Cranberry sauce is a must-have with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Period. You just can’t have turkey and stuffing without a dollop of cranberry sauce somewhere on the plate. With that said, I still can only eat a few tablespoons of this jam-like condiment at a time. It seems that most people would agree judging by the fact that there’s always leftover cranberry sauce after the Thanksgiving meal. So what do we do with all the leftover cranberry sauce? We use it in a coffee cake.

I did a quick search for a cranberry coffee cake recipe and found this one at kingarthurflour.com. It was just what I was looking for. The only thing I did differently was to use a mixture of sour cream and milk in place of the buttermilk. The cake was moist with a light almond flavor, and went perfectly with a hot cuppa joe. If you don’t like almond-flavored treats then just use the same quantity of vanilla extract (it will be just as good). Although the cake was still tasty on the second day, I thought it was best the day it was baked.

Cranberry-Almond Coffee Cake
-recipe from kingarthurflour.com
 
This moist, golden cake hides a double layer of cranberry sauce and a sprinkling of almonds. It’s a lovely cake for Thanksgiving breakfast; and makes a satisfying autumn dessert, as well. This recipe comes from our James Beard award-winning best-seller, “The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion.”

Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt (low-fat is fine)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (10 3/4 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup blanched slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*

Glaze
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

*Spread almonds in an ungreased 9″ round cake pan, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup (9″ to 9 ½”) tube pan or bundt-style pan.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar till smooth. Beat in the eggs, then the buttermilk or yogurt and almond extract. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat briefly again, to make sure everything is well combined. Add the baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt, stirring just to blend. Grease and flour a tube pan. Spoon half of batter into pan. Spread half of cranberry sauce evenly atop batter, then spread remaining batter over that. Top with remaining cranberry sauce, and sprinkle toasted almonds evenly over sauce.

Bake the cake for 55 minutes, tenting it with foil for the final 15 minutes. When it’s done, a cake tester inserted into the thickest part will come out clean, and the top will spring back when you press it gently. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it in pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn it out of the pan onto a rack set over a piece of parchment, and stir together the glaze ingredients.

Drizzle the thin glaze over the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely before serving (or serve it warm, if you don’t mind it crumbling a bit!)
Yield: 1 cake, 14 to 16 servings.

I’m linked to:
Homemade for the Holidays

Tags: almond, Baking, bundt, Christmas, coffee cake, cranberry, holidays, leftover cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving

I like the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner but I don’t like it so much that I want to eat the same meal multiple days in a row. After the main Thanksgiving meal and a meal of leftovers the next day, I’ve pretty much had my fill of turkey and stuffing to last me until next Thanksgiving. At that point, I’m ready for something new. That’s exactly why I like to use the leftover turkey in a different dish like these delicious, creamy enchiladas. I brought them to a potluck and they were gone in no time. I doubled the recipe but probably should have tripled it.

Pretty much the only thing I did differently was to soften the tortillas in the microwave instead of frying them in oil. To do this, I wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave them at 30 second intervals until warm and pliable. Not only is this faster but it slims down the recipe. I like to garnish the enchiladas with sliced green olives because I love the salty flavor and color that they add to the dish. You can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey if you like. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

The Great After-Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine - epicurious.com

Yield: Serves 6

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
5 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chilies*
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked turkey
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
12 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
*Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce are sold at Latin American markets, at specialty foods stores and at some supermarkets.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Mix turkey, 11/2 cups cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup onions and 1/2 cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook 1 tortilla until pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1/4 cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Rewarm remaining sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat. Transfer to sauceboat. Serve enchiladas, passing sauce separately.

Tags: Casserole, Christmas leftovers, enchiladas, holidays, leftover turkey, Main Dish, Mexican, Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey

Pecans are the only food that astronauts do not have to treat and dehydrate when flying in space.

Almonds are members of the peach family.

The peanut is a vegetable and a member of the pea family.

- from The Ultimate Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham & The Useless Information Society

Tags: nuts, pecans

This chili is always a crowd-pleaser! It’s not uncommon for people to ask for seconds and thirds of this chili. Knowing that, I made an enormous vat of it to feed 75 people for Husband’s birthday last year…now that’s a lot of chili!!! For the beer in this recipe, I like to use a stout (like Murphy’s or Guinness) because it has a rich, chocolaty taste. I substitute beef broth for the chicken broth, and I use a can each of pinto, black and kidney beans instead of the prepared chili beans. When I’m feeling especially saucy then I add some diced green chiles and/or frozen corn at the end of the cooking time (so the corn doesn’t get too mushy). If you like it spicier, add 1 or 2 chopped chipotle chiles. Be sure to serve the chili with plenty of cornbread and the usual chili fixin’s: shredded cheese, chopped onions and sour cream. Beano would make a nice side dish.

Halftime Chili
Bon Appétit | January 1996

A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of their 50th anniversary.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 pounds ground chuck
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 12-ounce bottle beer
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 15- to 16-ounce can prepared chili beans
 
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chuck and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)

Tags: beans, Beef, beer, chili

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one with the Soup Nazi. In the show, everyone is making a huge deal about how good the Soup Nazi’s soups are. In fact, Elaine’s knees actually buckle after she tastes his mulligatawny, a curry-flavored soup. Even though it had been years since seeing this famous Seinfeld episode, I was still intrigued with wanting to try my hand at making mulligatawny soup. I decided it was time to make it myself.

I sauteed cut up chicken breast and thighs (skinless, boneless) instead of the turkey, used basmati rice in place of regular long-grain white rice, and replaced some of the yogurt with coconut milk (about a half cup of each). I also added about a half cup or so of chopped canned tomatoes and a heaping handful of fresh baby spinach leaves for added flavor, texture and color. I don’t know how close this is to the real thing but it sure tasted good! I served the soup with crusty bread. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Turkey Mulligatawny Soup
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

In place of the fresh turkey breast, you can use leftover cooked turkey or a purchased rotisserie chicken. Remove and discard the skin and bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the cooked turkey or chicken to the soup along with the yogurt.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 boneless, skinless turkey breast half, about 1 1/2 lb., cut into bite-size cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the turkey and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more to blend the flavors.

Add the broth and browned turkey to the pot, increase the heat to high and bring just to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice and cook, uncovered, until the rice is tender and the turkey is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Tags: curry, leftover turkey, rice, Soup/Stew, turkey

Husband loves meat, especially meat mixed with wine. It must be some kind of man thing. Anyway, for Husband’s birthday recently I wanted to make him a hearty meal that I know he would love. I decided on Beef Bourguignon (pronounced boor-gee-nyawn). Basically, it’s just beef stew cooked with a boat load of red wine. Meaty, satisfying, and delicious! The only thing I did differently with the recipe was to add some quartered red potatoes while the stew cooked instead of making the grilled bread with garlic. I did serve the stew with bread…just not on top of it. It’s also great served over mashed potatoes. I don’t think igniting the Cognac is necessary; it’s not worth the risk of singeing your eyebrows. Just add the Cognac and let it be. The recipe was a little time consuming (searing, simmering, cooking in the oven, etc.) but it was well worth it because Husband loved his Birthday Beef Bourguignon. It’s also a great entertaining dish because it can all be done a day or two ahead of time then reheated. 

Beef Bourguignon
-recipe by Ina Garten at foodnetwork.com
Serves: 6 servings

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:
Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
 
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Tags: Beef, French, stew, wine

If you’ve ever had a panini than you know how good they are. Warm, crunchy, often gooey (depending on the ingredients) and delicious. With all the ingredient possibilities, you could enjoy a different panini everyday. Oh, what a beautiful world it would be! I recently received a Villaware UNO ProPress Panini Grill from some girlfriends as group birthday gift. Not only was I surprised but I was also elated with my new cooking tool. I love cooking gadgetry! Anyway, my new panini grill is a beautiful little appliance. I feel like I’m working in a bistro when I’ve got it on the counter. Not only is it good-looking, but it’s functional, too. It’s got a good-sized non-stick cooking surface (11″x9″), adjustable temperature control and a commercial-style handle. You can even grill meat on it, although I haven’t tried that yet. Unfortunately, the cooking plates aren’t removable (which would aid in clean up) but that’s a small sacrifice for a delicious grilled sandwich.

The first sandwich I made on the panini grill was a simple ham & cheddar on wheat bread for my kids. They each devoured their share then asked for more, which of course left me beaming. When I told my 6-year-old that I was glad he liked the sandwich, he replied, “I don’t like it. I LOVE it.” Well there you have it…you better believe I’ll be using my panini grill on a regular basis if it continues to get that kind of a response out of a simple ham & cheese sandwich. Thank you, girlfriends (you know who you are).

Tags: Cookware, grill, panini

I’m convinced that our world would be a happier place if more people made Chicken noodle soup for each other. Just think of all the comfort and mirth we’d be sharing…kind of like Whirled Peas (you’ve seen the bumper sticker), only better! Chicken noodle soup is one of those basic foods that, not surprisingly, tastes so much better homemade than from a can. Yes, there’s a few steps involved but they are simple steps that result in something truly comforting. Imagine the goodwill you’ll be creating when you make a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup for your family or a sick friend.

This recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup comes from Tyler Florence of The Food Network (you gotta love a man that cooks!). It calls for making your own chicken stock by simmering the whole chicken with veggies and water. Be sure to use only about 3 quarts of water to make the stock or it will be too weak. In the pot I was using, 3 quarts of water didn’t totally cover the chicken so I turned the chicken over in the pot about half-way through cooking it to make sure the whole thing was cooked. Once you’ve made the stock then it’s on to finishing the soup. Next time I’ll probably double the carrots just because I like lots of carrots in my soup. The recipe calls for using 1-1/2 cups of the chicken meat which was about half of the cooked chicken.  Save the unused chicken for another use (chicken salad, enchiladas, a casserole, etc). The finished soup was satisfying and comforting…a perfect meal for a chilly Fall day.

Chicken Noodle Soup
-Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence at foodnetwork.com
Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock, recipe follows
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Chicken Stock:
1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
 
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze. Yield: 2 quarts

Tags: Chicken, Soup/Stew

I love bundt cakes and I love pears. Combine the two and you’ve got Pear Spice Cake. Now it’s not a show-stopper cake but it is simple, moist and oh so tasty.  With this recipe, I usually use Bartlett pears, I omit the raisins, and substitute pecans for the walnuts. I like how the contrast of textures and flavors work together in this cake: the crunch of the nuts against the softness of the pears; the warmth of the spices with the sweetness of the maple glaze. And if I’m feeling sassy I serve it with a dollop of brandied whipped cream. YUMM!

Pear Walnut Spice Cake
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand – foodnetwork.com
Yield: 12 servings

Cake:
1 cup raisins (dark or golden)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and ground allspice
2 cups peeled pear chunks (from about 3 pears)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the raisins in a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the flour until lightly coated (this will prevent them from sinking in the cake batter during baking).

To make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer) until fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vanilla and the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix into the egg mixture. Mix in the pears and nuts, then stir in the raisins by hand, distributing them evenly in the batter. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan and bake about 45 to 60 minutes, until springy and dry in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out. Freeze until ready to use or just wrap and store for up to 2 days.

To make the glaze: Stir the maple syrup and sugar together in a bowl. Glaze the cooled cake by spooning the glaze around the tops of the cakes and letting it drip down the sides.

Tags: Baking, bundt, cake, Christmas, holidays, pear, Thanksgiving