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Sunday, December 23, 2012

SPECIAL EDITION: RECIPE EXCHANGE!

Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating!  And Merry Christmas, Festivus, whatever you celebrate!

Let's share some recipes!  Someone else will need to bring the latkes, as I am hopeless.  But I'll get the ball rolling with some delicious stuffing.

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ETA:  I republished to move this thread up.


30 comments:

kathy a. said...

Sausage, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing

about 5 cups of cubed bread (I use part wheat, part white)
1 lb. ground turkey sausage
3/4 cup chopped celery
2.5 tsp. dried sage
1/5 tsp. rosemary
0.5 tsp. thyme
1 apple, cored and chopped (I use a tart apple)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup parsely
3/4 cup chicken or other stock (or a little more)
1 stick butter, melted

toast bread crumbs lightly on cookie sheet, 350 degrees (5-7 minutes) -- put in big bowl

cook sausage and onions in large pan; break up sausage; add celery and spices for the last couple of minutes

add sausage mixture, butter, stock, apple, cranberries to bread cubes. mix it up. press into buttered 9/13 pan.

cover loosely with foil; bake at 350 for about 30 minutes; remove foil for another 10 minutes or so.

Miranda said...

This looks fabulous. Does anyone have a good replacement for sage? Teen Daughter is seriously allergic to sage and I promised her homemade stuffing for Christmas since I "ruined" Thanksgiving by taking the family out for brunch and all commercial stuffing has sage, naturally.

kathy a. said...

i think you could go a little heavier on the rosemary and parsley, maybe add some basil or marjoram? no reason to sacrifice the stuffing because one ingredient does not work!

i forgot to add, i always use a generous sprinkle of pepper; and i never add salt (there is plenty in the broth and butter), but your taste may differ.

debangel said...

mmMMMM!!! I'm definitely going to try that, but with GF bread. Wheat + me= potbelly. And hives. ;-)

I'd sub rosemary and thyme in equal parts for the sage in this stuffing. Not sure what I'd sub for the sage in something like butternut squash raviolis. (Yes, I'm craving wheat, why do you ask??)

I have no idea what recipe to contribute..does anyone need a grain-free (aka nut flour) recipe for breading, such as for chicken cutlets? It's my own invention and wildly popular with my family and friends :) Making some momentarily, but I will type it out as soon as my hands are clean ;)

kathy a. said...

All recipes welcome, especially ones you love! (And, at least one other pixie avoids wheat.) We can all stand to learn about delicious alternatives!

I think the stuffing could also be made vegan, switching out the turkey sausage and using veg broth. I'm still a meat-eater, but trending more vegetarian. I try to avoid excess salt and fat; although I do not go "whole hog" (so to speak) on healthiness with holiday dishes. Salt, though -- I try to keep that down.

Miranda said...

Here is my favorite pumpkin pie. I use frozen pie crust - the kind that is rolled up in the freezer section and one places in one's own beautiful pie bakeware. http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/65/Pumpkin-Pie

Here is the basis of my famous apple pie: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=12377&origin=detail&servings=8&metric=false

Again, use premade crust. I use a mixture of apples because sweet, tart, and mushy together make the best pie. I do not lattice my crust but prefer to cut the top crust in fun star patterns. I also toss the apples in the sauce before putting in the pie pan. For extra decadence, top with warm caramel sauce when serving.

esperanza said...

I'll chime in with a pecan pie recipe. I'm all over the unroll-it premade crusts, too.

2 T flour
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup pecans, broken in little pieces

Mix the flour, butter, and brown sugar together. Then add eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Stir in pecans at end. Cook at 325 for about an hour.

debangel said...

This is an excellent coating for chicken cutlets, pork, or fish, and when combined with enough egg to form a patty, makes quite a tasty “hush puppy” as well. Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking. This is a large batch that will “bread” about 2.5 lbs of chicken tenders. Unused portions that have *not* touched meat keep very well in an airtight container in the freezer.



Ingredients:

2 c. almond flour

1 c. good-quality (i.e. not the shelf-stable type) grated parmesan cheese, or a parm/romano blend for a milder flavor

2 T. sea salt (my favorite is Celtic grey sea salt, though you can substitute kosher salt if you wish)

2 T. garlic powder

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. dried parsley

1/2 T. dried oregano

1 t. white pepper



In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with a whisk until spices are evenly distributed. Use in any recipe that calls for traditional bread crumbs as a breading or binder.


kathy a. said...

mmmm mmmm mmmmm. Great recipe ideas!

I'm going to try re-creating the best cranberry sauce i ever made, but it happened accidentally because I had a major cinnamon overdose on the first try (a double batch), which then was mixed with a second try (single batch). So, here is what I think a single recipe would be:

1 bag cranberries
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup orange juice
1-1.5? tsp. cinnamon
~1/8-1/4 tsp. ground dried ginger
maybe a few dashes of nutmeg, cardamom

Cranberry sauce is VERY easy! Just boil all the ingredients together, reducing to a low boil until the berries pop and it is thickening; stir often. I squash berries against the side of the pot while stirring.

OK to vary white v. brown sugar, H2O v. OJ. What I think made the Thanksgiving mashup work is that it was on the spicy side -- perfect with turkey; nice also to complement curry, with brie on toast. If you're not into spices, leave them out for a regulation version of this classic.

kathy a. said...

Here is a link to the latkes: http://www.tbtam.com/2011/12/latke-masters-latkes.html#sthash.DR8TbuZA.dpbs

We are having christmas latkes, care of son's GF's parents!

Liz Miller said...

I use the latkes recipe in Kosher Gourmet. Delicious. The secret is in the frying, people. They must be fried.

I use the herb-rubbed turkey recipe from Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving.

I use the city ham recipe from Good Eats.

Sue said...

I haven't had a chance to read all the way through yet - but Miranda - we use Savoury as a replacement for Sage. Ours comes from Newfoundland, but you can find it anywhere. It is really good in bread stuffing.

This year I'm trying it with good gluten-free bread!

kathy a. said...

Liz -- stupid question, but can latkes be made ahead and re-heated? (I know they are best hot off the frying pan.)

Sue -- great suggestion about savory! It is one of those spices I have not tried, but it sounds lovely and versitile.

esperanza said...

I don't think I've ever had a latke, here in the backwater. But how can friend potatoes be bad?

Liz Miller said...

You CAN re-heat them by frying them again briefly in the same oil you cooked them in. This maintains crisp exterior, fluffy interior goodness.

Do NOT microwave. If you do, you will get a soggy, limp, unappetizing pile of oily potato.

Liz Miller said...

This is the cookbook I use for them: http://www.amazon.com/Kosher-Gourmet-Street-Cooking-School/dp/044990959X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355172677&sr=8-1&keywords=kosher+gourmet

kathy a. said...

ack! now i'm starting to worry about the menu -- talk me down. GF's family is jewish, but she says they are all good with ham. and they are bringing latkes.

and so i'm thinking -- we need some turkey or chicken or something (no goose; i am not going there) -- maybe a small turkey? nevermind, i'll figure that part out. but bird takes considerable oven time. and i do not have a whole lot in the way of counter space.

so, the real problem is: small kitchen, potentially lots of chefs at the end, which is when i'm usually heating things up, getting things in serving dishes, setting the table, blah blah blah.

i need to clear counters as much as possible. and figure out a different rhythm, that's the ticket. and distract non-essential personnel out of the kitchen. i think i need to collaborate with son's GF's mom about what she needs, maybe.

holidays = logistics.

Sue said...

I haven't tried latke either esperanza, but they do sound good.

Addition to the Pixie lexicon - "friend potatoes"

:)

Liz Miller said...

Kathy A. How many people?

Do a small turkey, it comes out of the oven at least 1/2 hour ahead. Or do a roast, same thing.

Or ooh! do a pot roast in the slow cooker. Ditto brisket.

Give "helpers" things to do outside the kitchen (making place markers with everyone's names, setting the table, arranging the centerpiece).

debangel said...

Yes! I second "friend potatoes"! After all, they come in bunches of colors and sizes, they're fun to cook with, and you can find one almost anywhere you go ;-)

kathy a. said...

LOVE friend potatoes!!

Liz -- 8-10 people, and we need leftovers. But there are necessary items: ham, wild rice mix, green beans, rolls, cranberry, salad; and I have that stuffing in mind. I usually do a savory sweet potato gratin, but think we'll go with squash this year, since we'll have friend potatoes. :)

We actually only need the stove for latkes and gravy, toward the end there; the turkey can rest someplace else. Rice goes in the rice cooker. Ze kitchen does have traffic problems, but it'll work.

kathy a. said...

Savory Sweet Potato Gratin

I can't find the recipe, but this is close: http://www.projectfoodie.com/from-the-.../garden/the-sweet-potato---sweet-potato-and-sausage-gratin.html

I use 1 cup of heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup broth. You can vary the amount of onion to taste; and use spices you like.

Liz Miller said...

The recipe for chocolate dropkins

kathy a. said...

Dolma (grape leaves; but the filling also can be used to stuff tomatoes, squash, bell peppers)

1 lb. ground lamb +/or beef
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 med. onions, chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce (or, can of diced tomatoes)
chopped parsley
mint and/or basil are also good
salt/pepper
jar of grape leaves

Mix all of the above, except grape leaves. (A veggie version is OK -- you might add more onions, tomato, other finely chopped veggies.) (Onion-haters might omit, and go for more tomato and spices.)

Trim stem from grape leaf; put a heaped spoonful of mixture on top; roll, tucking in sides. Line them up in a dutch oven or casserole, side by side; then do the next layer. Put an oven-safe plate on top; fill with water; cover and bake for about an hour at 350 F. Can be served either hot or cold; traditionally served with plain yogurt.

Stuffed peppers: same idea. cut the tops, clean out the seeds; stuff the mixture loosely; put the little hats back on. stand them up, with enough water to steam them to perfection.

There are lots of variations; the main thing is having enough moisture for the rice to expand, and enough heat for the meat to cook. Zucchini is cut lengthwise, seeds scooped. Tomatoes . For winter squash, choose smaller ones, and you might need to cook longer. Be sure there is enough water!

kathy a. said...

p.s. -- The dolma recipe is adapted from several in the Armenian cookbook that my MIL gave me; she is 83, and she got this book in high school! Anyway, feel free to adjust the recipe according to taste; everybody else has their own version. You pretty much can't mess it up, so long as there is enough water and time to cook the rice.

esperanza said...

Ha! Friend potatoes. I like it, but that's what I get for typing while in the (parked, duh) car.

kathy a. said...

OK, this is the most sinful thing I have ever seen in my life. So, that makes the 7 layer cookies alone almost virtuous!

1-1.5 sticks butter, melted in the pan [match with the graham amount]
1-1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (crush in a plastic bag, it's fun!)-- press into the butter
1 cup sweetened coconut (or less)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or more)
1 cup butterscotch chips (or less)
1 cup chopped/broken pecans
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk -- pour over the top, more or less evenly

Layer in the order above in a 9x9-ish pan, then bake it all in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes. Let it cool, already! Then cut into bars with a sharp knife.

Lining the pan with foil or parchment is optional, and worse for the planet, but it can make the cutting part go easier.

kathy a. said...

If you are going for the larger butter/graham part, this works in a 9x13 pan. As with all great recipes, this one is versatile. Kill the coconut if you must; ramp up the chocolate. It will all work out.

Sue said...

7-layer cookies sound heavenly! If I can find a G-free alternative to graham crackers, I'll be all set.

kathy a. said...

sue, any plain or non-savory gluten-free thing should work in place of the grahams -- just crush cookies or crackers, and press them into the butter. or use gluten-free toasted crumbs.

there is plenty of sweet in this recipe, and the sweetened condensed milk "trickles down" for real.