Swedish Ginger Cookies ( Pepparkakor)

Swedish Ginger Cookies

I’m into gingerbread and ginger flavored baked goods in a big way this year. Don’t know why! That’s not usually the case in previous years. But for whatever reason, this year is different and I just can’t get enough ginger-spiced goodness.

This vintage Swedish Ginger Cookie recipe has been in my family for a long time, and I just love to make it. Besides the fact that the flavor is so perfectly spicy, it makes a LOT of cookies, it can be rolled out thin for cutouts, or rolled into a log, and sliced. The dough is pliable and handles really well; and you can reroll it at least 3 times without it becoming tough.

Makes lots of cut-out cookies.

The dough is made a little differently than some of the contemporary gingerbread cookie recipes. Instead of creaming butter and sugar together (like most any cookie recipe), the molasses is heated to boiling, then the butter and sugar are added to it so they melt. Then you let the mixture cool a little and stir in the egg and dry ingredients. Really very easy to make. Another reason why I love it; no need to take out butter to soften up, you can make these any time you want to with cold, hard butter, because it gets melted. Hee, Hee!

It’s recommended that you chill the dough overnight before rolling and cutting so the molasses and butter can firm up, but then you are in for a treat as you work with it. I love it, but you don’t have to be Swedish to love these cookies.

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES

Yield: Makes about 10 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, well beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat molasses in a small saucepan to boiling. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Add sugar and butter and stir until butter is melted.

2. Cool, then beat in the egg.

3. Whisk or sift together the flour, salt, soda and spices.

Mix spices in with the flour.

Add to molasses mixture and mix thoroughly .

4. Cover bowl tightly and chill overnight. When ready to bake, divide the dough into 3 portions and work with one portion at a time, keeping the rest chilled. Preheat oven to 350*F.

5. On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll the dough out thin. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets, or use parchment paper to line the baking sheets.

Bake at 350*F for 6 – 8 minutes. The shorter baking time will give you a more chewy cookie, while the longer time will produce a crisp cookie.

6. This dough may also be shaped into a log (roll) and wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill thoroughly overnight or longer. Slice thin and bake in moderate oven (350*).

These cookies should be stored in an airtight container to allow flavors to “ripen”.

My post tomorrow will show you how I decorated these cookies with a simple, easy glaze. Y’all come back!

SOURCE: old family recipe

Mocha Fingers

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with chocolate, Christmas cookies, cookies, mocha, mocha butter cream, recipe December 17, 2014

Mocha Fingers

Recipes, ingredients and baking equipment change over the years, but cookies have always been a family favorite at Christmas. Each cookie that we make is a sweet bite of memory, and cookies tell the story of who we are, who we have been, and who we will always be.

The recipe for these “finger” cookies appeared originally in a Special Interest Publication by Better Homes and Gardens, back in 1996. I have a hugh collection of these special publication magazines devoted to Christmas and each year I get them out and look through them for inspiration on baking and cooking for the Holidays. These cookies are not hard to make and they are so good. A little more work to make than a simple drop cookie, but well worth the effort.

Which will it be? In your cup or in a cookie, mocha–a blend of coffee and chocolate–is one of the season’s hottest flavors. It’s a flavor that I particularly love at any time, but around this time of year it seems so right.

These are sophisticated, butter-cream-filled chocolate cookies. Marvelous with a glass of eggnog!

They are not difficult to make–mix up a simple chocolate dough, roll out thin and cut into “fingers” measuring 1 1/2″ x 3″. Once baked two crisp cookies are sandwiched together with a velvety smooth mocha butter cream filling. Really pretty simple, but awesome in flavor!

Warning!! Once you know how to made this mocha butter cream, you’re going to want to find other uses for it.

MOCHA FINGERS

Yield: Makes about 27-28 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick), softened
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg

Mocha Filling:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
1 -2 tsp. milk or light cream as needed

Directions:

1. Into the large bowl of electric mixer, combine butter and sugar, mixing on low to blend. Add egg and continue to mix. Blend in dry ingredients, (flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder). Scrape bowl occasionally and mix until well combined. Note: Chilling the dough is not required, but I find it easier to roll the dough if it has chilled at least an hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. On a lightly floured surface, with rolling pin, roll half the dough out into a 9″ x 9″ square, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into thirds; then cut each third crosswise into nine 3″ x 1″ rectangles. Place cookies about 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets. With a fork, prick each cookie in several places for decoration. Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired.

Cut dough into rectangles and prick with a fork before baking.

4. Bake cookies 15 minutes or until firm. With a spatula remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Make Mocha Filling: In a small bowl with mixer on low speed, beat 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, and 2 tsp. espresso powder. Add milk in tiny amounts as needed to get a creamy spreading consistency.

6. Assemble cookies: Spread bottoms of half of cookies with Mocha Filling; top with remaining cookies, top-side up.

Spread back side of one cookie with filling, top with another cookie, right side up.

Store cookies in tightly covered container. Makes about 27 sandwich cookies.

SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens, Christmas Cookies

Festive Swirl Cookies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Holiday and tagged with cookies, drop cookies, holiday cookies, recipe, swirl chips December 16, 2014

Festive Swirl Cookies

What began as a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, was transformed into a holiday cookie by substituting red and green swirl morsels for the chocolate chips. They still offer the crunch and chewiness of a chocolate chip cookie, but with a festive, dressed up appearance.

This could be one of the first cookies you bake, as they are good keepers. They will stay fresh for 1 week or more in an air-tight container, and they also ship well if you are sending a “care” package any distance.

They may not be as fancy a cookie as some that make their appearance at this time of year, but they are a favorite non-the-less, one that you can count on to always be good. The cookie dough may be frozen so you can have some ready to bake if unexpected visitors drop by, or the baked cookies may be frozen, and pulled out in a “cookie emergency”.

FESTIVE SWIRL COOKIES

Yield: 2 1/2 – 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup swirl morsels, green and red, mixed
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to blend.

3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugars and butter. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Add vanilla extract and egg whites; beat for 1 minute.

4. Add flour mixture and mix to incorporate, you may need to stir in part of the flour mixture. Fold in the chips.

Folding in the chips.

5. Drop dough by tablespoons, 2-inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350*F. for 10 minutes or until lightly browned, but still soft. They will firm up as they cool.

6. Cool on pans for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Store in an air-tight container.

SOURCE: Cooking Light

Leftover Turkey Dinner Baked Dish

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Holiday, Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with Holiday leftovers, leftover turkey, one-meal baked dish, recipe December 9, 2014

Leftover Turkey Dinner Baked Dish

Thanksgiving may be over, but there are more winter holidays ahead and that probably means there’s going to be more turkey on your table. And that means more leftovers. I have a few standard dishes that I make with leftover turkey beside the all-you-cram-into-it sandwich. There’s turkey pot pie that we love, (see my chicken pot pie recipe) and turkey tetrazzini, another comforting favorite. But sometimes you just want to make something new.

Every layer of this dish has something in it that you will love.

Here’s a recipe that is definitely new, because I just made it up. It’s based on a number of recipes that I had seen for turkey pot-pie, but this is a mash-up that includes your stuffing, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s like having the whole dinner again in a new form, and it tastes fabulous all over again too.

LEFTOVER TURKEY DINNER BAKED DISH

Yield: Makes approximately 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked stuffing
3 -4 Tbsp chicken or turkey broth
Get out all your bowls of leftovers.
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
1/2 cup turkey gravy
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1 cup vegetables, such as peas, carrots, green beans, small white onions, mushrooms, etc.
1/2 cup shredded cheese, swiss or cheddar is good
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups mashed potatoes
2-3 tbsp. milk or half and half
2 Tbsp. butter, melted (optional)
1/2 cup shredded cheese, same kind as above.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine stuffing and enough broth to reach desired moistness; Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch square baking dish, or deep dish pie pan. Bake at 350*F for 10 – 15 minutes until lightly browned.

Make a bottom crust with stuffing.

I had a few mushrooms to use up so I cooked them up with some onions.

2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and gravy until smooth. Stir in the turkey, vegetables, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon over stuffing crust.

Mix vegetables into gravy.

Stir in cut up turkey.

3. In a small bowl, combine potatoes and cream to loosen the potatoes and make them spreadable. Spread over the turkey filling mixture.

Drop mounds of mashed potato over the filling and spread it out.

Drizzle with butter, if using; Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Drizzle with melted butter, if using, and shredded cheese.

4.. Bake at 350*F. for 25 – 30 minutes or until bubbly, heated through and browned. Serve with additional gravy, that has been warmed.

Hot and bubbly out of the oven.

Serve with additional gravy, if desired.

SOURCE: A Carolyn’s Original

Kale, Mandarin and Avocado Salad

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Salads and tagged with avocado, clementines, kale, recipe, rice vinegar, romaine, salad, sesame oil, sesame seeds, tangerines, vegan, vegetarian December 8, 2014

Kale, Mandarin and Avocado Salad

I have over-indulged! Way over. I imagine there are any number of people saying the same thing about now. Don’t we ALWAYS over-indulge during the holidays? And we’ve got only the first one behind us.

I’ve eaten too much sweet potato casserole, stuffed myself with stuffing, picked at one too many pieces of pecan pie. I’ve done the peppermint stick ice-cream. It was delicious, but it’s over.

Stomach, I’m going to be nicer to you, because you deserve a break. Before I start making cookies, I’m making a salad. This is going to be so good, you’ll be thanking me all over the place. So, hang on to your hat.

A salad begins with greens, right? And what’s the most popular green in town? Kale! Yes, kale, chopped up nice and fine, raw and crunchy. Next we add some romaine, also chopped up nice and fine, also crunchy.

Cut up the greens nice and fine.

To sweeten up this deal we’re adding clementine or tangerine. Grab and peel those babies.

Avocados go in next; for color, for fat nutrients, for creaminess…..oh heck, just put them in because we love them, and they love to hang out with citrus. Bright and juicy meets soft and creamy.

Avocado + Citrus = True Love

Last, we sprinkle in some toasted sesame seeds because we need something to get stuck in our teeth to embarrass us later. If you want to leave them out that’s okay, you can still go ahead and walk around with kale stuck in your teeth.

To soften the kale, you can rub it with a bit of olive oil and salt….that’s called a kale massage….a totally normal thing to do. If you find baby kale you can skip this step. My supermarket is now carrying baby kale.

Once the kale is massaged, make the dressing. The dressing ingredients go into a small jar. They consist of rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce and pepper. Add in a tiny bit of minced garlic if you’d like.

These become the dressing.

Now tighten the lid, and start shaking. Shake, shake, shake like mad. That’s it. Done.

Toss dressing with salad.

Toss some with the salad, and as it gets tossed together the orange segments may split open and the avocado may mash a bit making these two elements a lovely addition to the sesame dressing. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Now’s the time to grab a fork and dig in. Your stomach will thank you.

Do yourself a favor, take a break today with a salad this good.

KALE, MANDARIN AND AVOCADO SALAD

Yield: Serves 4 as a side salad

Ingredients:

3 cups clean and well-chopped kale
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of salt
3 cups clean and well-chopped romaine lettuce
2 tangerines or clementines, peeled and divided into segments
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
fresh pepper and coarse salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage the oil and salt into the kale.

2. Add the romaine, tangerines, and avocado to the bowl.

3. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

4. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and pepper. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. If you don’t have a jar, whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.

5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

SOURCE: adapted from The Joy of Baking

Apple Upside Down Cake with Salted Caramel

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes and tagged with Apples, cake, caramel, dessert, recipe, sea salt, upside-down cake December 5, 2014

Apple Upside Down Cake with Salted Caramel.

It’s official: Winter is here. Snow has fallen, plows have been out, fender benders happened, walks and driveways have been shoveled. Black Friday took place, and we are barreling straight ahead to Christmas. It’s time to make my list of cookies that I plan to bake, and get in the necessary ingredients.

There are quite a few apples remaining that I picked at the orchard, so let’s see what I can do to use them up during this last weekend of November.

I know that I will make applesauce and I may even make baked apples and eat them for breakfast. We like them with a little granola sprinkled on top, or a dollop of yogurt, or both.

Baked apples filled with dried fruits.

Feeling a little “out-of-sorts”, (probably because I have too many projects going right now), I decided to use some of my apples and make this upside down cake. The recipe is an adaptation of one featured on the Food Network that used summer stone fruits, but with salted caramel in the picture I was certain that making it with apples would be just fine. And it was.

This recipe was a good choice as the white cake is light and mildly seasoned with vanilla and has a fine texture that I attribute to the buttermilk. Apples with caramel and sea salt are the perfect topping, made that much better with a little ice cream on the side when you serve it. It’s baked in a 9-inch square pan, so you will get 8 generous servings or several more if cut smaller.

It only gets better with a little ice cream on the side.

The problem I had with this cake was getting it out of the pan intact. The recipe suggests waiting 15 minutes after removing from the oven before turning it upside down onto a serving plate. I did that, and still the cake broke on one corner, and stuck to the sides of the pan. I patched it up as best I could using some of the sticky caramel for “glue”. (note photo) I realized I might have prevented this by running a knife around the edges of the cake before attempting to turn it out of the pan, so I suggest you do that if you make this cake.

See that broken corner?

The bright side is that it tastes so good, even when broken, that I’m happy to share my “disaster” photo with you. We all have an occasional disaster, and there’s no shame in that.

APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

Beautiful crisp apples, waiting to become a cake!

Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
2-3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. and coat a 9-inch-square cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until light amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the prepared cake pan. ( The caramel hardens quickly.) Arrange the apple wedges over the caramel in 4 rows; set the pan aside.

Lay rows of sliced apples on top of the caramel in the pan,

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and remaining 1 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the apples and spread evenly.

4. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. ( Mine took 45 minutes.) Cover the cake loosely with foil it is browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt.

SOURCE: adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Butternut Squash Gratin

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Side Dish, Vegetables and tagged with butternut squash, crumb topping, gratin, recipe, side dish, vegetable, vegetarian, winter squash December 3, 2014

Butternut Squash Gratin

Butternut squash has got to be just about my favorite winter vegetable. For the longest time the only way I ever had it was when it had been boiled till tender, then mashed with butter, and served as a puree. WOW! I didn’t realize how many different and interesting ways there are to prepare it…..and they’re all so good!

We’ve grown to like it best when it’s left in chunks and there is some “chew” left to it.

This recipe is very easy to make. Don’t let the name of the dish make it seem like a big deal. All “gratin” means is a baked dish that has a crumb topping. So with that in mind let’s get started making this side dish that goes with so many entrees. We particularly like it with roast chicken or turkey, but it’s also a great accompaniment to baked ham, or meatloaf.

All that’s required for this dish in addition to the squash, is some melted butter, a little garlic, and crumbs made from Panko and Parmesan cheese. If you prefer to use a different winter squash in place of the butternut, I’m sure it would work out as well, since many of them are interchangeable.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch rounds, or crescents
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Panko crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Baking dish size needs to be about 8 x 11, or 9 x 13-inches.

2. Arrange the squash rounds or crescents in rows in the baking dish.

3. Melt the 4 Tbsp. butter with the minced garlic, in the microwave.

Melt butter with garlic; mix Panko with cheese for crumbs.

4. Combine the Panko crumbs and the grated Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. melted butter and toss to blend into crumbs.

5. Brush the remaining butter and garlic mixture on the squash slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Sprinkle the crumbs all over the top of the squash.

Top with the crumb mixture.

7. Bake at 375*F. uncovered, for 30 – 40 minutes till tender. Crumbs should be nice and brown. If not, run under the broiler for about 5 minutes to brown them up, being careful not to burn them.

Toasty, fragrant crumbs, jazz up this winter squash dish.

SOURCE: Quick Vegetarian Pleasures

The Tale of a Cheesecake

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Pies, Pastry and tagged with Cheesecake, dessert, graham crumb crust, pumpkin cheesecake, recipe, vegetarian December 1, 2014

Pumpkin Cheesecake, freshly baked.

This story begins with a cheesecake and ends with a “dog story”. It may not make sense at the start, but it will by the end, so hang in here with me.

One of my contributions to our Thanksgiving Dinner was a pumpkin cheesecake. I brought it plus my Sweet Potato Casserole and Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce to my sister-in-law’s house for our family dinner. Having made these last two items in advance, last Wednesday I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake.

The project began in the morning when I took two blocks of cream cheese out of the fridge to soften up while I did some other things. By afternoon I was ready to begin putting the cheesecake together. It is very easy to make and I chose this recipe because it has garnered so many “stars” by recipe testers on Allrecipe.com. Think of it as an all-star recipe, even award-winning, you might say.

Folks who made it said it tasted just like the cheesecake at a very popular restaurant. It cut cleanly and looked attractive on the plate because the cheesecake goes into the crust in two layers, and when it’s cut the layers are very apparent. It was described as perfectly seasoned with the spiciness of pumpkin pie, but so much more creamy, because of the contrast of the crumb crust.

As I happily went about making what sounded so delectable, my mouth was watering. I had described it in such detail to my sister-in-law that her mouth was watering just hearing about it, and she really loves cheesecake, so we two couldn’t wait for dessert. I don’t want my wonderful readers to miss out on enjoying this terrific cheesecake so the recipe, and steps I followed in making it are listed below…..

DOUBLE-LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Yield: Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, or 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (low-fat is OK)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cloves
frozen whipped topping, thawed, or whipped cream to dollop on top.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325*F.

2. In a large beater bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in eggs, one at a time.

3. Spread 1 cup of cream cheese mixture in the bottom of the crumb crust.

Plain cheesecake batter goes in the bottom of the crust.

To the remaining batter, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over batter in the crust.

The remainder of the batter containing pumpkin and spices goes on top.

4. Bake at 325*F. for 35 – 40 minutes, until center is almost set. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 3 hours and best if overnight. (Make this a day ahead if you can, because it really needs that much time to set up properly. It will slice beautifully after a night in the fridge.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake, freshly baked.

At the completion of our main meal we eagerly went outside to get the pies where they had been stored in the cold, as there was no room in the refrigerator. We had a total of 4 pies and my cheesecake. When we went out to the get the pies we found only 3 pies and 2 empty pie plates, plus 1 very guilty-looking dog. Who let the dog out, that’s what we’d like to know? The dog devoured what we ourselves couldn’t wait to try: the cheesecake and an apple-walnut-caramel pie. The whole scenario was so funny with poor Sandy sitting next to the empty pie plates, hanging her head in shame, but with a secret smile on her face, and a few crumbs on her whiskers. She would give them 5 stars if she could 🙂

Sandy, after her pie-eating escapade.

I promised to make the cheesecake again for Christmas, so we will try again to see for ourselves how good it is.

SOURCE: Allrecipes Magazine

Fresh Whole Cranberry Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Dressings, Sauces, Side Dish and tagged with citrus fruits, cranberries, fresh cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, recipe, sauce, side dish, vegan, vegetarian November 26, 2014

Fresh Whole Cranberry Sauce

I think that cranberries are one of the best things about this time of year. They appear on the scene as fresh fruit at just the right time. All the color outside has just about disappeared and everything is looking very “gray”. That probably won’t last long as we have a forecast for snow starting tomorrow. (I so hope the forecasters are wrong!) Anyway, cranberries show up with their perfect red color and suddenly things are looking up.

At one time way back when, I was very neutral toward cranberries. Like, “Oh, yeah, cranberry sauce with turkey..that’s nice”; and that’s all I thought they were good for. But now-a-days, because they freeze so easily, we can cook and bake with the little jewels all year long. But somehow they seem most welcome in the fall and through the Holidays. I really think it’s because of their wonderful color when everything else around us is so drab. They’re bright and cheerful, make you smile, and they’re a very flattering shade of red.

Oh, you are SO gorgeous !

Now their flavor is something else!! Most people are scared of a cranberry. My goodness, how do you sweeten it up? Try eating just one…..raw. That little baby has major pucker power. They are so tart they make an average lemon seem like a wimp. But you know, that’s really the best part. Cranberries provide a contrast. Think about your favorite foods, aren’t there contrasts involved? Savory against sweet; sweet decadent desserts with a little salt; a crunchy topping on a smooth custardy base; and cranberries—all twisted up with something sweet really get to shine.

Well cranberry sauce is like that. A contrast in and all by itself. It’s sweet, but it’s tart. It can be smooth and jellied, or chunky and rough. It’s satisfying and flavorful on its own, and it gets even better when other fruits are added to it. Citrus fruits pair with cranberries very well, especially oranges, so I add some zest and some juice. I also add some lime, the zest and juice, to deepen that layer of citrus you detect. Making my own fresh cranberry sauce is so fun and this recipe can be dressed up with additional fruits like chopped apples, or pears and some raisins to turn it into a chutney. Think of it as a garnish to go with whatever you may be serving and have some fun with it. Cranberry with pineapple and ham, anyone?

WHOLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Yield: about 12 servings, or 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
2 cups granulated sugar ( I use about 1 3/4 cups, as we like it less sweet)
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lime peel
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries pop.

Skim off any large amount of foam that may form on the surface. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. This sauce will thicken nicely as it cools because of the high level of pectin in the cranberries. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container. Serve with chicken or turkey, or any other entree of your choice.

Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with butternut squash, cranberries, low fat, recipe, Thanksgiving, turkey tenderloins November 25, 2014

Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

This recipe is for anyone who is not planning on roasting a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, yet wants to have some turkey the day of…just not for a week afterward.

Can I interest you in turkey tenderloins stuffed with a savory filling of butternut squash, cranberries, sage and pecans? All the tastes of Thanksgiving wrapped up in a neat little edible package. These are not hard to make, they taste fabulous and even the next day, they still taste great leftover for lunch.

Turkey tenderloins are the tender long strip of white meat hidden under the turkey breast. They are succulent, and so excellent for fast cooking. Because they are so lean you want to be sure you don’t overcook them or the meat will be dry. Once stuffed they are seared a little to brown them up, then covered and baked in the oven to finish cooking. By covering the pan you keep all the moisture inside, thereby maintaining moisture in the meat.

I made these for Mr. D. and me as a pre-Thanksgiving meal to try them out, but they would be good anytime you want just a small amount of turkey or you’re planning a meal for a special occasion.

BUTTERNUT STUFFED TURKEY TENDERLOINS

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless turkey tenderloins ( about 2 large, or 4 smaller ones)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced butternut squash, 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. dried sage
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
cooking twine
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until soft and golden.

Sauté shallots and garlic till soft.

Add butternut squash, cranberries, maple syrup and 1 Tbsp. water and cover; cook on low for 10 minutes.

Add b-nut squash, cranberries, maple syrup and water.

Turn off heat and add salt, pepper and sage. Stir in the pecans and set aside to cool slightly.

Add seasonings and pecans.

2. Cut a pocket into the sides of the tenderloins, being careful not to cut all the way through at the ends. Sprinkle inside and out with salt.

3. Stuff each turkey breast with about 1/2 cup of squash mixture. (This really depends on the size of your tenderloins. Stuff them as full as possible.) Cut cooking twine long enough to tie each breast with 3 to 4 pieces of twine. Cut off extra “tails”.

Tenderloins stuffed and tied.

4. Preheat oven to 375*F. Wipe out the skillet you’ve previously used and reheat to medium-high. Spray with a little cooking spray. Carefully sear each turkey tenderloin on each side. If your skillet is oven proof, cover tightly with foil and place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (If your skillet is not oven proof, transfer the tenderloins to a baking dish and cover with foil.) Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

SOURCE: Slightly modified from Skinny Taste

Delicious on a Dollar

Devoted to the preparation of healthy & economical foods that taste fabulous!

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