Latest Recipes

Thanksgiving Stuffing: Dressing Your Turkey, New Deli Style

Posted by Jennifer Cote

There are a number of options when looking for dressing recipes, but I always return to one I’ve used for years, adapted from a very basic Betty Crocker recipe. It’s easy to get creative, adding personal favorites: Apple, raisins, sausage, pecans, wild rice, and cornbread are all popular additions. Some stuffing recipes suggest using dry bread cubes, but liquid needs to be added to the mix to compensate. Also, packaged dry bread cubes often contain other ingredients (dough conditioners and such) that we might rather avoid.

Some folks may prefer sour-dough bread, but most popular with my group is a stuffing made with good quality, sweeter bread, preferably from the bakery section or a specialty store. Wheat bread or sprouted wheat bread can make up all or part of the mix; sweet French bread is also nice. Look for breads that aren’t too tough. Also, avoid breads that are too soft; generic, brand-name breads lack texture, deflating into a gummier mass; not what you want!

The method of sauteeing the celery and onion first helps the flavors to permeate, and it turns out somewhat moist, but not soggy. I personally like to bake a side dish of this as well; the top gets deliciously crunchy. Makes 9 cups stuffing; enough for a 12-lb. turkey.

Dressing for Turkey: Use Good Bread!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 c. minced onion
  • 1 1/2 c. chopped celery (including leafy parts, if there are any)
  • 1 c. butter
  • 2 tsp. Vege-sal (or substitute regular salt)
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 c. chopped, fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary (or personal favorites, or substitute 2 TBS. dry herbs or poultry seasoning mix)
  • 9 c. (soft) wheat bread cubes

PREPARATION

1. Saute in large iron pan: > 3/4 c. minced onion > 1 1/2 c. chopped celery > 1 c. butter

2. When veggies are translucent, add the seasonings: 2 tsp. Vege-sal (or salt) > 1/2 tsp. pepper > 1/4 c. fresh herbs (or 2 TBS. dry herbs)

3. In large bowl, add: > 9 c. soft bread cubes

4. To the bread cubes, add the ingredients from the pan, tossing to mix. Stuff the cavities of the bird just before roasting. Don’t pack the stuffing in too tightly, which makes it too dense.

Cranberry Bread- Whole Grain (The Pilgrims Might’ve Even Ate!?)

Posted by Jennifer Cote

I just wanted to mention, real quick: I tweaked my Cranberry Orange Nut Bread recipe, and I like it even better. Those of us that are eager to forego excess dairy should be glad to know: one can skip the cheddar cheese, to no bad effect. (I inadvertently left it out, and then I was glad I did…)

Whole Grain Cranberry Bread

This is actually a picture of the original cranberry bread. Because I don’t want to take another pic right now!

Now that I have a VitaMix, I thought I’d grind up some fresh whole wheat flour to substitute for two thirds of the white flour. Then I substituted corn flour for the other third. Using part corn flour gave it a nice hearty texture.

I meant to make a trip to the health food store to get more whole-grain corn flour, but since I ran out of time, I wondered if the “Masa Corn Flour” from the grocery store would substitute. Corn meal would’ve been too coarse, but the masa corn flour worked great. The manufacturer is savvy too; even though this is probably a product bought out of tradition, so that many folks can make their holiday tamales, they are now marketing it as “gluten-free”. It is nice that it’s a gluten-free flour, and if you’re concerned about the high phytate content of so many grains, you might appreciate knowing that the corn flour gets treated with lime, which effectively eliminates any phytate problem, too.

So… anyone else up for experimenting? You might try substituting a mix of fresh-ground whole wheat and corn flour for your next baking venture. Let me know how it turns out!

 

Cranberry Orange Bread w/Cheddar Cheese, Nuts (Thanksgiving?!)

Posted by Jennifer Cote

Cranberries, cheddar cheese, nuts, and orange zest make this bread a favorite in our house. It combines Thanksgiving flavors in a nut bread that makes a perfect pre-dinner snack. We usually have it for breakfast on Thanksgiving, to pace ourselves! (It’s a great way to start the day.)

This recipe is adapted from a Betty Crocker one, with just a few changes. IF there are any leftovers, toast slices for an extra treat, just like fresh out of the oven. Makes one 9×5″ loaf, or two 8 1/2 “x 4 1/2 ” loaves, or three 5×3″ loaves.

Thanksgiving recipes: Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 c. chopped nuts
  • 1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/3 c. cranberries, cut in half or chopped coarsely
  • 1 1/2 TBS. grated orange peel
  • 2 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • scant 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1 c. milk (or yogurt)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate

INGREDIENTS

1. Prep the following, setting aside: > 1 c. chopped nuts > 1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese > 1 1/3 c. cranberries, cut in half or chopped coarsely > 1 1/2 TBS. grated orange peel

2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together: > 2 1/2 c. flour > 1/2 c. sugar > 1/2 c. brown sugar > 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder > 1 tsp. salt

3. To the dry ingredients, add the nuts, cheese, cranberries, and orange peel, plus: > scant 1/4 c. olive oil > 1 c. milk > 1 egg > 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate

4. Stir all ingredients together lightly, barely mixing it smooth. Pour into greased loaf pan (or pans), using butter to well-grease the bottom only. Bake a big loaf at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out “clean”. Smaller loaves will cook faster, 40-50 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie w/Simple Ingredients- Perfect Crust, Not Soggy!

Posted by Jennifer Cote

I’ve “had” to make this pie every Thanksgiving for years. “Had” to, because the kids love it so much! (I personally just need some pecan pie, and I’m a happy camper.)

Partially bake the pie crust before-hand, and use the microwave (or stove-top) to get the filling ingredients (except eggs) up to temperature; a moist, flavorful pie will result.

Time permitting, add a generous layer of sugar to the top of the cooled pie, using a blow torch to caramelize it, just before serving. To get that “brulee” style, crunchy sugar topping, it has to be done last minute, but is quite a treat!

Try with an almond-flour crust, and sub coconut palm sugar for regular, for a gluten-free, more paleo-style dessert. Serves 8 or so.

Traditional Pumpkin Pie Recipe, but No Soggy Crust

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 c. cream
  • 1/2 c.  brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp. ginger
  • 2 c. pumpkin
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs

PREPARATION

1. Bake a chilled pie crust at 375 degrees, with foil pressed on firmly and weights in place. Bake 20-22 minutes.

2. Remove foil, baking 10 minutes more. Fill any cracks with reserved crust dough, if necessary.

3. Bake 10-15 minutes more, until golden. Remove from oven.

4. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees; prepare filling.

5. In a microwaveable bowl (or on stove-top), heat the cream 2-3 minutes, until hot: > 1 1/2 c. cream

6. Add the following to the cream, mix well, and microwave again until hot (3  minutes or so): > 1/2 c. brown sugar > 1/4 c. white sugar > 2 c. pumpkin> 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon > 3/4 tsp. ginger > 1/4 tsp. nutmeg > 1/4 tsp. allspice > 1/8 tsp. salt

7. Add and stir in: > 3 eggs

8. Pour the filling into the still warm pie crust, bake for 30-40 minutes, until custard’s set. The center should look firm. Don’t overcook; it will set up more as it sits. Cool for 2 hours or more.

9. If desired, just before serving, add a generous layer of sugar to the top of the cooled pie; use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar, creating “bruleed pumpkin pie”.

 

Pie Crust (Two Crusts)

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO PIES

  • 1 stick cold butter, sliced into pieces
  • 2 c. plus 2 TBS. flour
  • 1/4 c. cold water

PREPARATION

1. Process into a coarse meal in a food processor: > 1 stick cold butter, sliced into pieces > 2 c. plus 2 TBS. flour

2. (A fork or pastry cutter can also be used to “cut” the butter into the flour.) Next, add the water through the top of the processor while pulsing: > 1/4 c. cold water

3. Pulse just until fairly mixed. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap; if a pastry cloth is used, flour the cloth first. Let the dough rest a few minutes, then roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Remove one piece of wrap, lifting the crust into an 8-10″ pie pan; ease the crust in and pinch top into decorative shape. Floured hands make forming the crust easier.

4. The crust may be frozen for weeks; no need to thaw it before adding filling and baking.

Sweet Potato Casserole, Healthy-Style, Topped w/Streusel

Posted by Jennifer Cote

This is my favorite yam dish for the Thanksgiving meal. Sweet potatoes take little prompting to make a tasty dish, but the streusel topping on this easy recipe puts it over the top. Modify the recipe if necessary; coconut milk substitutes nicely for the cream. Serves 6 or so.

Thanksgiving Yams, Healthy Style

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-5 sweet potatoes (weighing approx. 2 1/4 lb. total)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 c. cream
  • 1 TBS. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. pecans, chopped
  • 2 TBS. soft butter

PREPARATION

1. Cook sweet potatoes (a day ahead, if necessary). Flavor and nutrients are lost when cooked in a pot of water, but a slow cooker is a nice alternative, with just a bit of water at the bottom of the crock. Or bake in oven at 375 degrees, wrapped in foil, for one hour or so, until tender. Use: > 3-5 sweet potatoes (weighing approx. 2 1/4 lb. total)

2. Let potatoes cool, then slip skins off. In bowl, mash w/ potato masher or fork (or process), then add to bowl and mix in: > 2 eggs > 1/4 c. cream > 1 TBS. olive oil > 1 tsp. vanilla

3. Put mixture into oiled casserole dish or 8″ square pan. Top with mixture of the following: > 1/2 c. brown sugar > 1/4 c. flour > 1/2 c. pecans, chopped > 2 TBS. soft butter

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

Green Bean “Casserole”, All Natural

Posted by Jennifer Cote

This month I’ll feature some of my “classic” Thanksgiving recipes, which are mostly traditional recipes that I’ve tweaked to make as healthy and easy as possible. Enjoy your Thanksgiving preparations!

This is a fairly simple recipe; a healthier rendition of the classic Thanksgiving dish, “Green Bean Casserole”. There’s no can of soup, no MSG, no gluten. And it tastes fresh and delicious!

Caramelized onions substitute for that can of onion rings; they can be cooked ahead of time, which makes holiday prep easy.

The onions take some long, slow cooking to develop their sweet, mellow flavor; texture comes from the addition of slivered, toasted almonds. Serves 12 or so.

Grateful-Table-Green-Beans-w-Onion-Almonds

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lb. yellow onion
  • 1/2 c. Olive oil
  • 2-3 lb. Green Beans
  • 1-2 (8 oz.) pkg. toasted, slivered almonds
  • 1 tsp. salt

PREPARATION

1. Hours ahead of serving (even the day before), prepare the caramelized onions. Slice into strips: > 2 lb. peeled yellow onion

2. Crowd onions into a medium iron pan (if the pan is too large, the onions lose too much moisture and burn too easily). Lightly brown the onions on medium-high heat, adding: > 1/2 c. olive oil

3. Stir the onions more often at first, then turn heat down some. Turn the onions occasionally for an hour or two, keeping the heat low enough for some moisture to develop. Turn the heat up briefly if too much moisture accumulates. Eventually, onions will be reduced to a much smaller amount; they will develop a sweet, caramelized flavor. Set onions aside. Refrigerate if making a day ahead of time.

4. On serving day, trim beans by cutting ends off, and steam them. In cooking larger quantities, the beans towards the bottom of the pot may get more cooked; cook beans in batches if necessary.

5. In a medium-large pot, add: > One inch boiling water > 2 lb. trimmed green beans

6. Use a metal steamer in the bottom of the pan, if available. Cover the beans and cook on medium high heat until the beans are tender. (Be sure that the water doesn’t boil away.)

7. To serve, mix together: > The caramelized onion > 1 tsp. salt > The cooked beans > 1-2 pkg. toasted, slivered almonds

8. The dish can be kept warm in the oven until serving time, or can be microwaved for a quick warm-up.

Easy Cranberry Chutney (Like on the Bag, but Classier)

Posted by Jennifer Cote

The terms “Chutney” and “relish” are fairly interchangeable, although a touch of spicy peppers is usually added to chutneys. A dash of cayenne qualifies this simple recipe as “chutney”, which certainly sounds classy! Serves about 12.

Cranberry Orange Chutney w/cayenne, cinnamon

INGREDIENTS

  •     1/2 c. water
  •     1/8 tsp. cayenne (or hot peppers of choice)
  •     1/8 tsp. salt
  •     Cinnamon stick
  •     1 bag cranberries
  •     1 c. sugar
  •     Zest from one orange
  •     2 TBS. frozen orange juice concentrate

PREPARATION

1. Rinse the berries and remove bad ones. Use: > 1 bag cranberries

2. Bring water to boil. Add: > sorted cranberries > 1/8 tsp. cayenne > 1/8 tsp. salt > 1-2 cinnamon sticks and sugar.

3. Bring mixture back up to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 10 minutes or so, until cranberries pop. Add: > zest from one orange > 2 TBS. frozen orange juice concentrate.

4. This recipe can be made ahead and chilled; the chutney will thicken as it cools.

Persimmon Bread, New Deli Seasonal Fave!

Posted by Jennifer Cote

Long ago, my aunt made this recipe; it was so delicious! She used Grand Marnier, which can be a bit cost-prohibitive. So I altered the recipe some, substituting frozen orange juice concentrate. It was still delicious!

As this year’s crop of persimmons are ripening on our tree, the New Deli crew hopes I’ll make more of this delicious confection. OK, we’ll do it! After all, it can be challenging to eat them all au natural…

Preferably, use the heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons for this recipe (although the pumpkin-shaped Fuyu can be substituted). When they get really soft, you’ll know they’re fully ripe and ready to use. Put containers of the ripe, skinned, seeded pulp in the freezer if too many ripen at once. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, or 4 small.

Holiday Nut Bread with Persimmons, chocolate chips

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 c. mashed persimmon
  • 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4  c. melted butter
  • 1 c. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. walnuts or pecans
  • 1 c.  golden raisins (or regular)
  • 1 c. chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Prepare the persimmon pulp, removing skin and seeds. Put in bowl: > 1 1/4 c. mashed persimmon

Also, let thaw and add to pulp: > 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate

2. To the pulp and orange concentrate in a bowl, add : > 2 eggs > 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir in: > ¼ c. melted butter

3. In large bowl, mix dry ingredients together separately: > 1 c. flour > 1/2 tsp. salt > 1 tsp. cinnamon > 1 tsp. baking soda > 1 c. sugar > 1 c. nuts > 1 c.  golden raisins > 1 c. chocolate chips

4. Last, add the persimmon mix to the dry ingredients, mixing just till blended. Pour into well-buttered, floured pans, lined with wax paper on bottom. Use 4 small loaf pans, or 2 large pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes for large loaves, or 30-35 minutes for smaller loaves, until browned and “set” (not squishy in the middle). Let rest an hour or so before removing; it will be easier once the bread firms up a bit.

Traditional Pecan Pie (but More Pecans)- Easy Double Recipe

Posted by Jennifer Cote

It’s hardly twice as much work to make two pies, so why not? Plus,a double recipe uses exactly one full bottle of dark corn syrup, which makes for easy measuring.

I rarely consume corn syrup in any form, but I’ll save my yearly ration to eat it all in this pie. Honey or maple syrup will substitute if necessary, but this pie is so worth it as is.

Also, maybe because pecan pie’s almost like candy, this particular pie keeps quite well. That is, if you don’t eat all of it on Thanksgiving!

Makes 2 pies.

Traditional pecan pie

INGREDIENTS

  • Two prepared, unbaked pie crusts (see below)
  • 2/3 c. butter
  • 1 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1 bottle (2 c.) dark corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 c. pecans, whole, raw

PREPARATION

1. Prepare two pie crusts (see below). For filling, add to a microwaveable bowl, and microwave the butter 1-2 minutes until melted (or heat in pan): > 2/3 c. butter  

2. To butter, add: > 1 1/3 c. sugar > 1 bottle dark corn syrup > 1 tsp. salt > 6 eggs  

3. Mix well, stir in: > 3 c. pecans

4. Pour into twp pie shells; bake 40-50 minutes at 375 degrees.

Pie Crust (Two Crusts)

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO PIES

  • 1 stick cold butter, sliced into pieces
  • 2 c. plus 2 TBS. flour
  • 1/4 c. cold water

PREPARATION

1. Process into a coarse meal in a food processor: > 1 stick cold butter, sliced into pieces > 2 c. plus 2 TBS. flour

2. (A fork or pastry cutter can also be used to “cut” the butter into the flour.) Next, add the water through the top of the processor while pulsing: > 1/4 c. cold water

3. Pulse just until fairly mixed. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap; if a pastry cloth is used, flour the cloth first. Let the dough rest a few minutes, then roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Remove one piece of wrap, lifting the crust into an 8-10″ pie pan; ease the crust in and pinch top into decorative shape. Floured hands make forming the crust easier.

4. The crust may be frozen for weeks; no need to thaw it before adding filling and baking. To finish making the two pies, see instructions, top of page.

Chicken Roasted Easy Style, Seasoned w/ Herbs Under the Skin

Posted by Jennifer Cote

Use time efficiently by implementing this recipe, preparing a healthy, delicious meal with minimal work. Make a double or triple batch of the herb mix, and season several birds all at once, to be especially efficient. The pre-seasoned birds will keep in the freezer, ready to thaw and roast at a future date.

Under the skin, seasoned whole chicken

A blender (or Vitamix) will quickly process a whole bunch of fresh herbs (and garlic) fine; much quicker than hand-chopping. It might be a bother to clean the blender for a small batch, but for large quantities, it’s worth it.

The paprika in this mix lends a bit of color, making the skin a deep brownish color; the cayenne adds some kick. I happen to have sage, thyme, and rosemary running rampant in my yard, so I use those, but almost any combination of herbs and spices can work, according to preferences. Dry herbs can substitute for fresh, if necessary. The main point is that the seasoning gets rubbed on the meat under the skin, infusing it with so much flavor.

Organic, free-range chickens turn out perfectly; generic whole chicken fryers can be used, but there will be an excess of fat. Part of the beauty of the organic chickens is that they’re much leaner; one doesn’t have to remove an inch of fat from the roasting pan before serving the meal. Plus, many studies show that the fat of organic chickens is of a different chemical makeup; I don’t feel guilty using the rendered fat from this recipe, mixing it in with the juices to flavor the meat I pull off the bone, or to flavor any accompanying veggie dishes.

Makes 2 small whole chickens, to serve 6-8.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 whole chickens
  • Large handful of fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme are good choices)
  • 1-2 TBS. garlic, fresh, chopped
  • scant 1 TBS. salt
  • 1 TBS. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)

PREPARATION

1. To prepare seasoning blend, hand chop or process in blender: > Large handful fresh herbs > 1-2 TBS. garlic, fresh, chopped

2. Mix into chopped garlic and herbs: > scant 1 TBS. salt > 1 TBS. paprika > 1/2 tsp. cayenne

3. Gently work fingers under the skin of chickens. On both ends, and on top and bottom, the chicken skin can be separated some from the meat, enough for one to rub the seasoning mix onto the meat. Go into the drum/thigh/wing areas a bit too, as best as possible. Also spread some herbs around the inside cavities. Use: > 2 fryers, preferably organic

4. Roast chickens in an iron skillet or two, if possible, or a baking pan. Allow enough space around the two birds, so they don’t steam. They should cook for a long time on a low temperature, for extra flavorful, moist meat, and crunchy skin. Roast at 225 degrees for 3-4 hours, and serve.

5. Extra meat can be pulled from the bones, for future meals; the bones can be used to make a delicious stock.