Showing posts with label Cranberries. Show all posts
Cranberry Rice Pilaf
in Casseroles, Cranberries, Holidays, Pecans, Pine nuts, Rice, Shallots, Side Dish on Saturday, December 3, 2011
Wild Rice
Maja Smend
American pilaf’s originated in the South. Rice pilaf is different from ordinary steamed or boiled rice in that the pilaf’s rice is cooked in butter or oil first, which makes the grains begin to swell. The liquid added is not plain water, but a flavorful liquid such as vegetable or chicken stock, which along with seasonings, adds richness to the rice.
Rice pilaf is a great dish with lots of flavor when you want more than just regular rice and the addition of dried cranberries makes it a winner. It would work just as well with dried cherries, raisins or apricots. Mushrooms would complement it well also.
This recipe takes rice to a new level and is a wonderful side dish for your holiday table. It will go with any meat or seafood and is a great alternative to potatoes; you will love the aroma of it!
Cranberry Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
2 cps. vegetable or chicken stock
1 T. butter
½ T. olive oil
1 or 2 large shallots, minced
1 c. wild rice
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/8 t. dried thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 c. pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted (or pine nuts) *
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small pan, bring the stock to a simmer.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the oil.
Add shallots and sauté 2-3 minutes until translucent.
Add rice and stir until well coated, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the heated stock, dried cranberries, salt and pepper and thyme, bring to a simmer, stirring well.
Transfer to a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
Place in 375 degree over and bake for about 40-45 minutes, until rice has absorbed the liquid.
Remove from oven.
Add parsley and toasted pecans. Fluff with a fork.
Serve hot or warm.
* To toast pecans or pine nuts, spread on small baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Stir frequently. Watch that they don’t burn.
Serves 4-6
ENJOY!
Saucy Sloppy Joes
in Beef, Cranberries, Entree, Ground beef, Sandwiches, Sauces/Marinades on Thursday, December 1, 2011
I love sloppy joes ~ they aren’t just for kids, are they?
It’s something I have tried many recipes of. This recipe is adapted from one that was in The Chicago Tribune years ago.
It’s the addition of cranberry sauce and liquid smoke with all the spices that makes it really tasty. I know, you’re probably saying “cranberry sauce?” It’s a great surprise ingredient! It really adds to the flavor and does not make the sloppy joes overly sweet.
If you like sloppy joes, you must try this; it’s a keeper for sure!
Saucy Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
8 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup ketchup
Hamburger buns, split and toasted
Method:
Brown ground beef in skillet with chopped onions.
In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir well.
Add bowl contents to ground beef.
Cover. Simmer on low heat for close to 45 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Spoon onto hamburger buns and serve.
This is an excellent tasty sandwich! ENJOY!!!
Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!
For a chance to win my friend Bo’s great Le Crueset giveaway, visit Bo’s Bowl!
Fiery Cranberry Sauce
in Condiments/Pickles/Relishes, Cranberries, Fruit, Sauces/Marinades, Side Dish on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Are you filled with joy when you hear the squishy sound of the jellied cranberry sauce oozing its way out of the can and then seeing all the ridges? Or are you a victim of the canned whole berry sauce?
It’s the endless thing here, some insist upon the whole berry and for others, only the sauce will do. I have to please them all and end up serving both varieties as I can’t imagine the turmoil if I didn’t.
However; the fact is, the essential cranberry dish is the simplest of Thanksgiving dishes to prepare. I like to spike them with some heat, so I fused the traditional cranberry sauce with hot jalapeno jelly, crushed red pepper flakes and a couple of cinnamon sticks. It’s easy and delicious! And then, the next day ~ topping off my turkey sandwich with a little of this fiery cranberry sauce. Ummmm! Good!
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| Harvesting cranberries |
Fiery Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 bag cranberries
1 cup water
½ cup brown sugar (I use Splenda)
¼ cup hot pepper jelly
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Method:
Place cranberries in colander and rinse.
Bring water and sugar to a boil in saucepan.
Add cranberries and return to a boil.
Add remaining ingredients.
Reduce heat to low.
When cranberries pop remove from heat immediately.
Remove cinnamon sticks
Let cool.
So do you go for the canned or are you a fresh cranberry person?
Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!
Zesty Cranberry Chutney
in Apples, Condiments/Pickles/Relishes, Cranberries, Fruit, Holidays, Side Dish on Sunday, November 20, 2011
Cranberries are ‘de rigueur’ with Thanksgiving turkey. I like cranberries in any form and I’ve tried a lot of cranberry recipes over the years but, I really like this one. This savory chutney has a good balance of tangy, sweet and spicy, with the addition of red pepper flakes, crystallized ginger and cinnamon. It’s a great alternative to the standard cranberry sauce and goes wonderfully with turkey as well as pork, beef, chicken and seafood, or could also be an appetizer when spooned over cream cheese on a cracker.
It’s an easy do-ahead side dish which would also make a delicious colorful, ‘jewel-looking’ gift in a jar for friends and neighbors during the holidays. This is easily the best condiment for turkey sandwiches the next day if you haven’t been sneaking bites of it out the refrigerator!
I wonder how it would be over vanilla ice cream?
Zesty Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients:
¼ c. dried apricots, finely chopped
½ c. golden raisins
½ c. brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1 c. water
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 t. lemon zest
½ t. cinnamon
¼ c. lemon juice
1 T. crystallized ginger
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
In a saucepan, combine apricots, raisins, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir for 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes, or until cranberries burst.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
ENJOY!
Roasted Butternut Squash with Cornbread Stuffing
This is a great way to dress up butternut squash!
I love stuffing, especially during the holidays this time of year. This recipe is not the stuffing I make to stuff the turkey ~ I’ll post that next week. However, this could be increased and would work fine for Thanksgiving dinner as a turkey stuffing or as a vegetarian entrée with the squash.
This is a simple side dish that is filled with good dried cranberries and raisins, fresh sage and parsley, along with pecans and crumbled cornbread. You can make the cornbread a couple of days ahead of time or even buy it at the market. Then combine all the ingredients, fill the squash and bake. It’s delicious and a perfect match for acorn or butternut squash.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 small to medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup golden raisins
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons pecans, chopped
1½ cups baked and crumbled cornbread
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
Brush cut sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place cut side down on baking sheet.
Roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
Soak dried fruit in hot water 10 minutes.
Drain and discard liquid. Set aside.
Heat remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic, sauté 5 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients with onion mixture.
Place cornbread stuffing into each squash half.
Return squash to oven and bake about 20 minutes, until stuffing is well heated and golden brown on top.
Makes about 2½ cups stuffing.
It’s simply delicious!
Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!
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