Cranberry Sorbet

This is a nice refreshingly light dessert that's a great alternative to pumpkin pie if you're overwhelmed on Thanksgiving.

4 cups of cranberries

5 cups water

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

Optional : zest from 1 lemon

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil. Add the cramberries and cook them until they pop, around 10 minutes. In small batches, puree the berries and cooking syrup in a blender. When its' done, pass it through a mesh strainer to get any solids (mostly peels and seeds). Chill this for 1-2 hours until cool.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Let this cool as well.

Combine the berry puree with the syrup when everything is cool. Then pop it on your ice cream maker until it's ready. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: This recipe is bigger than the standard ice cream maker. Half it or, like I do, make it in two consecutive batches. Serves 10-12.

Le Creuset Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Topping

4 tbs. olive oil 1 large red onion, roughly chopped 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½” pieces 1 lb. eggplant, cut into ½” pieces 4 celery stalks, cut into ¼” slices 4 zucchini, cut into ½” slices 1 lb. canned crushed tomatoes with their juice 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. sugar 2 cups fresh white bread crumbs 1 cup finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese Salt and pepper (I also added a clove of fresh garlic, crushed)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oil in the buffet casserole over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the onion and butternut squash and fry gently until they are lightly colored. 2. Add the eggplant, celery, and zucchini and continue frying, turing the vegetables occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, basil, parsley, vinegar, and sugar with 1 cup of water and plenty of seasoning. Cover and simmer slowly for 1 hr 15 minutes to 1 and a half hours until the vegetables are tender; the squash will take the longest to soften 3. When the vegetables are tender, remove the buffet casserole from the heat. Mix together the bread crumbs and cheese with plenty of seasoning and scatter this evenly over the vegetables. Put immediately under a hot broiler to crsip and brown the top. Serve straight from the buffet casserole.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups apples-cored and chopped
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Plum Pie

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced fresh plums
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pastry shell
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; pour into the pastry shell. For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cover edges of crust during the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ingredients

8 cups of bread cubed
2 T butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 large onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 t thyme
1 t paprika
3/4 t sage
1 t rosemary
2 t parseley
2 T fresh sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 c vegetable stock

Directions

Mix the bread crumbs and dry spices in a bowl

Spread the bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 until golden. Stir occasionally

Reduce oven temp to 350

In a frying pan, melt butter and cook onions, garlic, and celery until soft, about 10-15 minutes

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and then add in stock.

Bake in a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray for about 1 hour covered.

Squash Soup

3 pounds of squash (acorn, butternut, etc)
2 T. butter
1.5 pounds potatoes (I prefer red, any type is fine), cubed
1 medium onion
1 leek
2 cloves garlic
6 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. sherry
generous 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. ginger
1/8 t. nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. cream

Halve and seed the squash. Place face down in a baking dish with a little water and bake at 375 until soft, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Melt butter in a large pot. Sautee onions, leek, and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add stock and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes. Add squash and puree everything until smooth (I do it in batches in the blender). Return to the pot and add add spices, sherry, and cream. Heat through and serve. Freezes and refrigerates well.

Collard greens

3 quarts of water
4 t salt
1 t garlic powder
1 t pepper
a tiny bit of cayenne pepper - seriously, not too much. a bit under 1/8 teaspoon. this will be plesantly hot even with that amount
1 large bunch collard greens


bring the water and seasoning to boil. As it's heating, wash the greens and separate them from the thick middle stems. Stack them, roll them into a tube, and slice them into 1 inch strips. After it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add the greens. Stir occasionally until they are tender, around 5 minutes depending on taste.

Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
  
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

* 2 T vegetable oil
* 1/2 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
* 1/2 bunch fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
* 1 1/2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
* 1 can diced tomato
* 1/2 t ginger
* 2 cloves crushed garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon garam masala

Directions


Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin powder to the oil.
Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
Add chopped coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, salt, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Mix.
Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).
Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

Pesto

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts or, use more walnuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Red Velvet Cake

• 3 Tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Red food coloring

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, cocoa, and coloring and mix well. Add buttermilk by hand. Add flour, salt, and vanilla. Beat well by hand. Add vinegar and baking soda. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes if using a 9 x 13 inch pan, or 25 minutes in 3 (8-inch) cake pans.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 T softened butter

Mix together. Spread.

Corn Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add milk and egg. Stir until well mixed. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean)

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These are my very favorite christmas cookie, and they are so easy to make

Ingredients

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 T. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
extra powdered sugar

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in flour and vanilla. Add nuts and mix by hand. Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. These do not spread so you can place them close together. Bake for ~20 minutes at 350. They are best when they are just barely done, so watch them closely. Let them cool for a minute to let them solidify, and then transfer them to a bag of powdered sugar. Gently move them around to give them a good coating of sugar. Let them sit in the bag for around 10 seconds so the steam from the cookies can combine with the coating of sugar. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I like these best refrigerated the next day.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry kidney beans
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (yes, that's a lot of garlic)
  
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 6-8 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• not quite 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (World Market sells $0.99 packets that are excellent!)
  

Directions

Soak the beans overnight. To prepare, sautee veggies in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Combine veggies, beans, seasonings, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for and least 1 hour covered and then 1/2 hour uncovered. Mash some of the beans at the end to improve the texture. Add salt to taste. Serve over rice.

Brownies

2 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix the eggs and sugar, then add the butter (so you don't cook the eggs). Mix it up with everything else and bake it for 20-25 minutes at 350

(2245calories for the whole pan)

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Hey! Our fluffy friends need recipes, too!

Ingredients


3 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 c. milk
1-1/2 c. peanut butter
2 T. molasses


Mix everything together, kneed slightly, and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter (preferably, bone shaped). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Then, turn off the oven and leave the bones in there until cool. If you're making multiple sheets, take the first ones out after their 20 minutes and then put them back in when it's time to turn the oven off. they will not be sticky and you can stack them if you need the space.

Asparagus and Spring Pea Soup

Both Panera and Corner Bakery used to have asparagus and pea soup, which was SO good. Now, they don't have it, but I really wanted some tonight. I made my own version, which isn't the same but was still quite tasty.

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
1 lb bag of frozen peas (or fresh if you're lucky enough to get them)
3 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 onion
1/2 c half & half

Directions

Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside. Cut the stems into 1 inch chunks. I cut the woodiest part of the bottom and use it in my stock instead of making it part of the soup.

Sautee the onions lightly in olive oil until transluscent. Add peas, asparagus stems, peas, and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. While the soup is cooking, cook the tips until tender (steam, microwave, broil - whatever).

Add the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. The next step is straining. I strain about 80% of the soup. You may want to do more or less depending on the texture you like. Add the asparagus tips and half & half to the strained soup, add salt & pepper to taste, and reheat until it's simmering.

Serve!

Roasted Asparagus

Bend asparagus spears until they break - the tender part will break off from the woody part of the step. spread the good parts on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste. Spread the spears around to get them thorougly coated. Roast at 450 for 10-ish minutes until tender but not mushy. Great alone or with romesco sauce.