moist and delicious.

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Photo & recipe courtesy Footnetwork

Ingredients:
•1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
• salt
•Freshly ground black pepper
•1 large bunch fresh thyme
•4 lemons
•3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
•2 tablespoons butter, melted
•1/2 pound sliced bacon
•1 cup white wine
•1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

This recipe is awesome for a chilly fall evening, my picky family loved it.

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into stew sized pieces
Pearl onions (I used jarred)
I bag shredded carrots or three carrots diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oz. canadian ham, diced
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 cans (19 oz each) canellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
2 cups chicken broth

Warm olive oil, salt & pepper to taste in large non-stick soup kettle over high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add pearl onions, carrots, garlic and canadian ham/bacon, saute until onions are lightly browned. Stir in balsamic vinegar and wine or broth; bring to boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by about a third.  Stir in beans, rosemary and chicken broth. Bring back to simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper, ENJOY!     Serves 4

 Got this recipe out of a magazine, delicious and not too hard to make.  I used a cast iron skillet (oven proof is necessary).

Caramelized Apple Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 5  tbs  Butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large granny smith apples – peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Heat oven to 375.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl, set aside. Use electric mixer high speed to beat 1/2 cup of butter in large bowl until creamy (1 minute). Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla, beat until blended. On low speed blend in flour mixture and then sour cream.

Melt remaining 5 tbs butter in ovenproof 10 inch skillet. Add brown sugar , stir 2 minutes. 

Add apple slices to the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes or until tender.  Let cool 5 minutes.

Spoon batter over apples and spread to edge of pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack for 20 minutes, run knife around edge and carefully invert onto plate.