Baked Apples

 

3 medium Apples, center cut out

 6 tablespoons Butter, room temperature

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

4 tablespoons Brandy

1/4 cup Pistachios, chopped

2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.  In  a small bowl mix well butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Generously spoon butter mixture into each apple.  Pour brandy over the stuffed apples.  Top each apple with pistachios and cranberries.  

 Bake for 30 minutes.  Let apples cool for 10 minutes and enjoy.

Serves 3

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas

1/2 pound Sugar Snap Peas

1 Shallot, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/8 cup Dried Cranberries

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Remove the fibrous string that runs the length of the pea.  Fold back the stem and pull, the string will unzip quite easily.

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, add the olive oil.  Add sliced shallots and chili flakes, saute for one minute.  Add prepared snap peas, and season with salt and pepper.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add cranberries.  Toss all together and serve.

Serves 4

Baby Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Cranberries

6 oz Baby Spinach Bag

1/2 cup Crumbled Goat Cheese

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 cup Toasted Almonds

2-3 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Olive Oil, plus garlic cloves

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, toss well, and serve.

Serves 4-5

*See the recipe for Roasted Garlic Olive Oil under the Labels. 

*If you can't find Crumbled Goat Cheese, substitute it for 3 oz of Goat Cheese, and crumble yourself.

Cornmeal Ricotta Cake with Balsamic Strawberry Reduction

2 pounds Ricotta Cheese, room temperature

4 Eggs

1 cup Sugar

Zest one Lemon

1/3 cup Cornmeal, plus 2 tablespoons

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 cup Sliced Almonds, optional

1 tablespoon Butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter and sprinkle two tablespoons of cornmeal on the bottom of a baking dish.

In a mixer, beat together sugar and eggs.  Add ricotta cheese, lemon zest, cornmeal, and salt.  Blend together until the mixture is smooth.  Add cranberries and almonds, and mix together.

Pour ricotta mixture over the buttered dish and place it in the oven.

Bake for 55-60 minutes.  Move the cake to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

Balsamic Strawberry Reduction Sauce

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 cup Strawberry Jam

In a small sauce pan, add balsamic, strawberry jam, and whisk together.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat, until mixture reduces by half.  Cool and serve with the cake.

Serves 6-8



Cranberry Bellini

2 oz Cranberry Puree

4 oz Prosecco

Few Fresh Cranberries

Pour cranberry puree into a champagne flute.  Pour Prosecco slowly.  Top with fresh cranberries.

To make cranberry puree: in a small pan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 cup of fresh cranberries.  Cook on medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, until cranberries pop.  Cool and process in a blender.

Ginger Cranberry Sauce

3 cups Fresh Cranberries

3 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated

1 medium Orange, zest and juice

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

In a medium pan, add cranberries, ginger, zest and juice of an orange, sugar, and salt.  Stir to blend.  Over medium heat, cook the cranberries for about 12-15 minutes, until cranberries burst.

Cool and Serve.

*Add 1/3 cup Agave Nectar instead of Brown Sugar.

Can be made two days in advance.  Saves you time on a busy day...

Vanilla Bean Rice with Cranberries and Almonds

3/4 cup short grain Rice, like Arborio

3 cups 2% Milk

1 Vanilla Bean*

1 Cinnamon Stick

Pinch Fresh Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon Orange Zest

1/3 cup toasted Almonds

In a sauce pan, add rice, milk, vanilla bean*, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and salt.  Bring it all to a boil, turn it down to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent rice burning to the bottom of the pan.

Add cranberries, brown sugar, and orange zest.  Stir all together and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Top it with toasted almonds before serving.  Goes well with vanilla or coconut ice cream.

Serve 4-5

*Cut vanilla bean length wise and scrape the beans out with a butter knife.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Cranberry Couscous

6 Lamb Chops

2 cups Buttermilk

4 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon Fresh Sage, chopped

1 tablespoon Fresh Oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon Fresh Mint, chopped

8-10 Dashes Hot Sauce

Salt, Pepper to taste

Cranberry Couscous

One Box Couscous

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

1/4 cup Pine Nuts, chopped

2 tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

On both sides of lamb chops, season with salt and pepper. In a large shallow dish pour buttermilk. Add all the herbs, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix all together. Place the lamb chops and coat them with the buttermilk marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight (flip them once).

Preheat grill to 500 degrees F. Grill lamb chops on the first side for about 8 minutes. Then, flip and grill for another 6 minutes for medium-rare. If chops are less than one inch thick, don't need to grill as long.

Cranberry Couscous

Cook couscous according to directions on a box. Add cranberries, pine nuts, and chopped mint. Season with a little salt and fresh ground pepper.

*Enjoy Lamb Chops with Grilled Vegetables as well. Find a recipe for Grilled Vegetables in the Veggie-Licious Section