Orange Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice (about 1 large orange)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries (about 8 ounces)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Set aside 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Combine rind, juice, oil, and egg in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Run a knife or spatula around outer edge of each muffin cup. Carefully remove each muffin; place on a wire rack.

Nutritional Infrmation

Calories:169 (30% from fat)

Fat:5.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 2.4g)

Protein:2.5g

Carbohydrate:27.9g

Fiber:1.3g

Cholesterol:2.4mg

Iron:1mg

Sodium:236mg

Calcium: 35mg

Rita LaReau, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Beef Stew

recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated and Joelen's blog

4-5 pounds stew beef
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 onions, minced (about 4 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour, seasoned
2 cups red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound baby carrots
1 cup button mushrooms, halved
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn.

Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and soy sauce. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to preheated oven, and cook for 11/2 hours.

Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in the baby carrots, cover, return to oven, and cook until they are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over medium heat on the stovetop until meat offers little resistance when poked with fork (meat should not be falling apart), about 15 minutes. Stir in frozen peas, and allow to warm through. Check for seasoning and serve.

Buttermilk Pancakes

from Alton Brown via Beantown Baker blog

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar

3 eggs, separated
3 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp melted butter
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh blueberries, optional

Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F. or frying pan over med-low heat

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Lightly butter the griddle.

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit or chocolate chips if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Baked Shrimp Scampi - Ina Garten

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

We have used it on ribs, but would be great for anything with BBQ sauce.

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Crispie Waffles - KitchenAid recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 1/4 cups low-fat milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in mixer bowl. Add egg yolks, milk, and butter. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed 4 and mix about 30 seconds, or until ingredients are combined. Stop and scrape bowl. Continuing on Speed 4, mix about 15 seconds, or until smooth. Pour mixture into another bowl. Clean mixer bowl.

Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Speed 8 and whip until whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into flour mixture.

Heat waffle iron. Pour about 1/2 cup batter for each waffle onto iron. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yield: 6 servings (1 waffle per serving).

Per serving: About 287 cal, 8 g pro, 39 g carb, 10 g fat, 75 mg chol, 441 mg sod.

Creme Brulee French Toast

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 (8 to 9) inch round loaf Challah bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

Cut 6 (1-inch) thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. You can also freeze it once the bread soaks up the egg mixture. Remove from freezer night before and place in fridge - may take a little longer to cook if still a little frozen in the morning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Double-Layer Pumpkin Pie

My favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Beat cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in half the Cool Whip. Spread into crust.

Whisk remaining milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices 2 min. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining Cool Whip just before serving.

Simplest Turkey

Not sure where I got this one from but my meat thermometer didn't work so well last Thanksgiving and I had to eyeball it when it was ready - definitely took longer than the recipe states.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liver and save the rest of the giblets for gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper.

Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter.

Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F.

Let rest while you make the gravy.

Homemade Gravy - Ina Garten recipe

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup flour1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon white wine, optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked. Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

Creamy Squash Soup Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 pounds butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 (13 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. 

Optional: One apple, added with squash.  2 tsp Penzey's Fox Point seasoning

This freezes well right before the addition of the cream and I have served it without the cream to guests that are lactose-intolerant.

Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing

16-ounce bag stuffing cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cooking apples, such as Gravenstein, Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted (See Note)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the walnuts and eggs.

Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Set immediately or warm.

Tips: Put the dressing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey
Note: To toast nuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree F oven until golden, about 7 minutes. Also can add dried fruit.

Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie - Emeril Lagasse

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell – frozen deep dish
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake on top of foil, cover edges with foil last 10 minutes. Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into individual servings and serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Knorr’s Spinach Dip

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1 pkg Knorr’s vegetable soup mix
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, minced (optional)

Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together in a bowl. Pour in the soup mix, water chestnuts, spinach, and green onions (optional). Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for at least four hours. Stir before serving.

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup white sugar
1 bag of fresh cranberries (12 oz or 3.5c)
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled & diced
1 Anjou pear, peeled & diced
1/4 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cornstarch mixed into 1 tbsp cold water

1. Put water & sugar in a medium pot and bring to a boil, dissolving sugar.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring back to a boil.
3. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add cornstarch/water mix. Simmer for 30 minutes
4. Let cool to room temperature and serve it warm or chilled.

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup diced nuts and 1/2 cup of whatever dried fruit you like. Add at end but I omit them.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Strawberry Lemonade

From Emeril Lagasse on Foodnetwork.com Next time strain the strawberries.

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
The peel of one lemon in strips (used a veggie peeler)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
4 cups cold club soda


In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar in the water over med low or low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool and remove lemon peel.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the club soda and some ice to a pitcher and stir well.

Lemon herb marinated feta

I never would have looked at this recipe from Whole Foods website and decided to make it but a block of feta was the Friday special at Whole Foods one day and while I was walking through they had this dish to try. It was very tasty and full of flavor. Even those in the house who were not really feta lovers thought it was great. Changes - I did not use whole peppercorns since I didn't want to buy a whole bottle just for this dish (we aren't pepper lovers) and I used a little extra lemon peel since we love lemon.

1/2 pound feta cheese, drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary
4 to 5 wide strips lemon zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Olive oil

Put feta cheese into a glass pint jar or plastic tupperware container. Gently tuck thyme, zest, bay leaf and peppercorns into jar then cover contents with olive oil. Seal tightly and chill for at least 2 days or up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving. Drain and save olive oil before serving. Serve over some lettuce with mini toasts.

Roasted Broccoli

You could almost eat this broccoli as a main dish it is so good. I try and use the good parmesan since that is a lot of the flavor in this dish.

2 large bunches of broccoli, cut into florets and dried thoroughly
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tbs basil, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt and garlic. Roast at 425 for 20-25 minutes until some florets are a little brown.

Zest and juice the lemon over the broccoli, add the basil and sprinkle with parmesan.

Crockpot Pork chops and Apples

The apples do fall apart into a kind of applesauce for the pork so you can peel the apples if you like it better that way. I like to shred the pork to soak up the extra sauce when I eat it. Yummy over brown rice.

6 boneless pork loin chops
3-4 medium Golden Delicious apples, sliced
4 tbl brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt (optional)

Place apples over the pork in crockpot, sprinkle remaining ingredients over the top. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

BBQ Pineapple Chicken Packet

For each packet:
1 chicken breast
2 pineapple rings
2 pepper (green, red or yellow) rings
1 tbsp BBQ sauce

Use heavy duty foil and make a packet for each chicken - fold the top and ends to seal the packet but leave some room for heat circulation inside.

Grill 20-25 min or 30 mins at 350 in the oven.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Spice Rub:
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oregano
4 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

5-6 lb pork roast
1/4 cup water
2 cups BBQ sauce plus extra for serving

Rub the spice mix into the meat (on top of saran wrap and a sided cookie sheet - may leak). Wrap tightly in 2 layers of saran wrap and refrigerate overnight to 3 days.

Place in crock pot, add 1/4 cup of water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Discard liquid, shred meat and place back in crockpot with BBQ sauce. Heat on low for 3-60 minutes until hot.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is double the recipe but I rarely make any less. Just freeze half if you don't use it within a few days.

1-2lbs of ground beef or turkey
2-28oz cans Crushed or ground tomatoes
2-6oz cans tomato paste
~30 leaves of fresh basil
~1/2 cup fresh parsley
1tbl dried marjoram
5 cloves of garlic, minced

Brown meat together with garlic and drain.

Add crushed tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour.

Add tomato paste plus 6 cans of water (helps rinse out the cans since the paste is sticky). Bring to a boil and simmer with lid slightly off for 2-3 hours.